Future Remake: Part Deux

[coroloro]

I am DELIGHTED to see that, from the polling thus far, the overwhelming majority agrees with me- Kings Quest IV is destined to be remade. That is the FIRST Sierra game I ever played- it's what brought me to Sierra, and shaped my love of adventure gaming. It is also the longest game up to that point, and the first one to have a truly epic storybook feel. The music, as well, was -gorgeous-, and I would LOVE to hear it remade as they ahve the music in KQ3. Truly, I think all the remakes for Kings Quest have been building up to this point: KQ4 is the pinacle. While I must say, I also think that the added bits and plotlines put into these remakes build up to a nice opportunity to remake the final King's Quest properly, I'd be satisfied if they stopped at KQ4.

I'd love to see the landscape brought to life with better artwork, I'd love to hear the music remade to sound as KQ3's does now, and I'd love to hear the voices. By re-making Quest for Glory 2, I think the last and final 'remake wish' I have is definitely KQ4. In fact, I've been wishing for that the whole time- I'd have preferred that over KQ3, but I like the linear movement too, so long as you don't forget the fourth one!

The person who said something about KQ4 being part of the newer genre and not needing to be remade- not quite sure why they said that, because KQ4, while more advanced than its predecessors, does not take the step forward to the style of the remakes- that doesn't happen until Kings Quest 5. So I'd see no point in remaking KQ5, but DEFINITELY KQ4.

I know that if said project is announced, I will be waiting with baited breath!

-Patrick

[Phawx]

Please be space quest.

[Zatos]

How come nobody ever mentions KQVII? Is it something that would be better off not mentioned?

[MagusRogue]

I voted for KQIV (one of my FIRST adventure games besides QfGII), and an enhanced QfG3. But might I make a suggestion?

The poll has a corrected QfGIII request on it. I'm definately for that, but I would like it taken one step further. The story in the game is fantastic (IMHO anyhow), but honestly the combat was... lackluster at best. Even QfGI had some skill and timing in the combat (gotta wait for that ogre to step forward, or the brigand to step back from the shield), but in QfGIII all you do is hack hack hack. Even a mage and thief is better off just stabbing everything, especially if you don't have the timing fixes. A paladin walks over everything by spamming swing. I suggest, _IF_ anyone was to tackle QfGIII and clean out its bugs, I might also suggest revamping the combat some. We've seen what a dedicated group of coders can do with QfG's combat, why not make fighting in QfGIII a challenge and fun rather than just a choir?

On a related note on polishing up games, might I throw in a ballot for Quest for Glory I? I know, I know, Sierra did do a remake of I, but, lets all be honest, it was so cruddy most of us kept playing the EGA version. Of all the games, only IV came close to the VGA remake of I. It's neigh-impossible to beat the weapon master in VGA, things just randomly glitch and disappear, the spitting spoira (sp?) was just a pure annoyance even with maxed throwing/fetch, the warlock sticking around even after you tell him about Elsa (and making the room neigh impossible sometimes)... I could go on. Also, the portraits REALLY could use some work; they were absolutely hideous. And I've already covered rants about the combat system in my Two Cents for III. But, the part that I'd really, really like to see is actually expanding the game. As it was, story-wise, the first game was BY FAR the weakest. You walk into town, get told some stuff in the adventurer's hall, pat a sad fat man, then the rest of the game almost can be finished in one day. There's no direction, no plot beyond "ooo brigands and hey my kids are missing!" and the stuff that could really be a focal point of the game (namely Baba Yaga, whose spose to the the BBG of the game) is only just a nod along the path. A Quest for Glory I Redux: So You REALLY Want To Be a Hero? would absolutely rock my socks.

Plus, if I and III are cleaned up and possibly even expanded, we could have voice packs for 1-3. Wishful thinking there.

Anyhow, thats my two cents.

