Infocom Enchanter

Enchanter is apparently set in the Zork world, although certainly to start with there is no indication of this - it just seems like a "normal adventure-style" game.

It is the first part of a trilogy, which continues with Sorcerer, and then Spellbreaker.

The Circle gathers and its leader, the esteemed Belboz, reveals to them an ancient document which portends evil days much like our own.

He recites a short spell and you appear.

Belboz approaches, transfixing you with his gaze, and hands you the document. The other Enchanters await his decree. "These words, written ages ago, can have only one meaning. You, a novice Enchanter with but a few simple spells in your Book, must seek out Krill, explore the Castle he has overthrown, and learn his secrets. Only then may his vast evil be lessened or, with good fortune, destroyed."

You start at a fork in a road - it goes west, and it forks north-east and south-east.

It shouldn't take you too long to work out which way to go.

There are 400 points available in Enchanter. and with 0 points you start out as a Charlatan. The first 40 points make no difference.

55 points bring you up to Parlour Magician.
100 points make you a Novice Enchanter.
135 is no better.
175 points mean you're an Intermediate Enchanter.
Once you reach 200 points are are classified as an Enchanter.
260 points make you an Expert Enchanter.
330 points make you a Master Enchanter.
With 350 points you become a Candidate for membership in the Circle of Enchanters.
It is also possible to "achieve" a score of -10, which makes you a Menace to Society.

My guess at the points system is as follows:

There is (as far as I've experienced in the game) no equivalent of the Colossal Cave Adventure thief, so you don't run the risk of your belongings disappearing, either in a confrontation, or if you simply leave them lying around the place (although I've found precious little reason to do so).

The only exception I've come across is that the "other adventurer" might purloin a pretty useless scroll if you're not keeping an eye on him at the significant point. Even that can be got back again simply by asking for it, though.

I've so far found the following things:

• Found a use for
  • Battered lantern, beyond repair
  • Dusty book
  • Empty jug
  • Four poster bed
  • Frogs
  • Large jewelled box
  • Loaf of bread
  • Map
  • Ornamented egg
  • Pencil
  • Sacrificial dagger
  • Several scrolls
  • Spell book
  • Turtle

• Still wondering what they're good for / what to do with them
  • Black candle
  • Purple scroll
  • Silver spoon

A fair amount of the game appears to be based (maybe the clue's in the name of the game) on finding new spells and working out how / where / when / why to use them.

So far I have found the following seventeen spells (those in italics are already in the spell book):

Note₁: I've discovered two ways of using most of the new spells so far - one is single-use only. I recommend the other way.

Note₂: Spells marked with a * above are apparently too long and complicated to be transcribed into the spell book using gnusto.

You have to work out how to do the following things in order to get to the end of the game:

• Things I've managed
  • Create illumination and get 20 points for it
  • Deal with the dragon
  • Get out of the Temple Cell
  • Get past the Guarded Door at the North Gate (somewhat obscure / non-intuitive / almost certainly done the wrong way)
  • Get past the Guarded Door at the North Gate (the right way)
  • Get through the Western Gate into the castle
  • Leave the Junction (especially east)
  • Navigate through the Translucent Rooms
  • Obtain scrolls for all the spells listed above
    • the brittle scroll especially is quite challenging
    • the frayed scroll is just downright obscure
    • the black scroll is totally unreasonable
  • Open the jewelled box
  • Read the dusty book (non-obvious)
  • Successfully open the egg

• Things I'm still wondering about
  • Whether there's any significance to the statue in the Temple
  • Whether there's anything to do in the Kitchen

You get points for doing the following things:

I've found 90 locations (of an unknown number) in Enchanter so far. In two different places there also seem to be a simply unending series of locations which you can continue investigating (to no purpose that I'm aware of) until you just die of hunger or thirst.

It seems strange that you can use spells without first having read them; I (as a game designer) would insist that the adventurer must read the thing which has the spell written on it (at least once) before that spell can be used.

If you work out how to create illumination using an appropriate object, you get 20 points for it. If you create illumination using anything (?) else, it works, but you get no points…

A trivial check of "walking until you die" indicates that you have 91 moves before you dehydrate. There are mumblings about being hungry along the way, too.

The Long Road feels like it comes to an eternally-cycling end location, but that is not the case - if you drop objects at various locations *way* beyond the end of the legible signs, they retain their location and wait there for your return, even though you may not have found anything of any interest during your onward investigations west.

I would have preferred to see more points given for opening the egg the "mechanical" way than the "magic" way. You should still be able to complete the game, but more points for doing things "properly" is good.

Bad:

• It appears almost to be motioning with its outstretched talons for you to approach.
  • approach statue
• I don't know the word "approach".

You realize that you are with the Circle. The Eldest of the Circle, Belboz, rises and speaks: "The evil of Krill is ended this day. From beyond hope, you have proved yourself great and worthy. Our hearts are gladdened at your return." A chair appears at his right hand and he motions for you to sit beside him. He smiles warmly. "Join with us," he says, "and tell us of your quest!"

Here ends the first chapter of the Enchanter saga, in which, by virtue of your skills, you have joined the Circle of Enchanters. Further adventures await you as the Enchanter series continues.

Your score is 400 of a possible 400, in 307 moves.
This puts you in the class of Member of the Circle of Enchanters.

The adventures continue with Sorcerer.

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