Jim Walls launching Kickstarter spiritual succesor to Police Quest

kaput · Wed 24/07/2013 16:06:20

I think the problem here is that on hearing about it, everyone thinks the game will be another Police Quest - which it clearly isn't, and get a bit disappointed about it. He also doesn't have a pop star video where he does lots of funny stuff, which people tend to eat up. The game looks really good for what it is with really impressive features, but with all the disappointed and preconceptions it'll probably result in the game not being made (although, on the other hand it could explode on the last week and surprise everybody). It just looks like he wants to do something different and it's not being received all that well.

Chicky · Wed 24/07/2013 19:29:54

Quote from: Secret Fawful on Wed 24/07/2013 00:09:13

Oh, by obsessive focus on realism and neglect to include anything "fun", you mean unique mechanics that set it apart from the crowd and a true-to-detail experience. Okay. At least it wasn't fuckin Minecraft.

But what if i want to walk around the station in nothing but a towel? Now that would be a unique mechanic! In all fairness it's been quite some time since i've played any of them, so i'm happy to take your word on their credibility.

I'm not sure i get the Minecraft comment? The voxel sandbox idea may have been around long before Notch, but he made a damn good stab at it!

Andail · Fri 26/07/2013 10:24:25

The unique mechanic here seems to be a complete lack of freedom. "Want to drive to the destination? Click Drive to Destination. Want to get out and enter the bar? Click Get Out and Enter the Bar." I bet every time you press the wrong button, Jim Walls is gonna pop up and tell you how you didn't pay attention to proper police protocol.
Reminds me of the golf game Bart got for Christmas present.
But hey, it's 3D!

Secret Fawful · Sat 27/07/2013 00:52:23

I have to agree. It does seem to lack a lot of freedom, and that is a problem for me.

Ryan Timothy B · Sat 27/07/2013 01:09:14

[embed=420,315]http://youtu.be/ac9Z6CN14Gs[/embed]

And yes, I agree with Andail. I couldn't believe how terrible the gameplay looked.

David Ostman · Thu 01/08/2013 16:20:05

I remember when I was listening to the livestream when Walls first spoke about this project, revealing that it was in the making, and I got mighty excited. My childhood flashed before my eyes for a moment as I was a super die hard fan of the Police Quest series to the point where I even wrote fan mail to Sierra about it (which I mailed from Sweden, and I don't think it ever arrived properly..).

Then this Kickstarter comes up, and I watch the pitch video, and my heart just sinks so deep it splits in two at my crotch and each shattered half settles down in the soles of my feet. It's not that the mockup video looks lackluster (it does), but the whole premise just seems void of everything I was hoping for in a Jim Walls/PQ related game. I can't even bring myself to donate a token sum the way I normally would do. I'm a complete victim of my own expectations here and I'm just angry at the world at large at this point

Knox · Thu 01/08/2013 17:56:33

Quote from: David Ostman
I remember when I was listening to the livestream when Walls first spoke about this project, revealing that it was in the making, and I got mighty excited.
Then this Kickstarter comes up, and I watch the pitch video, and my heart just sinks so deep it splits in two at my crotch and each shattered half settles down in the soles of my feet.

Haha same here...I have a feeling they thought they could just show up and people would throw money at them because they used to work for Sierra or something. In one of the interviews Jim Walls even mentions they "need to get a team together". Doesn't look like they put much thought into it at all.

Volcan · Tue 06/08/2013 22:45:21

Jim Wall's project is concelled.

I just checked his kickstart page today.

I would like to play Police Quest in 3D. Like assign a task, go to the road XXX, deals with thugs, arrest them, book them to the jail, assing another task, ...

That would make a change than just go to a place and shoot to everybody.

Secret Fawful · Wed 07/08/2013 00:04:09

Oh, look, an unsuccessful Sierra designer. What a surprise.