[Blackthorne519]

Really? Hero's Quest I is the best of the bunch, in my opinion. You don't need to touch that bad-boy one iota.


Bt

[Klytos]

The only thing QFG1 could have is more of the same. More quests, more stuff to kill. More places to explore. MORE!

[MagusRogue]

Honestly I just want more Baba Yaga. Loved all the interaction I had with her in IV. :-D

But, my point stands (beyond what I hope is sarcasm from BT). QfG1 was a great game, it just fell short in comparison to the others, and the VGA's bugs were HORRIBLE. I cant even play a fighter if I want to get full 500 points due to the stupid weapons master. Even taking off all my stuff doesnt help. Oh and another bug I wanna add to the list: In VGA, if you throw daggers then get into combat, you loose all your daggers thrown. The world fails to realize you threw them so you cant pick them back up. Makes playing a thief very, very expensive.

[joshofalltrades]

Man, it's been a long, long time since I posted here. Hey you guys.

Got your newsletter about KQ3 and played it, fantastic job. All of my complaints are pretty minor and I'll probably replay it again at some point to try for the rest of the points/awards.

I voted for Rosella, Colonel's Bequest and QFG5 de-make. It seemed like those are logical choices to me, for the following reasons:

• A lot of people (myself included) have been itching for a Bequest remake for a long time, to the point where teasing it is now legendary
• An AGDI remake of the only non-VGA Laura Bow game would complete that series!
• QFG is another series you wonderful people have experience with, and possibly code you could steal to make the job easier on you
• QFG5 is one of the very few QFG games that a lot of people have not played, due to the fact that it is very difficult to get running on modern hardware
• You guys already have voice talent/experience remaking the KQ games
• A lot of the animations/character art has likely already been done for both KQ4 and QFG5 and would require little more than slight modifications
• And finally, KQ4 and Colonel's have some of the most annoying things in them. An AGDI remake would hopefully temper this somewhat and enhance my already great love for those games. Things like: the pixel hunt of climbing the whale tongue, the randomly appearing troll, the dead ends and unwinnable situations in KQ4; the lack of resolution for red herrings, the inability to control time in a reasonable way (accidentally make time pass when you weren't ready? Too bad!) and a shortage of ways to die from the actual murderer (only 3 total!) in Colonel's Bequest (that's my own personal preference, though).

I'm excited, because those three are either my favorite adventure games of all time (Rosella, CB) or part of my favorite adventure game series of all time (QFG5) and any of those three would make my lifetime.

And as usual, I'll be lurking and keeping an eye on what you fantastic people do.

Hope it's not another, um, 4-6 years or so before I see you all again.

EDIT: Oh, and hey, I was around before I made another username at the QFG2 release

[Lugh]

How about demakes of Gabriel Knight 2 and 3?

[Blackthorne519]

I think AGDI's skill and style would make a GREAT Colonel's Bequest. The detail that they have in the Character Portraits and character that comes through in them would really bring the cast of the game to life. The music, atmosphere and art would be amazing.

That would be one I'd petition Activision to give them a license for and let them make a commercial version of it.


Bt

[Erpy]

Colonel's Bequest has always been a game I had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it's extremely atmospheric and effectively frightening at times and it's enjoyable to play, on the other hand, many of the characters are kinda cliché and instead of being in the middle of the story, you're effectively a spectator who only has actual influence on the events during the last minutes of the game. I really wonder just how well the game would be received.

[Blackthorne519]

Well, I think the characters really ARE supposed to be Cliche - down to their names, which are all parodies of famous people. It does play out more like an interactive "play".


I think done right, it could be a very enjoyable game.


Bt

[joshofalltrades]

Especially if the time system was totally changed.

If AGDI did it, I would want something closer to the KQII treatment than the KQI. Some aspects of Colonel's Bequest are antiquated or else experiments that didn't work out.

