King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella Retold

[DrSlash]

Hey everyone! Let me present to you King's Quest IV Retold, a point-and-click remake of the fourth chapter in Sierra's King's Quest series!

While this is not a 1:1 conversion of the original SCI game, with the most prominent change being the addition of full mouse support, I decided to keep the beautiful 320x200 EGA graphics of the original. In addition to halving the amount of work necessary to complete the project, this decision was also largely motivated by my dissatisfaction with the way many previous attempts at remaking 320x200 SCI games translated EGA graphics into VGA. In many (though not all) cases, the resulting art would look blurry, and much of the charm of the original would be lost in the process. Sierra's VGA remake of Quest for Glory I is probably the most notorious example of this issue.

No changes were made to the game's story or puzzles. Other than the transition to point-and-click controls, which can be seen either as an improvement or as a drawback depending on your tastes, all changes aim to improve upon the original game while staying as faithful to it as possible.

Key Features

Spoiler

Support of modern operating systems
Unlike any of the official releases of King's Quest IV, which cannot be played on modern operating systems without third-party emulators (e.g. DOSBox and ScummVM), this version is designed to run on Linux, MacOS, and any version of Windows from Windows XP onward.

Point-and-click controls
Unlike the original SCI and AGI versions of the game, which were controlled using text commands, King's Quest IV Retold features full mouse support and a completely reworked point-and-click interface similar to that of later Sierra titles. Many parts of the game were also tweaked to be more responsive to player input.

Incorporation of the best features from different versions of King's Quest IV
This remake combines the best aspects of the game's numerous official releases in a single version, offering players the most comprehensive King's Quest IV experience. This includes Roland MT-32 music, sound effects from the Apple IIGS release, environmental sounds from the Amiga release, as well as additional animation frames and more detailed backgrounds found only in early PC versions of the game.

Autosaves
King's Quest IV Retold features a number of quality-of-life improvements aimed at making some of the more dated mechanics of the original game more approachable, especially for new players. One of such improvements is the addition of an autosave system: the game will save automatically every 10 minutes or whenever the player enters a dangerous area. Autosaves cycle between three dedicated slots and will not overwrite manual saves created by the player. Autosaves can be disabled or re-enabled at any time.

Option to remove dead ends
Another major quality-of-life improvement is the option to remove all dead ends that can potentially prevent you from progressing in the game. Selecting this option will also remove the four-hour time limit, giving you as much time to complete the game as you need. Alternatively, you can choose to keep the dead ends and the time limit if you prefer to play the game the way it was originally designed.

Reworked troll caves
A number of improvements were made to troll caves, the most frustrating section of the original game. In addition to several minor gameplay improvements that allow the player to traverse the caves without abusing the game's save system, this area now features brand new backgrounds that replace the pitch-black screens found in the original game, allowing for easier navigation.

Additionally, this remake introduces numerous minor tweaks and improvements. It would be practically impossible to list everything, but more generally these include bug fixes, new animations, re-implementation of graphics cut from the original game, slight tweaks to portraits and backgrounds, typo corrections, additional flavor text, and so on.

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F.A.Q.

Spoiler

Q: So the graphics are the same as in the original SCI version? What's the point then?
A: First and foremost, this remake is aimed at players who prefer point-and-click interfaces over text input. The rest can still enjoy it as a new, significantly less frustrating way to experience this Sierra classic.

Q: Why have I not heard about this project before?
A: No one has. This is just something I had been working on for fun in my spare time without actually expecting to ever finish the game, hence the lack of an announcement.

Q: How many people worked on this game?
A: Just me, myself, and I.

Q: How long did it take to complete the project?
A: Technically, this remake was first conceived back in September 2018, when I decided to create a small project for the 10th anniversary of my introduction to AGS (and by extension my introduction to game development in general). However, at the time it was just a one-room demo and was not meant to be anything more than a scripting exercise for someone who hasn't used AGS for almost 7 years. Months later, I randomly stumbled upon the project on my PC and decided to continue its development, since I had just obtained my master's degree and had a couple of months to spare before starting a new job. About 90% of the game was finished over the course of those two months. Understandably, after that, between the new job and the global pandemic, as well as my participation in several non-AGS projects, progress became much slower, at times coming to a halt. Fast forward two more years and the game is finally ready for release.

