What should they do next?

[comitob]

What game would you like to see Telltale do next?
It could be based off of a TV show, an old adventure game, basically anything that has characters.

I'll go first. I think they should do a South Park game, I know that it will never happen! But think about what it would be like to play as Cartman, or any of the 4 boys and talk to your favorite characters! (The last episode would be that the Gingers have Mecha-Striesand and are going to unleash her on South Park.)

[jeeno0142]

I seriously want to see a sequal to lucasarts 'Grim Fandango'. I don't know how they'd do it, but I want one. I hold a small hope that they'll carry it on one day.

[presidentmax]

I'm desperate for a day of the tentacle sequel. It would be a dream come true especially if they can get the trio back with the original voices.

[Fealiks]

Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama!

[Fealiks]

Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama!

This post has a poor grammatical structure, but I agree with its sentiment.

[presidentmax]

Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama!

oh god no

[Nintendo Boy1]

I'd like to see a second season of SBCG4AP! Rather than something new.

[Klatuu]

Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama!

Except for the word "Futurama", that was complete nonsense.

[Spadge]

Remakes of Space Quest 1 to 6, each as a single episode. :D
Other than that, Leasure Suit Larry, Zak MacKraken, Day of the Tentacle or a game set in some kind of creepy Tim Burton/Psychonauts/Grim Fandango world.

[Secret Fawful]

Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama!

you forgot to add "with a cherry on top".

[Nintendo Boy1]

SBCG4AP Season 2! SBCG4AP Season 2! SBCG4AP Season 2! SBCG4AP Season 2! SBCG4AP Season 2!

[DoctorCello]

I'd like to see an original IP, honestly.

...but yeah, a Futurama episodic adventure game would be good news indeed, everyone.

[Rather Dashing]

Scoggins.

[Giant Tope]

I find it funny that we just started a season and now we're looking to the next new thing. Not that looking towards the future is bad, mind you, I just find it silly. XD

[GuruGuru214]

I'm not surprised at all, given how much clamor there was for Sam and Max Season 3 when Tales was going on.

I would never have thought of a Futurama adventure game if it hadn't been suggested, but I love the series and feel that Telltale could do amazing things with it.

Other than that...I dunno. Maybe I need to get out more.

[Rather Dashing]

I'm not surprised at all, given how much clamor there was for Sam and Max Season 3 when Tales was going on.
That makes sense. We were told that it was estimated for release in "Early 2009". Then, obviously, Tales of Monkey Island hit the studio. Suddenly, any word about Sam and Max Season Three kind of stopped, and because they were working on the then Super Secret Tales, there was nothing to fill that void. It was kind of odd, when the definition of "Early 2009" had been stretched far past the breaking point, and we had nothing. And then....Monkey Island.

Now, this isn't to say I'm not glad they got the license, far from it, but it's really nice to have the Freelance Police back after the extended wait.

[GuruGuru214]

I showed up here on Halloween 2009, so...yeah... Strong Bad had drawn my attention to Telltale, but I only picked up the first two episodes on WiiWare and sort of lost interest without finishing off the season. It took Tales to draw my attention back to Telltale for good, and it took Trial and Execution's mind-blowing ending to finally pull me into the community.

So yeah, considering that I didn't turn an eye toward Sam and Max until after I'd finished Tales, I totally missed all that. I was just saying that people like to speculate around here. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Rather Dashing]

I showed up here on Halloween 2009, so...yeah... Strong Bad had drawn my attention to Telltale, but I only picked up the first two episodes on WiiWare and sort of lost interest without finishing off the season. It took Tales to draw my attention back to Telltale for good, and it took Trial and Execution's mind-blowing ending to finally pull me into the community.

So yeah, considering that I didn't turn an eye toward Sam and Max until after I'd finished Tales, I totally missed all that. I was just saying that people like to speculate around here. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Yeah. I just noticed that you hadn't been around when, for example, people were excited about Season Three in January 2009. January 1st, a big "WOOHOO SEASON THREE CAN'T BE FAR" thread pops up.

And that's not to forget the "Chuck is going to be busy with something that rhymes with Schmam and Schmax Schmeason Schmee" hint that came up in the Pre-Order forum for Tales.

So I was just saying, "Sam and Max: Season Three" was essentially confirmed. Not officially, but it had been in the planning stages once and work had been starting on it again. It simply was coming, there wasn't much room for speculation.

[GuruGuru214]

Yeah, I imagine that would have to be frustrating, though from what I hear, most people feel that Tales was totally worth the wait on The Devil's Playhouse.

