Return to Monkey Island

[Laserschwert]

@Dmnkly As I understand it, Ron was sitting in during the recording sessions. Was that first, or was he on site during the Special Edition recordings too? If it was a first, did it add any additional pressure or a special atmosphere to have the creator of Monkey Island right there?

[KestrelPi]

26 minutes ago, Laserschwert said:

@Dmnkly As I understand it, Ron was sitting in during the recording sessions. Was that first, or was he on site during the Special Edition recordings too? If it was a first, did it add any additional pressure or a special atmosphere to have the creator of Monkey Island right there?

 

I bet at least it helps with the voice direction. I mean Khris Brown is amazing so I have zero worries about that in the first place, but I guess it's still possible occasionally for the context to get missed and a line read to have a weird emphasis that doesn't make sense in context. But if the writer is there, they should be able to make extra sure all the reads work in context.

[Niemandswasser]

2 hours ago, OzzieMonkey said:

I've always been confused about one joke in Curse, amd I was wondering if you guys could clarify it for me. On Skull Island, you can say "that diamond belongs in a museum!" to which King Andre responds "so do post impressionist paintings". Guybrush is confused and King Andre assures him that "one day, you will understand". What's the joke here? In Last Crusade, the response to "it belongs in a museum" is "so do you" so my best guess is that he's calling Guybrush a post impressionist painting. Would you describe Curse's artstyle (of the characters at least, if not the backgrounds) as post-impressionist?

 

The joke is that that kind of art hasn't even been invented yet, much less become well-regarded enough to be in a museum. They're playing with the fact that everybody in the Monkey Island games tend to blithely accept anachronisms as part of their reality, but in actuality there's no reason a 17th century sailor would know what post-impressionism is. Also, it's funny because King Andre is playing at being the all-knowing villain with a plan the hero can't possibly grasp, but the "foreknowledge" he's claiming is just...what art movements will eventually get big? What's so funny about King Andre to me is how grandiose he acts versus how banal everything he's actually doing and saying is. (And Dave Fennoy's A+ performance of course.)

[demone]

On 5/31/2022 at 11:12 PM, Scummbuddy said:

Back on topic, I wouldn't really take all this Dominic and Ron teasing on Twitter as "The Secret is GOING to be revealed". I would definitely tamp your expectations. If it does, and it's satisfying, all the better. I'm assuming it won't be revealed, as to just add to the games allure, and I'm just looking for a good game and a good time. I believe I'm safe in expecting that.

Dom said he knows the Secret now (albeit very playfully), so I'm going to risk being disappointed. I actually never put much stock in the secret blowing my mind simply because the only relevance the secret had was in the title of the first game. My excitement was always for a good game in an amazing series, but when tweets are made about the secret, yes I put stock in them. If it's not releveled, no big deal, but I'm enjoying in the speculation that it might.

[Vainamoinen]

What @demone said.

 

"The secret" is likely just a bit of personal background information about Guybrush Threepwood that ties him in some way to Monkey Island. I don't have any great expectations, and I'm not even enjoying the speculation, because it so often is in the very center of discussion when other things could be discussed*.

 

I'm much more keen on hearing more about Guybrush's family background than I am to find out whether Ron has or hasn't placed info in TSoMI and LCR that could be considered hints/foreshadowing about some secret. Whether there is or not is not important, the appeal of the "secret", for 30 years, has always been that no one knew squat about it. Once it's revealed, the whole enigma goes poof and we'll kind of wish it was never revealed. 😬

 

 

* You're still waiting for the speculation? Well okay then. Guybrush is actually cannibal no. 4 on a special mission. In Return to Monkey Island, they will heal his amnesia and call him carambolahead again.

[MurraySchull]

Going back a bit in this thread... After all these years, I genuinely never considered Guybrush entering Melee Island through the archway at the top of the mountain before. Now Ron's hinting that it might be important...