For instance, every time I hear developers talk about why they wouldn't want to redo CB, invariably one of the things that comes up is the time system. It would make coding difficult, having to try to duplicate what they did exactly. But if the time system changed, that would cease to be an issue. At that point, the only research that needs to be done is what happens at what times. You allow the player to explore the manor and surrounding areas for as long as they like until they're satisfied that they've accomplished everything that can be accomplished in that 15 minute interval, and then provide a button on the UI to accelerate time. I'm thinking that, since the notebook was of little to no use in the original game until the end, the player can "use" the notebook to jot down the events of those 15 minutes. At that point, you fade to black and put Laura in the place where the time-changing event would have happened in the old version, if there is an important reason for her to be there. Otherwise, just pop the clock up and show the hands moving.

Doing something like this would not only be a major design improvement over the original game in every way, it would also provide the benefit of making the game easier to program and research, as well as allowing the design team to add new events that may not have been previously possible. Maybe some new side quests, or interesting ways to get killed that would hint more at the killer's identity. This would hopefully flesh out the story a bit more and maybe even give the player more input into how the ending sequence is reached, or maybe even get some new endings! This would be a great thing to do, since a player in the original can blindly stumble through the game without ever solving a puzzle and then "solve" the mystery at the last second. Maybe if the player does nothing to deserve a good ending and just fast forwards through time as quickly as possible, their death (possibly a bit earlier than usual) with no knowledge of their killer would be their "game end".

I know I'm rambling, but I think CB is an unpolished gem, and there's a lot of potential behind what's there. Roberta just didn't have 20+ years of hindsight at the time.

[mrchicken]

KQIV seems like the natural next project, plus it's the one I've been wanting most ever since I saw you did KQ1 & 2 (which were very awesome).

I would really like to see the Manhunter games revisited, but I would rather see a sequel to the "To be continued?" second game rather than a remake... Maybe you guys could give the Murrys over at Evryware.com a nudge? That "Coming Soon" graphic has been sitting there for years.

[Oz]

My favorites are KQ6, PQ2, SQ3, KQ4, and LSL2, and KQ2VGA as an extension is up there. As 2 of these are already VGA, and I'm confident someone will eventually do KQ4 someday, my vote goes for PQ2, SQ3, and LSL2. All the others were only vaguely interesting way back when, aside from maybe LSL3. It's sucks that Police Quest and Larry never get any love. De-makes? Really?

[Soda Jerk]

As long as we're talking wish granting faeries who come down and make something out of nothing then Quest for Glory 3 (plus?) and Quest for Glory V remakes with the qfg2 remake combat system sound really appealing. Remaking QFG3 just solely so obsessive compulsive people can feel better about their score sounds silly though, I'd rather there be more stuff added to it. And remaking Mask of Eternity, that just seems a waste. I don't get most peoples problem with it, nowhere in the game does it say "Kings Quest VIII" it says "King's Quest: Mask of Eternity," it's a spinoff, an interesting action adventure with a daventry level lazily thrown in there. I'd rather see a new King's Quest game like what Infamous Adventures is doing, that looks really interesting.

But if it's something actual people are going to spend years of their time working on, most likely without any pay, I'd rather see King's Quest IV, Laura Bow 1 and, I guess, Conquest of Camelot or Gold Rush. I don't know that Camelot really holds up nowadays, compared to Longbow. Some of these sierra games had some boneheaded design decisions in them. Really anything on the list that isn't lesiure suit larry and mask of eternity would be interesting to see for me.

[Brainiac]

Remaking QFG3 just solely so obsessive compulsive people can feel better about their score sounds silly though, I'd rather there be more stuff added to it.

Perfectionist, not obsessive-compulsive. There's a difference, thank you very much.

I do agree, though. Fixing the points shouldn't be the only thing to be done. Enhancing the Fighter and Thief paths would probably be a major recommendation as well.

