[Unknown,Unknown]

(Kings Quest Online)

Ok – here’s another section for you guys to read through. I realize what
I’ve been posting has been rather… meaty, and I apologize for this. As
always, I appreciate your time and feedback and your critiques and
suggestions are greatly appreciated. So, that said, I give you… the
Interface. Key things in this section include the Character icon (which
comprises quite a bit of space and is quite detailed).

Also – if any of you have good working knowledge of C++, DirectX, and
Engine programming, send me an email! I’m starting to reach the point
where an engine should begin development (as these things take time).
I’m looking into outsourcing an engine (such as the Torque engine or the
engine used to make Syberia), but regardless of what is done, I’ll need
a programmer to facilitate everything (my programming knowledge isn’t
nearly good enough to program a game engine. hehe). So – send me an
email if your a C++ programmer interested in game development. 😉

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 

——————

9.0 Interface

9.1 Interacting within the world

Players with interact with a wide variety of things and people within
the world. This will be accomplished via an icon interface. On the left
hand of the screen, a row of animated icons in descending order will
represent the various actions the player can do. This is similar to the
icon interface utilized in Sierra games from the mid 90s (SCI-1), but
with an updated appearance. Clicking on an icon will change the cursor
into what the icon represents (i.e. clicking the hand icon will turn the
cursor into a hand). Players can then left-click the cursor over what
they wish to interact with and the character will do whatever action the
cursor is designated to do.

9.1.1 Standard movement

Regardless of whether the character is in walk or run mode, players will
utilize the following command scheme to control their character within
the 3D environment.

” W  Move forward
” S  Move backward
” A  Turn left
” D  Turn right
” SPACE  Jump
” CONTROL  Crouch
” SHIFT  Toggle Run/Walk
” TAB  Toggle Combat Mode

The mouse is set to free-look mode by holding down the right mouse
button. While the right mouse button is held down, the player can move
forward or backward while turning either left or right.

9.1.2 The Talk Icon

The Talk icon, represented by a comic bubble and animated with letters
appearing inside the bubble, is used to interact with NPCs in the game.
When the player clicks the Talk cursor on an NPC, the camera will pan
around and zoom in on the character and the NPC. At this point, a dialog
tree appears listing the various things the player can choose to say.
The actual conversation takes place via pop-up dialogs that display the
characters portraits and their dialog.

9.1.3 The Walk/Run Icon

The Walk/Run icon, represented by either an animated miniaturized person
walking (walk) or running (run). This icon acts as a shortcut toggle to
set the character to either walking speed or running speed and does not
have an associated cursor.

9.1.4 The Combat Icon

The Combat icon, represented by a sword with a slashing animation,
toggles the Combat Mode. While in Combat Mode, the camera will move to a
cinematic-like position and will pan around the character slowly
during the course of combat (but will remain central when not actually
in combat.) While in Combat Mode, the Combat Icon will appear
highlighted to remind the character they are in Combat Mode. While in
this mode, to attack a target, all the player has to do is click on the
target. A glowing red meter indicating the targets health will appear
above the target and the character will attack with whatever he/she has
equipped when the target is within range automatically. This enables the
player free to do other actions (such as casting spells and/or setting
up combos).

9.1.5 The Hand Icon

The Hand icon, represented by a persons hand and animated with a
grasping motion, enables the player to either pick up items, activate
switches/mechanisms, and open/close doors/chests. Once this icon has
been selected, the cursor will change to an animated hand and the player
can click on what they want the character to do. The character will
automatically do whatever action is appropriate based upon what the
player clicks on (i.e. the character will pick up a loaf of bread
instead of trying to open it.)

9.1.6 The Spells Icon

The Spells icon, represented by a wand with a sparkle animation on the
tip, opens the players Spell book. Once the spell book is open, the
player can select from a list of spell icons with the name of the spell
below the icon. Clicking on a spell icon causes the spell book to turn
the page to the page the spell is located at. On this page, a
description of the spell along with any reagents the spell requires is
listed. On the bottom of the page is a small version of the spell icon
which the player can drag onto any part of the screen for fast
casting, a button labeled Cast Spell, a button labeled Close
Spellbook, and a button labeled Contents If the character doesnt
have the necessary reagents, the Cast Spell button will be grayed out
and the fast-cast shortcut icon will have a diagonal line through it to
signify that reagents are missing. Additionally, the reagent list will
appear in two colors. Reagents in black type represent reagents the
character has in his/her possession. Reagents in red type represent
reagents the character is missing. At any time, the player can click on
the Close Spellbook button to close the spell book or the Contents
button to return to the contents page.

9.1.7 Character Icon

The Character icon, represented by a portrait of the character the
player is playing, opens the Character Screen. The actual portrait is a
3D model depicting the head of the character the player is playing. This
screen has a 3D model of the character on the left-hand side of the
dialog and a tabbed display area on the right-hand side. Each tab in the
display opens a different page of the display. These tabs are labeled
and described as follows:

” Inventory  This tab brings up the characters inventory in the display
area. Objects the character has are displayed as icons (more than one
object will automatically be stacked together and a counter will appear
on top of the object icon.) Players can click on inventory objects to
select them (making them the active object) as well as holding the mouse
cursor over objects to receive a pop-up description of the object. If
the player wishes to drop an item on the ground, all he/she needs to do
is select the item they wish to drop and click on the button labeled
Drop Item, located at the bottom of the display.

” Equipment  Th
***CONTINUED***

[Unknown,Unknown]

is tab brings up the characters list of equipment
(equipment is kept separate from inventory) in the display area.
Equipment the character is carrying is displayed as icons. Players can
drag equipment from the list and onto the character to equip them.
Likewise, players can drag any piece of equipment the character has
equipped over to the equipment list to remove them. Players can hold the
mouse cursor over the equipment item to receive a pop-up description of
the item (which includes attribute requirements and special attributes
of the equipment.) If the player wishes to drop a piece of equipment on
the ground, all he/she needs to do is select the piece of equipment they
wish to drop and click on the button labeled Drop Equipment, located
at the bottom of the display.

” Diary  This tab brings up a diary in the display area. This diary
displays all quests the player is currently involved in as well as
completed quests. The list will initially display only the names of the
Quests. When a player clicks on a Quests name, the diary will open up
the Quest information underneath the selected Quest. This information
includes pertinent information from NPCs concerning the Quest as well
as things that the character has already done in completing the Quest.
Quests are listed in two types. Open Quests are displayed in bold white
type. Completed Quests are displayed in regular gray type. Additionally,
next to each Quest title is a small X icon. Clicking on this icon will
either remove the Quest from the Diary if it has been completed or
forfeit an active Quest. If the player tries to forfeit an open Quest, a
warning will be displayed notifying the player they are about to forfeit
an open Quest along with two buttons, labeled as Forfeit and Cancel.
If the player wishes to forfeit the Quest, he/she can click on the
Forfeit button and the Quest will be removed. Otherwise, he/she can
click on the Cancel button and the warning dialog box will disappear
and the Quest will not be forfeited. Certain Quests cannot be cancelled.

” Friends  This tab will bring up a list of any Friends (other player
characters the player has added to their Friend list) in the display
area. Friends are displayed in two types. Friends that are currently
in-game are displayed in bold white type, while Friends that are
currently out-of-game are displayed in italic gray type. Next to each
name are two small icons: a small chat bubble icon and an X icon. If the
player wishes to contact the character, all he/she needs to do is click
on the chat bubble icon. This will bring up a private message window,
enabling the player to send a private message to the Friend. If the
player wishes to remove the Friend from his/her list, clicking on the X
icon will remove the Friend. At the bottom of the list is a button
labeled Visible. If the button appears pressed, then the character
will appear as being in-game to anyone who has the character in their
Friends list. If the button appears un-pressed, the character will
appear as being out-of-game to anyone who has the character in their
Friends list.

