Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero
Encyclopedia
Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero (later re-released as Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero because of trademark issues involving the HeroQuest
boardgame) is an adventure game
/role-playing game
hybrid, designed by Lori Ann Cole
and published by Sierra On-line. It is the first game in the Quest for Glory
series. Hero's Quest I has been credited for being a genre-inventing game, as no other game before it had tried to mix graphical adventure gaming with role-playing-like elements such as statistic building (strength, intelligence, health) that would actually have an impact on the ability to accomplish certain parts of the game. (Beyond Zork
had done the same for text adventures two years earlier.)
. The Valley of Spielburg is in need of a Hero able to solve these problems.
The game follows the Hero (Devon Aidendale in the novelized Authorized strategy guide), who in the game is a customized adventurer whose name and class is chosen by player, on his journey into the land; he must help people and become a proclaimed Hero.
The adventurer battles monsters, solves side quests (such as finding lost items and spell ingredients) and helps fantasy creatures such as a dryad
, a hermit and a colorful collection of furry creatures called Meeps. Fulfilling quests will grant him experience and money, which he may use to buy equipment and potions. The game is open ended, which means the player can explore all the game at once and solve the quests in what order seems convenient to them. During the quest, the character also meets recurring series characters such as the wizard Erasmus and his familiar
Fenrus (or perhaps the other way around), and first hears tales of the benevolent faery Erana.
While the game can be completed without solving the secondary quests, in the optimal ending, which nets the player the maximum score and serves as canon for the remainder of the series, the player frees the baronet from a powerful curse and thwarts the plans of the witch Baba Yaga. Finally, the adventurer frees the baron's daughter, Elsa von Spielburg, from the curse which had transformed her into the brigand leader. By doing so, the adventurer fulfills a prophecy
, restores Spielburg Valley to prosperity, and is awarded the title of Hero.
After this, the Hero, along with the merchant Abdulla Doo and the innkeepers Shameen and Shema, leaves on a magic carpet
for Shapeir, the homeland of the three, setting the plan for the sequel, Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
.
What class the hero assigns to a character largely determines how they can solve puzzles and what quests they will run into. However, the distinction between classes was not an absolute one; players could add skills to a character and allow them to complete quests related to other classes in this game and others in the series.
Quest for Glory introduced a realism rarely found in RPGs and other adventure games even today. Day, night and the passage of time was a factor; the setting and scenery was different during day and night. The main character had to eat on a regular basis, he would become tired from running and fighting which required rest and sleep. Skills were not obtained by gaining levels through combat, but rather increased distinctly through the regular course of your adventuring. The more the player used magic, the more the Hero's Magic ability would increase (followed by Intelligence); likewise the more the player engaged in battle, training, or even cleaning the baron's stables, the more the Hero's Strength, Vitality and Agility would increase.
This is one of the few Sierra adventure games where the player character
has few or no speaking lines; although the player can input commands such as "ask about brigands", the player character has almost no dialogue.
In the original design, there was supposed to be a big goblin maze. References to this have remained in the goblin base of the original version. Many of the town buildings were planned to be enterable. Also, magic users were supposed to be able to get a familiar like Zara had, but it was cut due to programming difficulties.
While the original game was based on dialogues and asking questions in order to obtain some background information, in the new interface the dialogues had a tree structure: a menu of question topics. By asking certain questions (e.g. "Ask about Potion"), the player will get new questions to ask (e.g. "Healing potion, Stamina potion, Dispel potion"). Some easter eggs were also updated, for example in Erasmus's house, the original has a reference to King's Quest IV, while the remake has a reference to The Dagger of Amon Ra
. The treasure room in the troll cave leading to the Brigand's hideout was missing in the remake.
The backgrounds and characters were hand drawn and scanned, while the monster fights and character portraits were made using clay models and stop motion
animation.
Unlike other games, running out of stamina points here can kill the hero outright instead of starting to do health damage.
The VGA remake and original version were also released on CD-ROM as part of the 1996 Anthology collection and 1997 Collection Series.
When you visit the Mirror Lake, south of Spielburg's gates, you can occasionally glimpse the submarine from Codename: Iceman.. yet ANOTHER plug for ANOTHER Sierra game!
