QFG: The Best/Worse Part Of This Game Was...

[Tawmis]

The Best/Worse Part Of This Game Was...

Well - the idea here is - every game (or series, where there was more than one) had some GREAT moments, but there were some, no matter how great the rest of the game was - that had some stinkers. (For example, GK3 over all was an amazing game; but ask anyone about the mustache puzzle of the game, and they will probably all groan).

So I want to see what everyone's Best/Worse moments were for a game... and if there's a series - name Best and Worse for each one, if you're so inclined.

[Rath Darkblade]

QfG1 best part: everything. Cool idea.
QfG1 worst part: if you're not a fighter, combat is difficult, even on easy settings.

QfG2 best part: everything. Love the Arabian nights.
QfG2 worst part: getting lost in the desert.

QfG3 best part: lots! Tarna, savannah exploring, the Tree of Life, the Lost City.
QfG3 worst part: bugs.

QfG4 best part: everything! Love the eastern European setting. My favourite QfG.
QfG4 worst part: bugs.

QfG5 best part: again, everything. Love the Greek mythology.
QfG5 worst part: again, bugs (especially relating to the 'dragon rising' movie near the end).

[Tawmis]

QfG1 best part: everything. Cool idea.
QfG1 worst part: if you're not a fighter, combat is difficult, even on easy settings.

I think my best part about QFG1 was the setting. I loved that village, as small as it was. I just wish you could get more dialogue out of them.

QfG2 best part: everything. Love the Arabian nights.
QfG2 worst part: getting lost in the desert.

For me, I loved the setting; but the worse part, hands down was not getting lost in the desert - but getting lost in the city. I hated the "streets" thing.

QfG3 best part: lots! Tarna, savannah exploring, the Tree of Life, the Lost City.
QfG3 worst part: bugs.

QFG just ruled at their different settings...

QfG4 best part: everything! Love the eastern European setting. My favourite QfG.
QfG4 worst part: bugs.

I do remember a lot of bugs in QFGIV... I remember thinking about it and KQV with various bugs.

QfG5 best part: again, everything. Love the Greek mythology.
QfG5 worst part: again, bugs (especially relating to the 'dragon rising' movie near the end).

I need to one day get around to finishing this. If I ever get more free time (hahaahahahahahahahah - phew) when I do my Let's Play Sierra Games thing; I'd like to go in natural order and import my save game into each one as I progress.

[adeyke]

(Standard disclaimer about disliking deaths and dead ends, though QfG was relatively good in avoiding them and I'm much more forgiving of deaths that result from the RPG elements.)

QfG1
I especially liked: Most of it. The theme music.
I disliked: The way you're unable to rest enough. Being unable to easily restore stamina and mana makes grinding stats really annoying, and the potions are prohibitively expensive. Also, the combat in the original is just terrible. The remake makes it much better, though some foes are just too defensive.

QfG2
I especially liked: Most of it. Shapeir, with all its vendors. The more structured story, with events happening on specific days.
I disliked: All the things that the VGA remake fixed. For example, the streets in the original are just this endless maze of what look like dark, brown tunnels. And while combat feels fun (spam attacks and things quickly die), it's not really interesting.

QfG3
I especially liked: The setting, the friendship with Yesufu.
I disliked: The combat. It feels unreactive (the monster's health drains slowly after each hit, and if you attack too quickly, you just cancel out your previous attack) and many monsters look disjointed. Also, there's very little content for thief characters. And just generally, the game could use some more polish.

QfG4
I especially liked: Most of it. The setting. The characters (especially Katrina). The way your reputation improves over the course of the game.
I disliked: The exploration of the castle is pretty boring; lots of generic screens with insignificant items to loot. Also, while most of the games have a problem with their economy, it's even more extreme here, where you pretty much start out being able to buy everything and then don't have any use at all for the money you keep acquiring.

