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	Title: (Scorpion's Tale) Trinity: As told by Scorpia
	Author: Scorpia
	Source: Computer Gaming World, v6(7)
	Date: Sep-Oct 1986
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-left" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-scorpions-tale-trinity/scorpions-tale-logo-trinity.png" alt="Scorpion's Tale logo">

Ah, I see you made it back from the depths of space,
after all! But I must say that you look a little
worn out, and a trifle green around the gills. Passing
the Kobayashi test was a bit more than you
bargained for, eh? No matter, just sit right down in
your usual chair by the fire and listen to this: For
you (and I wouldn't do this for just ANYONE,
y'know!), I've arranged a little
get-away-from-it-all trip. Yes, a very nice $599, all-expenses-paid,
package tour of London, complete with some
VERY interesting side excursions (let's hope no one
asks why it's so cheap...it's only one-way, but we
won't mention that little detail, hehehe).

Trinity, from Infocom, starts in London but
takes you elsewhere pretty quickly. Although labeled
'Standard level', be aware that it does contain
a few very tricky puzzles, and you're apt to be
fooled by the ease with which you'll whip through
the opening segment. Keep the following in mind:
read the comic book carefully; it contains some
valuable clues. Read the prose with attention, and
remember that some objects you can pick up are
not necessarily evident at first glance. Mapping is
pretty straightforward, but do it with care.
I must also point out that this is not a game for
the squeamish. In order to complete Trinity, you
will have to perform some unpleasant actions. Although
it does contain some humor, this is overall a
serious game, not a light-hearted one.

Ok, so here you are in London, on the last day
of your tour. Maybe the last day of your life, too,
since in a little while a nuclear device is going to
blow the place away. Unless, of course, you find a
way to safety before that happens. London is small,
and almost everything you find here is important.
In case you make a mistake (the game does take
awhile to load), you might want to have a first save
position right after bootup, as a time-saver in case
you make an error before leaving the city.

Wander around, and see what you can find.
Don't be in any hurry to feed the birds, but you
might want to examine that bag of crumbs a little
further. An abandoned pram, a soccer ball, a
gnomon, a graceful paper bird, an umbrella; all
have their little part to play in getting you to your
date with destiny. Just remember not to leave anything
behind if you can possible help it.

<img class="float-left" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-scorpions-tale-trinity/trinity-cover.jpg" alt="Trinity cover">

Once you pass through the door over Long Water,
the game proper begins. Take your time here,
and map out the area thoroughly. Do not go walking
into dark places without a light source; you
may not come out again. Once you have the whole
place mapped out, you can begin putting the pieces
of the puzzle together.

Several of the problems here are really simple;
for instance, if it takes you more than two moves
to dispose of the giant bee, shame on you! And
getting across the Chasm's Brink is so obvious, it
almost hurts. In the barrow, the way out is right at
hand, all you need do is look for it. At the cottage,
keep your ears open and search everywhere.

The crater, however, is a bit more devious. You
do need to cool off that piece of metal. A little
fling in a walk-in freezer is helpful, although you
will have to make a quick side-trip on your way
back.

The sun dial at the top of the stairs is obviously
an important place. However, it seems your gnomon
doesn't quite fit in. Probably because it turns the
wrong way (you DID notice that, didn't you?).
Now, how can you reverse that, I wonder? You'll
probably be going up and around in circles before
you find the answer to this problem.

But, once that gnomon is in place, interesting
things start to happen, such as the lever that just
popped up. It wouldn't surprise me that there is a
connection between the lever and the dial (look
closely, now). There might even be a connection
between the dial and those crazy toadstools you noticed
during your mapping expeditions. Experiment
a little, it isn't difficult.

Ah, now you're getting some ideas, eh? Well,
don't go running off through any doors just yet.
Some of them can have nasty surprises in store for
you! A good move would be to check that little
comic book again, and of course, you should, as
always, be prepared to do some waiting (just don't
fall asleep typing in all those z's!).

Now, those little toadstool doors take you to
different places (and, we hope, back again), where
you must do something or pick up important objects.
For instance, there is a door that leads to an
underground tunnel. Here you find a walkie-talkie
and a cute little lizard, who manages to elude your
grasp, however hard you try to catch him. But
you're smart enough to outfox a simple skink,
aren't you? Especially when you have two light
sources at your disposal.

That was an easy one, and so is the desert island.
Tiny place, with not much in the way of
scenery, and nothing nearby but a small islet
sporting a lone palm tree. Could you swim out
there? Maybe not, with crabs biting your toes, and
that ominous fin cutting the surface. But hey, it's
not really as bad as it looks! Remember, you have
fingers; just don't wait too long.

Returning from the beauties of the South Pacific,
you go from one extreme to the other when
you now find yourself out somewhere on the
Siberian tundra. Cold, isn't it? And what are all
those rodents doing, rushing past you in a mindless
stampede? Maybe you should find out. Maybe you
could even take one home with you, if only you
had something to keep it in (it's just a bit too large
for your pocket).

<img class="float-right-half" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-scorpions-tale-trinity/trinity-packaging.jpg" alt="Trinity packaging">

After you've warmed up again, you can visit the
playground. Umm, oops, looks like the door isn't
on solid ground this time, though: you're up in
mid-air and falling fast, very fast indeed. You have
only one move between you and raspberry jam, so
think hard on what you can do to break your descent
Ah, that opened up a new line of thought, I
see (Julie Andrews would be proud of you).

