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(re: re: New Adventure Games?) One thing I’ve noticed is there are some 3D adventure games being made, but it seems they’re more popular in Japan, having a much smaller fanbase here. Shenmue. for example, really remninded me of Gabriel Knight, having to talk to everyone to get clues. There s some fighting, but you can just button mash to get past it. Clock Tower is another one. I just started playing number 2 today, and was surprised how it used a point and click system similar to KQ7’s. Teh best part about both those series’ is they’re still going strong, despite you having to use your brain in order to play them. Maybe Roberta should work with the Japanese…
(re: Colonel’s Bequest) I asked Roberta – and she said that it was me who should answer this question, not her. She says that she would have been happy to work on whatever the company wanted, and that we never asked her for a third Colonels Bequest, so she didn’t do one.
So.. since Roberta wanted me to answer, I’ll give my thought:
Roberta was only one person, and games typically take 2-3 years to produce. She could only do one game at a time, without quality suffering. In other words, if she were to do three Colonel’s Bequest games, she would be unable to do a Kings Quest for 6-9 years!
I don’t remember exactly, but my guess is that we looked at the sales forecasts from marketing, and decided that Roberta was “worth more to the company” working on a Kings Quest than on a third Colonel’s Bequest.
With Phantasmagoria II, Roberta wanted the company to hold off until after Kings Quest VIII to start the project. Unfortunately, Phantasmagoria was such a HUGE hit (over one million copies!!!!!!) that marketing wanted Phantasmagoria II right away. Roberta also thought that it was too soon after Phantasmagoria I to do Phantasmagoria II anyhow. She was worried that the introduction of II so soon after I would kill sales of I (which is exactly what happened, and worse).
We decided to give Phantas II to Lorelei Shannon to do. Lorelei’s style is different than Roberta’s and customers aren’t dumb. They quickly decided that Phantas II was a VERY different game than Phantas I, and some bought it, and many didn’t. Phantas II was not the hit that Phantas I was. Lorelei did a great job, but her style, and Roberta’s are very different. You really can’t continue a series without the original designers involvement.
-Ken W(re: New Adventure Games?)
Actuatly, people make adventure like games using the Quake engine (and mods for the Quake games). I said adventure like because they aren’t point and click. I wsa thinking that t would be neat if someone bought the Quake 1 engine rights and made a 3d adventure game from that!
(Colonel’s Bequest) This is probably a question that has been asked over and over but I guess it wouldnt hurt to ask again. 🙂 Why were there only 2 Laura Bow game created and why did Roberta Williams decide to opt out of making the second chapter of the Phantasmagoria series? Just curious…
Thanks Again,
Elias(All of the names work!) I just tried it – all of the names (sierrafan.com, sierrasdad.com,sierraken.com, wizardandprincess.com) work!
You can decide for yourself what this websites url is…
-Ken W(re: re: re: This message board) I won’t switch over … mostly because my goal for this board is to “tinker” with the software. It’s a hobby. Something to code. I enjoy coding.
I’ll give the UBB boards another look, as you suggest. Perhaps there are some good ideas there that I’ve missed… Search is already on the list to put here. I just haven’t had time to install it. Generally though, there are design decisions that they and I made differently. I wanted something that felt more like a website – and, they wanted something that felt more like a bulletin board. Also, I know the features that are going into this over the next six months. If I were stopping development now, the comparison would be much different than if you compare to what this site will look like in six months.
-Ken W(re: re: This message board) UBB boards are much easier to navigate and much easier to read/post topics. This message board shows the most recent post up top, but that’s it….not organized in anyway. Too me that’s unnecessary clutter.
UBB boards here would be great. Users could browse forums by games…..King’s Quest, Space Quest, etc….all would have their own forum….and you can also have a General or Tech Talk included as well.
These are the kind of boards I’m talking about:Link: http://www.3si.org/portal/forums/index.php(http://www.3si.org/portal/forums/index.php)
Link: http://pub57.ezboard.com/broyalquestforums(http://pub57.ezboard.com/broyalquestforums)
All the above are neatly categorized and easy to navigate, especially older posts. UBB also offers a slew of functions as well that comes in handy (search, formatting, etc…)
Just a suggestion.(re: Software Ratings)
I remember when I started playing DOOM. I was about 13-14 yeard old. I loved the game. My parents constantly told me that it’s just a game and it’s not real, and that what is happening in the game is wrong. I told them I know and that I didn’t play it because of the killing things: I played it because it was fun. DOOM is still one of my favorite games, along with SQ1, Pac-Man, BC’s Quest for Tires, and The Legend of Zelda.
