Hail the all knowing Sultans of AGDI

Message

Ibanezrg82 · #1 Post by **Ibanezrg82** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:10 am

Well, its been years now, and I hope your project is well up to speed.
With all of your knowledge on these things, do you ever think of
starting your own official profittable adventure gaming buisiness?

Anyway, Ive been playing QFG2 since it came out, when I was in third grade. When Mr. Gates destroyed our reliable gaming operating system starting with a D, back in 2000, it took me 3 years to figure out how to run the games. Fortunately, some people recreated engines for games like this, of the Sierra genre, and others. The U7 Blackgte fans did good to. (Im trying not to name any official games)
I highly suggest you take out ALL original things like a Saurus Repair shop
and a Mages Maze game, and ALL of your original dialogue. This is a classic. I ask you, as a fellow fan not to fix something that was never broken in the first place.

If you do decide to include these things, I understand. I will just not visit the locations, when I play said long slated masterpiece. (I probably will vist them anyway).

You people obviously have great programming knowledge, and a passion for adventure gaming. God forbid, people like thinking, instead of just pressing buttons when they game. (BRING BACK THE KEYBOARD!!!)
I see other's whine about when the game is coming out, and I can't say that I am not one of them.
Where is the money in all of this? If we all love this, why don't people like us, invest in such an operation? I am not a rich man, yet I would be more than happy to contribute. I have had, and still do, ideas and such, since I was a young boy.
Why remake old games when WE can make new ones!
The technology of today was exactly what I dreamed of back in the dawn of the 90's, when I first figured out how to conquer WIT.
And then the incense and the lamp.
All of my friends were dumbfounded. We kept getting the city destroyed by the fire elemental, week after week.
Back then I played it on an IBM 8086. (with the first SOUNDBLASTER)

Anyway, Im ranting.
People like you should put your skills to something better than this.
I cant wait for the VGA remake, more for the redone music.
-A friend of the Sultan.
I really hope we can talk more in the future,
I'm game.

Boogeyman · #2 Post by **Boogeyman** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:34 am

Is this guy bashing QFG2VGA or what?

#3 Post by **navynuke04** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:35 pm

AGDI did start their own business and has made an original commercial game. That is partly the reason QFG2VGA has taken so long. If you're interested head over to http://www.himalayastudios.com and check it out.

#4 Post by **Erpy** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:44 pm

I highly suggest you take out ALL original things like a Saurus Repair shop
and a Mages Maze game. This is a classic. I ask you, as a fellow fan not to fix something that was never broken in the first place.

Implementing those kinds of things isn't fixing something that wasn't broken, it's restoring the state of the game as it was before content was cut to preserve floppy disk space. There's a difference.

As for original dialogue, we made sure not to make any major changes in the story or dialogue, but when doing a conversion from parser to point&click, adding extra messages here and there is unavoidable.

DonQuixote · #5 Post by **DonQuixote** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 5:04 pm

Even if what little extra content that's in the remake wasn't intended to be in the original game to begin with, I certainly wouldn't object, as it's still within the spirit of the game. Easter Eggs.

Ibanezrg82 · #6 Post by **Ibanezrg82** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:05 am

Man, you guys are defensive.
I guess with good reason.
Im not bashing anything, just adding some comments on
my favorite adventure game of all time.

I said I would understand any little touch you decide to put on this
thing.

Seeing as you guys are recreating this monster, you must know all
of the little things in Trial by Fire.

Now I have another request.

This mystery has been pissing me off since I was 12, and no matter
how many times I try to replicate the situation, I can't get it.

One time I was playing QFG2, in the guild hall, Uhura gets pissed about
something, and her sprite lunges towards Hero.
When this happened, I got a "Please Insert disk 7 into drive A:" or something like that. Anyway, it was a long time ago and I don't remember what she said. Was this a Silly Clowns thing, or a part the programmers forgot to take out?

Gronagor · #7 Post by **Gronagor** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:59 am

That's interesting... don't know about the Uhura thing (You sure you weren't dreaming that part??)