QfG5
I especially liked: Having some customization options is nice, especially with them visible on the character. Great music. I like the quick access toolbar, where you can put items and spells to either quickly click or to use via hotkey. And some of the spells have neat effects.
I disliked: Most of it. In theory, the 3D combat opens up a lot of interesting possibilities. In practice, however, melee combat just means clicking things until they die (keyboard controls are ineffective since you can't easy see if you're facing the right way). Also, the ability to use pills/potions in combat means you can always win if you've stocked up enough of them. The early 3D graphics are blocky, and the character portraits are just tiny plastic-looking ones (a real downgrade compared to the ones from QfG4). The story isn't great, since you're diminished from a hero trying to change the world for the better to just a contestant looking to become king. They put so much effort into tying up loose ends from previous games that there isn't much left to give Silmaria its own story. And the way Katrina and Erana are portrayed is disappointing.

[Datadog]

In general, the combat has always been the worst aspect of these games, so I won't touch down on that. The only time I've seen it done well is in AGDI's QFG2 remake where it's functional, fun, and has advanced moves you can unlock.

So You Want to Be a Hero?
Best: Laying down the groundwork for the series. Almost every gimmick and staple in this game follow through to all the sequels.
Worst: Starting out as a Mage, and then spending more days than other games building up your money, mana, and spell skills before you can do anything useful.

Trial By Fire
Best: It's the only game where playing as all three classes rewards the player with vastly different sidequests and areas to unlock.
Worst: Navigating the city.

Wages of War
Best: Monkey Manu joining you in the final battle by fighting Shadow Monkey Manu.
Worst: Kind of short and sparse compared to other titles.

Shadows of Darkness
Best: Besides the Narrator? Starting out as a stranger, and then gradually earning the town's trust throughout the game.
Worst: Being congratulated on burning down the mansion, but it's still there for the rest of the game.

Dragonfire
Best: I just want to hang out with the game's cast and retire on a Silmarian beach.
Worst: That the first trial is basically just me being Lancelot from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

[Tawmis]

QfG1
I disliked: The way you're unable to rest enough. Being unable to easily restore stamina and mana makes grinding stats really annoying, and the potions are prohibitively expensive. Also, the combat in the original is just terrible. The remake makes it much better, though some foes are just too defensive.

I think some are meant to be... but what makes it tough is some of the monster you encounter are simply random... so if you're starting out new and exploring and come across a Cheetaur and can't run, you're as good as dead.

QfG2
I disliked: All the things that the VGA remake fixed. For example, the streets in the original are just this endless maze of what look like dark, brown tunnels. And while combat feels fun (spam attacks and things quickly die), it's not really interesting.

Never played the VGA remake. But it sounds like it fixed what I hated to most in QFG2 - the damn street maze.

[Tawmis]

So You Want to Be a Hero?
Best: Laying down the groundwork for the series. Almost every gimmick and staple in this game follow through to all the sequels.
Worst: Starting out as a Mage, and then spending more days than other games building up your money, mana, and spell skills before you can do anything useful.

You know, that reminds me ... I don't think I've ever finished the game as a Mage/Wizard... I've started it but never finished.

Trial By Fire
Worst: Navigating the city.

Glad I wasn't alone. It was a very poor design.

[adeyke]

QfG1
I disliked: The way you're unable to rest enough. Being unable to easily restore stamina and mana makes grinding stats really annoying, and the potions are prohibitively expensive. Also, the combat in the original is just terrible. The remake makes it much better, though some foes are just too defensive.

I think some are meant to be... but what makes it tough is some of the monster you encounter are simply random... so if you're starting out new and exploring and come across a Cheetaur and can't run, you're as good as dead.

The game does have a progression system so that the types of monsters you face become more difficult as the game goes on (and also if you're out at night). But cheetaurs are just powerful. My issue is with the brigands: even if you're strong enough that they pose no real risk, they cower behind their shields a lot, meaning that fights with them tend to drag on.

QfG2
I disliked: All the things that the VGA remake fixed. For example, the streets in the original are just this endless maze of what look like dark, brown tunnels. And while combat feels fun (spam attacks and things quickly die), it's not really interesting.

Never played the VGA remake. But it sounds like it fixed what I hated to most in QFG2 - the damn street maze.

