Telltale Games

Marquillin · 02/22/2011, 12:27 pm

After reading much of this board, and especially the points raised from Mr. Freeze's list of recommendations: http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/...ad.php?t=22991 It's become clear that there are a few differing opinions about when King's Quest was really in it's stride, story wise. In order to get a approximation of what the majority of us want, I tried to encapsulate the main options in a poll; hopefully it works alright, giving how many variables there are in story creation.

In detail (since the poll can't handle more then 100 characters each):

In terms of story, character and tone, what do you see as the style the series should maintain?

Option 1. This series has strayed from it's path many entries ago, it's not meant to be more then
simple fairy tale, nursery rhyme and mythological characters brought to life with other
purely archetypal heroes and villains as seen in KQ1 and KQ4. Story and dialogue don't
need to be dwelled upon longer then is needed to set up good atmosphere and puzzles.

Option 2. Jane Jenson was on the right track, stories like KQ6, KQ7 and KQ2+ are the plateau of
perfection for the series. Each land we explore should have political intrigue, dark drama
and deeply passionate yet still archetypal characters. Mythology is still there, but we go
into it a little deeper. Ideas like the Black Cloak society are nice because they explore
connection and reason between the games (and not getting carried away with it).

Option 3. Give it the world changing epicness of Lord of the Rings, combined with the complex
interconnectedness of Harry Potter (provided you can write so well). Many old
characters return and classical myth is still drawn from, but now it's time to analyze who
these people are in black, white and gray. Expect to be shocked! (The Silver Lining)

Option 4. Give it a mixture between options 1 and 2 (clarify)

Option 5. Give it a mixture between options 2 and 3 (clarify)

Option 6. Something else which this poll fails to cover (definitely clarify)

P.S. To be clear, even though I mention titles in the poll, this isn't about what game is best directly, rather what type of story-telling. If someone can think of a better way to present this without it being really cluttered, please feel free!

Lambonius · 02/22/2011, 12:40 pm

Um...none of the above. KQ5 is the highpoint for the series that hits all the right notes, storywise. KQ4 is just a little too simplified, I think. KQ6 is too involved, too emotional. TSL is like KQ6 on its period. KQ5 is the perfect mix of light-hearted fairytales, detached protagonist whose role you can really step into and fill yourself, and dangerous, adventurey, high fantasy elements. And it was hard as balls. The perfect KQ game.

MusicallyInspired · 02/22/2011, 12:43 pm

Yeah, KQ5's style is perfect. KQ6 was a nice add-on to that style with some deeper romance writing, but KQ5's style is the pinnacle in my opinion. I didn't even like KQ7. And don't get me started again on TSL.

Marquillin · 02/22/2011, 12:49 pm

Sorry. It took me a minute to get this poll working, I'm like a virgin fumbling around with it! Hopefully it's clearer now. But I'm generalizing; putting KQ5 in the same category as Kq4, represented by my sum up of option 1.

This isn't about what game is best so much as the type of story-telling, but if someone can think of a better way to present this without being really cluttered, please feel free!

MusicallyInspired · 02/22/2011, 02:14 pm

KQ5 isn't really in the same category as KQ4, though. It's on a grander scale. And I know we're talking story-telling here.

Ribs · 02/22/2011, 02:23 pm

I sort of think Fables will Fairy Tale us out for the moment being...

Marquillin · 02/22/2011, 02:41 pm

I voted for #2 middle ground. King's Quest may not have started out at that
point, but I found the depth of story Mrs. Jenson brought to the table only sweetened the framework of basic fairy tales and myth. I'm much more intrigued when the characters reference their history, ie: the game takes the time to mention Alex's sympathy about Beauty because due to his own enslavement, his reluctance to give up the ring that represents his new family, little things like that go a long way. And I'm much more interested in the characters and the land they inhabit when they're are inclined to talk about themselves and their history. The King Calliphim, the pawn shop owner, Count Caldaur, Possum and Edgar (KQ7) shared more with the protagonist, and their relationship with him/her altered over the game.

