[QFG] Quest for Glory made better [QFG]

[ck25]

I would like to begin a dialogue with this intriguing idea: what areas of the QG1 world could use some “fleshing out”?  

By "could" I mean what without regard for implementation limitations. These are ideas for an ideal remake of the whole series. Hey, it cost nothing to imagine it  ;)

The main purpose of this post is not to insist that all these changes would be good ideas, but to show one of the reasons we all love the QG world is not just for what it is but what it sparked in our imaginations. Many of us read fantasy and played many other games. Many of us have thought about how to extend the QG world. Perhaps our ideas could one day go toward a massively multiplayer online game in the future.

In future posts I will suggest areas where the other QG games can be fleshed out.

Playing the game with each class of character should be like playing three very different games. The characters in the game should interact with you differently if they know/find out that you can use magic, are wearing a sword instead of a dagger etc. There should be many different sub-quests for each class. Also the class should solve challenges according to their talents (though this improves slightly with each game, all should have more of it). The 'Maltese Falcon' sub plot spanned the various games and was important for the thief type. Wasn't this cool? Don't you think more should have been made of it? Don't you think more stuff like this should be added to the game?

Now. Onto the areas to flesh out in the games. I will put a asterisk (*) next to the points I think really important.

QG1
The Town.  In short, bigger and more complex. It isn't a town, more a village or smaller. More people on the street. More shops (and more of them open).

The Inn.  Two or three stories. Several characters inside it. A subplot of two here.

The Magic shop*.  By walking through the magic gate in the shop, the magic user should have access to - well somewhere else! Perhaps the Magicians Guild (in a limited fashion), or maybe somewhere new. Also a sub quest just for the magician. As in all good fantasy, the magic user need to have a great latent power inside himself that other powerful magi sense. Some will help you, some will fear you. The owner of the shop should be more interested in the magic user.

*The Pub. Active a night. Bigger. Several rooms. Some interesting characters. Opportunity for the thief to pick some pockets. The thieves guild should be moved out of the pub into an alley. The inn and the pub could be combined. The inn/pub should be very different in atmosphere and activity whether it is day or night. I don't know about you, but I never slept in the inn, often sleeping else where. Incentives for sleeping in the inn should be available (love, friendship, sub plots). Perhaps by doing a favour for the owner of the inn would get the hero free room and board.

The Graveyard. Bigger. Several screens. A secret underground passage to the underground caverns that connect up to ancient ruins under the town. Depending on the class, different problems to be overcome.

*The Castle. Bigger. More access earlier in the game. More characters. More sub quests for each of the 3 classes. For the thief class a mission at night to steal. For all the classes a rescue mission for someone in the dungeon. For the fighter class sub quest involving the guards. For the magician, a magic item to be found (or something else?

The Mountains. Spielburg is in a valley. So there should be a sub-quest up some mountain path...

The lake and waterfall. For the magician - a secret behind the waterfall. The lake should be bigger. One should be able to talk around it.

Underground caves and caverns.  Goblins. The Kobold's cave and the ice giants cave. Perhaps one of the classes (fighter?) can access these caves via an underground route. Perhaps this could be access in several places. It should be big, and dangerous.

The Graveyard. Bigger. More screens. Secret underground area. The close the hero is to the graveyard the more ghost etc at night. And in the graveyard ghosts of course.

The Adventurers Guild. It's kind of weird empty place in the first game. Should there even be a Guild? Perhaps depends on the day, and the time of day, various people could drop in. The law enforcement for example, and also the guards. Perhaps the Guild could be an extension of other building such as the inn? Or perhaps It need to be in the game for a short period of time (burnt down?) Maybe the Guild could the the guild masters house as well (and give him a family).

Baba Yaga. Wasn't the one screen devoted to this part of the game out of place. Perhaps the territory she occupies could be expanded? One idea would be to put her up a mountain path.

Erasumus's Palace. This belongs up a mountain. But rather than get so high in a single screen, the needs to be a mountainous zone of the game, filled with danger (goblins, caves, mountain centaurs, magic traps, flying saurii) and opportunity (sub quests, magic items, treasure). And beauty (streams, ice, snow, rainbows). The wizards palace itself could be made much bigger.

The brigands seem tacked on, and only important later in the game. Perhaps the brigands could attack the town, or the castle? Or perhaps the castle could attack the brigands? Part of the problem is the lack of trade with the outside world. The brigands don't have anyone to rob. The pass into the valley doesn't need to be blocked for the hero's sake. He is here to help. There could be regular trade with the outside civilisations.

*The fields and orchards of the town need to be bigger.

