Any chance of a continuous play option when the last chapter is released?

Given the cliffhanger nature of this series, is there any chance we'll be able to play chapters 1-5 as a single game once they're all out? Skip the credits (But keep the title cards) and sew together the ends and you have a full-length Monkey Island adventure game. Longish, even!

Or is it like- WAY harder than that and I'm asking too much of Telltale?

Comments

  • edited September 2009
    They're essentially 5 different games. There would definitely be a fair bit of work involved with sewing them all together. You'd lose the Voodoo lady opening cutscenes, though, which are nice.
  • edited September 2009
    And the credits in Ep 3 are very enjoyable, in a "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" type fashion.
  • edited September 2009
    This has been discussed. It probably won't happen because it would take a bit of extra rejiggering, but most seem to agree it's a good idea.

    I especially think they should do it for the retail release, because that market is going to be much more responsive to the idea of a single game instead of episodes. For the bonus disc it's not as big a deal since we're re-playing our online serial experience, but I think they'll make more money at retail if the join them together.
  • edited September 2009
    Yepp, if they made a single game for the retail disc I would buy it too :)
  • edited September 2009
    They should do it like a DVD have the option to "play all" or play an episode separate and when you play an episode on its own you'll get the Voodoo Lady openings.
  • edited September 2009
    It would be extremely easy for them to cut all the episodes together for the final DVD release. I have no idea why anyone would think any different.

    If anything, those Voodoo Lady intros & the end credits have been added on after. Chop them off & it would be an extremely simple edit to make it one big game. If TT don't do this for the pre-order DVD, I'll eat my hat.

    Not worried about losing the intros or the credits myself. I have them all on my hard drive with the original downloads after all.

    One big, seemless MI game for us pre-orderers please Telltale. Thank yooooooouuu! :)
  • edited September 2009
    Well even without the tarot recap, the ends and the beginnings don't fit seamlessly. They will have to do a bit of editing, and maybe even rewrite the score a little to make it fit. It's not a herculean effort, but it's something they'd have to invest time into.
  • edited September 2009
    Frogacuda wrote: »
    Well even without the tarot recap, the ends and the beginnings don't fit seamlessly. They will have to do a bit of editing, and maybe even rewrite the score a little to make it fit. It's not a herculean effort, but it's something they'd have to invest time into.

    Have you been playing the same game as me? It would be a very easy edit. A simple camera change to a persons reaction for example, but the sound would be the easiest, seeing as the same situation is happening at the beginning & at the end of the conjoining episodes.

    If you know just a tiny bit about editing, you would know how simple it is to do. It's almost laughable.
  • edited September 2009
    It was suggested for the first Sam and Max series. I think it was explained that it was, in short, impossible. Cannot be done.

    Well, I guess that it could be done, but it would almost be as easy to program it from skratch, what, with all the code that would need to be rewritten and redirected and added and removed and what not. To suggest that it is a simple question of editing, that is just silly.
  • edited September 2009
    Have you been playing the same game as me? It would be a very easy edit. A simple camera change to a persons reaction for example, but the sound would be the easiest, seeing as the same situation is happening at the beginning & at the end of the conjoining episodes.

    If you know just a tiny bit about editing, you would know how simple it is to do. It's almost laughable.

    I really don't think it is that easy. What exactly do you mean with editing? I don't think it is like copy and paste in a text file, or editing a video or audio file.

    Besides changing the intros and credits of the games, many more changes could be needed to make it work. I have no Idea if their tool works with some kind of Object IDs, but if it does, and there are ID conflicts between games, then many Objects and Scripts in all the games need to be changed, too. Maybe even Filenames of textures, speech and music files...
  • edited September 2009
    I'm signing up behind the "one big game" idea. Besides selling much better on retail it would be pretty fun to play it all together. This game was always meant as a continuous adventure and sewing the episodes together to make a "Director's cut" would only improve the quality of the game. As for the Voodoo lady openings and credits, they can be kept as a bonus. Or maybe even the episodic versions can be included on the DVD as well for those who prefer it like that.
  • edited September 2009
    As a video edit it would be easy. As in-engine cutscene it's relatively straightforward but would still take some working.
  • edited September 2009
    If you know just a tiny bit about editing, you would know how simple it is to do. It's almost laughable.

