School For Heroes - By Lori and Corey Cole

[Blackthorne]

Lori Ann Cole has posted over at The Quest For More Glory Forums about a new game they're going to be making based on School For Heroes!

They will be raising funds via Kickstarter in late October, according to her note there.

This is really exciting news; there would be no Quest For Infamy without Hero's Quest/Quest For Glory and I'm very excited about this project.  Corey and Lori have been nothing but gracious and kind to us, and as a personal fan, I'm really, really excited to see what they're bringing to the table.

I'm sure this will be one that many of our fans will be following.


Bt

[Chadly]

Shit i'm stoked!  A new game by the founders of QFG.  Even if its not a sequel or anything like the org, it sounds cool to me.  However a multiplayer mmo is not my bag.  Damn just make a RPG single player original game if one can not continue the QFG franchise.  I'm just a nobody but the folks at QFI are kicking ass at an original game imo!  Anyway Coles make a great game and the money (my money at least) will be there!

[Intendant S]

Definitely count me in.  I can't say no to another adventure game, especially one being done by legends.  I'm just glad it's not gonna start 'til October.

[rogerxy]

Two amazing game designers as well as really nice persons. They have my support of course, and my money

[s_d]

Not that it matters (I'll support the Cole's project for sure, no question about it!) but it's not clear to me exactly what sort of game they intend to make out of School for Heroes...  in particular, I'm not really sure what an online adventure RPG is, precisely.  Lori refers to an interactive community as well... but then again, my interest was more in line with Hero's Quest, and I was hardly involved in SfH the first time around, though (if I recall?) it seemed like some kind of ambitious online interactive fiction hybrid.

Can anyone else chime in here about the SfH from personal experience?  I'd love a quick primer if someone else has the time and inclination!

The way I see it, this is also not about me.  I have a little kid that could learn all sorts of awesome lessons from a proper Cole's School for Heroes.  I found Lori Ann's email to be very compelling from the perspective of a parent of a little girl.  I'm really keen on her learning many of the lasting lessons I did about personal responsibility ("I really should have been nicer to that peasant... look where I am now"), about standing up for principles, and being persistent.  I think that last one stuck with me most of all, from 80's-90's adventure games... we just had to be doggedly persistent to complete some of those damn puzzles!

[Monster]

No matter what their project, I'm happy to support.  This sounds like a great game concept.  I'd like to see more information.

[rugged]

Was interested to see here  http://www.hero-u.net/leaders/so-what-is-hero-u/
that the coles say that Hero U will be in many way similar to Quest for Glory and also mix rpg and adventure elements! This is encouraging. Kickstarts on the 19th

[s_d]

It looks like the Cole's would also prefer us to refer to Rogue to Redemption as an RPG, as well.  Their reasons are ones we, in adventure gaming, are all too familiar with, i.e., problems with puzzle frustration in today's gaming audience and use of the Internet in cheating for solutions... and ultimately, replayability. 

The basic contention is that the 'net spoils the adventure gaming experience, and that RPG creators have tighter control over the duration & challenge than today's adventure game creator.  I see their point, but I also feel like this line of thought is a part of what caused the decline of adventure game publishing (not development).

Unfortunately, with classic Zelda-style tiled top-down view, Hero-U diminishes one of my favorite aspect of QFG by removing the beautiful background graphics.  Classic hand-crafted VGA illustration is a hallmark feature of my nostalgia!  I'm so glad that we've got Jeremy here, as well as others in the AGS community, to continue painting these gorgeous games.

As for Hero-U, without the classic graphics, that leaves story and gameplay... which the Cole's have in spades, so I'm really not worried.  They can also include fantastic dialogue portraits, since they're hinting at aspects of adventure game puzzling.  There have to be some character dialogue sequences with portraits!

While I do fervently wish for another QFG, every time I come back to the forums, I keep feeling more and more that QFI is going to be enormously satisfying...

[s_d]

Hey, check it, IQ dudes & dudettes, QFI has been mentioned to Lori & Corey by a journalist, and while they're "less familiar with Quest for Infamy" and aren't "sure how closely it really ties in to [their] games" they observed that Infamous Quests "seem like good people who want to make fun games." 

Hell yeah!  Were it me, I would definitely take it as a compliment.

Oh, and getting a mention in a NY Post article ain't half bad either...

[Klytos]

Nice article, Alan Danzis is an old friend of ours from years gone by, so he certainly knows his QFG and QFI stuff.

