Thoughts, ideas, and storyline for 2nd Season TOMI

[Griswald Goodsoup]

There seems to be a running tangent in other threads, which has devolved inevitably into arguing over continuity issues, and minor questions about who is likely to reprise as secondary characters.

This thread is for suggestions on a future TOMI season. So grab those thinking caps (not the dunce hat) and present Telltale Games with your suggestions.

[guitarsareboring]

Good idea that, keep it all in one place.

A really simple (and obvious) one - I think almost everyone here would like more interaction options in the next season either in the form of a verb-coin or something with a similar function.

[Griswald Goodsoup]

Many of us have been clawing for the Marquis de Singe; explanations for his anticlimactic death, and answers to his return.

And yes we've heard plenty on the issue of Pyrite parrots, Crossroads, and semantics of who can and who cannot go there.

I have not figured out a way for the Marquis' return though if he did, I imagined he'd somehow steal LeChuck's essence from the Voodoo lady (Science for the win), perfect his immortality elixir, and as all scientists do - inadvertently bring back LeChuck.

Perhaps the Voodoo lady can be forcibly removed from her NEW abode, charged on suspicion of overly spicy herbs, or failure to return Voodoo library book.Something inane like that. Besides for all her voodoo she has proven that she can be kept caged up.

[Reaper Lyn]

Wow. I didn't think I had a lot to speculate about, but... apparently I do. xD
What I want to see is: character development. To me, character drive the story, and Monkey Island has fantastic, likeable characters. You care about them, and that connects you to the story, which makes it more meaningful (or is that just me?).

Elaine, I think, is most deserving of character focus. I mean, let’s take a look. She was introduced and fairly fleshed out in MI1, was mostly uninvolved in the story of MI2 (even the party was only a small chunk of the game), was a statue for most of CMI, was around but didn’t do too much in EfMI, and was poxed and/or possessed for the majority of ToMI. Her lack of focus might be one of the reasons people had issues with the end of ToMI – her actions seemed to come out of nowhere. She’s a badass pirate-governor, she deserves more screentime!

Also Morgan. Oh, Morgan – I’m so attached to this character, it’s a little silly. I think it’s fairly obvious now that she’ll play some kind of role in the next story. Her development from Leviathan to Pirate God has been excellent, gradual, and believable, and I want that to continue. Her story isn’t over yet! The same could be said for Winslow (who is awesome in his own right) and the Voodoo Lady. ToMI has uncovered so many depths that need to be explored!

Another thing I’m curious about is locations. Should places like Melee and Monkey Island be brought back? It seems like it’d be something of a double-edged sword to me. It’d be lovely to see the locations again, but there’s always the worry that they’ll be brought back without a purpose. This is sort of how I felt about Murray’s cameo in EfMI – he was a loved part of CMI, but his appearance in EfMI was, well, rather pointless. I think locations should be brought back if they have a purpose. Then again, considering how TellTale handled Stan and Murray’s reappearances, I have full confidence they could revisit an old island and still have it seem like a new, original location, and not “that island from all the other games”.

This especially applies to Monkey Island. I think it’s one of the most important places of the series, and CMI and EfMI sort of… overtook it. I’d like to see how TellTale would handle any potential revisits. (Personally, I’d like to see a run-down, abandoned Carnival of the Damned. Or have a hurricane wipe the whole thing, I dunno. I just like the deserted island aspect of it all.)

[Lena_P]

Hmm, let me see if I remember how to write about things seriously. Okay, I'd honestly like to not just see more of Elaine, but have the next series be built around her. Not have her replace Guybrush as the PC, but have Elaine be the character who's development fuels the plot of the story. Not only is she an interesting character who hasn't gotten much screen time in the last few iterations of Monkey Island, but I'd also love to see a game where the P.O.V. character isn't the emotional center of the story. It's a device that's been used for great effect in movies, plays, books and the like, but I haven't seen it used that often in video games and I think it could be interesting. It might also help to keep things fresh in the Monkey Island universe. Guybrush got a little "cooler" in Tales, why not keep that maturity intact, and let him help Elaine out for once? You don't have to throw out the dynamic of their marriage, but Elaine's only human; she has to have a vulnerable side, just like anybody else. Who else is she going to show it but Guybrush? Just my, rather confused, two cents.

[Rather Dashing]

None of this is in any particular "order", just a sort of flow-of-consciousness deal.

I think that Telltale does more or less fine in the storytelling department. I think they need to have writers and production work together better though, and realize what they can expect. Tales is their first episodic series with "serious" plot points, and it shows. There's tons of foreshadowing that ends up not being realized a month or two later, because something obviously got changed or cut before release. Now this could be due to a lot of reasons, but I think it's most likely a bit of a disconnect between what the writers write and what the technical side knows they can pull off in time. Not sure, though. Just fix the foreshadowing without a payoff issue, please.

I think we know we can combine items now. Mention the mechanic in the tutorial and then drop it, please. This is a really minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.

Can we please ramp up the puzzle difficulty a bit? I'm not even looking for LucasArts classic difficulty here, just Sam and Max Season Two difficulty. I want to get snagged on more than one or two puzzles during the course of an episode. This is really the biggest failing of recent Telltale adventures. I sort of solve it with a flow-of-consciousness sitting, when I remember playing each Sam and Max episode for a week, stopping several times per episode at a puzzle I just couldn't get yet. I don't think I've gotten any sharper, and in fact my acute puzzle-solving ability has gotten a lot weaker since Infocom and Sierra(and the industries around them) died and could no longer keep their vice-like grip.

To help the above, fill the world with more stuff. More believable stuff. Or make existing background stuff clickable. Have it do something, or let us pick up junk. I don't need the amount of stuff we had in the Monkey Island 2 ending, I just want to be able to not think that every single thing I'm holding is absolutely vital to something I will be doing in the next 20 minutes. As a side note, let us carry more stuff with us to the next episode and then let us do something with it. I loved that about some puzzles in Leviathan, with the eyeglass? That was great. I want more puzzles like that.

Also, kill D'oro. In a horrible, horrible way. And please, please do not ever do another game with the atmosphere of Episode 1. Thanks.

Keep up the good work on the camera angles and lighting. If the whole season looked as good as the finale of Episode 5, it would have been the best-looking Monkey Island game ever.

I'm sure this is nowhere near everything, and I'm sure I could have elaborated more on all points. Sorry for being unable to really competently articulate myself.

...but I'd also love to see a game where the P.O.V. character isn't the emotional center of the story. It's a device that's been used for great effect in movies, plays, books and the like, but I haven't seen it used that often in video games and I think it could be interesting.
I think the reason for that is pretty simple: the medium of video games are inherently interactive, and it's easier for the player to attach themselves to the character that is essentially "them". Because you share and aid in their trials throughout, you are generally inclined to bond with them.

[Griswald Goodsoup]

I certainly agree with the points on character development as 'Reaper Lyn' expounded. Though like loveable peripheral characters, locations have been a big part of the MI franchise, many comprising unique personalities which have added to their overall memorable appeal.

"Should places like Melee and Monkey Island be brought back? It seems like it’d be something of a double-edged sword to me."

"This especially applies to Monkey Island. (Personally, I’d like to see a run-down, abandoned Carnival of the Damned.)

Yes, yes, and yes. For the real die-hard fans that take the MI series as if it were an eponymous character are surely scathing that Tales did not include the actual Island, which in itself has developed many intrigueing characteristics (mainly due to the SECRET, which btw, a giant robot monkey is not the secret
of MI and Tales should return to this particular facet.)

As for seeing the wrecked Carnival of the Damned again, I'd pay double the price to see. But I think Escape has left a huge scar in that department, in that Monkey Island was milked dry, especially locations like the Giant Monkey Head. (We can only assume LeChuck and Ozzie cleared the park.

But memorable locations like Plunder could be used, though not entirely, at least some of it. I had mentioned in another post that it would be interesting to return to some familiar locales like Plunder, or Melee, just to see their development given recent events. For example to see whether an Island like Jambalaya remained pirate-free; all cushy and commercialized. And in other instances, returning to places like Blood again (briefly) finding Goodsoup alone and hungover. The back-story could be: he did have a thriving return to business, but a disease now known as the LeChuckin pox killed off most of the tourists.

