Questions for Mike Stemmle? Post 'em here!

[Jake]

Originally Posted by PariahKing

This is a funny joke answer to my question because it leads into another question I was thinking of asking you. Ironically I happen to be a conservative Republican and a theologically conservative Christian. (I am not trying to imply I took offense at your joke or anything.)

Basically what I want to ask is: Will that kind of political and/or religious humor be present in Monkey Island? There was this kind of borderline environmentalist and anti-capitalist undertone in Escape.

...

My concern is that Monkey Island becomes divisive or contreversial. I don't want any political or religious issue to be more than a throw away joke in the series even if it's something I support. That's just not what Monkey Island should be to me. I would be upset if the theory from the "What's his theory" button was the theory of evolution where people who disagree with ideas or tenants of it are made out to be idiots and lunatics as a focal point of the game and more than a throw away line. Nor would I want Monkey Island to focus on the proof of theism and god or to mock atheists. I want it to be a fun adventure game that everyone can enjoy. That's what Monkey Island has always meant to me.

If the answer is "We're going to use Monkey Island as a political or religious football" I will be disappointed. I would not picket the site or complain or whine or expect the whole world to tailor to my personal religious beliefs - whether I think they apply to all people or not. I would be unhappy. If I can get a solid "We're not going to do that" I'd be thrilled. If I get a "I don't know/ignore" I understand. If it's like "It'll be kinda like Escape level" I'm OK with that - Escape wasn't so overtly so that I didn't like it. I actually really liked it. I'd just like to know what to expect.

And no, I am not implying in any way I think anyone who disagrees with me in the forums is stupid or that I blindly believe stuff. Nor do I disrespect those who disagree with me. I have reasons for my opinions that I believe are valid that I have researched. I understand that people disagree with me and that I am not the only Telltale customer.

Thanks.

I'm going to sneak in here and snipe Mike's answer sooner rather than later, because last time someone expressed a similar concern, it caused the thread to fester and go insane. So to answer your question, no, we're not going to use Monkey Island as a political or religious football. We're going to use Monkey Island as a political and religious football.

Really, though, the focus of Tales of Monkey Island's big picture story is all about the piracy, seafaring, legends, nationalized health care, and voodoo-infused goodness that we all "remember" when thinking about MI. In short, going topical with the overarching story and themes isn't something we see as part of Monkey Island, unless those topics happen to be humor and awesome, hopefully evocative, pirate stuff.

[PariahKing]

Originally Posted by Jake

We're going to use Monkey Island as a political and religious football.

A++ humor, would pre-order again.

...

All right. Thanks. That makes me very happy.

And I apologize for almost bringing disaster and destruction upon us all.

[Secret Fawful]

Originally Posted by Jake

Really, though, the focus of Tales of Monkey Island's big picture story is all about the piracy, seafaring, legends, nationalized health care, and voodoo-infused goodness that we all "remember" when thinking about MI. In short, going topical with the overarching story and themes isn't something we see as part of Monkey Island, unless those topics happen to be humor and awesome, hopefully evocative, pirate stuff.

References to Captain Jack Sparrow?
Pirate ships with overtly politicized bumper stickers?
"Don't Download This Song" By Weird Al in the soundtrack?

[nadir]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Hmmm... I absolutely adored Escape. I actually started playing it again last night and remembered how great it was. I had just got done playing CMI and the first thing I noticed in EMI is that I was actually laughing out loud--frequently. Don't get me wrong, CMI is perfect in everyway and I enjoy it immensley, but I find EMI more witty and hilarious. I never did understand why it was the "odd duck out." Maybe I am just weird.

Although, I do understand two things: I missed Lechuck as the lead villain and...

When I control the game I DO feel like I am operating heavy machinery. Accursed post 1997 belief that point and click was dead!

I think Escape was the first Monkey Island game I ever finished, and I really did enjoy it. Personally I liked that Lechuck wasn't the lead villian, in the same way that I really liked that Gannondorf was absent in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It gave it the chance to be something really different.

