MOE Remade with Today's Technology

[JDHJANUS]

Jack and Numbers, I agree with your posts wholeheartedly! It is interesting to see how much darker the early KQ games are in comparison to the later entries in the series. I liked how KQII VGA also took the dark aspects of KQII and intensified them significantly. I was legitimately scared in parts of that game.

Concerning King's Quest IV and the night scenes, Roberta said in the notes for the King's Quest Collection Series that working on the night scenes of KQIV inspired her for the night scenes in The Colonel's Bequest. It's interesting, because although there are some downright creepy scenes and moments in that game, the chances of death are fairly low for a Roberta game. You can definitely still die, but most of the deaths are easily avoidable.

I do agree that the Troll Cave is definitely one of the scariest parts of the KQ series. I still to this day won't play that part of the game in the dark, simply because it's so creepy. I hope that we do eventually get a KQIV remake. It would be amazing to see what could be done on a more modern engine to enhance that game!

As for the multiple trolls, I never really thought about it, but they are quite different. Maybe they're different races? One's a bridge troll, one's a cave troll, and one's a....er....volcanic troll? Underground troll? Hmm...

Talk to you later!

JDHJANUS
Josh

[Numbers]

Maybe the different troll races are like different species of dogs. I for one would never have known that a chihuahua and a great dane were supposed to be the same type of animal if I hadn't looked at so many pictures of dogs during my growing-up period.

Speaking of which, KQ1 has a feral ogre in it, who attacks you on sight, whereas KQ4 has a sentient ogre and ogress who live in their own home and cook their meals. Maybe the same idea with them?

And we've also got the KQ4 zombies and mummy, who appear to be non-sentient re-animated corpses who are easily repelled by magical artifacts, in contrast to the zuvembies from KQ6, who appear to be aware of their surroundings but are too miserable and lost to do anything about it, and will literally melt you on touch, even if it's by accident. Compare that with the undead residents of Ooga Booga in KQ7, at least some of which aren't openly hostile and will help you out. The ones that are hostile are completely aware that they're dead and can't receive retribution for messing around with people, and are loving every minute of it. The MoE zombies go back to being KQ4-like, being slow, dumb, easily repelled enemies. The skeletons seem to be more self-aware, although their level of intelligence is up for debate. If you ask me, they sound like a bunch of boneheads.

[spoiler]I'm sorry.[/spoiler]

And let's be honest, if Manannan and Mordack are supposed to be brothers just because they're both wizards, even though they clearly have different skin tones, then no relation should be a surprise in this series.

[GrahamRocks!]

Never apologize for puns, Numbers!

I agree on the troll thing, btw.

I just assume that either Manannan doesn't go outside very much or they're from a different mother or father who has a different skin tone.

What *I* don't understand is why in the AGDI remake is why did they make Alex's portrait so pale?! I figured the skin tone in the original is because he spends time outside doing chores in the sunlight.

[Jack Stryker]

It's also been speculated that Hagatha from KQ2 was Manannan and Mordack's sister; which seems to be the case in the VGA version.  (You can find a letter from Manannan to Hagatha; which she lined the bottom of the bird's cage with.  )

What *I* don't understand is why in the AGDI remake is why did they make Alex's portrait so pale?!

Well, at least he didn't have that nasty black mark on his neck, that the KQ6 portrait did.  (Honestly, how did the developers not notice that?)  His AGD voice actor... could've given a better performance though.

[Numbers]

It's also been speculated that Hagatha from KQ2 was Manannan and Mordack's sister; which seems to be the case in the VGA version.  (You can find a letter from Manannan to Hagatha; which she lined the bottom of the bird's cage with.  )

What *I* don't understand is why in the AGDI remake is why did they make Alex's portrait so pale?!

Well, at least he didn't have that nasty black mark on his neck, that the KQ6 portrait did.  (Honestly, how did the developers not notice that?)  His AGD voice actor... could've given a better performance though.

Roberta herself said that Hagatha was disconnected from the rest of the baddies. It's just a theory that the fans have run with, since it makes her more interesting than merely another wicked witch like in the first game.