I really recommend the remake. It addresses the street maze in three ways. One is that it optionally offers a radically simplified layout, where it's impossible to get lost. The other is that it just improves the aesthetics a lot. You can see the skyline, which indicates what direction you're facing and where you are. And there are a lot of decor items, like potted plants, windows, and clotheslines. These also vary by location, so the poorer areas tend to instead have garbage piles and graffiti. Finally, the game tells you streets if you hover your mouse over them.

[Tawmis]

I really recommend the remake. It addresses the street maze in three ways. One is that it optionally offers a radically simplified layout, where it's impossible to get lost. The other is that it just improves the aesthetics a lot. You can see the skyline, which indicates what direction you're facing and where you are. And there are a lot of decor items, like potted plants, windows, and clotheslines. These also vary by location, so the poorer areas tend to instead have garbage piles and graffiti. Finally, the game tells you streets if you hover your mouse over them.

Those definitely sound like improvements. I have never understood why they didn't just have a city map as soon as you entered the street. You'd click where you'd need to go - and it's show a red line through the city streets and then load the screen where you need to be.

So like you enter the side street near the fountain - click on the money exchange icon - and a red line zips through the street - and blam - loads the money exchange guy...

[adeyke]

I'm confused about your point. QfG2 has a map that allows instant travel, and you're even showing a (modified) screenshot of it. Is your complaint:

• That you don't start the game with it? If so, you can easily get it before ever entering the streets by just leaving town and fighting one brigand first.
• That there's no red line? That seems like a petty complaint. I wouldn't want that line slowing me down.
• That the objectives aren't all already filled out on the map? Right now, you have to explore something once before it shows up. I actually like this. Some of the objectives aren't really tourist destinations, so it's good that you have to seek them out yourself first. And while you're in the streets, you can use the map to see where you are and what way you're facing, so it helps your navigation even there.
• That the street view exists at all? I can't see that extra option as a bad thing.

[Tawmis]

I'm confused about your point. QfG2 has a map that allows instant travel, and you're even showing a (modified) screenshot of it. Is your complaint:

• That you don't start the game with it? If so, you can easily get it before ever entering the streets by just leaving town and fighting one brigand first.
• That there's no red line? That seems like a petty complaint. I wouldn't want that line slowing me down.
• That the objectives aren't all already filled out on the map? Right now, you have to explore something once before it shows up. I actually like this. Some of the objectives aren't really tourist destinations, so it's good that you have to seek them out yourself first. And while you're in the streets, you can use the map to see where you are and what way you're facing, so it helps your navigation even there.
• That the street view exists at all? I can't see that extra option as a bad thing.

1. It wouldn't be so bad to not have - if the city wasn't so freaking large - and spread apart.
2. The red line would be for effect, to show you traveling on the map. Nothing more. Not needed.
3. This goes back to point 1 - if the city wasn't so freaking large and so spread out - it'd be easy to find these places. But wandering through those streets, that literally all look the same, with no easy way of navigation, was a pain if you didn't already have the map.

I think the root of my complaint is - all the streets looked the same. There's an ass ton of them. It's similar to your complaint about one of the Space Quest games where there are empty screens. It probably wouldn't be so bad if there was some effort to show some differences in the street (other than an occasional thing placed). It's entirely too easy to get lost and turned around. Which I think would impact the game play for someone who was younger and just trying to play a game. Heck, it even still bothers me now.

[adeyke]

You should really give the VGA remake a try. I think it admirably addresses that issue.

I forgot that there's a fourth improvement. If you talk to Shameen about the moneychanger, he'll explain the street names to you, after which those mouse-over labels will also contain the street name translations. Many of them are quite logical (e.g. EOF is on Sword Avenue, Aziza lives on Lady Street, and some streets are meaningfully named after cardinal directions).

[Rath Darkblade]

I agree. I quite liked the original... if you type "look" whenever you're in the streets, it tells you where you are and what streets you're going into (and once you have the map, it becomes easy to get around).

The VGA remake, however, substantially addresses that problem. I've been to Jerusalem and other ancient cities, and the remake programmers even made Shapeir look-and-feel like Jerusalem.