For some reason, I'd really like to play this game, as archaic and hyper nerdy as it is- that's part of the charm. My problem is getting lost- Starting with Ishar 1 which is all outdoors (pretty much)- any tips on navigation etc. etc.? Any tips on STARTING? I don't want to just view/read a walkthrough, as that's rather lame.

Old school method : draw a map on a piece of paper. :)

:) Yes!
That's a big part of the old school experience