Abundance of False choices in conversations

[Googolplexbyte]

It seems like there are way too many conversation choice where the choice is immediately irrelevant and just there to add interactivity. I didn't mind the game choices that are there to convey futility, but this happens way too often to be about that and sometimes the choice is so irrelevant the characters dialogue immediately contradicts it.

I've no qualms with conversation that go by with input from the player, in fact there are a few such in the game already so telltale isn't adamantly against them, but when the choices feel forced or pointless it's just obnoxious. Please stop doing that, Telltale.

[Xarne]

wait, you want a movie or you want to click enter on the one option choice available?
I only ask cause most people want more dialogue options, not less

[Christoaster]

Originally Posted by Xarne

wait, you want a movie or you want to click enter on the one option choice available?
I only ask cause most people want more dialogue options, not less

Exactly. If TellTale didn't put as much dialogue options this would simply be more of a movie.

[Googolplexbyte]

Originally Posted by Xarne

wait, you want a movie or you want to click enter on the one option choice available?
I only ask cause most people want more dialogue options, not less

No most conversation choices are fine, and there are plenty of them, I'm just annoyed when they add choices that don't do anything.

[toothiersnow]

i know what you are trying to get at i think, theres options were (as an example) its a strong disagree, yet when it becomes spoken dialogue its a vague disagreement, worded completely different, and upon hearing it you cant help but think its not what you wanted/chose, and maybe one of the other choices would of been more fruitful.

[Googolplexbyte]

[light spoilers] Indeed, there's even a scene where lee straight says the exact opposite to what you choose. At the beginning of ep. 3 when you see the girl you can immediately choose to ignore the girl, but it don't matter kenny will tell you that you have to consider doing precisely that, and then you tell that you couldn't even though you already choose to. You investigate no matter what you say to lilly, duck helps no matter what you say to him. When I went back to change a few of my decision, the game makes you feel pretty helpless to change much at all. And ep. 2! Gah it was obvious what they were doing, and you could gather a bunch of clues in conversation, but it made not even the tiniest difference, you discover the truth, the same when, the same way, no matter what. It's kind of a slap in the face sometimes. Too often I get the feeling there's a clear and obvious way the game wants you to play it.

[Draconigena]

Originally Posted by Googolplexbyte

[light spoilers] Indeed, there's even a scene where lee straight says the exact opposite to what you choose. At the beginning of ep. 3 when you see the girl you can immediately choose to ignore the girl, but it don't matter kenny will tell you that you have to consider doing precisely that, and then you tell that you couldn't even though you already choose to. You investigate no matter what you say to lilly, duck helps no matter what you say to him. When I went back to change a few of my decision, the game makes you feel pretty helpless to change much at all. And ep. 2! Gah it was obvious what they were doing, and you could gather a bunch of clues in conversation, but it made not even the tiniest difference, you discover the truth, the same when, the same way, no matter what. It's kind of a slap in the face sometimes. Too often I get the feeling there's a clear and obvious way the game wants you to play it.

I get the same feeling. At the beginning of EP3 I started picking off the zombies one by one when Kenny abruptly tells Lee to cut it out and pulls him up. It's moments like this that diminish the game as a whole. I hope TTG doesn't disappoint in the last two installments.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by Googolplexbyte

It seems like there are way too many conversation choice where the choice is immediately irrelevant and just there to add interactivity.

I don't get it: you choose to write this, and it is immediately irrelevant b/c it's been talked about to death and TTG isn't changing anything, yet you don't seemed to be so nearly as bothered about the relevancy.

Also, what is a false choice? It doesn't make sense when it's thought about. Look, Lee has choice to say what he wants. If the other characters react the exact same way regardless that didn't limit your choice at all.

[Xarne]

Originally Posted by Googolplexbyte

[light spoilers] Indeed, there's even a scene where lee straight says the exact opposite to what you choose. At the beginning of ep. 3 when you see the girl you can immediately choose to ignore the girl, but it don't matter kenny will tell you that you have to consider doing precisely that, and then you tell that you couldn't even though you already choose to. You investigate no matter what you say to lilly, duck helps no matter what you say to him. When I went back to change a few of my decision, the game makes you feel pretty helpless to change much at all. And ep. 2! Gah it was obvious what they were doing, and you could gather a bunch of clues in conversation, but it made not even the tiniest difference, you discover the truth, the same when, the same way, no matter what. It's kind of a slap in the face sometimes. Too often I get the feeling there's a clear and obvious way the game wants you to play it.

I would dare say it's called a framed narrative. Esentially you're not playing Lee, you're re-playing Lee. This story isnt ongoing, it's already happened.

[CrazyGamerzPC]

Heres an example of irrelevant dialogue:

When the RV pulls over and Lily tries to find out who the traitor is....
If you blame Carley, shes like "what the hell Lee?!" or something like that, then right afterwards she tells Lily "Try being like Lee for once!, try helping others". Even though you blamed Carley she STILL thinks your helping when clearly your not -_-

Your scam has gone long enough TTG :P
Im not buying Season 2 if this is all to offer. What's probably going to happen in the end is that even if you were a 100% jerk to Kenny, you still get to ride the boat, same if you were nice too* If they even make it that far and If Kenny is even still alive...*

[Ja1862]

Originally Posted by Red Panda

I don't get it: you choose to write this, and it is immediately irrelevant b/c it's been talked about to death and TTG isn't changing anything, yet you don't seemed to be so nearly as bothered about the relevancy.