[The Avatar]

Very nice, I like this.  You've got an eye for the big picture.  I believe this is why there are so many fans of the QFG and KQ series.. these games spark our imagination.   Well, Vivendi holds the rights.. with the re-release of these classics.. if there is any real success they might utilize these licenses in their foray into the popular Mmorpg market.. who knows?

[ck25]

Thanks Avatar.

I will be adding a poll for QG2 soon, and eventually for all 5 games.

Perhaps you would like to contribute an idea for QG1.

I see that 51 people have viewed this post and would like encourage you and others to quickly mention any ideas.

Here's one from me.

Imagine a Massively Mutil Player online environment that contains Spielburg, Shapeir, Tarna, Mordavia and Silmaria (and other lands). In such a world I think the various elements of the game should be expanded.

The EOF expanded. The Adventurers Guild expanded. The thieves guild definitely expanded.

Now to the idea: I think the Institute of Technocery concept should be expanded. In QG2 the Institute seems to be in a magical seperate dimension, also Erasmus's castle in QG5 seems to be in an other realm. I think there should be a magical city for magicians and magic users. For magic users - and just magic users this can be a gateway to other lands, and a land in and of itself.

[Klytos]

If I was to change things in QFG1, I would want to expand the village, not in size, just open the shops that are closed. Similar to what QFG4.5 did. A few more character specific sub-quests would be good too, but whatever, I think it's a great game as it is and I really wouldn't change much.

[ck25]

I found a log of a online dialogue Corey Cole and Lori Cole (the designers of QG) had with fans and makers of Hero6. In it they mention areas of their games that they would have had more developed if they had more resouces.

The transcript of the dialogue can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Ar ... script.txt

Correy Cole: QG1 was supposed to have a whole underground "Goblin Maze", but we had to cut it for lack of time and resources.  I think there's still one reference to it that slipped through into the game.


Lori Cole: We wanted to have the Hero be able to have a familiar, like Zara in the first game.  That was just too difficult to pull off in programming.

and lastly,

Fan: was there supposed to be anything in the rundown carpenter shack nest to the barn in qfg1
Lori Cole: Originally, the carpenter shop was to open to allow a street peddlar to appear in QG1.  Unfortunately, we had to cut the Tinker/Peddlar.

How interesting....

[Erpy]

A LOT was planned for the initial version that was never implemented. Different races (you could be a centaur, who naturally couldn't climb) and the ability to use a bow. The archery range south of town was supposed to have a ranger character sitting there to teach you the basics of archery and who'd also shoot any monster you'd lure into that particular screen.

Probably ditto with QFG2. The forbidden city was apparantly a lot larger in the design stages (a real underground city rather than a cave-like tomb) with halls filled with ghouls and naga's for the hero to face/evade. I also remember a sketch of the thief having to do battle against a winged creature while trying to stay balanced on a rope. Of course, everybody knows that only a small percentage of the initial ideas ever make it into a game. That's the only way to actually get games completed. (especially when you have a deadline)

[JustLuke29]

I'm quite happy with the first four QfG games as they are. If I could change one thing today it would be to convert them to full real-time 3d with a rotatable camera (but leave the gameplay untouched).

As far as QfG V goes, I think it's a lost cause. I'd scrap it and start over.

[gamecreator]

The 3D thing is being attempted but progress, as is expected, has been slow.

I'd love to see a massive QfG world.  When I was young (and didn't know any better) I was planning on doing a game like that.

[JustLuke29]

Those guys are remaking and enhance the first four games at the same time? Haha, they've even less chance of ever making their game than the Hero6 team.

[MusicallyInspired]

Interesting. One dude is making QFG1 for Oblivion, too.

[Vroomfondel]

I think QFG is fine as is, but I like some of your ideas, and the Coles' comments are quite interesting. Certianly some ideas for a QFG fangame, though I dislike the idea of a QFG MMO.

[JustLuke29]

Me too. MMOs are usually pretty lacking in plot, story and characterisation; utterly unsuitable for a game that places so much emphasis on these qualities.

[jpnuar1]

For all the comments about possibly using all these ideas in an MMO of some sort, I'd like mention something.

My DM, who is an artist for "The Realm" (or was it "The Realms?" I forgot, bah), told me that that is actually supposed to be like Quest for Glory Online... It came up when I was showing him the trailer for QFG2VGA, and he pointed out that the combat portion looked just like the Realm(s?). On questioning, I found out the abovementioned note of interest.

If anyone here has played The Realm, maybe you can help prove or disprove my claim. If not, I'll just see what additional info I can gather next time I game.

[techie775]

i thought all the QFG games  were very good (yeah even the fifth one, it's not my favorite but I like it better than some other games from 1998). Despite that I'd flesh them out more with quests and goals if you could. Especially qfg2.