Will the decisions have an effect?

[Isterio]

Hey, just finished episode one and it was cool. I had no bugs and no lags and enjoyed it.

But I'm curious about the decisions:

1. Will the decisions have effects on the following episodes? Won't it be too complicated in the end?
2. How will the system remember which desicions from which game should be used for the second episode?
3. What was this strange statistics at the end with "50 percent of players decision 1/2"? How can all decisions have exaclty 50% choosing this or that? And does it take the data of all STEAM users or how does it work?
4. Will the game be VERY different, if I make completly different decisions all the time? I would like that.

[RAnthonyMahan]

When Episode 2 comes out, I'm going to do a second playthrough of Episode 1 and do the exact opposite of everything I did the first time, to see how it turns out.

I'm guessing that, no matter what you pick, there'll be the same basic story with a few minor differences. For example, either Doug or Carley will be there in Episode 2, depending on who you saved. I'm guessing they'll each do almost the exact same thing, though.

As for the stats, I'm assuming it comes from Steam. As for why they all say 50%...either the Steam stats haven't been set up yet and that's just being used as a placeholder, or because the game's still new all the decisions really have gone 50/50. Somehow.

[Isterio]

Thanks Ranthony, you might be right there with Doug and Carley, but be careful with the spoilers for the ones not having played it yet

They have quite a different skillset so I guess that maybe you'll be able to solve a problem differently because of it. To make it not too complicated for episode 3. I guess they get killed off anyway. Too bad because even though Carley is SO stupid (+- damit!!!), she is at least a looker, haha.

[GameplayCrush]

1. i played trough the 1st episode 3 times, doing diffrent things, and yes i can say for sure it will effect the next episodes, the "next time on walking dead" you see at the end has a few interesting variations.
Some key events to change the scene are: (from the top of my head)

Did you save Duck or the other guy. (affects the mother)
Who lives or die, the geeky guy or the girl. (affects obvious aspects)
Did you resolve the issue between Duck and the angry old man peacefully or violently. (affects the old mans daughter.)
I have not tried but i assume the side you took in the above issue will affect the story too.

2. How will the system remember which desicions from which game should be used for the second episode?
you continue from your saved game, the episodes are not a new game they will be added to your current copy of the game as if they were free dlc.

3. What was this strange statistics at the end with "50 percent of players decision 1/2"? How can all decisions have exaclty 50% choosing this or that? And does it take the data of all STEAM users or how does it work?
yes it just takes data from all the steam users who play the game simmilair to the dawn of war stat page.

4. Will the game be VERY different, if I make completly different decisions all the time? I would like that.
cant awnser you that one, i know it be diffrent but i dont know in wat extend.

[Actinguy1]

The Mass Effect series has a similar set up, with choices in past games affecting future games. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it wasn't done very well, and the third game dropped the ball entirely. Hopefully Telltale will do a better job of it!

[BlankCanvasDJ]

Mass Effect showed how hard it is to develop a story-driven game with that much player choice - unless you're willing to come up with nine or ten good stories instead of just one, that is. Unfortunately, Bioware had an ending they wanted to use and had to funnel everyone's different, varied storylines together to fit that one outcome.

The Walking Dead does seem to have a very central story that will play out, so I expect the same thing to happen in the end. But it's still nice to have some variety in how it happens.

[Rasher]

To be fair Mass Effect has a story that spans 3 games. This is a single game that we get in increments. The writers have done an amazing job so far and I would be shocked if they did not have all five episodes planned.

[BlankCanvasDJ]

True, but that's my point. Mass Effect had three huge games and massive resources in development, but they still ran into a problem when it came to ultimately dealing with player choice AND telling the story that they wanted to tell. In the end, story took precedence (as it should) but player choice suffered.

Telltale, on the other hand, has always been focused on telling a good story no matter what, and they don't have EA/Bioware resources, so they can't make infinitely varying versions of their game anyway. So, while I'm enjoying the choices they do give us and can't wait to see how they play out, I'm not expecting the final chapter to be wildly different from somebody else's (as I did expect with Mass Effect) just because I chose to hoard energy bars or something.

[Crom The Beast]

Originally Posted by RAnthonyMahan

When Episode 2 comes out, I'm going to do a second playthrough of Episode 1 and do the exact opposite of everything I did the first time, to see how it turns out.

I'm guessing that, no matter what you pick, there'll be the same basic story with a few minor differences. For example, either Doug or Carley will be there in Episode 2, depending on who you saved. I'm guessing they'll each do almost the exact same thing, though.

As for the stats, I'm assuming it comes from Steam. As for why they all say 50%...either the Steam stats haven't been set up yet and that's just being used as a placeholder, or because the game's still new all the decisions really have gone 50/50. Somehow.

I don't know about the Doug and Carly thing though. One was a pretty good shot, and the other seems to be very electronic oriented. Might be a few situations later on that might make or break a situation.

[RAnthonyMahan]

Originally Posted by Crom The Beast

I don't know about the Doug and Carly thing though. One was a pretty good shot, and the other seems to be very electronic oriented. Might be a few situations later on that might make or break a situation.

That's true. Didn't think too much about that. (Maybe I shouldn't have saved Carley after all...)

I just hope that, no matter what, there's no choice that can completely screw you over. I'm fine with there being a "bad ending" depending on your choices, so long as it doesn't end early.

[WabbitTwaks]

Originally Posted by RAnthonyMahan

That's true. Didn't think too much about that. (Maybe I shouldn't have saved Carley after all...)

I just hope that, no matter what, there's no choice that can completely screw you over. I'm fine with there being a "bad ending" depending on your choices, so long as it doesn't end early.

From what they said in the "Playing Dead" video series, we should not be placed into a corner by decisions, we will just have to deal with our choices.

[Danny_HR]

The decisions are a nice touch. From what i understand they will have some influence to the new episodes but nothing that will prevent us from finishing the game.

I guess it only influences the companions we have and their relationship with us, which is great.