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Playing Trinity

T

tezza

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Oct 1, 2007
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Those of you who do dabble in text-based adventure games might like to know I've started a serious mission to complete another Infocom from scratch.

I was inspired to do this by reading the post and links on the "Lost Infocom Drive". This bought back memories of the fun I had playing ZORK and generally inspired me to try another one. I won't be taking a week of work this time, but just slowly chip away at it, when I have some spare hours in the evening.

I looked through what was available on my "Lost Treasures of Infocom" package and settled on "Trinity" as it deals with events which have affected world history (Trinity being where the first atom bomb was tested). These interest me.

Anyway, after a few hours, I've drawn plenty of maps so far (of all things, Powerpoint is good for this) and have so far gained 12 out of 100 points. Still in the lowest rank of a "Tourist", but I have escaped London and the prams successfully before it was nuked and am exploring the forest where the mushrooms bloom. I've also found the crater, barrow and the hidden, buried cylinder there wired up to whatever.

Shhh..if you have played this don't give me any clues (yet). I would be interested to know if you enjoyed the game though. At the moment it doesn't seem too difficult but there are puzzling conceptual features (like the sundial) whose meaning will hopefully become clearer as I progress.

Tez
 
Hi Tez,

How does Trinity compare so far to some of the earlier Infocom stuff (which I am a particularly big fan of) -- like the three Zorks, for example?

John
 
willowmoon93 said:
How does Trinity compare so far to some of the earlier Infocom stuff (which I am a particularly big fan of) -- like the three Zorks, for example?
Click to expand...

John,

The only other Infocom game I'm managed to play right through was Zork I. I've also dabbled with Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Leather Goodess but just for a look-see.

**WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

I've described some of the scenes in Trinity below, but haven't revealed solutions to puzzles I've found. However, anyone who might want to have a crack at this game from scratch and don't want descriptions of any of the scenes may wish to stop reading now.....
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Trinity it seems a little more complex than ZORK I. Whereas Zork I was just an underground empire where exploration and treasures were the goal, Trinity has an obvious theme. The theme is nuclear weapons and nuclear testing, and this flows through the whole game from the folded paper crane you find in the pond in the London park (these are a symbol of the victims of Hiroshima) to the giant mushrooms that inhabit the central land through the first portal. This "central land" (my term) seems very much like Zork (forests, rivers, hills etc). There are a number of portals there and each one takes you to a nuclear-related place. One will suddenly have you underground next to the nuclear bomb set for an underground test, another will be on a pacific atoll about to be blasted, another will be at the Trinity site itself atop the tower. There are more, but you get the picture. A couple of these portals have you falling from a plane or in orbit over the Artic (as if you were a missile!) . In most cases, you are about to be killed from a detonation of the bomb you find yourself snuggled up to!!

Figuring out how to GET to these portals from the central land was a challenge in itself.

I'm not yet sure, but I'm assuming the object of the game is to stop yourself getting blown up (and perhaps also stop London from untimately being destroyed) by solving the various puzzles and carrying out the necessary tasks. It helps if you know a bit of history about nuclear testing. No more so than general knowledge requires though.

Another theme is TIME. At least you seem to be able to alter it to a degree while playing.

The game has the characteristic Infocom humour, and you meet various characters (human and animal) as you go through.

At the moment I'm stuck! I've figured how to get through the portals, but there are things I know I need to do to progress. But just how these deeds are accomplished I'm not sure. For example...

1. I know I need honey and there is a giant hive at one location. How do I get the honey without being stung to death?
2. I'm sure I need the lizard but how do I catch it when it runs away from my light (I'm underground, so I can't turn it off)?
3. Does the magpie do anything else but talk and give me recipies?
4. Will the barrow-wight give me anything or does he just dribble?
5. Why do I get a shock when I work the walkie-talkie. Is this significant?
6. What can the dolphin tell me?
7. What's with the Venus Fly trap?
8. What's with the giant boy blowing bubbles, and so what if I end up in one of his bubbles?
9. There is a hot piece of metal in a crater I can't pick up. How can I cool it or handle it?

If anyone reading this knows the answers, don't give me any clues yet. I might ask for a friendly Private Message (PM) later down the track though, if I just can't make progress! I'm concious I don't want to spoil the game for others.

Tez
 
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Ok, just a progress report ....

Solved most (but not all) of the mysteries above and found a whole lot of new ones. I've now got 55/100 points and have reached the rank of "Historian".

Cool game, but cruelly devious in parts. So far I've resisted the temptation to cheat or seek help.

Tez
 
Well, It's done. A rich and complex marathon of a game.

Alas, I had to turn to the hint book in 4 places to do it though. I needed help to figure out how to prepare the lizard for the spell, get the key at the Trinity site, deal with the searchlight and figure out the right timing when disabling the bomb.

Those last three all occured near the end so I think I was just getting a bit impatient. I probably could have nutted them out eventually but eventually can take a hell of a long time. :)

The story was great, and the puzzels were satisfying to solve. Crafty and cunning but you have to have a lot of patience. There was one thing I couldn't figure out though. Why, when the bomb blew up (as it did hundreds of times as I bumbled around the Trinity site) it took half the State with it?? That made me think someone had sabotaged it to be far more powerful that it should have been. And yet this was not the case. It was, it seems, just the Trinity bomb. Of course it could be just a time paradox thing. The original bomb MAY have been faulty but because YOU sabotaged the first test, you saved New Mexico (and London later on). History doesn't record duds so the first explosion was a later test that worked properly? I dunno...*shrug*

Anyway, it was fun...but I don't feel compelled to start another for a year or two :) My brain hurts!

Tez
 
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