How a possible "At the Inventory" sequel could be arranged.

[Ubermunchkin]

Hello everyone, I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.

While discussing to our good friend, Hobostew about Steam on the iOS and Android, I asked him if there was ever to be a "At the Inventory" sequel. In which he replied: "i would love that", as "that was one of my favorite games to work on". Now to where I get this idea across:

"What if some of you lot at TellTale decided to make a community contest where users could submit "At the inventory" game ideas, and other users can vote. The person who wins the vote could get the game and a few other TellTale games for free..."

Hobostew agreed with me that it is a very good idea, and recommended that I was to post it on these forums.

May any users who are reading this voice their own opinions on this idea; and if a TellTale employee was to voice their opinion on this, it'd be much appreciated. Thank you

[RAnthonyMahan]

Give our own ideas for an Inventory sequel? Well, if you insist...

Now, I could go on about all the different characters I'd like to see from...well, everything, but I think it'd be better to place those decisions in Telltale's hands. I'll just assume for the time being that they can't acquire the rights to anything new and it'll just be Sam and Max/Homestar Runner/TF2/Penny Arcade characters.

Now, I liked how in The Devil's Playhouse Telltale experimented with using different characters for different situations. Sam handled the more inventory-oriented puzzles, while Max was there for the Toys of Power. I imagine an Inventory sequel being a point-and-click adventure where you're allowed to switch among the four different players, each with their own abilities.

Max would be able to use the Toys of Power to mess with the environment around him. However, his none-of-your-damn-business is pretty cluttered, so he wouldn't be able to pick up or use any items besides the Toys.

Strong Bad would work like a conventional adventure game character (He's too good for those fancy-schmancy new gimmicks like blast processing! He's doing this old school!). He picks up items and uses them when the situation calls for it, so the inventory (no pun intended) is mostly his responsibility.

The Heavy's not much of a thinker, but a friend of his once said that sometimes the answer to your problem is to use a gun. He'd be used for more physical puzzles, like mowing down an object that needs to be destroyed with his minigun, or pushing leetle cart obstacles out of your way. He'd have a limited inventory of his own (including a few items he can pick up that Strong Bad can't), but chances are if the Heavy can pick up an item he has to find a way to weaponize it.

Tycho's not much of an adventure hero, but he does know his video games. Playing as him tends to lead into more...mini-game-like ways of solving puzzles. He's also got the best social skills of the bunch (not that that means much ), so if you need to wrestle information out of a character, talking to them as Tycho is arguably your best bet.

Now, you might be picturing a game where you're forced to use certain characters for certain puzzles. While there might be some parts where that's the case, ideally most of the puzzles would have multiple solutions for different characters. (Maybe the player would be rewarded somehow for doing the more difficult solution?) For a random example, the Inventory's security system is preventing the gang from entering the room they need to. The computer that controls the security system is in plain sight, but none of them know the password.

Max can use Mind Reading on Winslow, pick up a hint on what the password is, then go to the computer and guess what it is.

Strong Bad can get Bubs (or maybe Bosco?) to give him a mail-order catalog, find a phone and use it to order an "Edgar's Password Decrypter," then use it on the computer to deactivate the security system.

The Heavy can take a gun on display from the wall, head over to the bar and ask the Pyro to melt down the metal, craft the metal into bullets (yes, turning a gun into bullets), load them into Sasha, and destroy the computer.

Tycho can access the computer and go through...I don't know, a Jurassic Park-style QTE to figure out the password.

Also, different characters get different dialogue from the same situations, so if you're an exploration nut, every episode would be more like four episodes in one.

I've been putting too much thought into the gameplay mechanics to think about the plot, but I'd be fine with any story that lets you explore The Inventory. One of my favorite things about Poker Night was walking through The Inventory in the opening cutscene, just because Telltale made this huge, beautiful area...all for the intro! Also, given how Trixie walked into a secret passageway in the intro, I imagine the Inventory to be someplace colossal. Just this...huge underground building you could spend a whole game exploring and not get bored.

What do you think?

[ryannumber1gamer]

I think a new At the Inventory game could be put into episodes where something weird happens inside the Inventory every episode and the episodes could be done like this bring back old people and new

Episode 1-Sam And Max and one of the bad guys from the Sam & Max games (i would say make the bad guy ether Skunkape (you could say he survived somehow in episode 5) or Sammun-mak or Hugh Bliss and the plot would be that during a game of poker with Sam,Strong Bad and Homestar. Then the lights go out and the bad guy of the episode captures the people inside and the only people escaping are Sam & Max & Strong Bad & Homestar and Homestar has no idea whats happening and just thinks this is a new game so there could be a puzzle where you have to trick Homestar into hiding with Sam,Max and Strong Bad.