[Blackthorne]

Yeah, heh, that was pretty cool.  Shawn's right; the author of the article is an old friend of ours, and has a long history with IA/IQ dating back to the inception days in 2003!


Bt

[rogerxy]

The Kickstarter is finally launched (still has to be activated by KS though)

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1878147873/1154477367?token=e777beb1

[Chadly]

Everyone support this please!   Look if you love QFI, help the Coles out with a pledge.   Great things happend to those who Dare to Dream Big

[Intendant S]

Sign me up, baby!  I'm hot for teacher!

[nidoking]

I wonder whether they'll be too worried about copyright to construct the "Nidoking Wing". I don't think they have anything to worry about... every Pokemon fan knows Nidoking don't have wings.

[Blackthorne]

Hahah!  Nice.


Bt

[rogerxy]

A few recent interviews with the Coles:

On Mashable.com: http://mashable.com/2012/09/17/hero-u/

On Kotaku.com: http://kotaku.com/5953028/the-creators-of-quest-for-glory-want-to-make-a-western-version-of-persona?tag=hero_u

On RPGCodex.net: http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8549

On RockPaperShotgun.com: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/20/interv-u-lori-and-corey-cole-on-going-rogue/

In the New York Post (NYPost.com): http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/interview_with_cori_cole_creator_fo3JcablCc214MdZhtEh1M

On AdventureGamers.com: http://www.adventuregamers.com/news/view/23082

[rogerxy]

Update #3 is posted which answers some important questions: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1878147873/hero-u-rogue-to-redemption/posts

[rogerxy]

Reached $200 000 today!
A new update with a totally redone project video!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1878147873/hero-u-rogue-to-redemption/posts/344749?ref=activity

[Monster]

It's looking great, too!

Also, don't miss out on Bt's video testimonial in the Update over there!

[rogerxy]

Extensive interview about Hero-U is now up on adventuregamers.com.

http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/23214

[torchinomotorino]

Although Space Quest 3 was my first adventure game, I picked up a copy of Hero’s Quest later that year.  Hero’s Quest was my first experience in RPGs and my definitive experience in fantasy.  I will never forget the cover to that game.
I played the Quest for Glory games for several years and it was always my secret indulgence.  I had some friends who played D&D, but I was always afraid to play because of my propagandized ignorance of the game.  I was in my school library one day in 1994 when I noticed a paperback novel left on a table.  The cover caught my attention.  The red dragon in the background looked very similar to the cover of Hero’s Quest.  I checked out Dragons of Autumn Twilight and the rest is history. I started reading fantasy novels like crazy, my friends noticed my interest in fantasy and invited me to play D&D, and I remain an avid fan of fantasy and RPG to this day. I even DM a 3.5 edition campaign of Dragonlance which you can read about on our wiki!
For me, Quest for Glory was a catalyst for fun, excitement, and socialization far beyond what the series offered in hours of playtime.  I owe a lot to the Cole’s for their creative influence throughout the Quest for Glory series.  This Kickstarter is my opportunity to repay the enjoyment they have provided me both monetarily and with zealous support!


--------------------
Torchino Motorino


"What good is knowledge and wisdom if you can't use it?" -Erasmus

[Monster]

Quest for Glory and Dragonlance are probably my 2 biggest fantasy influences, as well.

I had the privilege of meeting one of my heroes at DragonCon.  Larry Elmore is a fantastic artist, and is known for doing the paintings for the covers of the "Chronicles" and "Legends" books for Dragonlance, among many others.  It was an awesome experience meeting him, buying a print, and having him sign it.  Every year, I make a point to stop by his booth at DragonCon.

Lori and Corey Cole are also heroes of mine.  I have to admit that when I got a friend request from the Lori Ann Cole on Facebook, it was a bit mind boggling.  Now, I have the opportunity to help the Coles then they are in need, to be a hero to my heroes.  It's an amazing chance to take, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

[Intendant S]

Here's a short write-up that I did on my GameInformer blog for Hero-U.

So You Want To Be a Hero? Register For Class.

[rogerxy]

Only 2 days left now and $65k left to the goal, we need all the help we can get now! Please consider pledging to help the Coles make a comeback in the adventure gaming business, I bet there are more than me here who would really like to see that become a reality.
If you already have pledged, you can always raise your pledge (and/or spread the word about this Kickstarter)

Thank you!

Kickstarter: http://kck.st/WwVlp7

New redesigned homepage: http://www.hero-u.net/

[rogerxy]

The final countdown - 6 hours to go!

http://kck.st/WwVlp7

[Blake00]

They made it!!!!


PS I have arrived lol