Backgrounds from Sierra's games

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JLM5 · #1 Post by **JLM5** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:18 pm

What do you personally think about the (AGS) games that use just backgrounds and sprites ripped (and possibly little altered) from Sierra's games? For example, Quest for Glory 4½?

Personally I really don't like that kind of games. The backgrounds of Sierra's games were made exactly to those classics and they can never look as good in someone other game. I never completed QFG4½ because I simply get bored. The game included only pictures & sprites taken not only from QFG1, but also from QFG4, KQ5 and KQ6! That's not right.

Of course, it is very easy to use just graphics ripped from (for example) Sierra's games if you can't draw at all. But I, at least, can't be interested a quite long time about the game, if there are nothing else graphics.

I have noticed there are many backgrounds in KQ2VGA that include objects (like plants, trees, etc.) from Sierra's backgrounds. However, the backgrounds in KQ2VGA were excellent. I think that if you really must use Sierra's backgrounds, try to do it like AGDI.

Blackthorne519 · #2 Post by **Blackthorne519** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 11:08 pm

I have no problem using ripped backgrounds, or playing games with them. The point of a game is to entertain. As long as it's entertaining me, I don't care where anything comes from. If it sucks, no original background is going to make up for it.

Bt

#3 Post by **Erpy** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:51 am

Collaging is a rather effective way to create backgrounds that retain that classic Sierra-feel that people have grown comfortable with, although QFG4.5 probably missed the boat because it was a bit TOO blatant and the surroundings were too familiar.

If you're interested in creating a Sierra-like adventure game without a large amount of art members, collaging is probably the best option, because it's quicker than drawing everything from scratch. Although, like mentioned before, QFG4.5-like collaging tends to put people off a bit.

Alias · #4 Post by **Alias** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:44 am

Quest for Glory 4 1/5 is a waste of time. But I guess onther people like the harsh language and actions and stuff like that.

Radiant · #5 Post by **Radiant** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:18 am

I found QfG4.5 to be pretty good; it adds a couple of nice twists to Spielburg, the puzzle design is solid and they even got the different character classes down. Just because it's not on a level with KQIvga or KQ2+ doesn't mean it's a bad game.
Also I don't particularly mind ripped graphics; the only place where it bothers me in QfG4.5 is when he adds in real-world pictures (e.g. the Coyote Ugly bar) because it's a clash of styles.

Zeus · #6 Post by **Zeus** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:24 am

a GOOD game shouls entairtain player in ALL sections :
plot, puzzles AND GRAPHICS. So many many people HAVE problem playing a game with ripped sierra backgrounds.

what is the point of seeing again and again ripped backgrounds of old sierra games ? It is boring.

I vote yes on original backgrounds even if they are of worse quality
comparing to sierra graphics. Originality and personal effort and taste,
matter more for me as they show who has real talent .

Using sierra backgrounds or even slightly altered ones make the game seem cheap and rough.

I also vote yes on collaging which is the best option to immitate sierra graphics. But i mean GOOD collaging (see lucasfan examples) .

Klytos · #7 Post by **Klytos** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:17 am

QFG4.5 is a fantastic game, sure it's let down in a couple of areas and I would agree that the "real-world" graphics do indeed clash, but it's a pretty well programmed game. I don't think having it set in QFG1 is a bad thing.

JLM5 · #8 Post by **JLM5** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:37 pm

Klitos wrote:QFG4.5 is a fantastic game, sure it's let down in a couple of areas and I would agree that the "real-world" graphics do indeed clash, but it's a pretty well programmed game. I don't think having it set in QFG1 is a bad thing.

Ok, here are the best sides of QFG4.5: The dialogue pictures were quite well done. Also the font and text-boxes were made professionally.

And yes, I understand the fact that QFG4.5 uses backgrounds from QFG1 because it set also in the valley of Spielburg. But why on Earth there are so many sprites (characters) and places in QFG4.5 that simply don't belong there? For example, what the Burgomeisters's office from QFG4 (sheriff's house in QFG4.5) has to do with Spielburg? It belongs to Mordavia, not Spielburg.

Besides the ripped graphics, QFG4.5 is a very buggy game which gives me feeling about amateur design. For example, the hero "glides" always when he walks and when you try to look your statistics the game crashes. There aren't also many original animations - and the lack of them destroys game's atmosphere very quickly. For example, when you walk to the sheriff's house in the town, the door of house isn't animated at all - the room just changes instantly (to the QFG4's Burgomeister's office).

#9 Post by **Erpy** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 1:51 pm

For example, the hero "glides" always when he walks

As you may know, AGS now comes with an option called "Anti Glide mode", which doesn't constantly update the sprite's position. QFG4.5 was most likely released before that option came available and thus, the gliding motion wasn't really the creator's fault at that time.

