King's Quest IV AGI

[MusicallyInspired]

Maybe I'm not understanding you entirely, but several Sierra games have had two or more different versions released. There was an EGA version of KQ5, a VGA version of LSL6, and EGA versions of the SQ1 remake and SQ5 (you can read more about them here).

SQ4, actually. Not SQ5 (though I suspect that was a typo).

But yeah, generally Sierra made 2 versions of almost everything for people who had lesser hardware. Eventually with the SCI1.1 interpreter they included drivers that would work on older computers in the same game instead of developing an entirely separate version. All SCI1.1 games (SQ5, Freddy Pharkas, KQ6, PQ1 Remake, etc) all had an EGA 640x400 dither driver that worked with older hardware.

[Akril]

Maybe I'm not understanding you entirely, but several Sierra games have had two or more different versions released. There was an EGA version of KQ5, a VGA version of LSL6, and EGA versions of the SQ1 remake and SQ5 (you can read more about them here).

SQ4, actually. Not SQ5 (though I suspect that was a typo).

Ah, you're right. I did mean SQ4. Sorry about that.

[Tawmis]

Wait, there was an EGA KQ5?

As in 16 colors?

[Rath Darkblade]

There was?? I'd only played the VGA KQ5 (as in 256 colours) - I suspect this was the more common version.

Just as a matter of interest, how do the KQ games stack up vis-a-vis the other Sierra Quest games? The KQ games have always struck me as more "kiddy" than the other Quest games - that is, more aimed at children. The puzzles in the KQ games are certainly simpler (that is, less adult) than the puzzles in QfG, PQ, SQ or - obviously - LSL. (I really doubt that anyone could argue that LSL is suitable for children!) By contrast, KQ's puzzles, settings and characters always struck me as more suitable for children - which is why KQ has always been my least favourite Sierra Quest series, because it tended to bore me. (The fact that it was so easy to die also didn't help...)

What do you think, hmm?

[Collector]

Yes, but it was still SCI1. It was just a reduction of the palette. I have a copy.

[BBP]

(I really doubt that anyone could argue that LSL is suitable for children!)

Ready, set... ARGUE!

I was 10 when I first played LSL1. And loved it back then, even though I didn't speak much English. LSL helped me develop a type of the English language you otherwise wouldn't develop at school. It also improved my typing.
Indeed I like the KQ typing games a lot less. Remember I went here to ask for the comment "mailbox"? I just can't find the patience for verb guessing.
Of the KQ games, I played 1 through 7, but only completed 2, 3, 6 and 7. KQ7 I played auf Deutsch und das war doch zu viel Mühe, leider hatte ich etwas wichtiges nicht so gut verstehen. Of these, KQ3 I consider on par quality-wise with LSL1 when it comes to entertainment value (I love the magic spells), and KQ6 is very good: unfortunately I do have trouble if closed captions aren't on, so when playing it the first time I had to turn the sound off to make sure I didn't miss any clues. KQ4 could've been great, I might have continued playing it if it wasn't for the troll caves.
I'm a huge mythology and folk tale buff: it's strange I couldn't get into KQ as much as in LSL or GK, or even Shivers. Is it the puzzles? The story line?

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmmm... well, I don't think I can argue with you there, BBP. I first played LSL1 when I was 13 or so, and I liked it. It was... interesting. *grin* I agree that it improved my typing and helped me develop a different vocabulary from what I'd learn at school.

I suppose the whole argument centres on which LSL games you mean, and how you define 'children'; for instance, I doubt that a game like LSL7 would be suitable for a 5-year-old child. I'm not a prude (much), but I think there are some limits.

As for KQ, I played KQ3, KQ4 and KQ5, but only finished 5. Cedric put me off KQ for years. "Graham, watch out! That snake looks poisonous! That desert looks hot! That castle looks scary! A POI-sonous scorpion! That boat is sinking!" Ugh, ugh, ugh. *beats head against wall* Believe me, I cheered when Cedric, who had been completely useless throughout the entire game, sacrificed himself to save my life at the end. I also just could not finish the game without a guide, because Mordack's castle is a labyrinth, where the screen's orientation changes depending on which direction you come from. Argh, argh, argh. I'm getting a headache just thinking about how many times I died in that place for no good reason. Not to mention that early in the game, just to progress, I have to violate common sense by wandering around in the desert with NO provisions and NO water. Errr... what?

Anyway, enough ranting from me...

[Tawmis]

Interesting...

So in KQ4 AGI v2.0 - this is the pirate screen:



However, I have 2.3 and it's a different pirate screen:

[Tawmis]

And it's weird that the AGI version has a higher version number than the SCI version?

AGI version is 2.X

While SCI is like 1.000.111

[Collector]

Both pic resources are in all of the versions, but if the Easter egg is active, the pic used is random.

[Tawmis]

Both pic resources are in all of the versions, but if the Easter egg is active, the pic used is random.

Weird! I guess I got lucky and got the same picture three times!

So even though it says version 2.0 - this applies to version 2.X really then? Because mine is 2.3? I was going to play it (after Dagger of Amon Ra), to have saves (since it seems like it's a rare version) and to test the "beam me" easter egg.

[Collector]

I don't think AGI is as version sensitive as SCI when it comes to saves. Not counting non-PC versions, I have 2.0, 2.2 and 2.3. I don't know if there was ever a version 2.1 released or not. As to earlier versions I have no idea. Perhaps they were only internal builds that were never released as they were too buggy. That they do not match SCI versioning is not surprising. New versions are developed mostly for bug fixes. Given the two different engines they would not have had the same issues.

[MusicallyInspired]

For posterity, here is the thread at Quest Studios where Cloudschatze first brought KQ4 V 1.000.111 to my attention and its alternate pic resources with screenshots for comparison. I had replied with some KQ4AGI screenshots which showed more similarity to V1.000.111, but those are no longer hosted wherever I put them.

http://queststudios.com/smf/index.php/topic,2802.0.html

And here's a page that shows almost all (if not all) the screenshots of KQ5EGA. The same website has sections for other EGA Sierra games as well.

http://home.comcast.net/~ervind/kq5screens.html

[envisge0ne]

Nice links. I wish I had a copy of the EGA version of KQ5.

[lukeman3000]

I cannot locate KQ4 AGI version 2.0 on eBay or otherwise. I don't particularly care about the physical media but I would like the original, unmodified files -- do I have any other avenues to pursue?

Edit: Found this one, however, I don't have a 5.25" disk drive and I can't find a reasonably priced one on Amazon that isn't out of stock...