HeroQuest (board game)
HeroQuest, sometimes also written as Hero Quest, is an adventure board game that was created by Milton Bradley in conjunction with the British company Games Workshop and set in the latter's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, as shown by a map of the Warhammer 'Old World' being printed on the...
boardgame) is an adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
/role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
hybrid, designed by Lori Ann Cole
Lori Ann Cole
Lori Ann Cole is a game designer, often in cooperation with her husband, professional game programmer Corey Cole. Their team was later named Transolar Games. Lori also maintains a photography and Web design studio known as FAR Studio....
and published by Sierra On-line. It is the first game in the Quest for Glory
Quest for Glory
Quest for Glory is a series of hybrid role-playing/adventure computer games designed by Corey and Lori Ann Cole. The series combined humor, puzzle elements, themes and characters borrowed from various legends, puns, and memorable characters, creating a 5-part series of the Sierra stable.Although...
series. Hero's Quest I has been credited for being a genre-inventing game, as no other game before it had tried to mix graphical adventure gaming with role-playing-like elements such as statistic building (strength, intelligence, health) that would actually have an impact on the ability to accomplish certain parts of the game. (Beyond Zork
Beyond Zork
Beyond Zork was an interactive fiction computer game written by Brian Moriarty and released by Infocom in 1987...
had done the same for text adventures two years earlier.)
Story
In the valley barony of Spielburg, the evil ogress Baba Yaga has cursed the land, and the baron who tried to drive her off. His children have disappeared, while the land is ravaged by monsters and brigandsOutlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
. The Valley of Spielburg is in need of a Hero able to solve these problems.
The game follows the Hero (Devon Aidendale in the novelized Authorized strategy guide), who in the game is a customized adventurer whose name and class is chosen by player, on his journey into the land; he must help people and become a proclaimed Hero.
The adventurer battles monsters, solves side quests (such as finding lost items and spell ingredients) and helps fantasy creatures such as a dryad
Dryad
Dryads are tree nymphs in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew- 'tree' or 'wood'. Thus Dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general...
, a hermit and a colorful collection of furry creatures called Meeps. Fulfilling quests will grant him experience and money, which he may use to buy equipment and potions. The game is open ended, which means the player can explore all the game at once and solve the quests in what order seems convenient to them. During the quest, the character also meets recurring series characters such as the wizard Erasmus and his familiar
Familiar spirit
In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits were supernatural entities believed to assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic...
Fenrus (or perhaps the other way around), and first hears tales of the benevolent faery Erana.
While the game can be completed without solving the secondary quests, in the optimal ending, which nets the player the maximum score and serves as canon for the remainder of the series, the player frees the baronet from a powerful curse and thwarts the plans of the witch Baba Yaga. Finally, the adventurer frees the baron's daughter, Elsa von Spielburg, from the curse which had transformed her into the brigand leader. By doing so, the adventurer fulfills a prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, restores Spielburg Valley to prosperity, and is awarded the title of Hero.
After this, the Hero, along with the merchant Abdulla Doo and the innkeepers Shameen and Shema, leaves on a magic carpet
Magic carpet
A magic carpet, also called a flying carpet, is a legendary carpet that can be used to transport persons who are on it instantaneously or quickly to their destination.-In literature:...
for Shapeir, the homeland of the three, setting the plan for the sequel, Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is the second video game in Sierra's Quest for Glory series, and the sequel to Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero .-Gameplay:...
.
Gameplay
The game advertised itself as "three games in one" since it was the first Sierra game that (according to RPG customs) allowed the selection of a character out of three classes: Fighter, Magic User, and Thief.What class the hero assigns to a character largely determines how they can solve puzzles and what quests they will run into. However, the distinction between classes was not an absolute one; players could add skills to a character and allow them to complete quests related to other classes in this game and others in the series.
Quest for Glory introduced a realism rarely found in RPGs and other adventure games even today. Day, night and the passage of time was a factor; the setting and scenery was different during day and night. The main character had to eat on a regular basis, he would become tired from running and fighting which required rest and sleep. Skills were not obtained by gaining levels through combat, but rather increased distinctly through the regular course of your adventuring. The more the player used magic, the more the Hero's Magic ability would increase (followed by Intelligence); likewise the more the player engaged in battle, training, or even cleaning the baron's stables, the more the Hero's Strength, Vitality and Agility would increase.