Episode 2-Strong Bad be inside playing a game then The Cheat and The King of Town come in and think they are Craig and Perducci and they have stolen Strong Bad's computor and kicked him out of the inventory along with The Heavy, Tycho, and Max. So they must break into the Inventory and get back Strong Bad's computor!

Episode 3-Guybrush and Winslow are walking to the Inventory and when Guybrush sits down to play poker with Sam,Wallace,The Spy, and Homestar suddenly Winslow trys to attack Guybrush and Sam kicks him away then Lechuck and the Voodoo Lady appear and hypotises everyone except Sam,Guybrush,The Spy and Homestar and Wallace. so then everyone starts attacking and Guybrush and everyone hide in a room. There could be a puzzle where you have to get the Spy's costumes.

Episode 4-Hector,Gromit,The Pyro and The Scout are just sitting and talking but then everyone gets teleported to Team Fortress 2 and are locked up by Blu. So now they must escape from their prison and find a teleporter to get back to the Inventory. (Sorry i could not think of a good Team Fortress 2 Story)

Episode 5-This is where all the episodes connect and now everyone in the Inventory must team up so they can stop the bad guys from all of Telltales' games and save the Inventory and the world (again could not think of a better story for this episode)

[Gumbyfan]

RAnthony, that is the best idea I have heard since the announcement of the BTTF game!
But I would change just one thing: remove Tycho.
Best social skills? All he ever does is swear at guys, and kill his brother often!
Besides, perhaps it would be wise to use that fourth character slot to "test run" some new first party telltale character to see if he or she gains popularity. If the the test run at the inventory works, he or she could then get their own game.
(Which would incidentally be what Strong Bad would say to the rookie, "Get your own weird game, Dan!")

[RAnthonyMahan]

Hooray, feedback! Even if it took four months...

And yeah, Tycho's a bit of a freak too, but given how Strong Bad has serious ego issues, Max is a violent sociopath, and the Heavy's an even more violent sociopath, he's still the most well-adjusted of the bunch.

I'd definitely love if Telltale used the Inventory as a way to introduce an original IP, though.

[polocatfan]

i think marty should make some kind of cameo even if its for only a few seconds.

[EvilDeadFan]

I would like an episodic series. Maybe the "Murder" idea could be one specific episode, or, the entire season could play out like a large game of Clue! More and more evidence piles up, more and more things happen, maybe even outside of area of the inventory! People get arrested, crazy schemes happen, secret passages are found, the works!

[crash 1001]

Wow, It's been a LONG time since I last came on here...
Anyway here's my Idea(s).

MAIN STORYS
Episode one: The game begins with the four poker players sitting at a table. Strong Bad puts down $100 for his bet when suddenly, the lights go off. When the lights go back on, his money is missing. Strong bad is furious with this so gets Max, Heavy and tycho to help him track down his money.

Episode two: Max is sitting at a bar, having a drink, when a strange man wearing a coat and hat walks up to him. Max doesn't notice him, and the man quickly grabs him and runs out of the inventory. Strong Bad, Tycho and Heavy notice this and quickly run after him.

Episode three: The Heavy is at the bar chatting with the Pyro, but when he turns around he notices Sasha is missing! He quickly tells Tycho, Max and Strong Bad then news and they decide to find out how is behind it.

Episode four: Tycho is in a booth at the bar using his laptop when he decides to go for a sleep. When he wakes up he is shocked to find that it is gone. When the other 3 hear the news they decide to team up to get it back.

Episode five: The team wake up in a cellar, not knowing where they are. They all think about and reckon whoever put them there must be the one who made all these events happen.
EPISODE ENDINGS
Episode one: After asking allot of clues, they find that there is a hatch door under the table they were sitting at. They lift it up and climb down. Once they are there they see a black chair at the end of the room. They turn it around and find the one with the $100 is Bubs. Bubs confesses and hands over the $100.

Episode two: They track Max down to a single building outside of the inventory. They walk in and find Max tied down. They turn around and see the culprit is Hugh Bliss (In bacteria form). Max tells The Heavy to throw hot water at him, so Strong Bad and Tycho keep him distracted while the Heavy runs back to the inventory with a cup of water, for the Pyro to boil. He makes it back and throws the water at him, making him evaporate.