Q: Why not call it King's Quest IV Remake?
A: While technically King's Quest IV Remake would be a more accurate title, it would also be somewhat misleading, since most people in the Sierra fan community have come to associate remakes with more radical reimaginings that completely change the original game's look. Besides, there is always a chance that someone will actually make an SVGA remake of the game, so I decided to leave this title for others to take.

Q: Why King's Quest IV? Why not Space Quest III or some other game?
A: I find Space Quest III to be a perfectly good game the way it is. King's Quest IV, on the other hand, had the benefit of having a number of major flaws that I wanted to fix, while also being more historically significant (King's Quest IV was the first SCI game, the first PC game to support a sound card, as well as the first adventure game to feature a female protagonist). Another factor that contributed to this choice was the official reboot by The Odd Gentlemen, which rekindled my interest in the King's Quest series.

Q: Is this the final version of the game? Will there be a voice pack or other additions/changes in the future?
A: You can expect bug fixes in the future, but I don't have any major plans in terms of the game's content for the future. While there will always be more things to add or improve, at some point you need to draw the line and call your project finished.

Q: Will you port the game to [insert platform name here]?
A: While I'd love to port the game to more platforms, I have no experience in porting AGS games and no way of testing them under anything other than Windows. If there is a relatively easy way to create such ports and if you are willing to test them, let me know.

Q: What's next?
A: Well, now that I've spent the last 12 years working on fan games, remakes, and mods, it's high time for me to move on to my own original commercial projects. However, I don't have anything concrete in the pipeline right now, so if you need a translator, tester, or programmer for your commercial game, let me know.

Q: Is there any way to support your future projects?
A: Not at the moment, but I'll look into it when/if I decide on what my next project is going to be.

Q: What about Space Quest XII?
A: Canceled. Has been this way for over a decade now. One of the main reasons for the cancellation was the general lack of interest in the project among the Sierra fan base, however, there were also a number of fundamental problems with the very premise of the game, fixing which would require redoing the entire thing from scratch.

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Changelog (may contain minor spoilers if you haven't played the game yet)

[changelog]Version 1.0.4 (July 24, 2022):
[ + ] The unicorn can now be seen roaming the meadows once it is released
[ + ] Picking up the frog now automatically sets it as the active inventory item to avoid confusing the player
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the game would switch to nighttime at noon if the dead ends are enabled
[ - ] Fixed a graphical bug where Rosella could sometimes pick up the frog and the ball without walking up to them first
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the peacock could sometimes walk on water
[ - ] Fixed a minor graphical bug where Rosella's sprite would not update after falling off the stairs
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the song played when summoning the dolphin would sometimes prevent other music tracks from playing
[ - ] Fixed a typo in the text pop-up for examining the chest of drawers in the Manor bedroom
[ - ] Fixed misaligned text boxes in one of Lolotte's cutscenes
[ - ] Fixed incorrect text box positions in one of Edgar's cutscenes
[ - ] Tweaked the walkable area masks for the organ room and the upper part of the Manor stairs
[ - ] Tweaked the walk-behind mask for Lolotte's dining room
[ - ] Increased the size of the trigger zone for going north from the eastern cemetery
[ - ] The troll now takes more time to appear when chasing Rosella from a different screen
[ - ] The unicorn's initial location is now determined after starting a new game rather than immediately after the game is launched
[ - ] Adjusted the timing of the intro cutscene
[ - ] Updated the fonts used in the credits