In KQ5, as much as I love it's atmosphere, the people are mostly just about business and pleasantries. The music and art project a fair bit about their personality, but it can only go so far IMO. Queen Iceibella is shrouded in intrigue and could be very interesting, and I have to say what the game gave on her presentation made my childhood memory certain that was a lot more information was given about her and everyone else, but when I played as an adult I found it...lacking. As mere puzzle/plot functionaries, the Hermit, the Elf, the Witch, Mordack himself all have solid presence, but I just want more just cleches. The most interesting thing about KQ5's story, for me, was that in a way Alexander was responsible for what was happening to his family, and might have to undo what he did to Mananan or else loose them one by one. But they did not capitalize on that, Mananan was all but ignored, and once Mordack was gone, Cedric came back to life ruining his sacrifice, and everything just went back to normal, exactly as before (save that the seed of the Casima romance was planted). Another thing I want in a story, KQ or no, I want it to change things permanently.

But I do still love KQ5 as a game.

If the drama and details go to the level of TSL, I can get into that, but we shouldn't have to deal with that level of menstruation (good analogy Lambonius) too often. I can also appreciate that it can stretch our credulity as a fan base, so to have that from an official game could be quite risky.

Rather Dashing · 02/22/2011, 03:11 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ribs

I sort of think Fables will Fairy Tale us out for the moment being...

...That's like looking at Wallace & Gromit and going:

"Well, we have an intelligent animal standing on two legs that is half of the duo in Sam and Max already, so we gotta cut the dog in this one."

Ribs · 02/22/2011, 03:52 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rather Dashing

...That's like looking at Wallace & Gromit and going:

"Well, we have an intelligent animal standing on two legs that is half of the duo in Sam and Max already, so we gotta cut the dog in this one."

Yes, Fables will be a much more realistic approach to Fairy Tales, but it's still fairy tales nonetheless.

Rather Dashing · 02/22/2011, 04:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ribs

Yes, Fables will be a much more realistic approach to Fairy Tales, but it's still fairy tales nonetheless.

Yes, Gromit will be a very different approach to intelligent four-legged non-himan mamals that walk on two legs, but it's still intelligent four-legged non-himan mamals that walk on two legs. Gromit needs to be cut.

Datadog · 02/22/2011, 04:23 pm

I'm voting a combination between a colorful fairy tale adventure like KQ1, with the mystery, intrigue, and character development of KQ6. I think that combination is what made KQ2+ work.

Lambonius · 02/22/2011, 05:09 pm

I think, given Telltale's track record, that it's safe to say that this new King's Quest will be more story-driven than ever before. Now, the question is, what TONE should that story take? Will they be able to maintain the light-hearted charm of the original (pre-KQ6) series? Or will they delve off the deep end into emo-teenage-menstruation land like TSL? What type of dialog will we see? Contemporary vernacular? Or the old English (more or less) style that permeated some of Sierra's Quest spin-off games (the Hoyle series, for example.) I wonder about these things.

MusicallyInspired · 02/22/2011, 05:56 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lambonius

What type of dialog will we see? Contemporary vernacular? Or the old English...

Old English like in MOE? As much as I appreciate MOE for what it is, that was kind of a bother to hear all the time. I'd rather have contemporary vernacular.

GuybrushWilco · 02/22/2011, 06:15 pm

While 6 is my fav in the series overall, I feel that 5 had the best story. That would be what Telltale should shoot for.

der_ketzer · 02/22/2011, 08:32 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

Yeah, KQ5's style is perfect. KQ6 was a nice add-on to that style with some deeper romance writing, but KQ5's style is the pinnacle in my opinion.

This. apart from that I like KQ7 and I really like what I have seen of TSL until now. (started the first episode this week)

philthethrill · 02/23/2011, 02:27 am

Quote:

This. apart from that I like KQ7 and I really like what I have seen of TSL until now. (started the first episode this week)

Whenever you have the chance, you should watch these YouTube videos which were entries for a comedy contest that took place last year in July. There's more information about it here. http://www.postudios.com/blog/?paged=9
You'll have to scroll down towards the bottom of the page to see it.

