King’s Quest VII - Why Don't You Come with Me, Little Girl, On a Magic Carpet Ride

Written by Michael

Now, onto the most tedious part of the game so far.  More tedious than a lazy George Harrison song (although it DID inspire a great parody by Weird Al).  

We use a lute, rather than a whistle, but the concept holds.

We landed on what ends up being the Grand Central Station of Etheria, a floating island with four rainbows positioned around it at the corners.  If you click on one of them, it will transport you to various places we've already been to, like the desert and the haunted forest, and we can get back by playing the lute we were given by the count.  It brings the horse back to us, and the horse re-deposits us back at this travel hub.

King’s Quest VII - Rainbows are Visions, But Only Illusions

 Written by Michael

Don’t blog angry.

Welcome back to Falderol, and back to Queen Valanice’s side of the story.  

First, I feel the need to note:  this is, by far, the most boring chapter of the story so far.  “Nightmare in Etheria” is the title, but if this is a nightmare, it’s on the level of Groundhog Day, because we are going to be going back and forth, repeating actions, and really just running down the clock, hoping the other team doesn’t make a basket.

Of course, I won't get to most of these complaints until the next post -- but since I hadn't originally planned on splitting this post in two, I can't resist leaving this opening in place.

Judgment Rites – Who Watches the Watchers

 by Will Moczarski

In our second mission, the crew of the Enterprise is looking forward to taking leave on a planet called Nova Atar. Just like in the TOS episode "The Immunity Syndrome", that ain't happening. There's a bit of crew banter about Kazakhstanian Cognac, and then an emergency call from the Science Vessel Demeter interrupts all further planning. Demeter was located in orbit around Balkos III when the ship was suddenly scanned. That alone wouldn't be unsettling, however, the Demeter's commanding officer Gellman tells us that the inhabitants of the planet are just entering their own stone-age. Gellman is concerned that they may have triggered an old defense mechanism from a sunken civilisation. In the spirit of "better safe than sorry" he pulled his ship up to a higher orbit and made an emergency call for good measure. 

In Soviet Russia brandy inwents you.

I run some of the new data by the computer - Nova Atar (our original destination), the Demeter, Balkos III (our new destination), Gellman, and the Balkosi - but learn nothing new. Then I check my trusty star map and head straight for Balkos III. I command Sulu to steer the Enterprise into the planet's orbit and assemble a landing party consisting of the usual suspects. 

Don't be coy, doctor.

Upon arrival we are scanned by the unknown entity but that is hardly surprising if you take into account where we landed. This is not a stone-age environment but rather the remnants of a technologically advanced civilisation. Or maybe not even remnants? What is this set-up? As soon as I regain control, the three computer consoles in the room are suddenly protected by impenetrable force fields. It seems that somebody is a little touchy about their personal data while they don't mind scanning us down to the Bones.

The Clue! - Busted!

Written by MenhirMike

This session started with me having a closer look at my available tools. I really wanted to do the Jeweller the last time, but couldn’t find an accomplice that could open the safe. Would the game really give me a location and no way to burgle it? It’s possible, but it’s had a pretty good progression so far. So I went back and looked through every tool available and found that they sell a cutting torch that only requires a 35% skill in safes, whereas a stethoscope requires a whopping 70%. The stethoscope is faster, cheaper, and creates less noise, but the cutting torch is usable by accomplices I can actually recruit. 

Also makes great Crème brûlée.

I look like Darth Vader from the planet Vulcan in this.

King’s Quest VII - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Written by Michael

Seriously?

Part 2 of our post-Halloween post.  Or pre-Halloween post, depending on your level of optimism, I suppose.

When we last were here, I was making my way to the swamp creature from the blue lagoon, armed with a potion from the local sawbones.  So, through the main gates to what I think of as a garden.  A garden of evil, mind you.

In my last game for the blog, a flower gave me perfume. Now, the tables are turned.

On to the swamp creature.  As he comes after me, I whip out my trusty spray bottle, and poof!  Since he's entirely plant life, he disappears completely. The trusty scarab in my pocket tells me I did a good job. Again, I'm reminded about how the defoliant stinks. This ends up being a clue for something later.