Something like that anyway.
I'm all for returning to Monkey Island.

[guitarsareboring]

To help the above, fill the world with more stuff. More believable stuff. Or make existing background stuff clickable. Have it do something, or let us pick up junk. I don't need the amount of stuff we had in the Monkey Island 2 ending, I just want to be able to not think that every single thing I'm holding is absolutely vital to something I will be doing in the next 20 minutes. As a side note, let us carry more stuff with us to the next episode and then let us do something with it.

All this, definitely. I'd particularly like to be able to pick up or acquire things in one episode that are absolutely no use until a later one. Obviously they'd have to find someway to force the player to pick up the item so that people don't get to the next episode and think 'wait, I've never picked that up!'. I do also miss the useless inventory items - there were quite a few in the last episode of Sam and Max weren't there? That was a good thing. A yes, more clickable stuff that is literally just for Guybrush to observe. Having these things would make the game more difficult because at the moment you can solve most puzzles by working out what items you've already used in your inventory.

[Jerec84]

No more characters with purposefully annoying voices. Like that newspaper guy in Chapter 1. The voice is just so grating. Kinda like the Soda Poppers... it makes me want to skip any conversations with the character.

[mightypirate]

I think that the telltale made a great job in TOMI. The next MI chapters must absolutely be done by themselves. But if I must think to some advices for the next one, here are mine (sorry for the horrible english):
-Try to avoid the character models the more possible. And if it's necessary to put a fat one, please make it different from Winslow!
-Put a character from old games that is a surprise. Murray and Stan are always expected, but a return of Largo, the men of low moral fiber or Wally would be AWESOME
-Fix somehow the continuity problem with Big Whoop. I'd like to hear an official explanation in the game for that
-If you need to put a plot that involves all the caribbean like in the last chapter of tales it would be great to hear in dialogue or show in some cutscenes what's going on the islands that we visited in the other games, like Melee, Scabb or Booty.
-More Winslow. I absolutely want more Winslow

[guitarsareboring]

-More Winslow. I absolutely want more Winslow

You've seen the Christmas card, right? How much more Winslow do you want?!

[mightypirate]

You've seen the Christmas card, right? How much more Winslow do you want?!
I can never have enough Winslow :winslow:

[Bas]

Different character models for each separate character would be a definite plus for me.

As for season 2, the only thing I'd really like is seeing Elaine become a more interesting character. Morgan finally added an interesting female character to the franchise, even though Elaine has been a staple of it since the beginning. But since her characteristics are not much more than being Guybrush's wife, being almost supernaturally resourceful, and in CMI and EMI, being extremely violent, there's not a lot to go on. There could be some good stuff in there though. The whole megalomania thing when she was demonic was pretty cool, maybe they can go there or explore some as of yet unseen characteristic of Elaine.

[lecharles]

I need more Morgan, and more Elaine.
Now that Morgan is a ghost pirate hunter in the living world, and has shown some affection for Guybrush, and now that Lechuck is gone, maybe some role reversal here.

Guybrush vs. Lechuck becomes Elaine vs. LeFlay

I'm not saying Elaine should become the person you play as (though that could be cool), but maybe sill play as Guybrush, but from Elaine's point of view. Setting up such a big plan to accomplish a goal, and near the end of every chapter, meet up with Elaine to find some random, commical plot developement between her and Morgan.

I think there's already some conflict between them. i would be like a continuation of the fight from ep. 4

[Friar]

I would love to know what became of guybrushes decapitated hand. There must be some significance to it running off into the jungle...

[Bas]

I would love to know what became of guybrushes decapitated hand. There must be some significance to it running off into the jungle...

The voodoo lady has it. You can see it on her table in the scene after the credits where Morgan's ghost gives her LeChuck's essence.

[Lena_P]

I think the reason for that is pretty simple: the medium of video games are inherently interactive, and it's easier for the player to attach themselves to the character that is essentially "them". Because you share and aid in their trials throughout, you are generally inclined to bond with them.

Which is exactly why I'd like to see Telltale try it. Everybody knows Guybrush and they love the mook, but a lot of people don't see why he loves Elaine. Show us! Not to mention what I've described is basically what they did in Secret. Think about it, Guybrush wanting to become a pirate dominates the first chapter, but then it's about saving Elaine. But by the end you realize she was doing fine without you. Essentially, you're a young kid watching from the sidelines while Elaine and LeChuck are involved in their conflict. You could argue the "main" story is actually Elaine's dealing with LeChuck's unwanted advances, and Guybrush just happened to get involved.

So in a way, it'd be bringing the series back full circle to stick Elaine in the center of things again.

[Kenif]

Don't flame me for this but I reckon this could happen...

LeChuck is back from the dead and he's gonna try and take over the carribean/world at the same time as marrying Elaine.

[Brian, Mighty Pirate]

after seeing The Princess and the Frog last week, i would love to see a new charater similer to the vilian in that movie, mabye like a rival to the voodoo lady

[Lena_P]

Don't flame me for this but I reckon this could happen...

LeChuck is back from the dead and he's gonna try and take over the carribean/world at the same time as marrying Elaine.

How could you ever suggest such a ridiculous, non-canon, totally unforeseeable type of thing like that?! You, sir, must be mad. Flame flame flame, flame, flame flame.

[Captain Mickey]

after seeing The Princess and the Frog last week, i would love to see a new charater similer to the vilian in that movie, mabye like a rival to the voodoo lady

You know what? That'd be actually awesome to see a villain similar to Dr. Facilier.

[Mermaid]

Hmm, let me see if I remember how to write about things seriously. Okay, I'd honestly like to not just see more of Elaine, but have the next series be built around her. (...) Guybrush got a little "cooler" in Tales, why not keep that maturity intact, and let him help Elaine out for once? You don't have to throw out the dynamic of their marriage, but Elaine's only human; she has to have a vulnerable side, just like anybody else.

Agreed. There must be more potential taken out of Elaine's character. Personally, I found her to have become a bit too stereotypical a character over the last few games. I mean, I never really understood why Elaine "wants to go back being a pirate at the end of EMI - she'd never been one before, right? There was a lot more mystery behind that woman back in MI1, granted, maybe that was also due to the lack of screentime, but mainly because she had something "inapproachable" as a woman of politics, she was cryptic in a way. Not sure how to put this, but maybe you see where I'm going.

As the true center character of the Monkey Island universe I agree that season 2 should try and focus on Elaine. Maybe she has a secret as big as the Voodoo Lady's? I mean: can anyone answer me the question why the Voodoo Lady would have forced LeChuck to chase for Elaine's love all those years? I don't see why she'd do that (yet LeChuck says that it was part of her doing, too). I see an interesting attempt in revealing some background knowledge about Elaine in season 2, and, as Lena said, show a vulnerability in her character. It's a little nonnatural for a woman not to have an emotional breakdown after a decade or so of massive stalking.

[Friar]

How could you ever suggest such a ridiculous, non-canon, totally unforeseeable type of thing like that?! You, sir, must be mad. Flame flame flame, flame, flame flame.Burn the infidel!

Anyway, personally i would like to see a structure similair to tales, in the respect lechuck isn't revealed as the villain until the very end. But i think for that to have a proper effect, he needs to be absent for chapters 1-4.

[Lena_P]

As the true center character of the Monkey Island universe I agree that season 2 should try and focus on Elaine.

That's a really good point that seems to have been forgotten a bit as time has gone on. The main conflict of the series is really centered on our former governor, and Tales has begun to bring her back to the forefront of the story. It'd be nice if we could get a little resolution to her character.

It's a little nonnatural for a woman not to have an emotional breakdown after a decade or so of massive stalking.

This is both a good point and a hilarious line. Seriously, as tough and kickass as Elaine is, even she must get a little freaked out from time to time at the thought of how persistent LeChuck is. I'm not saying she needs to turn into Irene Dunne, but a hint of frustration at least might be nice.

[Bennjoon]

As mentioned a 'Baron Samedi' or 'Shadowman' character could be very effective escpeciialy since now Guybrush treats the Voodoo Lady with very little trust, something that could be taken advantage of by any voodoo rival she might have.