” Character  This tab brings up a list of the characters attributes in
the display area, including current attribute ratings and any special
skills the character has. It also includes pertinent information such as
the race/class of the character, the characters homeland, their birthday
(the day they were created), total amount of Experience Points the
character has earned, amount of Experience Points the character has to
spend, and the amount of Gold the character has to spend. Next to each
attribute rating, a white up-sign will appear whenever the character has
earned enough Experience Points to raise the particular attribute the up
sign appears next to. When the player clicks on this sign, a dialog will
appear notifying the player how much Experience Points raising that
particular attribute will cost along with how many Experience Points the
character currently has available to spend. If the player wishes to
raise the attribute, all he/she needs to do is click on the Raise Now
button to raise the skill. Each time the Raise Now button is clicked,
the attribute will be raised by one point. The attribute raise cost and
current available Experience Points counters will update accordingly. If
the player changes his/her mind, all they have to do is click on the
Never Mind button and the dialog will close.

” Settings  This tab will bring up a list of Game Settings for the
player to adjust. This includes graphic settings (resolution, effects,
etc), font settings (default font, font color schemes, etc), sound
settings (volume controls, etc sound settings), and account settings
(add/change/view billing info, cancel account, promotion redemption,
etc). Any changes to these settings will not take effect until the
player clicks on the button labeled Apply at the bottom of the display
area. If the player decides not to make any changes, all he/she needs to
do is click on a different tab. Any changes the player had planned on
making will not be made and the settings will automatically revert to
their stored values.

9.1.8 Combo Icon

The Combo icon, represented by a wand with a sparkle animation on the
end and a sword animated with a swinging animation, opens the Combo
Display. This display is split into four panes. The first section (the
left pane) is a list of icons representing the different individual
combo actions available to be selected. The second section (the right
pane) is a list of icons representing the combo being created. To create
or change a combo, the player simply drags icons from the left pane to
the right pane. On the bottom pane, the name and description of the
combo is displayed. The name is set by the player when creating the
combo by clicking on the name (a default name is set automatically) and
renaming it). The description of the combo is a worded description of
the actions that comprise the combo.

On the top pane, a horizontal scrolling display of all saved combos is
displayed in list form. To select a saved combo, the player selects the
name of a combo from this pane and the right/bottom panes will update
automatically. To save a combo, the player must select the Save Combo
button on the bottom of the window. To use a combo, the player must drag
the combo name from either the bottom pane or the top pane onto the game
area. The combo name will appear as an icon and the player can execute
the combo by clicking on it.

9.2 Conversing with other player characters

On the bottom center of the screen is a chat window. Each land has its
own chat channel. To speak to other players, all players have to do is
press the ~ key to bring up a chat message display window. Players can
type messages in this display and click on the Send button underneath
the display. Their message will appear on the chat channel. To speak to
players that are around the character, the player can press the ENTER
key. This brings up a message display window. Players can type what

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: Space Quest IV is horrible)

Try this new patch for the game. It fixes a number of problems with playing the game on a fast machine:

http://geocities.com/belzorash/sq4cd.zip 

Unzip it into your installed SQ4 folder. Note that you will have to use a save game from before you entered the screen where you are having problems.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: Help me please, I’m desperate!)

Hi,

Never stop playing Space Quest IV as it’s really one of the best old classics, the solution to ALL your problems is so simple:

1. Download DOSBox.
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dosbox/DOSBox0.61-win32-installer.exe?use_mirror=belnet 

2. Install DOSBox.

3. Launch DOSBox.

4. A black window with some text will appear. Type the following in it:

Mount C C:\Sierra (then press enter)

In what’s written above I assumed that you install the game to the directory/folder C:\SIERRA, if for example you installed it to D:\SQ4 then you should type:

Mount C D:\SQ4

Other examples:

Mount C C:\Sierra\SQ4
Mount C C:\SQ4
Mount C D:\Sierra\SQ4-CD
etc …

Once you typed the correct statement continue reading.

5. Type:

C: (then press enter)

6. Type:

Sierra (then press enter)

7. That’s it, this will solve ALL the problems, and it works.

If you have any questions let me know, and by the way, you should be using DOSBox for ALL sierra adventure games in order to have them work with no problems at all.

Rani

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: re: List of Sierra Products)

Josh
Check out the Value pack you missed two posts below.
I attached box pics.You can zoom in on the box date.
Also EcoQuest 1 came out in 1991 first and then in 1992 again on a Multimedia CD with voices in a Discovery Series Box.First release is just the normal slip-case with the sierra picture on the inner box.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: Help me please, I’m desperate!)

Thanks for the advice, I selected it to run in 256k colors and that got the problem solved. I have, however, all but given up on the game because I cannot get that goddamn laptop out of the busted spaceship and walk off screen again before being zapped by the droid. It is far too frustrating to deal with, and I simply don’t want to bother anymore.

I don’t see why they bothered to make Space Quest IV when it is by far the most frustrating and problem-filled of the games.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: QFG 4 1/2) I’ve given up..
I’m not sure if I was supposed to get anything from the poker table…but it crashes when I try to sit down there.
Still getting killed on the island…can’t figure out what I’m supposed to do to get past the pirates. Maybe I should have something that I don’t?
The game has a lot of prejudices I see and trys its hardest to be obscene as possible. It gets on my nerves…but other parts are funny (while still obscene).
If anyone thought the female centaur selling apples was cute, you don’t want to go on a date with her.
Trust me.
Aloha,
Kalani
—

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Err – the faction list got fangled up in the email… here it is as I
wanted it to be displayed (in a readable format)

Faction Name / Faction Type
—————————
Royal Houses of Caranous / Good
Faerie Triumvirate / Good
Guardians of the Vale / Good
Consortium of Magi / Good
Order of Black Cloaks / Evil
The Nameless / Evil
Assassins Blade / Evil
Crimson Tear / Evil
Path of the Wanderers / Neutral
Keepers of the Vault / Neutral
Druids of the Isles / Neutral
Merchants Guild / Neutral

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 

sierragamers@talkspot.com  wrote:

>Here’s something for you guys to take a look at. While I don’t want to
>go into details about the Quest System (it IS one of the cornerstones of
>the game and is what I consider the heart and soul of the game), I can
>share with you one of the systems that affects the Quest System in a
>very major way. In fact, this system affects just about everything in
>the game. I have taken what has been done in the past and taken it to
>it’s next logical step. I have played a variety of MMO games and while
>all of them have this paticular type of system, none of them comes close
>to the potential of the system.
>
>Below is a draft of the Faction System (it’s far from finalized, but it
>gives you an idea as to what one of the directions the game will take).
>
>Enjoy and as always, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Also –
>if you got any ideas, feel free to share em! 😉
>
>—————–
>
>11.0 The Faction System
>
>Every NPC in the game belongs to a group of like-minded NPCs. These
>groups are called Factions. When a player does something good for an
>NPC, he/she will gain Faction Points with the Faction that NPC belongs
>to while loosing Faction Points with Factions that are opposed to the
>Faction the player is doing something good for. This also applies for
>doing something bad to an NPC (in which case, the player will loose
>Faction Points with the Faction the affected NPC belongs too while
>gaining Faction Points with factions that are opposed to the affected
>NPC.
>
>11.1 The Effects of Faction
>
>Faction Points determine how an NPC (or group of NPCs) feel about the
>character the player is playing. Characters with high Faction will be
>treated more hospitably and friendlier by NPCS of that Faction while
>characters with low Faction will be treated with scorn and
>unfriendliness by NPCs of that Faction.
>
>Faction is also used to determine the types of prices merchants set when
>dealing with players (buying and selling) as well as determining the
>types of Quests NPCs will give to players (if any).
>
>Faction also plays a role in the notoriety of the character the player
>is playing (which also has an effect on merchants and other NPC types).
>Additionally, certain Quests and Uber-Quests can only be initiated by
>players who are in either high or low standing with certain factions.
>
>Through the Faction system, it is possible to play either good or bad
>characters and the story the player participates in will be dictated by
>the type of character a player chooses to play.
>
>11.2 Faction Rankings
>
>Faction Rankings are detailed below from worst to best. The effects of
>each Ranking will be determined on a Faction-to-Faction basis.
>
>” Despised (-500 through -300 points)
>” Hated ( -299 through -101 points)
>” Indifferent (-100 through 100 points)
>” Appreciated (101 through 299 points)
>” Loved (300 through 500 points)
>
>11.3 Faction Listing
>
>Listed here is a list of all of the Factions in the game.
>
>Faction Name Faction Type
>Royal Houses of Caranous Good
>Order of Black Cloaks Evil
>Druids of the Isles Neutral
>Merchants Guild Neutral
>Faerie Triumvirate Good
>Guardians of the Vale Good
>Assassins Blade Evil
>Crimson Tear Evil
>Path of the Wanderers Neutral
>Keepers of the Vault Neutral
>The Nameless Evil
>Consortium of Magi Good
>
>
>-David Reese
>lordcorenair@netscape.net
>
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>Please note:
>
>You were sent this email by D Reese lordcorenair@netscape.net ).
>
>You may reply directly to this email if you wish, and your response will be
emailed, as well as automatically posted to the Sierra On-Line Fan Site
website.
>
>WARNING: Sending a spam message, or messages with adult content is cause
for immediate closing of your account.
>
>If you would like to stop receiving these emails, you may either visit the
Sierra On-Line Fan Site website to change your email preferences, or simply
respond to this email with the single word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line
of your email (without the quotes), and you will NOT receive emails in the
future.
>
>If you have any questions about how to stop receiving these emails, you may
write to the webmaster atkenw@seanet.com 
>
>
>
>Thank you.
>
>

