Well, here is a little feedback if you don't mind.

[KevinD872]

Originally Posted by Emo Hoe

I have hints of whatever the game set it as to begin with and have not once ever seen a blinking object.

All I've ever got is cryptic usually really not that helpful speak thoughts out loud hints that often just tell you you should being doing x and your like ¬¬ im already trying to do x I can't figure out HOW though.

I thought this comment was funny because I am in the same boat. I just leave the hint system at default and 99% of the time, when it offers a hint, it's something I already figured out. It's just that I can't figure out how to accomplish it. Not really a complaint, just an observation.

[Aquarion]

I loved that the production values on this season were much larger, but the future vision thing bugged me a bit.

The "future vision" concept for "Er. I'm stuck, what around here is important?" (For example, if you use it around outside Bosco's Momma's block you can see things to tell you you're going to need to get up the fire escape; you can examine the pigeon outside Meester Pizza to see what you have to do there) is awesome. It's like a hints system that doesn't say "It's going to take a *real detective* to solve this!" every couple of minutes. (I eventually turned the hints system down).

The problem was where I did know the solution, but couldn't execute it without engaging in future-vision first (Being unable to find the banana peel without it, for example) which led to using the future vision on everything in order to trigger something so I could do something, which led to having the solution laid out in front of me like a munchkin following the yellow brick road.

[jolson42]

There was only one problem I had with the future-vision 'hints' - they aren't necessarily the true future. When I had to give Flint the helmet, I couldn't figure that out without visiting the hints forum. I thought I needed the helmet to use the mole tunnels, or something, and Flint's death was part of the plot and couldn't be prevented.
However, I loved the bit outside the pawn shop.

[Hassat Hunter]

That's a problem?
The game would be a lot more boring if future-vision was indeed all that happens (remember the end?).

[taumel]

I found the future view in front of the toy shop really a good one. I saw it coming but still it was nice. :O)

[Shwoo]

Yeah, I liked that part too. I knew what was going to happen when I saw that Max was using his future vision in his vision of the future.

[bobtheskutter]

Repeating some of what people have said...

Annoyances:

* Difficulty in doing settings before gameplay (that is to say, I didn't know what sound levels to have until the game began or graphics settings resulting in being unable to hear dialogue or control the characters. Spending the initial scenes tinkering with settings as opposed to watching and enjoying was frustrating).
* Sam being reticent to shoot things was disappointing
* The future vision being a hint system lessened my pleasure at puzzle solving (though to be fair, it is an excellent hint system... it's just that I don't want to play with one at all).
* Lack of items and not having any combining items puzzles within the inventory. It just meant very simplistic game play- when I did get stuck, the limited avenues meant the solution was easy to get to even without understanding it.
* My imagination or was there less banter? I didn't get the same sense of camaraderie in this game though that is hard to quantify.
* I can't think of any puzzles that I particularly enjoyed...

Great stuff:

* The music the music the music.
* It really did look good.
* Touches of creepiness (not just the skeletons but also the mole man vacations... eek).

Ambivalent but it threw me:
* The nature of the future. We saw a vision of Flint with the power core at Mamma Bosco's and a vision of Flint with a hatchet in his head. I wondered how he managed to survive the hatchet job but just assumed that somehow he did and it was the hatchet that convinced him to get on with the case... It's dumb of me maybe but I kind of agree with a previous poster that it should have been made more clear that the goggles saw possible futures.

[taumel]

I really wonder what's the concept or the reason behind the settings we got in TOMI and S&MS3 so far.

I mean it simply doesn't make sense.

If you want to hide the technical stuff away from the player then you make the changes visible to the user in form of example screens or a little live scene and/or you choose less possiblilities. Offering them in a guess what the changes are in such a variety is extremly user unfriendly.

Also offering it the more classic way should work fine as users who are able setting up a resolution should also be fine with turning shadows on/off, enabling or disabling a grain filter or choosing a AA level.

Actually i don't own any other game with such creepy settings.

[LuigiHann]

My issue with the future vision is that, on the one hand, there seem to be a couple of places where you have to use it in order to progress (or at least, in order for the solution to make sense). So because of that, I felt like I had to use it on everything. So it kept kind of giving me hints when I didn't necessarily want hints.

Also, I do think it'd be nice if you had maybe a 3D model of Max on the settings page, so I could get a sense of the impact that my settings are having on the game's performance. In TMI the menu itself was apparently designed with 3D elements, so I could just increase a setting and then wave my cursor around to test for lag, but in this game I had to resume gameplay to see the consequences of my settings. Similarly, if you had a character on the settings screen, he could talk when you're adjusting the volume, and that too would be helpful.

[gamer247]

Originally Posted by taumel

I really wonder what's the concept or the reason behind the settings we got in TOMI and S&MS3 so far.

I mean it simply doesn't make sense.

If you want to hide the technical stuff away from the player then you make the changes visible to the user in form of example screens or a little live scene and/or you choose less possiblilities. Offering them in a guess what the changes are in such a variety is extremly user unfriendly.

Also offering it the more classic way should work fine as users who are able setting up a resolution should also be fine with turning shadows on/off, enabling or disabling a grain filter or choosing a AA level.

Actually i don't own any other game with such creepy settings.

Agreed I would much rather have a more proper graphics setup screen than one that is present. That's really the only problem I have with the game.

[guitarsareboring]

It's funny seeing a few people complain about the grain, particularly when people's main complaint before was regarding the LACK of grain!

A few things I LOVE about the new series...

1) The grain. I think it's a great effect that makes it appear more like a drawing.

2) Filth. Rats. Pigeons. Great attention to detail.

3) Facial expressions. Particularly Max's eyebro---er--lumps.

4) Psychic powers and their clever uses

I hope future episodes are more difficult. I'm sure they will be, they always are.

[bobtheskutter]

Originally Posted by LuigiHann

In TMI the menu itself was apparently designed with 3D elements, so I could just increase a setting and then wave my cursor around to test for lag, but in this game I had to resume gameplay to see the consequences of my settings. Similarly, if you had a character on the settings screen, he could talk when you're adjusting the volume, and that too would be helpful.

Yes- exactly what is needed.