Thayer's Quest??

cardician · 12-03-2005, 07:36 PM

Anyone heard of this? Its supposed to be a port of a 1984 laserdisc game. Apparently its all about decisions and offers a unique gaming experience on each play through. It's being offered for the PC and the DVD. Yep, apparently you can play it on your regular TV DVD player. Very interesting idea, especially since its from the 80s! Never heard of it but it recently came out. Anyone played it? Thoughts? Anyone played the original? Worth getting? It's only $20 so thats always a plus.

C'mon ol' timers, gimme your thoughts

Karmillo · 12-03-2005, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cardician

Anyone heard of this? Its supposed to be a port of a 1984 laserdisc game. Apparently its all about decisions and offers a unique gaming experience on each play through. It's being offered for the PC and the DVD. Yep, apparently you can play it on your regular TV DVD player. Very interesting idea, especially since its from the 80s! Never heard of it but it recently came out. Anyone played it? Thoughts? Anyone played the original? Worth getting? It's only $20 so thats always a plus.

C'mon ol' timers, gimme your thoughts

whats a lazer disk?

Karmillo · 12-03-2005, 08:49 PM

Whoopsie

MdaG · 12-04-2005, 01:00 AM

If it's anything like the old Space ace or Dragon's lair games it's not for me.

cardician · 12-04-2005, 05:49 AM

Apparently its only like those games as far as graphics go. And the fact that its basically an interactive movie. Apparently this one is based on making decisions, not action. Sounds like it might be a lot of fun, but I can't seem to find it anywhere or find reviews of it.

Really no one here has heard of it? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you

***fov*** · 01-13-2006, 10:42 PM

I just stumbled across this game on Gamestop's website and am trying to find more info about it, too. I understand it started out as an arcade game but I can't really find any information about the gameplay. It sounds sort of like an adventure (I saw it classified as an interactive movie at one site) but I can't wrap my head around an adventure game in an arcade.

nikoniko · 01-14-2006, 12:45 AM

Interactive movie would best describe it.

Search for reviews of the old Interplay game Kingdom: The Far Reaches, the prequel to Shadoan. Though some minor details were changed and some new audio recorded, all of the animation and gameplay were taken straight from Thayer's Quest. The interface was adapted to be point and click, but the overall experience of the game was like the original, except that it was missing that one wow feature from the original: in the arcade version, you could type your name on the machine's membrane keyboard and from then on the game would SPEAK your name whenever someone addressed your character directly. (Sure, nowadays that wouldn't be so impressive, but when I was nine years old Thayer's Quest was amazing.)

Like all of the laserdisc games, they were neat for their time, but when it came down to it there was only so much "game" to be had, as only a few possibilities could be reasonably illustrated for each choice. Thayer's Quest did it better than most because of the sheer volume of animation: more than an hour's worth, IIRC, so the experience felt more open and fleshed out than something like Dragon's Lair or Space Ace. And since TQ progresses at a more relaxed pace, not relying on precise timing like other laserdisc games, it can appeal to a different kind of gamer.

It's been so long, I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not. Kingdom: The Far Reaches was kinda disappointing for me, but even so I'll probably check out TQ again sometime just for nostalgia's sake. But like my experiences going back to replay DL and SA, I doubt the experience will hold up well after all this time.

***fov*** · 01-14-2006, 11:26 AM

Thanks for the info.

Quote:

Originally Posted by doroposo

It's been so long, I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not. Kingdom: The Far Reaches was kinda disappointing for me, but even so I'll probably check out TQ again sometime just for nostalgia's sake. But like my experiences going back to replay DL and SA, I doubt the experience will hold up well after all this time.

It's only selling for $20, so it seems like a worthwhile investment for the nostalgia factor.

For that price, I might get it.

Elum · 01-31-2006, 03:51 AM

I found THIS LINK with some screens (and even movies) from TQ. And HERE you can find original trailers from Kingdom and Shadoan.

By the way, this is my first post on AG and... I can't believe I registered here in 2006 (because this is my favourite gaming forums for about, well, five years now)

AFGNCAAP · 01-31-2006, 04:52 AM

Welcome to the Forum, Elum. (I'm itching to add "cieplutko i milutko"

)

Thanks for the links.

