A Good Problem: Too Many Great Characters? [Hint, This Forum = Spoilers 24/7]

PariahKing

Tales of Monkey Island was very successful in creating a new supporting cast. One of their biggest successes was integrating the old guard (Murray, LeChuck, Voodoo Lady) so well into the story. But, assuming it doesn't take ten years for a sequel, it brings up a good problem.

Winslow, Morgan and even De Singe to some extent all have legions of fans. It could be very hard to live up to everyone's expectations and include all the fan-favorite characters in the story without it feeling forced or detrimental to the plot. (See: Murray, EMI.)

Truth be told, as much as I love LeChuck, he could sit out for a game. Morgan/Voodoo Lady could be the villain(s), working to use LeChuck's corpse as some kind of voodoo ritual. De Singe probably should be "Largoed" and just stay dead considering he doesn't "believe in that voodoo stuff", Winslow could function in his same role as Tales and LeChuck could be brought back in a hypothetical Tales 3, alternating games for the character and making him less boring like Bowser of Mario fame has become.

Another problem: Elaine and Guybrush don't seem to function well as a continual, ever present married unit. Elaine spent all of CMI as statue and TMI with LeChuck or poxed. EMI's effectiveness in this regard is debatable. Will the next game (if it ever comes) shake that up? Is it possible for Elaine and Winslow to co-exist storywise?

The possible dynamics of the next game (if it ever comes) confuses me. Beyond that, it could just end there and that'd be OK too. It was a good series closer.

Ignatius

I think a next game should be with Guybrush searching for adventure (like when he went looking for Big Whoop in Revenge..) and not trying to fix things he messed up, or following orders from Elaine and stuff.

This way Elaine could be just doing governor stuff (like kicking Herman back to Monkey Island) and Guybrush could just go on his own quest.
Im not so fond on seeing Winslow or Morgan coming back so soon. Although i liked them, every game should be different. I dont want it to be like Sam and Max season 2 where almost all main characters from the previous game were back. It may work with Sam and Max, but i want to see new faces. Stan, Murray, and the Voodoo Lady were like instant classics, and they earned their postions.

PirateGamer

I dislike the idea of the voodoo lady being evil. It's fun and creates a far-reaching background, but...but... she's so cool! How is Guybrush going to get help once she's gone - will Elaine be like the voodoo lady for him? Psh - that's almost too Sam and Max.

I'd be happy to see Winslow again, but as a more background character in the next game (but with some character developing lines) and then bringing him in as a stronger character later (either episodes or late in the season).

Morgan I think will work well as a come back, but I don't think she will work as a villain (and I don't think that's her purpose anyway).

More Elaine may work if they just keep her issuing quests for guy.brush and sort of popping back into the story rather than being a permanent feature standing around all the time.

I would love an episode where they momentarily switch views and allow you to play either Elaine (or even LeChuck if they're keeping him somewhere given the "where did he go?" scene - such as the skull on the voodoo lady's desk.)

Giant Tope

I dunno, I sorta like the idea of Guybrush having Winslow as a permanent first mate. Guybrush having any sort of permanent crew is an exciting idea for me because it shows how far he's progressed through the years.

PecanBlue

I don't mind Morgan ever returning again, but that's no surprise coming from me. The only one I really want to return is Winslow, but I also don't mind either character getting a small cameo role, as if to ease into "this is what this character is up to" territory and then make it more comfortable so the obligation of them returning continuously after that isn't necessary. To me, Guybrush, Elaine, LeChuck, Voodoo Lady and Stan are the cemented characters within the series in which it feels weird if they're not in the story.

Murray is a cool character to be within the game, but I'd feel just fine if he's not included in a certain game due to not finding use for him, since surprisingly enough I don't see him as a crucial character for Monkey Island. (Maybe Pyrite Parrot could be another Murray-type character, which makes a cameo if there is a good use for it in puzzles)

LeChuck I guess COULD use with some sitting out of a series if and only if they'd make several seasons with very little time between them, seeing as him being resurrected over and over again could get old, fast. But like I said, the game just feels weird without him, so if there is a new main villain he/she could involve himself/herself with LeChuck somehow, or at least make references to him.

On the subject of Guybrush/Elaine, since this game put so much emphasis on how good a marriage they have, I don't really want to have another conflict, or at least one where we're suddenly back on a big subject of their marriage again. This game did a good enough job of demonstrating it, so let's move on. They'd probably just do well being a piratey duo like in EMI (only, you know, with better characterization ) with both of them going off to do their own thing from time to time. Though I'm sure there could be another sort of conflict to stir them up again, (seeing as there's always one in each game, excluding EMI which I can't speak for since I didn't play very much of it) but it'd be hard to say what it would be without going on the extreme subject of "look at how strong their love for each other is, guys! LOOK, LOOK" again.

serializer

You can't get rid of LeChuck.

He's FIND a way back ...

lecharles

I agree, but while he is liquified, it's nice to know that Guybrush will have to deal with a ghost pirate hunting Morgan