I think that's a good start. It's as much about expectation management as proper labelling though.
People who've played one TellTale game will use that as a benchmark for comparing subsequent games. This expected relationship is something that needs to be challenged too (so the way that existing titles are presented becomes an issue as well).
I guess it's similar to the problems that actors who want to avoid typecasting face.
I don't have any suggestions on a solution that might publicly communicate the level of diversity you're going for though
My two cents:
It's a great idea to use different labels or monikers to address different targets. If you want a casual game, well, a "casual" labeled game makes sense.
However I think that using a single labeling system is not a good idea; one thing that most of the old time forumites and hard core adventure gamers complain is difficulty BUT mixing type of gameplay AND difficulty will actually make it more difficult to choose correctly the kind of game and the difficulty you want to target (and will probably make it worse given enough titles)
Having said that, you should use a label to describe game type and/or gameplay like Adventure, Casual or Cinematic Experience. I don't think a limit on the number of options is needed, but for simplicity's sake the number of options should not be more than 5 or 6.
And a moniker (Brain Teaser/Brain Twister/Etc) or rating system (4 out of 5 dragons/stars/brains) for difficulty.
Examples:
S&M Season 1: Adventure Series - 3/5 difficulty rating
Poker Night: Casual Games - 2/5 difficulty rating
BttF: Cinematic Series - 1/5 difficulty rating
I think this is a good idea and you can expect us to provide more info about the type of game. I know on Sam and Max 2 we tried to communicate difficulty through a five star system.
As far as breakdown of gametype would you expect us to put BTTF and JP in the same category or would you separate the two. I would say Sam and Max is an adventure game, BTTF is an easy adventure (EZ) or casual adventure and JP is a cinematic adventure. Would that make sense to everyone
A lot of us would have been less upset about BttF had it been more clearly communicated a lot earlier that the game would not be in the same league as prior adventure games. I think it would help a great deal to classify them in ways such as the ones you list there.
A lot less of us would have been less upset about BttF had it been more clearly communicated a lot earlier that the game would not be in the same league as prior adventure games.
I thought it was though. I recall reading that BttF would be accessible to/directed at a more casual (ie: not hardcore adventure game) audience. My impression was that many fans didn't bother reading interviews, articles and press releases because they already believed they knew what type of game it was going to be.
I think this is a good idea and you can expect us to provide more info about the type of game. I know on Sam and Max 2 we tried to communicate difficulty through a five star system.
As far as breakdown of gametype would you expect us to put BTTF and JP in the same category or would you separate the two. I would say Sam and Max is an adventure game, BTTF is an easy adventure (EZ) or casual adventure and JP is a cinematic adventure. Would that make sense to everyone
I've said so before, but I think this is a great idea. I would definitely put Back to the Future and Jurassic Park in different categories, since their mechanics are different -- simple inventory and dialogue puzzles vs. QTEs and simple environment puzzles. The adventure, casual adventure, and cinematic adventure categories sound good to me. Puzzle Agent should probably be described as a "puzzle adventure" or something similar. Assuming King's Quest will stay true to the old Sierra mechanics -- deaths and dead ends and all -- you could possibly describe it as an "old-school" or "hardcore" adventure.
I would say Sam and Max is an adventure game, BTTF is an easy adventure (EZ) or casual adventure and JP is a cinematic adventure.
I would agree with this and think such a classification system would be very much appreciated. Obviously, from a marketing standpoint, you'd want to use the word "casual" instead of "easy" as not to demean those who may not be familiar with the genre and need to use the hint system.
I thought it was though. I recall reading that BttF would be accessible to/directed at a more casual (ie: not hardcore adventure game) audience. My impression was that many fans didn't bother reading interviews, articles and press releases because they already believed they knew what type of game it was going to be.
More accessible does not mean it will be inherently simple to the point that it cannot pose a challenge to veteran players. We figured that they meant there would be a more advanced hint system, possibly even built in walkthroughs (which there were), but the absence of puzzles was not very clearly communicated.
More accessible does not mean it will be inherently simple to the point that it cannot pose a challenge to veteran players.