OOOF! A rough landing, but at least you (and
everything with you) is still in one piece. Looking
around, you notice that there aren't many places to
visit here. Just as well, since, for more reasons that
one, you stand out like a sore thumb. A quick trip
to the shelter nets you a spade, but little else. Wait,
here comes a little girl, and she seems fascinated by
a certain object. Considering where you are and
what's about to happen, why not be generous? Of
course, that isn't going to get you home again, but
what the heck! And come to think of it, how WILL
you get back to the door in the sky, some 1400 feet
over your head? This is a tough one! But....maybe
that girl can help you; did you check out the
building carefully?

That was close, and the next one is not going to
be a picnic, either. First, you don't want to go
walking through the door into outer space with no
protection; it does unpleasant things to your body.
That means you'll need to surround yourself with
some kind of protection. And you'll need to
breathe, too. I didn't come across any spacesuits,
and you won't, either. So you'll have to find something
pretty big to hold you, don't you think? Too
bad this isn't Sorcerer; you could just wave a magic
wand and conjure up what you needed.

That's half of the problem. The other half is
getting back to the door again, after you have finished
your really unpleasant task (I did NOT like
this part of the game, at all). The satellite that
floats into view is the key, if only you could somehow
get near it or attract its attention in some way.

Now you're about ready for the big time,
namely crossing the River. 1'11 bet you tried before,
and got kicked out of the boat, huh? Well, you
must admit, you don't quite look like a corpse in
those nifty vacation shorts of yours. Maybe it's
time to do some grave-robbing (why not, it's your
own grave, after all). Just make sure you bring
something sturdy, and that you don't overlook
anything.

However, before you go sailing across the River
Styx, you might want to recall the sayings of the
magpie (if you haven't already). You've got everything
you need, and there's only one logical place
to do it, so just get along and finish up this bit of
business.

And off you go, to the far shore, and the final
toadstool (you may wish to save the game before
you make the journey). This is the most complicated
part of Trinity, and careful study of the map
provided will be of great help to you in figuring
out where to go and how to get there quickly; time,
as always, is limited. What you actually need to do
here will become apparent only after you have progressed
well into this mini-scenario.

So you're in the tower (right next to the world's
very first A-bomb; aren't you excited?). Check out
the vicinity, and don't leave until it's safe. At the
bottom of the tower is a locked box, and you'll
have to get the key to that a little later (NO, it's
not the key from the barrow!). And look who's
here: your old pal, the roadrunner, who presents
you with the ruby. Do what needs to be done with
it (put it where the sun don't shine, hohoho), and
you're off.

mmm...off where? Good question, as there are
so many interesting places to go. Let's start off
with a jaunt towards point Able. Of course, you
don't want to get too close to it, but that abandoned
jeep is worth looking at. Especially the radio.

Now that you can keep on top of things, it's
time to move along elsewhere. In fact, I'd say it's
about time for a visit to old McDonald's place (not
to be confused with a certain fast food franchise).

Most of the rooms are empty, but the kitchen
may be of interest, as well as the Assembly Room.
Err, well, there IS that rattlesnake, and he's a mean
one. Better get out of his sight, fast! Still, that's
only a temporary measure; the only way to get rid
of him is, well, I'm afraid it's time for another unpleasant
action on your part. Yours IS the more important
life here.

<img class="float-right" src="/public/img/articles/cgw-scorpions-tale-trinity/trinity-map.jpg" alt="Trinity Site map">

A visit to the windmill is in order, but I
wouldn't bring too much up there, if I were you.
You're going to end up all wet, and that's no fun at
all. But you do need those binoculars. A lighthearted
swim, and they're all yours.

With the map as your guide, you can whiz over
the desert for a quick stop at point Baker. Careful
now, you don't want anyone to catch sight of you
(especially not the way you're dressed now!). There
isn't much to be seen, though; if only you could
somehow get a closer look at things. And don't
overlook your speedy friend, either.

Back at the tower, you unlock the mystery box,
and find all sorts of equipment inside, including a
breaker (this is another good place to save). Play
with it, by all means, but think about what you're
doing here, and listen carefully.

Sooner or later (probably sooner), you'll want to
climb back up the tower. Unfortunately, the spotlight
makes this somewhat difficult, and in fact will
bring you (and many others) to a sorry end. Why
not visit point Pittsburg and see what you can do
about that light? Just don't wake up that German
Shepherd! And the roadrunner can be of immense
help here, if you can keep him temporarily occupied
with something else while you go on to bigger
and better things.

So at last the ultimate moment arrives. You
stand next to the bomb, contemplating four wires,
as the countdown to detonation rings in your ears.
Choose the wrong wire, and it means disaster;
choose the right one, and, well, you'll find out. Not
exactly a happy ending, but it could have been
worse, much worse.

Ah well, I see by the invisible clock on the wall
that time is just about up for this issue. As always,
if you need assistance with an adventure game, you
can reach me in the following ways:

On GEnie: Visit the Games Roundtable (type:
SCORPIA to get there). On Delphi: Come by the
GameSIG (found under the Groups and Clubs
menu). On the Source: Send SMAIL to ST1030.

Via U.S. Mail: send your questions with a self-addressed
stamped envelope (no SASE, no reply;
SASE not required for correspondents outside the
US) to: Scorpia P.O. Box 338 Gracie Station New
York, NY 10028

Special note to Canadian readers: letters from
Canada are taking an average of a week or more to
reach me these days, so please be patient; I do get
replies off as quickly as I can.

See you all next issue!