• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Jim Walls - Creator of Police Quest - Launches PRECINCT (Kickstarter)

M

metsallica

Member
While I know many of us grew up playing classic Sierra adventure games like King's Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Gabriel Knight, etc, my favorite SOL series will always be the oft-overlooked gem that is Police Quest. An outsider might (correctly) class them as tough, unforgiving, and sometimes impenetrable, but they were also fairly realistic police simulations released opportunely during my formative years. Who didn't want to be a cop when they were approaching 10?! My favorite of the series will always be Open Season (which was where Daryl F. Gates took over) as it was a tangible maturation / scope-expansion at the beginning of the CD era -- and I was old enough to appreciate how ground breaking it felt -- but the original trilogy still holds up today and has a special place in my heart. Surely I can't be the only one who fondly remembers hunting down The Death Angel...

H34uPQw.png

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/precinctgame/precinct

The campaign got off to a somewhat rocky start, with some weird rewards and a slightly-high game price, but I think they'll right the ship and make their goal. Not sure if they'll hit their lofty stretch goals, but maybe this thread can pitch in with a modest bump!

So, are you out there, Police Quest GAF? Share some thoughts on the classic games, hopes for the new one, and whatever else you want!
 
A challenge. PQ was always regarded amongst my friends as a lesser cousin to the other Quest titles, but it has its own merits. I'm just nervous that the PQ name just won't sell these days...

...but that said, I'll do my bit to rectify that and pledge.
 
The pitch for this looks REALLY awesome. I am all in.
 
mclem said:
A challenge. PQ was always regarded amongst my friends as a lesser cousin to the other Quest titles, but it has its own merits. I'm just nervous that the PQ name just won't sell these days...

...but that said, I'll do my bit to rectify that and pledge.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Right now on KickTraq they're just going to eek it out, but that's making a lot of assumptions. A shame this series never carried the cachet of Sierra's other properties, but it just hit so perfectly for me. I remember playing the first game on a rinky Apple II with barely any color... and having no idea what I was doing, but never being deterred by that fact! I'd keep coming back and making a little more progress every day, sneaking off to the "computer lab" as an elementary school student whenever I could. Good times.
 
This pitch gets my money and support, full stop. I've played through the series more times than you've had hot dinners.
 
Police Quest was the first adventure game I ever played. Even though I never finished it (stuck in a hotel room with a hooker while trying to infiltrate the gambling ring), the series holds a special place in my heart. As much as I'd love to back the game, the reward tiers are too steep for my tastes.
 
Still have fond memories of blowing my leg off in PQ1 because I forgot to type "draw gun" before typing "fire gun".
 
Pylon_Trooper said:
As an even bigger fan of Blue Force, this is one title that needs to reach release.
Click to expand...
I was fully invested in Open Season at that point and unfortunately completely missed Blue Force. Is it still available for purchase anywhere? Can it run on modern OSes with DOSBOX? What made it so good? I know next-to-nothing about it...
 
Man, I hope this reaches the funding goal. I really do. It looks so good. The concepts presented in it look dope as fuck.
 
Sinatar said:
Still have fond memories of blowing my leg off in PQ1 because I forgot to type "draw gun" before typing "fire gun".
Click to expand...

I can't tell you how many times my brother and I wrecked the cruiser before my dad had the bright idea of doing the safety check around the car before taking off. Yeah, we were dumb.
 
Sinatar said:
Still have fond memories of blowing my leg off in PQ1 because I forgot to type "draw gun" before typing "fire gun".
Click to expand...

You do have to come to the conclusion that Sonny Bonds was a complete nincompoop who should never have been allowed anywhere near a position of authority.
 
I got Police Quest series before but never played any of it. I've gone through a lot of Space Quest series and tons of other adventure games, but not police quest. Might be time to check it out.

This made me think there aren't really any major games that let you play as a police officer in these kind of scenarios, wonder if there is a reason for it.

Will likely pledge by the end.
 
First person view? Burn it with fire! Seriously though I loved these Quest games. Space, Kings and this.

I wish King's and Space would make a return as well. My childhood nostalgia is tingling!
 
Midou said:
I got Police Quest series before but never played any of it. I've gone through a lot of Space Quest series and tons of other adventure games, but not police quest. Might be time to check it out.

This made me think there aren't really any major games that let you play as a police officer in these kind of scenarios, wonder if there is a reason for it.

Will likely pledge by the end.
Click to expand...
Probably because you blow your leg off if you forget to unholster your weapon! These games weren't "sexy" (in the beginning), you had to follow procedure. Who wants to do that!

RPGCrazied said:
First person view? Burn it with fire! Seriously though I loved these Quest games. Space, Kings and this.

I wish King's and Space would make a return as well. My childhood nostalgia is tingling!
Click to expand...
I kind of got the sense that the perspective could shift depending on the scenario, but I might just be reading into things.
 
Thanks for posting, hoping someone would. I was going to if it didn't happen today.

