What if Space Quest 6 went in the OTHER direction?

[Sir Procestuous]

Most likely this has already been discussed many times over (perhaps even started by myself years ago! LOL), but what the heck! :P

 

Let's say hypothetically at the start of Space Quest 6, we see Roger receiving a hero's welcome [For the first time since Space Quest 1!] for his deeds in Space Quest 5, and was allowed to remain in command of the Goliath, do you think it would have been better received than SQ6 was at the time?

 

I admit this is what I was initially excited for Space Quest 6 to be; more adventures with Roger's new ship and crew. But as time (and personal experiences) went on, I came to realize that Roger needs to be a janitor to be Roger, and I nowadays appreciate Space Quest 6 a lot, especially Roger's level of cynicism; he's AWARE that he can never be anything more than a janitor, and will always be seen as a clutzy, dimwitted fool and he seems to have learned to both embrace it and resent it.

 

If an official Space Quest 7 ever does happen, it would be nice to see Roger break away from StarCon and return to his lone space explorer days of Space Quests 3 and 4

As seen in one of the possible endings to Incinerations

 

Edited August 22, 2012 by RogerWilcoFan2015

[pcj]

Yeah, I wasn't really a fan of the whole StarCon/captain thing. I think if Roger had kept the Aluminum Mallard and possibly gotten a few crewmates that would have worked better.

 

How does one insert spoiler tags btw?

Click "Special BBCode" (third button on the top row) and select "Spoiler".

[Sir Procestuous]

Yeah, I wasn't really a fan of the whole StarCon/captain thing. I think if Roger had kept the Aluminum Mallard and possibly gotten a few crewmates that would have worked better.

 

I like to think that Roger either rented garage space for the Mallard at the Academy, or kept it in storage on Xenon till it was needed again (VSB!) :D

[Intendant S]

While I loved the Star Trek spoof of SQ5, it just didn't gel very well with the rest of the series. StarCon seemed out of place, especially with Roger as a captain...even if it WAS a garbage scow. SQ6 kinda brought it back to the series' roots, but I feel that the series really ended after SQ4.

[Chrono]

I don't mind seeing some character evolution in Roger. I think that they could easily make him both a captain, and still keep all of those character traits that are associated with him, but just manifest it in new ways :). I would like to think that in SQ7, Roger would have left Starcon, since it treated him so badly, and maybe he would be trying to start up a garbage scow business in the private sector ;) You know, they expect results.

[tomimt]

I never was a huge fan of SQ6. It's a odd collection of good looking graphics and poorly fitting animation with a mess of a plot that didn't manage to hold my interest. I don't know, I would have propably had the first half of the game as Roger being a captain and then messing his career up so that he ends up back to Mallard and then take it from there to Roger doing what he does best.

 

I have mixed feelings about SQ5 as well, as I'm not a trekkie. It's an okay game, but it rarely felt like a SQ game. But then again, SQ4 was an hard act to follow.

[Intendant S]

I have mixed feelings about SQ5 as well, as I'm not a trekkie. It's an okay game, but it rarely felt like a SQ game. But then again, SQ4 was an hard act to follow.

 

I'm a huge Trekkie and I didn't care much for SQ5. Like I mentioned, I loved the spoof idea, but it just didn't seem to fit in the SQ universe.

[Troels Pleimert]

SQ6 turned out the way it did because, according to Josh Mandel, fans were eager to have Roger back to his "old self," bopping around planets on his own. So naturally, he didn't do any of that. ;)

 

But if SQ6 had turned out to be a direct sequel to SQ5, in the sense that Roger stayed aboard the Goliath and now had a crew to boss around -- a crew that respected him, if you can believe that -- I think it would quickly have painted itself into a corner. That would imply that every game up until that point had just been a build-up to Roger becoming a careerist in StarCon. What's next, Roger as an admiral, pushing papers?

[billybob476]

Kirk was an Admiral, he never pushed papers, he just kept stealing the Enterprise out from under whoever was in command :)

[Capn_Ascii]

I like to think that Roger either rented garage space for the Mallard at the Academy, or kept it in storage on Xenon till it was needed again (VSB!)

The idea seems solid, especially given that it turns up again in VSB as if it was never gone. SQ5 and SQ6 never really mention what happened to Roger's ship; he could have sold it, or he could have just as easily mothballed it when he joined Starcon (where he wouldn't be allowed to have it with him due to military regulations). It's not every day you happen to find a free car in working order just sitting there for the taking; if I had found one, I would be reluctant to just get rid of it. ;)

 

But as time (and personal experiences) went on, I came to realize that Roger needs to be a janitor to be Roger, and I nowadays appreciate Space Quest 6 a lot, especially Roger's level of cynicism; he's AWARE that he can never be anything more than a janitor, and will always be seen as a clutzy, dimwitted fool and he seems to have learned to both embrace it and resent it.

This. B) SQ5 was fine as a one-shot delve into something new - put Roger the hapless hero in command of a ship, and watch as Hilarity Ensues, all while pouring on the Star Trek humor. I thought it was a fine game - but as Troels said, leaving him in that position would ultimately de-rail the series as a whole.

 

Personally, I rather likes SQ6, plot-wise - not only did Josh do a good job of returning Roger to his roots (and as WilcoFan said, a bit wiser - and snarkier - for the experience), but the more personal plot (rescue a close friend instead of the entire universe) meshed well with that. Not every act of heroism in space has to be of galaxy-shattering importance. ;)

 

I think this is also my favorite thing about Incenerations -

it continues the theme of Roger's character evolution and how his unusual, often-fluctuating circumstances affects it. By the end of the game, he finally has the major epiphany that's been eight games coming - that victim of circumstance or not, Roger's a hero at heart and needs to embrace his control over his own actions. He goes in guns blazing (literally), KICKS SOME ASS, and comes out the other side a happier, more confident fellow.

 

And of course, my *favorite* favorite part is how the game reflects Roger's newfound power over his own destiny - by letting him (i.e. the player) choose where he goes from here. I won't go into details for fear of spoiling the game's endings, but suffice to say that no matter which route you go with, it's because it's what Roger *decides* to do - not because God, fate, or whatever is forcing him into it. :lol:

 

[pcj]

The idea seems solid, especially given that it turns up again in VSB as if it was never gone.

Well, since the Aluminum Mallard was going to be in the SQ7 fangame we figured it would make sense for Roger to continue with it. Once SQ7 didn't happen I guess we just didn't consider throwing an explanation in there - probably for the best as that would have just lengthened the intro...

[Capn_Ascii]

Once SQ7 didn't happen I guess we just didn't consider throwing an explanation in there - probably for the best as that would have just lengthened the intro...

Works for me. ;) I'm a whole-hearted believer in the concept of anti-continuity-wank; obviously you don't want to *contradict* existing continuity, but at the same time you don't have to *explain* every little tiny damned thing, either. Roger has the Mallard in VSB; presumably, he had it stored somewhere during SQ5 and SQ6. Nothing in those games contradicts this, so no need to explain anything. :)