Update to the Commander Keen FAQ

[Joe Siegler]

Here's another old time game that has had something new for it put out. The classic Commander Keen from 1990/1991 has had it's FAQ updated. Keen is a classic game that had a lot to do with the early success of this company, as well as id Software. If you've never tried out Keen, it's still available - we have demo/shareware versions on our downloads page.

The game hasn't been updated since 1991, but the FAQ is new. Check out the latest version here - it's chock full of goodness. If you're a fan of Commander Keen, give it a read.

Also, check out our FAQ section of the website, it has FAQ's on several of our games, including Sam Stoddard's most excellent "Apogee/3DR FAQ". Sam's FAQ covers just about any piece of minutiae about our company history that you'd want to know. And of course, in a Keen related link, if there's anything you ever wanted to know about the Keen character of Dopefish, then check out the Official Dopefish site at www.dopefish.com .

[Mike359]

[moron]

ya its a good read I think tom hall and john dont work at monky storm anymore though

[Joe Siegler]

You mean Monkeystone? Actually, they still have that going on the side, even though they're at Midway.

[moron]

wow working at 2 companys at once thats got to be a killer

[Frenkel]

[2.2] What games has Commander Keen starred in?
He is (...) in a puzzle in Paganitzu

Where? I know there is a yorp in Paganitzu 2.

[moron]

ya its just in the text he goes to sleep and dreams about comander Keen

[Frenkel]

ow, know I get it .

[Frenkel]

But the Apogee FAQ says there's a Keen helmet in Paganitzu. Where is Keen's helmet in Paganitzu? Or is it just an error in the Apogee FAQ?

[moron]

as far as I remember its in episode2 you just pick it up it worth like 100 points or somthing

[moron]

you know I remember with episode one if you go bald your hat always falls of and you can get a lot of extra points from running back and forth (asuming the timer bonis points have alredy run out
o also I dont think anyone else had this hapen to them but I had a XT with only 512KB of ram in it but I had a EGA screen but Paga would only run in CGA mode it was a real bummer but if I finished the game and got to the end at the Hi score screen it would change to ega but when it whent back to the menu it would change back to CGA

it could be consitered just a tad late for beta testing but that alwaysused tp bother me that acording to the manual it only need 512K but to use EGA mode it wanted 640KB anyway I used to play that game a lot

[Frenkel]

as far as I remember its in episode2 you just pick it up it worth like 100 points or somthing

Where, in which level?

[moron]

I dont know I dont have it installed right now

[Lengis]

[1.10] What's up with id, 3D Realms and Monkeystone?


id Software was the company who developed Commander Keen, Apogee
Software, now known as 3D Realms, published it. However, they had a falling
out around the time of DOOM, id Software said Apogee wasn't serious enough about their business.

Curious, how was Apogee not serious enough about their business?

[MEBWoods]

It talks about that in "Masters of Doom". Apparently people where complaining about orders being messed up. There was no computer database to handle orders, they where just written on paper and stuck on spikes. The book says a lot of the workers where unproffesional students who indulged in rubber band fights (shocking). On hearing about the ordering complaints Kevin Cloud tested there ordering line and couldn't get through.

Also I think ID thought they could make more money selling it by themselves since they where having to give Apogee 50%.

Well that's what it says in "Masters of Doom" (good book btw).

[Lengis]

Damn, no computer data base? What were they thinking?

[moron]

I dont supose anyone from apogee could post somthing about the athentisity of that part of the book? was that the reason (real or imagened) for ID going with another distributor?

[Joe Siegler]

There was no computer database to handle orders, they where just written on paper and stuck on spikes.

Damn, no computer data base? What were they thinking?

Wrong! We still have our database from back then, and even earlier. I wasn't here at the time, so I can't speak to this issue in specifics. Our database goes back to 1987. The only time we had the "on spike" stuff was back when we used to have walk in orders. And they ended up in the database eventually.

The bit about them making more money doing it themselves is the primary reason they split off.

[moron]

ITS ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY

Ha well I guess they were well know by then and didn't need the apogee title in there games any more to get it to sell

its a shame though if ID's tec could have been led by apogee's cool game play who knows what would have hapened

Let's invade id and steal the rights to Keen (as well as some exclusive DOOM3 code )!! To arms, brothers!!

*wants Keen 7*

[moron]

I dont think you can "steal the rights to somthing"
its not something you can take its vurtual