 

Another "underground tunnel" entrance would be my guess.

[KestrelPi]

finally a use for AI

 

[ThunderPeel2001]

38 minutes ago, KestrelPi said:

finally a use for AI

 

This must have been the process LucasArts went through for first Special Edition.  Zing!

 

Also what @demone said 💯 

[Vainamoinen]

48 minutes ago, KestrelPi said:

finally a use for AI

 

I didn't think it was possible, but these eyes are even more effed up than Guybrush's left eye, Elaine's right eye, and Ozzie's right eye on the cover of Escape from Monkey Island. 😏

 

 

[BillyCheers]

@Dmnkly: "Threeeeepwooood! So good of you to join us!" (said in Boen voice)

Exciting to have you here. I am curious to see what you will share here. A few behind the scenes infos are always nice (if you can of course). ☺️

 

3 hours ago, Vainamoinen said:

"The secret" is likely just a bit of personal background information about Guybrush Threepwood that ties him in some way to Monkey Island. I don't have any great expectations, and I'm not even enjoying the speculation, because it so often is in the very center of discussion when other things could be discussed*.

 

I'm much more keen on hearing more about Guybrush's family background than I am to find out whether Ron has or hasn't placed info in TSoMI and LCR that could be considered hints/foreshadowing about some secret. Whether there is or not is not important, the appeal of the "secret", for 30 years, has always been that no one knew squat about it. Once it's revealed, the whole enigma goes poof and we'll kind of wish it was never revealed. 😬

I kind of feel the same way.
On one hand, I find the question interesting and am curious what Ron has always imagined it to be (as he seems to have a very concrete idea). On the other hand, I can do without the resolution – and the explanation of the MI2 ending is more important to me.
I just hope that the mystery isn't too crazy or outlandish. I definitely prefer a less effective, but "logical" or believable solution. Such resolutions or twists don't always have to be big and completely unthinkable. There are many twists that you expect to happen or that aren't really exciting in and of themselves, but then work so great because of the right execution.

 

As for the time travel or time time jumps… I hope they don't go in that direction, that would feel like fan service to me. And as for the "canon" problems (Stan in the coffin): I don't think that everything will beautifully work together canon wise. And they also said, they'll be taking what they like and "change" other things (while being careful to not hurt the fans).

Edited June 5, 2022 by BillyCheers

[madmardi]

2 minutes ago, Vainamoinen said:

 

I didn't think it was possible, but these eyes are even more effed up than Guybrush's left eye, Elaine's right eye, and Ozzie's right eye on the cover of Escape from Monkey Island. 😏

 

 

 

Just throwing this out there... but I just looked up the Escape cover art on Google and it made me so happy

[Toymafia88]

@Dmnkly, what are your thoughts on the new Guybrush character design? 😁

 

Also was this your first time meeting Ron? 

Edited June 5, 2022 by Toymafia88

[OzzieMonkey]

1 hour ago, KestrelPi said:

finally a use for AI

 

Why does he look like a posh aristocrat in all of these? 😂

[madmardi]

3 hours ago, Vainamoinen said:

 

I'm much more keen on hearing more about Guybrush's family background than I am to find out whether Ron has or hasn't placed info in TSoMI and LCR that could be considered hints/foreshadowing about some secret. Whether there is or not is not important, the appeal of the "secret", for 30 years, has always been that no one knew squat about it. Once it's revealed, the whole enigma goes poof and we'll kind of wish it was never revealed. 😬

 

Yea, I’m kinda wondering the same. Maybe it’s better not to have it revealed..

 

Unless it’s really mind-blowingly cool - then reveal it by all means! 😆

[OzzieMonkey]

I thought I could die happy knowing that Ron Gilbert was making a new Monkey Island, and now I can die happy knowing that Ron Gilbert liked one of my tweets:

 

[demone]

24 minutes ago, OzzieMonkey said:

I thought I could die happy knowing that Ron Gilbert was making a new Monkey Island, and now I can die happy knowing that Ron Gilbert liked one of my tweets:

 

That's awesome. Ron seems like such a good guy; makes it all the better that he's finally able to make the game he wants to make.