[Rather Dashing]

It's hard for me to say. I'm probably VERY much in the minority, but I love Sam and Max more than Monkey Island. I have some stronger opinions about Monkey Island, because it's still dear to me and there's a lot to have a strong opinion on. But if I wanted to enjoy something with a grin from ear to ear the entire time, it would have to be Hit the Road, Surfin' the Highway, or Telltale's Sam and Max Seasons.

Still, I'm glad that some of Telltale's design "growing pains" were used on other franchises. And if there was ANYTHING that could have been worth replacing Sam and Max: Season Three, Monkey Island would have been it. As far as I was concerned, Monkey Island was long dead, and if it came back, LucasArts would screw it up. I had faith in Monkey Island BECAUSE Telltale was doing it. If it was just LucasArts, or almost any other company, I would have been really wary.

[Giant Tope]

I can't exactly say I've been in the adventure gaming crowd since the start of 2009... well who am I kidding, I wasn't, but I think the first episode of the season was well worth the wait.

What's the general consensus on this?

[GuruGuru214]

Another way to think of it is that for the cost of season 3 coming out later (but still coming out), we got the revival of one of the most beloved adventure game series there's ever been, one which was considered to be long dead with little chance of a return. Plus The Devil's Playhouse is undoubtedly better for having come out after Tales. Not to say that season 3 wouldn't have been an awesome game if Tales hadn't come along.

[Avistew]

I too like Sam & Max better than Monkey Island (although I didn't until telltale games came along). But I think Season 3 is probably worth the extra time it took. They say Tales allowed them to make some things better in Devil's Playhouse, so...
I can't really say for sure without even playing the game, but I think it was probably worth it in itself.
Although I guess I would have taken Season 3 + 4 over Tales + Season 3, but then I probably wouldn't be here to begin with, so...

[GuybrushWilco]

Space Quest, Futurama or Extreme Knitting.

[comitob]

Space Quest, Futurama or Extreme Knitting.

Finally, Back on topic!

;)

[Strong Max]

My top ten(in no particular order), then the most probable answer:

10. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
9. Lost
8. Space Quest
7. Scoggins
6. SBCG4AP Season 2
5. Banjo-Kazooie (Although I'm not sure I want it out of Rare's hands)
4. Family Guy/ Futurama/ The Simpsons/ South Park/ American Dad
3. Non-Mainstream Pokemon Game of some sort
2. Dank
1. The Beatle's Fab Adventure

Scoggins

[ObiWanThreepwood]

1. Lost (and while we're daydreaming here, a game starring Ben Linus)
2. Originl IP.
3. The Longest Journey
4. Maniac Mansion (Telltale's formula would be a perfect fit for that seiries)
5. Tales of Monkey Island season 2 (though I could stand to wait a few years)

[Secret Fawful]

I guess I'll post a top ten..no top eleven too. Why top eleven? Because I watch too much Nostalgia Critic, that's why.

11. Indiana Jones
10. Firefly
9. The Mighty Boosh
8. Abbot and Costello
7. Monkey Island 6
6. Courage the Cowardly Dog
5. Space Quest
4. Maniac Mansion
3. Scoggin's Erasers
2. MacGyver
1. Futurama

Also Stargate SG1.

[GTALostHeaven]

I be happy with another season of Strong Bad and Monkey Island.

Ive love a new Grim Fandango but I dont really see that as an 'episodic' storyline, it already had a beginning middle and end. I'd like an Xbox Live version of it.

For something new it HAS to be something from LucasArts like Manic Mansion or Zak McKracken, MM already has very established characters. Whatever it is it has to be comidic.

The main thing I liked about Strong Bad, Sam and Max (and even wallace and gromit) is that the characters have a 'home base', like a starting point that their universe expands into.
This was one thing that Monkey Island lacks, Their adventure can start anywhere randomly, I would rather see an expansion of the existing world rather than adding random characters.

[Fealiks]

10. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

In my opinion, the characters and story of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are pretty weak. The great thing about those books is the way Douglas Adams writes them (which obviously couldn't be translated very well into a game).

4. Family Guy/ Futurama/ The Simpsons/ South Park/ American Dad

Futurama and The Simpsons would work. Family Guy and American Dad aren't story-focused enough to translate well into a game. South park episodes tend to have deep moral/philosophical subtexts and it would be way too tempting to just make a game with the characters, the fart jokes and the graphical style and, imho, south park isn't south park without the satirical type of storytelling it employs (if they could successfully put that into a game, then fair enough, but it wouldn't be an easy task).


