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What is the Hero6 Project, and why was it started?
The Hero6 Project is a volunteer team creating an old-style Adventure/RPG similar to the Quest for Glory series by Sierra. The Hero6 Project began shortly following Sierra's cancelation of the Quest for Glory series after the fifth game, Dragon Fire.
However, it must be stated that Hero6 is NOT Quest for Glory VI. It is a similar game in the same genre, but Hero6 is an original game, and not a sequel in any way to Quest for Glory. Furthermore, no characters, settings or other intellectual property from the Quest for Glory series will be used.
How did Hero6 start and who started it?
Hero6 was born June 1st, 1999. It was Te'ja Laymind's idea to start the project. Te'ja is a very good programmer, and we thank him very much for starting Hero6.
PHattiE provided the original web page, in addition to his talents as an Artist, Programmer, and Writer. In fact, PHattiE is the one who wrote the main plot outline for Hero6.
Why the name Hero6 if it's not a sequel?
The name Hero6 was chosen because there are five Quest for Glory games. This game is also about an adventurer's quest to become a Hero. Since we hope to continue the "spirit" of Quest for Glory, we have chosen the name Hero6 for our project, though it is the first game in the Hero6 series, not the sixth game in the Quest for Glory series.
The full name of the game will be "Hero6: Rite of Passage".
When will it be finished?
Oooohh, this question comes up a lot.
We don't know. We do this in our spare time, spare time is an oxymoron, yadda yadda...
How much will the game cost when it's finished?
Nothing. Nada. Nichts. Niks. Rien. The game will be completely freeware, and downloadable from the Internet. But keep in mind that the game is getting huge, so expect a large download split into parts.
There is a chance that the game will be put on CD, and that you may get a copy of it for the price of the CD and shipping. However, this has not been decided upon, and we will not know until the game is very close to release.
Will there be a recognizable tune?
Yes, there will, but it will not be the Quest for Glory March...
Will there be a sequel to Hero6?
We hope to develop a "Hero7" as a continuation of the Hero6 series. However, this depends upon the success of our first game, and the willingness of our members to work on the project.
How can I join Hero6?
Once you decide to join, you will be expected to help the team. Do not expect to see your name in the credits only because you joined the project! You need to work at Hero6 to make it in the credits list! (Yes, it is hard, occasionally boring, but very satisfying WORK.)
If you are still interested, contact the administrator of the section(s) you're interested in by looking up their contact information in the member list. They will ask you for a sample of your work, and the number of hours per week that you estimate you can help out.
Alternatively, click here and fill up the application form.
How is the plot department organized?
The full plotline of Hero6 is located in the Members section. Once something changes, that version is updated. This is to make sure no false events sneak into the plot.
We will not be releasing the plot to the public, it would spoil the game.
How is the art department organized?
When a certain piece of art is needed, it is posted at the members art forum. People can then volunteer for the job and create a post with a link to their art when they have finished it.
Most art pieces are worked on by more than one member. The concept is drawn, then coloured or created in 3D and rendered to 2D. Then it is critiqued, then edited, then critiqued again, then re-edited... on and on.
Finally, there is a version that most members agree on, and it is made final and passed on to the programmers.
How is the music department organized?
When a piece of music is needed, it is posted in the forums or assigned to a specific member, along with a description of the "mood" the piece needs to be in to match the artwork and plot events that may happen.
Music pieces are sometimes worked on by many different members. First, there is the composition, usually in midi format. Then, the piece is critiqued and arranged with soundfonts or other instrumentation. Then, the piece is recorded, sometimes in several versions by different members, to get the best sound possible. Once a final piece is selected, it is input into the final music database so we can keep track of what is done.
Once all the music is final, it will be edited to make sure the general volume is consistent, then passed on to the programmers.
How is the programming department organized?
The programming department of the game will only create the scripts for the engine we use, MAD. Should you want to help developing the MAD Adventure Game Engine, visit http://mad-project.sourceforge.net
Scripting jobs are assigned in the member forums.
How is the team organized?
The team is very loosely knit, there is no specific project administrator, and each section administrator (art, music, plot, programming) has to work with the others to create the game.
Members look to the administrators to set standards and keep track of assignments and finished work.
The website administrators make sure the forums are working, etc. The PR team socializes and makes a "buzz" about the project.
