Quest for Glory III: Wages of War () (pc) [Any %] [Single Segment] [Character: Wizard] [0:25:43]
Run Information
Completion Date June 17, 2015
State Published
Runner Paul 'The Reverend' Miller
Tag Character: Wizard
Internal Comments:
Comment State Information Checkpoint None

It beats my approved run by almost 2 minutes, thanks mainly to better grinded RNG encounters, which is 80% of the timing of this category.

Links
Verification Thread
Run Comments

[A NOTE ON DOSBOX SETTINGS]
TThis run was done on the GOG.com official release (i.e., 10,000 cycles), with two lines changed that do not affect gameplay other than in the positive sense. These were discussed and approved in previous runs already, involving disabling EMS in the DOSBox settings. It QFG1VGA and QFG3 were both have crashing issues that disappear when EMS is disabled. The other major change is the use of Roland MT-32 sound, which is overwhelmingly superior to Soundblaster for these old Sierra games.

Also, the video output from "Overlay" to "OpenGL" to allow for FRAPS to make the recording.

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[CREDITS]
Of course, I want to thank SDA for hosting such a great service. It is always my first place to check for speed runs, and the community is always super friendly and helpful. :)

This route was developed almost entirely by Puri as watched on his Twitch stream, but has been sped up because of better understand of the game mechanics. The RNG is this is about a close to perfect as I could ever expect to get.

Also, as a minister, I have to give credit to God for giving me a little extra leisure time to practice the series of games I enjoy.

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[KEYBOARD COMMANDS]
Unlike the other games in the series, pressing the TAB key DOES NOT open the inventory. No other keyboard command seems to either. However, I have attempted to optimize the INSERT key function, which switches from whatever icon you are on to the walking icon. Upon pressing INSERT again, you go back to the icon you were previously using. This is demonstrated to its fullest in the marketplace, as I can switch from running to the money bag as necessary to avoid conversation with the merchants.

Also, the arrow keys are used when fastest to move around. This is often a judgement call.

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[SCENE-BY-SCENE COMMENTARY]

[CHARACTER CREATION AND OPENING REMARKS:]

The Wizard is the ONLY class in the game that does not require a specific creation-point allocation to finish without training. As such, I throw the points into Luck. I figure it couldn't hurt when hunting the Blue Orchid and praying to miss all those RNG monsters, as well as looking for your wife in the jungle. There is a lot of RNG.

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[EVERYTHING TARNA:]
I start with my icon on the door, and begin character movement as soon as possible, changing my movement type to Run. After this, I adjust the Game Settings sliders so moving to the door is already on auto-pilot. After that, I head down to the marketplace, and to the moneychanger area to watch the Thief. Staying at the left side of the screen will auto-transition back to the screen fastest, and the game thinks you have tried to apprehend the Thief (most points/fastest transition).

There is a new glitch I have discovered which speeds the Thief up to the character's movement speed when running away, but doing so only seems to work here and causes major encounters on the world map (every couple of steps).

In the Rajah's room, right-clicking is the fastest way to make sure you skip all the screens. After that, you can speed up this dialog by not saying anything (just looking at myself over and over). When I exit, I reset my movement to run, head back to the moneychanger. We will not need more cash in this game. Here is our shopping list:

- 1 Waterskins
- 5 Zebra Skins
- 1 Fine Spear
- 1 Fine Robe

Where you click is important in the marketplace, as I am avoiding getting too close to the merchants and initiating dialog. After this, I am leaving Tarna.

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[GRAPES AND STONE AND WASTING TIME:]
This is the route which makes skipping the Fire Opal faster, as the Wizard can use the Fetch spell. I Fetch the Grapes, and leave the Meerbats to deal with the plants. I will get another gem at the end of the game.

After an RNG encounter when trying to sleep, I am able to sleep through the night. RNG encounters are a major source of time wasting, so only having one on the next day while trying to waste time was fantastic. I will automatically return to the inn for the next scene at dusk.

When you are asked to swear an oath when Rakeesh does, you can say "yes" or "no." The only difference, I believe, is points. So you will not see me aim the mouse here because it does not matter. Using the "eye" on the character is the fastest way to transition. We travel across the savannah to the Simbani Village.

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[SIMBANI VILLAGE, BLUE ORCHID:]
Attempting to walk away causes the dialog screens to appear faster when you are on the hill, which gets you into the village fastest. Once inside the Laibon's Hut, I use the "eye" clicking skip again to get to the next scene faster.

In the next scene, you can either click "Say Goodbye" or walk to the door. I find the door faster. I am leaving immediately to save time and begin travelling to start the Blue Orchid search. I also do not have an RNG encounter which is fantastic. You have to talk to the glow orb in the tree to make the Blue Orchid spawn, and you do that by asking about "Wood."

