tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post1559145718558884671..comments2024-03-28T18:43:06.423+11:00Comments on The Adventurers Guild: Game 52: King's Quest V – King Graham, Insect WhispererThe Tricksterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01419316208187255801noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-27316747887513156992015-06-01T15:57:15.644+10:002015-06-01T15:57:15.644+10:002D rotoscoping has been around since the silent bl...2D rotoscoping has been around since the silent black&white era of animation. 3D motion capture is a newer thing.Laukkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258625692586860655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-4093665921450160852015-06-01T14:49:37.866+10:002015-06-01T14:49:37.866+10:00Ok, that is really cool that they were rotoscopped...Ok, that is really cool that they were rotoscopped, I would have never thought that type of graphics work started so early, I thought motion capture was a quite recent thing. Canageekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03770924810559440307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-14839265453112204682015-03-26T19:13:58.098+11:002015-03-26T19:13:58.098+11:00Come to think of it, I remember that Jordan Mechne...Come to think of it, I remember that Jordan Mechner was pioneering on that sort of animation back in those days.Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-31593186240122407302015-03-26T19:12:03.261+11:002015-03-26T19:12:03.261+11:00@Corey - Whoa! So you played the big bad? Cool!@Corey - Whoa! So you played the big bad? Cool!Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-49214681787447639162015-03-25T17:48:35.174+11:002015-03-25T17:48:35.174+11:00Thank you for the details. I did know already that...Thank you for the details. I did know already that characters, sprites and UI have a shared smaller palette compared to backgrounds (256-colour games in AGS use the same method). But in later games they apparently tweaked the global palette to allow for more natural colours, especially skin. Compare Leisure Suit Larry 5 and 6 for example:<br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/leisure-suit-larry-5-passionate-patti-does-a-little-undercover-w/screenshots/gameShotId,2040/<br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/leisure-suit-larry-6-shape-up-or-slip-out/screenshots/gameShotId,89961/Laukkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258625692586860655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-70345105917408115722015-03-25T17:37:02.758+11:002015-03-25T17:37:02.758+11:00Most of the music itself is actually not bad, but ...Most of the music itself is actually not bad, but the awful FM synth sound effects and repetitiveness in that track are the primary reason why it has become so memetic.Laukkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258625692586860655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-17966882623454373322015-03-25T17:03:12.048+11:002015-03-25T17:03:12.048+11:00Lori thinks we actually did rotoscoping on the cha...Lori thinks we actually did rotoscoping on the characters for Quest for Glory III, and therefore probably for King's Quest V - Live actors played the parts (using a treadmill for the walking animation), it was filmed, then converted down to the 64 (or less) color "global palette". So it was the lack of color space that made the characters lack subtlety, not the animation techniques.<br /><br />Lori played Shema, and I played Ad Avis, for some of the rotoscoping for QG3. I guess that must have been for the opening "recap of Trial By Fire" scenes.<br /><br />On Quest for Glory IV, Marc Hudgins, an experienced (and expert) 2D animation artist, led the art team. Tim Loucks designed the character faces. Marc animated them for the talkers. We don't recall the process for the walking and other animation, but it was all based on Tim's drawings. Might have been hand-animated or might have been a combination of cell/paper animation and rotoscoping. Anyway, that resulted in a totally different (and very fun) style that worked very well despite the palette limitations.Corey Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16772474266362396768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-79216068216409521792015-03-25T16:01:15.742+11:002015-03-25T16:01:15.742+11:00Did I hear someone mention pie?Did I hear someone mention <a href="http://cdn.meme.am/instances/54585417.jpg" rel="nofollow">pie</a>?Kenny McCormickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01553499727945099493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-74144760147697904822015-03-25T15:03:54.277+11:002015-03-25T15:03:54.277+11:00The backgrounds were painted on art board and scan...The backgrounds were painted on art board and scanned in (actually photographed with an overhead camera rig). I believe the characters were drawn and animated on the computer, and most of the animators had only worked with the 16-color editor before KQV.<br /><br />In addition, there was a limited palette (I think 64 colors, some of which were very distinct interface colors) available for characters. The reason is that each scene had its own custom palette (I think 192 colors?), while the other 64 colors were always available. Since characters - particularly Graham and Cedric - had to look the same in every scene, they could only use the fixed color palette. The backgrounds would have looked much worse if the same 256 color palette had been used throughout the game. Instead, the scanning software calculated an "optimal" set of 192 shades for each scene.