[Coco] Help with The Magic of Zanth for CoCo 3

[CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts]

On 12/05/2014 4:10 AM, CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts wrote:
> Anyone play this 1987 CoCo 3 game from Computerware, The Magic of Zanth,
> before? I like to think I know my way around a game or two, but the scant
> instructions with this text and graphics adventure and my lack of
> familiarity with Anthony's world of Xanth that this is based on seems to
> have doomed me to failure right at the start. I used all of the commands
> mentioned in the manual, including "run" and "talk," and I can't seem to
> get away from the dragon after taking my step in one of the cardinal
> directions after the start of the game.
>
> While this is an original version of the game, I'm concerned that somehow
> this might have flagged itself as a pirate copy and therefore puts the game
> in an unwinnable state (this technique was used on other platforms on
> occasion) on purpose. I have no idea though if I'm missing some obscure
> command not mentioned in the manual or need to know some obscure reference
> from reading the Xanth books.
>
> I put up a very short video of the game in action yesterday (
> http://billloguidice.tumblr.com/post/85376731768/super-quick-video-of-the-rare-the-magic-of-zanth)
> showing the nifty speech synthesis when using the Speech & Sound Pak. It
> also detects whether or not you have a 512K system and appears to load the
> whole game in memory (at least from as far as I've gotten). In other words,
> cool stuff, but not cool if I can't get past the first few steps.
>
> Thanks.
>
> -Bill
>

Does every game (are there many?) that used the speech part of the 
sound'n'speech pack sound like a cyclon?  :)

I've owned one of these packs for 20 years (bought cheap when they were 
being cleared) and I've never used it.

Firstly because there weren't enough games that used it (properly) and 
because of my refusal to attach one of those god awful multi-crap 
kludges on the side of my CoCo.

The Apple II had nice internal slot expansion.

The TRS-80 Model 1 had a nice tidy expansion interface under the monitor.

The CoCo has this god awful "multi-crap" dongle on the side with odd 
size cartridges and cables everywhere... not to mention the risj of 
blowing a 6809 when it's bumped!

Nick