Q&A With the Team

[taumel]

I don't know if this has been asked before but are there any plans for localised versions, german in particular? And if so, will this be done before the DVD release also for the episodes, updating already released episodes as well? I don't need it personally, but it would be great if i could share the game this way with my daughter.

In a maybe behind the scenes i would be curious to see how the production of Monkey Island worked, the worflow with the different stages and also finally showing off the TTG tool.

How many people are working on Monkey Island at TTG?

If i remember an interview with Grossman correctly, he stated that you could do a serie every three months, correct me if i mixed this up but keeping this in mind and knowing that it still feels kind of annoying having to wait a whole month for a new episode, do you have any plans to shorten up the update cycles, maybe to every two or three weeks or is it more about producing more series with the already familiar update cycles or putting more work into a normal serie?

Will there be a XBLA version of Monkey Island as well or is it tied to the Wii due to some exlusive deal or is the franchise not allowed to show up on the Xbox360?

Now after you worked out the hint system will we also see an increase in the puzzle complexity to also please more of the veterans and will inventory combinations making their way also into other series? Btw i read that there will be four hint grades, are these like none, low, medium, high?

What has changed, that after so many years of trying it finally happened that LucasArts allowed it? I suspect if Monkey Island goes well, which i would say is safe to assume, there is more to come from this direction, right?

[LukeSW]

Originally Posted by taumel

What has changed so that after so many years of trying it finally happened that LucasArts allowed it? I suspect if Monkey Island goes well, which i would say is safe to assume, there is more to come from this direction, right?

I gather that there's been a change at the top. The "new guy" at Lucasarts seems to be more "classic franchise" friendly than the Star Wars obsessed bean-counters who came before him. I hope that the risk pays off for him - and for Telltale - and that both Tales of Monkey Island and the special edition of The Secret of Monkey Island will be financially successful.

Actually, I have no doubt at all that Tales of Monkey Island will be a hit for Telltale, but the remake? Who knows how successful that will be for Lucasarts. I know that I'll buy it, but will people - new gamers - who don't feel the same nostalgic fondness for the game do the same? Time will tell. Fingers crossed!

I hope, hope, hope, hope that Tales of Monkey Island will be successful enough to become a regular yearly series like Sam 'n' Max.

[taumel]

Originally Posted by LukeSW

I hope, hope, hope, hope that Tales of Monkey Island will be successful enough to become a regular yearly series like Sam 'n' Max.

Monkey Island always had more fans than Sam&Max so i think this shouldn't be a problem as long as the games will be good and nothing gets broken on the legal side. Actually i hope they'll be very good and not just good, *fingers crossing* Can't, press, any, harder.

[Silverwolfpet]

Here's a question for the Wii version: Will it contain something more than the PC version? I mean, will you be able to make Guybrush use his sword on stuff, or duel, or climb on things etc?
What's the difference between the PC and Wii versions?
(okay, that's three questions, sorry)

[Threepwood4Life]

Just wondered, would the DVD at the end of the season feature a "treasure" load of special features with the game.

[Silverwolfpet]

It would be cool to see a Making-Of feature.

[homerjs]

Originally Posted by LukeSW

I hope, hope, hope, hope that Tales of Monkey Island will be successful enough to become a regular yearly series like Sam 'n' Max.

i want quality not quantity :P and i rly want to control the game with my mouse and not with the arrow keys i think thats what most people want. arrow key just wont work in adventure games its annoying

[Zomantic]

Originally Posted by Impossible3144

It wasn't until Telltale showed up with Sam & Max that Adventure games really became what they should be (although I loved the original S&M as well). You were far more likely to have a point B - or more often, C - to aim for, or a point A to start from, and it was possible to work it out with your OWN logic, not by reading the developer's mind. (Again, MI2 tended to make it worse because you had access to so many different places that you had no idea where you could currently make progress or if you were wasting time, or if you needed an item from a completely different place to progress in this one.) That's what makes a puzzle really fun.

I fully agree, you really got the point there. I'm currently replaying LeChuck's Revenge, and I keep wondering how on earth could somebody guess some of those. Many puzzles are cleverly designed (the whole first chapter works well, rat in the vichyssoise included), but for a lot of others the player would just feel clueless (just think of all the books you have to look for in the library; searching through it is fun, but only if you know what to look for, and the very existence of those titles isn't even hinted at by any character).
Anyway, despite all my love for Telltale, I have to say that smart puzzle design has a much older tradition. SoMI is a perfect example of an engaging adventure in which the solution to puzzles, though not obvious, never feels absurd or frustrating. I think that the difficulty of the first episode of the saga is exactly the balance Telltale should aim at.

[Bruno_Threepwood]

First of all, I'd like to thank you for giving us the chance to enjoy MI games again. It's been a while since I've started to pray to have this done. I'm from Brazil and I can tell you we're pretty much excited with the new games. I have 2 questions:

1) Will you put in the game only one type of control or will we be able to chose between, I don't know, "WASD" and "mouse"? If there will be only one kind, which one? (thinking about, there's more than one question here...)