I also liked the topical humor and was glad that the new Sam and Max episodes also have that.

What I didn't like was when I went back to play the other games and finding out how the story doesn't fit together so well because of story elements introduced in EMI.

It probably bothers me more than it should, but there are so many direct contradictions to things said in past entries in the series. Were you aware of these contradictions present in EMI when it was released?

I'd like to see the story get straightened out so the chronology makes sense but I'm doubtful that will happen.

[Incognito]

1. As a fan of the original games, for me the story of the first two games are the only one I consider the real story. The third game was something as an alternative story arch that I accepted because it was funny and entertaining. But in my opinion, the fourth game was......blasphemy. It rewrote the story arch from the first games, which are my all time favorite games. For example, the robot monkey destroyed much of the part in the first game where you were on Monkey Island. What was previously a port something that resembled hell, was now a robot?

My question is; Can I expect these new games to ignore references to the fourth game, or is it a a continuation of the series, that accepts such things as the "Monkey Head Robot"-failure? (which it is imho)

I may sound negative there, but I have quite high hopes that Tales of Monkey Island will be something like the Curse of Monkey Island. Which means that it might not be something that we can feel is Ron Gilberts true vision of a sequel (I say feel, since I can´t read Ron´s mind), but something that at least tries to the story arch from part one and two. Which is way I have pre-purchased the whole season.

2. I still hold the puzzles from the first games as something of the best in the genre. That is because if didn´t rely so much on plain "use object A on object B" inventory based puzzles. They had many of those, but at the same time, they varied them with other. For example, the treasure hunt based on dancing lessons, the "the hip bone connected to..." song, the spitting contest and so on. Can I accept puzzles and problems like those, or do you think such puzzles are to hard for the target audience for Tales of Monkey Island?

3. Which adventure games besides those from LucasArts and Telltale (like Broken Sword, Syberia, Blade Runner, etc) would you say that you really like? None is an answer to.

4. Do you have any opinion on the subject "is it possible to continue the story in Grim Fandango"?

I have high hopes that you will deliver some very entertaining adventure games in this first season, and I´m really glad that you are giving this a try. I have purchased many games from you before, and even if don´t like Tales of Monkey Island, i will continue to support you.

[Silverwolfpet]

Mike,

I have a really weird question for you. It is so improbable, that there's really no point in me asking it. But, then again, if you never ask, you never might find out, so here goes:

How about you gather all the fans from the Private Pirates Club, and work with them on a sequel to one of those great games (Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango etc)? I'm sure noone will ask for money, and plenty of us have different talents (or, at least friends with different talents), and you could control a workforce that may not be 100% reliable, but true to it's wishes.
Fangames usually die due to lack of interest or leadership. If we would work with you, you can invest a smaller budget into the creation of this game. We could all sign a digital contract, to keep this whole thing secret under penalty of law.
Have you ever thought of that? Would it work? Could we at least try it?

[Rather Dashing]

And here I thought Guybrush would prefer a healthcare system that allowed him to seek his fortune through the means of obtaining private health care specifically designed to aid pirates. After all, I haven't exactly seen Threepwood deal with the government, um, ever. Other than sleeping with it, I mean.

[parabolee]

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

And here I thought Guybrush would prefer a healthcare system that allowed him to seek his fortune through the means of obtaining private health care specifically designed to aid pirates. After all, I haven't exactly seen Threepwood deal with the government, um, ever. Other than sleeping with it, I mean.

I think Guybrush is more likely to start a Pirate union and organize union health care :-D

He seems like a card carrying pirate union kinda guy to me ;-D

[hplikelike]

Originally Posted by parabolee

I think Guybrush is more likely to start a Pirate union and organize union health care :-D

He seems like a card carrying pirate union kinda guy to me ;-D

Except, who would the pirates unionize against? The captain? In that case, Guybrush, being a captain, would have to actually deal with unionized pirates. There could be a lot of humor in that. (Though I'm glad it's not in the game)

[thesporkman]

Originally Posted by hplikelike

Except, who would the pirates unionize against? The captain?