It might be nice to add a little Aztec flavour into the mix as De Cava was reminiscent of a conquistador I don't think it would be too far fetched. It's a good source of cursed treasure, evil gods and disturbing monkey creature statue's at least.

[Lena_P]

Actually we've never seen any Native Caribbean ... ese peoples in MI have we? The cannibals seemed more like stereotypical Polynesian types. Which I always thought was kind of confusing, but with a Viking ship and Groga-Cola machine who cares really?

[Friar]

Actually we've never seen any Native Caribbean ... ese peoples in MI have we? The cannibals seemed more like stereotypical Polynesian types. Which I always thought was kind of confusing, but with a Viking ship and Groga-Cola machine who cares really?
I always thought of the voodoo lady as being Caribbean-ese. Afterall, didn't voodoo originate there?

[puzzlebox]

You know what? That'd be actually awesome to see a villain similar to Dr. Facilier.

Disney does the best villains, so any bad guy (or girl!) sharing similarities with one of theirs would most likely be awesome. Although I haven't seen The Princess and the Frog yet. :)


Anyway, personally i would like to see a structure similair to tales, in the respect lechuck isn't revealed as the villain until the very end. But i think for that to have a proper effect, he needs to be absent for chapters 1-4.

Yes, I think LeChuck needs to take a back seat in the next installment in order to keep things fresh. That was one of the great things about TMI - they found a way to avoid LeChuck being (obviously) evil for most of the game, although there was a wonderful "is he / isn't he" undercurrent. The introduction of another interesting villain, in the form of De Singe, was also very welcome.

It would be poor storytelling to keep the main antagonist absent until the end though. And weird for people who start with the sequel instead of playing TMI first.

Perhaps the story could revolve around someone trying to resurrect LeChuck, and Guybrush needing to stop them. Still LeChuck-related but not more of the same "har har har I'm going kill Guybrush and marry Elaine" business.

Also agree with the comments about Elaine meriting some serious character development in the next game. Elaine has been around for 5 games now, but in just one game Morgan has completely leapfrogged her in terms of character development.

As for puzzles, it would be great to have less "find this shopping list of items in the jungle", and more puzzles like those in Lair of the Leviathan. The solutions in that chapter were often based around knowing other characters and their motivations (e.g. "breaking" the brotherhood to find the Tongue of the Manatee). I really liked that. There were also interesting things that I've never done in other adventure games, and really play to Telltale's strengths - like the way the "faceoff" puzzle made excellent use of their capability to do expressive facial animations.

Those things aside, I'd just like to see how the writers continue the Voodoo Lady story they've set up in TMI.

[Bennjoon]

I think you can drop the 'ese' hehe. I think Voodoo originated from a mix of West African religion and Catholicism in Haiti as far as I am aware, I could be wrong though.

[Jube]

The game is really fantastic! I love it.. but I think that final is very similar to LOOM! Bobbin had the death doors open! someone played it?
Please now is time for a second loom part, or best MANIAC MANSION 3, ZACK MC CRACKEN 2 or THE DIG 2!!!

Wish the best!

Juan Ignacio
from
Argentina

[AnatolKregel]

I was very much hoping for a clear-up of the Big Whoop mess from the end of Le Chuck's Revenge. I think many MI fans would have loved to see TTG taking this great opportunity, and I for one am disappointed that it didn't happen (despite Ron Gilbert's involvement). So that's of course my main suggestion for Season 2.

As for puzzles, it would be great to have less "find this shopping list of items in the jungle"

I'd appreciate that very much, too.

And I totally agree with those previous posters who would like to see much more character development for Elaine. She's got a lot of potential.

[Philbrush]

As far as story goes, no idea. Things I would like to see are:

Guybrush and Elaine have a kid.

A return of Wally, I think the last I saw him (if I remember right) was in the carnival of the damned in MI3.

And I missed seeing Herman Toothrott/H T Marley as well!


As far as Big Whoop was concerned, I thought that was explained away in MI3 as the secret of big whoop was actually the ability to turn people into undead minions, being why the carnival was built on top of it, to attract the living and create the undead!...(it's been a while since I played the older games tho, so I may be wrong!)

[guitarsareboring]

Guybrush and Elaine have a kid.
I think that would actually make me vomit. Everywhere. Guybrush and Elaine don't have sex.

A return of Wally, I think the last I saw him (if I remember right) was in the carnival of the damned in MI3.
Agreed, I'd love to see ol' Wally again

And I missed seeing Herman Toothrott/H T Marley as well!
I think they'd have a hard time putting him in the game after EMI. Few people want to see THAT Herman.

[PetiteBiere]

Yay! More Wally!
And more Winslow too!

[Reaper Lyn]

Seconding (thirding?) the return of Wally. He's sort of adorable, and his character still doesn't feel fully explored. He also adapts well, so I could see him easy to integrate.

EfMI introduced a lot of continuity snarls regarding Herman/H.T. While it could be interesting to see how Tales handles it, it could also bother a lot of people, since Escape is a rather polarizing game to say the least. And (iirc), when Morgan first met Guybrush and listed off a number of his accomplishments, she conspicuously omitted anything from EfMI. I just wonder about that.

Introducing relatives/children of main characters is a gamble. I'm not terribly fond of the idea, and... I dunno, I just don't think a child could really fit into the MI world. It's not exactly kid-friendly.

it would be great to have less "find this shopping list of items in the jungle"
This, basically (although something like the original Feast was an inventive spin on that). However, like the transition from Sam and Max season one to season two, I think that the puzzle quality will improve in the future. TT has gotten a feel for what works best and what we like, so they can implement that from the start. I like puzzles where you have to feel out the answer, with the illogical logic that you just sort of expect in the world of MI.

[Thriftweed Fancy Pants]

I think TTG will bring back more old characters for season two, and I think they'll do it in a similar way to season one. It'll be two or three characters, but over the course of five chapters. Possibly Wally, the Cannibals, or the barbershop trio. I could see Largo making an appearance as a minor villain as well (similar to De Singe, DeCava, or McGillicutty).

I know some of you won't like the return of these characters (I wouldn't necessarily like it either), but I'm just saying that I can see it happening anyway.

[fergusdog]

What I predict:

Morgan will somehow be some major trouble, probably the Elaine - Morgan rivalry will be source to some funny twist and turns

Something really unexpected will happen.

There will again be tension between Elaine and Guybrush (Guybrush can be a bit dense at times)

What I'd like to see:

As much as I love LeChuck, I'd like him retired to keep the character fresh for the next sequel.

I'd love to see someone like Largo to be the main villain.

I loved how Telltale actually pushes characters across their boundaries (like Elaine becoming a demon bride, or killing Guybrush). Please continue to be ruthless to your characters. The more bizarre the better.

Oh, yes - more Winslow please. And keep the good work with the side characters like WP, Krebbs, D'Oro.

[Bennjoon]

Baron Samedi is the loa of 'making sure things stay in the ground and rot' so they dont become zombies. Wouldn't he be kind of annoyed of all the ghost/zombie/demon ressurecting that goes on in Monkey Island. He also has a tendancy to get fixated on humans that he likes, both men and women. Would be funny to see Morgan getting 'stalked' and bonding with Elaine over it. :D He's supposed to be a pretty wild character, chain smoking, bad mouthed and stylish.

I think it would be awesome to play as Elaine or even do a Broken Sword 2 style schtick where you have to swap from one character to the other to solve a particular puzzle. Elaine definatly needs some fleshing out. We even know who Morgan's first love was and what her pet was called. Does even Guybrush know that about Elaine? ;)

[Sloane]

A different storyline WITHOUT LeChuck would be nice, for once. No other medium keeps the main villain and essentially the whole storyline for every sequel... and it's getting really boring.

Then, I'd like the game engine to run a bit more smoothly, and a more open game world, if possible. And also, season one was missing a bit of the atmosphere that made especially MI2 so great (think of the three main islands, for example) but that'd pretty much gotten lost with MI 3 & 4, so I don't blame it on TTG. Still, getting that back would be amazing.

