Game realities

The game realities (aka game worlds and digital reality) is the term used (in The King's Quest Companion) for the number of alternate dimensions and realities forming the original King's Quest game series (represented by the King's Quest games in the Other World). It is related to the cyberspace and the Sierra World universe.

Background

In our world, the universe of Earth, we see Daventry only as a place of fun and games---a world that only exists inside computer games. This is an honorable point of view; as there is no hard, bite-into-it-and-see-if-it’s-real proof (no evidence) of Daventry's physical existence. No amber stones of teleporation nor magic maps, no chests of gold that never empty, and no golden-egg-laying hens, items that would be indisputable proof of the words of Derek has sent to our world. If those things did exist the author (Peter Spear) wouldn't show them anyway. If he had some of those stuff he wouldn't show them anyways, and he'd live in luxury, and just pass Derek's words off as fiction---if at all

The game realities differ from the 'real world' of Daventry, as in that world there was only one choice, and one outcome. But in in the 'game realities' characters can die over and over again, and yet get restored back to health, or get past obstacles by different methods.

It is in contrast to the real world of Daventry which represents the physical history of the world (as explained and discussed in The King's Quest Companion).

There are two main game realities discussed in his definition that the original King's Quest I and the SCI remake (although the console versions of KQ1 and KQ5 would also count under this definition, and a few other examples). Some call the first universe of 8-bit AGI; The Daventry Zone. But these main game realities are also split into primary (low point) version and the secondary (high points) versions of the games, see OT timeline (KQ1 timeline, KQ2 timeline & KQ3 timeline) as per the official Sierra hint books.

Later on Derek Karlavaegen started to believe that the dreams of the 'great dreamer' Roberta Williams which became games, and the dreams of another 'great dreamer' within his own world were starting to influence his own universe as well. Allowing of the idea that there maybe a bleed through by the Other World reality, the 'real world' of Daventry, and between the games themselves, each influencing and changing the others.

Graham has traveled between the boundaries of his game universe and other game universes to play card games and board games on several occasions. But he does not believe that world is in a game.

Sometimes difference between game reality and real world as the companion calls it are undefinable. Perhaps the Graham that visited the "Hoyle" games is only the Graham of the 'game realities' but not the Graham of the 'real world' Graham, but in themselves separate alternate Grahams.

Derek contends that travel between the Other World and his 'real world' is only one-way (though apparently versions of characters from his realm in the game realities can travel between realms including Earth, as was the case with Rosella, see Sierra World). At the same time he believes communication across the Eye Between the Worlds maybe only one way as well.

Though he has discovered mentions and snatches of "King's Quest" in his searches through the aether. He was startled to find that the games (the original Sierra series King's Quest 1-6), as far as he could determine, are accurate retellings of events he knows to be true in his world. That Roberta Williams was a 'great dreamer, that it doesn't take much to see how closely Derek Karlavaegens and Roberta Williams's versions of happenings in Daventry match through the first six games of the series, the first 20 years or so of the reign of king Graham.

The original game world begins with AGI games (King's Quest 1-3 and lesser extent 4 AGI), and continues into the KQ4 SCI, and KQ5-6, and then 7 & 8.

There are at least two different versions of KQ1 AGI (with some storyline and graphic swaps). Depending on the version The Sorcerer for example is the same character as the Enchanter from KQ2, or a separate character altogether (see also The Official Book of King's Quest series), Graham is able to drop and lose items, and the death of Edward is extended and funnier in the original version. Sometimes there are minor differences in game worlds between AGI ports depending on the system they were released on (in general only affecting, color, music, and sound effects).

The King's Quest Companion's novels follows from the 1987 version of the game due to this The Sorcrer and Enchanter are treated as the same character.

Then KQ1 was slightly rebooted with the KQ1 SCI game, this was treated as another 'game reality' in the companion. Later the KQ7 Authorized Guide and Companion (4th edition) questioned KQ7 as being part of the 'game realities' rather than part of the original history of the 'real' universe of Daventry. Though the character admitted he could be 'wrong'.

There are some minor differences between different releases of games (for example differences between floppy and cd-rom versions of games), or differences between pcjr, pc/tandy, vs apple IIGS ports. These include differences in characterization and narration (and lesser non-continuity details such as colors of graphics, music and sound).

