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FAQ TITLE:

Beyond Zork "Super-Optimized" Walkthrough

COPYRIGHT INFO:

This FAQ is copyright 2009 by Gerry Tesauro ([email protected]), and was
formatted for release by Stanley E. Dunigan ([email protected]).

This FAQ may be posted and used anywhere by anyone as long as it's unaltered,
but always check one of the official websites listed below for the latest
version.

GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)
SuperCheats (www.supercheats.com)
Neoseeker (www.neoseeker.com)

FAQ DESCRIPTION:

This walkthrough gives a high-level strategy for solving Beyond Zork in the
fewest moves while achieving the highest rank of Level 0 Novice. It's written
assuming the reader already knows how to win the game, or has access to a more
detailed step-by-step walkthrough. With the strategy below, you can enter the
Underground in well under 500 moves, and finish the game in another ~50 moves
or less. (My record best is 399 moves to enter the Underground and 434 to
finish the game.) The key ingredients to the strategy are:

1. Zip around the game using Recall and Gating scrolls and flying as much as
possible. For example, I use Gating to leave the top of the lighthouse instead
of trudging back down to the ground, and I fly to the jungle, entirely avoiding
the gondola.

2. Minimize combat time by maximizing offensive firepower. I like to create
characters with high fighting ability, and getting the longsword, Honing scroll
and Might potion quickly. I also use the Annihilation wand early on tough
monsters to go up in level quickly; this gives more endurance and enhanced
fighting ability. With the emphasis on offense, I don't need armor until the
endgame, and don't have to collect and sell a bunch of trinkets to pay for
armor.

3. There are plenty of segments in the game where you're sitting around waiting
for things to happen. I like to use these times for "inventory management"
functions like getting and dropping items, or transferring them in and out of
the pack. (Although it does feel odd doing this in front of the Mayor of
Froon!)

I recommend using the "Muscles" preset character, which has good fighting
ability, good endurance, and a critical minimum intelligence of 4, enabling
you to read the Recall scroll after eating the fish cake or drinking the
Enlightenment potion. I also recommend attacking most of the monsters using the
"thrust" command; this seems to hit much more accurately than "hit <monster>",
although it also appears to do less damage per blow.

VERSION 1.0 (5/9/2009) NOTES AND CREDITS:

This is the original release of this FAQ, so I have no special notes or credits
to report yet.

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NOTE: This FAQ was written while playing the Beyond Zork version downloaded
from XTC Abandonware. As far as I know, everything will be the same for other
game versions.


*** Step 1: Moors/Forest/Recall/Annihilation ***

Go to Wharf, get and wield club. Go to Pub, get rug, exit (leave dagger in
wall). Seems bizarre, but we will do a big clockwise loop arriving at the
Lighthouse. Go south, SAVE. Enter the Moors area and drop the rug so it
doesn't get snatched. Defeat the vapor and snipe. Believe it or not, the lowly
guttersnipe will probably give you your toughest fight in the whole game!
Collect rug, potion, wand, scroll. If you didn't get the Recall scroll
("something to do with transportation"), RESTORE and try again. Otherwise, exit
to SW.

Proceed to South Market and eat the fish cake; you can now read the Recall
scroll. I like to invoke it at the Intersection, which is convenient to the
Magick Shoppe, Frotzen, the stable, and the armor boutique. Go to Magick Shoppe
(SAVE before entering) and identify the wand and potion. Sell any potion except
Might (you'll buy back Enlightenment for the endgame). Drink Might if you have
it, or make sure it is in the case; don't want to wait to find it at the Ruins.

Go E and NE to Outskirts, SAVE. Enter the Forest and try to find the
Annihilation wand while being chased by the cruel puppet. (You may have to
RESTORE several times until it shows up.) Once you have it, you can blast the
puppet and hellhound, collect another scroll, and exit to E. You are now at
third level and a much tougher customer for the giant spider!


*** Step 2: Lighthouse/Implementors ***

Go SE, get salt, continue to Lighthouse. (This is why we are schlepping that
stupid rug around!) Solve the riddle, go up and defeat the spider, slug, and
dust bunny, while picking up a wand, card, scroll and ring. Zap the dorn at
the top with the remaining Annihilation charge.  Open the chest (put club,
card, wands in pack while visiting the unicorns), get the sextant, palimpsest
and outline, close and get chest.

Invoke the palimpsest word to go to Ethereal Plane. Cut outline with phase
blade to visit the Implementors. (While you're there you can wear the ring,
read scrolls, and put sextant, phase blade, palimpsest in pack.) Get goblet
(and lick its coating) to return to ground at Edge of Storms.