[imqqmi]

Ok, I',m just going to throw things in from the top of my head:

- More Murray!
- More silliness like the 'pirate I was ment to be' song, more songs please! Interwoven with the serious stuff it creates a nice dynamic atmosphere.
- More pranks, interaction with things that do funny stuff like slapping a floor board, coming up on the other sideof the wall and the character standing there gets wacked and can't see who does it or something like that.
- More monkeying around, more monkeys, more monkey islands! Maybe monkey island has sunk to the bottom of the ocean, maybe it is infested with voodoo magic and all sorts of magical items pops up, uncovering more secret, more ancient stuff buried in there for us to explore.
- I've seen flotsam island a little bit as monkey island. Getting there and escaping it was just as hard.
- More chapters!
- More difficult logic puzzles
- More comments and clickable items.

That's it for now :)

[Bennjoon]

After seeing the mind scarring fanart thread I think you should have the Voodoo Lady turn Guybrush into a woman...Galbrush? Hilarity would ensue.

[BeeKay84]

Also agree with the comments about Elaine meriting some serious character development in the next game. Elaine has been around for 5 games now, but in just one game Morgan has completely leapfrogged her in terms of character development.
I agree! That's the one thing that really troubled me about Morgan. I mean, she's a great character and all - but she got way too much attention, compared to Elaine. More Elaine would be good, just like Reaper Lyn said in one of the first posts to this thread. And I agree with what she said about the islands from previous games, too.

[PecanBlue]

On the Elaine development thing, while it would be nice to see her more and learn more about her, (I agree that she got way too little screen time in comparison to Morgan) I think I want to learn more about Guybrush first. I feel as if we don't really learn much about the actual characters in the first place. I mean, most of the stuff in MI2 and MI3 were illusions.

I also do like Elaine as a pirate (it's in her blood after all) but it'd be nice to see her governor side come out more often somehow.

I'm still waiting around for Wally to return, too.

And everyone knows I so want a kid to happen as a little sidekick for Guybrush. :3 (and maybe so he has to "rescue" someone other than Elaine for once) But who knows how that might work out and how Lucasarts would feel, so that would just be wishful thinking for a while now.

[pluizig]

1. Don't have everyone have a secret agenda or master plan, thus ending the story with everyone screwing each other over.

This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosGambit) is good. (LeChuck in Tales)
This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosRoulette) is bad. (Elaine, Voodoo Lady)
This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThirtyXanatosPileup) should be avoided at all costs. (Rise of the Pirate God)

2. No more overreliance on scavenger hunts "Voodoo recipes" as puzzles.

[swedish_jedi]

I'd like to see some time traveling. Like in one chapter, Guybrush travels back in time and creates a paradox which turns him into the Demon Pirate Threepwood, and LeChuck becomes the clumsy, naïve and loveable pirate-wannabe married to Elaine. And in order to set things right, Guybrush has to make Elaine fall in love with his demon self.

I would also like to see in this alternative timeline, Murray as a gentle and humble care keeper of an orphanage (still as a skull), singing the song Edelweiss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY) to the children.

[Leak]

I would also like to see in this alternative timeline, Murray as a gentle and humble care keeper of an orphanage (still as a skull), singing the song Edelweiss to the children.
No. Just... no. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ6IlIXT2oo)

Unless there's another Edelweiss song that wasn't US-only... :p

np: Martyn - Is This Insanity? (ft. Spaceape) (Great Lengths)

[techie775]

1. Don't have everyone have a secret agenda or master plan, thus ending the story with everyone screwing each other over.

This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosGambit) is good. (LeChuck in Tales)
This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/XanatosRoulette) is bad. (Elaine, Voodoo Lady)
This (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThirtyXanatosPileup) should be avoided at all costs. (Rise of the Pirate God)

2. No more overreliance on scavenger hunts "Voodoo recipes" as puzzles.

Good examples. They make alot of sense too from what was done in Tales.

[swedish_jedi]

No. Just... no. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ6IlIXT2oo)

Unless there's another Edelweiss song that wasn't US-only... :p



I was taking about Edelweiss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY) from the musical Sound of Music :D

[Gryffalio]

Telltale will write it well, if they decide to do a second series.

My personal preference would be:

Not many returning characters or places. In S&M I think characters like Sybil and Bosco were great, but being too confined to one place is a no-no for me. Having said this, I do think re-using locations within the season could work well (as with chp1/4 Flotsam). One of the main issues i've picked up on while reading this forum is that people didn't like the uncertainty of having one new episode from a relative unknown, and then being cooped up in a location with just De Singe's house, a ship, a dockway and a forest to investigate. I also think this is an issue most people will forget about when they replay MI101 because they know TTG did a good job with it.

Preferably I would have, perhaps, one base of operation (like an Island, or a village) and then other places throughout the game. For me, EP3's interrogation scene with De Cava, Murray/Santino, Buguye, et al. all on one small boat and with just an ocean for TT to worry about making, made it easy to get on with some good storytelling. The opposite to this, for me, would be Spinner Cay's surrounding islands. They felt samey (especially the forest) probably because of the limited HR, time and overall data-size. For me, this should point conclusively to a game where Guybrush visits a few different locations, but is very much based on one village. This way, the size limit won't be bothered by slightly different-looking mini islands and they can concentrate on making one place look nice, and developing plot rather than feeling obliged to give more locations.

Extricating our hero for episode 2 would be perhaps wise. To ensure the limited time/size etc. don't trip the game up, perhaps Guybrush should be in an underground location or a fortress of some kind, etc. This would allow more sets, but smaller and hence easier/quicker to make and smaller in data-size. It would therefore provide the best value (in terms of atmosphere, interest and story-telling) for input. Ep 3 could re-use Episode 1's base, giving the team all that time to tweak the appearance, add a few things here and there, or perhaps the much needed extra cast (with ep1/2 for me feeling like a ghost-town with so few people). I think you get the idea.

Characters are integral to a good story. SoMI had numerous great characters (especially thinking of what went on to become the core cast, but also supporting chars like Carla and Otis), LCR introduced yet more (including the iconic Largo), and CoMI followed the trend (with no new baddies, but an interesting cabana-boy, pathetic pirates of Danjer Cove, Murray!, etc. - the 2d look helped make a wealth of interesting characters due to the detail available), and EfMI partly failed on this count, but I believe this is as much because they provided such large roles to old characters such as Otis and Carla. Therefore, re-using characters must be kept to a miminum. I would suggest Guybrush, Elaine, LeChuck, Winslow, Murray, Stan, Voodoo Lady. Over 5 episodes i'm fairly confident the two-three who wouldn't play a great part in the game could be given interesting roles, without it feeling forced.

So my ideas for next season? I would not seek an immediate bang. LeChuck is best when he is omnipresent yet unseen. Especially in LCR, LeChuck was always a threat but not seen outside of cut-scenes until nearer the end when we get to the fortress. Therefore, I would introduce a new enemy of some kind (like the Marquis de Singe in the first season) while cut-scenes and perhaps scraps of information, give us the feeling that something bad is continuing to build. Perhaps we need a Moriarty-style baddie who can be used sporadically, to give us relief from one tension, yet never really conclude in a boss-fight like LC/GB always does. Perhaps this new secondary villain can be an entirely different style to LeChuck. Ozzy Mandril in EfMI very nearly made this tandem-evil work, and shows how a contrast in styles can make an opening in the story for another baddie. Perhaps, for the sake of download-size etc., Guybrush, by episode 2/3 can be stuck in a fortress. This can take two eps and therefore allows the team to concentrate on making it atmospheric and story/character driven. This would also allow The Darkness (not the band from Norfolk) to be introduced for the seemingly vampiric MI community.
Morgan would have to be in the game, but she could be used anywhere, and given her prominent role in season1 I would hesitate before bringing her back in season2 in such a vanguard-role. I would have LeChuck introduced perhaps in ep2, early in the fortress bit, and then introduced properly in ep3. So it would be like this:

ep1: Guybrush on a new location, some kind of bad-feck happens, this new moriarty guy is a distant threat
ep2: Guybrush locked up in this guy's fortress. Moriarty type guy is prominent, and LeChuchk is introduced fleetingly
ep3: Guybrush and LeChuck fill the story, in the finale of the fortress.
ep4: Guybrush and moriarty get closer to a resolving confrontation, which is aided by Morgan, who confuses the situation as she is working for this new gentleman-villain (who MUST have a top-hat and monocle, or at least English accent, oh and should be Tim Curry :p)
ep5: would see this all crushendo. The Morgan confusion, the LeChuck rivalry, the new guy, all in one small melting pot.

