Help installing QFG Anthology?

[Mantle7]

Cool website!  Can't wait for you guys to release the re-done part 2 of QFG.  I loved these games growing up in my younger years.

A good buddy of mine actually gave me his copy of the Quest For Glory Anthology but unfortunately I can't figure out how to properly format this thing on Vista for the life of me.  It's on a burnt disc, but he told me it was a backup of his original  so it should work since he has it on his computer with Vista.  Anyhow, he's gone on vacation until Tuesday so I was hoping someone from here who thinks they might be able to find a simple way to get the install file started for me would be great.  I've tried a lot of different stuff, read a lot of tutorials... still can't figure it out.  If anyone happens to have any free time and would be willing to help a fellow QFG fan that would be awesome.  My screen name is MATT21CASV on AIM and Yahoo.  Thanks.

[Boogeyman]

Wrong place to ask this.

Anyway, if this is the same thing I have (and I'm pretty sure it is), can't you just copy off the CD?

[Lambonius]

Copying the game directories from the cd to your harddrive will work with games 1 through 3, but if you want to play QFG4 with voices and all the sound effects, you'll need to do a little more.

First, you'll need the program Dosbox (google it; it should be easy to find.)  This program emulates a Dos environment in Windows and allows you to do things like emulate a slower CPU and such, which basically is the only way to get these games to run properly (if at all) on todays PCs.  There should be tutorials galore on how to use dosbox properly.  (Or just ask around on here, preferably in the Off Topic Forum though.  ;) )

For QFG4, the way I like to do it is to copy the entire cd to one directory (it shouldn't be that large, considering the age of the game.)  Then, using dosbox, you'll have to mount that directory as the cd-rom drive, and run the install program as normal from the dosbox prompt.  Install the game to a desired directory (preferably separate from the directory where you put the cd-rom files--games like QFG4 and KQ6 cdrom versions are very picky about finding files, so you need to hand-hold the program and direct it to look in the right place.)

Once you have both the cdrom drive copied and the game installed to a separate directory, you should be able to run it just fine using dosbox (as long as you have the cdrom directory mounted as cdrom drive--a step which is crucial if you want voices or sound effects, which play off the cd.)  You don't actually have to copy the cd to a directory (you can mount your actual cd-rom drive instead), but I like to do it, since it means you don't need the disc to play the game.

As for the first three games, as I said before, you should be able to just copy the game directories straight onto your harddrive and bypass the installation program completely.  Make sure you use dosbox to run them though, and you should be just fine.

[Erpy]

Or, simply copy the whole game to the hard drive, including the resource.aud and resource.sfx files (which contain the voices and sound effects) and make sure the following lines in the resource.cfg file contain the following settings:

videoDrv  = VGA.DRV
soundDrv  = ADL.DRV
audioDrv  = DACBLAST.DRV
joyDrv    = NO
directory = .\
mouseDrv   = MICROSOF.DRV
memoryDrv  = NONE
minMemory  = 1600k
brightness = 0
language   = 1
minCPU = 386
CD = yes

resAUD= .\
resSFX= .\
patchDir= .\
audiosize=63k

(that's at least the settings that made the game run with music, sound effects and voices for me)

Extract NewRisingSun's patches into the folder and then run sierra.exe through DosBox.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

Erpy I followed your advice and I'm finally hearing the voices for the first time. For this I thank you. However I can't import and I can't apply the New Rising Sun patches for some reason.

[Mantle7]

I've tried DOSBox and still can't figure it out with the tutorials.  Sigh, I have the feeling I'll never get this going.  

[Renodox]

I'm not sure it will work for everyone but this is how I got it to work on my comptuer: I install the game directly to DOSbox.  Here's how it's done.  (BTW, my disk drive file is E: so that's what I'll use here but you should use whatever letter yours is.  AND dont forget the space between \ and -t)

Mount c c:\sierra

Mount e e:\ -t cdrom

From there type in

E:\

then type in "intsall."

From there the install program should start up just fine.  After installing the games all you'll have to do is type in the proper file.  Say it's the original Quest for Glory Game.  The proper file is this:

C:\sierra\qganth\qg1old

Once you've done that just type in "qg1old" and you can start playing.  This will ensure that you keep the save files and it won't cause you nearly as much grief as if you just install it to a computer file.

[MacGyver]

http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/DOSBox_and_Windows_Vista

DOSBox and Windows Vista
From DOSBoxWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Does it work ?

Yes, DOSBox works in both Vista 32 bit and Vista 64 bit, but depending on your local setup you might need to pay attention to certain things
Configuration file

If you are running in Vista as non-administrator you must take care with editing the configuration file.
CD-ROM support

This is currently still in development. 90% of the functions work in 0.72, but if it doesn't work then the best thing you can do is to make an image of your CD-ROM and IMGMOUNT that.