This is one of the few Sierra adventure games where the player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
has few or no speaking lines; although the player can input commands such as "ask about brigands", the player character has almost no dialogue.
Development
Many planned features were cut off in the development progress, to release the game in a realistic amount of time. Originally, Lori had planned for four different races: thief-like gnome, magic wielding elf, human as jack of all trades, and archer centaur. For the limited resources in the animating department, races were replaced with multiple classes for the human character.In the original design, there was supposed to be a big goblin maze. References to this have remained in the goblin base of the original version. Many of the town buildings were planned to be enterable. Also, magic users were supposed to be able to get a familiar like Zara had, but it was cut due to programming difficulties.
Remake
Like some other games by Sierra, a VGA version using Sierra's "point and click" SCI1.1 interpreter was released in 1992. As a result of some limitations of this version, many die-hard fans of Quest for Glory resent the VGA rendition due to the lack of movement that was prevalent in the original, which used the text-parser–based SCI0.While the original game was based on dialogues and asking questions in order to obtain some background information, in the new interface the dialogues had a tree structure: a menu of question topics. By asking certain questions (e.g. "Ask about Potion"), the player will get new questions to ask (e.g. "Healing potion, Stamina potion, Dispel potion"). Some easter eggs were also updated, for example in Erasmus's house, the original has a reference to King's Quest IV, while the remake has a reference to The Dagger of Amon Ra
The Dagger of Amon Ra
Roberta Williams' Laura Bow in: The Dagger of Amon Ra is a computer game published by Sierra On-Line in 1992. The game is the second and final installment in the Laura Bow Mysteries line of adventure games, the first of which was The Colonel's Bequest...
. The treasure room in the troll cave leading to the Brigand's hideout was missing in the remake.
The backgrounds and characters were hand drawn and scanned, while the monster fights and character portraits were made using clay models and stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animation.
Unlike other games, running out of stamina points here can kill the hero outright instead of starting to do health damage.
The VGA remake and original version were also released on CD-ROM as part of the 1996 Anthology collection and 1997 Collection Series.
Eastereggs and in-jokes
Before reaching Erasmus, the player must answer a set of three questions asked by a gargoyle. The sets are largely random.- One of them is inspired from Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
: "What is your name?—What is your quest?—What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"- In the second question, the player can reply also "I seek the Holy GrailHoly GrailThe Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
" in which the gargoyle will reply "Sorry, that Jones guyIndiana JonesColonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
got it first". - The reply "I want to be a pirate" (an allusion to Guybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush ThreepwoodGuybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
) is also available to which the gargoyle will reply "Sorry, wrong game"; this is one of the few trans-in-jokeIn-jokeAn in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
s between the two rival adventure gameAdventure gameAn adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
companies. - One potential question is "What's the meaning of life?" The correct answer is "4242 (number)42 is the natural number immediately following 41 and directly preceding 43. The number has received considerable attention in popular culture as a result of its central appearance in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and...
", to which the gargoyle replies "I see you've put some Deep Thought into this", referencing the popular novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
. The cloud guardian asks this same question in Quest for Glory V.
- In the second question, the player can reply also "I seek the Holy Grail
- Another question asks the player what the password is for the Thief's Guild in town. In order to proceed the player must give the wrong answer, to which the gargoyle will reply, "Good. You're not a thief." Giving the correct password makes it impossible to enter the house for the rest of the game.
- Attack the Antwerp with your sword and it will bounce high above your head and out of the area. However, when you leave the screen and enter a new one, a shadow will appear over you from above. Things aren't looking too good! If this Antwerp has it's way then he's gonna flatten you.. so, quickly pull out your dagger\sword and hold it above your head. the Antwerp will land on your blade and explode into lots of little baby Antwerps! Congratulations... you have just caused an Antwerp population explosion!
- If you are a thief, instead of typing 'pick lock', type 'pick nose'. If your lockpicking skill is over 40, then you will gain some valuable experience (and open your nose in the process). However, If your lockpicking skill is under 40 and you type 'pick nose' then you will insert your lockpick to far up your nostril and die of a brain hemorrhage! What a way to die..huh?
EGA version
- On the title Screen, there is a scorpion walking across. Click the mouse on it and a message will appear, saying "Congratulations! You have discovered the first bug in this game."
