Legends of Zork

An event of such magnitude as to ripple through the multiverses, the economic downturn of 2008/2009 caused havoc in the Quendorian job market, leading to even the vaunted FrobozzCo International laying off reams of traveling salesmen who need to find some way of supporting themselves in the Great Underground Empire. Fortunately for them, a proliferation of monsters throughout the land will both divert their excess labour supply and supply them with loot!

What this has amounted to is a tent camp of sorts sprouting up in the open field west of the legendary White House, where would-be adventurers of former divisions of their parent company (ie character classes) gravitate before sallying forth (in classic LORD grinding style, here clicking on limited illustrated menu options rather than employing hotkeys in a Zorkian textmode) into the surrounding woods (and, eventually, much farther-flung territories) to expend their daily allotment of 30 action points in (fully automated) combat against randomly-encountered bugaboos of a difficulty equivalent to the player's current level, give or take one in either direction for weenies and tanks. At regional bases they can upgrade their equipment by spending zorkmids they find after combat (and revenues from automatically-sold loot -- comparisons to Progress Quest also come to mind); also there players can invest skill points, granted upon level advancement after achieving monster-slaying experience point milestones, into buying stat-modifying character skills.

Further nuances are measured -- a player's encumbrance is limited, forcing them to periodically spend an action point returning to base to unload their loot (and heal up), and players who are slain or run out of actions in the wild lose all un-deposited loot before resuming play. Two more-uncommon features in this game include optional sidekicks for higher-level (25+) characters and group adventuring -- either with friends or computer-selected random bystanders. Since launch, two further features implemented include Clans, a way to benefit newer players with arms and armour no longer appropriate to one's level, and Quests, compelling the player to grind in the correct location alluded to in comedic narrative passages in exchange for big prizes.

The game's magic system is divided into three categories (High, Middle, and Low, as in ZGI and as opposed to the classic "frotz" system), and is one of several "one of three" selections (of magic technique, offensive and defensive combat styles, etc) implemented for rock-paper-scissors effect, especially in PVP combat.

Further Zorkian connections are maintained through the use of Double Fanucci cards (from Zork Zero) in various combinations for endowing characters with bonuses, as well as the controversial second-tier currency system of coconuts -- allowing players who jump through revenue-generating hoops for the game hosts (answering surveys, exposing themselves to advertising, etc. -- or just directly making a hard cash donation) to experience gameplay enhancements or "perks".