    Depending on how the next two episodes end maybe, you also have to look at it from an artistic stand-point, when you buy a mini-series on DVD there's (not to my knowledge at any rate) an option to watch it all as one on any i've ever seen. the games are inteneded as episodic even though there is a big story-arc and all. Plus as Telltales make no money on the DVD's (actually they lose money i'm sure what with the pressing and all that compared to people who stick with the downloads only) it's not really financially a great way to use resources, if I was running the show I certainly wouldn't bother, from a business standpoint
  • edited September 2009
    JedExodus wrote: »
    Plus as Telltales make no money on the DVD's (actually they lose money i'm sure what with the pressing and all that compared to people who stick with the downloads only)

    I would guess they budget for the cost of the DVDs in the price of the download, although I obviously can't speak for them.
  • WillWill Telltale Alumni
    edited September 2009
    This is one of those things that looks like it would be incredibly easy to do but totally isn't. Sorta like doing a new 2D adventure game. That said, I'm not saying this won't ever happen, I'm just saying that it isn't exactly a small change.
  • edited September 2009
    doggans wrote: »
    I would guess they budget for the cost of the DVDs in the price of the download, although I obviously can't speak for them.

    Aye, but my point being there's no financial incentive to do it really when there's 5 fully functional games there, they'll need all their manpower/womanpower/peoplepower/flowerpower for S&M Season 3 or whatever the next project may be

    EDIT: Though looking at Will's comment fills me with hope :)
  • edited September 2009
    Will wrote: »
    This is one of those things that looks like it would be incredibly easy to do but totally isn't. Sorta like doing a new 2D adventure game. That said, I'm not saying this won't ever happen, I'm just saying that it isn't exactly a small change.

    If I told you that I love you & I will send you my entire wage packet each month, would that help?

    I REALLY want this!! :(

    I'm sure I speak for most here by saying we are prepared to pay for the game as well as the shipping if such a financial change was needed.
  • edited September 2009
    I'm voting on 'sewing it together' but I understand if it weren't to happen.
  • edited September 2009
    they should put the voodoo lady scenes and maybe the credits in an "extras" folder along with majus movies - so they wont get lost, but still dont stand a full game not in the way.
  • edited September 2009
    Weird, I was thinking of creating the same exact thread. lol
  • edited September 2009
    I would probably buy it all over again if the retail release was made to be like this. Although I might buy the retail release regardless X3
  • edited October 2009
    Lord-z wrote: »
    It was suggested for the first Sam and Max series. I think it was explained that it was, in short, impossible. Cannot be done.
    Like improved audio quality? They said it can't be done with Sam and Max too. They learned from mistakes, and apparently, they improved sound quality in Tales. So why not a single game option too? It makes much more sense than in Sam & Max, anyways?
    Sam & Max is designed like a TV show, which gives you a season arc, but the episodes are basically stories of its own. Releasing episode 104 for free wouldn't make sense, if this wasn't the case.
    Tales on the other hand is one huge story to begin with.
  • edited October 2009
    Even if Telltale can't do it then surely there must be experienced modders out there up to the challenge? It would be a shame if it wasn't done as Monkey Island is a constant flowing story so having them together as one makes a lot of sense.
  • edited October 2009
    I'd love to see it happen, but if it's that much work I can live without it. And I'm pretty sure a modder can't do that.
  • JakeJake Telltale Alumni
    edited October 2009
    It would be extremely easy... an extremely simple edit... very easy... simple camera change... the easiest... how simple it is to do... almost laughable.

    While someone could go and splice the cutscenes together, that doesn't at all simplify or streamline the fact that each episode is built with its own independent data -- we share some resources between the episodes internally, but each episode's data pack has many "duplicated" resources which are actually very different from episode to episode. There is no "drop in" solution for having the episodes back to back. Is it worth considering? Absolutely. Is it so easy that you actually do half the work already by just waving your arms around in a presumptuous forum post? Nope.
  • edited October 2009
    Hey Telltale, how about a compromise: At least let me skip the credits sequences. If you want a 4 minute text scroll, fine, but I should have the option to skip it.
  • edited October 2009
    Have you been playing the same game as me? It would be a very easy edit. A simple camera change to a persons reaction for example, but the sound would be the easiest, seeing as the same situation is happening at the beginning & at the end of the conjoining episodes.
    Generally scenes don't have a big dramatic fanfare and fade out and then fade in with a new score right in the middle of them, do they? If we're talking about actual score and not just background loops, the marks are different when you make edits.
  • edited October 2009
    Jake wrote: »
    Is it so easy that you actually do half the work already by just waving your arms around in a presumptuous forum post? Nope.

    Ohhhhh burn!
  • edited October 2009
    I'm gonna buy any retail release, regardless of weather it's episodic or not
  • edited October 2009
    Hmmmm... would it really work?
    The episodes seem to have a nice structure: Introduction puzzle, Main bit, End mini-puzzle.
    If you have lots of these one after the other then you get a game with a difficulty curve that wobbles up and down like it doesn't know where it's going.