*** Step 3: Accardi/Cellar ***

Get weed, go to Guild Hall entrance, try to go N. Put goblet and weed in pack,
get outline, sextant, card, club while waiting. Give chest to monkey grinder,
get wand from hall, get hurdy. Go to Weapons shop and sell outline, club, card,
sextant, and Annihilation wand. (If necessary, get and sell the chest also.)
Buy and wield the sword. Use Honing scroll if you have it.

Go back to the pub, get lamp, go to Kitchen, SAVE. We can bypass the whole
skeleton/amulet/bottle thing and just defeat the rat-ant and crab, squeeze moss,
get another wand, and Recall out. (You can also get the crown and perhaps the
doubloon to pay for a potion and the rabbit's foot.) However, this may not work
if you haven't found the Levitation wand by now, so you may have to restore and
get the amulet.


*** Step 4: Unicorn/Pterodactyl ***

Back at Intersection, turn off lamp, go back to Magick Shoppe, and identify all
the wands. (You can deduce the remaining wand, which will be found in the
jungle.) Raise 30 zorkmids by selling crown and doubloon or Sayonara wand to
buy Might (or Enlightenment) potion and rabbit's foot, then Recall out.

Inventory management can get tricky in this part of the game. Put lamp/sword/
Dispel/Eversion etc. in pack, go to stable, kiss horn, levitate saddle, get
saddle and shoe, levitate unicorn. (Caution: strength goes way down after this.)
Go back to the Moors and find the pterodactyl. Put him to sleep using hurdy or
Anesthesia, get arrow and whistle, put weed on wound, put saddle on pterodactyl.
Recall.


*** Step 5: Frotzen/Froon/Castle ***

Take hurdy and goblet into Frotzen and follow usual instructions for Frotzen/
Froon. (Wear whistle, rub foot, put Levitation and caterpillar in pack, etc.
while waiting in the house or in Froon. Wait until strength is back to normal
before drinking Might potion.) Exit to west carrying rose and perhaps another
scroll, with foot, shoe, clover, caterpillar in pack. Blow whistle.

Sit on saddle and FLY. Turn rose NE and fly SW to castle. Follow usual
instructions to get jar and eat morgia root. (Wield sword, drop root, key,
hurdy, etc. while hiding behind the bush.) Blow whistle.


*** Step 6: Jungle/Thriff ***

Fly now to Jungle (SE, NE). Get off and defeat the crocodile and bloodworm.
Collect a wand and scroll, if needed. You should now have Dispel, Eversion,
Levitation wands with you. Use Eversion and lamp to get the jewel (remember to
squeeze the moss), Levitation to free baby hungus, and drop those wands along
with the lamp.

Now head south to Thriff to get the vial from pew. Read glyph, get past
Christmas trees with caterpillar. Get burin from mailbox, search bench and get
hemisphere. Defeat the Wight. Dispel the dome, run away, write glyph in lava.
Drop burin, Dispel, caterpillar while waiting. Ask Cardinal Toolbox for
reliquary. Go to mountain pasture and erase minx tracks. Make the gray sphere,
and drop reliquary while waiting. Finally, get the minx and Recall.


*** Step 7: Ruins/Boutique ***

Go to Magick Shoppe (minx follows you), trade jewel for hourglass. You can sell
the ring to buy Enlightenment potion, or pick it up at the Ruins. Go to Forest
and let minx find truffle at Twilight. Solve boulder riddle and enter pool with
truffle, put it in pack. Blow whistle, get minx, and fly to Ruins. Defeat the
ghoul, hit warrior with vial. Solve the Arch puzzle to get the helmet. Exit
arch and Recall back.

Finally, it's time to buy armor! Visit the Boutique and trade hourglass for
plate mail. (The woman gives you 300 zorkmids change.) Wear the plate mail and
helmet and use the Protection scroll. Your armor class goes to 97% so there's
no need for the cloak.


*** Step 8: Underground ***

Use the palimpsest word, go W and SW, use the word again to arrive at Thriff.
Go NW and W, gaze into sphere to get magic word to enter rock wall, then solve
the endgame as published elsewhere.

Note: It is possible to achieve the rank of Level 1 Novice, which exceeds the
nominal highest rank of Level 0 Novice. This happens if you defeat three grues
and two luck monsters, and make it to the Treasure Chamber before seeing the
third luck monster. After defeating the Ur-Grue, you attain Level 0 Novice. If
you then get the coconut and defeat the third luck monster on your way out, you
will advance to Level 1 Novice.