9. The Mighty Boosh

I love the mighty boosh (especially the old radio series, which you have to listen to), but I don't think it would work well as a game. The strong point of the mighty boosh is the improvisational, surreal comedy. The weird characters and art style is fantastic too, but in my opinion, they're not strong enough to carry it. I know that a lot of other people would disagree with me though :p

Also Stargate SG1. That'd definitely work. Man, I've not watched stargate since I was a little girl...

The main thing I liked about Strong Bad, Sam and Max (and even wallace and gromit) is that the characters have a 'home base', like a starting point that their universe expands into.
This was one thing that Monkey Island lacks, Their adventure can start anywhere randomly, I would rather see an expansion of the existing world rather than adding random characters.

That's actually something I dislike in most Telltale games. I don't know why. I think it's got something to do with the fact that it feels kind of reused and lazy to me (although I feel bad saying that since they're not trying to hide the fact that it's all semi-reused :p)

[Remolay]

In my opinion, the characters and story of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy are pretty weak. The great thing about those books is the way Douglas Adams writes them (which obviously couldn't be translated very well into a game).
Already has been, buddy. but that was Written by DNA.

My top ten
10. Futurama
9. Real life comics
8. Futurama
7. Real life Comics
...

you get the Idea

[tredlow]

Tales of Pumaman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_oT5kV-o3I)

[elzbenz]

LOOM!

Phineas & Ferb!

Well, S&M3 was very similar to LOOM-Focusing on a set of powers rather than inventory... (In fact LOOM didn't have an inventory) and S&M3 was also VERY easy... much like LOOM.

[Scrawffler]

I'd love to see an episodic sequel to Day of the Tentacle. A "Maniac Mansion 3" of some sort is definitely well overdue!!

I'm also really hoping there will be a season 2 of Monkey Island. In fact, I get the impression a lot of people would like that :D

And I think it'd be interesting if, someday, Telltale try creating their own completely original characters and setting for an episodic series. I love the characters they've introduced to the Sam and Max series, and the Monkey Island series, and think that they could come up with something new and really awesome.

[SHODANFreeman]

Firefly

This.

[mathman77]

A Day of the Tenticle sequel would be awesome. Lost? Maybe. Family Guy? YES!

[OCKi]

Definitely LOST!!!

[jmm]

What should they do next?

A few ideas:
-Take a nap
-Dress-up as mariachis and go "singing" the Birthday song worldwide
-Sit and laugh maniacally eating Prune Nuts.
-Develop a new game

My choice: the last one

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

I've said it several times earlier, and I repeat it now.
It would be totally awesome a graphic adventure with Mortadelo y Filemón made by TellTale.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H5hDJD5M9_U/R9WrvVzVf6I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Qk7a2L0f7R8/s400/mortadelo.gif
Maybe they're not well known characters outside Europe (Spain and Germany mostly), but I think they are great characters for a TellTale game.

[Darth Marsden]

New IPs: Farscape, Firefly or Futurama.

Old IPs: Monkey Island, Strong Bad.

If I had to pick one, it'd be Futurama, but any of them would do me nicely.

[Friar]

New IPs: Farscape, Firefly or Futurama.

Old IPs: Monkey Island, Strong Bad.

If I had to pick one, it'd be Futurama, but any of them would do me nicely.
Notice how all th eold IP's start with F's? IT'S A CONSPIRACY!

[tredlow]

Futurama (Of course)
Discworld (Of course)
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Of course)
Psychonauts (Sounds like a good idea for a non-action adventure game to me)
Full Throttle (After seeing The Penal Zone? Hell yeah!)
Pumaman (Of course)

[Cyrus7]

Not sure about Psychonauts, they are Tim Schafer's invention and I would rather want Double Fine to create a sequel.
In my opinion, another franchise that could fit Telltale is Ace Ventura. I've recently replayed the game, it has an appropriate sitcom-type kind of humor and consists of three different missions, so it really feels like episodic.
http://yesgame.ru/uploads/posts/2009-07/1247200952_02b895a636a7.jpg
http://yesgame.ru/uploads/posts/2009-07/1247200946_5458a1b2d161.jpg

[tredlow]

Not sure about Psychonauts, they are Tim Schafer's invention and I would rather want Double Fine to create a sequel.

Well, maybe a spin-off. Something taking place in the Psychonauts universe.

