A brief account of KQ3 Redux' history

[Erpy]

I'm not certain if that picture is final, since the text below the pic isn't. Chances are Eriq will change it when the game is released.

[spacecadet]

Wow!! Just learned of the news upon visiting the site after a long absence, thinking AGDI was now defunct, the team having moved on to other projects under the HS brand. Had to re-login for the first time in years just to register my shock and utter delight at this project being released, not to mention at the mere fact of its existence which has been kept secret for many years, which is rather awesome.

I loved the other KQ3 remake from a few years ago and that team did a great job, but having AGDI, with its unrivaled, legendary standard for quality, produce their own version of this classic, now that is just guaranteed to be amazing. The whole "Redux" format sounds intriguing... am looking forward to seeing how you were able to spice up the original and breathe new life into Llewddor, Daventry and their denizens with a brilliant new style and stunning background art a la the 2009 enhanced versions of the first two KQs.

So, major kudos on what looks to be an incredible achievement, as well as on managing to keep it secret all these years! Can't wait till release, thanks so much for unveiling it so close to release rather than months beforehand!

[pbpb33]

I loved the other KQ3 remake from a few years ago and that team did a great job, but having AGDI, with its unrivaled, legendary standard for quality, produce their own version of this classic, now that is just guaranteed to be amazing.

You are so right!! I was actually sad thinking about how this will be AGDI's last game, but I keep forgetting that they are planning future commercial releases... so that's something else to look forward to. It seems like they just keep getting better and better, and I can't wait to see their new original stuff in the coming years. From the looks of the screenshots released so far, it looks like the KQ3 Redux backgrounds (e.g., the one with the vines growing along the house walls) will have a very KQ5 feel... and that game had some of the most amazing background paintings ever in one of these games. I actually feel like purchasing another copy of their Al Emmo just to show some support and appreciation for their amazing free games.

Also, I love the new teaser page!! It's like a living/animated movie teaser poster with those blinking cat eyes. Just genius! It reminds me of the teaser poster for the movie "The Grinch" (where it only showed the Grinch's green, hairy hand with the creepy, long fingers holding a Christmas tree ornament next to a tagline like, "you better watch out!") or like the teaser poster for the new Indy movie, where they just showed the signature hat and whip.

I'm not certain if that picture is final, since the text below the pic isn't. Chances are Eriq will change it when the game is released.

That's cool. I was just imagining that a lot of people would officially be introduced to the games/would get their first impression from that “Games” page, so I was kind of in my mind likening it to a retail store shelf, where customers would browse and decide what to buy. Having pretty, peaceful pictures with little to no focus on characters or much action makes the page feel more like a landscape art gallery than a store shelf full of game box covers that call out, “play me!”... but it's not a big deal... just something that came to mind.

[edenwaith]

Why can they only stop after this game? Did Sierra/Vivendi/Activation only give AGDI the permission to recreate certain games, or only some of the older Sierra games?

Personally, I'd love to see QFG3 remade. That is a game that just never was fully fleshed out, but it has potential. After having played QFG2 and (many years ago) KQ2+, I'm sure that the AGD team could greatly improve QFG3 and make it feel like a proper game, rather than an "expansion pack" to the Quest For Glory series.

[navynuke04]

Our license only allows for the three King's Quest games and QFG2. Besides, it is a lot of hard work for no compensation. If you like what we do, check out Himalaya Studios. That is where our original games can be found.

[MusicallyInspired]

Besides there's no point in remaking a game that is already in VGA. It's the same reasoning why remaking KQ5 to remove the dead ends is a bad idea. It's too much work for very little gain.

[edenwaith]

Besides there's no point in remaking a game that is already in VGA. It's the same reasoning why remaking KQ5 to remove the dead ends is a bad idea. It's too much work for very little gain.

It's not the graphics that I'm concerned about in QFG3. It's the gameplay that needs work.

[MusicallyInspired]

Reprogramming an entire game from scratch just to fix a flaw or two is a huge and relatively fruitless undertaking for the ones developing it. It's not worth it. It's also a LOT more copyright infringing than a remake with an actual graphical, musical, interface overhaul.

[Hot Sauce]

So it's February! Any chance of a specific release day, or are you guys planning to just surprise us like you did with the announcement of this game?

[navynuke04]

If I could release the game tomorrow, I would. We aren't holding back just to build suspense or anything. We are finishing up some stuff that has to be done before we can let this baby loose. It's still too early to figure out an exact release date.

Stick around though. We'll be feeding some teasers out between now and the release date!