It *can* mean that though, and it takes an assumption to believe that it can't. The way I see it, we were told it was going to be different and were surprised that it wasn't the same.
I honestly believe that we would have trusted our own experiences with existing Telltale games over almost anything we were told about these games in the lead up to release anyway.
I agree that that in the future, it'd be worthwhile to be clearer about stuff, but I certainly don't feel deceived in any way and I have difficulty relating to anybody who does, so perhaps we're just on different wavelengths.
I think this is a good idea and you can expect us to provide more info about the type of game. I know on Sam and Max 2 we tried to communicate difficulty through a five star system.
As far as breakdown of gametype would you expect us to put BTTF and JP in the same category or would you separate the two. I would say Sam and Max is an adventure game, BTTF is an easy adventure (EZ) or casual adventure and JP is a cinematic adventure. Would that make sense to everyone
If the gameplay is designed to suit the franchise then why not have two tiers of games running side-by-side. An 'adventurer' range and a 'storyteller' range...
...Sam and Max 'adventurer series' BTTF 'storyteller series'... a naming mechanism that helps distinguish between the two breeds of games.
That cheque gets made out JedExodus, all one word, capital J capital E.
But aye, getting on subject BTTF def sits in a different league than S&M. If you wanna put JP in a new category it's all good if you plan to do more of that sort of thing. If not then it could happily sit with BBTF I reckon. I'd stick Hector in the same league as S&M and TOMI btw.
It *can* mean that though, and it takes an assumption to believe that it can't. The way I see it, we were told it was going to be different and were surprised that it wasn't the same.
I honestly believe that we would have trusted our own experiences with existing Telltale games over almost anything we were told about these games in the lead up to release anyway.
I agree that that in the future, it'd be worthwhile to be clearer about stuff, but I certainly don't feel deceived in any way and I have difficulty relating to anybody who does, so perhaps we're just on different wavelengths.
They didn't really say it would be different. I recall them saying it would be more accessible. Accessibility doesn't mean fundamentally changing their core design philosophy. Accessibility just means adding a ramp for wheelchairs.
I think it will be very hard to classify game styles so that you would actually write these "genres" directly under your game title. Or am I wrong to assume that you'd never write "An easy adventure" under the header "Back to the Future - The Game"?
In this case, labels disable. And you would naturally always describe your games in the most favorable light. My feeling is that adventure gamers are still your core target group and you want to lure them in. But they need more than a mere game label to determine if they'd like the game or not.
These are extraordinary demands, though. In fact, I never felt mislead in your game descriptions. Larger companies leave far more stylistic wiggle room in their game announcements - but their fans normally have a solid base of expectations based on previous games, which are never disappointed if only the game is unoriginal enough.
Hence, how to precisely communicate "what's this game like" will be quite a creative challenge for TTG's future. I am looking forward to your solutions.
but their fans normally have a solid base of expectations based on previous games, which are never disappointed if only the game is unoriginal enough.
I think Sam and Max, Monkey Island, Strong Bad, and Wallace and Gromit all being stellar games was certainly enough to form a "solid base of expectations" on.
Hey Diduz your right I will go have a talk to some people about some things. That being said Law and Order is definitely not a hardcore adventure but it is also considered really fun and amusing by everyone here that has played it here.
Hey Diduz your right I will go have a talk to some people about some things. That being said Law and Order is definitely not a hardcore adventure but it is also considered really fun and amusing by everyone here that has played it here.
Oh and and Happy New Year
Amusing like dangling a bit of fluff in front of a kitty's face? That kind of amusing? Or more like ROFL ROFL everyone will love our Back To The Future game even adventure gamers kind of amusing?
Amusing like dangling a bit of fluff in front of a kitty's face? That kind of amusing? Or more like ROFL ROFL everyone will love our Back To The Future game even adventure gamers kind of amusing?
No. It's the kind of amusing as in it has a good story and uses the Phoenix Wright style of game play well. It's certainly not an adventure like Sam & Max or Tales of Monkey Island, but it is fun. And, although you can't actually lose by losing a case (just like the show by the way), it has multiple outcomes, so it has replay factor. And if you want to challenge yourself, try to figure out how to get the best outcome on your first play through.