Okay, so I ripped off LCR with the fortress, but the more important idea is the direction. I want a secondary villain who is more convincing than the Voodoo Lady, who can take away the antagonism between Guybrush and LeChuck, making a more intricate story (which would still be easy enough to follow for a new player). The Voodoo Lady's antagonism with Guybrush was only really the same story as with LeChuck. I want somebody like Ozzy Mandrill who is just your plain and simple intellectual/middle-class greedy villain, whose animosity with Guybrush can feel entirely different, and be entirely different, to the endless saga over Elaine that the LeChuck antagonism is. I also think enclosed places would be better. The islands of ep2 lacked soul, while the forest of ep1 just didn't feel atmospheric enough (and no, rain wouldn't help! :p) because of graphics limitations. Indoor locations can have atmosphere changing from room-to-room etc.

[PhantomDrummer]

And everyone knows I so want a kid to happen as a little sidekick for Guybrush. :3 (and maybe so he has to "rescue" someone other than Elaine for once) But who knows how that might work out and how Lucasarts would feel, so that would just be wishful thinking for a while now.

I don't know, after hearing all those various lines from Guybrush, especially in Ch. 4, sounds to me that the idea of a kid isn't so farfetched, otherwise why throw them into the story? Aside from the humor, of course. :)

Suddenly becoming parents would certainly add to character development, wouldn't it?

[Leak]

I was taking about Edelweiss (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY) from the musical Sound of Music :D
That's why I specifically said "not US-only" - you'll be hard pressed to find someone here in Austria[sic!] that has heard of "The Sound Of Music"... :p

(All I've ever heard about it I found on American sites... not that I care much for it anyway.)

np: Das Bierbeben - Don't Drink The Water (Alles Fällt)

[dthoupis]

I think that its time for all to grow up in the series. As much as I love the characters, I would have some pretty dramatic events happening in the second season and I know that I will get a lot of controversy with the following:

First of all I believe that something should happen which will evolve Guybrush into a more mature man including the beard :) I think that a kid will not be the solution but the death of Elaine in some way will evolve Guybrush in a way not conceivable. I think that Elaines' time in the series is long gone and she should dissapear. I would not recommend a divorce but a death because of some strange event like for example Voodoo Lady manipulating Morgan for example to kill Elaine so she can continue her puppeteer game with Guybrush and Guybrush suddenly realising that Voodoo Lady is the real enemy. The Voodoo ladys' actions in the episodes was clearly to manipulate to get the pox of LeChuck in her possesion for granduer things to come. I really did not like the idea of Vodoo lady being behind all things but that is something we have to accept just like we have to accept that EfMI happened :( . EfMI had some good material but that ending should never have happened. In any case, Elaine ends up dead at the begining of the episodes so Guybrush starts a hunt to search for revenge. In the process he recall the power of Big Whoop which will be finally explained. Voodoo Lady resurects LeChuck for her own means and to stop Guybrush from reaching her. Guybrush will confine to LeChuck that the Voodoo lady succeeded in killing the woman they both loved and thus perhaps a collaboration between good and evil will finally start to demolish the true enemy for both which is the Voodoo Lady so her plan to stop Guybrush will backfire on her. From there on, characters and events will add up to this dark addition of the series. I would like to see the Voodoo Lady being dragged in the secret of Big Whoop and thus forced to be under a spell for eternity or perhaps a different ending. Finally when the Voodoo lady is destroyed, LeChuck will try to have his revenge with Guybrush and the final confrontation battle will occur which will have Guybrush finally defeating LeChuck for good and ending with Guybrush recalling all the good and bad times he had with everyone and leaving Guybrush on a ship in search for newer adventures keeping of course Elaines' memory deep in his heart as he now is a more mature person and has to move on. Just one of the plots that I would like to see done. I have plenty others as well but I would like to hear peoples' comments.
Demetris

[Morgan LeFlay]

All the Monkey Island stories were basically about Guybrush fighting LeChuck with the help of the Vodoo Lady to stop LeChuck marring Elaine. We never found out WHY LeChuck was so obsessed of Elaine.

The Vodoo Lady told Guybrush that Elaine never trusted the ways of Vodoo. Maybe Elaine has a good reason, as we know that her family is connected to Vodoo, remember, Elain’s Grandfather’s piece of the map helped Guybrush to find Big Whoop, which is a Vodoo treasure, right?

So maybe this conflict isn’t really about Elaine and Guybrush vs. LeChuck, but the Vodoo Lady and Elaine, because Elaine is really hiding a big source of Vodoo, the Vodoo Lady wants to obtain. By the way, this could be the Secret of Monkey Island :D, Elaine's Vodoo Secret. Because the Vodoo Lady couldn’t get Elaine’s Vodoo Secret on her own, she possessed LeChuck to do the dirty work for her. But that plan didn’t work out, LeChuck turned out to be uncontrollable, the Vodoo Lady needed Guybrush to stop Le Chuck, because LeChuck became a threat to the entire Caribbean. That would explain why she helped Guybrush all over the years.

I would suggest that the Vodoo Lady resurrects LeChuck in the form of Guybrush by using the essence of LeChuck and Guybrush’s hand in the hope that she now has a puppet under her full control to trick Elaine and finally get Elaine’s Vodoo Secret. So we’d have a good Guybrush vs. bad Guybrush. Telltale should split up the story, so that we can play the game from the good Guybrush’s and that bad Guybrush’s view .And it’ll be nice to play the bad Guybrush for a change ;-) Morgan could fall in love with the bad Guybrush, too.

[Mermaid]

So maybe this conflict isn’t really about Elaine and Guybrush vs. LeChuck, but the Vodoo Lady and Elaine

My words. After TOMI, it's unclear whether it has been LeChuck's own choice to constantly go after Elaine or if this actually is the Voodoo Lady's doing.

Has anyone thought about what would have happened if LeChuck had succeeded in slaying the Voodoo Lady with the Cutlass of Kaflu BEFORE killing Guybrush or marrying Elaine? Wouldn't that have had as a logical consequence that he would immediately lose interest in hunting down Guybrush and finally let Elaine go?

[Kroms]

My two cents: To me, Tales was all about trust (you make that case on your own, I'm too apathetic to prove it), and especially Guybrush's. The sequel would probably have to be an evolution of that concept. Setting the series on Elaine seems like the right move. And if any characters return, they have to do it out of necessity. I like Winslow, but bringing him back for a cameo isn't worth applauding. Murray in Leviathan was a good example, as there was no other character who could've filled that role.

Actually, I may have something regarding a second season to show in a few months. You'll just have to wait and see, but I hope you'll like it. It's gotten good responses from the couple of people I've shown it to.

Edit: It's not official. Just a fangame. I want to practise game stuffs. Sorry for any confusion.

[Mermaid]

My two cents: To me, Tales was all about trust

Agreed.

Actually, I may have something regarding a second season to show in a few months. You'll just have to wait and see, but I hope you'll like it. It's gotten good responses from the couple of people I've shown it to.

Any hints?? :)

[Jen Kollic]

My two cents: To me, Tales was all about trust (you make that case on your own, I'm too apathetic to prove it), and especially Guybrush's.

I can see that too, trust does recur as a theme an awful lot throughout the episodes.

[Kroms]

Any hints?? :)

Hee, it's just a fan-game, actually. My own take on a sequel. I'll have more details later.

I guess my vague wording made it sound like it was somehow something official. It is not. (Sorry for the disappointment.)

[Avistew]

Yeah, it does. But I hope now they've sorted it all out and it won't be about trust again. That would be repetitive.

[Morgan LeFlay]

Has anyone thought about what would have happened if LeChuck had succeeded in slaying the Voodoo Lady with the Cutlass of Kaflu BEFORE killing Guybrush or marrying Elaine? Wouldn't that have had as a logical consequence that he would immediately lose interest in hunting down Guybrush and finally let Elaine go?


Good point, but not necessarily. All the Vodoo spells had to be reversed; the last one was to give LaEsponja Grand a little diet.
So even of LeChuck kills the Vodoo Lady before he marries Elaine, he’d still be possessed as long as the Vodoo Lady's spell does not get reversed.