I think that's called a mutiny.

[harald]

I've finally come up with a question.

I know that Telltale only works with licenses from other companies, so you can consider this hypothetical. If you were given free reins to design a game from scratch, without having to pay attention to market, budget or other boring restraints, what would you do? What would the story be like; would it even be an adventure game? What's your "dream project"? Apart from Monkey Island and Sam & Max, that is.

This forum = the bestest fan service imaginable. Keep it up, Telltale! We love you.

[ttg_Stemmle]

Originally Posted by PariahKing

This is a funny joke answer to my question because it leads into another question I was thinking of asking you. Ironically I happen to be a conservative Republican and a theologically conservative Christian. (I am not trying to imply I took offense at your joke or anything.)

Basically what I want to ask is: Will that kind of political and/or religious humor be present in Monkey Island? There was this kind of borderline environmentalist and anti-capitalist undertone in Escape.

[/spoiler]

Borderline? I assume you're being polite

That said, we won't be using Monkey Island as a political football. Maybe a bocce ball.

[PariahKing]

Originally Posted by ttg_Stemmle

Borderline? I assume you're being polite

That said, we won't be using Monkey Island as a political football. Maybe a bocce ball.

I didn't want to put any words into your mouth in case I was a bit off.

Thanks for answering my question and being polite as well. Perhaps we can go gardening sometime. >_>

[OzzieMonkey]

Hey Mike!
I know that the fourth episode is called "The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood", so would that have anything to do with the goodsoups and/or blood island? Also, if you were able to fix any plot holes that were in EMI with TMI, what would you fix? I guess for me i would probably fix the herman story, but thats just my opinion

[Zygomatico]

Sir, I was wondering, what does the writing process for adventure games look like? I can imagine that in order to write standard shooters, you only need to slightly copy and alter the plot from a major Hollywood movie (apologies to anyone who ever worked on a shooter, but often they give me the idea that plot takes a backseat to the various ways in which you can dismember alien species). However, adventure games often give me the idea that copious amounts of mind-altering substances must be abused before the witty, creative and often exceptionally imaginative puzzles and dialogue come about.

So, how do you write for these things? Is it sitting down in a fit of giddyness, with ideas springing forth from your head like a modern-day literary Athena, or do you sit down and think hard on all the possible puzzles and dialogue in the game?

[Tea]

Originally Posted by Zygomatico

I can imagine that in order to write standard shooters, you only need to slightly copy and alter the plot from a major Hollywood movie

No you fill a room full of monkeys and get them to throw poop around and smear the walls with something that makes a certain amount of sense.

Do you really think modern shooters have real writers?

[Leak]

Originally Posted by TheJoe

Do you really think modern shooters have real writers?

Yes.

np: Aesop Rock - No City (None Shall Pass)

[Tea]

Originally Posted by Leak

Yes.

Quick read of the story says: Monkeys with an understanding of space.

Now give me a shooter that doesn't have the same story as every other shooter and I might change my mind about this.

(id software games are exempt, since they came first pretty much)

[Leak]

Originally Posted by TheJoe

Quick read of the story says: Monkeys with an understanding of space.

Now give me a shooter that doesn't have the same story as every other shooter and I might change my mind about this.

Except, of course, that there's probably far more story during the game than there is shooting...

np: Aesop Rock - Fumes (None Shall Pass)

[Zygomatico]

Originally Posted by Leak

Except, of course, that there's probably far more story during the game than there is shooting...

np: Aesop Rock - Fumes (None Shall Pass)

Is it truly a shooter if there's more story than shooting in a game? And technically wikipedia calls it an action rpg, But, that wasn't really the point of the question, to incite an argument about shooters. More an argument about.. creative writing processes in the modern adventure-game creating workplace?