I figured that Alexander barely spent any time outside, since Manannan would want to keep a close watch on him. The only time Alexander's allowed outside seems to be when Manannan wants his chickens fed. In the intro, Alexander is standing outside on the cliff face overlooking Llewdor and Manannan admonishes him because he's supposed to be inside doing his chores.

And yeah, Alexander...isn't very exciting to listen to. Some people seem to have a crush on Robbie Benson's voice, but aside from that, his voice acting is always really boring.

[GrahamRocks!]

Yeah, I knew about Hagatha. Hey, it works for me.

Good point about Alex, btw. Huh. Makes me wonder why he's darker in the original then, if that's true? I mean, that makes sense to me.

[Rock Knight]

I always pictured him looking sort of like a muscular caveman--a large, feral brute that can't be reasoned with. Sort of like the ogre, except you can at least see the ogre in the daylight. No such luck in a pitch-black cavern. If that troll was a large spider instead, his cave would be a dead ringer for Shelob's lair. It doesn't help that if he even appears on screen, no matter how far away he is from you, he'll immediately catch up to you by the next screen. It's like the sharks in between Tamir and Genesta's island. It's all a matter of luck, and if you get seen by either monster, you're guaranteed to die, and it's just yet another dick move that Sierra threw your way. Save early and save often, indeed.

On a related note, does it bug anyone else that there's a bridge troll in KQ1, a cave troll in KQ4, and Vulcanix trolls in KQ7, and none of these trolls even remotely resemble each other?

No to your last question, because I always figured they were different species of trolls. Some more intelligent and less feral than others.

[Numbers]

Rock Knight, you're way too accepting of logical fallacies in this series.

[GrahamRocks!]

How is that bad?

[Numbers]

If you don't pick out flaws in something you like, you're not thinking hard enough about it. It's perfectly possible to absolutely love something and still make fun of it at the same time. That's the difference between you and me, GrahamRocks: I like MoE even though I know how bad it is, whereas you like KQ7 and act like it has no flaws, even when it so clearly does.

I would also like to call out those who think KQ6 is absolutely perfect, when that couldn't be further from the truth. Alexander is a creepy and unlikable protagonist, Cassima is a drama queen, Tony Jay seems to voice every other character in the game, which means you'll be hearing him way too much, the Isle of Wonder is annoying as sh*t, the Beauty and the Beast homage is unbelievably cheesy--even for this series--the voice acting, while a cut above KQ5, KQ7 and MoE, is still pretty terrible, especially Lady Celeste, Shamir, and the clam with the pearl in its mouth, the Isle of the Sacred Mountain relies way too heavily on copy protection instead of actual puzzle solving, the Land of the Dead's tone is ruined with the dancing skeletons, and one of the worst songs ever written plays during the end credits. You know you're in trouble when Jollo is the most likable character in the game.

[GrahamRocks!]

I don't even want to dignify that with a response. No, I take that back.

One person's  game ruining flaw is another's enjoyment despite that flaw.

[Numbers]

I don't even want to dignify that with a response. No, I take that back.

Why did you even type that? Do you just write in train-of-thought mode and not go back and re-read it later? If you went back and saw a lot of your posts now, you'd realize just how many of them have unnecessary details.

[Jack Stryker]

Hey, I'm aware that KQ6 isn't perfect.  (I just pointed out a problem with Alex's talking portrait that the developers were somehow too blind to notice, after all.)  However...

Cassima is a drama queen

Well... she did get kidnapped by an evil wizard; who made her his slave, (hmm... does that sound like someone we know?) and finally came back home, only to find that her parents were dead.  Plus she was forced to stay in her room while "sequestered in mourning" for them.  And to top it all off, she was being forced to marry a man solely for political reasons, while being forbidden from seeing the man she actually wanted to see again.  Frankly, I don't want to meet the woman who feels good after all that.

Tony Jay seems to voice every other character in the game, which means you'll be hearing him way too much

Mel Blanc voiced almost every character in the loony tunes cartoons, but you don't hear people complaining about that.  Besides, it's not like he uses the same exact voice every time.

the Isle of Wonder is annoying as sh*t

Well, the queens were certainly annoying, with all their childish fighting.  And the bookworm's annoying pets.  And the sense guards talking all at once, while instructing each of them to check and see if "a man" is there.  When I'm at work and my manager has instructions for me, I don't say what he says while he's saying it.  I just listen to what he says and then do it.  Why couldn't those guys be like that? 

