Season 3: The Same Old?

[Guybrush Threepwood]

We've been to the street, the office, Bosco's and Sybil's for two seasons now, so how do you think these locations should be changed for the third season? Should Bosco's and Sybil's be changed completely, or would you be happy with minor changes? Would more items added to the office satisfy your need for change?

I personally think that all the locations I've suggested need a big revamp. If you think about it, when buying a sequel to a non-episodic retail game, you never expect to visit places you did in the first game. Take Monkey Island for example - you didn't visit the same place again in each game (except places such as the SCUMM Bar, but they had been fully redesigned to fit the graphical requirements of the game).

I'd probably be okay with the office changing to the same level as it did from season one to season two, because you hardly ever need to go in there, but for places that Sam & Max are often visiting I'd be pretty let-down if there wasn't something majorly different about them.

What about you?

[unsilviu]

Yeah...lets not forget that they might abandon sybil or bosco's: thres a new inhabitant: maimtron 9000!

[DrRocketGenius]

I don't know. Maybe Bosco will build a bigger store/building with all his money?

[splash1]

I think they should remodel the entire neighborhood, and allow us to explore the outside of Sam & Max's office, like in HtR. Also there should be a new neighbor, and like a lot of stuff should be changed such as Sybil's office, Bosco's store, Stinky's Diner and more! Sam & Max should be better then ever in Season 3!

[TrogLlama]

Originally Posted by Guybrush Threepwood

If you think about it, when buying a sequel to a non-episodic retail game, you never expect to visit places you did in the first game.

That's not necessarily true. The Ace Attorney games all had the office/detention center/police department that you always went to every single game. Banjo-Tooie started in the same place as Banjo-Kazooie. If I recall correctly, Pikmin 2 had a couple of the same places as Pikmin 1, but redesigned to reflect changes over time to the terrain. Those are just a few examples off the top of my head.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

Originally Posted by TrogLlama

The Ace Attorney games all had the office/detention center/police department that you always went to every single game.

True, but they got criticised for it. The other games you listed are much bigger in scale though, and have more locations for you to visit and don't have you constantly going back there.

[Harley Quinn]

Stinky's should be taken over by Starbucks! Nah, that's too realistic.

[Randulf]

Originally Posted by Harley Quinn

Stinky's should be taken over by Starbucks! Nah, that's too realistic.

Stinky should overtake Starbucks! The first step in her inevitable world domination in the future.

[eriqchang]

I want a 2d hand-painted cel-style season 3!! (LOVED the first two seasons visually.. not complaining!) But it would be amazing to see a more "Curse of Monkey Island" style for a third game. Or possibly a full non-episodic self-contained adventure.

[Udvarnoky]

I can't imagine such an enterprise would be in any way possible given the adventure game market these days.

[Snocat]

How about we save the major explorations for a new genre of Sam & Max game! Like some kind of wonky rpg or first person shooter! I mean, Sam & Max doesn't always have to just be a click-and-point type game right?

[eriqchang]

Of course it's possible. Anything is possible with the right people and a strong vision.

[Rather Dashing]

I'm all for changes of the same level as the ones in-between Seasons 1 and 2, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with a radical restructuring of core game areas. Sam and Max episodes always give us new areas to explore, the areas that are the same within a season provide a sense of consistency between episodes. Season 2 improved on the issue of new content by usually providing new observational dialogue for the items that carry over, and I felt that was enough(for me, anyway) to satisfy my need for things to not remain same-y.

With the episodic model, I feel some things *have* to remain the same during a season, to give it a cohesive sense of being a full entity after the fat lady's encore. Much in the same way that a television show normally has those settings which carry over throughout the seasons and series, it's necessary in the same way for some things to remain the same throughout an episodic series. How can we start off an episode without a scramble for the phone?

Now, I did think that the robot's radical reconstruction of the main town area to streamline it for gameplay purposes was no less than brilliant. I honestly didn't realize what they had done for awhile. But the thing that keeps the games from feeling same-ish, to me, would be new situations, new observational quips for clicking on the same object, and the areas outside our core starting place.

Originally Posted by eriqchang

I want a 2d hand-painted cel-style season 3!! (LOVED the first two seasons visually.. not complaining!) But it would be amazing to see a more "Curse of Monkey Island" style for a third game. Or possibly a full non-episodic self-contained adventure.

I actually don't like this idea...I like for a series to remain consistent when it comes to general artistic style. I wouldn't want a "realistic, first-person Okami" any more than I want a new 2D Sam and Max. Yes, Hit the Road used 2D and cartoony graphics, but a new 2D Sam and max would hardly look VGA, and the series has already moved past that point. To go back seems....it doesn't feel like it really fits.

And also, episodic is more or less Telltale's bread and butter, and...they do it right. I enjoy getting a new episode each month for a $35 subscription fee, rather than paying $50-60 for a big game that might last me a week or two. My interest and intrigue is spread out over half a year or so, and I love it. I'd really rather not see Telltale abandon the model that is as close to my definition of perfect as I think the universe will allow.

Originally Posted by Snocat

How about we save the major explorations for a new genre of Sam & Max game! Like some kind of wonky rpg or first person shooter! I mean, Sam & Max doesn't always have to just be a click-and-point type game right?

No.

[eriqchang]

The episodic model is excellent and they've made it work very well. I think what I'm hoping to see IS a 2d animated game from Telltale vs. a full 3d title as with all their past releases. I DON'T think adventure gaming, in general, has "moved" past 2D. But yes, I agree that the series, having gone to 3D.. it would be awkward perhaps?

[Udvarnoky]

Originally Posted by eriqchang

Of course it's possible. Anything is possible with the right people and a strong vision.

And a couple of million dollars and a two year development schedule.

[eriqchang]

A two year development cycle.. yes.
A big budget.. not necessarily.

[Udvarnoky]

Time is money. And you did specifically namecheck CMI, which has got to be the most expensive adventure game LEC ever made second to Grim Fandango (I'd imagine). No one would want a fully illustrated monster sized adventure game with hand drawn animation more than me, believe me.

[Rather Dashing]

Originally Posted by eriqchang

The episodic model is excellent and they've made it work very well. I think what I'm hoping to see IS a 2d animated game from Telltale vs. a full 3d title as with all their past releases. I DON'T think adventure gaming, in general, has "moved" past 2D. But yes, I agree that the series, having gone to 3D.. it would be awkward perhaps?

I never said that adventure gaming has gone "beyond" 2D. But it would seem awkward, at least, for the current series to get totally revamped after two seasons, the equivalent of two games in in the world of big retail releases.

Also, we don't really have many 3D adventures...it seems to me that making adventure games work in 3D is something that makes the genre as a whole not feel...obsolete in video gaming today.

[eriqchang]

Originally Posted by Udvarnoky

No one would want a fully illustrated monster sized adventure game with hand drawn animation more than me, believe me.

I'm right there with you. And we've got Vampyre Story along with a handful of others coming over the horizon.

[Alucard]

I'd like to see all new locations. The office is fine to keep but all the other repeat characters need to take a break for a bit.