My only issue is I want a $15 tier with the game. But, we'll see how it goes. Will probably pledge because I fucking love all the PQ games. <3/
 
You're welcome! Yeah, the rewards are definitely inconsistent with previous game-related Kickstarters, but they've already shown a willingness to modify them so I could see that continue.

bishoptl said:
This pitch gets my money and support, full stop. I've played through the series more times than you've had hot dinners.
Click to expand...
Which one is your favorite?
 
They posted their first update which isn't limited to backers, so I've reproduced it below:
Robert Lindsley said:
Hello everybody!

Well, it's day two of our campaign and the support has been amazing! We've had so much great feedback and are super excited to be working with everybody.

We have a couple of new announcements to share:

New reward
We've heard a lot of feedback about the $30 reward tier, and it's clear that the fans are looking for more. So we're excited to introduce a new $29 reward tier with additional rewards that will automatically become available to all of our $30 backers.

As a $29 backer you will receive a digital copy of Precinct with exclusive "VIP Backer Status". As a VIP Backer, you will be sent a unique passkey which grants you access to all "VIP Backer Only" areas of www.precinctgame.com (the website will launch after the Kickstarter). VIP Backers will also receive exclusive content in the final release of Precinct.


"VIP Backer Only" Website Areas Include:
- Sneak peeks of the game (screenshots and video clips)
- Private VIP Backer Message Board
- Exclusive webcasts and chats with Jim and his team during development
- Help develop Precinct by voting on critical design and production decisions

Exclusive Bonus Content Includes:
- Vintage Police Cruiser
- Additional Weapons
- Police Computer Upgrade
- Special Undercover Mission

This tier is meant to replace the $30 tier, and all $30 tier backers (and above) will receive everything in this $29 tier.

We are listening to backers and will continue to evaluate the tiers/rewards. Thanks again for all the feedback!


Daily Videos
Another exciting thing that's happening is starting today, you can check out our daily videos. These are short videos of Jim (and sometimes me) talking about all things Precinct and Sierra-related.

The first video (released today) is: “Why Kickstarter?”

Here's the URL for the video:

http://youtu.be/N3FwL6aURq4

We hope you enjoy these daily videos, and share them with all your friends!

That's it for now. Thanks for everything.

Robert.
Click to expand...
 
I will be SO SAD if this doesn't get funded. Very badly wanting this game.
 
It's obviously still early and a lot can happen in a month, but right now this is trending short of its goal. If you care about Police Quest or adventure games in general at least give the page a look, please! I hope they do some more incentive refocusing because otherwise this might not happen.
 
metsallica said:
It's obviously still early and a lot can happen in a month, but right now this is trending short of its goal. If you care about Police Quest or adventure games in general at least give the page a look, please! I hope they do some more incentive refocusing because otherwise this might not happen.
Click to expand...
Sounds like SpaceVenture Kickstarter all over again. It did make it, but barely so, and it was a real slog getting there. Sadly, while there are a lot of old Sierra fans out there, few of them seem to be sitting the editor's chair at the big gaming sites and getting the word out will be really hard.
 
metsallica said:
I was fully invested in Open Season at that point and unfortunately completely missed Blue Force. Is it still available for purchase anywhere? Can it run on modern OSes with DOSBOX? What made it so good? I know next-to-nothing about it...
Click to expand...

It was just a tight little spin-off. I loved the Jackson Beach locale, and while it was perhaps a fair bit easier than the mainline Police Quest games, it had great encounters and a really nice pace.

As far as a copy these days? Abandonware might be the only answer.
 
Sinatar said:
The $30 minimum to get a copy of the game is what's killing this.
Click to expand...

INDIGO_CYCLOPS said:
I tend to agree. It needs a $15 tier, with only the game.
Click to expand...
Also agreed. The confusion on the KS page and in some of the press about it being episodic doesn't help the $30 price point either.

From their FAQ:
Precinct KS said:
Is Precinct an episodic game?
No. Precinct is planned as a series to be released over the coming years, but each game is a full product. The Kickstarter funds enable our team to create a game engine and game editor that makes subsequent releases possible within the scope of our resources.
Click to expand...
To me that still sort of reads as episodic; they're counting their chickens a bit with that answer. I know they're trying to say THEY'RE SEQUELS, NOT EPISODES! It's bigger in scope, but they either need to do a lot of messaging on WHY it's double what these things typically cost, or just open up that $15 digital-only tier. Maybe remove some of the "exclusives" you get at $29/30.
Pylon_Trooper said:
It was just a tight little spin-off. I loved the Jackson Beach locale, and while it was perhaps a fair bit easier than the mainline Police Quest games, it had great encounters and a really nice pace.

As far as a copy these days? Abandonware might be the only answer.
Click to expand...
That sounds cool, I didn't realize it was so similar to 1-3. Looks like copies are going for less than $5 on Amazon, going to give it a shot!
 
Here is a serious question. Besides the Ouya, what other major Kickstarter gaming project actually made it to the store shelves?

I ask this earnestly because I have contributed to quite a few KS projects and am pondering all of the games I could have purchased with that same money - games that actually made it to retail in physical or digital form.