[Anonymous Game Creator 2]

Well, yes, obviously if the effort was undertaken to to fix up the issues in QFG3, and all those assets had to be re-imported and reprogrammed regardless, other popular requests and additions would be added too. Perhaps even penned by the Coles themselves for true authenticity.

But if it's something actual people are going to spend years of their time working on, most likely without any pay,

The poll is theoretical, but at the same time, I won't deny that the reason I'm running it is to get feedback on which remake candidates are most popular with fans, so that we'll have some useful *current* statistics to justify to them why specific remakes are a good idea. The fact that King's Quest IV is leading by miles (and MOE is an unexpected second), really cements something obvious that Vivendi/Activison should have acted upon a long time ago.

That said, if something were ever to come out of this, future AGDI remakes couldn't be made for free anymore. We need to be able to support what we do financially from now on. But doing it commercially would allow us to release remake titles faster to the public, potentially resulting in more of them over a shorter time period.

[joshofalltrades]

I'd be willing to pay cash monies for all three of the games I voted for.

[Brainiac]

Hmmm. I would consider paying for a remake of the games I voted for (and several of those I didn't). However, I would expect the cost to be relatively low compared to current release pricing. If not, the games would either have to come with enhanced versions of the earlier remakes (like QfG2 with QFG3 or something like "King's Quest: The AGDI Collection") or some really cool feelies in the case of a physical release (along the same lines as the announced upcoming Himalaya project). In terms of extras, the thing I'd be the biggest "sucker" for would be a complete soundtrack. I do enjoy a good OST CD.

[rugged]

If Agdi did get the rights to make a commercial remake of KQ4 I would like to see a two tier pricing approach. $10 for a digital download or $30 for a Kings Quest 1-4 pack featuring all their work plus a few goodies. I think this would give good options to fans and would maximise potential profits

[Diath]

I am a long time luker as most are now a days, but I came out of the shadow work to say I have seen enough of your guys work to warrant future purchases from me if your team and activision got a deal eventually worked out.

[Dogward]

As the poster before me, I've been hanging around your forums and site since the "old" tierra days... I thought I had an account on your forums, turn out I didnt had...

I would like to tell you how much I enjoy playing sierra's adventure games and it's really a pleasure to play your remakes.

I was going to create a thread to express how much I would love seeing a KQ IV remake when I saw this thread... I am afraid to be a little to joyfull about it but I am really hoping you will do you best to make a KQ IV remake. It would be awesome !

I voted for :
1-King's Quest IV
2-Space Quest III
3-King's Quest MOE

but KQ IV and SQ III are really, and by far, the games I would like to see remade.
(even tho Police Quest I and LSL 1 would do no bad ;-) )

Is there anything we, the fans, could do to motivate you a bit more ?

Thanks a bunch !

[flyinghammy]

I wonder if Ken and Roberta (or any other original Sierra designers) have downloaded the remakes and commented on them?

[soulfire]

Ken and Roberta are normally across this stuff, I remember seeing them comment on that QFG 4 1/2 that someone made.

I'm really devastated a lot of people pay no respect to Police Quest and vote for demakes of rubbish games like MOE and QFG5 rather than updating classics. I wonder if some people felt PQ was too hard because of the procedural stuff... was the most realistic role playing gaming experience back in the day.

And seriously, will people stop voting for QFG3? The whole game was shit - and should never have been made. Bad story, bad villain, bad setting, bad combat, bad map... It was just all bad and I just prefer to go 2 to 4 and pretend 3 never happened. QFG4 saved it I think, loved that game just sucked about all the problems with it - imagine if that was released now, vampires, people would be all over it.

End of the day, amazing work with KQ guys and QFG2... I seriously watched your forums once a week for years upon years waiting for that game (even if I kind of like Sierra's fight module more than yours... sorry!).

I'd love to see you guys do another game... I'd be prepared to pay 30ish if it game with a proper box and manual (I still have my old original manuals from the 5 1/4" games) - it's just a matter of not getting raped by today's big company lawyers...