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About the Virtual Broomcloset
Welcome to the Custodian's Corner! This is the place to
be if you're interesting in finding out all kinds of background information
about Roger Wilco's Virtual Broomcloset. I'll try to provide some answers
to questions I'm commonly asked about the site, as well as some other
interesting tidbits about this site, myself, and the Space Quest series.
If you have any questions that aren't covered here, please
mail me!
So, let's get started already!
What is this site? This site is Roger Wilco's Virtual
Broomcloset (a.k.a., The Virtual Broomcloset, The Broomcloset,
Wanda)--the web's first and foremost site devoted to providing hints,
information, and lots of other neat stuff for fans of Sierra's Space Quest series. If you're not
already familiar with Space Quest, I'd imagine that this site probably
wouldn't hold much interest for you. Just to be on the safe side, though,
the Space Quest series chronicles the misadventures of Roger Wilco, Space
Janitor, as he bumbles his way through saving the universe from a variety
of nefarious threats. So far, there have been six installments in the
series (plus a remake of the first episode, Vonster D. Monster's
unofficial Space Quest: The Lost
Chapter, and the now-cancelled seventh installment).
When was this site launched?
The Broomcloset debuted on November 29,
1995. In World Wide Web time, that makes this site practically
ancient! When this site was launched
way back then, it was comprised of just a few walk-throughs, some reprinted
articles, and a bunch of really bad HTML code. Since then, it's
expanded quite a bit, but still includes its fair share of sloppy HTML.
Why was this site launched? In
a nutshell, I had been a devoted, long-time fan of the Space Quest series.
When I got to college and got on the Web for the first time, I realized
that there were websites for almost every topic under the sun--except
Space Quest. Since I really wanted to visit a Space Quest site, I realized
I would have to learn HTML and design my own. Hence, the Broomcloset.
Who is the webmaster of the Virtual Broomcloset?
Hi! My name is Decaffeinated Jedi. I'm 24
years old, and I'm currently a doctoral student at the University of Georgia in lovely Athens, GA,
studying the discipline of political science. In the past, I've attended
such notable educational institutions as Virginia Tech, King
College, Castlewood High School, Castlewood Elementary School, and the
St. Paul Public Library's Storytime Program. Plus, I've been a Space Quest
fan for almost fifteen years now, believe it or not!
Do you work for Sierra? If so, could you tell me what Al Lowe is
really like? No, I do not work
for Sierra. This site is entirely fan-based and unofficial (just ask
Sierra's legal department). However, a number of Sierra employees
(including SQ designers Mark Crowe, Scott Murphy, Josh Mandel, and Leslie
Balfour) have visited the Broomcloset and often contributed various bits
of information about the series, as well as interviews. On a side
note, I actually had a chance to speak briefly with Leisure Suit Larry
designer Al Lowe a little over a year ago. He's really a terrific guy!
You should check out his
website.
So, are you a girl? If so, are you cute?
Despite various rumors, I'm afraid that I'm not a
girl/woman/female--not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you.
I am (and always have been) a male. Jess is short for Jessee (not Jessica,
Jessi, or something like that). So, I guess that makes the second
question a moot point, eh? Anyway, here's a somewhat recent pic of me and one from a few years back.
Who did the rockin' redesign for the Virtual Broomcloset on its
fifth anniversary? That would be
Justin Gosine of Frost Byte
Interactive. Not too shabby, eh?
Where can I get the Space Quest games?
It's getting harder and harder to track down any of the Space
Quest games these days. Sierra no longer produces the Space Quest
Collection and has not announced plans to restock the product in the
future. You can always give the various online auction sites (such as eBay) a try. Quite frequently, you'll find
several gamers auctioning either individual Space Quest games or the Space
Quest Collection. Also, you can check out the Game Trading Zone and attempt to arrange a
purchase or trade with another gamer. Other than those suggestions,
however, your options are rather slim.
By the way, don't even bother writing me to ask if
I'll send you a copy of one of the Space Quest games. You're only asking
to have your message deleted.
What's the deal with Space Quest 7? I heard it was coming out, but now
I hear that Sierra has cancelled it.
Well, production for Space Quest 7 was, at
one time, underway. There's even a promotional AVI on the latest version
of the Space Quest Collection. Then, Sierra decided to place the product "on hold indefinitely." For more details, check out this site's Space Quest 7 Rumor Central!
Listen, I can't get past the Datacorder puzzle in Space Quest 6!
Can you send me the solution? No
problem! The solution is now provided in my Space Quest
6 Walk-Through. Sierra recently released the copy protection
information for SQ6 at their website.