Gordon Bennett · 02-01-2006, 02:45 AM

Here's something interesting that I found. The original game can be played using a laserdisc emulator on the PC called Daphne. This is a re-creation of the membrane keyboard from the arcade machine, with added notation showing the key equivalents used by the emulator. It should give you an idea of how it worked in the arcade.

12-03-2005, 07:36 PM	#1
cardician Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 123	Thayer's Quest?? Anyone heard of this? Its supposed to be a port of a 1984 laserdisc game. Apparently its all about decisions and offers a unique gaming experience on each play through. It's being offered for the PC and the DVD. Yep, apparently you can play it on your regular TV DVD player. Very interesting idea, especially since its from the 80s! Never heard of it but it recently came out. Anyone played it? Thoughts? Anyone played the original? Worth getting? It's only $20 so thats always a plus. C'mon ol' timers, gimme your thoughts Share Share this post on Twitter

12-03-2005, 08:49 PM	#3
Karmillo woof Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NOT REALLY RIGHT HERE Posts: 4,750	Whoopsie Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ "I've got nothing to lose! Except for...well everything."

12-04-2005, 01:00 AM	#4
MdaG Master of time and space Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sverige Posts: 1,480	If it's anything like the old Space ace or Dragon's lair games it's not for me. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ ...

12-04-2005, 05:49 AM	#5
cardician Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 123	Apparently its only like those games as far as graphics go. And the fact that its basically an interactive movie. Apparently this one is based on making decisions, not action. Sounds like it might be a lot of fun, but I can't seem to find it anywhere or find reviews of it. Really no one here has heard of it? I'm shocked, shocked I tell you Share Share this post on Twitter

01-13-2006, 10:42 PM	#6
*fov* Rattenmonster Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 10,404	I just stumbled across this game on Gamestop's website and am trying to find more info about it, too. I understand it started out as an arcade game but I can't really find any information about the gameplay. It sounds sort of like an adventure (I saw it classified as an interactive movie at one site) but I can't wrap my head around an adventure game in an arcade. Share Share this post on Twitter

01-14-2006, 12:45 AM	#7
nikoniko Translate Me Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 418	Interactive movie would best describe it. Search for reviews of the old Interplay game Kingdom: The Far Reaches, the prequel to Shadoan. Though some minor details were changed and some new audio recorded, all of the animation and gameplay were taken straight from Thayer's Quest. The interface was adapted to be point and click, but the overall experience of the game was like the original, except that it was missing that one wow feature from the original: in the arcade version, you could type your name on the machine's membrane keyboard and from then on the game would SPEAK your name whenever someone addressed your character directly. (Sure, nowadays that wouldn't be so impressive, but when I was nine years old Thayer's Quest was amazing.) Like all of the laserdisc games, they were neat for their time, but when it came down to it there was only so much "game" to be had, as only a few possibilities could be reasonably illustrated for each choice. Thayer's Quest did it better than most because of the sheer volume of animation: more than an hour's worth, IIRC, so the experience felt more open and fleshed out than something like Dragon's Lair or Space Ace. And since TQ progresses at a more relaxed pace, not relying on precise timing like other laserdisc games, it can appeal to a different kind of gamer. It's been so long, I'm not sure whether to recommend it or not. Kingdom: The Far Reaches was kinda disappointing for me, but even so I'll probably check out TQ again sometime just for nostalgia's sake. But like my experiences going back to replay DL and SA, I doubt the experience will hold up well after all this time. Share Share this post on Twitter

01-31-2006, 03:51 AM	#9
Elum Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Poland Posts: 10	I found THIS LINK with some screens (and even movies) from TQ. And HERE you can find original trailers from Kingdom and Shadoan. By the way, this is my first post on AG and... I can't believe I registered here in 2006 (because this is my favourite gaming forums for about, well, five years now) Share Share this post on Twitter

01-31-2006, 04:52 AM	#10
AFGNCAAP Dungeon Master Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Poland Posts: 4,152	Welcome to the Forum, Elum. (I'm itching to add "cieplutko i milutko" ) Thanks for the links. Share Share this post on Twitter __________________ What's happening? Wh... Where am I?

02-01-2006, 02:45 AM	#11
Gordon Bennett Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: London Posts: 357	Here's something interesting that I found. The original game can be played using a laserdisc emulator on the PC called Daphne. This is a re-creation of the membrane keyboard from the arcade machine, with added notation showing the key equivalents used by the emulator. It should give you an idea of how it worked in the arcade. Share Share this post on Twitter

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