- When You are in Erasmus' House on Zauberberg Mountain, look at all the junk in his room. You will see a sarcophagus with an inscription on it, reading "She of the golden hair". Upon closer inspection, you will notice a carving of Princess Rosella from King's Quest 4.
- In the same room look at the plane. Written on the side of it is 'Lytton PD' (from Sierra's Police Quest Series)
- In the same room still, if you look at the armor at the back of the room, near the stairs, it says that it belongs to Colonel Dijon (from Sierra's Colonel's Bequest)
When you visit the Mirror Lake, south of Spielburg's gates, you can occasionally glimpse the submarine from Codename: Iceman.. yet ANOTHER plug for ANOTHER Sierra game!
- The Antwerp's head that adorns the adventurer's guild wall was slain by the Two guys from Adromeda (Space Quest, anyone?)
- Talk to the bear in the cave and you will get a message saying 'You know that bears can't talk!'. However, try talking to him again and the bear will tell you that he represents Ditto realties and that he has some lovely properties for sale. And he knows that they are all proven bargains because he has sold them so many times!..Stoopid bear
- In the brigand fortress cafeteria there's a sign on the wall reading, "Brigands uber alles!". Spielburg is a German town after all!
- Larry, Curly and Moe (AKA Three Stooges) make a cameo appearance as the 3 bumbling brigands in the Brigand Cafeteria!
- Try typing some bad words into the game. You will get funny messages!
VGA version
- Sometimes when you are walking along the road to town, either at dawn or at dusk, you will see Earl Sinclair from TV's 'Dinosaurs' show, walking to or from work!
- When you visit Mirror lake, south of Spielberg's town gates, sometimes you will see different things! You might see Nessie and if you talk to him, he tells you that he's lost and doesn't know the way back to Scotland. You can also see Delphineus the Dolphin (from Sierra's Eco Quest) he tells you that he's searching for Adam. He then realises that he's in the wrong game and swims away. The other thing that you can see in the lake is the submarine from Sierra's game Codename: Iceman.
- In Erasmus' house there is a Sarcophagus tied in with a ribbon, called a Lara Bow (from Colonel's Bequest, and The Dagger of Amon Ra, more Sierra On-line game plugs)
- In the same room still, There is a casket on the table. Click your hand icon on the lever. You will see a hand reach from inside casket, and also pull the lever.
- The book that Kaspar, who runs the dry Goods store, is reading, is titled "Quest for Glory: A Hero's Death"
- If you pay Sam the beggar an Alm, he will begin to tell you a story about a guy who started a cidar company called Amblin from Spielburg. (This is referring, of course, to director Steven Spielberg's company Amblin Entertainment)
- Just outside Spielberg's gates is a dry patch of earth where a map seller used to have a stand. The game says that he has now moved on to Shapeir. This is a joke about Ali Chica, the map seller in Quest for Glory 2.
- Click on the tree's in the forest to get funny messages and plugs for other Sierra games.
- In the Screen with Brauggi, the frost giant, try running on the ice. The result is pretty funny!
- Eat some magic mushrooms from the fairy ring and you will begin to hallucinate and see pretty paisley horses! However, if you eat another mushroom then you will OD and kill yourself!
- Step inside the fairy's mushroom ring at night. They will force you to dance to techno music. You will dance so hard that it literally kills you.
- Pick up some rocks (or use a flame dart spell) and then click the target on yourself to get the message, "You always hurt the one you love"
- Go to the spore spitting spirea plants and cut them to pieces with your sword. Return to the Dryad and she will magically turn you into one of the plants that you destroyed.. oh, and game over!
- Try to harm or kill the Stag in the forest. Then go to the Dryad.. She will magically turn you into a Deer, thus ending your heroic quest.
- There's an Academy Award statuette (along with other things, such as the REAL blackbird) sitting amongst the stolen treasure in the brigands leader's room.
- Ignore everybody's advice and drink the Dragon's Breath at the Tavern. Just make sure that you saved your game first!
- 'Enry the Hermit mentions that he is the 8th in a long family tradition of Hermits. This joke is a reference to that old song "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am".
- The signs on the Baker's and the Butcher's shop windows both read "Gone Fishin'". And if you walk into the Tavern, you'll come across the Butcher and Baker playing the card game 'Go Fish' with each other.
External links
- Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero? at the Macintosh Garden