I honestly found the noir section in "They Stole Max's Brain" to be a bit boring, since it relied entirely on dialogue.
Really? Because the Noir section ranks up there in my favorite moments in video games. I loved the entire thing. Also, any new Sam and Max related merchandise coming up soon, Dan? I'm kind of hoping for a new Sam and Max shirt, because the Imp one just doesn't do it for me.
I want TTG to make a classic-style adventure game. I don't want a game that's brain-dead easy; I don't want a crime detective game instead; I don't want a PC port of an iPad game someone else made; I don't want a gloomy, dark game based on some comic book series I'd never heard of before.
I want a classic-style adventure game; one that directly appeals to hardcore adventure gamers. I'm not just talking about King's Quest here. I'm pointing out that the last adventure game TTG has made or announced that I've cared enough to consider buying at launch was Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse. Puzzle Agent doesn't count. Poker Night doesn't count.
I have not bought BTTF or Jurassic Park, and I am not interested in Fables or the Walking Dead. Hector doesn't count, as I've heard TTG only ported it, but as yet I haven't bought that either. I want a classic-style adventure game to get excited about. It doesn't have to be King's Quest. I just want to enjoy looking forward to buying TTG's games again, which I feel hasn't happened in a very long time now.
I want TTG to make a classic-style adventure game. I don't want a game that's brain-dead easy; I don't want a crime detective game instead; I don't want a PC port of an iPad game someone else made; I don't want a gloomy, dark game based on some comic book series I'd never heard of before.
I want a classic-style adventure game; one that directly appeals to hardcore adventure gamers. I'm not just talking about King's Quest here. I'm pointing out that the last adventure game TTG has made or announced that I've cared enough to consider buying at launch was Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse. Puzzle Agent doesn't count. Poker Night doesn't count.
I have not bought BTTF or Jurassic Park, and I am not interested in Fables or the Walking Dead. Hector doesn't count, as I've heard TTG only ported it, but as yet I haven't bought that either. I want a classic-style adventure game to get excited about. It doesn't have to be King's Quest. I just want to enjoy looking forward to buying TTG's games again, which I feel hasn't happened in a very long time now.
I wouldn't count on hearing anything about King's Quest anytime soon. The Walking Dead is one or two months away from release and we've still heard almost nothing about it.
For me, and I think for a lot of the other experienced adventure game fans on these forums, the way Telltale handles King's Quest is going to be a huge factor on whether we'll continue to support the company or not. There has been obvious discontentment amongst many of the experienced fans with games like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park and how they seem to take interactivity and thinking out of the equation. However, these games clearly aren't made for us; Telltale is using popular licences based on blockbuster movies to try and capture the casual crowd. We play them, and we rightfully complain, but we're not the intended audience any more. The upcoming Walking Dead and Fables games are wild cards of sorts, being based off comic books they're a new territory and we don't know how Telltale is going to handle them. King's Quest on the other hand is going to be the first proper adventure game licence Telltale has handled since Tales of Monkey Island and The Devil's Playhouse. If it's not done right, with adventure game fans in mind, I think a lot of fans that have been around here for a long time could give up on Telltale for good.
King's Quest, in my opinion, is going to represent a crossroads for Telltale where they can go one of two ways: either we finally find out that they really have abandoned the experienced gamer for good, or, if they respect the franchises they are working on and tailor the experiences to give the fan's what they want. If King's Quest not at least as hard as ToMI and the Sam & Max games, doesn't force hints down our throats, and is made using the Sierra method of adventure games (deaths, etc) then it is almost certainly going to fall into the former camp.
Since this thread is here, I just wanted - like many others - to say thank you to Telltale. You really are one of the best gaming companies out there, and it's the way you treat your fans and the heart that you put into your games that make all the difference. The way you handled the JP delay for those of us who pre-ordered last year was classy and, frankly, generous - not a word that I think I've ever used to describe a gaming company. And threads like this just continue to prove how good you are to your fans. I know I'll continue to buy games from you for a long, long time (the fact that, somehow, you've managed to tap into my own personal zeitgeist with most of your franchises helps too ).