Just remember that AGDI had quite a few talks with Lori Cole (original designer) to get her input on what should be in and what should be out. It will be fantastic to see the game that she originally intended (but were cut because of disk-space).

#8 Post by **Erpy** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:36 pm

My hunch would be that you kept Rakeesh' sword for too long and have already been reminded by Uhura to give it back. The official word would be that eventually, she gets pissed and almost literally tosses you out of the guild hall. You'd end up outside without the sword and without your hidden paladin points as well.

Lambonius · #9 Post by **Lambonius** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:58 pm

Erpy wrote:The official word would be that eventually, she gets pissed and almost literally tosses you out of the guild hall. You'd end up outside without the sword and without your hidden paladin points as well.

Is that the official offical word, or still part of your hunch? I personally don't remember anything like that ever happening, and I've played this game to death.

MusicallyInspired · #10 Post by **MusicallyInspired** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:41 pm

Why would he say it was official if it was a hunch?

#11 Post by **Erpy** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:34 am

I've never experienced what he said myself, so it's still a hunch. But it's the only explanation I can give for what he describes.

Ibanezrg82 · #12 Post by **Ibanezrg82** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:13 am

yes, that was it, come to remember.
I was playing the game to death at that point, and I did have an earlier disk version.

I never got to the point where I wound back in the plaza though.

Thank you, I hope to see it in the remake.

DonQuixote · #13 Post by **DonQuixote** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:04 am

Does that only happen on the disk version? or did it ever happen to you on the Anthology version?

Ibanezrg82 · #14 Post by **Ibanezrg82** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:40 am

only happened once, back on the disk version. Fully loaded to the hard drive.

DonQuixote · #15 Post by **DonQuixote** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 8:56 am

Funny how many "little" things I've still missed on these games. I've had the disk version for a long time... but I haven't had a 3 1/2 disk drive for years. I just always assumed the one on the CD was <b>exactly</b> the same.

Ibanezrg82 · #16 Post by **Ibanezrg82** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:08 am

Ibanez is starting to fade here on magical ambien,
but I will try to say something profound.

For all employees of AGDI and IA, join hands, maybe then you'd see some mo moneys. I you could bank said mo money into an institution,
I would be more than happy to work wit you guys.

After all, you need a good writer for an orginal.
I would be creatively explosive with plots and music also.

In the music sense, I was thinking flutes and guitars.
In the graphics sense, no 3d, but a step above of post Sierra's KQ7 and SQ6.
A new land with new odds, ends, and of course, puzzles.
Maybe something that could be ported toXBOX.O
Ibanez

#17 Post by **Erpy** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:25 am

Right.

Klytos · #18 Post by **Klytos** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:38 am

Considering how hard it is to even understand your posts most of the time, I agree with Erpy's comment.

TribeHasSpoken · #19 Post by **TribeHasSpoken** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:17 am

I'll interpret your suggestions as best I can, Ibanezrg82, and respond to them. Keep in mind I'm not a member of AGDI/Himalaya.

Your suggestion for a game with "A new land with new odds, ends, and of course, puzzles", in addition to other comments, seemed to suggest to me that you think the team should create a new game in an existing Sierra series for commercial purposes. If this is what you are proposing, this move would require the cooperation of Vivendi Games, who currently own Sierra. Though AGDI have earned Vivendi's cooperation for their non-commercial remakes, it would be a stretch to assume that this would automatically ensure cooperation for a commercial venture.

Your suggestion that AGDI and IA should join forces for said commercial venture is far easier to address. AGDI and IA are separate companies with different ideas on what direction they wish to take in the future. AGDI is finishing QFG2VGA. Their other company, Himalaya Studios, is working to secure a publishing deal for "Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine". IA have two games in production and one on hold. To merge would be difficult from a logistical standpoint and would constrain the ability of one or both teams' future plans to come to fruition.

