Qfg: questions and answers

[Arsunt]

I’ve already written some solutions, point lists, bug fixes, and other exclusive details about Quest for Glory series (but, alas, it was written on Russian language only). Umm… I’m ashamed to ask you, but I need your help.  There are some details that I cannot find out by myself…

First of all, there is negative point list in Qfg1. It contains those actions:
      Drink Troll's Sweat or 3 mugs of Ale (-5)
      Eat Magic Acorn (-5)
      Kill bear in Kobold's cave (-25)
      Kill fox in the trap (-10)
I suspect that I’ve missed just one more action which costs –5 puzzle points. Did you find it?

According to "Shadow of Darkness" manual, Paladin can gain "Protection from Magic" ability during Qfg4. And some of my friends tell me that they saw "You have now gained Magic Ward ability" message on their screen. But I never wasn’t seen this message. I even checked dynamic memory block, but I’ve got no results.  Do you know something about it?

P.S. If you have some interesting question about Qfg, ask it to me and I will try to answer it.

[Silverbolt]

Hmm...I can't say I know any of those. However, I do have a question. Could you please list all the items you can get if you keep adding Rusalka's hair to the brush in QFG4?

[Arsunt]

I'm not sure that I completely understand your question, but I will try...

There is full item list in Qfg4 program code.

01.thePurse                    20.theSword                    39.theKnob
02.theManas                    21.theDagger                  40.theStaff
03.theCures                    22.theFlint                       41.theBonsai
04.theHeals                    23.theGarlic                      42.theHammer
05.theRations                  24.theGuildcard                43.theStake
06.theThrowdagger         25.theToolkit                   44.theBag
07.theRocks                    26.theDarksign                 45.theBoneRit
08.theCandle                   27.theHat                       46.theBloodRit
09.theCandy                    28.theCorn                     47.theBreathRit
10.theFlask                      29.thePiepan                  48.theSenseRit
11.theWater                    30.theBones                  49.theHeartRit
12.theGruegoo                 31.theBerries                  50.theFlowers
13.theBonemeal               32.theHumorbar              51.theWillowisp
14.theLockpick                 33.theRehydrator            52.theLocket
15.theKeyRing                  34.theDoll                      53.theStatue
16.theOil                         35.theBlackbird               54.theTorch
17.theGrapnel                  36.theCloth                    55.theAmulet
18.theArmor                    37.theChicken                56.theHair
19.theShield                    38.theJewelry                 57.theBroom

Each item has one or several phases. And each phase has individual text message. For example "theSword" item has 4 phases:

    theSword{1:"Battle Axe"}
"You wrested this awesome battle axe from the barrow of a mighty Wraith. "
    theSword{2:"Sword"}
"This sword is rather battered and worn; you can't get it to hold a proper temper. Still, it's better than fighting barehanded (or even with a dagger). "
    theSword{3:"Fine Sword"}
"You have a high-quality, well-balanced sword from the urgent care section of the Adventurers' Guild. "
    theSword{4:"Piotyr's Sword"}
"This magical sword has powerful combat and defensive abilities in the hands of a Paladin such as yourself. "

So if you combine theHair{1:"Lock of Hair"} and theBroom{1:"Broom"} you'll get theBroom{2:"Broom"} with text message "You interweave the Rusalka's hair with the straw on the broom." (The phase of "theBroom" item will change when you combine it with "theHair" item)

    theHair{1:"Lock of Hair"}
"You have a lock of delicate, wispy green hair from the Rusalka."
    theBroom{1:"Broom"}
"This is a small hand broom suitable for light cleanup tasks."
    theBroom{2:"Broom"}
"You've woven some of the Rusalka's hair into the straw of the hand broom. It now feels somehow heavier and stronger than its appearance would suggest."

Even if you buy new broom (without Rusalka's hair) after this operation of combine, you'll get two "Rusalka's brooms", because "theBroom" item is in the second phase now. Have I answered your question? 

P.S. I've read this post of mine by myself and I've realized that it is hard to understand it. If someone read it, sorry...  

[Arsunt]

    I still have a few more questions, however.

    1) I’ve seen puzzle point lists in different Internet sites. According them, there are points for:
Qfg3: Venomous Vines – Knock over fruit  (5 points)... Actually I don’t know what does it mean.
Qfg3: Uhura's Hut – Tell Uhura about Initiation (3 points)... I can't get these points, if I tell her about it!
Qfg4: East Part of Town – Tell Nikolai about his wife Anna (6 points)... I can’t get these points!
Qfg4: Gooey Path – Open squid rock and get ritual (6 points)... I can’t get these points!
Do you ever have points, listed here?
    2) Can I finish Simbani initiation race first?
    3) Can I download scans of the original Qfg User Guide pages somewhere?

    And I have a few more interesting answers... If you’re interested in this answers, of course.
    1) I can tell you about algorithm of a hero skills increase/decrease.
    2) I know everything about Qfg3 Sekhmet Test. And I have scenario of this test.
    3) I’ve written computer program... Qfg5 Data Extractor. With this program you can extract game resources (i.e. game files), including music, sounds, voices, textures, 3d models, etc. Of course, you need "Quest for Gory V" to use extractor.
    4) Maybe something else. I can’t remember right now...

[Silverbolt]

No, you see, after you add the hair to the broom you get a broom with Rusalka's hair on it. If you add another strand of hair, you get another item. You can do this several times. I remember one of the items was a waterskin.

