Idea for when ToMI is all done
Would it be possible to release a tool/patch to merge all the episodes and make it play like one game? Quitting and then loading the next when you're finished with an episode kinda kills the flow. It works for games like Sam and Max, but that's because they're all made like seperate games (even if there's some continuity in the story). ToMI is one MI game split up in different parts, like the originals, so it would make more sense doing this. As soon as the episode ends (before the credits roll), you get the much loved part/chapter transition with the music and all. The transitions are in already, so I doubt there's too much coding to be done? I'm not a programmer though, so I wouldn't know.
Sign in to comment in this discussion.
Comments
That might be a good idea for the dvd.
Dave Grossman made a post suggesting he was against the idea so it's unlikely at this point that the DVD will have it. It is definitely worth bringing up again around the release date of episode five to see if we can push them to do it.
It'd be roughly equivalent to a "Play All" button on a TV show's DVD release, although it'd be a bit more difficult to do, being that there will be 5 separate executables at the end of the season.
It's also similar to full length films having a chapter selection, except in this case the game wouldn't have a "Play game" button just "chapter selection" buttons.
That would be GREAT!
Though bypassing the traditional telltale games startup screen would be difficult, it is still an awesome idea
And as you say, ToMI need this more than the other game because it follows a main story.
No offense to Dave, but the appeal of the episodic format, for this game, is the fact that it is Monkey Island and it is slow release, so we don't spoil ourselves and beat the whole game in a marathon gaming session then have to wait another 3-10 years for another one. Once the DVD is out, that "appeal" becomes a drawback, since we aren't waiting for another one to launch, all it really does is, like OP said, break the flow of the game. Also, I don't know what language(s) the TellTale engine uses, but in my experience with Java and C/++ I have done this exact thing (merging multiple single feature programs into one fully featured one.) It only took a couple of days of troubleshooting to knock out variable inconsistencies and buffer overflow problems.
Now that I think of it, the engine itself would take care of all those problems...it is probably the scripting language (LUA?) that would be the main issue here, I don't know much or anything about those, so I can't speak to that.
The point here is that the guys at TTG are way smarter than I am, so I am sure they could do it if they wanted to, it is just a matter of convincing them to do it, I believe.
I read on another thread previous DVDs have had trailers and stuff but those on their own don't really cut it.
...the DVD's main purpose is to function as a hard copy of the game and to look nifty on a shelf, anything they add on top of that is gravy.
Sweet, delicious gravy.
Considering we're only asked to pay the shipping, that's fair enough
Unless you bought the wiiware version(me), then it's full price:(
seeing as the official image to hype episode two on telltales front page is an image of guybrush at swordpoint exactly like he was at the end of episode one i'm pretty sure they will merge seamlessly together
I agree fully with this.
What happens when you close the game after a session and then load it up again the next time?
Close the game? What du you mean, close the game??
What does aggrevate me (and I can't recall if this is even true of ToMI, but it was for Sam and Max) is being forced to sit through a long credits sequence after every episode.
I imagine it would take some honest work to rethink those things, and maybe it's a bit much for a bonus DVD, but if they're doing a retail release they really should consider it.
I mean close the application. Assuming you dont finish all the episodes in one sitting or leave it open whilst you go to work / sleep.
Now why would you want to do that!?
Yes, but in the LA games, that has always been our choice.
But I don't want to belittle the approach TellTale are taking here. With traditional games, production could be as bizzare as finishing touches being on the first chapter. The same team does the entire thing. Nothing has to be done in any kind of order. All the customer gets before the final release is a few screenshots and a trailer. There is no involvement with the fans whatsoever, apart from general feedback (mostly from reviewers) between games.
TellTale release each chapter effectively as its own game. There is a core team working on the entire season but each episode sees lineup changes of episode-specific characters and extras. When Episode 1 is released, you can guarantee their main focuses will be ep1 feedback and collaborating ep2. TellTale are moving with the times, and as such have this forum, which is a perfect, almost free medium for brilliant feedback to make sure subsequent episodes are up to the standard customers expect and features that the fans desire. Customers may well have already bought the entire season in advance but keep the customer sweet and they will be more likely to dig deep for forthcoming games. The only downside is ep1 (and, in part, ep2) is somewhat rushed and have faults to iron out. Once they're released, that's it. They may correct a few of the rushed issues for the DVD but they have to be subtle or fans will go "wtf?".
What I mean to say is each episode was developed separately as such so the effort of that particular group of people needs to be applauded at the end of that episode.
Yeah, like someone else said, just replace the credits with a splash screen introducing the new Chapter. End sequence fades out, music changes, (Would you like to play Chapter X? Y/N), Splash fades in, fades out and cue the beginning sequence of the next chapter. "Problem" solved.
Well... Some shows DVDs have the option to 'Play All' or 'Play Next Episode?', so I guess it would fit the episodic format.
Better flow between chapters is exactly why we have the chapter splash screen. It's the whole point of the splash screen. Imagine getting opening credits and title screen between every chapter in the old games - that's how it's probably going to end up being. Not to mention that you also have to make a visit to your windows desktop before starting the new chapter.
The splash screens do not appear right at the start of each episode, they're like 5 minutes in, between the first and second scenes. You can't use them as the edit point. Making the end-game teaser flush with the next game's intro and opening credits is the hard part.
Anyway, with the information we have now (which isn't a lot), I say it would work perfectly, while you disagree. Let's just leave it at that. We don't really know how well it could work until we get at least chapter 2.
But it certainly wouldn't give the game LESS of a flow than how it is now.
Thinking a little highly of ourselves aren't we?
I meant the forum itself rather than the people. LA didn't have this between the first 4 MIs.
I also meant the forum. There are many words to describe the feedback listed on this forum. Brilliant is not one of the words I would choose.