[Chyron8472]

Personally, I don't think De Singe should come back. Each Monkey Island game had it's own supporting antagonist (LeChuck being the primary one,) and they never reprised their roles either.

SMI: Fester Shinetop (yes I know he's really LeChuck, but he still counts)
MI2: Largo Legrande
CMI: Captain René Rottingham
EMI: Pegnose Pete [LeChuck (unfortunately) shares the role of primary villain with Ozzie]
TMI: Marquis De Singe (LeChuck is the primary villain, you just don't know it until the end of Chapter 4)

[Ash735]

I'd like to see a real dark game, with a reason to return to Monkey Island, an idea I had would be that with LeChuck officially dead and gone forever (or so people heard), there have been rises in groups of Pirates trying to become the top dog, killing, stealing and destroying anything in their path, this would create a much more sinister pirate feeling to the games. The plot would work out so it ends up a race between three groups to get to Monkey Island, a new pirate bad guy who's as close to LeChuck as can be (possibly voiced by Tim Curry) and he takes his crew and forces them to find Monkey Island because of rumours of Big Whoop, he hopes to pass through the gates as LeChuck once did and become the new LeChuck for all time. A second crew would be hell bent on getting to Monkey Island in hopes of reviving LeChuck for some reason, the twist would be that this group is led by Largo, who's been beaten and tossed aside from the new LeChuck wannabe once before and of course, the final group, led by Guybrush, out to stop all of this, who's now had to take on a leadership role but is still the Guybrush we all know and love. I really do think this kind of story would be interesting as there are lots of areas to exploit and bounce ideas off.

[MrFerder]

I want to see more more exploration of the characters' pre-SOMI pasts.

For instance, I really enjoyed how Rise of the Pirate God told us more about how LeChuck became a ghost pirate by explaining his journey through the Crossroads.

The important thing is that these revelations don't contradict the established Canon (like with Herman in Ecape). I think that TT has shown with their handling of the Voodoo Lady's character that they would be able to give us new backstory that still harmonizes with all the stories.

[Kroms]

I'd like to see a real dark game

Why?

It almost like it's a checklist: it has to be dark. It has to be dark. Daarkkk.

Why?

Is it because of LCR? Only one of 5 islands is set in any darkness, literal or figurative. People like to remember it being dark.

I don't care if the tone of something grows from the story. But having a checklist is with DARK, DEATH, DESTRUCTION on it...man, I don't even know. Go listen to a goth record or read a newspaper. Seriously.

Though I like your idea of bands of pirates running around for top dog. There's potential in that.

I really enjoyed how Rise of the Pirate God told us more about how LeChuck became a ghost pirate by explaining his journey through the Crossroads.

Just putting Guybrush in LeChuck's shoes was great.

[Ash735]

Why?

It almost like it's a checklist: it has to be dark. It has to be dark. Daarkkk.

Why?


Dark like Chapter 4 dark, Dark like Blood Island dark, you can't deny that is when Monkey Island shines best, combining those uneasy feelings whilst still being funny. Imagine if we had a whole game with that kind of atmosphere instead of wasting one fifth of it pissing about with Nipperkin and his LOL PIRATE STORIES!

[Kroms]

I can deny and I will.

DENIED.

See?

I like the bright atmosphere. Puerto Pollo's an especially lovely place.

Imagine if we had a whole game with that kind of atmosphere instead of wasting one fifth of it pissing about with Nipperkin and his LOL PIRATE STORIES!

It would get boring very, very, very quickly. I love pizza, but I sure as hell don't wanna eat it every day.

[Kroms]

Also, what LOL PIRATE STORIES?

All this darkness humping is making you look like either of these two (http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/us.jpg). You pick your own host body.

[coolsome]

Also, what LOL PIRATE STORIES?

All this darkness humping is making you look like either of these two (http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/us.jpg). You pick your own host body.

that picture frightens and confuses me!

[Ash735]

Also, what LOL PIRATE STORIES?

All this darkness humping is making you look like either of these two (http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/us.jpg). You pick your own host body.

Funnily enough my eyes were diverted to the crypt in the background, reminding me of the Goodsoup Family Crypt from Curse. Not exactly darkness humping, just that I feel Monkey Island works best in those situations. Puerto Pollo and the whole of Plunder Island are amazing, it must of been the art style or something because even that Island felt a bit more serious to what we got in Tales, amazing how the artwork affects the mood.

As for LOL Pirate Stories, Nipperkin was killed off for a reason :p All that stereotypical New Yorker journalist stuff, forcing you to do tasks, walking around with his notebook, ugh, annoying character. He's like the least piratey thing in Tales so it was a shame that he was one of the first new characters we meet in this new location.

[Griswald Goodsoup]

I'd like to see a real dark game, with a reason to return to Monkey Island, an idea I had would be that with LeChuck officially dead and gone forever (or so people heard), there have been rises in groups of Pirates trying to become the top dog, killing, stealing and destroying anything in their path, this would create a much more sinister pirate feeling to the games. The plot would work out so it ends up a race between three groups to get to Monkey Island, a new pirate bad guy who's as close to LeChuck as can be (possibly voiced by Tim Curry) and he takes his crew and forces them to find Monkey Island because of rumours of Big Whoop, he hopes to pass through the gates as LeChuck once did and become the new LeChuck for all time. A second crew would be hell bent on getting to Monkey Island in hopes of reviving LeChuck for some reason, the twist would be that this group is led by Largo, who's been beaten and tossed aside from the new LeChuck wannabe once before and of course, the final group, led by Guybrush, out to stop all of this, who's now had to take on a leadership role but is still the Guybrush we all know and love. I really do think this kind of story would be interesting as there are lots of areas to exploit and bounce ideas off.

Marry me?

No kidding, but I'm totally digging this idea.

As for ideas, I've come up with a few since I started this thread...

Firstly, Monkey Island should sink!
That's right, sink!
I don't know how, or even why it should, but it should just sink!
I'm not saying scrap Monkey Island, but a sunken island adds a whole new dimension to the series, the perhaps LeChuck can raise it via voodoo and again use Big Whoop for diabolical puposes.

But back to pirate power vaccuum...
We need a new type of villain to step in for LeChuck, especially if that villain wants to use Big Whoop for their own machinations.
We've had:
SoMI - the bumbling impartial ghost - Bob
LCR - the menacing Caribbean bully - Largo
CoMI - I can't think of anyone, Dingy Dog seemed more incompetent than an actual supporting villain...
EfMI - Australian realtor/Caribbean developer (destroyer) - Ozzie
ToMI - The NOT French metrosexual - DeSinge
ToMI season 2 - I'm a fence-sitter, I sort of don't want the voodoo lady ro be a minor villain, but then again I want her to be a villain who then succumbs to LeChuck ultimately
You think of one?


AS for voice-over, Tim Curry is absolutely pivotal to such a part, so Telltale - go call him, see what he's doing these days, ask does he want to voice yet another villain in an animated thingy.
IMDB says he hasn't done a film/voice-over since 2003, so get him in ASAP!

[Irishmile]

Obviously Murray has to escape that chest VIA riding Treasure Crab.... Its plausible T.C. would obviously have opened that treasure box by now.

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs51/f/2009/277/b/e/Murray__s_fate_monkey_island_by_Irishmile.jpg

[Chyron8472]

@Griswald Goodsoup

Bob wasn't a villain to Guybrush, neither was Dinghy Dog. Neither of them were a direct threat to him. Fester Shinetop counts as one, though he was a facade. He still tried to stop Guybrush from getting the idol. Also, Captain Rottingham took Guybrush's map, so that makes him a supporting villain in CMI. You must not have played CMI enough to remember him.


All this darkness humping is making you look like either of these two (http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/resources/2006/08/us.jpg). You pick your own host body.


sure... Wait, what? Darkness humping? wtf is darkness humping?
For some reason, Max comes to my mind, but I'm not sure why exactly.

[Griswald Goodsoup]

@Griswald Goodsoup
You must not have played CMI enough to remember him.


