Character model dilemma
If Telltale makes another Monkey Island game (which seems inevitable), then there's a huge dilemma that needs looking at urgently. If you're not sitting down, then find a chair before reading this because the nature of this dilemma will blow your mind.
In every Monkey Island game, Guybrush has looked completely different to his previous version. What do people think about keeping him the same for the next game? Telltale's "tradition" of keeping the same character models (and GUI amongst other things, for that matter) over serieseses seems contrary to Monkey Island's tradition of reinventing itself. To me it might feel kind of weird to have two games in a row that are too similar aesthetically. What do people think?
In every Monkey Island game, Guybrush has looked completely different to his previous version. What do people think about keeping him the same for the next game? Telltale's "tradition" of keeping the same character models (and GUI amongst other things, for that matter) over serieseses seems contrary to Monkey Island's tradition of reinventing itself. To me it might feel kind of weird to have two games in a row that are too similar aesthetically. What do people think?
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So they can just change his beard / hair cut and of course, clothes. Changing the coat seems a good way to make Guybrush look way different.
But I would have loved a complete redesign of the whole game actually, a slightly less disproportioned Guybrush would be nice. But it's telltale. We sure will get bugeye winslow Morgan and Co come back, and identical.
The only exception is Stan. When I think of him, I think of SMI and LCR's sprites. That's not to say I didn't love the Stan in Tales. They got him as good as they could in 3D. Best voice actor yet, awesome adaptation of his had-waving, and of course, perfect job on his jacket.
I hope they'll consider focusing on 360/PC release this time to give them more resources to play with. Tales looks great a lot of the time, but it could better.
I´m hoping they´ll keep the tradition of giving the series a new look.
Maybe even hire a new art director for it.
It´s not that I don´t like the TOMI style, I love it, but I think, seeing MI´s history, that they should keep that going.
Seeing that Telltale´s budget seems to keep increasing, it should be possible.
But yeah, the minor characters being clones of other minor characters was indeed a little irritating.
I like the style they went for though but a more powerful game (and graphic) engine (assuming it was dynamic enough to not blow up low end computers) would be great.
... just a thought. I'd like it!
On a more realistic note: The problem isn't Guybrush's game model; he has a pretty unique figure. The problem is that many in-game models were re-used. However, if characters with the same or almost similar model do not appear in the next season, the problem is solved (as long as new characters in Season 2 have new game models, of course). That means, for example: We keep Winslow, but get rid of Nipperkin.
Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I'd like to see Threepgood in a long black coat with lots of straps and buckles sporting a full (but short, not bushy) beard and possibly longer hair. Maybe the game could take place a few more years down the line, this would help facilitate such a change.
Look, darker and more like LCR is not necessarily good. I love me a bright atmosphere. It's cheery. If the story needs it, make it darker - by all means! But this isn't, I dunno, Schindler's List. Just because SMI and MI2 started out at night, it doesn't mean that all of them should. Didn't you like how colourful and upbeat Flotsam looked? (Before you knew what was going on there, I mean.)
It seems weird that he started out wanting to be a pirate, became a pirate and got all grubby and piratey in the process (well, he got a long coat and beard anyway) and then suddenly transformed into this:
I'm really glad that Tales gave him back a pirate coat, but I think it should be little more piratey in the next game. Black coats were very typical of pirates, and belts and buckles are awesomely piratey, as are beards. By a beard though, I kind of mean long stubble... just a really short beard, like one that he's grown because he hasn't had the time to shave rather that one he's nurtured and grown for months.
And yeah, I kind of liked the bright, colourfulness of Flotsam but I also missed the grungy edge that the first three games managed to give. It feels kind of essential to me. This doesn't mean I want the games to take place at night and talk about suicide and depression all the time, just that it'd be nice to reintroduce some of the Pirates of the Caribbean atmosphere that made the MI series great (not that we didn't get that in later chapters somewhat).
i personaly hope they keep the semi CMI style, but give the charakters a new outfit. i realy liked the idea of guybrush changing his cloth in EMI.
the only thing what would be realy interesting to see is a celshaded version of the next monkey island. the technology in that sector has made much progress since the first cel shaded games where released(just look at the naruto-, Dragonball games or Runaway 3)
@Vainamoinen
he can stay 21 vorrever he is a videogame charakter,and the dont age like carton carakters
has bugs bunny or Bart Simpson ever aged?
heck even james bond doesnt age XD
First, the buckles on his belt and shoulder baldric were missing for some reason! REAL belts would have buckles of some sort. In a season 2 they should really be added to his model. It's a minor detail but it just bugs me. (Note that Ryan Jones DID include such buckles in his concept drawings of Guybrush's look for Tales.)
Second, I don't like how the cuffs of Guybrush's boots have trim matching his jacket cuffs. Such gold trim on pirate boots is HIGHLY unusual. Make the costume more authentically piratey and leave off the gold edging on the boots!
Finally, I think Guybrush should have more authentically piratey facial hair. Maybe lose the sideburns, and give him a Van Dyke beard (that is, give him a mustache to go with his goatee.) That was a very common look for 17th century facial hair. You can see it in the game Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island, as sported by Flint, a blond ponytailed pirate who looks suspiciously like our hero.
I'd also be happy if Guybrush got a full beard, as he has on some of the Tarot cards.
Or, to better imagine Tales Guybrush with a full beard, look at this concept art LucasArts did in the course of making the MI1 Special Edition.
i aggree with the van dyke beard
either that one with a soul patch or a lazy-beard (like me: i shave it all down if the hairs tickle my upper lips and let it grow again)
For the next two games, he was so different because there was just so much time between games.
If there is a Tales, and it's somewhere between a year and three from now, I wouldn't expect as major of a change unless the story puts Guybrush several years ahead. I'm thinking that Tales, if allowed to continue in a relatively quick and consistent fashion, could quite safely go forward with relatively little change because the continuity is more necessary in such a short span.
I have a brand new computer (bought it a day before episode 2) and it struggles to run every episode.
Changing the graphics style to be similar to the Sam and max series would be preferable to me.
I do realise why Telltale did this, the arguments for 3D and that this has been discussed to death- but I would prefer it.
I didn't buy it as a gamer PC. I only play adventure games on my PC. But with the specs it has- it should play TOMI easily but it doesn't.
Full beard or different beard would also look cool
So yeah, new model: not necessary. New clothes: necessary to not break with the tradition.
Also, looking at the system requirements, they're actually rather low for a modern game.
That MUST be a MI2:SE concept.
Heh, interesting to see another perspective on this. I think most people want the game to look more graphically advanced, not less. I know I do, as on my 42-inch TV the polygon count starts to stretch thin.
You did try turning the graphical detail down in the options, right? If your machine can't run it well even on the lower settings then with the greatest respect it's downright poor — Monkey Island and especially Sam & Max are amongst the lowest-requirement games on the market.
Maybe the problem is your computer doesn't have a graphics card? That'll certainly cause you problems, and you can get a reasonable one for less than £50.
Sure, thats what they might have said! Personally I think the MI2:SE is already well underway and will be released in March.
And it's horribly ugly.
Also, if it's really a new PC and it struggles to play ToMI at least do the decent thing to do and buy a graphics card to replace the on-board POS it must have if ToMI runs that bad...