[Jeysie]

Sorry I'm late in posting this, folks... I wanted to wait until I felt like I would have the chance to install and play myself, but it doesn't seem to be happening yet. Since the game is essentially broken up into its own sections anyway, I'll get the ball rolling and catch up later.

Anyhoo. If you like, you can check out the first AG playthrough thread to get a feel for how things go. The thread "rules" are as follows:

Step 1: Install your copy of Gabriel Knight 1: Sins of the Fathers

The CD version with voices is preferred, if you own it. There is a fansite with an installer and patches for the game, if you want to try using it.

Step 2: Play through the game until the current stopping point.

Since I got the feeling that the stopping points in BaSS ended up being too short, we'll experiment.

Play through Day 1 and Day 2, saving and stopping right after you regain control from the Day 3 starting cutscene.

This stopping point will go for a week, until February 13th.

Side note: Since Gabe is an Aquarian, his birthday is likely during this month anyway.

Step 3: Post!

Just a reminder that sticking to just our current stopping point is encouraged, and any information that you still want to post that happens after that point in the game should be placed in spoiler tags.

In the words of Pink (the singer that is, not the AG poster), let's get this party started!

Peace & Luv, Liz

I've played fairly recently, so I don't think I'll replay it just yet. I'll wait for the next play-through.

[stepurhan]

I'll try to get into this one. Won't be able to play until the end of the week so try not to use all the good stuff up before then.

I thought two days seemed like a lot but I didn't join in the BASS thread so I'll bow to the experience from there.

[fov]

Some of the days are short. I think there are 12 altogether.

Something to keep in mind with this game is that certain things can be done in different days. So a person could play through Day 1 and Day 2 and post about what they did, and still spoil something for a person who's also played the first 2 days. Just something to consider, if you're concerned about spoilers. (Not that spoiler tags will really help, in this case, because people won't know whether it's safe to read them or not...)

[ATMachine]

Originally Posted by fov

Some of the days are short. I think there are 12 altogether.

Something to keep in mind with this game is that certain things can be done in different days. So a person could play through Day 1 and Day 2 and post about what they did, and still spoil something for a person who's also played the first 2 days. Just something to consider, if you're concerned about spoilers. (Not that spoiler tags will really help, in this case, because people won't know whether it's safe to read them or not...)

10 days, actually, although technically there are 11

Spoiler:

(the extra day is due to travel time when Gabriel flies from New Orleans to Germany, then to Africa and back home).

[natalia]

Oh man, I just recently played this game too, otherwise I'd play along as well.

[RLacey]

I'd play, but my copy is at home where I ain't .

[Phod]

I'm in, just need to finish up Faust first. I'm embarassed to admit that I've never played completely through GK1 even though GK2 is in my top ten games of all time.

[Kurufinwe]

I really want to take part in the playthrough, so I'll try to keep up --- not sure I'll manage to, though.

Oh, and I still recommend playing the DOS version (under DOSBox) rather than the Windows version. The former is slightly prettier.

[RLacey]

I just remembered that if I did play this I'd be playing the wonderful semi-French version. English speech and French screen text, that is, which is actually quite fun .

[Kurufinwe]

Originally Posted by RLacey

I just remembered that if I did play this I'd be playing the wonderful semi-French version. English speech and French screen text, that is, which is actually quite fun .

Does this mean you actually have to listen to the narrator (if you don't speak French, that is)? I pity you.

[RLacey]

I quite like the narrator...

Yes, I do have to listen to her, as my French isn't nearly good enough to actually understand the conversations and whatnot. The coversation options and menu text I can manage perfectly well, but plot exposition is something else altogether...

[Kurufinwe]

OK, I promise I'll try not turning her off at once when I start replaying the game.

I doubt I'll manage to resist until the end, though.

[UPtimist]

Originally Posted by Phod

I'm embarassed to admit that I've never played completely through GK1 even though GK2 is in my top ten games of all time.

Heh, same here, though with GK3 and #1...

Well, I did almost finish it, but maybe the end was too scary Well, I've been waiting for this, so I have a good excuse to play it through. Though this is badly right on my test week...

[Gomatic]

I was so excited when GK1 was chosen as the next playthrough because I had never finished it before. I got stuck on Day 5 - killed, actually! It's funny because I bought the game when it originally came out (CD version) and I got the Sierra Hint Book for the game as well. I must have been a more dedicated gamer then because I could have easily gotten past my death scene by reading the hint. Not a problem for me now, since I loaded the game using the "fansite installer" (recommeded highly) and played through the whole game last week!

Day 1 takes a loooong time to get through. It's not heavy in the puzzle area, but a lot of conversation and story exposition happens here. It may seem longer than it really is because you have so much dialogue to hear/read. But what great dialogue! It's hard to think of a game in which the writing and acting and unfolding of the dialogue tree is handled any better.

For instance, when you talk to Willy in the Dixieland Drug Store you don't just have someone reading lines, you actually get the feeling that this is a real person and that they're hiding something from you. Also, the interface you go to when you ask questions goes a long way in helping out the outdated graphics of the regular game. I remember when the game came out there was a big deal about the lip-syncing of the "face time" characters and it really helps.

Another thing I really like about this game is the little tinkling bell sound you get when you find the right piece of information during dialogues or when you pick up certain objects. It's very unobtrusive and in a game with a lot of information it really makes you feel like you're making progress, however small.

[Phod]

How is the dos version prettier than the windows version?

[Kurufinwe]

Originally Posted by Phod

How is the dos version prettier than the windows version?

See here. It's not that much of a difference, but it does matter to me.

[scribeswindow]

Originally Posted by Phod

I'm in, just need to finish up Faust first. I'm embarassed to admit that I've never played completely through GK1 even though GK2 is in my top ten games of all time.

Somehow I feel the need to confess as well.... I also have never completely played GK1, but have played 2 and 3 and they are definitely within my top five of faves!

[Phod]

I finished Faust so was able to start GK1.

Definitely interesting to play this one after having played 2 and 3 multiple times. Kinda neat experience as a prequel. Obviously so well done you really dont notice the game is now, what, 12-13 years old?

As Gomatic mentioned, I like how they handled dialogue. They must have thought it would be nice to get detailed faces on the characters to help bring the story alive (which it does) since they couldn't get that in standard gameplay. Only dialogue gripe is how it's structured. My nitpick is it would have been nicer to have it flow more like real conversation, if possible, instead of things like "Just tell me anything!" to get background information.

I'm still on Day One and will post more impressions later.

[Melanie68]

I like Gabriel's seductive way of asking Grace - "Just tell me anything at all" in that southern drawl.