Curse was my introduction to the Monkey Island franchise, while
Rottingham was no doubt irritating he didn't really have the longevity other supporting villains had. He was sort of a one act interim baddy, and to argue he was important as a supporting villain would be the same argument for other minor villains that in some way impeded Guybrush from rescuing Elaine. E.g. Mr Fossey and LeChimp or King André and Gruff.

CMI really didn't have a supporting villain, I think we'd just like to think it had since EMI had Ozzie, now Tales and DeSinge.

Maybe it's all straw clutching.
But I'm certain since CMI we've seen the importance in secondary villains rise, and we can no doubt expect Telltale to follow on that precedent.

Just if you want to make LeChuck even more terrible than his demon god incarnation please don't ruin it with tusks and hooves. I'd still like to keep the tiniest smidge of pirate lore to the game true, not a pursuit for the totally outrageous and superfluous then explaining it as Voodoo!

that's my 2 cents worth...

[Kroms]

I think it's okay to wade into semi-fantasy territory. I can honestly see pixies working very well within Monkey Island, but maybe not 10 storey-tall giants; though, knowing the purists, they'll start bemoaning.

Tales pushed the series into being very tightly plot-driven. The trick is maintaining this forward-moving plot with being piratey, as in getting to do piratey things that actually directly relate to, or stem from, the plot itself. Any fantastical elements need to be tied into that.

[Chyron8472]

I'd still like to keep the tiniest smidge of pirate lore to the game true, not a pursuit for the totally outrageous and superfluous then explaining it as Voodoo!

agreed.

[jhuddy]

okay.

characters i would like to see again. keep in mind im not saying i want you to squeeze them all in in the season but some would be cool.

Largo Legrand
Wally
Madam Xima
any of the Good Soup family
the Lost Welshman(idk if that was supposed to be him in CH 5 but regardless i would still like to see him)
Blonde Beard! (Santa Clause in Sam and Max is the same voice actor as him, so if you still have access to his voice why not use it?)
Murry
Stan(he is in every game he has to be in it)
Kate Capsize


As for character models. Please make everyone look different from one another PLEASE! Now lets talk locations, Im not apposed to old islands such as Blood or Scabb, in fact i would love to visit them again. but i love seeing new locations so keep up the good work in that area TT. As for story, im not to good at stories but something that pops up in my head is Maybe having Largo return, and he happens across an article of Lechucks clothing, and when he puts it on the voodoo if you will from it takes over part of Largo and throughout the season there is personality battle between Largo and Lechuck, both striving for control of Largos body which could then lead to funny dialogue between the both of them fighting which would appear to be Largo talking to himself. Plus their themes are pretty similar so whenever there is a personality change the theme can morph in between them both. And there is just something about a midget in a Giant pirate hat that sounds like it would look funny. Another thing i would like for season 2 is no mermaid creatures, or weird turtle/fish/seahorse hybrids, or any mythical kinda creatures. Idk why but it just doesn't fit into the world for me :/. Oh yeah and make it Piratey! PIRATEY! PIRATEY! PIRATEY!:p

So TTG that's all i have for you for now. I hope it helps even a little :)
Thanks for making an already amazing MI game and for bringing a once seemingly dead franchise back to us.

[Spadge]

Who I want back? Wally, Captain Smirk (Maybe as a governor?), I. Cheese, Governor Phatt. And maybe Jambalaya Island without those tourist traps.
I think I'm getting a little tired of LeChuck being the bad guy. I'd like Guybrush to face some powerful Voodoo Loa or someone like Governor Phatt. Some kind of great evil, you know. I'd love Guybrush and LeChuck to work together against something big and huge and evil that threatens the whole world. Maybe some bad guy kidnaps Elaine so they both have to work together and save her?

I can see it now. Governor Phatt wants to take over the Carribean, so his soldiers attack Jambalaya Island. The governor of Jambalaya (Smirk?) asks Mellee Island for help, Elaine and Guybrush go there and get captured by some witch doctor working for Phatt. Guybrush manages to escape somehow, maybe with LeChuck's help and they both agree on working together to find Elaine. Phatt wants to govern the whole Tri-Island Area, while at some point it's revealed that the witch doctor is actually some big bad evil Voodoo Loa with his own big plans. And maybe the H.T. Marley thing is resolved in the game, LeChuck betrays Guybrush and the Voodoo Lady is somehow behind the whole thing.

[Mermaid]

I'd love Guybrush and LeChuck to work together against something big and huge and evil that threatens the whole world.

The only thing I don't like about that (good!) idea is that it would remind me a little too much of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End.

[monkey_05_06]

Also, what LOL PIRATE STORIES?

I realize I'm coming in a bit late for this, but I only one thing comes to mind when I think of LOL PIRATE STORIES (http://lolisland.ytmnd.com/).

[Spadge]

The only thing I don't like about that (good!) idea is that it would remind me a little too much of Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End.

Really? Honestly, I watched those movies atleast 2 times, but looking back I don't remember anything about the story. I remember Sparrow and some crabs, asian pirates, flipping a ship, chasing a jar inside a giant hamster wheel, something about Will's dad, a big storm in the end, you-know-who getting eaten by a kraken. Heck, I even remember some crazy talk about a goddess, but I have no idea what the actuall story was. Strange. It's almost like it was more of a theme park ride than a movie. ;)

[Mermaid]

Really? Honestly, I watched those movies atleast 2 times, but looking back I don't remember anything about the story. I remember Sparrow and some crabs, asian pirates, flipping a ship, chasing a jar inside a giant hamster wheel, something about Will's dad, a big storm in the end, you-know-who getting eaten by a kraken. Heck, I even remember some crazy talk about a goddess, but I have no idea what the actuall story was. Strange. It's almost like it was more of a theme park ride than a movie. ;)

I guess noone really understood the plot of POTC 3, I was mainly referring to the fact that former enemies (Barbossa, Davy Jones - Will, Jack) agree to work together to achieve who-knows-what.

[Spadge]

Oh, yeah, I guess that happened. But the idea of 2 opposing sides joining forces aganst a common enemy isn't really a new thing. For example, Day of the Tentacle did the same thing (Ed and Bernard working together to stop Purple Tentacle).

[Chyron8472]

The goal was to defeat the East India Trading Company, which was killing off pirates en masse. Norrington had given Beckett the heart of Davy Jones, which Beckett could use to control Jones under threat of death. Therefore, to defeat the East India Trading Company, they had to defeat Jones first by destroying the heart, and Elizabeth and Jack were the only ones at the Pirate Court who were willing to fight Jones, so it was in Jack's interest to vote for her to be Pirate King.

[Hayden]

This was just an idea that I posted in the "Memoirs of Guybrush Threepwood on the Tales Box?" thread (http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12958) that I thought belonged here:

You know what could be cool? If there was a game called "The Memoirs of Guybrush Threepwood", where you could click on the entries of the book and each entry would transport you to the particular adventure that Guybrush has written about - sort of like a flashback.

So, for example, there main title screen would have an open book of, say, six entries (all clickable), and you decide to click on one that maybe says:

"I woke up to find my self in shackles, in the ship's quarters of yet another brand new enemy. There was no doubt that he was eventually going to punish or kill me for my attempt to steal his most valuable possession. I didn't like the idea of walking from the plank into a pool of vicious sharks, being impaled by several rusty blades, or being keelhauled until my lungs were half filled with seawater and my skin half blue. I had to find some way of escaping the clutches of the malicious captain before he could deliver me to my deathbed at the bottom of the ocean, but how was I to do so with heavy chains hanging from my every limb and nothing at my disposal except for a cap from my last bottle of GrogXD..."

...and this could be where the level begins, with Guybrush bound in chains inside a ship, his inventory consisting of a bottle cap, and the objective to escape the ship. Does anyone think this idea is okay, or is it complete rubbish that could never work?

[Spadge]

Sure, I have no problem with smaller adventures that come as a single episode every now and then.

[coolsome]

it would be a great idea 4 a comic series

[Rather Dashing]

People already feel that Tales isn't "epic" enough. Do we seriously want unrelated vignettes?

[Hayden]

People already feel that Tales isn't "epic" enough. Do we seriously want unrelated vignettes?

Well, maybe not for Season 2, because there's still a whole plot going on from last season.