My favorite is this one because it's like a silent movie, and it has Cedric in it too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEUm7TqiD_w

This one is a poem that's all about mints. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpVTYj3Kjdc

This one isn't that funny because this is the original opening with the music being altered when Alexander starts feeling dizzy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLHD42AY2yI

This one explains why Alex felt so weak. He was smoking pot and was in need of V8 juice because of the lack of vegetables in his diet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFjFWhvIsIc

This one is just the opening scene with the narration from the actual gameplay in the background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHnQr...eature=related

I haven't seen this one. It's basically a lecture about the F-word. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB45YJTa3Gw

There was another one that's no longer available. It basically had a lot of toilet humor in it.

doggans · 02/23/2011, 12:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by MusicallyInspired

Old English like in MOE? As much as I appreciate MOE for what it is, that was kind of a bother to hear all the time. I'd rather have contemporary vernacular.

My brother and I developed a running joke about Conor's "Shakespearean speech impediment". After the other games featured relatively commonplace contemporary dialogue, we couldn't help but laugh at Conor's first outburst of "Whence came this foul tempest?!"

MusicallyInspired · 02/23/2011, 12:54 pm

"Whither does it fly?"
"'Tis beyond my reach!!"
"'Tis empteh."

lol

*Irishmile* · 02/23/2011, 01:09 pm

The poll is pretty even... TTG has their work cut out for them.... DON'T SCREW UP!

View Poll Results: What kind of story structure is proper for King's Quest at this point?
These aren'r meant to be more then simple fairy tales (Kq4 & Kq1)	5	17.86%
Jane Jenson was on the right track, KQ6, KQ7 and KQ2+ are the plateau of perfection	10	35.71%
Give it the world changing epicness of TSL	3	10.71%
Give it a mixture between options 1 and 2 (clarify)	6	21.43%
Give it a mixture between options 2 and 3 (clarify)	1	3.57%
Something else which this poll fails to cover (defiantly clarify)	3	10.71%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

02/22/2011, 12:27 pm	#1
Marquillin Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 9	What style of story After reading much of this board, and especially the points raised from Mr. Freeze's list of recommendations: http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/...ad.php?t=22991 It's become clear that there are a few differing opinions about when King's Quest was really in it's stride, story wise. In order to get a approximation of what the majority of us want, I tried to encapsulate the main options in a poll; hopefully it works alright, giving how many variables there are in story creation. In detail (since the poll can't handle more then 100 characters each): In terms of story, character and tone, what do you see as the style the series should maintain? Option 1. This series has strayed from it's path many entries ago, it's not meant to be more then simple fairy tale, nursery rhyme and mythological characters brought to life with other purely archetypal heroes and villains as seen in KQ1 and KQ4. Story and dialogue don't need to be dwelled upon longer then is needed to set up good atmosphere and puzzles. Option 2. Jane Jenson was on the right track, stories like KQ6, KQ7 and KQ2+ are the plateau of perfection for the series. Each land we explore should have political intrigue, dark drama and deeply passionate yet still archetypal characters. Mythology is still there, but we go into it a little deeper. Ideas like the Black Cloak society are nice because they explore connection and reason between the games (and not getting carried away with it). Option 3. Give it the world changing epicness of Lord of the Rings, combined with the complex interconnectedness of Harry Potter (provided you can write so well). Many old characters return and classical myth is still drawn from, but now it's time to analyze who these people are in black, white and gray. Expect to be shocked! (The Silver Lining) Option 4. Give it a mixture between options 1 and 2 (clarify) Option 5. Give it a mixture between options 2 and 3 (clarify) Option 6. Something else which this poll fails to cover (definitely clarify) P.S. To be clear, even though I mention titles in the poll, this isn't about what game is best directly, rather what type of story-telling. If someone can think of a better way to present this without it being really cluttered, please feel free! Last edited by Marquillin; 02/22/2011 at 07:20 pm.

02/22/2011, 12:49 pm	#4
Marquillin Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 9	Sorry. It took me a minute to get this poll working, I'm like a virgin fumbling around with it! Hopefully it's clearer now. But I'm generalizing; putting KQ5 in the same category as Kq4, represented by my sum up of option 1. This isn't about what game is best so much as the type of story-telling, but if someone can think of a better way to present this without being really cluttered, please feel free! Last edited by Marquillin; 02/22/2011 at 01:18 pm.