You can also download it here at the
Broomcloset.
I can't get by the Skate-O-Rama in Space Quest 4! What do I need to
do?!?
Restart, Restore, or Quit?
Sorry--a little bit of Sierra humor, there. If you're having
trouble with the Skate-O-Rama sequence, it probably has to do with the
fact that your system's processor is too fast. To correct this problem,
try downloading Mo'Slo or Turbo, small utilities that
will temporarily reduce your clock speed enough to make this scene possible to complete.
If that doesn't work, try referring to the step by step, graphical
instructions at Sleeray's Roger Wilco
Memorial.
Alternatively, you can also download Space Quest saved games from the Virtual Broomcloset to bypass this scene. Saved games are also available to bypass other troublesome sequences in SQ1VGA, SQ4, and SQ6.
How do you get those Space Quest screenshots I see all over the
Broomcloset?
To grab screens from the Space Quest
series, I use the handy (yet undocumented) screen capture utility that's
built-in to
Windows 95. Pressing Alt-PrintScreen at any time will copy the current
display to the system's clipboard. Then, all you have to do is paste the
image
from the clipboard into your favorite image manipulation program (such
as Paint Shop Pro). Boom--instant screenshot!
Has this site won any awards?
It just so happens that the
Broomcloset has been honored with an award or two. Here's a brief list:
- Winner of the
net's "Net Rave" rating in December of 1996 with a perfect score of
18 out of 18 points. Here's a portion of what they had to say about
the Broomcloset: "...For me, this site is what the Web is all about.
Words can't even begin to describe what an excellent experience this
site is. Go there now."
- In July of 1998, the Broomcloset was voted by
Internet fans as the recipient of two prestigious StarCon awards! The
site was chosen as the Best Space Quest Site and received an award for
Best Layout/Ease of Use. Thanks to everyone who voted!
Has anyone ever written a song about your site and/or message
forum? As a matter of fact, someone
has! Ryan "Cool Guy" Henneboehle wrote an awesome song entitled, "Don't
Cry, Jedi." You can download it here.
Thanks, Ryan!
Did Rodney Dangerfield really visit the Broomcloset?
Yes, comedian Rodney Dangerfield did
visit the Broomcloset a few years ago. He had this to say about it:
"So this is where I end up. Somebody's Broomcloset. I don't get no respect.
No respect at all." I never get tired of that bit!
Who is your favorite Spice Girl?
Wow, this question is starting to look dated! My favorite Spice Girl is definitely Sporty
Spice, Melanie C. She's closely followed by Posh and Scary, with Baby
bringing up the rear.
Are you involved in any other Web projects?
At the moment, no. I used to
be an editor with Verbosity
Magazine before it fell victim to a hostile takeover. Since then,
I nearly started work on a new zine called Sticky Pickle, but never quite
got around to it.
What is a "sticky pickle?"
Trust me, it's a long story.
Do you play another other games besides Space Quest?
As a matter of fact, I've always been an
avid gamer. I'm a fan of the
various Sierra series, my favorites (along with Space Quest) being
Quest for Glory, Leisure Suit Larry, and the Laura Bow games. Other than
Sierra games, I'm a big fan of LucasArts' stuff (especially the Monkey
Island series). I'm also known to play a bit of Madden 2001 on the PS2.
Is there anyone you'd like to thank?
Yes. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank
you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank
you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sorry--I couldn't resist!
There are tons of people I'd
like to thank. First off, I'd like to thank Mark Crowe, Scott Murphy,
Leslie Balfour, and Josh Mandel for all the great inside information they
have contributed to the Broomcloset (not to mentioned creating the Space
Quest games in the first place). Thanks also goes out to Troels Pleimert
for his friendship and all his help with this site over the years. This
site wouldn't be possible without Chris Heschong generously providing it
with a virtual home at wiw.org.
Also, I can't leave out all the other people who have
helped out with this site in some way or another: Vaughn Gosine, Justin Gosine, Christian Giegerich,
Andy Couch, Seth Waddell, Corey Welton, Jonathan
Phillips, Diane Murase, and everyone else! Thanks, guys!
Comments,
questions, suggestions... jess@wiw.org
Roger Wilco
and related materials are © Sierra
On-Line.
Space Quest is a registered trademark of the Children's Museum
of Indianapolis.
This page is © Decaffeinated Jedi, 2000. Design & layout ©
Frost Byte Interactive, 2000. Optimised for 800 x 600 resolution and greater.
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