Multiple Beginnings: How to Start Season 3
These concept suggestions are meant to tackle the challenge of retaining Clementine as the PC. All four of these openings take place after a period of ten years following NO GOING BACK. They are also designed to offer more fulfilling conclusions to determinant characters/scenarios left over from season 2.
CLEM GOES WITH KENNY, STAYS WITH KENNY
After leaving Wellington behind, Clem and Kenny found a lonesome little mountain cabin far out in the wilderness, which they gradually renovated into a miniature fortress. In terms of size and scale, it's no Wellington or Crawford, but for just three people, it's the perfect sanctuary for a zombie apocalypse. The season begins with a 21-year-old Clementine returning to the cabin after a long day chopping down fresh wood to patch up the cabin's roof. AJ, now ten years old, is caring for Kenny, who's confined to his death bed. Kenny is old beyond his years, a decade of hard living finally having worn him down to the bone, with only his love for Clem and AJ sustaining him. But now, Kenny has finally gone as far as he can. Kenny no longer believes the cabin is safe, and urges his friends to pursue another sanctuary, now that the zombie epidemic seems to be burning out. Kenny passes on. Clem and AJ begin their long journey.
CLEM GOES WITH KENNY, STAYS IN WELLINGTON
The season opens in the midst of a brutal attack on the Wellington compound by a surprisingly well organized army of bandits. Clem and AJ have managed to find some peace within Wellington's vast walls for a decade, but now, their home is being razed to the ground in front of their eyes. AJ has only known Wellington since he first learned to walk, and only Clem is able to keep AJ from collapsing into a terrified wreck as Wellington goes up in flames. An older Edith, plus another character, manage to help Clem & AJ escape from the chaos before they too are killed. Clem and AJ begin their long journey.
CLEM GOES WITH JANE, STAYS AT HOWE'S HARDWARE
Howe's turns out to be nowhere near as safe or secure as Wellington, due in part to the building's location and layout, but Clem and Jane succeed at building a small-yet-tough community of survivors who do their best not to sink to Carver's levels of sadism. AJ has grown to be a sensitive, but dependable kid who reminds Clem of Alvin in more ways than one. But everything changes when a catastrophic mistake by a rookie newcomer causes a fuel tank to explode, setting the structure aflame and killing most of the group. (Depending on whether Clem allowed the family to enter the premises in NO GOING BACK, older versions of the characters are seen fighting the fire.) Jane is horribly burned, but manages to save Clem and AJ from a falling roof. Before she dies, Jane instructs to find sanctuary elsewhere. Clem and AJ begin their long journey.
CLEM GOES OUT ON HER OWN
Season 3 begins with Clem and AJ having lived a long, often harsh life on the road. Always moving, never stopping in one place or time.At the moment, the pair have made a makeshift home out of an abandoned truck trailer. But when a nearby gang of rowdy bandits causes a zombie horde to descend on the area, Clem and AJ are forced to flee. A momentary encounter with the bandit leader ends on a brutal note, with AJ killing the evil man with a shot to the head, as taught by Clementine. With the trailer overrun with zombies, Clem and AJ have no choice but to find shelter elsewhere. Clem and AJ begin their long journey.
Comments
I have to say it really looks like you put a lot of thought into this, as far as I can see there is only one major problem, 10 years is too big a timeskip. Not only does it not work with what Robert Kirkman has setup in the comic series storyline, moreover it would mean that we missed some of the most important years of Clementine's life.
Don't get me wrong, there should still be a timeskip, but not more than 2-4 years, other than that yes these options seem plausible and could probably be incorporated into the story of Season 3.
However I am uncertain as to how it would be possible to have Clementine travel around with AJ if he is going to be so young, this still has to resolved somehow, I am open to any ideas you might have regarding this "issue".
I thought the same thing with the Jane ending. With them starting a little community and all. Hopefully Telltale will take the time to have different beginnings based on your ending from Season 2
I'm aware of the time skip problem, but in this case, I feel it would be justified. Locking down Clem's story to a limited time frame because of Kirkman's comic just seems a little unfair. If Clem never ran into Rick or any of the characters associated with him, I really don't understand why Kirkman would have much of a problem with the scenarios I've described above.
Besides, a passage of only 2-4 years would mean AJ is barely out of babyhood, and far from being a character who can fend for himself quite yet. The alternative would mean killing AJ off, and we all saw what happened when Telltale did that to Omid.
Alternatively, AJ might be abducted by the end of each scenario by Nate/some other villain, and the rest of the season could have Clem searching for him.
Honestly they'll probably tie them all in somehow.... idk how but considering the time and money to do that It's easier and Telltale like to do that....
Knowing telltale none of this will happen and we won't play as Clem in season 3.. I really just don't know how they will top the finale to this season..
These are really good, and I like the idea of multiple beginnings a lot. Ten years is a really big time skip, especially considering they want to keep in the same time frame as the comics. I think there should be timeskip, but only a few months tops.
Hoping for new protagonist myself. And telltale will in no way do that big a timeskip.
They don't necessarily need to "top it" having it on par with the Season 2 finale seems like enough to me honestly. However I can't help but feel concerned when you say that we aren't going to be playing as Clementine in Season 3 based on what you have come to expect of Telltale, I know that Telltale sometimes gets a bit lazy and they tend to reuse some things from previous episodes, another point that a lot of people have been making is that "Your choices don't matter" well they do but only to a certain extent, otherwise the sheer amount of time and effort required to create all these branching storylines would greatly increase the waiting times.
Now feel free to disagree with me, I respect your opinion, but if I am to have any say in the matter then I believe we should be playing as Clementine in Season 3. It really makes the most sense in the long run and as many people have pointed out this is Clementine's story, it was from the beginning and it should stay that way, at the very least until the end of Season 3.
I don't necessarily agree or disagree with the specifics of your story ideas, but I am absolutely in support of Season 3 having multiple beginnings. I'd also like to see in-game choices have a bigger impact on story progression. In other words, I'd like it if Season 3 plays out in several significantly different ways depending on which choices you make early on. I think this would be both innovative and fascinating, and would obviously amp up the replay value, at least for me.
I realize that I'm probably asking for too much here, but a guy can dream, right?
I disagree with you... Rant rant rant.... Nah just kidding.. Im just super paranoid that we went through all of this with Clem and we just "swap" to some nobody no one cares about.. I want Clem to have a trilogy..
Season One- Clem learns things that will stick with her the rest of her life..
Season two- Clem makes tough decisions that will affect who she becomes and her survival.
Season three - This is where I think we will really have a chance to make Clem who we want her to be.
This can't happen since it's a large time-skip. But a 1-2 year timeskip could occur.
What about the family that stumbles upon Howe's? Randy, Patricia and Gill?
This is great and all, but I don't think any of this would be playable. Knowing Telltale it would most likely just be mentioned in dialogue here and there. I agree with timeskip 100%. Who cares about Kirkman at this point. This game is it's own adaption of the world he made, and Telltale shouldn't be confined to what he's created (especially since the stories they've created basically have nothing to do with Kirkman's characters).