Can anyone name a playable game that is worthwhile that began with Kickstarter? So far I am seeing a great deal of talk and very little performance. Star Citizen is revealing more and that shows promise but you can't drop a promise in a disc drive.
 
It seems like Kickstarter is shaking out older game series from the mothballs but they are new games at the same time. I hope this gets funded.
 
Hatchetforce said:
Can anyone name a playable game that is worthwhile that began with Kickstarter? So far I am seeing a great deal of talk and very little performance. Star Citizen is revealing more and that shows promise but you can't drop a promise in a disc drive.
Click to expand...

FTL brah, so good!
 
Hatchetforce said:
Here is a serious question. Besides the Ouya, what other major Kickstarter gaming project actually made it to the store shelves?

I ask this earnestly because I have contributed to quite a few KS projects and am pondering all of the games I could have purchased with that same money - games that actually made it to retail in physical or digital form.

Can anyone name a playable game that is worthwhile that began with Kickstarter? So far I am seeing a great deal of talk and very little performance. Star Citizen is revealing more and that shows promise but you can't drop a promise in a disc drive.
Click to expand...
Lots of them are still in beta, but Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded is out and pretty awesome! Diamond Trust of London too, though that's a bit more niche. Even had a "full" physical release! I've had a great time with all of the game projects I've backed so far that have given me beta/alpha access like the various SportsFriends titles, Mercenary Kings, various LAGS titles, Venus Patrol titles, etc.
 
Thanks for the replies. I have contributed to over 16 KS projects and it is starting to feel like developer welfare. Personally I have been more satisfied with beta buyins such as Path of Exile. I will definitely look at the suggestions above.

Takedown just looks horrendous to me, but then so do most tactical shooters with pretenses toward realism as they inevitably get it wrong. I enjoy modern era shooters more when they forego any such ideas of realism and just run with their creativity.
 
I was thinking about funding, but they need a $15 entry level for the game only. A soundtrack and wallpaper for $20 is insulting. I mean, did he even look at the other succesful kickstarters? I also thought that the pitch video needs a major overhaul. We need to see the game earlier, especially for people who don't know who the heck Sierra or Jim Wall are.
 
Here's part of Update 2:

Hello everybody,

First off, thanks again for supporting Jim and the team! We've had a lot of excitement over the past couple of days and are working really hard to incorporate everyoneÂ’s feedback. We're really listening to you guys, and I can't tell you how much we appreciate your enthusiasm for the project.

DRM Free
So, our first big announcement is that Precinct will be DRM free! All backers who are eligible for the game will receive a DRM free version when it's available. Our community has been very passionate about this issue, so we're happy to give everyone the option.

$19 Limited Edition Pre-Order Version To all of our fans who have been requesting a lower-cost pre-order version, we are happy to announce a new $19 digital copy tier! We've made a limited quantity of 2,500 available so we hope you will tell your friends and family that they should jump in and back the Precinct project! Of course this version will be DRM free as well.
Click to expand...

I decided to back it since they decided to reduce the entry price even though it's an early bird special. I hope this will renew interest in the game.
 
I like the concept, but they screwed themselves by turning people away with the $20 tier for the soundtrack and $30 tier for the soundtrack + game. I see they opened a limited pre-order slot, but again the difference of $10 will turn people off who find the project later on.

I wish them the best but I think this one was poorly organized.
 
Hatchetforce said:
Here is a serious question. Besides the Ouya, what other major Kickstarter gaming project actually made it to the store shelves?

I ask this earnestly because I have contributed to quite a few KS projects and am pondering all of the games I could have purchased with that same money - games that actually made it to retail in physical or digital form.

Can anyone name a playable game that is worthwhile that began with Kickstarter? So far I am seeing a great deal of talk and very little performance. Star Citizen is revealing more and that shows promise but you can't drop a promise in a disc drive.
Click to expand...

FTL, Chivalry, Gianna Sisters, Strike Suit Zero are all out. Shadowrun comes out in under a week.
 
thehillissilent said:
Here's part of Update 2:



I decided to back it since they decided to reduce the entry price even though it's an early bird special. I hope this will renew interest in the game.
Click to expand...

$19 is certainly better than nothing. Have to back it at this point...I want to see Jim Walls design a new police game.
 
I never played any of the PQ games but I suspect they'd have been right up my alley. I'll be very interested in this when it comes out, since I think I've hit my Kickstarter limit for now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Content Creator Alanah Pearce Launches Charred Pictures in Partnership With Game Devs; Multiple Movie Projects In Works
2 3
110
2K
Cert.in.Death replied
D.O.R.F. - Official Kickstarter Trailer
Trailer Indie 
10
330
IbizaPocholo replied
SURANGAMA - Official Kickstarter Trailer
Trailer Indie 
0
159
IbizaPocholo replied
WESTLANDERS - Official Kickstarter Announcement Trailer
Trailer Indie 
2
208
Hudo replied
Rumor/Leak: Onimusha: Way of The Sword launches September 25th, 2026
30
153
Skifi28 replied
Top Bottom