Steam version only includes the VGA (remake) of Space Quest 1. The GOG version only includes the EGA (original) version of Space Quest 1.
14 comments
edwardhalsey
18 Apr 16#1
Loved this as a kid. Would be all over it were it not for me having a Mac.
sureshot
18 Apr 16#2
Classic! :smile:
sdutton007
18 Apr 16#3
Does the deal description make any sense to anyone?
notavalidaddress to sdutton007
19 Apr 16#5
Yes, yes it does.
Back in the day you used to have text only, CGA, EGA and VGA (there were a couple of others such as Hercules as well, suppose SVGA came a bit later).
Graphics on the PC were very poor years ago.
reddragon105 to sdutton007
19 Apr 16#9
Yes. EGA and VGA are graphics standards. Remember VGA cables? They're the blue trapezoidal ones with 15 pins (3 rows of 5) that every computer used for about 20 years - and you've probably still got a VGA port on your PC even though they've been superseded by DVI, HDMI and Display Port. Well VGA superseded EGA and so, at the time, you would get EGA and VGA versions of the same game if they were released on different platforms (where one supported VGA and the other didn't). The same thing happened with The Secret of Monkey Island.
I don't think there's a single DOS Box based game on Steam that I haven't somehow tweaked, although in some cases they did work and that was just me trying to optimise them or change a setting. But I would expect them to at least boot upon first install and, unfortunately, the Space Quest games are some of the worst examples on Steam. In fact, this Space Quest Collection was released at the same time as a Kings Quest Collection - notice how the Kings Quest Collection is now no longer listed on Steam. It was pulled for having so many problems. Hopefully they'll actually bother to fix it and re-release it - GOG still sell it so they must be doing something right.
Yeah, it was a weekend deal. Don't worry though, it was on sale at this price about 6 weeks ago as well so I'm sure it will be £2.49 again soon.
mallie21
18 Apr 163#4
most helpful steam review ;
It pains me to not be able to recommend this collection because the games themselves are fantastic. However, they simply do not work "out of the box." The launcher presents the player with a menu that allows him to select which game to play. Zero out of six of them will work. Zero. Having said that, I was able to figure out what was wrong and get the games to work on my own, bypassing the launcher, within five minutes. That is only because I have extensive experience with DOS. Most people have little to no experience with that antiquated beast and simply will not be able to figure out how to get the games working on their own, nor should they have to.
It is simply unacceptable for games that do not work to be sold as if they do work. It is quite literally five minutes worth of work for Activision or Valve to get these games working. It is not the responsibility of the buyer to fix the lazily misconfigured junk that is being sold here. If people pay money for a working game, that's exactly what they should receive.
pjburnhill to mallie21
19 Apr 16#7
In fairness, anyone who knows and buys these remakes WILL have extensive experience with DOS :smile: Bit of batch file fiddling, was it?
aclondon
19 Apr 16#6
Darn it! Back to full price now :disappointed:
Otherwise great deal
mallie21
19 Apr 16#8
True but the main point is you are paying for games that should work straight away and are advertised as such.
Plus if you have a memory like mine any dos is long forgotten and replaced with annoying tunes and random pub facts.
mallie21
19 Apr 16#10
I agree it gives a sense of accomplishment to get it working perfect but each person tweaks and retweeks when the people getting paid for this could do it once and save every person doing it individually.
Also who has time to do that with their steam games backlog due to their never ending sales!! Not to mention other platforms.
Agreed. GOG seem to do a much better job of this sort of thing - I had no problems with their versions of the early King's Quest games. So I have no idea what magical settings they're using that can't also be applied to the Steam versions. I seem to remember some games needed their settings changing depending on the clock speed of your CPU (because otherwise they would run too quickly or too slowly) but surely there would be a way to automate that (this was years ago so maybe DOS Box has evolved beyond that now).
sdutton007
19 Apr 16#13
I should have made myself more clear - I am well aware of what VGA/EGA are.
What I don't get is on a deal for a COLLECTION on STEAM, the description mentions nothing about the deal, or what's included but instead goes on about the differences in the first game from 2 different distributors!
mallie21
19 Apr 16#14
We can automate a pasenger jet going 500mph at 30,000 feet so a CPU should be a doddle lol. almost forgot have some heat.
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Opening post
14 comments
Back in the day you used to have text only, CGA, EGA and VGA (there were a couple of others such as Hercules as well, suppose SVGA came a bit later).
Graphics on the PC were very poor years ago.
I don't think there's a single DOS Box based game on Steam that I haven't somehow tweaked, although in some cases they did work and that was just me trying to optimise them or change a setting. But I would expect them to at least boot upon first install and, unfortunately, the Space Quest games are some of the worst examples on Steam. In fact, this Space Quest Collection was released at the same time as a Kings Quest Collection - notice how the Kings Quest Collection is now no longer listed on Steam. It was pulled for having so many problems. Hopefully they'll actually bother to fix it and re-release it - GOG still sell it so they must be doing something right.
Yeah, it was a weekend deal. Don't worry though, it was on sale at this price about 6 weeks ago as well so I'm sure it will be £2.49 again soon.
It pains me to not be able to recommend this collection because the games themselves are fantastic. However, they simply do not work "out of the box." The launcher presents the player with a menu that allows him to select which game to play. Zero out of six of them will work. Zero. Having said that, I was able to figure out what was wrong and get the games to work on my own, bypassing the launcher, within five minutes. That is only because I have extensive experience with DOS. Most people have little to no experience with that antiquated beast and simply will not be able to figure out how to get the games working on their own, nor should they have to.
It is simply unacceptable for games that do not work to be sold as if they do work. It is quite literally five minutes worth of work for Activision or Valve to get these games working. It is not the responsibility of the buyer to fix the lazily misconfigured junk that is being sold here. If people pay money for a working game, that's exactly what they should receive.
Otherwise great deal
Plus if you have a memory like mine any dos is long forgotten and replaced with annoying tunes and random pub facts.
Also who has time to do that with their steam games backlog due to their never ending sales!! Not to mention other platforms.
What I don't get is on a deal for a COLLECTION on STEAM, the description mentions nothing about the deal, or what's included but instead goes on about the differences in the first game from 2 different distributors!