Details of Monkey Island

[Gins]

On 6/14/2024 at 10:28 PM, Thrik said:

I find the repetition really funny for some reason. 😅

 

I interpreted it as, since Guybrush is telling the story, he _wanted_ to tell it with something like @ThunderPeel2001 suggested, but pivoted to the "figure of speech" line after Boybrush's protest  😁

[Udvarnoky]

With a little help from his friends, @Remi illuminated some Monkey 2 esoterica on the main site today.

[Threepwood4life]

https://www.eurogamer.net/monkey-island-series-influenced-jude-law-fronted-star-wars-spin-off-skeleton-crew

[ThunderPeel2001]

So I'm playing Curse again for the xth time and I randomly discovered something I'd never seen before. 

 

I inhaled some helium... and then used the bubble gum while his voice was still high pitched. As Guybrush was chewing, I thought to myself, "they should have made it so when he does this the b..." and lo! They had. Damn.

 

Did everyone else already know of this tiny detail? (No spoilers for anyone who wants to try it.) Honestly, the attention to the small things is why Curse is so much fun to replay.

 

(Schafer was right when he said they should go back and fix all the "Nice x" lines at the end of Monkey 2.)

[TimeGentleman]

If I recall correctly, that's actually part of a puzzle solution if you play in Mega Monkey mode. Pretty much the hardest one in the game!

 

And agreed with Schafer. The only way I could square that lazy/rushed feel (and the relatively poor puzzle design and storytelling in that section) away was that as kid Guybrush senses his time for roleplaying is running out, he rushes his story more and more!

[ThunderPeel2001]

1 hour ago, TimeGentleman said:

If I recall correctly, that's actually part of a puzzle solution if you play in Mega Monkey mode. Pretty much the hardest one in the game!

 

Ahhhh! I think you're right. Ha. I just thought it was a fun easter egg, but I'm playing in regular mode and that puzzle is always the one that stumps me in Mega Monkey.

 

1 hour ago, TimeGentleman said:

And agreed with Schafer. The only way I could square that lazy/rushed feel (and the relatively poor puzzle design and storytelling in that section) away was that as kid Guybrush senses his time for roleplaying is running out, he rushes his story more and more!

 

It's a shame we have to solve that with head cannon.

[Gins]

6 hours ago, ThunderPeel2001 said:

It's a shame we have to solve that with head cannon.

Fret not, now we can just use the power of LLMs to generate "nice x" lines for everything! 🤡

[ThunderPeel2001]

16 hours ago, Gins said:

Fret not, now we can just use the power of LLMs to generate "nice x" lines for everything! 🤡

 

"In the style of Tim Schafer, Dave Grossman and Ron Gilbert, write fun descriptions for all the different signs in LeChuck's fortress for a new version of Monkey Island 2"

⸻

1. “Welcome to LeChuck’s Fortress – Abandon Hope (and Clean Socks) All Ye Who Enter”

Please wipe your feet. Evil is powerful, but not above muddy floors.

⸻

2. “No Unauthorized Ghosts Beyond This Point”

Only the authorized undead may haunt, scare, or cackle menacingly here. Poltergeist interns must check in at reception.

⸻

3. “Treasure Room – Trespassers Will Be Polished and Sold as Souvenirs”

Our treasure is guarded by traps, curses, and a disgruntled parrot with a grudge. You’ve been warned.

⸻

4. “Danger: Moaning, Groaning, and Occasional Explosions Ahead”

LeChuck’s latest experiments in supernatural mayhem may cause temporary loss of limbs or reality. Proceed with existential caution.

⸻

5. “Cafeteria – Serving Only the Best in Rotting Grub Since 1667”

Today’s Special: Boiled Eyeball Stew with a side of Screaming Peas. No refunds. No survivors.

⸻

6. “Dungeon – Now With 30% More Torment!”

Our dungeons are equipped with the latest in medieval discomfort technology. Chains, racks, and endless banjo music.

⸻

7. “This Way to the Lava Jacuzzi”

For ghosts only. Mortals may experience light incineration. Complimentary towels (charred).

⸻

8. “LeChuck’s Office – Do Not Disturb Unless You Enjoy Eternal Doom”

By appointment only. Wednesdays reserved for beard maintenance.

⸻

9. “Beware the Haunted Hallway – Echoes of Lost Souls and Really Bad Puns”

Step quietly. The floorboards are sensitive. And sarcastic.

⸻

10. “Official Map of the Fortress – You Are Here (And Probably Regret It)”

Directions not to scale. Or accurate. Or helpful.

⸻

11. “Ghostly HR Department – Now Offering Post-Mortem Benefits!”

Need help with your spectral career? We provide ghastly guidance and resume haunting tips.

⸻

12. “Skeleton Crew Lounge – No Skin, No Shoes, No Problem”

Open 24/7. Karaoke every Friday. Theme: Songs to Die For.

⸻

13. “Secret Exit – Shhh! It’s a Secret!”

If you can read this, you’re not supposed to be here. Report to LeChuck immediately for re-education.

⸻

14. “Beware of LeChuck’s Beard – It Bites”

Approach with caution. Beard oil available at the gift shop.

⸻

15. “Fortress Maintenance – Now Hiring Minions With Flexible Morals”

Must be willing to work nights, weekends, and across multiple dimensions.