[edenwaith]

Reprogramming an entire game from scratch just to fix a flaw or two is a huge and relatively fruitless undertaking for the ones developing it. It's not worth it. It's also a LOT more copyright infringing than a remake with an actual graphical, musical, interface overhaul.

Now with a game like QFG4, there were a couple of nasty bugs, but with the proper patches, it makes the game wonderful to play.

However, I consider QFG3 to be vastly incomplete, far from just a flaw or two. My point is that I would love to see a number of improvements made to the game to bring it up to par with some of the other QFG games. But considering that QFG3 already sported a cursor and VGA graphics, some of the more obvious reasons to remake an older game are moot.

But I can always dream.

[Gronagor]

Let's not start that discussion again. Although QfG3 is short, many people found it to be their favourite of the series. Point is, there's not enough reason to go into that much effort, especially not knowing what parts were cut from the game.

For something like that, you'd have to motivate Activision. They probably have access to the design notes etc.

[Erpy]

Activision? Hell no. Those design notes are where they've always been. At Lori Cole's place.

[Gronagor]

Ah yes. Forgot you guys visited them. Did you see these documents?

[Erpy]

The QFG3 ones? Not specifically. I have no doubt they were in there. Those documents are essentially a collection of big fat binders full of notes, doodles, scene descriptions and more. Hardly well-organized stuff. We only spent like 10 minutes or so looking through them, when we really needed several days. We mostly focussed on the parts of QFG1 and QFG2 which were the first we came across.

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

I remember the QFG3 design docs. They had concept art sketches of characters like the Meat Seller and Bead Seller merchants from multiple angles. And there was also the concept sketch of the uncolored Tarna city overview, I think.

I believe Quest for Glory 3 is AGD1's favourite game in the series, so she hogged that game's design docs while Erpy and I had a tug-of-war over the QFG2 ones.

[Gronagor]

Makes sense. They can still make a small fortune selling a compilation of these documents, sketches etc. Perhaps they should get Eriq to do something like that with their work. But then, they did put that era behind them.

Edit: Yeah. Was my favourite QfG as well. Ok. No. After QfG2.

[navynuke04]

Maybe those design documents will make it to wikileaks.

[edenwaith]

The QFG3 ones? Not specifically. I have no doubt they were in there. Those documents are essentially a collection of big fat binders full of notes, doodles, scene descriptions and more. Hardly well-organized stuff. We only spent like 10 minutes or so looking through them, when we really needed several days.

It sounds like an creative process of determining what to add, what to leave out, etc.

One thing I found interesting is that one of the Simbani Elders briefly mentions the Hyenamen, but there are no such creatures to be found like that in QFG3. Perhaps a monster that was originally intended for the game that didn't make it?

[spacecadet]

One thing I found interesting is that one of the Simbani Elders briefly mentions the Hyenamen, but there are no such creatures to be found like that in QFG3. Perhaps a monster that was originally intended for the game that didn't make it?

Could be. Or maybe just an intentionally throwaway line about a type of creature which was never meant to appear, and which is mentioned in order to enrich the realistic feel of Fricanian lore. Sort of like the unseen Night Gaunts (or, for that matter, dragons) of QfG1. Or it could be a southern, savannah variant of Shapeir's desert Jackalmen.

Though it makes sense to have cut such creatures since they obviously must have figured there are already enough of these humanoid tribes running around, what with the Crocs and Leopardmen, not to mention the cavemen of the east.

[edenwaith]

Though it makes sense to have cut such creatures since they obviously must have figured there are already enough of these humanoid tribes running around, what with the Crocs and Leopardmen, not to mention the cavemen of the east.

Also quite plausible.

However, there are Night Gaunts in QFG1...they just get you before you see them.

[gamecreator]

Then maybe Night Gaunts and Hyenamen are related.

[edenwaith]

Then maybe Night Gaunts and Hyenamen are related.

Or maybe the Night Gaunts got the Hyenamen!

[navynuke04]

Or maybe the Night Gaunts got the Hyenamen!

I hope not. I love that guy on the Mythbusters!

[yanks28th]

I have to admit, I double took the news on the opening page at least three times. I just assumed it was referring to the Kings Quest 2 Update, because I saw that the day it was released. Wow, that's incredible. I can't wait for the game. I hope you guys updated parts of the plot like with Kings Quest 2 (which, because of the updates, is both my favorite AGDInteractive game and Kings Quest game). Either way, I'm sure it will be great.

Is it safe to say that it will be out in 2011?