[SwordKing]

My Ten In No Particular Order...

10. Adventure Time With Jake And Finn

09. ThunderCats

08. Wind In The Willows (BBC TV claymation version)

07. Danger Mouse

06. King's Quest

05. Mystery Science Theater 3000

04. ElfQuest

03. Azumanga Daioh

02. Red Dwarf

01. Fraggle Rock

[tredlow]

Pumaman. Come on!

[Chyron8472]

09. ThunderCats


ThunderCats, Ho!

[Harukuro]

I would choose (in no particular order) Tales of Monkey Island season 2, an IP and the Freelance Police Academy, an idea that was briefly disscused during the "Summer of Sam & Max" years ago.

[Harald B]

I've said it several times earlier, and I repeat it now.
It would be totally awesome a graphic adventure with Mortadelo y Filemón made by TellTale.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H5hDJD5M9_U/R9WrvVzVf6I/AAAAAAAAAYo/Qk7a2L0f7R8/s400/mortadelo.gif
Maybe they're not well known characters outside Europe (Spain and Germany mostly), but I think they are great characters for a TellTale game.This! These guys are hilarious, and it's one of the few ideas I can immediately see working as an episodic adventure game. You're sending me on a nostalgia trip with that pic.

[Scrawffler]

Hadn't thought about Telltale doing an Ace Ventura series before, but I agree with Cyrus7. That was a great game, and something about it just fits Telltale perfectly.

I had wondered about Full Throttle at one time. And like tredlow mentioned, after seeing them pull off the whole cinematic action thing so well in S&M season 3 so far, I'm thinking this might be a good idea!

Kinda starting to like the idea about Futurama too. Again, another one I've not thought about that much, but when I do think about it I find myself agreeing with it.

[Remolay]

02. Red Dwarf

01. Fraggle Rock

these.

I want these

[Astro Gnocci]

Alf :eek:

[Klatuu]

Maybe they could make a game about "War and Peace" or "Moby Dick". That way, no one could complain about it being too short or too easy.

[Matrinka]

Oh, if only Telltell could get their hands on two of my all time favorite non-Lucasarts series: Gabriel Knight and the Legend of Kyrandia. Both were absolutely fantastic, in their own ways. GK ended on such a cliffhanger - I'd love for Jane Jensen to finally be able to give some closure to us fans. Kyrandia, if only, because it was fun. Also, Malcolm's Revenge had fantastic music. I believe, both could be set up as episodic adventures.

[onlyamonkey]

Just give ToMI 2. There is no discussion. There are no opinions.

[Thriftweed Fancy Pants]

Frankly, I haven't played the CSI games and I don't intend to. I don't think live action TV translates very well into video games (Lost, Dr. Who, etc.). Just my opinion though.

[Rather Dashing]

The problem with asking for anything is that all adventure series that I want to see again that also do not feature dying in any way have been done, except for one: Loom. And I don't know if Telltale can pull off Loom.

I don't want their hands on Sierra games if they are going to continue the no-death policy. I'm sorry, but there is no way you can maintain the feel and atmosphere of a Sierra game without death scenes.

Still, if Telltale were capable of pulling off another Trinity or A Mind Forever Voyaging(not a continuation of these specific stories, mind you, but something in this general style), that would be amazing. Sadly, I really have a doubt in my mind that Telltale really wants to go in that direction, and even if they did...it would be hard to justify going forward from a financial standpoint.

[Andorxor]

Dirk Gently - Much better Douglas Character than the ones in Hitchhikers guide
Nodwick
PS238
Stargate
Starwars
Star Trek
Stardust
Graveyard book -It Even has a classical adventure puzzle in the book
Batman

[LuigiHann]

I don't want their hands on Sierra games if they are going to continue the no-death policy. I'm sorry, but there is no way you can maintain the feel and atmosphere of a Sierra game without death scenes.

You could have death scenes as long as the game gives you a "Continue?" option that puts you back in the scene before you died. It's not death they're opposed to, it's game-over scenarios

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

This! These guys are hilarious, and it's one of the few ideas I can immediately see working as an episodic adventure game. You're sending me on a nostalgia trip with that pic.
Thanks! I was starting to think I was the only one that thinks that TellTale could make a great game with those characters.
Their comics are episodics by themselves, an episodic game is only natural with the characters.
An spanish company (Alcachofa Soft, whose last game was "The Abbey") alredy did several cool adventure games with them, most of them with sort of episodic format (the games are auto-conclussive and are sold separately, but some games may be considered a small chapter inside a greater story -or "season"- and if you have the two games that compose that "season", you unlock a bonus final chapter).