—
Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas.
Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape!
http://shopnow.netscape.com/ 

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Here’s something for you guys to take a look at. While I don’t want to
go into details about the Quest System (it IS one of the cornerstones of
the game and is what I consider the heart and soul of the game), I can
share with you one of the systems that affects the Quest System in a
very major way. In fact, this system affects just about everything in
the game. I have taken what has been done in the past and taken it to
it’s next logical step. I have played a variety of MMO games and while
all of them have this paticular type of system, none of them comes close
to the potential of the system.

Below is a draft of the Faction System (it’s far from finalized, but it
gives you an idea as to what one of the directions the game will take).

Enjoy and as always, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated. Also –
if you got any ideas, feel free to share em! 😉

—————–

11.0 The Faction System

Every NPC in the game belongs to a group of like-minded NPCs. These
groups are called Factions. When a player does something good for an
NPC, he/she will gain Faction Points with the Faction that NPC belongs
to while loosing Faction Points with Factions that are opposed to the
Faction the player is doing something good for. This also applies for
doing something bad to an NPC (in which case, the player will loose
Faction Points with the Faction the affected NPC belongs too while
gaining Faction Points with factions that are opposed to the affected
NPC.

11.1 The Effects of Faction

Faction Points determine how an NPC (or group of NPCs) feel about the
character the player is playing. Characters with high Faction will be
treated more hospitably and friendlier by NPCS of that Faction while
characters with low Faction will be treated with scorn and
unfriendliness by NPCs of that Faction.

Faction is also used to determine the types of prices merchants set when
dealing with players (buying and selling) as well as determining the
types of Quests NPCs will give to players (if any).

Faction also plays a role in the notoriety of the character the player
is playing (which also has an effect on merchants and other NPC types).
Additionally, certain Quests and Uber-Quests can only be initiated by
players who are in either high or low standing with certain factions.

Through the Faction system, it is possible to play either good or bad
characters and the story the player participates in will be dictated by
the type of character a player chooses to play.

11.2 Faction Rankings

Faction Rankings are detailed below from worst to best. The effects of
each Ranking will be determined on a Faction-to-Faction basis.

” Despised (-500 through -300 points)
” Hated ( -299 through -101 points)
” Indifferent (-100 through 100 points)
” Appreciated (101 through 299 points)
” Loved (300 through 500 points)

11.3 Faction Listing

Listed here is a list of all of the Factions in the game.

Faction Name Faction Type
Royal Houses of Caranous Good
Order of Black Cloaks Evil
Druids of the Isles Neutral
Merchants Guild Neutral
Faerie Triumvirate Good
Guardians of the Vale Good
Assassins Blade Evil
Crimson Tear Evil
Path of the Wanderers Neutral
Keepers of the Vault Neutral
The Nameless Evil
Consortium of Magi Good

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: QFG 4 1/2) haha! I say do “that” – maybe if your character is good enough the pirates will spare ya. 😉
-David Reese

Link:lordcorenair@netscape.net (mailto:lordcorenair@netscape.net)

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: QFG 4 1/2) Barry,
I’m in the middle of the game with 510 of 500 points.
I’m on homosexual pirate’s island about to be killed? What do I do? And don’t say ‘that’.
It’s fun. But the game does take some negative stereotypical views on things and people which I don’t agree with.
This game is rather ‘adult’ and is fun.
Betty was definitely worth her 10 Gold Pieces.
Hehe,
Kalani
—

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Goofy’s Word Factory)

Can anyone give me any information about this enigmatic game? Did it exist? Has it ever? According to a price list that was published by Sierra for customers to buy games, you could most definitely buy it. (You can find a link to that price list below). There is also a good article about the game below as well. Can Mr. Williams, or anyone on this board, for that matter, give me information concerning this game? Thank you so much!

Talk to you later!

JDHJANUS
Josh

Sierra Price List
scroll down a bit)

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: List of Sierra Products)

Okay, so I’ve been searching for box covers of various Sierra games. As I’ve searched, I have discovered that there were many more errors in my list than I had realized, and furthermore, that there were even MORE items that I had left off. So, I have now updated the list. Many thanks to http://koti.mbnet.fi/~psychic/fin_games_sierra.html  and http://vgmuseum.chaoticmonkey.com  for they’re awesome information and help with the evolution of the list over the past week. So, I have attached to this list an even more updated collection of all the games published and/or designed by Sierra. I hope you guys like it.
Updated Sierra Game list.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(re: Ideas for Shivers 3)

I always thought it would be cool if Prof. Windlenot’s son, briefly mentioned in the first game, were to follow in his father’s footsteps, and uncover archaeological treasures that never should’ve been uncovered, perhaps, instead of spirits, items relating to the ancient gods and their powers…. I’d have the open-map concept of the first game, but the larger number of characters to meet, as in the second game.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Hey Barry!

Modular design documents is something that I learned while working at
Westwood Studios. I am not aware of any specific documents about it,
but it’s basically just an document in outline form. I use the
following format:

1.0 Heading
1.1 Sub heading
1.1.1 Sub heading
1.2 Sub heading
1.2.1 Sub heading
2.0 Heading

and so on and so on.

In this manner, it’s easy to add and remove things since each section is
a stand-alone entity. I cna remove section 1.1 without affecting what I
have designed in section 1.2

As for the Character Creation process, it’s both a blessing and a curse.
It’s a blessing because it’s been done numerous times before and it’s a
curse because it’s been done numerous times before. Most of the time I
spend designing the creation process wasn’t so much the process itself,
but coming up with a unique way of doing it. I could have easily
emulated the creation process of EQ or UO, but then I would be accused
of ripping off someone else’s ideas and designs. Hence the reason why I
did it the way I did. The philosphy and design concepts aren’t really
all that different, but the implimentation design is.

It’s also important to remember that the Character Creation process is
the players first glimpse into the world they are about to embark on.
Next to the Main Menu, the Character Creation process is the second
biggest determining factor in giving a good first impression. It must
be simple and elegant so as to not bombard the player with too much at
once. At the same time, it’s an opportunity to let the player learn a
bit about the world before jumping in.

As for how I’m going to implement adventures and stories into the game,
I’m going to use what I call the Quest system. Each Quest (which are
given out by NPC’s) involve a story element, a combat element, and a
puzzle element. Every Quest in the game pertains to a story and the
things the player must do or encounter while doing that Quest will
enhance what the player already knows about a paticular story element as
well as introducing new story elements. Most of the Quests will even
branch off into other sub-Quests. For all pratical purposes, I am
designing a system that allows multiple people to be doing the same
Quests, but get different aspects/understanding of the overall story
arch based on what they do and how they do it.

You and I could do a Quest to catch a thief who stole a painting. On
one hand, I can play the detective and learn about the thief and the
painting, which in turn reveals the painting has some unique qualities
and the thief is only stealing the painting to get his children back
from the Black Cloak Society (who wants the painting to open a
dimensional doorway to another world). With this knowledge, I catch up
to the thief and rather than turning him into the authorities, I go on a
Quest to rescue the thiefs children and end up returning the painting to
it’s rightful owners and in the process learn more about the Black Cloak
Society and/or the dimension they are trying to gain access to.

