I think the only changes will be bug fixes and XP compatibility. The only thing that I want is an XP compatible Windows version of KQ6. the rest work just fine with just NRS's patches and DOSBox.

collector wrote:

I think the only changes will be bug fixes and XP compatibility. The only thing that I want is an XP compatible Windows version of KQ6. the rest work just fine with just NRS's patches and DOSBox.

Not worried about the music? What if they only release the windows versions? I would rather like the dos versions (superior in my honest opinion) with MT-32 recorded music.

Of course I doubt that will happen. Also we all know VUgames track record of using paper sleeves.... 😒

Heh. It would be funny if they released the DOS version and declared on the package that they were "XP Compatible".

Wouldn't be the first time. 🙄

DosFreak wrote:

Heh. It would be funny if they released the DOS version and declared on the package that they were "XP Compatible".

Wouldn't be the first time. 🙄

I mean based off the dos versions. 😉 The windows versions for some sierra games are horrible. You can't get proper music and the window makes walking to the edge of the screen annoying.

I don't even know why I care....they won't get it right. 😒

I think the primary reason for companies "not getting it right". Is that they do not work with the community before releasing these compilations.

These companies don't like to package 3rd party programs understandably. But they can easily include all of the hints and fixes and work with the community to fix the bugs for releasing them on CD/DVD.

The fact that they do not do this to me means that these upcoming compilations will be the same as earlier compilations. Heck, I wouldn't be suprised to see the previous hints/walkthroughs from the previous KQ collection on there slightly updated.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it they did include an Apple IIGS Emulator on the last KQ collection so mabye they'll get smart and stick DosBox on the upcoming one. If so expect alot of noobs visiting the forums since DosBox 0.63 is pretty old.....

DosFreak wrote:

Actually now that I'm thinking about it they did include an Apple IIGS Emulator on the last KQ collection so mabye they'll get smart and stick DosBox on the upcoming one. If so expect alot of noobs visiting the forums since DosBox 0.63 is pretty old.....

Actually I would prefer the dos versions + dosbox. That way at least I know they are the correct versions.

avatar_58 wrote:

DosFreak wrote:

Actually now that I'm thinking about it they did include an Apple IIGS Emulator on the last KQ collection so mabye they'll get smart and stick DosBox on the upcoming one. If so expect alot of noobs visiting the forums since DosBox 0.63 is pretty old.....

Actually I would prefer the dos versions + dosbox. That way at least I know they are the correct versions.

Not so uncommon... Soldout [in the UK] now ship Broken Sword 1 & 2 in the same box with a copy of SCUMMVM thrown in. A nice move but it's a shame they didn't tell the SCUMMVM team what they were doing - although they didn't have to it would have been a cool move nonetheless.

Last time Sierra released the collections they had emulators, slow-down tools and workaround hints. As [potential] consumers we can only hope that they take the assets from the best releases and repackage it all up to run without issue XP 32/64 and later systems... 😀

Being a pessimist at heart I feel that VUgames will botch it somehow. The C&C collection problems don't bother me since I have never played the games (and this was my first taste) and it seemed like a good deal to me.

However at least those games didn't have their audio or graphics botched. A clean solution might be to just include some sort of midi-soundbank to emulate the old sierra mt-32 tracks.

I don't know there are so many damn "ifs" about these collections that I'm going to have to wait to hear the feedback from other fans.

Like I said, I just want an XP compatible Windows KQ6 -- the only SCI game where the Windows version is superior. The rest I already have and they work just fine with DOSBox and NewRisingSun's patches.

As far as MT-32 support, only the earlier SCI games have good MT-32 support, the later games sound better with general MIDI.

The best thing about these collections is that it give others that have not had a chance to play them the opportunity.

The windows version is superior? In what way? 😕 The only windows versions that ever came close in my eyes were Gabriel Knight 2, LSL6 & 7 and Police Quest 4....except that windows midi sounds terrible.

How well do the Windows versions work on LCD's?

DosFreak wrote:

How well do the Windows versions work on LCD's?

I don't understand, why would an LCD change anything? I have one so... 😕

I've never really played the Windows vers and when I've tested them I've tested them on a CRT. Are there any issues with the resolution of the Windows versions on an LCD?

I know some people were complaining about the C&C collection on LCD's because of the 640x400/640X480 res.

DosFreak wrote:

I've never really played the Windows vers and when I've tested them I've tested them on a CRT. Are there any issues with the resolution of the Windows versions on an LCD?

I know some people were complaining about the C&C collection on LCD's because of the 640x400/640X480 res.

They probably just don't like the 'smoothing' effect that happens if an LCD is forced to a non-native resolution. Personally I don't care much on my 1280x1024 native LCD.

The Windows version of KQ6 has higher res graphics. The dialog pictures of the DOS version are a lot cruder.

According to NewRisingSun, the "hi-res" versions in KQ6 Windows are "butt-ugly", so I wonder if that's valid..

And, this is disgraceful. Right up there with 3DRealms saying "don't write negative things about us". 20 bucks is hardly a king's ransom? Sure is a lot to pay for games not made by distributors and supposedly 'fixed' for XP. I'd be worried if modern-era programmers tinkered with the code!One minute you get Roger Wilco, the next, a fly.. 😉

but seriously, I think it's disgraceful. My bet's on the dosbox zip on the CD and possibly NewRisingSun's timer fixes. And, the games will almost certainly be DOS (the ones that were DOS originally, anyway).

Forgive me for being such a cynic- but I only have cynical feelings when it comes to the entity that is Vivendi Unversal. Money grubbing, intellectual property holding bastards. Same goes for 3DRealms, actually. But that's another story..

- Spike

There is a problem with Windows KQ6. The regular game screen still uses the VGA (320x200) graphics. The portraits use SVGA (640x480) graphics. This means that the VGA graphics have to be upscaled from 320x200 to 640x480, and this requires interpolation. Had they simply used a 640x400 window, they could have avoided the problem by simply doubling the pixels. Using the DOS version and Microsoft Photo Editor, I can show you an example:

This is how King's Quest VI normally looks.

It looks the same in this shot, only the pixels are doubled.

But in this shot, the picture has been stretched and the text has been distorted. The windows version may not look exactly like this, but it looks very close.

My bet's on the dosbox zip on the CD and possibly NewRisingSun's timer fixes.

DOSBox zip is a possibility -- releases like this usually don't get much if any programming time budgeted so somebody might just look for the simplest solution around. DOSBox is the simplest to get up and running, although they may resort to Qemu/FreeDOS or, even worse, VMWare player with FreeDOS (very unlikely). However, it is going to be the latest released version of DOSBox at best (0.63), not any custom build. I wonder if readme.txt will mention completely broken KQ6 intro in this case... Well, according to Amazon, there is only one month left, so let's wait and see.[/i]

Here are screens of the DOS and windows version.