Your games this year have been pretty divisive but I think you accomplished exactly what you were going for. BTTF and JP felt like parts of their respective franchises, not just games made from them. For instance, like any red-blooded adventure game lover, I LOVE Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis but I never felt like I was experiencing a new Indy movie while I played it. I felt like I was playing an adventure game starring Indiana Jones. It's still a fantastic game but a wholly different experience. You set out to give us the same kind of experience we got from watching the films and I think you completely succeeded.
But now I've written a lot without actually asking a question so here goes: I know you've probably gotten this many times these past years, but since it's the license that introduced me to Telltale, I have to ask - is there any desire to ever go back and take another swing at giving us a complete Bone game (maybe starting over from scratch with the updated engine and team)? Or is that horse dead?
Mr Canvas you did not kill the thread but I did not realize when i started this thread how long it takes to write a post that is coherent. I have a new respect for all of you forum posters who can get your thoughts out in a clear way.
Anyhow thanks for the kind words I am glad you like Telltale's games.
About Bone I love that franchise and its certainly a whole new world as far Telltale's ability to reach different audiences. Even though we thought we were a massive independent publisher in 2004 (believe me delusion is critical if you want to start a business) I don't think we got the game in front of enough people for it to succeed. At this point I don't think we will be doing anything in the near future but it would be really fun to work on the series again
all of you forum posters who can get your thoughts out in a clear way.
Are there really that many?
I thought most of us just spouted gibberish
My suggestion would be that if you're having trouble finding the time to respond to stuff in this thread, it'd be best to say that you're not likely to respond to further posts (it will continue to grow and become progressively more work, and some posters will feel like their comments/questions are ignored if the thread isn't given any kind of 'official' closure), and maybe look at creating a new one in the future if you're keen.
Even though my questions didn't get answered, I think that making yourself approachable to Telltale's community is a really great and worthwhile thing to be doing
I view forum posting as this weird exponential curve. When I first arrived here, I posted nothing. Then, for the year after that I slowly worked my way up, one word at a time, to the point where I could write a cohesive sentence.
And now...now, I find myself hard pressed to keep myself from rambling on for several paragraphs, even where such paragraphs are not entirely needed. Like this one, for instance. I'm not even talking about my original topic anymore. I'm just rambling on and on about how I'm rambling. IT'S CRAZY, RIGHT?!
But seriously. Exponential curve. That's what it is.
I view forum posting as this weird exponential curve. When I first arrived here, I posted nothing. Then, for the year after that I slowly worked my way up, one word at a time, to the point where I could write a cohesive sentence.
And now...now, I find myself hard pressed to keep myself from rambling on for several paragraphs, even where such paragraphs are not entirely needed. Like this one, for instance. I'm not even talking about my original topic anymore. I'm just rambling on and on about how I'm rambling. IT'S CRAZY, RIGHT?!
But seriously. Exponential curve. That's what it is.
Indeed. I'm sure one could create a parabola to illustrate this, but it moves from molassus to fifteen posts a day to browsing more often then posting to posting once or twice a week and repeat for a new forum.
Cheeseness good idea next time I start a thread I will close it when I can no longer keep up and start a new one. Then it won't be stuck with a lame title like quite a week. Though last week was quite a week (go Tim) and I think this week will be quite a week too.
I am not sure what article you are referring to but here is the very first interview we ever did http://www.gamespot.com/news/sam-and-max-team-forms-new-studio-6109473
Regarding Poker it is something we talk about a lot I don’t think it would be DLC as as much as a second game which then could include DLC. Thanks for the character suggestions.
The value of getting stuck, you know Cheeseness, I have always wanted the games to recognize from player behavior what the player wanted from the game. I.E. If I am clicking an exhausted object multiple times I am frustrated and need a hint, if I have I am still clicking on multiple things in a room that has nothing to do with the puzzle I am currently working on I could use a nudge. However if there is a logic to what I am clicking on and I am revealing heretofore unknown information then I should be left alone because I am at least trying or am in an unfrustrated mind space. Unfortunately we have tried this and just can’t get a system in place yet that works. I would be really happy if we could get there
No Linux support yet, though I think one of the indie bundles would want that and we have talked to them in the past
Pushing Daisies is a great show but I am not sure it has the following, is it more than a TV show. The Tick is great I love it how about the Tick in Poker.
