Which Was Your Favourite MI Interface?

Five different interfaces. Which one treated you the best?

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Comments

  • edited December 2009
    I liked Curse's the best, honestly. Context sensitivity keeps me from going crazy, but I still like a few different categories, so I was rather disappointed at the lack of various interactivity options in Tales.
  • edited December 2009
    Yup, Curse it is.
    On the contrary, I'd say SMI:SE has the worst version. Although it's the same as the original & 2 except the verbs and inventory pop up, the way they pop up is really annoying to me.
    TMI might have the most simple interface of all, but it works in the context of the game.
  • edited December 2009
    I've gotta go with Curse, as well. It was the coin for me; it just worked. The graphics also gave it an edge when it came to being able to find things. The first two games were good, but involved a bit too much pixel hunting to be considered completely "smooth" for me. I have a soft spot for the point and click, though.

    I liked the interface for Tales. The only thing that got to me was, occasionally, the "combine two items" component (I kept accidentally clicking off the screen), but that's a minor gripe.
  • edited December 2009
    On the contrary, I'd say SMI:SE has the worst version. Although it's the same as the original & 2 except the verbs and inventory pop up, the way they pop up is really annoying to me.

    SE's interface was horrendous. I get that they didn't want to sacrifice their pretty art and put a big box of verbs in the way all the time or whatever, but with so many verbs to choose from it gets way too annoying to have to pop up the box EVERY TIME, especially since my memory's not too great and I can't remember all the specific shortcuts for each verb. It didn't help that it was my first Monkey Island game, so it took me forever to realize that I could pick up stuff from the get-go, because even though they give you some instructions at the beginning, there is no clear indication that you have something other than two default verbs.

    However, EMI still has my vote for worst interface.
  • edited December 2009
    Escape. Definetly
  • edited December 2009
    thin029 wrote: »
    Escape. Definetly

    Wow, I didn't think anyone would choose it as their favourite! It's the one I liked the least.
    My fav was Curse, like most people apparently.
  • edited December 2009
    I preferred Curse, the coin was really good and I liked the ability to examine, talk, pick up etc, it was good.

    The worst was EASILY SOMI:SE. I played it on PC, and having to hit the buttons on the keyboard and then use the mouse was cumbersome and lame. I actually switched to the original because it was so much easier than bringing up the two menus.
  • edited December 2009
    Tales had a decent system, but I did think the combining thing was unnecassary. Clicking on one item then the other one would have been good as an option, as the disc animation was cool, but cumbersome.

    I also wish there were more options, like Curse had. Hopefully that will be the case in the second game.
  • edited December 2009
    Curse. Easy verb coin, combining multiple functions into three options, allowing for more dialogue and more engaging puzzles. And real stumpers, such as biting the cork off the shaving foam bottle. Was off-screen, but both coin and inventory accessible easily. Inventory combination straight to the point, which was the worst thing about Tales. Tales' inventory system was simply convoluted, I really don't know why they didn't go with the simple and time-tested version of "select item and click on another item to try to combine"; their system of examining inventory items was also irritating.

    EMI had the worst interface in my view, since it was the same disjointed system as Grim Fandango. Plus, it took me ages to work out not only how to combine items, but that you could combine them at all.
  • edited December 2009
    I liked having the items right there.
  • edited December 2009
    Secret and Revenge for me. So classic and so functional.
  • edited December 2009
    Escape's interface wouldn't have been as bad on the PS2 if it didn't take 30 seconds to load the inventory!
  • edited December 2009
    StonkBad wrote: »
    Escape's interface wouldn't have been as bad on the PS2 if it didn't take 30 seconds to load the inventory!

    PC with a Sidewinder pad is the way to go. Very awesome, I've never had any problems with EMI or Grim Fandango.