Other than that though, I found the place fairly tolerable.

the Beauty and the Beast homage is unbelievably cheesy--even for this series--

I'll agree with that one, not to mention how they made it a mix between that story and Cinderella.  And when the stepmother asks, "Where do you think you're going?"  Beauty just says, "To a place where somebody needs me... blah blah blah."  And then boom!  Cut to her meeting Beast on the island.  Was the stepmother really so touched that she decided to just let her go?  Or is there a scene missing, in which Alex walks up to her and knocks her out?

the voice acting, while a cut above KQ5, KQ7 and MoE, is still pretty terrible, especially Lady Celeste, Shamir, and the clam with the pearl in its mouth

I'll agree about the clam, but his talking is over with pretty quickly.  Same for Celeste.  And none of those voices compare to Possum's in AGD's KQ2 remake.  If you want to hear REALLY bad voice acting, look no further than Possum.

the Isle of the Sacred Mountain relies way too heavily on copy protection instead of actual puzzle solving

You've got me there, dude.  You've totally got me there.

the Land of the Dead's tone is ruined with the dancing skeletons

Well, at least they tried to save it, by having the narrator say that "despite their frolic, they don't seem any friendlier."  Besides, how else was Alex supposed to get that guy's key?  And even that musical number still wasn't enough to keep me from being creeped out by the knight's corpse, remembering the arch druid's story about him, and my thoughts about how he died there.

and one of the worst songs ever written plays during the end credits.

Again, you've got me there.

[Numbers]

At last, a good debate.

As far as Cassima's concerned, Alexander goes through something similar to her, but he is wayyyyy understated by comparison; maybe that has something to do with Cassima seeming so melodramatic.

Tony Jay's voice is just too distinctive for me. I can always tell when it's him. Whenever I hear Saladin, the lamp seller, the arch-druid, Gate, or one of the ghostly guards in the Land of the Dead, I instantly realize it's the same voice every time, and it takes me out of the game. It might have something to do with the fact that I recognize him as Judge Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, singer of "Hellfire," only the best Disney villain song ever.

I think that King's Quest does its darker material so much better than the lighthearted stuff. That's why KQ2+ is so popular with me, why Mordack's castle is my favorite location in the whole series, and why I prefer MoE over KQ7. The wacky stuff just doesn't do it for me. Falderal can burn in hell for all I'm concerned.

As far as the Cinderella stuff where the girl says she's going to a place where she's wanted, I always did wonder why they cut that so short. If Alexander actually did clock that old lady, it would be so out-of-character for him it would've been hilarious.

And yes, Possum is the worst voice of any KQ game. I am including Cedric, Archduke Fifi Le Yipyap, and the skeletons from MoE in that equation.

The Isle of the Sacred Mountain should be intriguing, but I'm always taken out of the experience when I have to minimize the game and look at the KQ6 manual in Adobe Reader.

The Land of the Dead just became less intense for me after the skeletons started doing can-cans. There should've been some other way to get that key. And a bone xylophone? "Let me play you the song of my people, using the remains of your dead brethren."

"Girl in the Tower" was just so bad. Not "Land Beyond Dreams" bad...but pretty bad. "Coming Home" from KQ3Redux was far and away the best song in any KQ game. Not because of the singer, because he was a little off-key, but the composition was stupendous. MusicallyInspired went above and beyond the call of duty when he wrote that game's OST.

[Rock Knight]

Rock Knight, you're way too accepting of logical fallacies in this series.

I don't see how the idea there there are multiple species of trolls is a logical fallacy. I mean, at one point IRL there were different species of humans, and fantasy fiction has for example multiple species of trolls, of fairies, of dragons etc. I've never had a problem with thinking there were different species of trolls.

Also, in KQ7s' case, all of Etheria is in another dimension, not a part of the world of Daventry, so why shouldn't their trolls be intelligent as opposed to the other games which presents them as brutish at best, feral at worst?

As to your latter posts: I agree on Alexander being an unlikable protagonist.