Magical Ability for any franchise you know the franchises I would want don’t require magic just a really strong marketing push.
Thanks for asking questions and being one of the folks that keeps the TTforums an enjoyable place to be
Keep busy, Dan. Keep busy. We're all eagerly awaiting games here. I'm just bugging you. Things happen at their own pace. But hey *nudge nudge* the fans want more S&M. Something non-iOS from the Sam & Max title would be nice too . Heh. Personally, I think the hint system is okay. Play with it off, turn it on if you get stuck, turn it back off. It's worked all right for me so far. Good luck with your "quite a week" you've got planned. Back to work. *cracks whip* ...Wow, back to that topic again. Odd. Well, keep us in the loop.
Though last week was quite a week (go Tim) and I think this week will be quite a week too.
Wow, didn't Tim strike a nerve? I only wish I had more money to throw at him.
If I am clicking an exhausted object multiple times I am frustrated and need a hint, if I have I am still clicking on multiple things in a room that has nothing to do with the puzzle I am currently working on I could use a nudge. However if there is a logic to what I am clicking on and I am revealing heretofore unknown information then I should be left alone because I am at least trying or am in an unfrustrated mind space. Unfortunately we have tried this and just can’t get a system in place yet that works. I would be really happy if we could get there
That's a very good point. There is a big different between being stuck but feeling like you can work it out, and being stuck and frustrated that you can't progress.
Personally, I find that when I don't have internet access or access to easy hints, I'm more willing to stay in the frustrated/still working it out space longer than I am when hints are readily available (and therefore wind up with an "eureka!" moment that hints tend to undermine). I guess I don't have as much self control as I'd like to think.
I think you guys will get there someday (and it's been interesting for me at least to watch how you guys have explored the hint stuff).
No Linux support yet, though I think one of the indie bundles would want that and we have talked to them in the past
That would/could be very exciting. I know there are many of us who run your games under Wine, but at the end of the day, nothing beats native support. I hesitate to commit as I've given Tim all the money I have spare and I'm feeling quite broke at the moment, but I would normally be willing to pay for the Telltale titles I already own again if it meant I could have Linux support for them.
Pushing Daisies is a great show but I am not sure it has the following, is it more than a TV show.
There was a single-issue comic released at Comic-con in 2007. There was meant to be a comic series/graphic novel that was slated to come out last year, but I think DC closed the studio that was to be working on it and the project has been put on hold. Last year there was a quote from Bryan Fuller saying he would be interested in doing a mini-series or movie.
I have no idea how much of a following it has. I just know that it's quirky, character driven and loveable.
The Tick is great I love it how about the Tick in Poker.
The Tick's universe is awesome, and IMO would be able to support a standalone game, but I'll take what I can get. The Tick would be a nice zany character to have in an Inventory game (you've already got a very nice Warburton sound-alike - nothing beats the live-action Tick voice).
Magical Ability for any franchise you know the franchises I would want don’t require magic just a really strong marketing push.
A nice sidestep there
Thanks for asking questions and being one of the folks that keeps the TTforums an enjoyable place to be
I don't know if I contribute that much, but I do my best.
Thanks for the reply!
Cute article from 2004. Nice to know I was one of the petition signers that inspired you to start Telltale in the first place.
I get "stuck" in an adventure game when I'm not sure what to do next. I can make my character roam between certain rooms, but I can't figure out what's the next puzzle to solve, or if I shouldn't waste time trying to solve puzzle 1 because I need something from solving puzzle 2 to do it. When I'm in stuck mode, I start using every inventory item with everything in the room, trying to get something to happen. So if this is not my first visit to the room, and I'm just iterating over using objects with the same thing/character, that would be a clue that I'm stuck. Or just listen to Sam saying, "Nope", "Uh-uh", "No way", "No siree", etc.
Comments
People who've played one TellTale game will use that as a benchmark for comparing subsequent games. This expected relationship is something that needs to be challenged too (so the way that existing titles are presented becomes an issue as well).
