Ingredients Necessary to Make a Kickass King's Quest?

[Anakin Skywalker]

What would you say are the right "ingredients" or rules necessary to make a great KQ game? The ground rules, the borders that should govern KQ games?

[MusicallyInspired]

Off the top of my head.

• Large game world (you're exploring an entire new land in each game)
• Everything examinable and interact-able (even if unimportant to the plot or puzzles)
• Deaths (without retries. Or at least have the option to choose which before starting a new game)
• Fairy tale references (I could honestly live without this one. KQ evolved into more than fairy tale and nursery rhyme references)
• Complex puzzles (do this to do this to do this to do this to complete the puzzle to move on)
• Alternate solutions for many of the puzzles (in earlier games these costed you full points, in later games they created alternate endings)
• Evidence and provision of enough clues to allow the player to piece together what they're supposed to do all on their own to accomplish a task or solve a puzzle, without outright telling them how and it just being a matter of logistics.

[MtnPeak]

The previous list is a very good one!

As for the fairytale references, I would just add that these references do NOT have to be related to what are thought of as stories for children. Mythological and other folklore and fantasy type literary references are all fair game. The mixture of all these fantastic elements and the ways in which the games connect these different entities to one another is always interesting.

Also, as the previous commenter mentioned, the possibility for death should be everywhere. The King's Quest world is a dangerous one where the player needs to be on his or her guard at all times. I used to love how some scenes in the original games were rendered in darker colors and had creepy looking trees, giving the correct impression that danger was lurking especially close in those areas.

The large, explorable game world, as mentioned by the previous poster, is a MUST. Everything about the game should feel big. A King's Quest game should feel epic. It should, if possible, include traveling to new lands, a sweeping musical score and an honorable, main quest that may seem daunting at the start.

The main character should be virtuous and upright, but the game should not take itself too seriously. Humor should be used whenever possible, especially in death scenes.

Puzzles should be challenging and not obvious, and it would be great to have some riddles thrown in.

And no episodes.

[Chyron8472]

- sudden, unexpected death by wizard
- ability to dead end yourself by missing not-so-obvious items
- pixel hunting
- various talking animals with annoying voices who sing cheesy songs
- a useless talking owl companion

[exo]

sounds like your not a fan of KQ Cryin8472. Maybe try a different game?

[Chyron8472]

It was a joke. -.-

It was supposed to be funny.


Stupid troll.

[exo]

Steps to telling a joke:

1. say something funny
2. sit back and enjoy the laughs

You missed step 1.

[MtnPeak]

Originally Posted by exo

Steps to telling a joke:

1. say something funny
2. sit back and enjoy the laughs

You missed step 1.

FWIW, I thought it was a clever comment. I think we are all KQ fans here, and he/she was just harmlessly poking a little fun at the series.

[Blackthorne519]

Eh. I'm not telling anybody unless someone pays me a lot of money to show them.


Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

Off the top of my head.

• Large game world (you're exploring an entire new land in each game)
• Everything examinable and interact-able (even if unimportant to the plot or puzzles)
• Deaths (without retries. Or at least have the option to choose which before starting a new game)
• Fairy tale references (I could honestly live without this one. KQ evolved into more than fairy tale and nursery rhyme references)
• Complex puzzles (do this to do this to do this to do this to complete the puzzle to move on)
• Alternate solutions for many of the puzzles (in earlier games these costed you full points, in later games they created alternate endings)
• Evidence and provision of enough clues to allow the player to piece together what they're supposed to do all on their own to accomplish a task or solve a puzzle, without outright telling them how and it just being a matter of logistics.

I would totally agree with this, but also that, if you want to make a fan pleasing KQ game, the protagonist must be either of The Royal Family or an extended member (such as Cassima or Edgar). Descendants are acceptable as well. Actually the idea of Graham and Valanice's descendants is an interesting one.

[BagginsKQ]

I'm fine with 'Must be a citizen of the Kingdom of Daventry' in some capacity. Preferrable at least a 'Knight', but might become a king by the end or at least a great hero. This citizen must save Daventry.

I'd personally be fine with an adventure starring Derek Karlavaegen, if it was done right...

Or the adventures of the Gnome...

There are a handful of secondary characters that might make for amusing adventure games, if they were the protaganists of their own game.

There is always potential for Cassima, or Edgar to be playable characters in their own games.

A game starring Crispin, with Cedric, might be entertaining.

Or a prequel starring Graham's father, Hereward or Edward before he his kingdom fell apart.

[exo]

screw it. I wanna be cedric. at least then i can make him die as often as i like.

[BagginsKQ]

Well there is the Owl's Quest, fan game... :P LOL.