How many civilized locations will there be?
There are two civilized places: the town called Albion and a hamlet called Helmsdale. The size of Albion will be like that of Spielburg in QFG1, with maybe a few more villagers.
There are a few more places in the forest, but we'd like to keep them a secret for now.
Why is it taking so long?
This is because of one major reason: no one from the team is getting paid to work on Hero6. This means we all do this in our spare time. (Hahahahaha.)
The downside of this is that it'll take a lot longer, but the upside is that we will make a very fine product, since we don't have any managers that state the game *must* be finished before a certain date. That'll mean no more Error 52's!
Will we be able to import our old QfG char?
Our game starts with a newbie Hero, and it is not the next Quest for Glory, so you will not be able to import a QfG character into Hero6.
What time of year will it be in the game?
Hero6 will take place in early to late summer. (Yes, it was previously said to be in spring, we have a very important plot point at harvest time and not enough time elapses before that to justify starting the game in the previous season.)
What sort of music can we expect?
The game will feature very nice MP3 music. Check out our downloads and comment!
You will be able to download a sound effects pack and a music pack separately from the game download, however if you do not download either pack, there will be no sound.
What art quality can we expect?
The game resolution is in 320x240x16-bit to emulate oldstyle Sierra games. However, the intro movie will also be available in 640x480 for your enjoyment.
Have a look at our gallery and comment on the artwork!
Will there be a multiplayer option?
There will not be a multiplayer option for Hero6, however it is being considered for the sequel.
Are there any familiar NPCs from QfG?
No. Due to copyright restrictions there will be no familiar NPCs. Hero6 has to be a completely original game.
Which classes will be implemented in the game?
The classes will be the same as the ones from QfG, the Fighter, the Mage, the Thief, and the Paladin.
How is fighting handled?
The fighting will be similar to QfG2.
What are the minimal system requirements?
The game will most like need only a Pentium 100, with 32 megs of RAM. However, the DOS demo requires a Pentium II 300 or alike processor. Remember, since MAD is in development, we cannot be sure exactly what you will need. We are aiming to make it work on a Pentium 100.
Hero6 runs on Windows 95, 98, 2000, ME, NT, and DOS. The MAD engine team is currently working on XP compatibility.
Can I port the game to Linux or Mac?
Yes, indeed, although I'm not sure if it's possible. Please contact Daemious about the capabilities of the MAD Engine.
Will weak enemies get tougher?
Well to keep this game a fair challenge the enemies will get tougher once the Hero builds up his skills. Since he starts out as a true rookie and ends the game as a victorious adventurer you can expect a great range of enemies.
Size of the final game?
Since there will be an intro movie and also quite a few mp3's, the total game size would be anywhere from 300-400 MB.
The music will be approximately 110 MB in total, and will be available for download in two separate packs: sfx and music.
The intro movie will also be available as a separate download, you will be able to choose a 640x480 version or a game res version. We do not have any estimate of the size for the intro yet.
We do not have a size for the game itself yet.
When we know a more exact size we will update this to let you know.
What format is the music?
The music will be high-quality 128 kbps mp3.
How large will the music pack download be?
The music will probably be around 100 minutes in length, and 100-120 MB in size, which is why it will be a separate pack to download.
Will there be a midi version?
No. Some of the best music made for Hero6 was made by members who have now departed the team, and who didn't make their pieces in midi to start with.
midi to mp3 = difficult to do with the very high quality that we want, but possible and reasonable to do.
mp3 to midi = could delay the game five more years just to get a midi version.
Will there be a voice pack?
The music team is currently focusing on getting the game music done so that you have a game to play, voice pack or no voice pack.
Voice packs, great as they can be if done well, are not necessary to a game, and if done badly or rushed too much, would totally ruin the game.
If someone wants to come forward after the game is done, and administer a team of volunteers to make a voice pack, then please contact the music administrator.
Will there be a soundtrack CD?
Yes, we will possibly release a soundtrack CD to raise money for project web hosting and future projects.
If so, it will definitely be a reasonable price and will contain extra files - ones that are beautiful but just didn't make it to a particular place in the game. It might also contain other extras.
Also, you WILL be allowed to make copies of the CD for friends.
I've got a question that isn't covered in the FAQ!
You can ask your question right here!
Admins will also occasionally add questions and answers that come up regularly at the forums.
