Vital Statistics

Published by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Developed by Sierra On-Line, Inc.
Released in 1990

Credits

Executive Producer: Ken Williams
Creative Director: William R. Davis Sr.
Producer: Guruka Singh Khalsa
Game Designers: Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole
Art Designer: Kenn Nishiuye
Lead Programmer: Robert Fischbach
Composers: Mark Seibert, Chris Braymen

Trial by Fire is the sequel to Hero’s Quest: So You Want To Be A Hero. It takes place in the town Shapeir and the desert surrounding it, in a Middle East-like environment. It seems that the powerful elemental spirits have been troubling the Shapeir folk recently. Something, or someone, is behind those troubles. It is the hero’s task to find out what is going on, get acquainted with the many inhabitants of Shapeir, and prove once more that he is worthy of his heroic title.

Like its predecessor, Trial by Fire is a hybrid game that incorporates elements from adventure and role-playing genres. It has a text-based interface, puzzles to solve, inventory items, characters to talk to, as well as pure RPG elements such as character growth system and battles. Player character can be either a fighter, a thief, or a wizard, and can also become a paladin during the course of the game if he follows a strict moral code.

Real-time combat is presented on separate screens and offers more options than the previous title. There are several types of high, mid-level, and low attacks, as well as parrying and dodging. The hero raises his combat proficiency and other skills by fighting enemies, training, and performing various actions that influence the corresponding parameters.

While in interviews the Coles have long claimed that QFG4 is their favorite game in the series, I can understand it is one of my favorite games of all time, fans have always seemed to gravitate towards the this QFG game. Two seems to take the wonderful system found in the first game and make just enough correct tweaks to make the game really, really shine. The most noticeable tweak being a more easily understood and navigable combat system.

Sadly, this game is saddled with a terrible maze city and timed puzzles. Despite that we should be okay.

Many of you commented at the end of the QFG1 LP that I did not max out Garcon’s stats before completing the game. I, incorrectly, stated that was because the game would give us points to catch us up to be speed. I did recall the correct reason though after playing as Garcon for a bit and playing as an old saved perfected character. The reason I don’t do that is because a maxed out beginning character makes many of the skill challenges in this game , as well as the combat, trivial. I find its much more enjoyable to play the game without a maxed character.

Of course, if that is what the people want I know of some way to do just that. A rare drug that can be found by ingesting the venom of a small tropical blue frog…

EDIT: If you want to read the manual you can find it here!

Introductory Videos and Miscellany

Opening Cinematic:

Character Select:

Game Beginning:

Next time I actually play the game!