Room removed for Legal Reasons

[BlockMaster]

I finally managed to download the Space Quest 4 CD update by New Rising Sun, and I entered the Room Removed for Legal Reasons. It is a really strange place. I just want to collect information around. Here are all the things that I noticed. When you arrive, you don't see the room through the glass of the Time Pod. You see only the spiral of colors shown when you travel somewhere. There is a strange, melancolic background music that does not originates from any known Space Quest music. If the Sierra orchestra recorded a special music for that room, that means that it was likely intended to be in game. Strangely enough, that music isn't in the soundtrack. If you exit the Time Pod and you try to go back in, it displays the message : "Sorry Roger, YOU'VE been taken out of the game for legal reasons." If you look at the room, it will display the message : "This seems to be a storage room for all the stuff taken out of Sierra games for legal reasons." The HAND, NOSE and TONGUE icons do nothing in this room. The bar at the top of the screen shows that you are in Space Quest IV. If you look at the Radio Shock sign, it will display the message : "Hey, it looks like the sign they took out of the mall!" If you look at the Droids-R-Us sign, it will display the message : "It looks like something they took out of Space Quest 1." If you look at ZZ-Top, it will display the message : "It looks like the two hairy guys they took out of Space Quest 1." If you look at the Hero's Quest sign and banner, it will display the message : "It looks like something they took out of Quest for Glory 1." If you look at the dinosaur on the front wall, it will display the message : "It looks like something they took out from Quest for Glory 1." If you look at the Slug Chow, it will display the message : It looks like something they took out of Space Quest 4. If you look at the paper on the front wall, it will display the message : "It says: "please help me fertilize my mother's cat". They took THAT out and left the "Pantload" bit in?" That is all I discovered. If anyone knows where does the soundtrack comes from, and if it's original, please tell me.

[MusicallyInspired]

"The Sierra orchestra" lol I love that. I don't remember what the music is from, though. I don't even remember what it is.

[BlockMaster]

:o ...I ...I thought it was an orchestra. Is it?

[MusicallyInspired]

No, but I'm sure it's very flattering to the composers to be mistaken for it that way. :) Sierra didn't have an orchestra. Really, no game developers do. Sometimes they hire an orchestra to perform the music that the composer writes, though. But not often. Sierra's composers used MIDI to sequence music electronically. Everything you hear is digital and performed on a keyboard one instrument at a time by one person (sometimes two). An orchestra is a full piece band with live performers for each instrument.

 

The composers for the Space Quest games were:

 

Space Quest 1: Al Lowe (Mark Crowe made up the SQ theme, Al Lowe recorded it)

Space Quest 2: Al Lowe

Space Quest 3: Bob Siebenburg (drummer for the band Supertramp)

Space Quest 4: Ken Allen (also the composer for SpaceVenture!)

Space Quest 1 VGA: Ken Allen

Space Quest 5: Christopher Stevens & Tim Clarke

Space Quest 6: Dan Kehler & Neil Grandstaff

[BlockMaster]

I never knew that. Great facts though. You should do a post about Space Quest music. :D On the Sierra Music Central, I thought I read that it was one single orchestra for Space Quest IV and V.

[MusicallyInspired]

I'm almost certain you misread. I know the guy who made that site and he knows better. Alistair actually frequents these forums as well.

[Troels Pleimert]

The composers for the Space Quest games were:

 

Space Quest 1: Al Lowe (Mark Crowe made up the SQ theme, Al Lowe recorded it)

Space Quest 2: Al Lowe

 

Er, I thought Mark Crowe wrote the tunes for SQ2 as well? That's just what I thought; if Al told you otherwise, I'm sure it's true.

[MusicallyInspired]

Could very well be. I was going by Quest Studios' credits (which he usually took the time to get right, so much so that he doesn't list Mark Seibert as a composer for SQ4 even though he is credited as such in the game. Same with Longbow). I seem to recall it just being that Mark made the SQ theme but Al did all the actual compositions and sequencing. That was my impression anyway. I could be wrong. He and Margaret did pretty much all of the "soundtracks" for the AGI games. It wasn't until sound card support that they brought in other dedicated composers.

[Troels Pleimert]

Could very well be. I was going by Quest Studios' credits (which he usually took the time to get right, so much so that he doesn't list Mark Seibert as a composer for SQ4 even though he is credited as such in the game. Same with Longbow).

Well, in that case, I'll defer my speculation in favor of people who actually did their research. Carry on. ;)

[Spikey]

I can even update MI's list and say that Neal Grandstaff composed SQ6, with Dan Kehler being brought in at the last minute to fill some holes ("additional music"). And, Mark Seibert did compose some music in SQ4.

 

I wonder what the piece of music is in the legal reasons room.. I've never seen it myself.

[Dat Engineer]

The "legal reasons room" simply lifts the Treasure Room music from King's Quest 6 (composed by Chris Brayman).

[Spikey]

Thanks Dat. :)

[BlockMaster]

Yes, thanks. I love all the music of the Sierra games. I can listen to it all the afternoon if I would have the time to do so. I like to know all the music and where to find it. Now I just found the missing song in Space Quest IV soundtrack. :)