[Rather Dashing]

You could have death scenes as long as the game gives you a "Continue?" option that puts you back in the scene before you died. It's not death they're opposed to, it's game-over scenarios
You don't get it. LucasArts fans never got it. In a game, the only way to increase tension and focus is to change how the gamer interacts with the game, in this case: Game Over screens. The WAY you play the game is different, and that means the tension and focus you have during gameplay is different.

And besides, the Game Over screens always admonished you, always hilariously told you that you suck. A CONTINUE? button would make any such thing ring...somewhat insincere.

[SHODANFreeman]

You don't get it. LucasArts fans never got it. In a game, the only way to increase tension and focus is to change how the gamer interacts with the game, in this case: Game Over screens. The WAY you play the game is different, and that means the tension and focus you have during gameplay is different.

And besides, the Game Over screens always admonished you, always hilariously told you that you suck. A CONTINUE? button would make any such thing ring...somewhat insincere.

Yes, the way you play the game is so different. It's such a great gameplay feature to mash quick save every time you ever consider anything, and keeping a separate save file before you solve every puzzle, just in case you accidentally caused a dead end that you'd have no way of figuring out without restarting the game and happening to not get the same dead end. Such fun.

A continue button would be exactly the same thing as the violent quick save mashing, but without forcing the player to mash quicksave. I would probably even enjoy Sierra games if they had that feature, and removed all the utterly pointless dead-ends that do nothing to enhance gameplay, and only serve to frustrate players who don't even realize they've done something wrong.

[puzzlebox]

You don't get it. LucasArts fans never got it. In a game, the only way to increase tension and focus is to change how the gamer interacts with the game, in this case: Game Over screens. The WAY you play the game is different, and that means the tension and focus you have during gameplay is different.

And besides, the Game Over screens always admonished you, always hilariously told you that you suck. A CONTINUE? button would make any such thing ring...somewhat insincere.

Are you specifically talking about early Sierra games? Because Sierra themselves changed their paradigm in later years. Although you can still "die" in the later titles, you generally get a "Continue" button on the game-over screen. I'm pretty sure that Shivers, Shivers 2, Torin's Passage, Lighthouse, and King's Quest VII are all like this (there are probably others).

Don't you think the lack of such a feature in their earlier games would have been down to simply not thinking of it, rather than a deliberate plan to increase tension by making "death" frustrating and difficult? When you don't fear the "death" itself so much as the repetitiveness of recovering from it, a major part of the emotional response is completely outside the game world - and that's not a good thing.

I see what you mean about tension, but for me there's plenty of tension anyway when I know my player character can die, because I am emotionally invested in that character's well-being. I don't see the problem with keeping the threat of "death" while making any game-over scenario more user-friendly to recover from.

[Avistew]

I thought there was a lot of tension in the Broken Sword games. You can die, but not all the time, and not for flushing a toilet or forgetting to remove a condom because you assumed the character was smart enough not to keep it on.

[LuigiHann]

Maybe the game could just have an intelligent autosave function. So if you die, you get a full game over scene and get sent back to the main menu, but the game will always have saved at the point before your death

[Rather Dashing]

Yes, the way you play the game is so different. It's such a great gameplay feature to mash quick save every time you ever consider anything, and keeping a separate save file before you solve every puzzle, just in case you accidentally caused a dead end that you'd have no way of figuring out without restarting the game and happening to not get the same dead end. Such fun.

A continue button would be exactly the same thing as the violent quick save mashing, but without forcing the player to mash quicksave. I would probably even enjoy Sierra games if they had that feature, and removed all the utterly pointless dead-ends that do nothing to enhance gameplay, and only serve to frustrate players who don't even realize they've done something wrong.
Generaly, you don't make sequels catering to the people who hate the originals. If you make a sequel with a contempt for the gameplay of the first set of games, why are you bothering?

[SHODANFreeman]

Generaly, you don't make sequels catering to the people who hate the originals. If you make a sequel with a contempt for the gameplay of the first set of games, why are you bothering?

Making a game more accessible to people who are fans of the genre but not fans of a pointless time-wasting mechanic is making them "with a contempt" for the original?

[Rather Dashing]

Making a game more accessible to people who are fans of the genre but not fans of a pointless time-wasting mechanic is making them "with a contempt" for the original?
Yes.

