OK, here is the list of some of the older quests that work and don't work in 2.53:
3rdEX - fails. Need an earlier version
New 1.02 - fails. Need an earlier version
New 1.84 - 1.02 version loads after a conversion. Same bug as 2003 though, the item doesn't show up in MD 1 making the game unplayable.
Demo 1.84 - loads, item doesn't show up in Level-A, making the White Sword unobtainable.
Unofficial 3rd Quest - Works, no issues. Let's Play: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...bGdjckeVQxsJRz
Revenge - Works, no issues. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...4BT-zsM0HWI3vT
Revenge 2: Works, has issues. Already reported. No Let's Play
New Quest 2003 - loads, but fails in Mini-Dungeon 1 as an item does not properly show up, too much 1.02 structure still left as far as I know.
James Quest (original)- Works, no issues. Let's Play: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...mbm8F17wf6Brmw
1.84 support seems to be pretty broken. I think anything made in 1.84 definitely needs to be retooled or exported out and rebuilt in 2.53 as of this point. 3rdEX doesn't even read one bit in any version since it's from one of the beta versions of ZQuest! I think New Quest got converted somewhere between 1.02 and 1.84, which is why I was able to read-only it in 1.84 and convert it.
If there's anything more you want to have me look at from 1.92 and below let me know.
-James