    But I think I like Curse's interface better.
  • edited December 2009
    Escape's was fine, if you ask me. Given that it was a keyboard- or gamepad-controlled game, everything worked more than well and it was an improvement on GF.
    As for not knowing how to combine items -that's what manuals are for. ;)
  • edited December 2009
    I assume you're talking about the re-released VGA version of Secret that comes with the same interface from MI2 in the first poll option? 'Cause the original interface in Secret was not like that, it had more verbs (unnecessary ones like Turn On, Turn Off).

    But I like the interface in MI2: LeChuck's Revenge the most. It gives you a lot of options, and a lot more possibilities for the puzzles, which again leads to more challenge. Also, trying to pick everything up is fun. A lot more jokes can be made too, with all the funny combinations. Anyway, MI2 interface offered a lot of options, while at the same time cutting back on unnecessary fat.

    Personally, I think context sensitive commands are one of the reasons adventure games have lost a lot of the detail and feels more shallow than they used to be. But then again, I loved the text parser interface that most of the Sierra titles had as well.
  • edited December 2009
    After LCR, I found the Curse interface difficult at first, but it quickly grew on me and now it is my favourite. It is definitely the quickest interface of the bunch.

    BTW, recently finished LCR and SMI:SE, and currently replaying CMI and EMI simultaneously. So I really can compare them.
  • edited January 2010
    It does puzzle me that the larger screens get, the less willing designers are to give up a little space to an interface. I haven't seen anything yet to match the traditional SCUMM interface (which reached its ideal form in LeChuck's Revenge and Fate of Atlantis). Tales has redeemed the keyboard control system which was Escape's real flaw, though at times it felt a bit simplistic, and I agree with the comments above about the 'combine' option seeming a bit superfluous.

    I'm surprised at all the affection for the 'verb coin'. Aside from the 'pull the cork out by talking to it' type of puzzle - and I don't have much affection for a puzzle where the interface is the puzzling part - the only real difference I can see between it and Tales is that you have to click and drag rather than just click.
  • edited January 2010
    I played EMI on PC with a PS2 controller and the controls were still awful. I hated how slowly Guybrush rotated to change directions, and it often didn't even the match the direction I was pressing on the analog! And good lord was having to take out an item every time annoying.
  • edited January 2010
    Curse had the right amount of optional actions without going overboard.
  • edited January 2010
    Avistew wrote: »
    Wow, I didn't think anyone would choose it as their favourite!

    Hihi, me neither. One can get used to anything, though, I guess.
    Curse was best, I think. Nice, sweet and to the point. The coin was also pleasing to they eye, in a way.

    Edit: So maybe they could choose Winslow's smiling face for the next coin-sort-of interface? :D
  • edited January 2010
    I am between curse and LR. I liked LR for the easy of all you can do on the screen and simpler than the SOMI. Curse was sweet and eye catching and reminded me of Full throttle :) Both LR and Curse.
  • edited January 2010
    Curse had the best graphics (in my opinion and apparently the majority's) But the telltalle 3d interface is obviously better for programming and creating multiple cameras and motion, etc. I guess that the 3d interface will be getting better and better in time...
  • edited January 2010
    I'm gonna go with TMI.
  • edited January 2010
    I'm surprised at all the affection for the 'verb coin'. Aside from the 'pull the cork out by talking to it' type of puzzle - and I don't have much affection for a puzzle where the interface is the puzzling part - the only real difference I can see between it and Tales is that you have to click and drag rather than just click.

    I guess this means people want more verb control, then? As for the interface being puzzling, that only applies if you presuppose that the symbols have only one meaning.
  • edited January 2010
    Nosehair wrote: »
    As for the interface being puzzling, that only applies if you presuppose that the symbols have only one meaning.
    Given that the abbreviation is still T for talk, and it's only used for other purposes a couple of times during a sprawling game, I don't think that's a particularly egregious assumption. The multi-function use/pick up isn't much of a problem, but the 'mouth' verb just feels like a delaying tactic.

    I still miss some of the creative things that LeChuck's Revenge and Fate of Atlantis did with Push and Pull, though.
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