Please Read First

Please Read First IMPORTANI' INFORMATION ON THE CARE AND HANDLING ~ OF 'DIGITAL ANTIQUES' Dear Customer, Inside this box, you will find a collection of software spanning the first ten years of the King's Quest series, the pinnacle of adventure games. This anthology not only presents the compiled tales of the King's Quest saga, but also provides an example of the evolution of computer entertainment software over the last decade. As you review early works of the King's Quest series, please remember that you are looking at what might be described as "digital antiques" from the early days of personal computing. Innovations such as mice and music cards, which are widely used today, were not yet available in the early and mid 1980's. Thus early King's Quest games will not support them. We hope that you enjoy these games in the same nostalgic spirit as you would a classic black and while movie. While they may lack some modern day technological flair, we hope you agree that they do have a unique quality all their own. It is also important to note that the Windows operating system was not in homes during the 1980's. While we have attempted to adjust our software so that it may be accessed within Windows, some of the early games simply cannot run in Windows on some computer system configurations. If you are experiencing trouble with any adventure game while running within the Windows environment, we recommend that you exit Windows and instead access the adventure game from MS-DOS. We sincerely hope you enjoy the enchanted lands of Daventry and beyond as you explore the King's Quest Collection. Sincerely, ~Al~ John Williams Resident Historian Sierra On-Line, Inc. THE R OYAL SCRIBE THE COMPLETE WSTORY OF THE KING'S QUEST SERIES (And Other Fun Stuff) Through the wee hours of the night, The Royal Scribe's pen scratches out a chronicle of Sierra On-Line and the King's Quest series. Read her words with pleasure but be foretold that a mere touch on text of a different hue will transport you to another domain. In more modern terms, this i a hypertext document. You will be able to click on highlighted text, thus accessing additional material about that particular topic. Use the icon menu to move from topic to topic and back again. B EHIND THE D EVELOPER'S SHIELD This archive "slide show" holds a treasure-trove of original King's Quest pencil sketches, background and game art, as well as a few surp1ises. The button interface allows you to go between different screens and sections. INSIDE THE CHEST This archive contains an assortment of reprints of magazine articles published during the King's Quest years. Topics range from King's Quest game reviews to designer interviews to in-depth studies of the game development process. Click the button icons to move from page to page or from article to article. THE VlEW FROM INSIDE THE MIRROR Step through the looking glass for a unique View From Inside The Mirror. In this "made for the computer" video, Roberta Williams reflects upon her role as the designer of the King's Quest series. H OLD O N To Y OUR ADVENTURER'S CAP What will Roberta Williams think up next? Hold On To Your Adventurer's Cap and prepare yourself for a video sneak preview of the amazing and enchanting experiences awaiting you in the near future. KING'S Q UESTIONS Put on your thinking cap and play this trivia game based on the King's Quest series. You'll be challenged, intrigued, enlightened, and amused by this grab bag of profound, esoteric, and just plain silly multiple choice King's Questions. Each game consists of twelve randomly selected questions so that it's never the same game twice. The rules are explained at the start of the game so sharpen up your wits and test your knowledge of King's Quest trivia. NICK'S PICKS Presented for your additional entertainment, herein lies a collection of computerized board games hand-picked as King Graham's personal favorites. THE EPIC ADVENTURES OF THE KING'S QUEST SAGA THE ORIGINAL KING'S Q UEST J ULY 1983 Originally commissioned by IBM as a showpiece for their ill-fated IBM PCjr, Roberta Williams' King's Quest: Quest for the Crown would only become an industry bestseller the following year when it was released for the IBM PC and new Tandy 1000 computers. Being the first game to fully support the newly introduced EGA color card, King's Quest clearly demonstrated the superior 16-color capabilities of the then $400 optional video card. The player directs game action by way of text-based commands (example: "OPEN DOOR") and use of the keyboard arrow keys to control the hero's on creen movements. Please note that sound cards and mice are not supported, as they did not exist. KING'S Q UEST I: VGA SEPTEMBER 1990 This 1990 pro ject to revamp the original King's Quest was widely viewed as a critical failure because many reviewers and gamers took offense at what they perceived a an attempt to "destroy the classics." In fact, the project was compared to the controversial practice of "colorizing" classic black-and-white movies. Valid or not, these reactions essentially stopped work on future attempts to modernize later King's Quest installments. In comparing this version to the original, it is interesting to note how much the addition of the music soundtrack add to the mood of