Cassima being a drama queen? I never really saw her as such, to be honest. But, if she were, logically speaking, she is only supposed to be an 18 or 19 year old girl at most, for one; secondly, she grew up for most of her life as a pampered, probably spoiled princess, the only child of two older parents who were overjoyed to have finally had a child, adored throughout the Kingdom. Suddenly in a series of months, she goes from adored princess to being kidnapped to be scullery girl in a creepy wizard's castle, a creepy wizard who wants to force her to marry him; then is rescued, only to come home to find that her parents died in the months she was gone, that the Vizier she already disliked is basically ruling her Kingdom and then she is thrown into her room and locked there for at least three months, if not more.

The only time I recognized Tony Jay in the game besides being Saladin was Gate. He sounded different as the Arch Druid, and I didn't even know he was the lamp seller until now.

The first parts of it are, but I think the Isle of Wonder was an attempt to maintain some level of family friendliness in what was a very mature entry in a family-oriented series.

Why is the Beauty and Beast homage cheesy?

The voice acting is alright, but also consider the game is from 1992. Voice acting was still in it's infancy in video games.

I agree, but I've never really had a problem with copy protection except in KQ4.

I thought the Dancing Skeletons scene was not only a good change of pace for an overly dark set of scenes, but a nice homage to Monkey Island.

I've never liked Girl in the Tower either, but I always exited the game when the credits hit. It was a horrid song though. But the instrumental versions of it are beautiful.

[GrahamRocks!]

I never saw Rosella as "badass", because I didn't see much of a personality in 4. Aside from crying, which btw, is something you hate in 7.

And yeah, exactly. Someone else said something similar about the trolls, but you didn't jump them, Numbers.

Why is everyone against Alexander? Again? How is he unlikable?

[Rock Knight]

I never saw Rosella as "badass", because I didn't see much of a personality in 4. Aside from crying, which btw, is something you hate in 7.

And yeah, exactly. Someone else said something similar about the trolls, but you didn't jump them, Numbers.

Why is everyone against Alexander? Again? How is he unlikable?

I think it's because Alexander comes off creepy due to his very passsive-aggressive and gentle manner and his being obsessed with Cassima.  Have you ever watched the Retsupurae of KQ6?

[GrahamRocks!]

I have not and don't intend to. I don't watch Retsupurae for that. I watch them for riffing on bad Let's Players.

Alexander certainly has it better than his dad. At least he and Cassie are friends before this (she addresses him as such in her letter). Can you really blame him? He knows Cassima is lonely, and so is he, and things are obviously suspicious at the castle. I refuse to believe he's being a stalker, because I'm pretty darn sure that he would be more sneaky about why he's here.

[Jack Stryker]

Like I said in my argument against Cass being a drama queen, "she was being forced to marry a man solely for political reasons, while being forbidden from seeing the man she actually wanted to see again."

[Numbers]

Why is the Beauty and Beast homage cheesy?

It's because of that line that the Beast says after he's transformed, something along the lines of "We are all beasts without the redeeming human quality of love," or whatever. That's a whole new level of sappy.

I never saw Rosella as "badass", because I didn't see much of a personality in 4. Aside from crying, which btw, is something you hate in 7.

First off, nobody said anything about Rosella being "badass" in this thread. Second off, do I really have to go through the whole thing again about how her actions speak louder than words, and how, even with a character who has only the bare minimum of a personality, it's still possible to derail them completely later on when you try to give them more to do?

I have not and don't intend to.

You're doing yourself a massive disservice. They have a lot of good points about KQ6, and Slowbeef has gone on to say that while he doesn't consider KQ6 a bad game, he hates Alexander.

I refuse to believe he's being a stalker, because I'm pretty darn sure that he would be more sneaky about why he's here.

Evidently, he needs to get better at stalking.

In all seriousness, I'm aware that the whole "girl in the tower" trope was being taken to its logical conclusion, and how KQ6 is similar to KQ2 in story. It's just that you can get away with it in KQ2 with everything being so primitive and innocent, whereas in KQ6 which is supposed to be more advanced, the real life implications of what Alexander's doing become more uncomfortable. At least in KQ2+, they made it apparent that Valanice was watching Graham from the start and had come to feel the same way about him as he did about her. In KQ6, Alexander and Cassima come off as young lovebirds who don't know what they're getting into.