Now I’m a father, and I’ve adopted the same idea my parents had: review everything my kid sees (even “kid” stuff) and then let him play. I found some mature games (well, actuatly Quake 3) was child aceptable when you turn off the blood/gore settings and install a “non violent” addon, like freeze tag. You basicly go around freezing people!
I agree with you Ken: Ratings are important. Not as important to me because I know what game are about and my parents didn’t (so a rating is meaningless to me). But stopping mature people from getting the games/movies/etc they want is pretty stupid.
Parents should watch and play with their kids, not just buy them a copy of something and send them on their way.
On a personal note, I find most Disney cartoons to violent and prefer “Bear in the Big Blue House,” “Veggie Tales,” and “Seaseme Streat.”. I enjoy those too! 🙂
(re: This message board) “Just a suggestion, this message board should go to UBB format. Reading messages would be MUCH simpler than this molasses of a board as it is right now.”
What is it you like about UBB format?
I really find their system confusing and inconsistent – and, too complicated for the non-computer audience I’m going after.
Is there something in particular you’d like to be able to do, that you can’t do with this format?
Also… I don’t understand your comment about “molasses of a board” .. Where have you seen sluggishness? I’m using one of the fastest, and most reliable, hosting companies out there.
-Ken W(re: re: Quick Opinion Poll) i like sierafans.com (thought you should add an S before i saw that that was Roberta’s opinion as well… i guess great minds think alike…)
the trivia about the wizard and the princess is cool, though!
🙂 emily(re: Quick Opinion Poll)
For me SierraFan.com sounds the best! 🙂Have you considered (not sure if it’s taken) OnlineSierra.com 😉
(re: If it were me…)
Yes, but the thing is… With games like SWG, it goes on and on and on and on… While in SQ, quick puns and laughter are easy, in games like SWG, creating something so endless with humor would be next to impossible (or so I believe)…(re: re: Quick Opinion Poll) I think you should go with Sierrafan.com
The others just don’t sparkle as much at this one, but hey do what you like… 😀(re: Quick Opinion Poll) wizardandpricess.com is fabulous!!! Really, it reflects everything this site is supposed to be about, though actually I am not quite cetrain what exactly that is… Anyway, the reference to an early game is an extremely good idea and at the same time it is an allusion to Roberta and You, brilliant! And last but not least it somehow fits well with the famous KQ scenario, which makes me get nostagic right away!
doern(re: KING’S QUEST MOVIE) Hello Mr, Mrs. Williams, I am writing to you as a fan of the King’s Quest games. They had a tremendous impact on me over the years and lately i am studying to become a film director in Australia and have wondered about writing a King’s Quest screenplay for a movie that perhaps some day be able to make. I was wondering what you thought about that, is it a good idea, do you object, any thoughts etc. I would be honoured if you relayed your opinions.
Thanks for your time!
AJD
(re: re: Quick Opinion Poll) Here’s some ancient Sierra trivia:
The name wizardandprincess.com comes from one of the very first games Roberta and I did – The Wizard and The Princess.
When Steve Levy wrote his book Hackers, much of which is about Roberta, I and Sierra, he named the chapter where he introduces Roberta and I “The Wizard and The Princess”. I can’t speak for Steve, but my assumption at the time was that he was referring to my programming skills (I was a techno-geek), and Roberta’s ability to write fantasy stories.
For a while, the name stuck. Roberta and I had custom license plates (mine with Wizard, and hers with Princess).
I’m not endorsing this as the name for the website – I still haven’t decided which name I like best. Maybe sierrafan.com, mostly because it’s the shortest.
Currently, my plan is to point all of the names at this website, and let people call it whatever they want…
-Ken W
PS Roberta said her preference was sierrafans.com (she said I should add an ‘s’ to fan(re: Quick Opinion Poll) I’m going to tie sierrafan.com by voting for sierraken.com. (This sentence is now outdated, see below.)
Then again, sierraken.com sounds more like a personal site about Ken Williams, so sierrafan.com is OK. But, Ken Williams is a little bit more than a fan although the users are fans, except for family members who also happen to be users… umm….
sierraken.com or sierrafan.com?
Then again, wizardandprincess.com is slightly understated and doesn’t let the viewer know what to expect (which can be a plus). But who’s the wizard and who’s the princess? Does that get centric away from it being about fans and memories? sierraken.com emphasizes that it’s more than just your typical sierrafan.com website, but it is supposed to be a fan website… so…
Mike Belisle contradicts his earlier statement and votes for wizardandprincess.com. He likes that its meaning is understated while still relevant to Sierra.(re: re: Quick Opinion Poll) Sierrafan.com looks/sounds great. When will Jouke’s site be ready?
Jouke says it’s ready now – I haven’t seen it so I have no way of knowing…
-Ken W