But, for a 3rd season, I think it would be nice. I'm the sort of person who feels that Monkey Island doesn't always really need to be all that epic. Most of the best moments from the games come from the times when it's all simple, Guybrush is just searching and exploring Islands, talking to the characters, etc.

[coolsome]

People already feel that Tales isn't "epic" enough. Do we seriously want unrelated vignettes?

I thought Tales was the most epic MI ever.

[Voodoomaster]

The TOMI SEASON2 should have FIVE EPISODES with:

- Graphics, Music and Epic like in "Rise of the Pirate God"
- Hard puzzles and sensational developments like in "Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood"
- A various and well-builded gameplay and good characterization like in "Lair of The Leviathan"

Build this game, and you will build the best Monkey Island game ever :P

[Voodoomaster]

Oh, I almost forgot: use live music, not midi music :P

[Vainamoinen]

OK, I'll try and be short!

- "Dark" doesn't quite hit it. More pirates would be necessary, still.

- Get inspired less by previous MI games and more by pirate movies and history.

- Loved the squashbuckling and swordfighting sequences of ToMI. More please. The "physical" side of the episodes, the slapstick even, was very well done.

- Characters darker and more grown-up. "Funny" doesn't necessarily mean "ridiculed". Characters like D'Oro, DeSinge and that Nerd-guy really ruined the mood for me. Have one of these characters in the entire new season, but not more.

- Graphic style a little more grown-up. More hard edges instead of round.

- Continue the path to enhance facial expression, but aim into more usual expressions instead of grimaces. Make sure you need them all. Read Gary Faigin.

- Have the series planned beforehand faaaaar more carefully, spread riddles and revelations a little better over the course of the episodes, and don't completely **** up the ending like in ToMI just because too many loose ends exist to have a proper ending.

- Guybrush's base is the "Screaming Narwhal". Expand on its former and present history and continue to attach new stuff to the ship. Create new locations on the ship and enhance interactivity (possibly with mini-games?)

- Make Elaine less of a stereotype and get across why Guybrush loves her so much.

- More and slightly harder riddles, less back-and-forth-running, no labyrinthine environments.

- Go for long music cues instead of ultra-short, I-muse cues. As much as I like Imuse, it just did not work in ToMI

- Verb coin!!! Enough said.

[Griswald Goodsoup]

More of LeChuck's undead pirate crew, the end sequence, although brilliant, seemed like it was clutching at LeChuck's past not his present self.
This leaves questions about continuity, like where the Hell did LeChuck get that really cool ship? Was it Stan's because I'm simply not going to believe it just appeared because he was the pirate god!
And what about the undead skeleton crew? Smacks of incongruity. For someone who was struggling to turn people into undead soldiers via the Big Whoop ride, a couple of skeletons appear out of thin air. Or was this all a set-up, were LeChuck's ship and crew awaiting him from the very beginning - to use Guybrush and become he pirate-god? Is that why he wasn't assisted by his crew from the beginning?

So does that mean the Carnival of the Damned is up and running now?
I think this offers more questions than suggestions...

[Voodoomaster]

You make me remember that TOMI completely erased the "Big Whoop" and "Carnival of the Damned" story. In Curse we know that LeChuck allways comes back from death thanks to the Big Whoop Power. But now? We have a Crossroad spell!?

Maybe there should be some explanation in the next chapters that includes both the Crossroads and Big Whoop stories. Consistency is important.

[Hayden]

I agree with almost all of Vainamoinen's points. Telltale, listen to this person; he knows what he is talking about.

[corruptbiggins]

Maybe there should be some explanation in the next chapters that includes both the Crossroads and Big Whoop stories. Consistency is important.

The way I see it, the crossroads is the place after death and the big whoop is one way to get there.

[Voodoomaster]

Nah, I think that the way to get to the place after death is just...death :P

Big Whoop was not only a way to get to the Land of the dead as a living person (as seen in SOMI), but mainly a way to get BACK from the land of the dead as a zombie, ghost or whatever, as LeChuck and the Voodoo Lady explain in "Curse of Monkey Island". In fact, until Curse, we know that LeChuck comes everytime back from death stronger and stronger because of the Big Whoop power.

But then, in TOMI, Guybrush went back from there through a spell used by LeChuck to come back from death, and nobody spoke about Big Whoop.

Maybe an explanation should be that Big Whoop IS the spell, or something like that...but I think that it should be clearly said in the game...

[mlrockrules]

I always thought of the voodoo lady as being Caribbean-ese. Afterall, didn't voodoo originate there?

No, Voodoo originated in Africa, it was adapted in Haiti and later in Louisiana.

[Giant Tope]

- Get inspired less by previous MI games and more by pirate movies and history.
The original game was based heavily on pirate fiction and made it its own. The following games slowly developed the MI world into what it has become today. If they were to suddenly be based off historical events and more pirate fiction, it would just seem weird.

- Graphic style a little more grown-up. More hard edges instead of round. :/ This statement really upsets me. How is the style used in the game not as "grown-up" as it should be?

- Guybrush's base is the "Screaming Narwhal". Expand on its former and present history and continue to attach new stuff to the ship. Create new locations on the ship and enhance interactivity (possibly with mini-games?) D: why

- Make Elaine less of a stereotype and get across why Guybrush loves her so much. I thought Elaine was the opposite of a stereotype. And Guybrush loves her in the same way Ash wants to be the very best that no one ever was.


But anyways... I think the only major thing I'd want is more environments and live music.

[LeChuck1986]

And what about the undead skeleton crew? Smacks of incongruity. For someone who was struggling to turn people into undead soldiers via the Big Whoop ride, a couple of skeletons appear out of thin air. Or was this all a set-up, were LeChuck's ship and crew awaiting him from the very beginning - to use Guybrush and become he pirate-god? Is that why he wasn't assisted by his crew from the beginning?

Remember in Curse of Monkey Island when LeChuck just turned into his Demon Form?
He already transformed those two crewmembers WITHOUT Big Whoop, so Big Whoop isn't needed per se for him to make skeleton pirates.
I see Big Whoop more as a factory he used for mass producing skeleton minions.

[CaptKevinKID]

I think Guybrush's cut off hand, it could somehow be used by LeChuck when he is brought back, can use the hand to make a evil Guybrush, like in Dr Who when the last Dr had his hand cut of and it was used to make a copy of the Dr.

And I also think they should have the British navy in the next game hunting down Pirates and Guybrush gets caught in the middle, I'm sure a story can be built round some ideas on this thread.

:guybrush::winslow:

[Vainamoinen]

The original game was based heavily on pirate fiction and made it its own. The following games slowly developed the MI world into what it has become today. If they were to suddenly be based off historical events and more pirate fiction, it would just seem weird.

"More" does not mean "exclusively", and "less" does not mean "nothing at all". :D Sometimes, going back to the original source material can really rejuvenate a series. But that really, really should not mean that all Monkey Island history should be forgotten!

:/ This statement really upsets me. How is the style used in the game not as "grown-up" as it should be?

Arghhh... style discussions... you just can't get your own ideas across. "Grown-up" is, of course, a very vague label to be attached to a style, I'm sorry for that. Just one, also rather vague, statement to maybe get the idea across: The TT Engine is very good at rounding edges, which has really set the mood of S&M (and was perfect at copying the W&G-style). I had hoped for more hard edges in "ToMI" - just as perceived in the corresponding concept art.

D: why
Because I liked the idea in ToMI very much and thought that it was brutally abandoned at the beginning of episode 3.

I thought Elaine was the opposite of a stereotype. And Guybrush loves her in the same way Ash wants to be the very best that no one ever was.

Elaine IS a very broad stereotype. She's the kickass, overly self-confident and always-right beautiful woman whose plans never fail. Concerning the "love" theme: If the original, stereotypical characters had remained, I wouldn't complain. However, TTG tried to introduce a less stereotypical character - Morgan LeFlay - who, although still being a stereotype, has something called an inner conflict. Actually, none of the MI characters to date had that. That little bit of added character depth was enough for players, at least on this forum, to want Guybrush to dump good ol' Elaine immediately in favour of this new character. Guybrush, however, did not think of that for a second (I LOVED that, by the way). Now, I want to know why!

But anyways... I think the only major thing I'd want is more environments and live music.

I'm with you there! :D