- This topic has 11 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 18 years, 7 months ago by
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The old Sierra games are beginning to be unrunable on XP: such as Torin’s Passage.
My suggestion is for you to put your programming skills to work and write a utility that helps to run them on xp.
The problems I see are: the utility that tests the system either needs to go entirely or updated. Games that need to run in 256 color need to be able to be run with new graphics cards, and of course the sound drivers.
There are websites for the sound already. -
(re: Idea for you Ken) The old Sierra games are beginning to be unrunable on XP: such as Torin’s Passage.
My suggestion is for you to put your programming skills to work and write a utility that helps to run them on xp.Thanks for the suggestion — but I’ll pass. Perhaps some other fan will consider doing this. I’m bogged down on my website builder (
Link: http://ww.talkspot.com(http://ww.talkspot.com)
). I wish I had started a project that was a lot more fun — but, it’s too late now. I have a lot of time into this project and need to see it through to its end (whatever that may be).-Ken W
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(re: re: Idea for you Ken)
This idea has always been a good one. Why it hasn’t been put to full force is a mystery to me. There are so many emulators for video game systems, etc.
It would be nice to have a Windows based program called ” The Sierra Game Emulator” In my wishes it would do this. Of course you would start it like any other Windows app. But let’s say you start the app. You have a Windows like GUI where you could “install” games that you already own. Say you own Police Quest 2, and King’s Quest V CD. You could select those games from a list, and then click “install” The program itself would prompt you to insert the media needed, and then you are done. You then have a list of “isntalled” playable games in your list. Select it, click play, and the app automatically set’s your computer’s resolution, color depth, and sets up the needed sound emulation to make the game work, and work as well as it was made to.
Here is the thing. We could ask Ken to do this, but I can’t blame him for a damn second for not wanting to. “Sierra” (whatever that means today) should have such an app available, at the very least for purchase, along with bargain priced versions of the games intended for such an app.
For Vivendi or whatever you want to call it today, to not offer even BASIC MEANS to play the games their own purchase of this company was based on, is simply insane. If a group of fans would give a crap enough to make such an app FOR FREE, then how much more odd and wrath-inducing is it for Vivendo (did I say that?) to not offer such an app?
The only thing that makes me sad is that Ken wishes he would have started something more fun than this site, and the underlying software that he spends his free time developing. Ken, the lack of fun you are having is nothing compared to the sense of closure you have given fans such as myself after your sale of Sierra. You have closed a wound by simply giving us a means by which we can get those last thoughts out, and business or not, we deserve that much, even though you do not OWE it to us.
So thank you, and don’t go away again.
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(re: Idea for you Ken)
You might look into something like DOSBox (http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/)
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VDMSound, can also help in some cases (where sound is the issue) http://www.ece.mcgill.ca/~vromas/vdmsound/
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I cut my teeth on King’s Quest. I used to BEG my parents to go to the mall so I could play KQ on the Tandy 1000 at Radio Shack! They finally got me one with both KQ1 and KQ2. Back then they used to self-boot. Remember that. Enough background, I came here to answer the origional question:
The older AGI “Classics” can be run via a program called NAGI. Tandy 3 voice sound is even emulated!!! This is a complete rewrite of the origional AGI engine that ran KQ1-KQ3 (a verson of KQ4) as well as many other of the similar releases of other series. You can find NAGI at: http://www.agidev.com/projects/nagi/ Another AGI rewrite is SARIEN (sound familiar?). You can find it here: http://www.mega-tokyo.com/sarien/ If your are looking for a community of support for playing older Sierra related games check out this site: http://www.classicgaming.com/agisci/ FREESCI is the project to do the same for the SCI games. It currently does not support the 256 color games. It can be found at: http://www.bripro.com/scistudio/index.php SCIStudio is a Windows based game creation tool for creating true SCI based games EG: KQ4/5, SQ3/4 etc. So the projects you asked for are out there, but in the case of SCI, they have a long way to go. My wish for Ken is to consult these guys. Help ’em out Ken. They need technical data to go on. They’ll do the coding if they could just get the info they need to make it happen. Slip ’em some source code! Nobody’ll tell.
Billy.
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I recommend AGS (Adventure Game Studio 3) available at http://www.agsforums.com .
Here’s some info from their website: Adventure Game Studio (AGS for short) allows you to create your own point-and-click adventure games, similar to the early 90’s Sierra and Lucasarts adventures. It consists of an easy-to-use development environment, and run-time engine.
The game interface is fully customizable, although the classic Sierra interface is supported by default. You need no programming experience to make a game using AGS – setting most game options is just a matter of point-and-click (though scripting is of course available if you prefer). AGS manages most of the game so that you don’t have to – it provides load/save game functions, inventory management, and more.Add in some interactions (ie. what happens when the player clicks on various things) and you’re done. You can even create a standalone EXE file containing your entire game, which you can then distribute.
So, how much does it cost? Nothing. That’s right, AGS is free, and you can even create commercial games with it (subject to license terms).
NOTE: AGS is not for everyone. To make more advanced parts of a game, such as cutscenes, you will need to be prepared to learn the scripting language. It is recommended that you have at least a basic knowledge of computers before attempting to use AGS – such as, you know what a PCX file is, you can think logically and you know the difference between your hard drive and your RAM.
You can use the links on the left to see AGS’s features, download games made using AGS, and more.
If you decide that AGS is for you, then visit the Download and Tutorial pages to get started.
Last layout update 27 March 2004.
Web site credits:Site layout by Darth Mandarb.
Games montage banner by Ben
Other graphics by Darth Mandarb.
Forum banner by Cornjob
3rd Anniversary banner by RodeKill.
Other content (c) 1995-2004 Chris Jones. -
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Quote:
“… (by Billy Sherman) AGS is great, but it does NOTHING for those who want to play the origional Sierra Games. That is what I assumed this thread was about.Billy…”
That’s a common reaction. However about half of the people who used to play adventure games would admit they always wanted to make their OWN adventure game.
Quite a number of people have already done it. If it’s not for you, that’s OK too. However it’s great to ‘share the magic’ and in my opinion — it’s a great way to tell a story!
It’s not as difficult as it sounds. If you can do DOS Batch programming (you remember MS-DOS…) then you can do AGS Scripting. Graphics can be stick figures, pictures of your 3 kids, maybe the background is your a photo of your backyard?
Ok, first step in AGS would be to make your kid walk around the screen depending on where you click it. If you can program it, you could make your children their own personalized adventure game!
Here’s hoping you have the time to make it 😉
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Sorry, I was just trying to stay on subject. As I said AGS is GREAT! I am playing around with it myself.
Ken, for all you’ve done you did create a BIG fanbase that still creates games. If you do not believe me you too should check out the AGS (Adventure Game Studio) site and see what your ‘children’ have done in your absence. Your like a Godfather to all of us.
Billy
P.S. Check out Peasant Quest at http://www.homestarrunner.com too. That is the coolest thing I have seen since I played the KQ1 + 2(Made with AGS) remakes at AGDI.
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