On the other hand, you get the same Quest, interrogate a couple of
NPC’s, track down the thief and kill him. You take the painting back to
it’s original owner and go on your way, ultimately not knowing about the
thiefs children or the Black Cloak Society’s involvement or their plans

As for stories ending, that’s the challenge of the designer/writer.
It’s my job to ensure that while some stories end, they open up into
more stories. There’s no telling what might happen once the Queens have
been rescued. 😉

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 
sierragamers@talkspot.com  wrote:

>Hi David,
>
>You do seem to be putting a lot of time into this so I guess you’re
serious
>
>about it. What method uses the ‘modular design documents’ you refer to,
can
>
>you point me to a page about it? It does seem like a good approach to do
>this kind of thing.
>
>Anyway, your character selection procedure looks solid to me but then
again
>
>that is not really the hard part because it’s been done in just about
every
>
>on-line game. What I’m really wondering about is exactly how you will
>integrate the adventure/stories into the game. I mean, we can’t ALL rescue

>the princess can we? 🙂 Also, the downside of stories is that they end
>somewhere (even the neverending story ends ;)), how will you keep the
story
>
>going? I think that these are the questions that should be answered first
>
>Best regards,
>
>Barry
>
>
>
>>From: “Sierra On-Line Fan Site”
>>To:sierragamers@talkspot.com 
>>Subject: Re: King’s Quest Online
>>Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 15:36:50 -0500
>>
>>Ok – I’ve got something else for you guys to look at and give feedback
>>on. A few days ago I showed you guys the races and classes the game will
>>have. Today, in addition to revealing the pitch for the game (which in
>>my opinion isn’t all that interesting), I’m revealing the character
>>creation process. I’ve been working on this one for a couple of days
>>trying to come up with the entire creation process step by step and it’s
>>finally finished. All I can say is thank god for modular design docs!
>>Otherwise this whole thing would have been a total headache. 😉
>>
>>Anyway, here it is. As always, your feedback and suggestions/critiques
>>are greatly appreciated.
>>
>>-David Reese
>>lordcorenair@netscape.net
>>
>>——————
>>3.0 Character Creation
>>
>>When starting the game for the first time, the player will automatically
>>be taken to Character Creation. During the phase of the game, the player
>>will be able to select the race, class, and defining attributes of their
>>online persona along with the personas name. At the beginning of the
>>game, players will only have one character slot to utilize, but as they
>>progress in the game, they will be able to unlock other character slots
>>and race/class/attribute combinations by collecting special items and
>>doing certain quests.
>>
>>
>>3.1 Step 1  Race Selection
>>
>>The first step in creating a new character is selecting the race of the
>>character. The different races are displayed as generic character models
>>(these models are models of the specific races and do not have any class
>>attributes). The models will be lined up side by side. When the player
>>clicks on one of the models, the text box area underneath the models
>>displays information about that particular race (See section 7.0 (Races)
>>for the descriptions of the races that should appear here). To select
>>the race as the race of the character to be created, the player clicks
>>on the button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process.
>>If he/she changes their mind, they c
***CONTINUED*

[Unknown,Unknown]

an click on the button labeled
>>Back to return to the last area they were at (Main Menu or whatever.)
>>
>>3.2 Step 2  Class Selection
>>
>>The second step in creating a new character is selecting the class of
>>the character. The different classes are displayed using models of the
>>race the player selected in Step 1. Each class has a unique look. The
>>class models are displayed side by side in the same fashion as the race
>>models were displayed in Step 1. When a player clicks on one of the
>>models, the text box area underneath the models displays information
>>about that particular class (See section 8.0 (Classes) for the
>>descriptions of the classes that should appear here). To select the
>>class as the class of the character to be created, the player clicks the
>>button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If
>>he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back
>>to return to Step 1.
>>
>>3.3 Step 3  Physical Appearance
>>
>>The third step in creating a new character is adjusting the physical
>>appearance of the character. The character model depicting the
>>race/class of the character is displayed in the center of the screen
>>with highlighted areas representing areas that can be customized.
>>Clicking on one of the highlighted areas brings up a UI element for that
>>particular customization area. Once the player has finished adjusting
>>the physical appearance of the character, he/she clicks the button
>>labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If he/she
>>changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back: to
>>return to Step 2.
>>
>>3.3.1 Height/Weight
>>
>>To adjust the height and/or weight of the character, the player clicks
>>on either the right/left arrows below the character model to adjust the
>>weight or the up/down arrows to adjust the height. Players can hold down
>>the left mouse button while clicking one of the arrows to change the
>>associated value by a major amount or by left clicking on the arrow to
>>make a minor change to the associated value.
>>3.3.2 Head
>>
>>To adjust properties such as hair/eye color and other facial features,
>>the player clicks on the models head. This zooms the camera in to show
>>only the characters head. A UI interface will appear that allows players
>>to tweak assorted properties. Once the player is satisfied with their
>>changes, they click the button labeled Done that is located at the
>>bottom of the UI interface.
>>
>>3.3.2.1 Head Modification UI
>>
>>The Head Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
>>models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
>>the modification, the UI will fade out.
>>
>>3.3.2.1.1 Eye Color
>>
>>The eye color property is represented in the UI as a label Eye Color:
>>with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Eye Color: label
>>is a label that specifies the current color. To change the eye color,
>>players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
>>causes the eye color on the character model and the color name label to
>>change accordingly.
>>
>>3.3.2.1.2 Hair/Fur Color
>>
>>The hair color property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
>>Color: with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Hair
>>Color: label is a label that specifies the current color. To change the
>>hair color, players left click and drag the slider either left or right,
>>which causes the hair color on the character model and the color name
>>label to change accordingly.
>>
>>
>>3.3.2.1.3 Hair/Fur Style
>>
>>The hair style property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
>>Style:, a label that specifies the current hair style, and a collection
>>of icons depicting assorted hair styles that pertain to the race and
>>class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a right arrow
>>that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict there are more
>>icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click either the right
>>arrow or the left arrow. To select a hair style, players click on the
>>icon of the hair style they want. The character model and hair style
>>name label will change accordingly.
>>
>>3.3.2.1.4 Head Accessories
>>
>>The Head Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
>>Accessories:. A label that specifies the current accessory, and a
>>collection of icons depicting assorted accessories that can be worn on
>>the character head (hats, earrings, etc). There is also a left arrow and
>>a right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
>>there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click on
>>either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select an accessory,
>>players click on the icon of the accessory they want. The character
>>model and accessory name label will change accordingly. Players may
>>choose up to two Head Accessories, so there are two Head Accessory UI
>>elements. Also note that certain accessories such as hats will give the
>>player a hat as part of their starting equipment and does not make the
>>accessory a permanent part of the character model. Players can remove
>>and/or change accessories in game by purchasing new ones from merchants.
>>
>>
>>3.3.3 Clothes
>>
>>To adjust properties such as what the character model is wearing when
>>they start the game, the player clicks on the models body. A UI
>>interface will appear that allows players to tweak assorted properties.
>>Once the player is satisfied with their changes, they click the button
>>labeled Done that is located at the bottom of the UI interface.
>>
>>3.3.3.1 Body Modification UI
>>
>>The Body Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
>>models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
>>the modification, the UI will fade out.
>>
>>3.3.3.1.1 Clothing Type
>>
>>The clothing type property is represented in the UI as a label Clothing
>>Type:, a label that specifies the current clothing type, and a
>>collection of icons depicting assorted types of clothes that pertain to
>>the race and class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a
>>right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
>>there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click
>>either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select a clothing type,
>>players click on the icon of the clothes they want. The character model
>>and clothing type name label will change accordingly.
>>
>>3.3.3.1.2 Clothing Color
>>
>>The clothing color property is represented in the UI as a label Color:
>>with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Color: label is a
>>label that specifies the current color. To change the clothing color,
>>players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
>>causes the color of the clothes on the character model and the color
>>name label to change accordingly.
>>
>>
>>3.3.3.1.3 Clothing Accessories
>>
>>The Clothing Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
>>Accessories:. A la

[Unknown,Unknown]

e emails, you may
write to the webmaster atkenw@seanet.com 
>
>
>
>Thank you.
>
>

—
Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas.
Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop@Netscape!
http://shopnow.netscape.com/ 

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Hello!

I would like to thank you for your feedback and comments – they are all
questions I’ve contemplated quite a bit (more in the past couple of
weeks now that I’m working on the design). I’ll try to address your
points on a one-by-one basis.