2) About the subtitles, which languages? Any chance for Brazilian Portuguese? I guess no But please, at least US subtitles =P

And again, THANK YOU, and I mean it!

[Silverwolfpet]

Originally Posted by Zomantic

I think that the difficulty of the first episode of the saga is exactly the balance Telltale should aim at.

We should tkae into consideration the fact that the titles (ToMI and SMI:SE) are introduced to new players as well, new players who might not be used to the level of difficulty from the previous MI games.

Probably, the best way to go might be:
Extreemly easy puzzle - Easy puzzle - Easy puzzle - Medium - Easy - Extreemly Hard puzzle - Easy - Medium - Easy- HARD and so on.

I think it can be compared to action sequences in good movies. You've got story telling, character development then action! Pause, story, char, Action! Pause... In this way, you don't discourage thenew players, and you please the hardcore adventure gamers too.

[der_ketzer]

Originally Posted by Threepwood4Life

Just wondered, would the DVD at the end of the season feature a "treasure" load of special features with the game.

It usually does at Telltale.

[Blondebeard2]

Originally Posted by Jake

"Tales Of" was just amazingly short and looked really odd to my eye when centered. That was the first thing I tried

Yeah, you're right. Just made a mock-up to see how it would have looked like and I have to agree with you

[Zomantic]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

Probably, the best way to go might be:
Extreemly easy puzzle - Easy puzzle - Easy puzzle - Medium - Easy - Extreemly Hard puzzle - Easy - Medium - Easy- HARD and so on.

I think it can be compared to action sequences in good movies. You've got story telling, character development then action! Pause, story, char, Action! Pause...

True! I really like the comparison, but I think that SoMI already does all that quite well. Gameplay pace changes continuously: vast sections with many quests and subquests (The Three Trials), and limited areas with just one single task (The Journey); inventory puzzles (drugging the poodles), dialogue puzzles (Stan), chasing sequences, insult swordfighting... And difficulty varies accordingly: there are simpler and immediately rewarding puzzles (the helmet/pot one, for istance), and the tough, satisfying ones (the shopkeeper's safe). Just add a good hint system and you get the perfect balance!

[Silverwolfpet]

Originally Posted by Zomantic

True! I really like the comparison, but I think that SoMI already does all that quite well.

Of course it does! I was reffering on how they might implement the same "technique" in ToMI.

[Rebirth]

Hey i got a question about LeChucks Voice Actor:
in MI3 & 4 Earl Boen did the Voice of LeChuck, but it seems, or should i say it SOUNDS like he did not return for ToMI, so why didnt he return to reprise his iconic role ?

[Chevluh]

Ahoy there, newcomer here.

It's more of a technical question, but will there be separate volume controls for the voices and music? Trying the W&G demo I felt the music got in the way of dialogue comprehension on occasions.

[fire2box]

Originally Posted by Silverwolfpet

Here's a question for the Wii version: Will it contain something more than the PC version? I mean, will you be able to make Guybrush use his sword on stuff, or duel, or climb on things etc?
What's the difference between the PC and Wii versions?
(okay, that's three questions, sorry)

I highly doubt the Wii will be able to do stuff the PC can't, plus that would just be unfair. Just like it would be unfair to do 10 episodes for the Wii and 5 on the PC due to 40MB upload limit sizes to the Wii via Wiiware.

however if you were able to do that sort of stuff I would demand to get the Wii version rather then the PC one. However as far as I seen nothing like that will be happening at all.

[Secret Fawful]

Originally Posted by Chevluh

Ahoy there, newcomer here.

It's more of a technical question, but will there be separate volume controls for the voices and music? Trying the W&G demo I felt the music got in the way of dialogue comprehension on occasions.

That was fixed in the full game.

[LuigiHann]

Originally Posted by Secret Fawful

That was fixed in the full game.

It was only kind of fixed. They lowered the music volume, but still didn't allow for individual adjustment. Which was kind of a bummer

[Onno]

Hi guys,

I loved MI 1-3, CMI being my all-time favorite game.
I could never get myself to play MI4 for more than half an hour though. I simply hated the 3D graphics & controls too much, so I never finished that game. Same goes for a couple of other adventure games that moved to 3D. They simply lacked the atmosphere of their 2D counterparts.

Looking at the publicly available footage so far I am concerned TOMI will feel much the same as MI4. But I still went ahead and pre-ordered because I really appreciate the fact that you're bringing the series back and I want to support the effort in any way I can.

On the public forums, I've seen the 2D versus 3D debate pop up its ugly head again and again. Most people understand that it is simply a cost-issue. Hand-drawing every animation-frame and background would simply be too expensive.

I was wondering if you have experimented with getting the 3D to look more 'cartoony' using techniques like cel-shading?

I've seen this question asked before, but I haven't seen an answer to it yet.