Different version of KQ1 between current update and "legacy" version

[Millie Squilly]

So as far as I can tell, the new updated version of the collection features the original keyboard-only low-rez version of King's Quest 1, whereas the "legacy" version available when you launch the game seems to have the updated SCI-engine higher-rez mouse support version of KQ1.
I'm mostly just mentioning this for other people's information, but I find it really weird that it's not just possible to have one updated launcher that lets you pick any version you want... maybe if anyone involved in the update is reading this they can shed some light on this decision? It's not like the setup for either is particularly complicated since they're both just the DOS version running in dosbox.

[Zeikar]

I've modified my release to where I get a choice of both versions, I can't exaclty post these modifications because it contains game data, but if I wanted to I could provide steps. it's a matter of a modified .conf file and moving a folder

[skywalkr2]

please share. I don't know why I can't get kq1 vga to work. same problem with the space quest collection

[Zeikar]

Originally posted by skywalkr2:

please share. I don't know why I can't get kq1 vga to work. same problem with the space quest collection

look into configurations for dosbox like use overlay, surface, ddraw, or opengl, I think maybe overlay works best you can also try to enter the resolution that works best for you also

[ZaphodSG]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who can't quite figure out why it installs the way it does. This is a bit of a mess that requires a little manual moving things around. I get 2 copies of every game except KQ1, which I get the original version in one place and the SCI version in another. I get a copy of DOSBOX I mean, multiple versions of DOSBOX (.63 and .74) and one of them gets a seperate copy in every game folder.

So basically, copy the SCI version into the 2016 collection folder, edit the CONF to add it in (the launcher doesn't seem to like stepping up to 8 buttons, so I'm guessing that's why the didn't put both in there?), then tweak the DOSBOX settings as required, and man, they need some tweaking if you want to play the games like they were meant to be played. I'll detail that as I move forward.

OK, as I remembered, the old Sierra games, pre-Sound Blaster, were best run on Tandy 1000/IBM PC Jr. machines with 3 voice sounds. You should go into your doxboxkq1.conf file, for instance, and change the machine type

from: svga_s3
to: tandy

And you'll get the music that the game was originally designed to have, not the beeps and boops you get from the default settings. It's criminal that the base package doesn't do this for you.

You can't just turn on the Tandy sound emulation, you have to set the machine type to Tandy, as these particular games either ran with Tandy graphics and sound or with PC graphics and sound. This all evolved over time with Sierra games, but the very first one the graphics and sound settings were tied together, I believe.

For reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_1000#Design_and_architecture

Games to change to Tandy include:

KQ1
KQ2
KQ3

I'll get to how to tweak the other games as I have a chance.

[Valiento]

The Legacy KQ7 is the 16-bit Windows Version 1.51. It won't work in 64-bit windows.

However, if it ever works in ScummVM its worth playing since it has a number of differences including some differences with certain puzzles, and one or two death scenes that were cut in the later DOS version (2.0 included in the 2016 release).