I guess it's similar to the problems that actors who want to avoid typecasting face.
I don't have any suggestions on a solution that might publicly communicate the level of diversity you're going for though
It's a great idea to use different labels or monikers to address different targets. If you want a casual game, well, a "casual" labeled game makes sense.
However I think that using a single labeling system is not a good idea; one thing that most of the old time forumites and hard core adventure gamers complain is difficulty BUT mixing type of gameplay AND difficulty will actually make it more difficult to choose correctly the kind of game and the difficulty you want to target (and will probably make it worse given enough titles)
Having said that, you should use a label to describe game type and/or gameplay like Adventure, Casual or Cinematic Experience. I don't think a limit on the number of options is needed, but for simplicity's sake the number of options should not be more than 5 or 6.
And a moniker (Brain Teaser/Brain Twister/Etc) or rating system (4 out of 5 dragons/stars/brains) for difficulty.
Examples:
S&M Season 1: Adventure Series - 3/5 difficulty rating
Poker Night: Casual Games - 2/5 difficulty rating
BttF: Cinematic Series - 1/5 difficulty rating
when the team is making a game where is the violence line. since your indie can it go anywhere or do you try to keep it at a teen level.
A lot of us would have been less upset about BttF had it been more clearly communicated a lot earlier that the game would not be in the same league as prior adventure games. I think it would help a great deal to classify them in ways such as the ones you list there.
I thought it was though. I recall reading that BttF would be accessible to/directed at a more casual (ie: not hardcore adventure game) audience. My impression was that many fans didn't bother reading interviews, articles and press releases because they already believed they knew what type of game it was going to be.
I've said so before, but I think this is a great idea. I would definitely put Back to the Future and Jurassic Park in different categories, since their mechanics are different -- simple inventory and dialogue puzzles vs. QTEs and simple environment puzzles. The adventure, casual adventure, and cinematic adventure categories sound good to me. Puzzle Agent should probably be described as a "puzzle adventure" or something similar. Assuming King's Quest will stay true to the old Sierra mechanics -- deaths and dead ends and all -- you could possibly describe it as an "old-school" or "hardcore" adventure.
I would agree with this and think such a classification system would be very much appreciated. Obviously, from a marketing standpoint, you'd want to use the word "casual" instead of "easy" as not to demean those who may not be familiar with the genre and need to use the hint system.
More accessible does not mean it will be inherently simple to the point that it cannot pose a challenge to veteran players. We figured that they meant there would be a more advanced hint system, possibly even built in walkthroughs (which there were), but the absence of puzzles was not very clearly communicated.
It *can* mean that though, and it takes an assumption to believe that it can't. The way I see it, we were told it was going to be different and were surprised that it wasn't the same.
I honestly believe that we would have trusted our own experiences with existing Telltale games over almost anything we were told about these games in the lead up to release anyway.
I agree that that in the future, it'd be worthwhile to be clearer about stuff, but I certainly don't feel deceived in any way and I have difficulty relating to anybody who does, so perhaps we're just on different wavelengths.
That cheque gets made out JedExodus, all one word, capital J capital E.
But aye, getting on subject BTTF def sits in a different league than S&M. If you wanna put JP in a new category it's all good if you plan to do more of that sort of thing. If not then it could happily sit with BBTF I reckon. I'd stick Hector in the same league as S&M and TOMI btw.
They didn't really say it would be different. I recall them saying it would be more accessible. Accessibility doesn't mean fundamentally changing their core design philosophy. Accessibility just means adding a ramp for wheelchairs.
[Law & Order Legacies] is a game that fans of the long-running crime series and adventure gamers alike can't miss!
Are you SURE about the "adventure gamers" bit? :rolleyes:
Please, avoid the same mistakes.
In this case, labels disable. And you would naturally always describe your games in the most favorable light. My feeling is that adventure gamers are still your core target group and you want to lure them in. But they need more than a mere game label to determine if they'd like the game or not.
These are extraordinary demands, though. In fact, I never felt mislead in your game descriptions. Larger companies leave far more stylistic wiggle room in their game announcements - but their fans normally have a solid base of expectations based on previous games, which are never disappointed if only the game is unoriginal enough.