Episode three: They go back to the Pyro to ask if he saw anyone do it (After them failing to find who it was)When the heavy gets an idea. He gets Tycho to pressure him with questions until he can't take it any-more, and it is revealed he is a blue spy. The heavy takes the blue spy out into the alley and comes back with Sasha.

Episode 4:They manage to find a secret entrance in the inventory and walk through it. Then near the end, Tycho spots his Laptop. They run up to it and collect it, but they then notice 5 shadows behind them. the episode cuts off with them noticing the shadows.

Episode 5: They walk into what looks like a throne room and see the 4 behind it all:
Gabe (The black haired guy from penny arcade)
Strong Sad (Strong Bad's depressing brother)
The Blue Scout (from TF2)
Brady Culture ( You know from the first ever Sam and Max episode?)
In the end the beat them and go through the exit which leads back to the inventory, the game ends with them sitting down for another game of poker.

[MesterF]

Originally Posted by crash 1001

Wow, It's been a LONG time since I last came on here...
Anyway here's my Idea(s).

MAIN STORYS
Episode one: The game begins with the four poker players sitting at a table. Strong Bad puts down $100 for his bet when suddenly, the lights go off. When the lights go back on, his money is missing. Strong bad is furious with this so gets Max, Heavy and tycho to help him track down his money.

Episode two: Max is sitting at a bar, having a drink, when a strange man wearing a coat and hat walks up to him. Max doesn't notice him, and the man quickly grabs him and runs out of the inventory. Strong Bad, Tycho and Heavy notice this and quickly run after him.

Episode three: The Heavy is at the bar chatting with the Pyro, but when he turns around he notices Sasha is missing! He quickly tells Tycho, Max and Strong Bad then news and they decide to find out how is behind it.

Episode four: Tycho is in a booth at the bar using his laptop when he decides to go for a sleep. When he wakes up he is shocked to find that it is gone. When the other 3 hear the news they decide to team up to get it back.

Episode five: The team wake up in a cellar, not knowing where they are. They all think about and reckon whoever put them there must be the one who made all these events happen.
EPISODE ENDINGS
Episode one: After asking allot of clues, they find that there is a hatch door under the table they were sitting at. They lift it up and climb down. Once they are there they see a black chair at the end of the room. They turn it around and find the one with the $100 is Bubs. Bubs confesses and hands over the $100.

Episode two: They track Max down to a single building outside of the inventory. They walk in and find Max tied down. They turn around and see the culprit is Hugh Bliss (In bacteria form). Max tells The Heavy to throw hot water at him, so Strong Bad and Tycho keep him distracted while the Heavy runs back to the inventory with a cup of water, for the Pyro to boil. He makes it back and throws the water at him, making him evaporate.

Episode three: They go back to the Pyro to ask if he saw anyone do it (After them failing to find who it was)When the heavy gets an idea. He gets Tycho to pressure him with questions until he can't take it any-more, and it is revealed he is a blue spy. The heavy takes the blue spy out into the alley and comes back with Sasha.

Episode 4:They manage to find a secret entrance in the inventory and walk through it. Then near the end, Tycho spots his Laptop. They run up to it and collect it, but they then notice 5 shadows behind them. the episode cuts off with them noticing the shadows.

Episode 5: They walk into what looks like a throne room and see the 4 behind it all:
Gabe (The black haired guy from penny arcade)
Strong Sad (Strong Bad's depressing brother)
The Blue Scout (from TF2)
Brady Culture ( You know from the first ever Sam and Max episode?)
In the end the beat them and go through the exit which leads back to the inventory, the game ends with them sitting down for another game of poker.

Great story, but one problem. Hugh Bliss would never work for Brady Culture!!!

[Fazz]

A sequel? Don't be absurd. There is no way ever that—
Oh wait.

[tbm1986]

It's possible that Telltale always had a plan to turn it into their own IP (or just have a non-poker episode) but licence acquisition has delayed it, such that it became a back burner joke. Am I being selfish in hoping that these licences dry up by the end of 2014?