[Mantle7]

I have the feeling because my buddy made this as a backup thats why I'm having some difficulty.  I tried all of your suggestions and made some progress, but for whatever reasons it looks like something isn't going right.  Like I said, if someone who knows this stuff pretty well has any free time, an instant message would be more than appreciated because I don't think I'm too far off from getting it to work.  Thanks.

[Klytos]

DOSBox is simple. I never understand why people go through the bother of mounting drives etc for most cases when it's simply not needed.

Install DOSBox.
Make an icon on your desktop of DOSBox.
Open the directory that you've copied your QFG game to.
Drag the executable file (usually sciv.com or sierra.com) onto the icon you created.
Play the game.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

Klytos that works for me for every game I own EXCEPT QFG IV for some reason. It's also a pain when you want to export your characters and import them.

[Groveborn1234]

QFG 4 requires a cd to play.  You must configure DOXbox for this.  you could also just hack the batch file that checks for the cdrom to always work.

[MusicallyInspired]

QFG4 doesn't necessarily need the CD as Erpy pointed out:

Or, simply copy the whole game to the hard drive, including the resource.aud and resource.sfx files (which contain the voices and sound effects) and make sure the following lines in the resource.cfg file contain the following settings:

videoDrv  = VGA.DRV
soundDrv  = ADL.DRV
audioDrv  = DACBLAST.DRV
joyDrv    = NO
directory = .\
mouseDrv   = MICROSOF.DRV
memoryDrv  = NONE
minMemory  = 1600k
brightness = 0
language   = 1
minCPU = 386
CD = yes

resAUD= .\
resSFX= .\
patchDir= .\
audiosize=63k

(that's at least the settings that made the game run with music, sound effects and voices for me)

Extract NewRisingSun's patches into the folder and then run sierra.exe through DosBox.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

I did that but then it doesn't recognize the patches.

[MusicallyInspired]

One of these days I'm going to set up a fool-proof...er.....setup of QFG4CD in DOSBox by itself (no CD required) and then look at what all is needed and send you the config files etc. DOSBox is just not that hard to work with....unless you never grew up in the DOS era, which I have.

[Quest For Glory Fan]

that's exactly my problem. When I was about 4 the only game I liked to play on PC was Kings Quest V (I played around in the game world for another year before discovering that I hadn't thrown the shoe at the cat right away.) and my oldest brother had a sticky note taped to the side of the computer of exactly what to type in order to play it... He now works for Mac developing Quicktime. Shortly after that though we got Windows so that was the extent of my dos experience til I was 15 and came here.

[Mantle7]

DOSBox is simple. I never understand why people go through the bother of mounting drives etc for most cases when it's simply not needed.

Install DOSBox.
Make an icon on your desktop of DOSBox.
Open the directory that you've copied your QFG game to.
Drag the executable file (usually sciv.com or sierra.com) onto the icon you created.
Play the game.

Wow!  I didn't realize you could drag them in to DOSBOX like that.  Anyhow I've got 1,2 and 3 working now even though the sound is a little messed up.  I'm more than willing to deal with that though!

Let me ask some of you guys a couple questions though.  Do the thieves and magic users get better items that can be carried over compared to the fighter?  Or is it mainly just different quests?  Either way... thanks for the help again guys!

[Brainiac]

Do the thieves and magic users get better items that can be carried over compared to the fighter?  Or is it mainly just different quests?

Thieves get their Thieves' Toolkit/Lockpick and Thieves Guild Card throughout the games (though like everyone else, they're inventoryless as of the start of QfG4).  Wizards get a few unique spells throughout the series.  In general, it's different quests and skills.  QfG3 in particular is notoriously weak for Thieves.

[Erpy]

It's not different quests...the quests are usually the same. What changes is the way you solve them. Each class has its own skillset and approach to problems. Fighters have a sword, shield, better armor and use their strength and endurance to solve problems by taking the direct approach. Mages have a variety of spells they can learn and use to solve puzzles indirectly. Thieves have a variety of skills like sneaking around, climbing smooth surfaces and opening locked doors with their thief tools. They solve issues by avoiding direct confrontations. All three classes are worth playing.

[Mantle7]

One of these days I'm going to set up a fool-proof...er.....setup of QFG4CD in DOSBox by itself (no CD required) and then look at what all is needed and send you the config files etc. DOSBox is just not that hard to work with....unless you never grew up in the DOS era, which I have.

That would be much appreciated because I seem to be having the same problem as the few others here running part 4.