Future so Bright He's Got to Wear Shades: Let's Play Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire

Vital Statistics

Published by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Developed by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Released in 1990

Credits
Executive Producer: Ken Williams
Creative Director: William R. Davis Sr.
Producer: Guruka Singh Khalsa
Game Designers: Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole
Art Designer: Kenn Nishiuye
Lead Programmer: Robert Fischbach
Composers: Mark Seibert, Chris Braymen

While in interviews the Coles have long claimed that QFG4 is their favorite game in the series, I can understand it is one of my favorite games of all time, fans have always seemed to gravitate towards the this QFG game. Two seems to take the wonderful system found in the first game and make just enough correct tweaks to make the game really, really shine. The most noticeable tweak being a more easily understood and navigable combat system.

Sadly, this game is saddled with a terrible maze city and timed puzzles. Despite that we should be okay.

Many of you commented at the end of the QFG1 LP that I did not max out Garcon's stats before completing the game. I, incorrectly, stated that was because the game would give us points to catch us up to be speed. I did recall the correct reason though after playing as Garcon for a bit and playing as an old saved perfected character. The reason I don't do that is because a maxed out beginning character makes many of the skill challenges in this game , as well as the combat, trivial. I find its much more enjoyable to play the game without a maxed character.

Of course, if that is what the people want I know of some way to do just that. A rare drug that can be found by ingesting the venom of a small tropical blue frog...

EDIT: If you want to read the manual you can find it here!

Opening Cinematic:



Character Select:



Game Beginning:

Interesting. I used to place it behind QfG1 (VGA version) on the basis of graphics and mouse vs. text parser, but I've found that I mellowed on it somewhat recently.

QfG3 is still dead last, with QfG5 just barely ahead.

I love the class introductions in this, the animations great and they just ooze flavor and personality. Looking forward to this, and hopefully I'll finally get a handle on all the parser inputs, since I haven't really played through this in years.

That was how I felt when I originally played 'em as well. I still have some issues with the parser (since it wasn't ingrained into my brain), but I think I'll play along, since I have an imported character waiting to be played.

If you dislike the parser, the fan-made QfG2 VGA omits it, I think. It will also import your character (and export it, too, I'm sure).

The parser isn't the real problem here its navigating the boring maze that is the city of Shapier

I wanted to like this game. I love the hell out of genies and deserts and stuff. This was just a bad way to experience them!

I think the VGA version makes that optional. If you have any other complaints about TBF, the fan version probably addresses those, too!

That said, I haven't played the fan version. EGA 4 lyfe

Not a problem ,it's just boring. Once you find the places and have the map you don't have to deal with the maze anymore.

A note: the Coles originally planned to have events and encounters happen while exploring the city but they were cut do to time constraints...

Pfeh. I just drew my own map to use for whenever I started up a new game.

What was REALLY frustrating was when you got to Raseir, which was a mirror of Shapeir and had no map support.

Special request for this LP: Do the x-ray glasses!

First update this weekend!

PS - I hate this stupid city. You guys owe me.

First, first things let's see if Ol' Garcon made it to Shapier safe and sound?

*trinkering*

*hackering*

*some of that old time DOS magicking*



What was the very first thing I did after loading in Perseii? Why, delete those three pesky spaces at the end of his name! The very next thing? Well it is the most important thing you can do in QFG2:



I turned Silly Clowns to 'On.' Now we can get started! Jackson was in a new city and that meant all his money was no good here he needed to find a money changer (those people Jesus hated) He asked Abdulla about it



Next was finding out where the Guild hall was:



Danar doesn't think Abdulla is going to be that helpful! Here is hoping Shameen can help!

When asked about the Money Changer:



the Guild Hall:



The Fountain Plaza:



Okay, so not so much help. That is okay though. 'Cause in the promotional material Seepgood got from the Shapier Chamber of Commerce was a map. It wasn't a very good one but it will have to do until he gets a better one. He knows that the Money changer is on Dinar Tarik which is right off of Naufara Darb which is right off the Fountain Plaza which is just north of here! Garcon pats himself down before heading out to make sure he hasn't lost anything:



As soon as Perseii leaves the Katta's Tail he's assailed by street vendors:



Ali Chica seems especially keen to let the hero know about his wares. Annoying as he may be a map and compass would be helpful.

Maybe he won't notice the funny money? Gold is gold, right?

So, we ask Ali Chica where the Money Changer is maybe he'll have easy directions to follow?



Or not. Well, getting to the Fountin Plaza should be easy enough, it's just north of here:



Inviting no? Be grateful. You don't have to stare at endless iterations of this screen. I will, until I map out all the important places in town. Then I can just jump to them (thank the Maker!)



Kinda mesmerizing, no?



Did you like that? Like the POV change there? Me too! I loved it. Nothing like making an already confusing area more confusing by change the players POV! What's that? It'd be easier to navigate this if they always kept the player oriented to looking north? I'm sure that would! But then you wouldn't get lost! MwHahahaah! Die in a fire!

excuse me, I got carried away thinking like an adventure game developer. I apologize. Okay, so Jackson is now in the Fountain plaza. It's important cause the apothecary is here and the founatin is. We'll need the medicine the Apothecarist carries and we'll need the fountain for our waterskins.



