Installing Zork and the zmachine on your web server.

Zork like may other games from the old days,  you use your imagination when playing games. What is really neat about the old text based games is that there are a zillion of them Most of them are free. This is probably one of the easiest pieces of software to install on a web server.One of the reasons, I did this was so a friend who loves to play games on his Android device did not have to pay for an APP(lication) from the app store. He just used a vpn to the server with the web app and not plays the zmachine games all the time on his way to and from work while riding public transportation. Certainly you could do the same thing with the Ipad or the Surface.

Step 1: Whats needed.

Web server of course. (We have only tested it wiith apache2.)
A java based zmachine.such as zplet.jar..
the story file zork1.z5
and the html loader file as show below.

zork1.html:
[code]
<title>Zplet: Zork I: The Great Underground Empire</title>
<hr>
<applet archive="zplet.jar" code="Zplet.class" width=512 height=387>
<param name="Foreground" value="white">
<param name="Background" value="black">
<param name="StatusForeground" value="black">
<param name="StatusBackground" value="white">
<param name="StoryFile" value="zork1.z3">
</applet>
<hr>
Please note that SAVE and RESTORE may not available due to
applet security restrictions.  Leaving this page may or may
not restart the game depending on the behavior of your browser.
[/code]

Note: you can change the colors to make it easier on your eyes.

Comments

[frisbeechamp1983]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Windows-Command-Promt-Text-Game/

[Computothought]

Saw that, but is just not the same. There is some history and lore behind the old Infocom games. Besides, we do not use Microsoft products. Though your idea should be easy to emulate on the nix's..