1.) Roberta Williams wrote the story, so for anyone to expand, modify,
change or add to it wouldn’t be “authentic”

Roberta is a talented designer and writer. To attempt to fill her shoes
is not only very difficult to do, but some might even say arrogant. My
intention isn’t about trying to fill her shoes. KQ is and always will
be her achievement and the mark she has made on the industry with her
products will always be remembered. 20 years from now the KQ series
will still be talked about and debated. As a designer, this is the
ultimate achievement.

My intention with KQO is to take what she has done and add a new flavor
to it. Roberta has said herself in many interviews that when she was
making KQVII, she wasn’t sure what she could do in terms of original
ideas. The last three KQ titles, in fact, weren’t designed solely by
Roberta. She brought in Jane Jenson to work with her on KQVI (the
credits credit both Jane and Robera for the writing and designing
tasks). For KQVII, she shared designing duties with Lorelei Shannon
(KQVII, by the way, was based on a story that Lorelei wrote). I’m not
too sure about designing and writing duty assignments for KQVIII, but I
am sure it followed the tradition of bringing new talent into the fold.
Each of these games are memorable and fantastic games. While KQO will
not have Roberta’s influence, that does nothing to lower the quality of
the game.

From a personal standpoint, I find it to be highly challenging to
design such a game because I know what I am facing. I only hope that
what I design is half as good as what Roberta has done.

2.) I don’t think Roberta or Ken need to make another KQ. They did very
well with the first series. Let it be.

I tend to agree with you on this to a certain point. Ken and Roberta did a
very good job with the series with what they did. However, there are some
loose ends that should be addressed to tie everything up. I personally
don’t count KQVIII as a part of the KQ series. My perspective on KQVIII is
it was an action-adventure game that bears the KQ name only as a means to
increase sales. Thats not to say KQVIII isn’t a good game. On it’s own,
it’s a great game. But as the final game in the KQ series, it is, how shall
I say… not quite up to standard.

KQO is designed to tie it all together. It’s designed to close doors on one
storyline while opening doors on new storylines. KQO is first and foremost
a KQ game and it is my intention to bring new characters and new stories
into the KQ universe. And of course, since there is no mention of how much
time lapsed betwen KQVII and KQVIII, this gives me a lot to play around
with.

3.) Instead of using already created characters, places, and things… why
not create your own characters, places and things. Be original, Roberta
was.

I actually already have done this. KQO aside, I have, what I consider to
be, a great story. However, for personal reasons, I have chosen not to
pursue that story at this time. Thats not to say I won’t visit it again in
the future and make a game out of it, but at this time, I would rather work
on this. The potential for this game is limitless. I’m sure you won’t be
disappointed by my efforts if they ever materalize in the form of a playable
game.

4.) The problem with people now-a-days is no one can come up with their own
ideas. They HAVE to use other great ideas. I love the games Sierra On-line
created and will always treasure them, but it’s time for someone or a group
of people to come together and make the next amazing adventure game(s). Be
unique, be daring, be witty, be challenging. Like a movie, have it bring
the characters into the story and make them feel as if they are apart of
it.

You might be surprised with what I am coming up with. Please don’t judge
the game solely as a KQ title, as it is that and so much more. I would say
more, but now is not the time to reveal… 😉

5.) Maybe someone has an original comic that they could make into a game,
or a story they just wrote? Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Ken and
Roberta Williams?

That certainly is a nice thought, but the one thing that I admire most about
Ken and Roberta is the fact that they worked very hard for what the
attained. If I can ever be anything as good as they were at making games,
it will take a lot of work and dedication. Of course, in the end, I would
rather be David Reese and not Ken or Roberta Williams. I am my own person
and I feel that to try to be someone else is to discredit the person that I
am.

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 

sierragamers@talkspot.com  wrote:

>I don’t mean to be rude, or take all the fun out of this, but why make
more
>KQ storylines/games?
>
>Here are a few of my points I would like to get across:
>1.) Roberta Williams wrote the story, so for anyone to expand, modify,
>change or add to it wouldn’t be “authentic”
>2.) I don’t think Roberta or Ken need to make another KQ. They did very
>well
>with the first series. Let it be.
>3.) Instead of using already created characters, places, and things… why
>not create your own characters, places and things. Be original, Roberta
>was.
>4.) The problem with people now-a-days is no one can come up with their
own
>ideas. They HAVE to use other great ideas. I love the games Sierra On-line
>created and will always treasure them, but it’s time for someone or a
group
>of people to come together and make the next amazing adventure game(s). Be
>unique, be daring, be witty, be challenging. Like a movie, have it bring
>the
>characters into the story and make them feel as if they are apart of it.
>5.) Maybe someone has an original comic that they could make into a game,
>or
>a story they just wrote? Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Ken and
>Roberta
>Williams?
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>Please note:
>
>You were sent this email by rharpe75@earthlink.net ).
>
>You may reply directly to this email if you wish, and your response will be
emailed, as well as automatically posted to the Sierra On-Line Fan Site
website.
>
>WARNING: Sending a spam message, or messages with adult content is cause
for immediate closing of your account.
>
>If you would like to stop receiving these emails, you may either visit the
Sierra On-Line Fan Site website to change your email preferences, or simply
respond to this email with the single word “Unsubscribe” in the subject line
of your email (without the quotes), and you will NOT receive emails in the
future.
>
>If you have any questions about how to stop receiving thes
***CONTINUED***

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Wow! It’s like I’m hearing myself 😉

– Barry

>From: “Sierra On-Line Fan Site”
>To:sierragamers@talkspot.com 
>Subject: Re: King’s Quest Online
>Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 17:21:50 -0500
>
>I don’t mean to be rude, or take all the fun out of this, but why make
more
>KQ storylines/games?
>
>Here are a few of my points I would like to get across:
>1.) Roberta Williams wrote the story, so for anyone to expand, modify,
>change or add to it wouldn’t be “authentic”
>2.) I don’t think Roberta or Ken need to make another KQ. They did very
>well
>with the first series. Let it be.
>3.) Instead of using already created characters, places, and things… why
>not create your own characters, places and things. Be original, Roberta
>was.
>4.) The problem with people now-a-days is no one can come up with their
own
>ideas. They HAVE to use other great ideas. I love the games Sierra On-line
>created and will always treasure them, but it’s time for someone or a
group
>of people to come together and make the next amazing adventure game(s). Be
>unique, be daring, be witty, be challenging. Like a movie, have it bring
>the
>characters into the story and make them feel as if they are apart of it.
>5.) Maybe someone has an original comic that they could make into a game,
>or
>a story they just wrote? Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Ken and
>Roberta
>Williams?
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>Please note:
>
>You were sent this email by rharpe75@earthlink.net ).
>
>You may reply directly to this email if you wish, and your response will be

>emailed, as well as automatically posted to the Sierra On-Line Fan Site
>website.
>
>WARNING: Sending a spam message, or messages with adult content is cause
>for immediate closing of your account.
>
>If you would like to stop receiving these emails, you may either visit the

>Sierra On-Line Fan Site website to change your email preferences, or simply

>respond to this email with the single word “Unsubscribe” in the subject
>line of your email (without the quotes), and you will NOT receive emails in

>the future.
>
>If you have any questions about how to stop receiving these emails, you may

>write to the webmaster atkenw@seanet.com 
>
>
>
>Thank you.

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Zoeken, voor duidelijke zoekresultaten! http://search.msn.nl 

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

I don’t mean to be rude, or take all the fun out of this, but why make more
KQ storylines/games?

Here are a few of my points I would like to get across:
1.) Roberta Williams wrote the story, so for anyone to expand, modify,
change or add to it wouldn’t be “authentic”
2.) I don’t think Roberta or Ken need to make another KQ. They did very
well
with the first series. Let it be.
3.) Instead of using already created characters, places, and things… why
not create your own characters, places and things. Be original, Roberta
was.
4.) The problem with people now-a-days is no one can come up with their own
ideas. They HAVE to use other great ideas. I love the games Sierra On-line
created and will always treasure them, but it’s time for someone or a group
of people to come together and make the next amazing adventure game(s). Be
unique, be daring, be witty, be challenging. Like a movie, have it bring
the
characters into the story and make them feel as if they are apart of it.
5.) Maybe someone has an original comic that they could make into a game,
or
a story they just wrote? Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next Ken and
Roberta
Williams?