For the most part the Companion treats all the versions of the AGI game as the 'old' game reality, and King's Quest SCI as a seperate 'new' game reality.

Finally, in the KQ7 Authorized Guide, and 4th Edition of King's Quest Companion gives a theory of KQ7 as existing in the alternate game 'realities' different from the novels 'reality' (though it may have an influence on his reality as well, or it always was part of his reality he just didn't know about the events). His first thought is that KQ7 is a false story that never happened ("the tale is more fancy than fact...more fiction than history as he knows it...rumor or popular fabrication is all that is possible...gossip and literary trifles...tales and fables...fictions"), simply a fable. Alternatively he also admits that the story could be true, and all is possible and that the truth is hidden from him for only reasons the royal family knows

The routes through the games are not always the same ones Graham, Alexander-Gwydion, or Rosella took in their own reality. They live in their real world, we live in ours, and we still cannot duplicate real life inside a computer. It is up to players in the game realities to decide which roads they may wish to follow; they usually all end up in the same place.

Perhaps the greatest mystery in the King's Quest game universe revolves around one word SCORE-or in some versions, STATUS...while there is a "perfect score"... The people of Daventry, whose real-life adventures constitute the basis for the King's Quest games, overcame their particular challenges in their own ways. In the game universe, on the other, there is often more than one way to successfully solve a problem. Occasionally the player will score more points by not doing things the same way the characters did. That's OK; it's only a game, not real life.

For us, at least.

According to a chapter of third edition of the Companion elements of KQ6 exist differently in the game realities verses what appears in the "real world" Daventry such as who is found on the Daventry Coin, or how Alexander takes advantage of the drink me bottle, or how the nightmare feather functions, etc.

There are of course other minor differences between accounts in the "real world" Daventry and the specific game realities.

Notes

• The Companion generally avoids “lore” references to the KQ1 remake game reality. One exception is found in the An Encyclopedia of Daventry (2nd Edition). It mentions that Dahlia would have imprisoned him for life or baked him into a Graham cracker… the first is a reference to the original KQ1AGI death, while the second is the KQ1SCI death.

Game worlds

There are at least several different game worlds.