"And, they're just giving it away for free!"

First, in to the Apothecary:

Seeing as this guy loves fire so much Danar asks him about it (how convenient):





"good to know, good to know"



Might as well be a thousand of them. I've got nothing but these here stacks of gold and silver!

The northen side of fountain plaza has a more street vendors and what I thought was a magic shop:

(Did someone mention something about these? I've never bothered with them so fill me in maybe?)



You might have noticed that the characters, so far, in QFG2 are a lot more talkative than their counterparts in QFG1... It's a mixed blessing, really. Like I said earlier we just need to find Naufara Darb if we want to get to the Money Changer:



Now picture in your head 15-20 screenshots almost identical to that last one. Imagine Seepgood walking through them. Nothing happening all the while. Did you do it? Good. Now I don't have to put them up here for you to look at!



[qoute]look woman[/quote]

Never say I don't care! Wow, this is the Money Changers? Sort of a hole in the wall. Get's me thinking, thiefly like



That is what it looks like?! How embarassing!



"Oh, stop you Minx! You're making me blush! What? Oh, you meant actual theiving tools?! uh, yeah me too!"





Now that Garcon has some actual money he can start kiting himself for desert adventures unlimited!

We're going to imagine again! Imagine I tried to get Perseii back to the Fountain or Gate Plazas. Imagine instead I roamed the dark, lonely, empty hallways of Shapier for ten minutes. Then:



A Plaza, at last! Wait, none of this look familiar! Where the hell am I? The Fighter's Plaza? This isn't where I wanted to be! Might as well look around since I'm here...





(so pink!)

"That's pretty banal. Not helpful either. Who said you were a hero again?"





"Oh, fun! Another endless night of horrors being lost in this city looking for someone..."



"What a cute baby! Where's the fath... I mean.. No, I wasn't implying anything! I'm sorry! Look can I just sign my name and ran away in shame, please?"





"Isn't that precious! Those brainless shield banging morons got thier own little club!"

(EOF is the fighter exclusive quest line in QFG2.)







"Damn, that is a fine looking name right there! Though I do believe I will develop carpal tunnel from having to write it out all the time..."

"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba, Sithi uhhmm ingonyama, Siyo Nqoba, Ingonyama Ingonyama nengw' enamabaali uhhmm ingonyama, Ingonyama! Oh, sorry you were saying something?"



"I don't know... Seemed to be full of empty platitudes to me..."



"Enough talk! Have at you!"



Seeing as I have a laptop I think they only moves I can do are back dodge thrust and hi and low parry. Except my parries do nothing because I don't have that skill... Let's see how this goes:



Uhura offers useless advice throughout the practice. Which lasts until Garcon is exhuasted and has depleted his vitality.



But he did gain some stats, especially in Weapon Use and Dodge which he was lacking in from his time in Spielburg:

Outside in the Fighter's Plaza Perseii stops at the leatherworkers stall to pick up another waterbag, just cause.



Besides the Guild Hall the only other thing in the Plaza is the Weapon shop. (BTW don't I have to steal that bellows, there?):





"Ten is a nice round number and bodies look so lovely with the hilts of ten daggers sticking out of them..."



We won't be spending a lot of time with Issur, if we were a fighter we might, cause IIRC he's the Eternal Order of Fighters contact in Shapier.

After that Danar returns to the lightless corridors of Shapier and once again gets lost (I spent most of day 1 being lost) I wanted to get back to the Gate Plaza so I could pick up a map and compass. Finally, he made it back to the Fountain Plaza and did some shopping:

Enough of this airhead! Back to the fiery chemist, Harik Attar:





Why am I asking this? Stop asking questions! Seepgood is precognescent! He doesn't know what he asks these questions, he just trusts them when they come!











"Oh thanks, that will be a great help when I'm dead..."

Alright now I can grab that map and compass Ali Chica had!



Or not... "We don't need no stinking maps!" Welp, this place is dead let's go outside:



Next time? Next time we explore the desert! Rob some people, finally get a map and then explore the rest of the city (fun!)

On a laptop, you might be able to turn on Num Lock, then use the keys 789UIOJKL for 789456123 respectively. 0p;m/ would also correspond to /*-0+ respectively, though I don't think you'll need them.

You put them on and you can see through things.

Everyone in this stupid city sure does like puns and general silliness.

There's apparently something that happens if you use the x-ray glasses in the harem.

Aziza plays much the same role as Erasmus did in the first game. You get to her place and she asks a bunch of stupid questions. The first of which is "What is your name?" No problem I've typed it out a bunch of times....


except the text box for putting in your name isn't big enough for ol' Garcon's full name.

I can try some other things. Or I can reimport our character change his name to something shorter, for now, and then play back up to where we are... Or we can just skip the entire magical part of the game?

Up to you guys.

Sssshh!

Such as?

Well, besides the things mentioned putting the name in without spaces or such or see if the cheat code can alter the name...?

The cheat code is amazing in this game. You have to do a bonus update dedicated to it.