Then, it is a matter of searching and time management, which ends up not being much of an issue. After an RNG encounter, I almost immediately stumble into the Blue Orchid, which is probably one of the top five fastest times I have ever encountered it.

You have to wait until night to dip the Blue Orchid or else it does not change to the glowing Blue Orchids, which involves risking RNG encounters. I dip the Blue Orchids, of course. I am also here to fill two waterskins. One is for a Dispel Potion, the other is to give so I can get another ingredient for a Dispel Potions. I head back to the tree, which goes smoothly as well, and get the Magic Wood and the Magic Fruit.

Moving slightly down the stairs fixes an routing AI issue which puts you back into the garden room. I head back to Tarna, which could have gone better with the day/night cycle management, but had perfect RNG on the second screen! An encounter with the Earth Pig is pretty much expected and is rarely dodged. Then it is waiting.

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[REVISITING TARNA:]
I am here for the Dispel Potion, but there is a proper way to acquire it to maximize time efficiency. You want to enter the city at sunset (which means RNG risk), so you can talk to the hippy about the Dispel Potion, give him the ingredients, and then sleep and purchase them the next morning. If you arrive too late at night, it counts as the same morning even if you sleep until the next day, requiring a trip out to the savannah to waste time.

I also use this time to get the Wizard's Staff (this resets your movement to walking), and then rest at the Inn.

After purchasing THREE Dispel Potions, I head back to the Simbani Village, which leads to a few more RNG encounters.

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[BUYING A BRIDE:]
You can only use the Dispel Potion and open the gate when the unnamed guard is there. If Yesufu or Uhura are there, they will not let you do anything, even if she is your bride already.

By going as fast as you can and min/maxing time in other areas, it is inevitable that you are going to run into this short storytime cutscene. It seems as though it is avoidable, but it is not if you are on pace. Again, it takes longer to avoid it than to right-click through it (and there will be less "you're tired" dialogs because you get an extra sleep). The only class that can avoid is pretty consistently is the Fighter.

Entering and exiting the Laibon's Hut once is required, as the option for "Marriage" is necessary to buy your bride and only appears on the second time in the hut. Once the bride is free, we are headed to the jungle.

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[JUNGLE, NON-PEACE-CONFERENCE, MONKEY VILLAGE:]
The Wizard has to encounter the Leopard Woman three different times, each as an RNG encounter. This was taxing, obviously, but goes amazingly well. You learn the Lightning Ball spell in the second encounter. I position myself next to the Jungle Village to make the trip last about two seconds at the last encounter, and panic for a second because I realize this is probably the best combination RNG game I've had to this point, and almost say goodbye to her accidentally, which leads to a two second hesitation.

You have to tell her about the drum and she will lead you to her village. Once there, you watch some magic, and fight a magic duel. The order is always the same to win:

1. Wizard's Staff
2. Reversal
3. Calm
4. Force Bolt
5. Juggling Lights
6. Lightning Ball
7. Levitate
8. Dispel Potion

After this, you get the Spear, give back the drum, go to the supposed peace conference, and then head back to the Jungle. I have one RNG encounter on the first screen and one more on the second screen, which is pretty damn solid.

Once you are on the third screen, you automatically enter a dialog with the monkey you freed, which kicks to another automatic travelling scene that ends at the Monkey Village. Levitating up is the only option for the Wizard who does not have climbing skill. This is followed by talking to Manu about the Lost City, and then asking him to take you four times. With higher communication skill, I believe you only have to ask him once, but there is no good way to make that happen in this short of a run.

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[WATERFALL AND LOST CITY:]
The waterfall screen for the Wizard is awkward, but is handled pretty well in this run. You have to get two vines, tell Manu about the rope, then tell him about Cooperation to get across when casting Levitation.

You have to "Say Goodbye" to Manu to reach the next screen at the Lost City. The Fetch spell is by far much faster to get the gem to open the door for the Wizard rather than the Meerbat cutscene. I am inside and in the last areas.

Once inside, cast Calm, then Open, and finally open the door with the hand. Pretty simple.

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[ENDGAME:]
You cannot win the fight against your doppleganger. Fastest thing you can do is spam the attack key until you are almost out of health, at which point the Thief from the beginning of the game comes and saves you. You do have to be a little careful, because you can die if you are too fast.

The next area is the last. You can stall the game by casting the Wizard's Staff first, so I begin with Reversal, then Calm, and THEN cast the Staff. Once I hit him with a Flame Dart, he Fetches the Staff himself. Casting Trigger detonates it.

The last thing that needs to get done is casting Force Bolt on the altar. Once that is cast, the game is won.

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[AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT]

The Wizard is the most RNG heavy of all the classes, and this was a very solid RNG run from my experience running this game. Grinding RNG is going to be pretty much the only option to beat this run.