    One thing I would like though, which I think was in EMI, is the ability to view any past cutscenes again if you liked them.
  • edited October 2009
    Maybe for Season 2?
  • edited October 2009
    Jake wrote: »
    While someone could go and splice the cutscenes together, that doesn't at all simplify or streamline the fact that each episode is built with its own independent data -- we share some resources between the episodes internally, but each episode's data pack has many "duplicated" resources which are actually very different from episode to episode. There is no "drop in" solution for having the episodes back to back. Is it worth considering? Absolutely. Is it so easy that you actually do half the work already by just waving your arms around in a presumptuous forum post? Nope.


    Hmm, then maybe instead of splicing the episodes into one resource file, have the game automatically "shift gears" and load the next episode (sans credits and the "previously on" sequence)? I have to admit I don't understand much about the programming aspect of this, it's just that this idea seems to be very supported by most of the fans (including me). I think it was raised in several different threads by different people independently of each other.

    Also as TT plans to sell the Collector's DVD in retail stores, I think it will sell so much better if the game was a big whole adventure rather than episodic.

    Think about it - what sounds better printed on the game case: "Guybrush Threepwood returns in a brand new series of five episodes".
    or: "Guybrush Threepwood returns in a brand new adventure game".

    The idea of buying gaming mini-episodes in retail still brings out a negative reaction from people and I can't blame them.
  • edited October 2009
    Olegdr wrote: »
    Hmm, then maybe instead of splicing the episodes into one resource file, have the game automatically "shift gears" and load the next episode (sans credits and the "previously on" sequence)? I have to admit I don't understand much about the programming aspect of this, it's just that this idea seems to be very supported by most of the fans (including me). I think it was raised in several different threads by different people independently of each other.

    Also as TT plans to sell the Collector's DVD in retail stores, I think it will sell so much better if the game was a big whole adventure rather than episodic.

    Think about it - what sounds better printed on the game case: "Guybrush Threepwood returns in a brand new series of five episodes".
    or: "Guybrush Threepwood returns in a brand new adventure game".

    The idea of buying gaming mini-episodes in retail still brings out a negative reaction from people and I can't blame them.

    All DVDs still include the credits and "previously on" segments, so something like this should also, but they could include skip buttons.
  • edited October 2009
    Though i don't know nearly enough about programming to say this with any certainity, I can think of a seemingly easy way (at least compared to the alternatives) to do this that would probably please the fans. Though, it being "seemingly easy", is just a (wild) guess from me.

    Anyway, my idea is that instead of making one giant package with the full game, you could make a shell type of program that will run each seperate game by itself. It will have to normal opening screen with save/load resume game etc etc. And it would recquire all games to already be installed and bought. When you start the game, it would just open the first game (the game itself, not the openning screen of that game) , and when you're done with it, it would skip the end credits , and jump straight to the first cut scene of the second game. etc.

    Problems I can think of, is saving the game, which would probably be a bit of a programming task to make it apply to the correct portion of the game, and programming structure which could create problems with variable names and whatnot, and in turn bug testing and probably quite a few more.

    I don't know how hard it will be to do this, but I jsut thought I'd put it out there, though I'm sure the people at Telltale have thought most of the options through for doing this already.
  • edited October 2009
    I'm thinking along Gaston's lines too... I know that the game launcher for Chapter 1 has the ability to bring up a web browser and point it at the treasure hunting page; maybe with some clever scripting it could instead bring up a dialog box asking to play the next episode, and then launch right into it? It could work, maybe, I think... But having no experience whatsoever with the Telltale Tool, I wouldn't really know.
  • edited October 2009
    They probably will not, and I do not blame them for not wanting to do it, but I think its something they should look into in the future. With every TTG series released I think people always say that they wish it was an option..... I know its been on peoples wish lists at other gaming forums as well....

    The people want it TTG.... But at least for me its not a deal breaker.
  • edited October 2009
    Well for me Telltale Games stands for telling good stories and do great games like,
    Tales Of Monkey Island.

    When it comes to put all chapters together it isn't TTG´s style to do so. This gaming companys entire business concept is to do games and split it up in chapters like a show of 24.

    Just wanted to say my opinion in this matter. :)
  • edited October 2009
    Well it's not really about that. No one here is complaining about the episodic format in the context of a serial release, but I just think they would make more money if they packaged the retail game in a format more familiar to that audience.
  • edited October 2009
    I believe they are sewing them all together. And putting them on the CD version. So... Yeah.
  • edited October 2009
    What about a main menu - chapter scene - where we could pick how far we've gotten. That would be nice. Like Runaway.
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