• Many of the game worlds allow for multiple paths and events or solutions in each game (these are each separate 'game realities'). These different paths are often scored, sometimes the scores are greater than the individuals in the 'real world' Daventry would have achieved if their own actions are counted up. ...or perhaps less than the players scores as well (see OT timeline, KQ1 timeline, KQ2 timeline, and KQ3 timeline)
• There are several different alternative backstories for Wizard and the Princess and Adventure in Serenia which change the context for the games story (see WATP/AIS comparisons and Wizard and the Princess prologues).
• KQ1 has a number of different orders in which Graham is said to have found the treasures in guides/books. The common orders include the order they were stolen in, and the order which Edward asks them for them; Mirror, Shield, and Chest (the order retrieved in KQ1 Hint Book and the KQ1 novel in all versions of the King's Quest Companion). The second common order is Mirror, Chest, Shield (the order as they are collected in The Official Book of King's Quest, and a section in the The King's Quest Companion 1st Edition), the other common order is Chest, Mirror, Shield (which appears in Easy Way Out section of the King's Quest Companion, and 3rd edition of the The Official Book of King's Quest, partly to be more in in relation to KQ1SCI order of treasures.)
• Some of the games lead to alternate endings, and deaths (this is also a difference with the game reality and the 'real world' where death is final) and there is only one ending to the story.
• Slight differences between the 1983/84 versions and the 1987 versions of KQ1, and Apple IIGS version (largely in the character of the Sorcerer and Enchanter being one character or two depending on the reality). The Companion reflects them as one character, while The Official Book of King's Quest editions reflects them as two characters. For the most part the Companion and The Official Book of King's Quest (1st and 2nd Editions) reflect the original AGI games. Graham can drop items in the 1984 versions. Graham's name is "Grahame" in the PCJR version (which comes with a different prologue story The King's Appeal).
• The KQ1SCI remake has a modified story, world, and puzzles from the original version (it slightly reboots KQ1 story). This is one of the specific 'game realities' that the Companion refers to. The The Official Book of King's Quest (3rd Edition) reflects this universe (as does the three King's Quest novels to a certain extent).
• The Sega Master System port of KQ1. Also has some differences in world, script and puzzles from the original AGI version of the game.
• KQ2 (1985, 1987 and apple versions) only slight differences (primarily affects the easter eggs, there is no hole in the rock in the 1985 versions). Graham can drop items in the 1985 version.
• The KQ4 (AGI and SCI versions). The differences between the AGI and SCI versions are minor but are still there. Largely in the differences of appearances of some locations, and some minor narrative differences. But puzzles are largely the same. There are technically two different versions of the KQ4 SCI (based on the 9 disc or 8 disk versions) again cosmetic differences in artwork and some locations. Some extra wildlife appears in the agi version such as the squirrels.
• KQ5 (floppy, cd-rom, and NES versions). Primarily speaking PC (and other Computer ports) and NES versions are very different. There are minor differences between KQ5EGA, VGA, and CD-rom versions. The PC version (any version) is considered the main version of the game in the histories.
• KQ6 (VGA/Enhanced and Amiga versions). There are slight differences in the PC (floppy, cd-rom, and enhanced versions) and some bigger differences between the PC and Amiga version. Amiga follows a different ending from PC version for example. The PC version (any version) is considered the primary version in the history.
• KQ7 exists in a different 'game universe' (than KQ1-6)? Derek theorizes that the events of KQ7 may or may not have occurred in his Daventry. But rather that they are the events from a different Daventry, than the one he inhabits (and that the story itself was simply 'dreamed' about from a great dreamer in his own world, and then passed around as gossip). Perhaps that the story was 'dreamed' about from the story Roberta et al created in the Other World from scratch. See From The Eye Between The Worlds and realities.
• The new King's Quest Game Series (King's Quest: Adventures of Graham) is in its own Reboot game reality/parallel universe as well (with entirely different backstory for many of the characters, and alternate set of events). Though versions of the original King's Quest game stories exist as 'fairy tales' in their world, see stories (KQGS). It goes as far to completely 'reboot' the timeline.
• In KQ3 game reality Manannan's cat is a male, in the 'realworld' universe (Companion), the cat is female.
• The game realities backstories often state that world of Daventry is set long ago in Earth’s past according to the manuals and sometimes game intros (see Daventry cosmology).

King's Quest Hintbook Paths

In KQ1 and KQ2 hintbooks, the hintbooks point more towards the Violent paths for each game. Graham kills the dragon in KQ1, he kills the lion in KQ2. He still saves Daventry and wins Valanice in the end, but doesn't receive the full points, The more peaceful solutions for each game are saved for 'things to try' after beating the game.

See also

• World of Daventry (KQGS), Earth (KQGS) and TOG universe for the 'game world' of  King's Quest: Adventures of Graham, a reboot of the King's Quest series.

Behind the scenes

There maybe other slight alternate realities (dimensions) in the Multiverse but are not part of the 'game realities'. For example the novels maybe seen as a partial continuation of both the original universe, and the KQ1SCI universe. But it also has its own differences such as scale of the universe, and differences in backstories for Graham, and other characters, see BB universe .

Though most of the game realities  (and those of the novels) can be reinterpreted to fit within the bounds of the main 'real world' reality (and main original development KQ1 history). The only exception is the 2015/2016 Reboot Canon universe.

External 'dreamers' cannot change the realities of the worlds they dream about. However, a dreamer inside the world maybe able to add to the histories of their world (but not actually change the past of their own world). Or rather than create new histories to their own world, they simply dream about the histories of another alternate Daventry, than the one they inhabit. The original 'histories' are not changed, and historians still remember them, and they are still recorded in the histories of their world.

The new histories however are passed around as 'fables', fairy tales, gossip etc. It maybe possible that great dreamers can change the current present or future of their world. Perhaps willing 'events' to happen in their own world, but this is unknown.

Perhaps 'great dreamers' of the Reboot "King's Quest" universe dreamed into the classic universe and thus that is the reason why the versions of the original King's Quest games stories exist as fairy tales in their own universe, but that they have a different recorded history of the actual events (and different timeline and order of events).