[SHODANFreeman]

Yes.

That's like saying that all of TTG's games were made with contempt for LEC's games because they simplified the item interaction and removed verbs in order to make the games more accessible to non-hardcore adventure gamers.

[Secret Fawful]

Look, Sierra's death scenes are a part of the games. A PART OF THEM. They were in every single game in every single one of their best franchises. There is no reason to suddenly remove them just because some people are little bitches who can't cut it. Those tough parts are part of what made the puzzles so difficult and they increased the amount of satisfaction you'd get once you actually beat the game. I'm sorry but if there was a Sierra franchise without death scenes, I wouldn't play it.

A. They increased the difficulty.
B. They increased satisfaction upon winning.
C. They were hilarious. If you don't get it you don't get it and these games aren't for you.
D. They were unexpected, and made the game unpredictable. This is also part of the games charm.
E. In every game they made, it did increase the atmosphere. Rather Dashing is right. The death screens made sense, either as a joke, or for the setting.

Take Laura Bow. If you used the shower, a psycho would come in and stab you to death. This is a spin on horror movie cliches. Sometimes the chandelier would crash and kill you, which was another spin on a classic murder mystery cliche. You could fall over the banister, another cliche.

Or take Leisure Suit Larry. Putting the condom on first fit the game. The point was that it was making fun of the sexual situation. It added to the games humor, point, and atmosphere. It's not like the death scenes never made a point.

Or at the beginning of Space Quest 1 with the sandworm. That showed that the world was alien, treacherous, and it caused extreme tension while on its surface.


This brings me to one more point. One thing that can go, is being unable to continue because you missed something. Like in Kings Quest 5 where you didn't save the mouse. That can go.

[SHODANFreeman]

Look, Sierra's death scenes are a part of the games. A PART OF THEM. They were in every single game in every single one of their best franchises. There is no reason to suddenly remove them just because some people are little bitches who can't cut it. Those tough parts are part of what made the puzzles so difficult and they increased the amount of satisfaction you'd get once you actually beat the game. I'm sorry but if there was a Sierra franchise without death scenes, I wouldn't play it.

There's nothing tough or challenging about deaths, and I'm not saying they should be removed. Just add in an autosave system so that shortly before any scene where a death is possible, it automatically saves the game, so you don't have to constantly be worried about whether or not you hit quick save lately. I don't see how this would ruin the death scenes, as the vast majority of even action games utilize an autosave system before entering dangerous areas.

[Avistew]

This brings me to one more point. One thing that can go, is being unable to continue because you missed something. Like in Kings Quest 5 where you didn't save the mouse. That can go.

But doesn't that make the game harder, more rewarding when you win and unexpected, too?

For that matter, wouldn't changing which key does what every five minute do all of that, too?

As far as it being hilarious, I fail to see why saving automatically/being able to start again right before your mistake would remove that.

[Secret Fawful]

There's nothing tough or challenging about deaths, and I'm not saying they should be removed. Just add in an autosave system so that shortly before any scene where a death is possible, it automatically saves the game, so you don't have to constantly be worried about whether or not you hit quick save lately. I don't see how this would ruin the death scenes, as the vast majority of even action games utilize an autosave system before entering dangerous areas.

That's completely wrong. Something being deadly forces you to figure out how to avoid dying at that point. It's just another form of puzzle, really.

But doesn't that make the game harder, more rewarding when you win and unexpected, too?
No, that's usually just an unintended game design fluke. Death scenes are intended, fit, and make sense if done right. There was one instance in Leisure Suit Larry 3 where it was done on purpose, when you could take your clothes off to go to the showers and if you didn't lock your locker someone would steal your clothes and you couldn't leave the building because you were nude. Which did work in the instance and game, was funny, and was all right in my book.

For that matter, wouldn't changing which key does what every five minute do all of that, too?
Is that from something? I'm not sure what your point is.

As far as it being hilarious, I fail to see why saving automatically/being able to start again right before your mistake would remove that. Oh there's no problem with that. I just don't want the death scenes to go.

[Avistew]

Oh there's no problem with that. I just don't want the death scenes to go.

Well, Dashing seems opposed to it though.

My point was that a lot of the things that make a game harder, unpredictable and more rewarding when you finish it do so by being incredibly frustrating. Of course your mileage may vary.
Changing which key does what every five seconds (potentially leading to losing if you hit the wrong key because you haven't figured it out, or even, just annoying because you have to re-figure out what everything does all the time) is frustrating, but also unexpected, and making the game harder to finish.

