Individual episodes or continuous story?

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Sam & Max seasons 1 and 2 consisted of episodes that each contained their own story and 'case' for the duo to complete, each one a smaller part of an overarching case. However, we've also seen (or are seeing) Telltale magnificently pull off a continuous story throughout Tales of Monkey Island. It isn't just a thread that runs through them all, each episode directly follows one after another and playing them in different orders wouldn't make much sense.

With that in mind, what format would you prefer to see for Sam & Max season 3? Do you think having five cases works best, or would you prefer one big one ala Hit the Road?

(and yeah, continuous is spelt wrong in the poll title)

[Harald B]

I think they struck the right mix in Season Two. You want something to help build speculation and make you look forward to the next episode, but Sam & Max was never much for the big epics. The plot for Hit the Road kind of fell apart after visiting the bigfoot party, so that seems like a bad way to go.

[The Highway]

Individual. Monkey Island is kind of like a movie, while I compare Sam and Max to a sitcom: it has individual episodes that link to each other eg. Several episodes of F•R•I•E•N•D•S (I just had to spell it that way!)

[Butterscotch-Biros]

For me with season one, it was more fun as individual cases - seemed more real, and using this format also allows for dud cases to only take up one episode of the season, rather than cloaking over a whole section of episodes.

With season two, it started out brilliantly, but slowly as the cases became more interlinked and continous, it began to get more sludgy (is that even a word) as it failed to create authentic humour, plausible plots and a good adventure experience from this continous story.

[GinnyN]

Originally Posted by Butterscotch-Biros

it failed to create authentic humour, plausible plots and a good adventure experience from this continous story.

Well... I'm not playing Sam and Max for plausible plots, actually.

I liked the way how, the whole Save Bosco Stuff were managed, and, in fact, there's two continuous plots in the whole season (Sybil's Relationship also count). But I also like the idea of simply go ahead and tell to a friend that he can try any chapter he wants and not feel he has to know some stuff before that (Except when it's the last episode of a season, and the fact that you can't control Max and you can't use Max. And, appart of been funny, it's somewhat useless).

Personally, if it's well managed, if could be pretty cool to see it. This is the third season and the characters and world is already established, so, I'll welcome the idea if they want to try out. I mean, why not?

[Butterscotch-Biros]

Originally Posted by GinnyN

Well... I'm not playing Sam and Max for plausible plots, actually.

Well I'm just trying to compare both seasons.

I know S+M can have outlandish plots, but with season one they seemed to be less frequent and more well done.

The only outlandish ones I can think from Season One is Abe Lincoln Must Die! and Bright Side of the Moon. Personally I don't like BSOTM at all, but I know many consider it as a good finale, and Abe is a fantastic episode that rightfully deserves its praise from fans and critics.

Season Two consists of MANY outlandish episodes: Ice Station Santa, Night of the Raving Dead, Chariots of the Dogs and What's New Beezlebub. Out of these I only really like NOTRD because it created great dramatic tension, lots of laughs, Jurgen and good locations.

(And when I say outlandish, it means like preposterous scenarios, that you'd never believe happening in the real world. Personally I think Sam and Max going on holiday through a bermuda triangle is honestly acceptable, because it doesn't take the triangle idea into overdrive and use it as the main plot.

[seanparkerfilms]

I liked how Season Two was handled, but I think a more solid continuous story could be quite interesting. I think I might prefer that to starting off every episode in the office/having the office in every episode, just to change things up a little. When I first got into Sam & Max, I played all 11 episodes practically back-to-back over a few weeks, and the lack of significantly shaking things up until the later episodes made we wish for a tad more variety in the structure of the stories.

Anyways, Butterscotch-Biros, you love Abe Lincoln Must Die! now? I'm quite surprised (but it's probably my favorite episode too) — and Reality 2.0 dropped from the top of your chart to the middle? Bright Side of the Moon moved up from the very bottom? What prompted all these drastic changes?

[RMJ1984]

Continues, and hopefully they will apply all the stuff they learned with Monkey island both visually both also animations and story wise.

Sam & Max seems to very very basic, compared to what we have seen.

I have a feeling Sam & Max Season 3 will blow our minds out when it comes someday!

[Lena_P]

Originally Posted by Butterscotch-Biros

(And when I say outlandish, it means like preposterous scenarios, that you'd never believe happening in the real world. Personally I think Sam and Max going on holiday through a bermuda triangle is honestly acceptable, because it doesn't take the triangle idea into overdrive and use it as the main plot.