⸻
 

Oof. They're fricking awful... No surprise I guess

 

 

Edited Thursday at 10:55 AM by ThunderPeel2001

[neoncolor8]

On 4/23/2025 at 1:42 PM, ThunderPeel2001 said:

 

Ahhhh! I think you're right. Ha. I just thought it was a fun easter egg, but I'm playing in regular mode and that puzzle is always the one that stumps me in Mega Monkey.

 

 

It's a shame we have to solve that with head cannon.

 

I actually didn't know that you can do this everywhere! 

The bubble just floats till the edge of the screen and pops. This is fun! Thanks for sharing!

[Thrik]

Not that I’m saying this is an acceptable way to write a game but you get better results from the AI overlords if you give them more context.

 

I think your attempt went off the deep end because it was looking at the styles of the authors more generally (say, as in DOTT) rather than the game itself.

 

Quote

In LucasArts’ ‘Monkey Island 2’ the villain LeChuck has a fortress. In the main lobby there is a series of signs pointing in random directions that are referred to as ‘sign’, ‘yet another sign’, etc. There are around 10 signs. When the main character Guybrush reads these he uses a stock response or ‘Nice sign’, ‘Nice yet another sign’, etc.

 

In a style befitting the game and fortress, could you create 10 better responses for when Guybrush examines these signs?

 

“Ah, a sign. How original. Never seen one of those before.”

 

“Another sign? Wow, just what I needed.”

 

“Oh look, a sign. What a groundbreaking addition to the decor.”

 

“A sign, huh? Well, that’s going to change everything.”

 

“Yet another sign. Because we really needed more direction.”

 

“Oh, fantastic. A sign. I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life.”

 

“A sign that points… somewhere. Riveting.”

 

“This sign must be the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe. Or not.”

 

“I’m overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of this sign. Truly.”

 

“Well, that sign really cleared everything up. Not at all confusing.”

 

What if we imagined the signs referred to actual locations within the fortress, without getting too silly?

 

“The ‘Armory.’ A place full of sharp objects. I’m sure it’s very… useful.”

 

“The ‘Dungeon.’ Sounds like a welcoming place to spend the afternoon.”

 

“The ‘Treasure Vault.’ I’ll just casually assume there’s something shiny in there.”

 

“The ‘Engine Room.’ A lot of moving parts, I’d imagine.”

 

“The ‘Library.’ I’m sure there’s a lot of interesting reading material in there.”

 

“The ‘Throne Room.’ I wonder if the furniture’s as uncomfortable as it looks.”

 

“The ‘Torture Chamber.’ Well, that’s a pretty direct name.”

 

“The ‘Kitchen.’ Hopefully, they serve more than just gruel.”

 

“The ‘Secret Passage.’ Now that’s the kind of shortcut I like to hear about.”

 

“The ‘Guard Quarters.’ I’m sure they’ve got their own… unique charm.”

Obviously it’s still disgusting compared to using actual humans, although for the ‘Nice…’ responses in MI2 maybe it’s a toss-up.

[Gins]

1 hour ago, Thrik said:

Obviously it’s still disgusting compared to using actual humans, although for the ‘Nice…’ responses in MI2 maybe it’s a toss-up.

 

There's something very human about signs, of all things, that the main character frustratingly describes, rather than reads.

 

Even time and budget running out, this human decision allows us to speculate today, after over 30 years, what might have possibly gone through these writer's minds when they took that shortcut (despite them having already explained it, no less 😄).

 

If it had been AI? Well, the explanation is simply that the AI wrote it. End of story.

 

It is one of the better arguments against AI replacing human art, because most of our conversations we have are not about Guybrush, Elaine or Stan, they are about Ron, Dave and Tim and everyone who was ever involved in the series.

[ThunderPeel2001]

On 4/24/2025 at 4:27 PM, Thrik said:

Obviously it’s still disgusting compared to using actual humans, although for the ‘Nice…’ responses in MI2 maybe it’s a toss-up.

 

Yeah, these are all still abysmal 🤷‍♂️ 

[Thrik]

On 4/24/2025 at 6:30 PM, Gins said:

If it had been AI? Well, the explanation is simply that the AI wrote it. End of story.

 

It is one of the better arguments against AI replacing human art, because most of our conversations we have are not about Guybrush, Elaine or Stan, they are about Ron, Dave and Tim and everyone who was ever involved in the series.

Once I know that any sort of art was made by AI, it’s like something inside me switches off and I’m just not interested in it.

 

Even if the descriptions were good —which to be honest you probably could get them to be with enough prompting and the right pre-loading, if not now then certainly in the near future — I still wouldn’t enjoy it if I knew its origin.

 

That line is going to get real blurry in the coming years, and even if it’s not practical to avoid AI being used in any part of the workflow, I would get behind some sort of certification that at least the creative expression — the art, writing, gameplay, audio — was done without AI.

 

Even then though, where do you draw the line? I hate the idea of AI voicing characters, but using it to restore bad-quality audio is understandable. Of course then you kill any possible funding of a composer remastering it, so I guess that is probably evil too. Jeez.

[ThunderPeel2001]

3 minutes ago, Thrik said:

if not now then certainly in the near future

 

Maybe. Maybe not. I've felt that LLMs might be peaking for quite some time now. Every new model seems to be incrementally "improved", if at all. But I think you're right that AI is going to be involved at some stage of everything now

Edited 11 hours ago by ThunderPeel2001

[Thrik]

It feels to me like it could take decades before there’s another grand push forwards*, or we could be living Terminator next year. Who bloody knows.
 

* Towards the idea of an all-knowing approximated human mind or better, which I think is the inevitable goal, while these LLMs we play with now are something quite different.