Also, what is a false choice? It doesn't make sense when it's thought about. Look, Lee has choice to say what he wants. If the other characters react the exact same way regardless that didn't limit your choice at all.

Um I think you have to read example given again bud, has nothing to do with the other characters not reacting to what Lee says just to move the story along (even though that does happen lots)

[k0pernikus]

I realized this too. I really want to remind Telltale of their claim: That this game is advertised as being shaped at how I play it.

So why is it that this episode gets rid of the only greater choice-induced story difference already?

In episode 1, we could either save Carley or Doug. And suddenly, both die at the very beginning of episode 3 because the plot demands for Lilly to lose it. Without any control by the player.

OK, I get it. Bad stuff does happen to good people beyond their control all the time. Yet shouldn't the death of Carley/Doug only be one of multiple outcomes depending on how you talked to Lilly and the group before? At least we could have got a non-standard game-over when you took the blame for stealing the supplies.

I want for this game to reflect my choices more. To really take them into account. Not just by stating that somebody will remember what I said. Which then often only results in a slightly different throw-away line that does not really change anything.

I very much do want very different outcomes due to my choices.

Instead, Telltale just hit the reset button, and nullified all my choices.

It does not matter what I have chosen in the past, the remaining group is quite the same independent from my choices. This is not what I have signed up for :-(

I do not want to decide if I or Kenny shoot Duck as long as the end result is the same. Instead, depending from my choices, it should be determined if Duck gets bitten in the first place!

I get there are limits to branching off the game paths, as there is a huge development overhead for each branch, that grows exponentially with each further choice. And maybe Telltale does not want to make content that only 10% of their players will see. But that is exactly what I want! An almost individualized experience. I want to be able to talk with my friends about my play-through and want to have my mind blown about the differences, and not realize how rail-roaded the game is in the end.

I would be willing to pay for such a game, double, tripple even. Even if it meant shorter play time for one play through. (Yet replayability would be high.) I cannot tell how much I want a game in which decisions really affect the story line. For me, it's something this medium could really excel at, but was only seldom tried. (The classic RPGs come to mind. The closest recent endeavor was The Witcher series, even with all those games' flaws. In the Witcher 2, the whole second chapter was completely different depending on one big choice. Mass Effect also had potential to greatness, but they blew it with the ending in the last one.)

Right now, I expect the rail-roading of the storyline in TWD to continue. Only giving us choices that at best will determine how something but not what happens. And if we are lucky we will have a few multiple endings. (Please let there be multiple endings.)

Yet I do not believe anymore that this game is shaped by how I play it. It simply is another game that gives the illusion of choice only to move forward in only one direction.

[Eric Northman]

Originally Posted by Googolplexbyte

No most conversation choices are fine, and there are plenty of them, I'm just annoyed when they add choices that don't do anything.

Lots of games do this, Baldur's Gate comes running to mind.

[Red Panda]

Originally Posted by Ja1862

Um I think you have to read example given again bud, has nothing to do with the other characters not reacting to what Lee says just to move the story along (even though that does happen lots)

Um, s/he said "At the beginning of ep. 3 when you see the girl you can immediately choose to ignore the girl, but it don't matter kenny will tell you that you have to consider doing precisely that."

What am I missing?

[MisterMisfit]

Agreed. Many "choices" lead to the exact same response so why does it even matter at all? I'm thinking of the Lily/Carly scene. You'd think some pathway of responses would change the outcome but no. Telling her to stop or egging her on is the same in this game. WTF

[Googolplexbyte]

Another real annoyance along the same line, is lee's reaction to Ben, you get 4 choices and they're all be a dick to Ben, I wanted to sympathise with him, not be an asshole. To make it worse, "Jesus, Ben" was a pretty benign looking response but nope, had to go back to the prior check point do bunch of stuff again. Ended up giving him the silent treatment, best I could do. To make worse if you try to keep talking to Ben lee get even more aggressive towards him. Goddamit!

Also RedPanda if I give you 4 options that all said "push the button" but used slightly different flavour text that's not a choice. In fact that's down right deceitful.

[Googolplexbyte]

Originally Posted by Xarne

sound familiar?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...%20Thou%20Must

Nah, I think that's amusing where you have to say yes, but keep saying no over and over until they run out of ways to respond to it and you finally say yes.

Like in Pokemon Conquest, at the first battle where someone wants to join your army and you can say no like 20 times and huge hilarious dialogue emerges.

[Varnor]

Having played through 1 and 2 twice now I am beginning to wonder what difference things actually have except for someone to say "Hey thanks for the food" instead of "Damn you for not giving me food!" for instance

Your actions really don't seem to have much impact, so far at least... and although I've only just got Ep 3 I'm already wondering about it, having glimpsed a few comments from others

[Ezrawa]

The only game that did it correct was Dragon Age:Origins

[Xarne]

Originally Posted by Ezrawa

The only game that did it correct was Dragon Age:Origins

The best BioWare RPG ever made.