Hence, how to precisely communicate "what's this game like" will be quite a creative challenge for TTG's future. I am looking forward to your solutions.
I think Sam and Max, Monkey Island, Strong Bad, and Wallace and Gromit all being stellar games was certainly enough to form a "solid base of expectations" on.
Oh and and Happy New Year
Amusing like dangling a bit of fluff in front of a kitty's face? That kind of amusing? Or more like ROFL ROFL everyone will love our Back To The Future game even adventure gamers kind of amusing?
Really? Because the Noir section ranks up there in my favorite moments in video games. I loved the entire thing. Also, any new Sam and Max related merchandise coming up soon, Dan? I'm kind of hoping for a new Sam and Max shirt, because the Imp one just doesn't do it for me.
I want TTG to make a classic-style adventure game. I don't want a game that's brain-dead easy; I don't want a crime detective game instead; I don't want a PC port of an iPad game someone else made; I don't want a gloomy, dark game based on some comic book series I'd never heard of before.
I want a classic-style adventure game; one that directly appeals to hardcore adventure gamers. I'm not just talking about King's Quest here. I'm pointing out that the last adventure game TTG has made or announced that I've cared enough to consider buying at launch was Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse. Puzzle Agent doesn't count. Poker Night doesn't count.
I have not bought BTTF or Jurassic Park, and I am not interested in Fables or the Walking Dead. Hector doesn't count, as I've heard TTG only ported it, but as yet I haven't bought that either. I want a classic-style adventure game to get excited about. It doesn't have to be King's Quest. I just want to enjoy looking forward to buying TTG's games again, which I feel hasn't happened in a very long time now.
Tex Murphy was a crime detective game AND an adventure game, and it's pretty fun. I'd be fine if Telltale did another one of those.
Which Tex Murphy game?
That should definitely be on your list to get played one of these days.
I wouldn't count on hearing anything about King's Quest anytime soon. The Walking Dead is one or two months away from release and we've still heard almost nothing about it.
But yeah, I'd like to see some KQ info myself.
King's Quest, in my opinion, is going to represent a crossroads for Telltale where they can go one of two ways: either we finally find out that they really have abandoned the experienced gamer for good, or, if they respect the franchises they are working on and tailor the experiences to give the fan's what they want. If King's Quest not at least as hard as ToMI and the Sam & Max games, doesn't force hints down our throats, and is made using the Sierra method of adventure games (deaths, etc) then it is almost certainly going to fall into the former camp.
Your games this year have been pretty divisive but I think you accomplished exactly what you were going for. BTTF and JP felt like parts of their respective franchises, not just games made from them. For instance, like any red-blooded adventure game lover, I LOVE Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis but I never felt like I was experiencing a new Indy movie while I played it. I felt like I was playing an adventure game starring Indiana Jones. It's still a fantastic game but a wholly different experience. You set out to give us the same kind of experience we got from watching the films and I think you completely succeeded.
But now I've written a lot without actually asking a question so here goes: I know you've probably gotten this many times these past years, but since it's the license that introduced me to Telltale, I have to ask - is there any desire to ever go back and take another swing at giving us a complete Bone game (maybe starting over from scratch with the updated engine and team)? Or is that horse dead?
I don't think you killed it, Dan's probably just gone back to his usual schedule of running Telltale and extorting people who eat his veggie dip.
If you're reading this, though, it'd be great if you did another Q&A in the future.
Also, thousandth post!
Anyhow thanks for the kind words I am glad you like Telltale's games.
About Bone I love that franchise and its certainly a whole new world as far Telltale's ability to reach different audiences. Even though we thought we were a massive independent publisher in 2004 (believe me delusion is critical if you want to start a business) I don't think we got the game in front of enough people for it to succeed. At this point I don't think we will be doing anything in the near future but it would be really fun to work on the series again
Are there really that many?
I thought most of us just spouted gibberish
My suggestion would be that if you're having trouble finding the time to respond to stuff in this thread, it'd be best to say that you're not likely to respond to further posts (it will continue to grow and become progressively more work, and some posters will feel like their comments/questions are ignored if the thread isn't given any kind of 'official' closure), and maybe look at creating a new one in the future if you're keen.