I don't think any game does that. I was trying to find an example that would be considered annoying to most people playing an adventure game, because uncalled for and unnecessary. A lot of people see random death scenes as something similar to that.

I'm okay with the idea of dying, but I like when it makes sense. You don't have to tell Larry to put his clothes back on after he has sex, if I recall, yet you have to tell him to remove the condom? How are you supposed to guess that he put his clothes back on OVER IT? And if you end up having to redo a big portion of the game, all in the right order, remember what you had done and not when you last saved, it feels frustrating more than rewarding to me.

[Secret Fawful]

You haven't played many text adventures like Hitchhikers Guide have you. Coming down from those, Sierra games were a breeze. Play some text adventures and you'll understand better the term "frustrating" in relation to games. :D

[MusicallyInspired]

I appreciate dying in Sierra games. (Space Quest 6 was another with the Continue function, incidentally). I also appreciate it without a continue button. I'm with Rather Dashing here. Although I am opposed to taking out deaths in a Sierra franchise, I'm not opposed to removing "dead ends" (something completely different which many people seem to easily confuse, astonishingly).

Especially for Space Quest. Those games had a unique perspective on dying that no other adventure game has ever had (that I know of anyway). And that is that they tried to make dying fun by coming up with the most insulting, creative, and entertaining deaths you'll ever see in a video game. Half the fun of Space Quest was finding out how many crazy ways you could kill Roger! Of course solving the game was fun too. But there's something about playing a game where it's possible not only to win but to lose. You can't lose to Monkey Island or similar games. There's a possibility you won't win, but you never lose.

It's exactly what RD was talking about regarding tension. Playing a game with a Continue button is like playing a game with no game over screen. There's absolutely no difference. When there is no Continue button it forces you to be more careful how you play and save often. That's not a design flaw. It's a game mechanic that's not frustrating if you're looking at it the right way. Which admittedly most people aren't and don't. Probably because they're too lazy.

That's one thing that constantly changes about the adventure genre. As the genre "progressed" it made things easier for people causing them to be more and more lazy in their approach to adventure games. First by giving them graphics so they didn't have to use their imaginations (ditto for sound, music, and speech as well). Then they did away with the parser altogether and made them P&C with different verb functions. They removed the ability to die (yes, I said ability) so you didn't have to worry about saving so much, taking a lot of tension out of the genre. Then they simplified the P&C interface to a single-function cursour which does whatever you're supposed to do. They added an auto-save feature so you don't even have to save your game yourself. Then they removed the ability to combine inventory items with eachother. And more and more until people were screaming for a drag-&-move mouse controle scheme.....

Of course, I don't mind a lot of those changes, but it's all still true. They did make adventure gamers lazier. People don't even like to read in games anymore (for games like Myst where reading is essential).

[SHODANFreeman]

How is a continue button/autosave different than hitting quick save before you do anything? Oh yeah, it's not, except that you aren't forced to do a tedious task like pressing a button repeatedly in order to recover from a death.

Most modern games have autosave features that activate before dangerous areas of the game, so that if you happen to die, you don't end up replaying 6 hours of the game over again. No one complains about autosave in action games, so why is it that it would suddenly destroy adventure games and kill all supposed "tension" that exists, just by making it less irritating to avoid ridiculous death penalties?

I have not once suggested removing deaths from the games.

Is anyone even attempting to comprehend what I'm saying?

[MusicallyInspired]

How is a continue button/autosave different than hitting quick save before you do anything? Oh yeah, it's not, except that you aren't forced to do a tedious task like pressing a button repeatedly in order to recover from a death.

It is so different. You're not pushing the button yourself. And I'm not talking about "quick saves." I'm talking bring up the save game dialogue, type the name of your save game, and hit save. Quick save buttons weren't around back then (for adventures).

Most modern games have autosave features that activate before dangerous areas of the game, so that if you happen to die, you don't end up replaying 6 hours of the game over again.

Yes, and thereby completely removing the challenge, tension, and immersiveness. Don't you see what I'm saying? The risk is suddenly gone. The risk is a big part of gameplay. At least for me it is.

No one complains about autosave in action games,...

Actually, I do. But that's a different topic altogether.

...so why is it that it would suddenly destroy adventure games and kill all supposed "tension" that exists, just by making it less irritating to avoid ridiculous death penalties?