[Arsunt]

Oh, I see!
Thanks a lot!  And how I could miss this game bug? Shame on me. Now I've checked "theBroom" item one more time. It has 12 phases instead 2. But last 10 phases is not used in game. Probably developers placed them in the end of item list as temporary graphic icons ("theBroom" item is the last in the item list).

01) Broom (used in game as "57.theBroom")
02) Broom with Lock of Hair (used in game as "57.theBroom")
03) Safe Knob (used in game as "39.theKnob")
04) Lock of Hair (used in game as "56.theHair")
05) Rope and Grapnel with Rubber Chicken (not used in game)
06) Statue (used in game as "53.theStatue")
07) Helm (not used in game)
08) Flowers (used in game as "50.theFlowers")
09) Fruits (not used in game)
10) Lockpick (used in game as "14.theLockpick")
11) Empty Flask (not used in game)
12) Waterskin (not used in game)

[Silverbolt]

Thanks. You're doing a fine job documenting these. Are you a coder?

[Arsunt]

Yes, I'm Coder... and also hacker, cracker and data dumper. 
Are you interested in something else?

[Silverbolt]

Oh, yeah. Is the desert in QFG2 infinite to the left and right and randomly generated or does it have borders?

[Arsunt]

The desert in QFG2 is neither infinite nor limited. It "looped" like King's Quest maps. If you keep going to the west, you will come from the east... someday, perhaps

Every qfg-desert screen has own coordinates. Top left screen is (1; 1), bottom right screen is (8; 1024). I.e. length of desert is 1024 screens, and its width is 8 screens.

Some more about qfg-loops...
If you will go to the east from (1; 1024) you will get to (2; 1)...
...from (2; 1024) to (3; 1)...
...from (3; 1024) to (4; 1)... etc.
If you will go to the west from (8; 1), you will get to (7; 1024)...
...from (7; 1) to (6; 1024)...
...from (6; 1) to (5; 1024)... etc.
If you will go to the east from (8; 1024) or to the west from (1; 1) you will get to "bug zone". It is desert too, but beyond game borders. In this area you can walk to the west and east only.

The desert is general for both Shapeir and Raseir. If you have enough water, you can travel without caravan from Shapeir to Raseir and, of course, from Raseir to Shapeir.
Shapeir coordinates: (1; 301)
Raseir coordinates: (8; 724)

I guess, you’re surprised!

[Silverbolt]

I AM!

The Raseir thing blew me away. 

You asked if you could get scans of the User Guides: Try here http://www.replacementdocs.com (I don't think this violates the "discussing warez" rule on the forums, since PDFs are completely legal.)

I'm also interested in the skills algorithm. As I understand it, every time you swing a sword, say, a little variable increases until it reaches a preset value. Then the target value is increased and the variable becomes zero again.

[Arsunt]

First of all, thanks for this link with User Guides.

About Algorythm
You are partly right. Every skill consists of a current variable (we can see it in a char sheet) and an intermediate variable (we can see it in a game memory dump only). Most actions give you increment of an intermediate variable (it is constant for each of action). "Luck" skill is exception to this rule; its increment is casual.

Increase
An intermediate variable changes from 0 to value of a current variable (if this value isn’t zero, of course). Yes, an intermediate variable increases until it reaches value of a current variable. Then from intermediate value we subtract current value; after this operation we add to a current value some number from 1 to 3 (it is casual). While intermediate value is more than current value we repeat this operation. This algorithm works for magic spells too. It is easier to understand with small program block (written with Pascal-like language):
P.S. As you see, the skill development becomes more difficult when the skill value increases.

while S_inter >= S_current do
  begin
    S_inter   := S_inter - S_current;                        {S_inter - integer variable of intermediate value}
    S_current := S_current + 1 + Random(3);          {S_current- integer variable of current value}
    if S_current > S_max then S_current := S_max; {S_max - integer variable of current maximum value (100 for Qfg1; 200 for Qfg2; 300 for Qfg3; etc.)}
  end;

Decrease
It is the same process, but intermediate value is negative.
P.S. Decrease works only for "Honor" skill.

while S_inter < 0 do
  begin
    S_current := S_current - 1 - Random(3);           {S_current - integer variable of current value}
    S_inter   := S_inter + S_current;                      {S_inter - integer variable of intermediate value}
    if S_current < S_min then S_current := S_min; {S_min - integer variable of current minimum value (50 for Qfg2 and Qfg3; 100 for Qfg4 and Qfg5)}
  end;

Derived quantities
Maximum of health points = (2*vitality + strength)/3;
Maximum of stamina points = (vitality + agility)/2;
Maximum of stamina points = (2*magic + intelligence)/3;
"Paladin" skill = Current Honor Value – Base Honor Value*;

* It equals honor value when you import your paladin character or when you become a paladin during game.

[Silverbolt]

Wow, this is interesting. You should host this somewhere after you've written it completely.

Also, can you find answers in a Wiki or something for the questions you had?

[Arsunt]

I’ve already hosted some of it in the website of my good friend. But all information has written on Russian language only. Maybe someday I will translate it and then English version will be hosted.

I tried to find answers for my questions in a Wikipedia website and others. But, unfortunately, I cannot find anything useful.

Could you please explain me a meaning of phrase "Knock over fruit" from Qfg3 point list? I suspect that I don’t understand this phrase, because I can’t find points for this action. Oh, maybe someday I will learn English language well and I will have no need to ask such things...

[Silverbolt]

I haven't played in a while, but it might be for the purple fruit from the thorny weeds near the city. Maybe with a high enough throwing skill you can knock some off the vines?