Games: "Quest For Glory II"
http://www.agdinteractive.com/games/qfg2/homepage/homepage.html
Possibly of interest: "Quest For Glory II", as a freeware remake of the 1990 original. (This version has good graphics and sound and a modern mouse interface.)
The QFG series was related to Sierra's other "Quest" games, but with fewer of the usual "moon logic" puzzles (and infuriating unwinnable conditions) and with RPG elements and combat. I was impressed by this game for a few reasons. One is the nice use of its Arabian theme, managing to not be completely cliched and to suggest that the designers actually looked at the Arabian Nights. Another is that you're encouraged to act more like a human than in most RPGs. That is, characters react and you get "Honor" points for doing things like greeting and thanking people, and both the story and game mechanics encourage you to keep a schedule of food, sleep and slaughtering jackalmen. The combat system rewards player skill, not just character stats, and enemy types fight differently. If you load your final saved game into the sequel (probably abandonware by now; I haven't checked) and were honorable enough before, you can be a paladin with story and gameplay benefits. And finally, there are cat-people and a lion-taur.
Possibly of interest: "Quest For Glory II", as a freeware remake of the 1990 original. (This version has good graphics and sound and a modern mouse interface.)
The QFG series was related to Sierra's other "Quest" games, but with fewer of the usual "moon logic" puzzles (and infuriating unwinnable conditions) and with RPG elements and combat. I was impressed by this game for a few reasons. One is the nice use of its Arabian theme, managing to not be completely cliched and to suggest that the designers actually looked at the Arabian Nights. Another is that you're encouraged to act more like a human than in most RPGs. That is, characters react and you get "Honor" points for doing things like greeting and thanking people, and both the story and game mechanics encourage you to keep a schedule of food, sleep and slaughtering jackalmen. The combat system rewards player skill, not just character stats, and enemy types fight differently. If you load your final saved game into the sequel (probably abandonware by now; I haven't checked) and were honorable enough before, you can be a paladin with story and gameplay benefits. And finally, there are cat-people and a lion-taur.