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Hi David,

You do seem to be putting a lot of time into this so I guess you’re serious

about it. What method uses the ‘modular design documents’ you refer to, can

you point me to a page about it? It does seem like a good approach to do
this kind of thing.

Anyway, your character selection procedure looks solid to me but then again

that is not really the hard part because it’s been done in just about every

on-line game. What I’m really wondering about is exactly how you will
integrate the adventure/stories into the game. I mean, we can’t ALL rescue
the princess can we? 🙂 Also, the downside of stories is that they end
somewhere (even the neverending story ends ;)), how will you keep the story

going? I think that these are the questions that should be answered first

Best regards,

Barry

>From: “Sierra On-Line Fan Site”
>To:sierragamers@talkspot.com 
>Subject: Re: King’s Quest Online
>Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 15:36:50 -0500
>
>Ok – I’ve got something else for you guys to look at and give feedback
>on. A few days ago I showed you guys the races and classes the game will
>have. Today, in addition to revealing the pitch for the game (which in
>my opinion isn’t all that interesting), I’m revealing the character
>creation process. I’ve been working on this one for a couple of days
>trying to come up with the entire creation process step by step and it’s
>finally finished. All I can say is thank god for modular design docs!
>Otherwise this whole thing would have been a total headache. 😉
>
>Anyway, here it is. As always, your feedback and suggestions/critiques
>are greatly appreciated.
>
>-David Reese
>lordcorenair@netscape.net
>
>——————
>3.0 Character Creation
>
>When starting the game for the first time, the player will automatically
>be taken to Character Creation. During the phase of the game, the player
>will be able to select the race, class, and defining attributes of their
>online persona along with the personas name. At the beginning of the
>game, players will only have one character slot to utilize, but as they
>progress in the game, they will be able to unlock other character slots
>and race/class/attribute combinations by collecting special items and
>doing certain quests.
>
>
>3.1 Step 1  Race Selection
>
>The first step in creating a new character is selecting the race of the
>character. The different races are displayed as generic character models
>(these models are models of the specific races and do not have any class
>attributes). The models will be lined up side by side. When the player
>clicks on one of the models, the text box area underneath the models
>displays information about that particular race (See section 7.0 (Races)
>for the descriptions of the races that should appear here). To select
>the race as the race of the character to be created, the player clicks
>on the button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process.
>If he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled
>Back to return to the last area they were at (Main Menu or whatever.)
>
>3.2 Step 2  Class Selection
>
>The second step in creating a new character is selecting the class of
>the character. The different classes are displayed using models of the
>race the player selected in Step 1. Each class has a unique look. The
>class models are displayed side by side in the same fashion as the race
>models were displayed in Step 1. When a player clicks on one of the
>models, the text box area underneath the models displays information
>about that particular class (See section 8.0 (Classes) for the
>descriptions of the classes that should appear here). To select the
>class as the class of the character to be created, the player clicks the
>button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If
>he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back
>to return to Step 1.
>
>3.3 Step 3  Physical Appearance
>
>The third step in creating a new character is adjusting the physical
>appearance of the character. The character model depicting the
>race/class of the character is displayed in the center of the screen
>with highlighted areas representing areas that can be customized.
>Clicking on one of the highlighted areas brings up a UI element for that
>particular customization area. Once the player has finished adjusting
>the physical appearance of the character, he/she clicks the button
>labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If he/she
>changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back: to
>return to Step 2.
>
>3.3.1 Height/Weight
>
>To adjust the height and/or weight of the character, the player clicks
>on either the right/left arrows below the character model to adjust the
>weight or the up/down arrows to adjust the height. Players can hold down
>the left mouse button while clicking one of the arrows to change the
>associated value by a major amount or by left clicking on the arrow to
>make a minor change to the associated value.
>3.3.2 Head
>
>To adjust properties such as hair/eye color and other facial features,
>the player clicks on the models head. This zooms the camera in to show
>only the characters head. A UI interface will appear that allows players
>to tweak assorted properties. Once the player is satisfied with their
>changes, they click the button labeled Done that is located at the
>bottom of the UI interface.
>
>3.3.2.1 Head Modification UI
>
>The Head Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
>models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
>the modification, the UI will fade out.
>
>3.3.2.1.1 Eye Color
>
>The eye color property is represented in the UI as a label Eye Color:
>with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Eye Color: label
>is a label that specifies the current color. To change the eye color,
>players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
>causes the eye color on the character model and the color name label to
>change accordingly.
>
>3.3.2.1.2 Hair/Fur Color
>
>The hair color property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
>Color: with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Hair
>Color: label is a label that specifies the current color. To change the
>hair color, players left click and drag the slider either left or right,
>which causes the hair color on the character model and the color name
>label to change accordingly.
>
>
>3.3.2.1.3 Hair/Fur Style
>
>The hair style property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
>Style:, a label that specifies the current hair style, and a collection
>of icons depicting assorted hair styles that pertain to the race and
>class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a right arrow
>that will appear at either end of the icon
***CONTINUED***

[Unknown,Unknown]

row to depict there are more
>icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click either the right
>arrow or the left arrow. To select a hair style, players click on the
>icon of the hair style they want. The character model and hair style
>name label will change accordingly.
>
>3.3.2.1.4 Head Accessories
>
>The Head Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
>Accessories:. A label that specifies the current accessory, and a
>collection of icons depicting assorted accessories that can be worn on
>the character head (hats, earrings, etc). There is also a left arrow and
>a right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
>there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click on
>either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select an accessory,
>players click on the icon of the accessory they want. The character
>model and accessory name label will change accordingly. Players may
>choose up to two Head Accessories, so there are two Head Accessory UI
>elements. Also note that certain accessories such as hats will give the
>player a hat as part of their starting equipment and does not make the
>accessory a permanent part of the character model. Players can remove
>and/or change accessories in game by purchasing new ones from merchants.
>
>
>3.3.3 Clothes
>
>To adjust properties such as what the character model is wearing when
>they start the game, the player clicks on the models body. A UI
>interface will appear that allows players to tweak assorted properties.
>Once the player is satisfied with their changes, they click the button
>labeled Done that is located at the bottom of the UI interface.
>
>3.3.3.1 Body Modification UI
>
>The Body Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
>models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
>the modification, the UI will fade out.
>
>3.3.3.1.1 Clothing Type
>
>The clothing type property is represented in the UI as a label Clothing
>Type:, a label that specifies the current clothing type, and a
>collection of icons depicting assorted types of clothes that pertain to
>the race and class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a
>right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
>there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click
>either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select a clothing type,
>players click on the icon of the clothes they want. The character model
>and clothing type name label will change accordingly.
>
>3.3.3.1.2 Clothing Color
>
>The clothing color property is represented in the UI as a label Color:
>with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Color: label is a
>label that specifies the current color. To change the clothing color,
>players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
>causes the color of the clothes on the character model and the color
>name label to change accordingly.
>
>
>3.3.3.1.3 Clothing Accessories
>
>The Clothing Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
>Accessories:. A label that specifies the current accessory, and a
>collection of icons depicting assorted accessories that can be worn on
>the characters body (belts, cloaks, etc). There is also a left arrow and
>a right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
>there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click on
>either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select an accessory,
>players click on the icon of the accessory they want. The character
>model and accessory name label will change accordingly. Players may
>choose one Clothing Accessories, so there is only one Clothing Accessory
>UI elements. Also note that certain accessories such as cloaks will give
>the player a cloak as part of their starting equipment and does not make
>the accessory a permanent part of the character model. Players can
>remove and/or change accessories in game by purchasing new ones from
>merchants.
>
>3.4 Step Four  Skill Selection
>
>The third step in creating a new character is selecting what skills the
>character will start the game as. The character model matching the
>players specifications from the prior three steps will appear faded out
>in the center of the screen with a two-paned window appearing over it.
>On the left pane, which is labeled as Skill List, a list of all
>starting skills available to the race/class the player has selected will
>be displayed. Each item on the list will appear with an icon depicting
>the skill, the name of the skill next to the icon, and a brief
>description of the skill underneath the icon/name. On the right pane,
>which is labeled as Starting Skills, a list of skills the character
>will start the game with is displayed. Each item on the list will appear
>with an icon depicting the skill, the name of the skill next to the
>icon, and a brief description of the skill underneath the icon name. To
>either add or remove skills from one pane or the other, players click on
>the skill icon they wish to add/remove and then click on the <> icon
>that rests in the middle of the window and connects both window panes.
>Players cannot start the game with more than five skills, but they can
>choose to start the game with fewer than five skills if they wish. Once
>the player has finished selecting the characters starting skill set,
>he/she clicks the button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in
>the process. If he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button
>labeled Back: to return to Step 3.
>
>3.5 Step Five  Review, Name, and Begin Game
>
>The final step in the character creation process is to review what the
>player has selected to be their character. A model depicting the
>character with the players choices from Step 3 will appear on the left
>hand side of the screen. On the right hand side of the screen, the
>characters vital attributes
>(Race/Class/Strength/Agility/Intelligence/Defense) will be displayed.
>Underneath the vital stats, a list of skills the character will start
>out with will be displayed. Each skill on the list will be displayed
>with an icon depicting the skill and the name of the skill next to the
>icon. Underneath the character model is a blank text box. Players must
>click on this text box and type in the name of the character. Names are
>limited to one word and cannot contain special characters
>(!@#$%^&*()-_=+`~[]{}\|;:<>,./?) and cannot contain spaces. Once the
>player has named his/her character and is satisfied with the choices
>they have made through the creation process, they click on the button
>labeled Create Character to submit the character name to the naming
>service. The naming service will check to ensure the name is valid (free
>from special characters and meets the minimum character length
>requirement), check the character registry (contains all player
>characters in the game) to ensure the character name is not already
>being used by someone else in the game, and checks to ensure the name
>does not violate the Terms of Service agreement. Once the naming s