Actually, outlandish plots were the only kind Steve Purcell wrote for the comics. So, in that sense, season two is far more like the original source material than season one. I also think that Sam and Max are basically like a pop culture blender. Everything goes in, they tear it to shreds to please themselves and regurgitate a hilarious send-up of what they had absorbed. Disgustingly hilarious! I'd love it if they did some kind of "epic" storyline if they took the opportunity to poke fun at and satirize epic and overarching, overly-complicated plots at the same time, in true Sam and Max fashion.

[Pantagruel's Friend]

I think the episodic format goes very well with Sam&Max - besides, I'm quite sold on the idea that for half a year, a new game is delivered to my computer every month. So I'm voting for episodic!

[Ashton]

I was happy with how each game was self-contained (minus references to the ones before) but they all built-up to a season finale that tied all the cases together. I also loved how Season 1 tied into the ending of season 2, Though I think it would feel cheep if they did the same with 3+4... What woudl be awesome is if ALL the seasons tied into the series finale! (and you couldnt solve the puzzles unless you'd played ALL the games!)

[Butterscotch-Biros]

Originally Posted by Pantagruel's Friend

I think the episodic format goes very well with Sam&Max

Seconded.

Originally Posted by Ashton

I was happy with how each game was self-contained (minus references to the ones before)

The references in Chariots and Beezlebub, were too excessive for me personally, that it seemed to struggle for the limelight from the main plot itself, as it spiralled a few subplots that just seemed to come out from nowhere (Flint Paper being hired from Bosco's mum to investigate a vandal.) The simple occassional references made in all the other episodes pre-Chariots, was just the right dosage for me.

Originally Posted by Lena_P

Actually, outlandish plots were the only kind Steve Purcell wrote for the comics. So, in that sense, season two is far more like the original source material than season one.

Indeed, I agree that season two is respectful to what the comics have established. But I just think that season two doesn't create a similar well plotted outlandish experience as the comics did. And here's why:

The comic setting works with outlandish plots as you only need to be really concerned on three things: humour, visuals and story. Outlandish plots can work on all these brilliantly.

The Video Games has to do all this through balancing, as well as incorporating puzzles and game dynamics. This new thing into the equation creates a less likely probability of establishing a good outlandish plotted episodes.

As I said before Abe and NOTRD succeed on this, for being based on a series of clear dynamics in their story, humour and puzzles, that make the episodes a joy because of their simplicity.

But BSOTM, Ice Station Santa, COTD and What's New Beezlebub seem to get boggled down with trying to create an outlandish plot whilst creating good puzzles, humour, visuals and story, that it all becomes an over-calculated mess, imho.

Originally Posted by seanparkerfilms

Anyways, Butterscotch-Biros, you love Abe Lincoln Must Die! now? I'm quite surprised (but it's probably my favorite episode too) — and Reality 2.0 dropped from the top of your chart to the middle? Bright Side of the Moon moved up from the very bottom? What prompted all these drastic changes?

These ratings aren't set in stone, lol.

My ratings changing is due to a marathon replay I had of S1 during my week off. And I changed my ratings accordingly.

I will be doing this alot when season 3 comes out too. Because in order to be totally convinced of an episode's quality, I need to replay it at least three times.

[The Highway]

Originally Posted by Ashton

I was happy with how each game was self-contained (minus references to the ones before) but they all built-up to a season finale that tied all the cases together. I also loved how Season 1 tied into the ending of season 2, Though I think it would feel cheep if they did the same with 3+4... What woudl be awesome is if ALL the seasons tied into the series finale! (and you couldnt solve the puzzles unless you'd played ALL the games!)

That would be an awesome way to end season 4! Let's just hope that they then contnue to make more

[Gryffalio]

I really don't see a big difference. They have all worked well together even if they were stand-alone episodes. But the later parts should definitely build up to a grand finish.

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

I don't think it's the best idea to have that many references to the previous seasons. I think it's great to have inter-season ties between episodes, but I think that the future seasons should be more self-contained than seasons 1 & 2 were.

[Ashton]

Originally Posted by Javi-Wan Kenobi

I don't think it's the best idea to have that many references to the previous seasons. I think it's great to have inter-season ties between episodes, but I think that the future seasons should be more self-contained than seasons 1 & 2 were.

The only inter-season ties I'd LOVE to see are in the grand finale where, perhaps, you have to solve 1 puzzle based on 101, 1 on 102, 1 on 103, etc, and without playing them or reading entire walkthrows you cant possibly win the final season! And, of course, it would build so some earth-shattering conclusion that no S+M fan could live without seeing! this way TTG is assured that we all ahve to buy and play every single S+M game they make!

That being said though, I dont care one-way or the other, I like the way 1+2 linked up, but it wasnt a make-or-break point for me either way.