Version 1.0.3 (June 6, 2021):
[ + ] Added an alternative hotkey for toggling between Walk and the last cursor mode
[ + ] Mouse is now automatically switched to Walk mode after digging to prevent the player from breaking the shovel by accident
[ + ] Added a text pop-up for trying to interact with the fake wall after looking at the portrait but before examining the wall
[ + ] Added mouseover hints for stable gates
[ + ] Added nighttime water animations for Genesta's island
[ + ] Added nighttime graphics for the ogres' house
[ + ] Added a new ambient track that plays in the forest at night
[ + ] Added a music track that plays when Rosella gets caught by the troll
[ + ] Seagulls can now appear on the screen with the fisherman's shack
[ + ] Improved goon pathfinding when using diagonal movement hotkeys
[ + ] Rosella now always faces the board before picking it up
[ - ] Fixed a bug where Rosella would get stuck on the eastern stairs in Lolotte's castle
[ - ] Fixed a bug that would sometimes prevent the player from combining inventory items
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the hen would not appear in Lolotte's storage room
[ - ] Fixed a bug where Rosella would fall upwards after trying to pick the bow from the opposite side of the pool
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the troll would appear even if the game is already over (e.g. if the player extinguishes the lantern immediately after entering a new screen)
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the message warning the player about Lolotte's goons would permanently stay on the screen
[ - ] Fixed a graphical bug where Rosella would move backwards while on the stairs
[ - ] Fixed a typo in the text pop-up for examining the locket
[ - ] Slightly tweaked several backdrops (waterfall, south of the waterfall, organ room, western stairs in Lolotte castle, Lolotte's throne room)
[ - ] Made major updates to all nighttime and some daytime backdrops for Genesta's island
[ - ] Tweaked walkable area and walk-behind masks for the northeastern and southeastern sections of Genesta's island
[ - ] Tweaked walkable area, walk-behind, and hotspot masks for Cupid's pool
[ - ] Increased the size of several hotspots (crypt ladder, Lolotte in bed, Genesta in bed)
[ - ] Updated the ambient track used in the swamp
[ - ] Fall sounds no longer get cut off on room transitions
[ - ] Certain decorative birds and fish no longer appear at night
[ - ] Rosella can no longer die from exposure at night
[ - ] Slightly increased the maximum distance from which Cupid can be startled

Version 1.0.2 (May 10, 2021):
[ + ] Added hotkeys for toggling between Walk and the last cursor mode
[ + ] Lute and flute playing animations can now be skipped with the Esc key
[ + ] Movement hotkeys introduced in the previous patch can now be used to stand up from the organ
[ - ] Fixed a bug where movement hotkeys introduced in the previous patch allowed Rosella to walk while holding the frog
[ - ] Cupid behavior is now more consistent with the original game
[ - ] Increased the chance for the robin to appear
[ - ] Implemented a better fix for the bug where the game would not recognize a two-tile inventory item
[ - ] Optimized the code responsible for highlighting items on the inventory screen
[ - ] Fixed minor graphical errors on the backdrop for Genesta's bedroom

Version 1.0.1 (May 9, 2021):
[ + ] Added a quicksave feature
[ + ] Added a hotkey for restoring the last save
[ + ] Added hotkeys for changing game speed
[ + ] Added hotkeys for switching between cursor modes
[ + ] Added numpad hotkeys for moving diagonally
[ + ] Pressing the Enter key is now equivalent to clicking the left mouse button when no GUI is displayed
[ + ] Chasm fall animation can now be skipped with the Esc key
[ + ] Keyhole cutscenes can now be skipped if the ogre is sleeping or not inside the house
[ + ] The ending cutscene can now be skipped with the Esc key
[ + ] The "KQ4" button in the options menu now includes a message indicating whether the dead ends and the time limit are enabled
[ - ] Fixed a crash where the ogre and the ogress would appear in the bedroom or the kitchen at the same time
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the game would say the Unicorn is paralyzed with fear even if there is no Unicorn on the screen
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the game would not remove the fish from the player's inventory
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the game would not recognize a two-tile inventory item if the inventory window was closed on the exact frame the item was selected
[ - ] Fixed a bug where one of the halves of a selected two-tile inventory item would sometimes not be highlighted on the inventory screen
[ - ] Fixed a bug where the time displayed in the grandfather clock's look message would repeatedly switch between A.M. and P.M. at noon and midnight
[ - ] Presumably fixed a bug where the game would softlock when falling down the chasm
[ - ] Implemented WASD movement, which did not work in the previous version despite being listed among the game's controls
[ - ] To prevent possible bugs, manual saves may no longer contain the words "AUTOSAVE" and "QUICKSAVE" in their names
[ - ] Game speed is no longer automatically set to default when Edgar comes upstairs to Lolotte's room
[ - ] Ogre spawn behavior and door script for the ogre's house are now more consistent with the original game
[ - ] Increased the size of the trigger zone for going downstairs from the organ screen
[ - ] Increased the size of the hotspot for the pile of bones
[ - ] Slightly expanded the walkable area for crossing the chasm
[ - ] Prerequisites for automatic time progression are now more consistent with the original game
[ - ] Increased the chance for the Lord of the Manor to appear
[ - ] Changed the behavior of the Miser to make it more consistent with the original game
[ - ] Updated the appearance of the talk cursor
[ - ] Removed silence at the end of the music track that plays on the pier screen[/changelog]