<br /><br />Characters did not get that benefit - They were painted with the set of 64 generic interface colors.<br /><br />Another reason for a sharp contrast on the characters was to make them very visible against the more muted look of the backgrounds. Compromises were made.<br />Corey Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16772474266362396768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-50514520412164127612015-03-25T13:55:41.495+11:002015-03-25T13:55:41.495+11:00I do have a video including the pOOOOisonous snake...I do have a video including the pOOOOisonous snake line, but it won't appear here for two more posts.<br /><br />There's a different bit of owl-voice-acting that I found particularly groan-inducing, and that will also appear in the third post - for anyone who's playing along, try walking really close to the ant castle.<br /><br />I actually think the music compares favourably to most of its contemporaries - with the notable exception of Secret of Monkey Island (TM), which somehow seemed to excel at just about everything. I particularly like how each location seems to have its own music - I'm not sure if this game was the first to do that though.TBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-74681221930919375932015-03-25T13:45:50.074+11:002015-03-25T13:45:50.074+11:00Yeah, I was deliberately exaggerating for the sake...Yeah, I was deliberately exaggerating for the sake of an attempt at an amusing caption. You're right, the coin was easy to find because it has the shiny animation. <br /><br />The biggest pixel-hunty-problem with the game is that you don't know what's just background and what is a clickable object without constantly 'looking' at everything. I'm sure I've missed at least one thing due to assuming background where it's actually an item.TBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-9010785391144382562015-03-25T13:32:31.155+11:002015-03-25T13:32:31.155+11:00I recently played through this game for a school p...I recently played through this game for a school project and it was such a blast form the past! It still holds up... but of course now I have the internet to get hints. Let's face it parts of it were just unfair, like trying to barely navigate cliffs and you have to save it a lot because you can die<br />at anytime and if you don't have a saved game you have to start all over. Also you can overlook picking up an item you need and then you can't finish the game. <br /><br />That guy's voice instantly takes me back. Lauren Farrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11399855764660198949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-44146545107367624842015-03-25T07:31:12.424+11:002015-03-25T07:31:12.424+11:00What, no focus on the infamous pOOOOIsonous snake ...What, no focus on the infamous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrFcWcRmjec" rel="nofollow">pOOOOIsonous snake</a> line? It's a great example of the game's voice acting quality, and has spawned various <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p30heMs8UU" rel="nofollow">spoofs</a> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F64wDQJLWMQ" rel="nofollow">YouTube</a>.<br /><br />There are <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZziGMSzBY_U" rel="nofollow">a few</a> other great <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAwIUQ0SMs8" rel="nofollow">remixes</a> of the intro too. They manage to turn it into something actually enjoyable.<br /><br />Finally, for those of you who enjoy bleeding ears, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1pCxXrorKM" rel="nofollow">here's the town theme</a>, along with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwqk0ZBR-d0" rel="nofollow">remastered version</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIrrS19iM84" rel="nofollow">two</a> Mario Paint <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyOlPQK7nGs" rel="nofollow">remixes</a>. (The only thing that comes close to its quality is the true masterpiece that is the Lavender town theme.)<br /><br />ONE MILLION DOLLAR BUDGETLaukkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258625692586860655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-27788762786647479542015-03-25T06:56:12.088+11:002015-03-25T06:56:12.088+11:00The early Sierra VGA adventures, this one included...The early Sierra VGA adventures, this one included, suffer from what I like to call EGA syndrome: although the backgrounds are beautiful scanned artwork, all sprites look like they've been made in 16-colour first and then sloppily upgraded to VGA - everything is bright primary colours, including the iconic red skin, just with some intermediate pillowshadey tones added.Laukkuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258625692586860655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-65027365392261139432015-03-25T04:49:36.819+11:002015-03-25T04:49:36.819+11:00This comment has been removed by the author.Andy_Panthrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231815646876343380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-26320330144453781902015-03-25T04:48:13.836+11:002015-03-25T04:48:13.836+11:00Not a true pixel hunt surely, since the coin perio...Not a true pixel hunt surely, since the coin periodically shines to get your attention.Andy_Panthrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231815646876343380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-37717023443929874922015-03-25T04:15:27.548+11:002015-03-25T04:15:27.548+11:00Groan, I had forgotten about Beatrice and Antony. ...Groan, I had forgotten about Beatrice and Antony. <br /><br />Also, how about a count of pixel hunts? <br /><br />Pixels hunted so far: 1 (silver coin)Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07805219432946673379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-22770085365946138932015-03-24T23:31:10.461+11:002015-03-24T23:31:10.461+11:00Yeah. Comparing EGA with VGA is rarely going to be...Yeah. Comparing EGA with VGA is rarely going to be a contest.