Even though my questions didn't get answered, I think that making yourself approachable to Telltale's community is a really great and worthwhile thing to be doing
And now...now, I find myself hard pressed to keep myself from rambling on for several paragraphs, even where such paragraphs are not entirely needed. Like this one, for instance. I'm not even talking about my original topic anymore. I'm just rambling on and on about how I'm rambling. IT'S CRAZY, RIGHT?!
But seriously. Exponential curve. That's what it is.
Indeed. I'm sure one could create a parabola to illustrate this, but it moves from molassus to fifteen posts a day to browsing more often then posting to posting once or twice a week and repeat for a new forum.
You or anyone from Telltale attending PAX East this year?
I am not sure what article you are referring to but here is the very first interview we ever did
http://www.gamespot.com/news/sam-and-max-team-forms-new-studio-6109473
Regarding Poker it is something we talk about a lot I don’t think it would be DLC as as much as a second game which then could include DLC. Thanks for the character suggestions.
The value of getting stuck, you know Cheeseness, I have always wanted the games to recognize from player behavior what the player wanted from the game. I.E. If I am clicking an exhausted object multiple times I am frustrated and need a hint, if I have I am still clicking on multiple things in a room that has nothing to do with the puzzle I am currently working on I could use a nudge. However if there is a logic to what I am clicking on and I am revealing heretofore unknown information then I should be left alone because I am at least trying or am in an unfrustrated mind space. Unfortunately we have tried this and just can’t get a system in place yet that works. I would be really happy if we could get there
No Linux support yet, though I think one of the indie bundles would want that and we have talked to them in the past
Pushing Daisies is a great show but I am not sure it has the following, is it more than a TV show. The Tick is great I love it how about the Tick in Poker.
Magical Ability for any franchise you know the franchises I would want don’t require magic just a really strong marketing push.
Thanks for asking questions and being one of the folks that keeps the TTforums an enjoyable place to be
Wow, didn't Tim strike a nerve? I only wish I had more money to throw at him.
That's a very good point. There is a big different between being stuck but feeling like you can work it out, and being stuck and frustrated that you can't progress.
Personally, I find that when I don't have internet access or access to easy hints, I'm more willing to stay in the frustrated/still working it out space longer than I am when hints are readily available (and therefore wind up with an "eureka!" moment that hints tend to undermine). I guess I don't have as much self control as I'd like to think.
I think you guys will get there someday (and it's been interesting for me at least to watch how you guys have explored the hint stuff).
That would/could be very exciting. I know there are many of us who run your games under Wine, but at the end of the day, nothing beats native support. I hesitate to commit as I've given Tim all the money I have spare and I'm feeling quite broke at the moment, but I would normally be willing to pay for the Telltale titles I already own again if it meant I could have Linux support for them.
There was a single-issue comic released at Comic-con in 2007. There was meant to be a comic series/graphic novel that was slated to come out last year, but I think DC closed the studio that was to be working on it and the project has been put on hold. Last year there was a quote from Bryan Fuller saying he would be interested in doing a mini-series or movie.
I have no idea how much of a following it has. I just know that it's quirky, character driven and loveable.
The Tick's universe is awesome, and IMO would be able to support a standalone game, but I'll take what I can get. The Tick would be a nice zany character to have in an Inventory game (you've already got a very nice Warburton sound-alike - nothing beats the live-action Tick voice).
A nice sidestep there
I don't know if I contribute that much, but I do my best.
Thanks for the reply!
I get "stuck" in an adventure game when I'm not sure what to do next. I can make my character roam between certain rooms, but I can't figure out what's the next puzzle to solve, or if I shouldn't waste time trying to solve puzzle 1 because I need something from solving puzzle 2 to do it. When I'm in stuck mode, I start using every inventory item with everything in the room, trying to get something to happen. So if this is not my first visit to the room, and I'm just iterating over using objects with the same thing/character, that would be a clue that I'm stuck. Or just listen to Sam saying, "Nope", "Uh-uh", "No way", "No siree", etc.
What's special about this week? Walking Dead or King's Quest news? (Please?)