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online)

Ok – I’ve got something else for you guys to look at and give feedback
on. A few days ago I showed you guys the races and classes the game will
have. Today, in addition to revealing the pitch for the game (which in
my opinion isn’t all that interesting), I’m revealing the character
creation process. I’ve been working on this one for a couple of days
trying to come up with the entire creation process step by step and it’s
finally finished. All I can say is thank god for modular design docs!
Otherwise this whole thing would have been a total headache. 😉

Anyway, here it is. As always, your feedback and suggestions/critiques
are greatly appreciated.

-David Reese
lordcorenair@netscape.net 

——————
3.0 Character Creation

When starting the game for the first time, the player will automatically
be taken to Character Creation. During the phase of the game, the player
will be able to select the race, class, and defining attributes of their
online persona along with the personas name. At the beginning of the
game, players will only have one character slot to utilize, but as they
progress in the game, they will be able to unlock other character slots
and race/class/attribute combinations by collecting special items and
doing certain quests.

3.1 Step 1  Race Selection

The first step in creating a new character is selecting the race of the
character. The different races are displayed as generic character models
(these models are models of the specific races and do not have any class
attributes). The models will be lined up side by side. When the player
clicks on one of the models, the text box area underneath the models
displays information about that particular race (See section 7.0 (Races)
for the descriptions of the races that should appear here). To select
the race as the race of the character to be created, the player clicks
on the button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process.
If he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled
Back to return to the last area they were at (Main Menu or whatever.)

3.2 Step 2  Class Selection

The second step in creating a new character is selecting the class of
the character. The different classes are displayed using models of the
race the player selected in Step 1. Each class has a unique look. The
class models are displayed side by side in the same fashion as the race
models were displayed in Step 1. When a player clicks on one of the
models, the text box area underneath the models displays information
about that particular class (See section 8.0 (Classes) for the
descriptions of the classes that should appear here). To select the
class as the class of the character to be created, the player clicks the
button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If
he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back
to return to Step 1.

3.3 Step 3  Physical Appearance

The third step in creating a new character is adjusting the physical
appearance of the character. The character model depicting the
race/class of the character is displayed in the center of the screen
with highlighted areas representing areas that can be customized.
Clicking on one of the highlighted areas brings up a UI element for that
particular customization area. Once the player has finished adjusting
the physical appearance of the character, he/she clicks the button
labeled Next to proceed to the next step in the process. If he/she
changes their mind, they can click on the button labeled Back: to
return to Step 2.

3.3.1 Height/Weight

To adjust the height and/or weight of the character, the player clicks
on either the right/left arrows below the character model to adjust the
weight or the up/down arrows to adjust the height. Players can hold down
the left mouse button while clicking one of the arrows to change the
associated value by a major amount or by left clicking on the arrow to
make a minor change to the associated value.
3.3.2 Head

To adjust properties such as hair/eye color and other facial features,
the player clicks on the models head. This zooms the camera in to show
only the characters head. A UI interface will appear that allows players
to tweak assorted properties. Once the player is satisfied with their
changes, they click the button labeled Done that is located at the
bottom of the UI interface.

3.3.2.1 Head Modification UI

The Head Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
the modification, the UI will fade out.

3.3.2.1.1 Eye Color

The eye color property is represented in the UI as a label Eye Color:
with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Eye Color: label
is a label that specifies the current color. To change the eye color,
players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
causes the eye color on the character model and the color name label to
change accordingly.

3.3.2.1.2 Hair/Fur Color

The hair color property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
Color: with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Hair
Color: label is a label that specifies the current color. To change the
hair color, players left click and drag the slider either left or right,
which causes the hair color on the character model and the color name
label to change accordingly.

3.3.2.1.3 Hair/Fur Style

The hair style property is represented in the UI as a label Hair
Style:, a label that specifies the current hair style, and a collection
of icons depicting assorted hair styles that pertain to the race and
class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a right arrow
that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict there are more
icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click either the right
arrow or the left arrow. To select a hair style, players click on the
icon of the hair style they want. The character model and hair style
name label will change accordingly.

3.3.2.1.4 Head Accessories

The Head Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
Accessories:. A label that specifies the current accessory, and a
collection of icons depicting assorted accessories that can be worn on
the character head (hats, earrings, etc). There is also a left arrow and
a right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click on
either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select an accessory,
players click on the icon of the accessory they want. The character
model and accessory name label will change accordingly. Players may
choose up to two Head Accessories, so there are two Head Accessory UI
elements. Also
***CONTINUED***

[Unknown,Unknown]

note that certain accessories such as hats will give the
player a hat as part of their starting equipment and does not make the
accessory a permanent part of the character model. Players can remove
and/or change accessories in game by purchasing new ones from merchants.

3.3.3 Clothes

To adjust properties such as what the character model is wearing when
they start the game, the player clicks on the models body. A UI
interface will appear that allows players to tweak assorted properties.
Once the player is satisfied with their changes, they click the button
labeled Done that is located at the bottom of the UI interface.

3.3.3.1 Body Modification UI

The Body Modification UI will appear to the left of the character
models head and will fade in when it appears. When the player leaves
the modification, the UI will fade out.

3.3.3.1.1 Clothing Type

The clothing type property is represented in the UI as a label Clothing
Type:, a label that specifies the current clothing type, and a
collection of icons depicting assorted types of clothes that pertain to
the race and class of the character. There is also a left arrow and a
right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click
either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select a clothing type,
players click on the icon of the clothes they want. The character model
and clothing type name label will change accordingly.

3.3.3.1.2 Clothing Color

The clothing color property is represented in the UI as a label Color:
with a slider bar underneath the label. Next to the Color: label is a
label that specifies the current color. To change the clothing color,
players left click and drag the slider either left or right, which
causes the color of the clothes on the character model and the color
name label to change accordingly.

3.3.3.1.3 Clothing Accessories

The Clothing Accessories property is represented in the UI as a label
Accessories:. A label that specifies the current accessory, and a
collection of icons depicting assorted accessories that can be worn on
the characters body (belts, cloaks, etc). There is also a left arrow and
a right arrow that will appear at either end of the icon row to depict
there are more icons to choose from. To scroll the row, players click on
either the right arrow or the left arrow. To select an accessory,
players click on the icon of the accessory they want. The character
model and accessory name label will change accordingly. Players may
choose one Clothing Accessories, so there is only one Clothing Accessory
UI elements. Also note that certain accessories such as cloaks will give
the player a cloak as part of their starting equipment and does not make
the accessory a permanent part of the character model. Players can
remove and/or change accessories in game by purchasing new ones from
merchants.