Lastly, you suggested that AGDI needs a writer for original projects. This is naturally true, however they already have that excellent writer (whose forum name I can't remember and whose real name I can't say since AGDI members are meant to be anonymous).

I don't mean to sound discouraging. Though I disagree with the specifics of your proposal, the passion that drove you to write it is most welcome within the adventure community. If you are serious about using that passion to fuel a creative endeavor and are willing to do careful research and do hard work, the opportunity will always exist to create your own game or form your own team.

rich_eter · #20 Post by **rich_eter** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:58 pm

I can assure you that many members of AGDI and IA are friends, however, this does not mean they will or even should join forces. Ultimately, that would lead to less games being made. The idea here is, the more teams there are, the more games that would be made.

As for the writer comment... it makes me boil a bit. Everyone in the adventure game community seems to be a writer. It doesn't need more writers... it needs more artists. Believe me... anyone can write a game, only a few people can actually make them. I'd like to see more people just go ahead and make their game, even with crummy graphics, than sit around and say they have all these ideas, they just need a team. Teams don't come to you usually. You have to find them, or just make the game yourself. Okay... rant over.

In other news, QFG2 will be awesome! Even with some changes. Personally, a like little additions. Keep it up, folks!

Blackthorne519 · #21 Post by **Blackthorne519** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:31 pm

Actually, everyone and their brother thinks they can be a "writer", but they generally have a "logline" for an idea, and they don't have the patience and dicipline to sit down and actually write out something in a cohesive and constructive manner.

Writing doesn't mean just having an idea; it means a lot of work. It takes a lot of hard work to move yourself from that seed of an idea to the full grown project.

Bt

#22 Post by **Erpy** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 9:05 pm

Listen to BT, wiser words were never spoken.

Passion is a good thing in the fangame community. Passion is like a pair of good running shoes. It can help out greatly, but ONLY if you have dedication and endurance to go with it. Passion is what starts projects. Endurance is what finishes them. Needless to say, there's more passion than endurance around.

To re-iterate BT...everyone has a few "ideas". Look in the "alternate character class thread" for examples. Thing is, an idea isn't enough to make a game. 100 ideas isn't even enough to make a game. You'd need to document every single aspect. We've found that Cadbury Wookie (that's Daniel's screen name) is one of the rare gems that HAS the ability to come up with ideas on command. Nobody else I know can crank up a dozen of unique background descriptions for 80 screens in a row and STILL have creative juice left.

Bottom line: Be careful about calling yourself a writer/director...it's the most underestimated position of them all. Real writers are rare, Rich. For real.

DonQuixote · #23 Post by **DonQuixote** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:19 pm

It's very much true that writing does take quite a bit of time, effort, and mental energy but let's not be too critical, some people get an idea for a book, a film script, or whatever while doing some of the most random things. It takes more than one idea to develop a good game or novel, but it all starts with one idea.

Get an idea, brainstorm, develop from it, and then start forming something real.

rich_eter · #24 Post by **rich_eter** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:22 pm

You guys are absolutely right... real writers are rare. And, I really meant to say that a lot of people "think" or "say" they are writers, and perhaps use the smokescreen of: "if I only had a team". I know how writing is because I've done it before. And, in many ways, finishing writing a project is as much work as drawing or programming it. I guess the real frustration is with everyone saying they have ideas for projects, and that they could write them, but they never do. So, really, it boils me when people surrounding me are filled with "ideas" but no drive to ever actually make them, whether that's write the whole thing, draw the whole thing or program the whole thing.

I've joined teams in the past as an artist, only to find out the project was never fully written. The leader just had an idea and passion but no real talent of any kind. The person leading the project gives up before I do. And then I realize I've wasted several months of my life. It's mostly just made me want to do my own stuff... at least until now!

TribeHasSpoken · #25 Post by **TribeHasSpoken** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 9:03 am

Am I the only one in the adventure fangame community who's never wanted to write/design a game?

Hail the all knowing Sultans of AGDI

Hail the all knowing Sultans of AGDI

I said I would understand...