The game is available for Windows, Linux, and MacOS. Download links can be found on the game's AGS database page.

[Athanor]

Congratulations to the release! That's a wonderful surprise and I really like the fact that you carefully modernized this classic without changing the atmosphere and aesthetics. I especially like that there is an option to play without the terrible Sierra dead ends. And, lazy as I am, I really appreciate the point and click-controls. Oh and I LOVE the MT32-music and the atmospheric environmental sound effects! Well done!

[DrSlash]

Thanks, Athanor! Yep, between the somber soundtrack and the almost horror-inspired visuals, atmosphere is definitely one of the best aspects of the original game. As for the whole point-and-click vs command input controls discussion, there are definitely arguments to be made for both sides, but I personally feel that, in the case of King's Quest, there isn't much "lost in translation" when adapting these games to mouse controls. Can't say the same about Leisure Suit Larry or Space Quest, though.

Hope you have fun playing the game!

[daleks13]

Wow thanks couple quick questions is it easier to walk up the whales tongue ? And is the stairs easier to climb ?

[DrSlash]

Yes, to both of your questions! Moreover, in addition to these sections of the game being less punishing thanks to the support of mouse controls and to AGS having better pathfinding than early SCI, the game also creates an autosave whenever you enter a room with potentially lethal stairs, just in case!

[agentbauer]

Congratulations to the release! Just downloading and I appreciate the PnC interface.
You should get in contact with Nightfable, she made some wonderful VGA backgrounds and animations for our (on hold) remake of KQ IV.

[mkennedy]

Thanks for the option to avoid dead ends!
Is the text parser present at all or is it strictly point and click?

[DrSlash]

Congratulations to the release! Just downloading and I appreciate the PnC interface.
You should get in contact with Nightfable, she made some wonderful VGA backgrounds and animations for our (on hold) remake of KQ IV.

Thank you, agentbauer!
Yep, I've seen Nightfable's work, it looks fantastic! It's a shame that the project was canceled/put on hold.
Maybe I'll message her once I get a chance to step back from my project for a while and get some rest. To be quite honest, I'm currently at the point where I can't even look at my game (or anything else King's Quest, for that matter) anymore. That's what countless hours of testing will do to you, I guess!

Thanks for the option to avoid dead ends!
Is the text parser present at all or is it strictly point and click?

Nope. I considered keeping it as an option similarly to AGDI's Quest for Glory II remake, but that would be just too much work for something few people would use. One of my main goals with this project was to make King's Quest IV more approachable for newer players, many of whom were put off by the original game's controls. At the end of the day, text parser purists will always have the option to go back to the original.

[daleks13]

Theres still this unicorntales working on KQ 4 remake https://unicorntales.org/kq4-perilsofrosella-remake/ that needs help.

