Border Zone
Encyclopedia
Border Zone is an interactive fiction
computer game written by Marc Blank
and published by Infocom
in 1987. It was released for most popular personal computer
s of the day, such as the IBM PC
, Apple II
, and Commodore 64
. Unlike most other purely text-based games, however, Border Zone incorporated real-time aspects of gameplay. It is Infocom's thirtieth game.
in the 1980s, Border Zone is set in and around Ostnitz, located on the border between the Eastern Bloc
nation of Frobnia and neutral
Litzenburg. The celebration of "Constitution
Day" in Ostnitz will include a speech by Litzenburg's American
ambassador
; there is a plot in motion, however, to assassinate the ambassador in an effort to provoke hostilities between the superpower
s. Border Zone consists of three chapters, each of which places the player in the role of a different character. An American businessman, a KGB
agent, and an American spy
become entangled in the assassination plot and efforts to either stop it or ensure its success.
The tension is increased by the introduction of real-time events in the game. Unusually for a text adventure, game time continues to pass even as the computer waits for the player's next input. Certain actions, such as sneaking past a guard post, must be timed carefully to succeed.
. The Border Zone feelies included:
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
computer game written by Marc Blank
Marc Blank
Marc Blank is an American game developer and software engineer. He is best known as part of the team that created one of the first hit text adventure computer games, Zork....
and published by Infocom
Infocom
Infocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
in 1987. It was released for most popular personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s of the day, such as the IBM PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. Unlike most other purely text-based games, however, Border Zone incorporated real-time aspects of gameplay. It is Infocom's thirtieth game.
Plot
Mirroring the real-world tension of the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
in the 1980s, Border Zone is set in and around Ostnitz, located on the border between the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
nation of Frobnia and neutral
Neutral country
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
Litzenburg. The celebration of "Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
Day" in Ostnitz will include a speech by Litzenburg's American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
; there is a plot in motion, however, to assassinate the ambassador in an effort to provoke hostilities between the superpower
Superpower
A superpower is a state with a dominant position in the international system which has the ability to influence events and its own interests and project power on a worldwide scale to protect those interests...
s. Border Zone consists of three chapters, each of which places the player in the role of a different character. An American businessman, a KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent, and an American spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
become entangled in the assassination plot and efforts to either stop it or ensure its success.
The tension is increased by the introduction of real-time events in the game. Unusually for a text adventure, game time continues to pass even as the computer waits for the player's next input. Certain actions, such as sneaking past a guard post, must be timed carefully to succeed.
Feelies
Besides the high quality of their interactive fiction games, Infocom was also known for feelies: extra items included in each game package related to the story, and sometimes used as copy protectionCopy protection
Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy obstruction, copy prevention and copy restriction, refer to techniques used for preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media, usually for copyright reasons.- Terminology :Media corporations have always used the term...
. The Border Zone feelies included:
- I Am Frobnia, a "Fortunate Tourists Guide and Phrasebook"
- A business cardBusiness cardBusiness cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...
from "Riznik's Antiques, Rare Books and Curios" (In Historic Ostnitz for 35 Years) - A matchbookMatchbookA matchbook is a small paperboard folder enclosing a quantity of matches and having a coarse striking surface on the exterior...
with the logo of the Frobnia National Railway (Frobniz Bourashni Rallni) - A map of the border between Frobnia and Litzenburg