the game. Also, playing with the incorporated icon-based interface provides an interesting comparison to the original design. KING'S Q UEST II: R OMANCING THE THRONE May 1985 This sequel to the original King's Quest provided not just a second look at the life of King (formerly Sir) Graham of Daventry, it also began a tradition of using King's Quest as a training ground for future designers. Future Space Quest series designers Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe joined the development team. This game does not support sound cards or mice, as they did not exist at the time of publication. KING'S Q UEST ID: To HEIR Is HUMAN O CTOBER 1986 The release of this product in 1986 was quickly met with loud protests from gamers claiming that this King's Quest wasn't really a King's quest at all. Because it focused on a young slave named Gwydion and his attempts to escape his evil master, players didn't grasp the connection between Gwydion and King Graham of Daventry until they finished the game some months later. (This was before Sierra began offering hint book & hint line services.) It was as a programmer for this project that Al Lowe, the future designer of the Leisure Suit Larry series, learned the internals of adventure game programming. Notice the "automagic mapping feature" of the game. This feature was widely promoted on King's Quest III's introduction; however, it was not included in future King's Quest games as player feedback indicated that it reduced the challenge. This mapping feature was later built into Roberta Williams' Mixed-Up Mother Goose adventure game for children where it was better appreciated. Sound cards and mice are still not supported in this release. ~ MORE KING'S QUEST IV: THE. PERILS OF ROSELLA SEPTEMBER 1988 This innovative epic asked players to step not into the boots of the now familiar adventure hero King Graham, but instead into the soft slipper of his young daughter Rosella - a bold step for 1988, when the audience for computer games was almost exclusively male. Designer Roberta Williams' move to attract more female players to adventure gaming was a success, and King's Quest IV went on to be the most succe ful game product of the year. From a technical standpoint, King's Quest IV also scored big as the first commercial entertainment product to support optional music cards. Hollywood composer William Goldstein (Fame) provided the stereo soundtrack, adding new dimensions and emotion to the presentation. One game scene, shown for the first time at a prominent industry tradeshow, was so emotionally overpowering that it reduced more than one audience member to tears. Future advertising for the game would feature headlines asking "Can a Computer Game Make You Cry?" KING'S QUEST V: ABSENCE MAKEs THE HEART Go YONDER NOVEMBER 1990 o game since the original King's Quest had the impact of King's Quest V, which redefined adventure gaming in game play, design, and overall presentation. It was Sierra' fir t million-dollar-plus development effort. Designer Roberta Williams assembled an unequaled team of animators, artists, musicians, and programmers to make the project a reality. A new interface was designed to appeal to a larger audience, and extra efforts were taken to make the game an attractive entertainment venture for every member of the family. Sales of King's Quest during its first year shattered all known records for computer games. Led by Emmy award-winning producer Bill Davis, King's Quest V made the leap in graphic resolution to full 256-color VGA. Animations and backgrounds advanced from "computer an" to true handpainted, life like scenes inhabited by life like and fluid animated characters. Over fifty voice actors lent their talents to the effort, making King's Quest Vthe most elaborate alfld cinematic game ever. KING'S QUEST V - FRENCH VERSION If you enjoyed King's Quest V in English, just think how much fun it will be to play in French. FonnidablR! Kl G'S QUEST VI: HEIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW OCTOBER 1992 From the opening sequence of the game, there could be no doubt that if King's Quest V redefined what computer gaming actually was, King's Quest VI provided the quality tandard that would not be beaten. (Except perhaps by the upcoming Christmas 1994 release of King's Quest VII). The state-of-the-an "floating camera" sequence that opened the game, featuring young Prince Alexander as he sets out to find his "girl in the tower," gave computer garners the world over a real view of what the new age of multimedia computers could bring to clas ic storytelling. The King's Quest V/love song "Girl In The Tower," a soulful duet featuring the voice of Bob Bergthold and Debbie Seibert, 1ivaled the best motion picture anthem of the year. In reviewing the game, Peter Spear of Questbusters Magazine aid "This game is proof positive that the era of CD Gaming is upon u . Kill your hard drive!" Continuing in a long tradition, Jane Jen en, who would go on to design the industry be tselling Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, assisted Roberta Williams in game design of this epic. KING'S QUEST VI - GERMAN VERSION Many of the King's Quest games ship in foreign languages. Here's a unique opportunity to play King's Quest VI in German. Ausgezeichni•t!