02/22/2011, 02:41 pm	#7
Marquillin Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 9	I voted for #2 middle ground. King's Quest may not have started out at that point, but I found the depth of story Mrs. Jenson brought to the table only sweetened the framework of basic fairy tales and myth. I'm much more intrigued when the characters reference their history, ie: the game takes the time to mention Alex's sympathy about Beauty because due to his own enslavement, his reluctance to give up the ring that represents his new family, little things like that go a long way. And I'm much more interested in the characters and the land they inhabit when they're are inclined to talk about themselves and their history. The King Calliphim, the pawn shop owner, Count Caldaur, Possum and Edgar (KQ7) shared more with the protagonist, and their relationship with him/her altered over the game. In KQ5, as much as I love it's atmosphere, the people are mostly just about business and pleasantries. The music and art project a fair bit about their personality, but it can only go so far IMO. Queen Iceibella is shrouded in intrigue and could be very interesting, and I have to say what the game gave on her presentation made my childhood memory certain that was a lot more information was given about her and everyone else, but when I played as an adult I found it...lacking. As mere puzzle/plot functionaries, the Hermit, the Elf, the Witch, Mordack himself all have solid presence, but I just want more just cleches. The most interesting thing about KQ5's story, for me, was that in a way Alexander was responsible for what was happening to his family, and might have to undo what he did to Mananan or else loose them one by one. But they did not capitalize on that, Mananan was all but ignored, and once Mordack was gone, Cedric came back to life ruining his sacrifice, and everything just went back to normal, exactly as before (save that the seed of the Casima romance was planted). Another thing I want in a story, KQ or no, I want it to change things permanently. But I do still love KQ5 as a game. If the drama and details go to the level of TSL, I can get into that, but we shouldn't have to deal with that level of menstruation (good analogy Lambonius) too often. I can also appreciate that it can stretch our credulity as a fan base, so to have that from an official game could be quite risky. Last edited by Marquillin; 03/10/2011 at 10:21 am.

02/23/2011, 01:09 pm	#19
Irishmile The Skipping Dead Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WI, its a paradise 3 months of the year Posts: 6,542	The poll is pretty even... TTG has their work cut out for them.... DON'T SCREW UP! __________________ unholy THIS! I am a community moderator, here to assist, keep the peace, and keep these boards clean and friendly for all. I am a volunteer, and not a Telltale employee, and my opinions are my own.

02/22/2011, 12:40 pm	#2
Lambonius Banned Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 596	Um...none of the above. KQ5 is the highpoint for the series that hits all the right notes, storywise. KQ4 is just a little too simplified, I think. KQ6 is too involved, too emotional. TSL is like KQ6 on its period. KQ5 is the perfect mix of light-hearted fairytales, detached protagonist whose role you can really step into and fill yourself, and dangerous, adventurey, high fantasy elements. And it was hard as balls. The perfect KQ game.

02/22/2011, 04:23 pm	#11
Datadog Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 80	I'm voting a combination between a colorful fairy tale adventure like KQ1, with the mystery, intrigue, and character development of KQ6. I think that combination is what made KQ2+ work.

02/22/2011, 05:09 pm	#12
Lambonius Banned Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 596	I think, given Telltale's track record, that it's safe to say that this new King's Quest will be more story-driven than ever before. Now, the question is, what TONE should that story take? Will they be able to maintain the light-hearted charm of the original (pre-KQ6) series? Or will they delve off the deep end into emo-teenage-menstruation land like TSL? What type of dialog will we see? Contemporary vernacular? Or the old English (more or less) style that permeated some of Sierra's Quest spin-off games (the Hoyle series, for example.) I wonder about these things.

02/22/2011, 06:15 pm	#14
GuybrushWilco Pirate Janitor Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: USA Posts: 437	While 6 is my fav in the series overall, I feel that 5 had the best story. That would be what Telltale should shoot for.

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