3.4 Step Four  Skill Selection

The third step in creating a new character is selecting what skills the
character will start the game as. The character model matching the
players specifications from the prior three steps will appear faded out
in the center of the screen with a two-paned window appearing over it.
On the left pane, which is labeled as Skill List, a list of all
starting skills available to the race/class the player has selected will
be displayed. Each item on the list will appear with an icon depicting
the skill, the name of the skill next to the icon, and a brief
description of the skill underneath the icon/name. On the right pane,
which is labeled as Starting Skills, a list of skills the character
will start the game with is displayed. Each item on the list will appear
with an icon depicting the skill, the name of the skill next to the
icon, and a brief description of the skill underneath the icon name. To
either add or remove skills from one pane or the other, players click on
the skill icon they wish to add/remove and then click on the <> icon
that rests in the middle of the window and connects both window panes.
Players cannot start the game with more than five skills, but they can
choose to start the game with fewer than five skills if they wish. Once
the player has finished selecting the characters starting skill set,
he/she clicks the button labeled Next to proceed to the next step in
the process. If he/she changes their mind, they can click on the button
labeled Back: to return to Step 3.

3.5 Step Five  Review, Name, and Begin Game

The final step in the character creation process is to review what the
player has selected to be their character. A model depicting the
character with the players choices from Step 3 will appear on the left
hand side of the screen. On the right hand side of the screen, the
characters vital attributes
(Race/Class/Strength/Agility/Intelligence/Defense) will be displayed.
Underneath the vital stats, a list of skills the character will start
out with will be displayed. Each skill on the list will be displayed
with an icon depicting the skill and the name of the skill next to the
icon. Underneath the character model is a blank text box. Players must
click on this text box and type in the name of the character. Names are
limited to one word and cannot contain special characters
(!@#$%^&*()-_=+`~[]{}\|;:<>,./?) and cannot contain spaces. Once the
player has named his/her character and is satisfied with the choices
they have made through the creation process, they click on the button
labeled Create Character to submit the character name to the naming
service. The naming service will check to ensure the name is valid (free
from special characters and meets the minimum character length
requirement), check the character registry (contains all player
characters in the game) to ensure the character name is not already
being used by someone else in the game, and checks to ensure the name
does not violate the Terms of Service agreement. Once the naming service
has completed these tasks, it will register the character in the
character registry and send an OK signal to the client (player). Once
the client has received this message, it will begin loading the game.
Otherwise, the naming service will send a NO GOOD signal to the client
(player) along with a reason code. The client will display an error
message telling the player why the character wasnt created (invalid
name, existing name, etc.) At this point, the player must enter a new
name in the text box and re-click the Create Character button to
resubmit the character. The player may also click on the button labeled
Back to return to Step 4.

[Unknown,Unknown]

(Re: King’s Quest Online) Ok – I took a break from the actual game design yesterday and sat down to create the “pitch” of the game. Simply put, in order for this game to ever hit the shelf, it’s going to need a publisher (asumming it gets developed of course). The purpose of a pitch is something of a sales pitch. It’s purpose is to tell the reader (in this case, potential publishers) the following information: 1) What genre the game is 2) What market the game is intended for (based on demographic data) 3) Design philosophy 4) Major features (selling points) That said, for all you marketing type people out there, I present my “pitch”. Some of it is in the form of graphs/images, so it won’t appear here. However, I have cited information sources, so if your curious to see the graphs, just follow the links. As always, your feedback and suggestions are encouraged (I must admit I’m not necessarily a marketing type, so this is something of a learn-as-I-go attempt). 😉 -David Reeselordcorenair@netscape.net  ———– 1.0 What is Kings Quest Online? Kings Quest Online, herein referred to as KQO, is a third person Massively Multiplayer Adventure Game (MMOAG) that takes place in the world of Caranous. This world is comprised of numerous lands that have previously been seen in other Kings Quest games (Daventry, Kolyma, Land of the Green Isles, etc). Players create and assume the role of characters based upon the KQ games. Gameplay will consist of solving puzzles, combating evil creatures, exploring the assorted lands, and interacting with other players and NPCs. 1.1 Why make Kings Quest Online? At this point in time, the computer game market is experiencing a shift towards online games. Titles such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, and Final Fantasy XI are experiencing enormous growth and the revenue potential for these games increases as broadband internet connections become more and more prevalent in homes. The problem with each online game that is on the market now is they cater to the role-playing demographic. While this demographic is significant, there is high demand for games which not only enable players to interact with one another, but also desire a game which provides story-oriented content in new and refreshing ways. KQO satisfies this need by providing a unique gaming experience that emphasizes a balance of story and combat, much like the generation of adventure games that were prevalent throughout the early to mid 90s via an engine that displays the game in vibrant detail in three dimensions. KQO strays from the now stagnating kill monsters to get money to get better gear to kill more powerful monsters and repeat concept. Players in KQO will be challenged not only by combating monsters, but by solving a wide variety of puzzles. Teamwork is encouraged by providing a balance of both combat and puzzles that may oft-times require multiple players to successfully complete. Above all, KQO provides a game that is not only rich in gameplay, but in story as well. Everything the player is exposed to is an element of the story. Instead of pursuing random quests and killing hordes of monsters in a manner that either completely disregards the story or merely uses the story elements to provide a back story, KQO instead centers around doing Quests that further the story, not only for the player, but for the game. By taking this approach, the game will always be fresh as players directly influence the story rather than being influenced by the story. In this manner, players are able to advance the story while they play, rather than playing the game and forgetting about the story. The game also features extensive customization options, giving players the ability to choose the race, class, attributes, and appearance of their online persona in a tasteful manner. Players can choose from races and classes that are familiar staples of the Kings Quest series and as they progress, they can customize their persona even further with skills and equipment that will help them face the challenges that await them. Most important of all, there isnt any Massively Multiplayer Online Adventure Games (MMOAG) on the market at this time, nor are there any such games in development. This is a segment of the market that has limitless growth potential and KQO is the type of game that can not only open the door to this market, but can provide innovation to a market that is stagnating with games that feed off of each other in an endless cycle. 1.2 Demographic data (Provided by Day-Trum (www.daytrum.com) Demographic data compiled for the IDSA by the Services Division of Ipsos-Insight in May 2003. The study gathered data from over 1,350 nationally representative households that have been identified as owning a video game console and/or a personal computer used to run entertainment software.) URL: http://www.daytrum.com/games/pcgames/2003/051903gamesurvey.htm&nbsp; ” Online Games: Thirty-seven percent of game players say they play games online, up from 31 percent last year and 18 percent in 1999 ” Type of Game Played Most Often Online: puzzle, board, game show, trivia or card game (56 percent); action, sports, strategy or role-play game (20 percent); persistent multi-player universe (7 percent); or none of the above (7 percent). ” Computer game players say they are most likely to play: puzzle/board/card games (36 percent); action games (36 percent); driving/racing games (34 percent); and sports (32 percent). ” Computer Player Demographics: Fifty-eight percent of computer game players are male, while 42 percent are female. Thirty percent are under 18 years old, 29 percent are 18 to 35, and 41 percent are over 36. ” Buyer Demographics: 98 percent of computer game buyers are over 18. 57 percent of computer game buyers are women. (Provided by Nicholas Yee (http://www.nickyee.com/codeblue/)  as part of the Codename Blue project. Codename Blue is an attempt to take what has been learned from the Norrathian Scrolls and collect data from games other than EverQuest to see how general or specific the findings are. This project tries to understand MMORPG players in a broader context, as well as drill deeper into areas that have been explored before. Data is based on demographics as of March 2002.) URL: http://www.nickyee.com/codeblue/demographics.html&nbsp; There is a significantly higher proportion of female players in EQ when compared with DAOC (p<.001). Although there is just a 5% difference, that is almost a 100% increase of female players The average age of players from the 3 games was between 25-26. DAOC players were slightly younger than players from EQ and UO (p=.003 and p=0.9 respectively). UO players play significantly fewer hours per week than EQ and DAOC players (p<.001 for both). Age does not correlate significantly with hours played per week. About 20% of players across the 3 games have children. Fe
***CONTINUED***

[Author]

Posts