Because the point of an action game is action. It's all about reflexes and certain points in time. Adventure games are not about reflexes but rather about thinking. Usually, adventure games are big pieces of waiting periods where you're in no danger unless you put yourself in danger. If you're too stupid to save before attempting something that could possibly be dangerous to your character, you deserve that frustration. Now, I understand that in some instances the game gives a time limit where you have to do something or you will die. In those instances I wouldn't mind an autosave feature. But not with generic death sequences.

I have not once suggested removing deaths from the games.

Is anyone even attempting to comprehend what I'm saying?

I never said you were. You're not comprehending what we're saying. Game deaths aren't the same with a Continue button or an autosave feature and might as well be removed if such is the case because it renders them pointless. There's a reason that there were deaths in Sierra games. It was a gameplay element. One which was completely destroyed by autosaves.

[SHODANFreeman]

Game deaths aren't the same with a Continue button or an autosave feature and might as well be removed if such is the case because it renders them pointless. There's a reason that there were deaths in Sierra games. It was a gameplay element. One which was completely destroyed by autosaves.

I don't understand how hitting a button to do the same thing makes the game better. Please explain why hitting buttons that you shouldn't have to hit makes a game fun.

[GinnyN]

I believe most people here are more feeling than thinking.

I haven't played a Sierra game in my life, and my first Adventure Game was Abe Lincoln must Die, so, I'll leave it there. But really, calm down for a moment and try to put in the other position for a moment.

I read Shigeru Miyamoto said once Frustration is one of the things that keep people going. If you put a little of it, and the people will not feel motivated enough, and if you overdo it, people is going to leave you.

[flesk]

Dirk Gently - Much better Douglas Character than the ones in Hitchhikers guide

I agree.

I don't see how Lost, Family Guy or American Dad would work as an adventure game. Futurama has much better characters, and it would be cool to be able to use Leela and Bender like you use Max in Penal Zone or like the characters in Maniac Mansion.

I'd like to see what Telltale would be able to do with a sci-fi (Beneath a Steel Sky, Red Dwarf) or fantasy (Kyrandia) theme though.

[Little Writer]

I also can't see these franchises as adventure games. Okay, they're more mainstream and might attract a bunch of new players, but there's something like too mainstream which reduces the specialness of the adventure game experience. You already know these characters and their world, so part of the mystery is gone - it would just be yet another storyline for them.

Personally, I don't like games that take place in a fantasy or SF setting. I don't mind including some elements in a modern/contemporary setting, but sometimes I get the feeling that all AG's take place in either very futuristic or very alien/fantastical worlds. Sure, it's like starting from a clean slate, you can basically do whatever you want. But I'd like something more realistic, closer to home; I can't really describe any details to explain that further, though.

Another thing is that AG's that take place "today", too often rely on the conspiracy theory storyline (or with endings where it turns out aliens did it), which makes originality harder to achieve. Either that, or it's just a "solve the crime" story.

Instead of looking long-running tv shows, I'd rather concentrate on mini-series or one-season shows that might continue in an AG format. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of that cancelled show "Traveler". Others are "The Lost Room", "The Prisoner", "Kingdom Hospital", and perhaps even "Surface" or "Jericho".

(Though if you catch me in a good mood, I might even accept an "X-Files" reboot ;) )

[Thriftweed Fancy Pants]

Someone posted something about 2D Goggles (http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/lovelace-and-babbage-vs-the-economy/) a while ago, which I thought sounded fun.

[Little Writer]

That does sound fun.

[tredlow]

Doraemon, maybe? heh.

I wouldn't mind Space Quest actually. I've only played the 6th one, and I thought it wasn't that good, but not horrible. I'd like to see what Telltale can do with it.

Oh, and Pumaman.

[MusicallyInspired]

Doraemon, maybe? heh.

I wouldn't mind Space Quest actually. I've only played the 6th one, and I thought it wasn't that good, but not horrible. I'd like to see what Telltale can do with it.

Oh, and Pumaman.

You poor soul. SQ6 was the worst title in the series (and wasn't created by either Scott Murphy or Mark Crowe, the series' creators). Although it was the funniest. You really can't just Space Quest as a series based on the 6th title.

[Darth Marsden]

Instead of looking long-running tv shows, I'd rather concentrate on mini-series or one-season shows that might continue in an AG format. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of that cancelled show "Traveler". Others are "The Lost Room", "The Prisoner", "Kingdom Hospital", and perhaps even "Surface" or "Jericho".

(Though if you catch me in a good mood, I might even accept an "X-Files" reboot ;) )Firefly it is then!