MuzlakOofmay · #10 Post by **MuzlakOofmay** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:01 pm

I kinda agree with JLM5 here. I try to not use any borrowed parts in my backgrounds. In fact, what works is to make a bunch of standard trees and stuff, and then you can use them in your images just as you would if you collaged, and it would be original.

deltamatrix · #11 Post by **deltamatrix** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:56 pm

Yea that glide mode in QFG4 1/2 annoyed me a little too. It just advertised the crudeness of it all but still...

it was fantastic! Best part of it was that it was a spoof and it was actually funny! Some good lines in it like

Hand on Moose Head:
"You already have a head. Use it!"

QFG4 1/2 is good! I just wish they'd release another bugfix.

Radiant · #12 Post by **Radiant** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:48 am

This is a matter of opinion, but I know several games without graphics that are very enjoyable. So graphics maketh not a game good, imo. And actually, if you would rank AGS games based on their graphics, then QfG4.5 would rank somewhere among the top ten percent, since there are many games with crudely drawn stick figures. For instance the award-winning Larry Vales series have rather crummy graphics, but they're absolutely hilarious.

I don't see a problem with 'again and again seeing ripped backgrounds' since not that many games use ripped backgrounds in the first place. Also most of the added scenes fit quite well (e.g. the mountain from KQ5); I would have complained if he added a scene from Space Quest. Quite simply, the burgomeister's office needs an interior in QfG4.5. It doesn't in QfG1. So you grab it from somewhere else. If you hadn't played QfG4 before, you would hardly even know that it was from a different game.

I don't know which version of QfG4.5 you played, but mine wasn't buggy in the least (and my QfG4 version is very, very buggy, just so you know). What you're mentioning isn't a bug, Erpy is correct about anti-glide mode being a feature that was added to AGS later. QfG4.5 runs in the DOS version of AGS, which is approx five years old, by estimate.

You're actually being spoiled by Tierra *cough* AGDI games. I mean, yes, they are absolutely terrific, but that doesn't mean that any game that doesn't live up to their standard is bad. Go to the AGS site and get downloading, you'll see what I mean. Or, go look around for other Sierra fangames, and you'll realize that QfG4.5 is actually one of the very few that got anywhere. And I respect the effort.

ThreeHeadedMonkey · #13 Post by **ThreeHeadedMonkey** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:11 pm

QfG 4.5 was great, too bad the site has gone down... Anyone know where I can download a copy?

#14 Post by **Erpy** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:39 pm

Nope and if you don't mind, I'd rather not have people post links either.

Alias · #15 Post by **Alias** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:33 pm

Why not? Its free ware is it not?

Blackthorne519 · #16 Post by **Blackthorne519** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 7:42 pm

Rog wrote:Why not? Its free ware is it not?

The QFG4.5 team and AGDI had some well publicized barbs that were not kind on the part of the 4.5 team. That's putting it mildly. The game itself includes crude humour, sexual references, gay humour and some mildly racisit jokes. It's not the kind of material AGDI is interested in supporting. You can find it, or talk about it, on other gaming forums. Try there.

Bt

JLM5 · #17 Post by **JLM5** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:40 pm

Ok, everyone has own opinion about QFG4½ and that's it. I just personally didn't like the game.

And I don't think I'm "spoiled" by AGDI's games (like Radiant said). King's Quest 2.5 (or it's demo) looked very promising, actually its backgrounds were (at least nearly) as good as KQ1VGA's and KQ2VGA's backgrounds. Hopefully the game will be completed soon.

I'm also very interested about Quest for Infamy, even though I know it uses many backgrounds from QFG1. If I understood it right, there are lot of new places in the game with new, entirely original backgrounds. Please, try to release it before the half of 2005, I'm very curious to see the game and can't wait.

On the other hand, there weren't any original backgrounds in QFG4½, was there? If not, it doesn't tell us anything but the fact that there was a big lack of good artists when making QFG4½.

#18 Post by **Erpy** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:59 am

If I recall correctly, there was a big lack of anything in the project, in the sense that it was all done by one person, except the music.

Alias · #19 Post by **Alias** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:40 am

Really? I think that they should of bput the effort into a all ages sierra game. I mean its making QFG look bad.

Radiant · #20 Post by **Radiant** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:58 pm

Well, a one-man job can go far, if you look at SQ0 and SQ2.5 for examples. I'll admit that QfG4.5 was a little rough around the edges. But if you're a devoted scripter and have no access to artists, you have to do something... it's either ripping, or join RON.

Blackthorne519 · #21 Post by **Blackthorne519** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 2:50 pm

Rog wrote:Really? I think that they should of bput the effort into a all ages sierra game. I mean its making QFG look bad.

It's not a real part of QFG.... no fan sequels ever are. So who cares?

Bt

Alias · #22 Post by **Alias** » Thu Oct 21, 2004 8:37 pm

I do.

Backgrounds from Sierra's games

Backgrounds from Sierra's games

No,

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