Getting back on track, the Murder at the Inventory idea has long been a favourite of mine. Switchable playing characters would be awesome and hopefully not blow the budget. Over time, I'd like to see, dominated by the coming and going of handshakes with other developers, different characters taking temporary residence at the Inventory, much like Trent Reznor hires different musicians to form Nine Inch Nails every time he goes on tour. Each episode would be shaped by these new characters to make the episode unique. I trust Telltale's writing, both in dialogue and storyline, to produce masterpieces every time.

[GaryCXJk]

If they run out of licensing ideas, they could just license characters from Telltale Games forumites.

For example, I'd love to see one of my characters from one of my novels to be featured. Heck, I'd even throw in a free copy of my novel in it!

So yeah, I've also got a great idea for a potential sequel to Poker Night 2.

How about Ladies Night at the Inventory? Basically, it's still Poker Night, except more with woman characters.

Potential competitors, and I'm REALLY stretching here:

Cybil (Sam & Max series)
Momma Bosco (Sam & Max series)
Clementine (The Walking Dead-wait, is she even allowed to play?)
Elaine Marley (Monkey Island series)
Ghost Pirateer LeFlay (Monkey Island series)
Chell (Portal series)
Alyx Vance (Half-Life series)
Zoey (Left 4 Dead)
Rochelle (Left 4 Dead 2)
Miss Pauling (Team Fortress 2, I assume she has more free time than the Administrator)
Margaret (Regular Show)
Wonder Woman (DC Comics)
Rose Tyler (Doctor Who, also, this entry is my death)
Aeris (VG Cats)
Zone-Tan (Zone, some hentai artist who now also does art for Skullgirls, also, Zone-Tan apparently is voiced by Caxx, so that's a plus)
Nikasaur (wherever the fuck she works now, apparently still Riot)
Kim Possible (Kim Possible, I'm just typing random shit from here on out, but you probably already figured that out since Zone-Tan)
Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen, I assume, also that talkshow for which I forgot the name)
Pink Ranger (Power Rangers, either version, I assume the actress for Kat is still alive)
Velma Dinkley (Scooby-Doo series)
Daphne Blake (Scooby-Doo series, also, sure, why not)
Vanellope von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph, wait, is she even allowed to play?)
Candace Flynn (Phineas and Ferb, also, isn't she a bit too young to be playing poker? Yes, yes she is. Also, yes, I only added her to make this joke.)
Marceline the Vampire Queen (Adventure Time)
Beth Tezuka (Bravest Warriors)
Annarchy (Penny-Arcade, and yes, technically she might be too young)
Mina Harker (Bram Stoker's Dracula)
Wendy (Bob the Builder)

My preferred team would be:

Momma Bosco (If we're going with at least one Sam & Max character, she should definitely be the one)
Zoey (Valve representative of a game not yet featured, also the one I'd prefer)
Zone-Tan (Because fuck it, I just want to hear Caxx do a complete game)
Beth Tezuka (Probably the easiest to license, also a WTF license that would totes draw peep's interest, so yeah, Telltale, be my little pepper master)

Of course, Zone-Tan could also be switched with Aeris, since Zone-Tan might be a little bit too hot for mainstream gaming.

Also, if Poker is too not-lady-like, substitute it for a more ladies game. Or you could just make it "Tupperware Party at the Inventory", although I'm wondering if there would be any fun in playing such a game.

Or, how about...

Tower Defense at the Inventory

Basically, at least four IPs are being used as a theme. This theme isn't exclusive to the towers, though. You start off at one IP, for example, a Sam & Max themed level, where you can only use Sam & Max themed towers. At the start of the game, you pick a few towers, for example, eight towers, limited to the limitations, for example, the Sam & Max level would only allow Sam & Max towers, as stated before (until you unlock free mode), but there could also be levels where you could only use explosive towers, or where you can't use stat-changing towers.

So, as themes, I'd suggest the following, with some potential towers:

Sam & Max
Trashcan Shootout (A trashcan from which regular bullet shots are fired, low powered but decent speed)
Dunkin' Dumpster (Slow bomb-like projectiles with spread damage, powerful, land only)
Bosco's Inconvenience (Increases cash drop for each kill, limited to only one)

Portal 2
Sentry Turret (Rapidly shoots low-powered bullets)
Defective Turret (Wildly shoots low-powered bullets, way cheaper than sentry turrets, but can't be upgraded, might randomly destroy itself)
Rocket Turret (Shoots rockets, duh)

Actually, that's all I can think of. Others might be more creative here, though. Perhaps have some towers be special unlockables that don't have a specific level attached to them, like a Fruit Fucker or something.