[DrSlash]

Yep, I'm familiar with that project as well. From what I understand, they already have the programming part more or less sorted out. Not to mention that differences in game resolution and background composition would render my code pretty much unusable for them, since none of the hotspots, walkable areas, object coordinates, etc. would match between the two projects. In most cases, it would really be easier for them to write their own code from scratch than to try and adapt someone else's. However, if their programmers ever run into some sort of a major roadblock, I'd be happy to help them with some advice and explain how I dealt with it in my project.
I definitely am looking forward to seeing their version of the game released and wish them the best of luck! 👍 The more fan games there are, the merrier. After all, these projects are what keeps the Sierra fan base alive after so many years.

[Blackthorne]

Very cool! This looks amazing!


Bt

[negator2vc]

Wow! Amazing!!!! Every old (especially Sierra) adventure game need a remake like this.
Improved controls + no dead ends!!!!
Great Job

Now for a little feedback:
- Increase the room's exits hotspots size. Now you have to click right on each screen edge in order to change room (which make it difficult to navigate the world).
Even better maybe show a desc or a different cursor ex. an arrow (like most modern adventure games do)
- Show, maybe in the settings panel, which game's version the player is currently playing (with or without deadends).
- In the Linux Version the exec filename "King'sQuest4" need to be renamed in order for the game to start (in addition to the needed change of permittions).
Since the exec filename is taken from the project name when you build the game I think it's best if you rename the project (just the project) to something like KQ4Retold (without spaces or weird characters) to avoid the problem.

I tested the Linux version in Linux Mint x64

[DrSlash]

Very cool! This looks amazing!


Bt

Thanks Bt! Infamous Adventures is one of the biggest reasons why I started making my own games, so it's always great to hear positive feedback from you!

Wow! Amazing!!!! Every old (especially Sierra) adventure game need a remake like this.
Improved controls   no dead ends!!!!
Great Job

Thank you, negator2vc! I'm glad you're enjoying the game!

Even better maybe show a desc or a different cursor ex. an arrow (like most modern adventure games do)

That's actually a great idea, I will consider it, thanks!

Show, maybe in the settings panel, which game's version the player is currently playing (with or without deadends)

Yeah, I thought about it but didn't find a suitable place to display this information. I'll probably add this in the next patch.

In the Linux Version the exec filename "King'sQuest4" need to be renamed in order for the game to start (in addition to the needed change of permittions).
Since the exec filename is taken from the project name when you build the game I think it's best if you rename the project (just the project) to something like KQ4Retold (without spaces or weird characters) to avoid the problem.

I tested the Linux version in Linux Mint x64

Thanks! Great to know that the port works! I'll make sure to change the filename as you suggested.

[OneShortEye]

First off, awesome game! I know we spoke a bit on YouTube, but I'll echo my sentiments and congratulate you on how good this is.

topkekshrek found a bug that occurs after you grab the hen but then go upstairs in the ogre's house.

https://clips.twitch.tv/TenuousBlightedButterOSkomodo-QrEvYHqoDd1qu7oT

There were a couple others that I'll try to grab video of later involving the cave chasm. On multiple occasions, we've fallen down the chasm, only to have the restore / restart dialog never show up.

[DrSlash]

Noted. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I'll be sure to fix these in the upcoming patch!

[JStryker47]

Hello, Dr. Slash.  I'm Jack Stryker, head of Unicorn Tales' King's Que-

Crowd:  "We know!"

Okay already...

As I stated in my latest update thread, we have indeed gotten over most of the hurdles involved with our project, though we do still have some bugs left to exterminate.  All the same, we would very much appreciate any kind of help we can get, should we ever need it.  That being said, I've just played through your remake and I have some feedback to offer.  I'll inform you in advance, that the good most certainly outweighs the bad.  Also, just so you know, we had a couple ideas similar to yours, but we honestly had no idea your game existed until now.  So, here are the pros and cons.