David Ostman · Wed 07/08/2013 00:19:03

Yeah, not surprised about this. However, they have their own flexible funding campaign going on now at their website.

Edit: If you donate there, be aware that once a stage (out of 4) is met you can't pull out with your money.

The Fool · Wed 07/08/2013 00:52:32

Sorry for partial OT, but have any of you guys seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygsxF_L11p4

It has been my guilty pleasure in many sleepless nights, especially Grundi's improvised musical number at the end
is pretty insane

Gribbler · Fri 09/08/2013 21:27:03

I watched it for a few minutes, rewinded couple of times, and did not find it funny at all. I prefer standard longplays or adventure speedruns.

The Fool · Sat 10/08/2013 17:14:58

Aaaah, I see that I accidentaly posted link that starts on 39:46. My bad.

My relationship with this video went from "uuuh, this is really wierd" to "I cant's sleep, I'm going to have a beer and watch that police quest thing again and sing naked jesus

" I just... like it, I don't know

David Ostman · Tue 27/08/2013 17:41:05

They've now cancelled it. Their own crowdfunding drive didn't pan out at all.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/08/27/cop-out-precinct-crowd-funding-cancelled

Volcan · Tue 27/08/2013 18:26:42

I feel sorry for Jim Walls.

While, Two guys from Andromeda, Al Lowe and the authors of Quest for Glory succeed, Jim Walls does not seen to be able to fund a new police game.

Myself, I didn't see any Police Quest fanmades in the internet.

Are Police Quest games unpopular than other series, King's Quest, Space Quest, Leisure suit Larry, Quest for glory?

I don't know.

Babar · Tue 27/08/2013 18:44:57

They obviously are. There are tonnes of Space Quest fan games (some of them quite good), King's Quest also has great fan games, even Leisure Suit Larry had a remake.

Did any fan do a remake/fangame/sequel to any Police Quest game in the intervening years between the last adventuregame Police Quest?

Ghost · Tue 27/08/2013 18:57:29

I can't put a finger on it, but I never really got into PG. King's Quest had it easy because I like fantasy, and I enjoyed the first three games and later KQ 5. Space Quest, yes, they had their good moments too, I liked some of them. But Police Quest never fel right. I can't say way, I remember playing the first two games but for the life of me I can't remember anything *about them*.

I think King's Quest has many fan games because of the usualy reasons, seasoned players remaking something they liked as kids. And the games have some memorable charcters AND simple plots, it's easy to jump back into them. PQ seems to have a less strong fan base...

Radiant · Tue 27/08/2013 19:39:37

Hm, that's an interesting question. No, Police Quest isn't all that noticeable on the fan radar, and I wonder why.

Thinking it over, I suggest that since it doesn't have the otherworldly locations or the humor of e.g. Space Quest or Quest for Glory, it has to draw from its thriller plot and compelling characters... and frankly it doesn't really have those either. I've played the first three PQ games and can't remember any character that stuck out or that wasn't flat, and neither do I recall many gripping scenes or a page-turner plot. Sorry, Jim, but you're just no Robert Ludlum or Agatha Christie; there's just not enough escapism in Police Quest.

David Ostman · Tue 27/08/2013 19:58:39

There are many die hard PQ fans out there, me being one of them. I just think many weren't normal gamers, like fans of the other quest games probably were. I was very young when I played them for the first time, and that probably has something to do with it, and as a kid I wanted to grow up to be a cop which probably added to my own hype of it. Nevertheless I did love the games

I think what appealed to me is they were devoid of a lot of the quirkyness that adventure games are famous for. The puzzles weren't stupid puzzles, but ones based in logic and street smarts, as well as understanding of police procedures. When you did something right it wasn't because you tried every object randomly on everything on the screen, it was because you used your brain. Very rewarding.

Volcan · Wed 28/08/2013 14:30:29

I just think something today. Since the second funding has no limit time, Jim Walls should not give up easily.

He should keep funding even if it takes years to reach the goal.