<br /><br />Though even looking at EGA screenshots it also seems that King's Quest V's artists simply did a better job (which they should have, seeing as Corey said they got most of Sierra's staff to work on the game.) <br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/quest-for-glory-ii-trial-by-fire/screenshots/gameShotId,617/<br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/kings-quest-v-absence-makes-the-heart-go-yonder/screenshots/gameShotId,7357/<br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/quest-for-glory-ii-trial-by-fire/screenshots/gameShotId,574696/<br /><br />http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/kings-quest-v-absence-makes-the-heart-go-yonder/screenshots/gameShotId,14461/<br /><br />Looking back at the Monkey Island screenshots I find them to be of similar graphical quality to King's Quest V though.TBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-87915661716226150712015-03-24T22:10:50.949+11:002015-03-24T22:10:50.949+11:00The leap from EGA to VGA was nothing sort of amazi...The leap from EGA to VGA was nothing sort of amazing, that's for sure. 1990 has seemed like a transitional year for Sierra (and probably for all adventure game industry), and KQV is like a peek of what's about come next year.Ilmari Jauhiainenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01655841880034965950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-59252745760648121472015-03-24T16:46:40.728+11:002015-03-24T16:46:40.728+11:00Graphically, it is hard to believe this game came ...Graphically, it is hard to believe this game came out the same year as QfG2. While I love the game that we have, I suspect "Trial by Fire" would have aged better if it had been given the KQ5 graphical and parser overhaul.<br /><br />Am I the only person that wishes they would redo QfG5 in the engine used by 3 and 4? Those games aged so well, but the graphics in 5 are distracting to say the least. Then again, all of the games would benefit from a nice HD remastering ala Monkey Island. Surely Activision can see the value of re-releasing those games for iPad...<br /><br />Save the owls! <br /><br />Joe Pranevichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12997014242774219758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-90516378627830639142015-03-24T13:50:42.198+11:002015-03-24T13:50:42.198+11:00I agree. I'm happy to say I've not yet had...I agree. I'm happy to say I've not yet had a death where I've told the game off - see navigating stairs or narrow paths or beanstalks in previous games for the type of death I hate.<br /><br />Deaths can be fun when there's a good animation or fun smart-arsed comment involved.TBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-20561783048990978432015-03-24T13:45:39.044+11:002015-03-24T13:45:39.044+11:00Good point - I'll try to put together a list o...Good point - I'll try to put together a list of possible dead-ends at the end of the game, but it's hard to know what's a dead end or not until/unless I've been dead-ended. I'll likely be asking everyone for opinions on dead-ends I've missed in the 'Won' post - whenever that comes up. I might start keeping a tally of possible dead-ends in the next post.TBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-47799882208409487112015-03-24T13:32:17.943+11:002015-03-24T13:32:17.943+11:00The floppy version of King's Quest V has a mor...The floppy version of King's Quest V has a more generic while stick figure. I'll be showing a comparison at some point so you can compare.<br /><br />The Amiga version had the same King Graham coloured icons as the PC CD-ROM versionTBDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07010934567583163570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-70435237063597599402015-03-24T06:55:23.490+11:002015-03-24T06:55:23.490+11:00All of the Sierra games of this era had slightly d...All of the Sierra games of this era had slightly different icons, a big change from their previous games. The best of course being the ghoulish ones from Quest for Glory IV.Andy_Panthrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231815646876343380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3387495443226852794.post-66296941013253392922015-03-24T06:53:49.392+11:002015-03-24T06:53:49.392+11:00Nice to see the game give you a small amount of wa...Nice to see the game give you a small amount of warning for most things that can kill you, a definite change from earlier games!<br /><br />I do like that they give you freedom to wander about in this early section, even if you're a little limited in what you can actually do right now.Andy_Panthrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18231815646876343380noreply@blogger.com