Spoiler

Pros:

+ The ambient sounds are very nice.
+ I like what you did with the ball in the pond, and the narration message for picking up Cupid's bow.
+ The death screen messages are pretty good.
+ The inventory messages aren't too shabby either.
+ The troll cave section is amazingly well done and I liked how much easier it was to elude the troll.
+ I think I speak for about 90% of all King's Quest fans, when I say that I appreciate you eliminating that annoying "You're not close enough." message.  (For the most part anyway.)
+ Pan walking up to Rosella after hearing her play the lute, instead of just freezing in place, is a good change.
+ The stairs are indeed much easier to navigate.
+ Autosaves and the option to eliminate dead ends are a welcome addition.
+ I liked that you slowed down certain animations that went by too fast in the original - like when Genesta teleports Rosella and herself outside in the end.  In the original, it was so fast that you could barely make out a word of the narration message.
+ Genesta's revised line about Edgar is a welcome change too.
+ As much as I like Roberta and all the things she did for the PC gaming community, it was nice to not have to look at her picture in this game.  (Although I think Genesta's portrait might've been more appropriate for the ending.)

Cons:

- The fish remained in my inventory, even after feeding it to the pelican.
- While the stairs were significantly easier to navigate, I found it incredibly hard not to fall from the top of the stairs in the organ room; which I'm not sure was possible in the original.  (Was it?)  At any rate, that was the only part where I had any trouble falling, and I did fall there A LOT.
- The only ghost sound I heard was an occasional baby cry; which wasn't very scary-sounding.
- The sound of the grandfather clock was a little annoying and sort of took away from the ghosts' music when they appeared in that room.
- The clock's eye message also contains a typo.  12:00 AM is midnight.  If it's daytime, then the time should be 12:00 PM.

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[doctorfargo]

Just completed it! Very good job!

I especially liked that you used the ambient sounds from the Amiga version. 

[DrSlash]

As I stated in my latest update thread, we have indeed gotten over most of the hurdles involved with our project, though we do still have some bugs left to exterminate.  All the same, we would very much appreciate any kind of help we can get, should we ever need it.

Hi, Stryker! Sure, feel free to PM me and fill me in on the details of what remains to be finished in your remake in terms of scripting. I'll see if I can help you somehow. However, I have a feeling that I'll be too busy patching my own game in the coming weeks, so I can't make any promises right now.

That being said, I've just played through your remake and I have some feedback to offer.  I'll inform you in advance, that the good most certainly outweighs the bad.  Also, just so you know, we had a couple ideas similar to yours, but we honestly had no idea your game existed until now.  So, here are the pros and cons.

Thanks for your extensive feedback! Glad you noticed the smaller changes as well! The fish remaining in your inventory sounds like a bug, I'll make sure to fix it. Pathfinding in the organ room is probably the most common complaint right now, I'll see if there is a way to improve it. Almost all sound effects are taken from the IIGS and Amiga versions of the original game; unfortunately, neither of them had any sounds for the other ghosts. And yep, I always keep making the same mistake of confusing AM and PM at noon and midnight â€" will be fixed!

Just completed it! Very good job!

I especially liked that you used the ambient sounds from the Amiga version. 

Thank you, doctorfargo! Glad you enjoyed the game!

[Whyshchuck]

Great job! Wow! Thank you!

The only think I found missing is diagonal move with numeric pad.
It's would be very usefull in stair scenes.

Have you thought about preparing Conquest of Camelot in the same way?

[DrSlash]

The only think I found missing is diagonal move with numeric pad.
It's would be very usefull in stair scenes.

Good idea, will be implemented in the upcoming patch!

Have you thought about preparing Conquest of Camelot in the same way?

Conquest of Camelot is a fantastic game, but I don't plan to start any new remake/fan game projects at this point. I've already dedicated the past 13 years of my life to fan projects, so I think it's time for me to move on to my own original games.

However, hypothetically speaking, I would love to see someone remake Quest for Glory III more than anything else. QfG3 doesn't need any significant updates to its visuals or gameplay mechanics, but its story could definitely be fleshed out a bit more and there just isn't that much stuff to do in the game (especially for the Thief class).