ThunderPeel2001

The writing in SOMI, MI2 and (a little of) COMI was a bit "dry"? I think this needs to be moved to the unpopular opinions thread! For me, the writing in the first three games was the best bit about them...! Unless you mean that there was lack of lines for certain moments, then I agree. (LeChuck's Fortress for example always felt a bit empty and unfinished to me -- but I felt that emptiness less in SOMI and not at all in CMI.) I know what you mean about the "bone master" bit. It's a bit strange that there's no follow up line, but I also thought it was one of the weakest jokes in MI2. (Same with Guybrush's trousers falling down in the graveyard.) I really don't think adding any lines afterwards would have made it any funnier, but it would might have made it feel less weird. My biggest concern for ReMI though is having less tight dialogue. Thimbleweed Park let its characters ramble on for no real benefit. What could have been said in one brief line is dragged out to five rambling ones. I'd rather have had tighter conversations between characters and more lines added to interactions (eg. LOOK AT characters/objects, USE interactions, etc). I think the Ben and Dan games show how rewarding it can be when there's a unique line waiting for every interaction. Also I believe Tim Schafer has talked about how SOMI and MI2 taught him to tighten up his dialogue because every line mattered to disk space. I think this is a skill he's continued into his other games, even when disk space was no longer an issue. His writing is always very tight, and all the better for it, IMO.

I have not (😞). I mean, I've seen it in the shops when I'm 12 inches away from the screen. Then it looks amazing... but am I really going to see extra detail from 3m away with a 55" screen? The science [on teh internet, admittedly] says no -- although I want to believe. (I know the HDR aspect of it is going to make a huge difference, though) A lot of the time in the cinema you're seeing "2K" a DCP package (which, as LS points out, is essentially 1080p). I've watched Blu-rays projected at the cinema and not noticed (until I saw the Bluray copyright notice after the credits to my surprise). But one day I will take the plunge on a really good 4K set and finally see for myself.

I did like the fact that Ben and the gang decided to start wearing motorised rollerskates, though.

Hmm. I wonder how bad this is. Supposedly most people can't see the difference between 1080p and 4K. The human eye just cannot resolve the extra detail unless the screen is massive. Almost certainly not while viewing from home -- sit 10ft/3m from your TV and you need AT LEAST a 75" screen (more like 80"), and that's if you have perfect vision. The science: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/by-size/size-to-distance-relationship So probably the best thing about "4K" is the improved colour gamut from HDR, which can add a huge amount to an image. So maybe 1080p doesn't matter.

Nice find!

Really? I didn’t know that! Of course most digital projection in cinemas would have been 1080p back then, right?

Well, I’m glad we got that sorted.

There's a disagreement because you said I was being "pedantic in the extreme" for suggesting Full Throttle's and Curse's verb coins were not the same thing.... This isn't just some random thought I've had. As a UI/UX nerd I've been planning an article on the evolution of the Scumm interface for ages (one day...). It's one of those subjects I care passionately about. The fact that people don't appreciate good UX is why we've seen a rise of things like stick-controlled cursor-drive menus. It drives me crazy. So yeah, I found the unnecessary drive-by irritating... to the extreme

I'm not sure anyone anywhere has disagreed that they're both verb coins?

Sorry, but I don't see how it's pedantic in the extreme. They didn't have the same interface -- and I don't mean they had a different graphical style. It's like arguing that Last Crusade and Monkey Island EGA had the same interface. They had the same concept, but there's small differences that put one light years ahead of the other. UI is not just about what you see, it's about implementation. I just booted up both Full Throttle and Curse again in ScummVM to refresh my own memory: Curse feels absolutely unintrusive. It's fast, responsive, painless. Full Throttle's is a still a pain... It's sluggish and requires more precision. And look at that inventory... the wasted space alone! (UX tip: Don't hide options from the user.) Forcing the player to click outside the box to close it is annoying, too. Those annoyances add up over the course of a game. The bottom line is that LucasArts were always evolving and improving their interfaces. They improved the verb coin UX for Curse (just like they did with MI's interface after LC). That took time and energy, and those differences led to a better interface. I don't see how anyone can say they're "the same"?

Love them! I like the texture, too. It adds some life to the backgrounds. As for the typography, the original artwork (in Rogue Leaders) gives clearer intention, but your tests really bring the whole thing to life! Also I just found this website... loads of cut lines I never knew existed. Including a dead guy under the DeSoto... Sam: That'll teach him to break our antenna https://tcrf.net/Sam_%26_Max_Hit_the_Road

So what you're saying is... Disney are selling these fine leather jackets https://www.shopdisney.com/indiana-jones-leather-jacket-for-adults-2840057819027M.html?isProductSearch=0&plpPosition=2

Arranged by Mozart. Perfected by The Simpsons.

Sorry to get pedantic, but it didn't. It's was the first attempt at the verb coin, but it was perfected with Curse. Full Throttle's was always slightly clunky. From the slightly-too-long delay to the cramped inventory. Exactly. The two are superficially the same, but the small changes make the difference. I love Curse's interface... I tolerate Full Throttle's. (Although the worst of the second generation interfaces was Sam & Max's by far).

Damn double post

It's such an odd moment for what is essentially a kids film... I'm pretty sure my innocent 14 year old brain saw it and thought, "They couldn't have meant THAT... could they?".

As far as I'm concerned, Curse of Monkey Island perfected the modern verb-based interface. I don't really understand why every adventure game since hasn't just stolen it.

Speaking of the website... because there's nothing else to talk about, I'm really surprised at how it's put together. It's made up of tons of little PNGs (or webp's). It must have taken forever to build. I've never seen a website put together this way (although it was clearly compiled -- anyone know what it was written in?).

I think this is a good example of what you're talking about. I still think these upscales look amazing overall, though, and the "brush strokes" aren't as apparent on the other images.

Been meaning to play this. Any good?

176 (Bearing in mind that we're currently averaging about 5 pages every 10 days... I really don't think it's going to be in 6 page's time!)

Ahhh... Oops, yep you're right. Here's a video of gameplay from A Vampyre Story to distract us

I absolutely had the same complaints on my first playthrough, so I do get what you mean. I just don't have them anymore! For some reason I really appreciated how well structured it is on this second playthrough. I saw the same brain that made The Cave (which I also loved for its structure). I'm really looking forward to Return now... (I mean I was before, but now I think Ron will have done something quite clever with it.)

I actually backed Vooju Island, but I still haven't gotten around to playing it. Both it and A Vampyre Story look like gorgeous games. I don't know why I've never got around to playing them... maybe nobody has ever been especially effusive about them. But what if everyone else is doing the same thing!?

This is just absolutely perfect. Wow.