[Toymafia88]

Where I live the Devolver showcase is tomorrow night. 😬😬😬 Annoyingly I'm at wedding, but I'll definitley see it as soon as I'm allowed.

 

This forums been a bit quiet so I wanted to post my hype! We might finally see Guybrush!

 

Also do you think Return will get a big box like this? Well done the fan that photoshoped this 😁

[Lagomorph01]

42 minutes ago, Toymafia88 said:

Where I live the Devolver showcase is tomorrow night. 😬😬😬 Annoyingly I'm at wedding, but I'll definitley see it as soon as I'm allowed.

 

This forums been a bit quiet so I wanted to post my hype! We might finally see Guybrush!

 

Also do you think Return will get a big box like this? Well done the fan that photoshoped this 😁

Haha! I'd say enjoy the wedding. That's a once in a lifetime event.

The trailer and info will still be there when you get back (if they even show it.)

 

I'm guessing we'll at least get a big box from Limited Run.

Anyway, I'm hoping for a different box. One that will truly be a showcase of the adventure that we're about to embark upon!

Edited June 8, 2022 by Lagomorph01

[Kroms]

Return to Monkey Island's first real trailer is likely to debut within the next 48 hours. Its existence was a laughable notion as recently as March, but, improbably, it's true: Ron Gilbert is helming a Monkey Island game, with many of the key players back. The announcement trailer showcased an art style different to what I'd have expected, foregoing 1991 with a respectful acknowledgement of the 31 years since and a hope to break new ground.

 

Still, we're very much back, baby.

 

Perhaps for the last time.

 

At the height of my love affair with Doctor Who in 2010, I came across a sad forum whose users had made their dislike for anything the show'd done from ~1977 a personality trait. At heart, it was an unexamined fear of change. I'd seen that outlook on forum posts (for example) bemoaning adventure games' collective decision to no longer require months'-long, trance-like trips into designers' neuroses to progress—a decision that had left people stuck in place. Me, I moved on to different countries/cultures/ideas, and I'm richer for it.

 

So I look forward to the trailer, knowing that Monkey Island fans appreciate iconoclasm and wouldn't squander the mind-boggling excitement of the moment by collectively soiling their trousers over Guybrush's new design (at least, I'm hoping he has a new design—maybe something in bottle green?) or spamming its creator in vain hopes of "saving" whatever version of Monkey 3a they hallucinated as teenagers. Because surely—surely—Monkey Island fans wouldn't be so insular and myopic they'd be stuck in their 1977, would they?

Can't wait to meet this guy.

Edited June 8, 2022 by Kroms

[Vainamoinen]

48 minutes ago, Kroms said:

At the height of my love affair with Doctor Who in 2010, I came across a forum that disliked anything the show'd done from ~1977 onwards. It was sad; its users had made inherent dislike a personality trait. At heart, it was an unexamined fear of change. I'd seen that outlook on forum posts (for example) bemoaning adventure games' collective decision to no longer require months'-long, trance-like trips into designers' neuroses to progress—a decision that had left people stuck in place. Me, I moved on to different countries/cultures/ideas, and I'm richer for it.

 

[...] Because surely—surely—Monkey Island fans wouldn't be so insular and myopic they'd be stuck in their 1977, would they?

A few pages back, I compared the idea that Return to Monkey Island could be anything besides "Monkey Island 6" to the equally absurd notion that you could funk up the Doctor count by retroactively inserting an in-between doctor into the story. Adding to that, in my completely objective opinion, anyone who did not madly fall for the Donna-Doctor-duo back in 2008 can not possibly possess a soul.

 

But back to the topic at hand. 🥰

 

At the beginning of April, back when hell froze over, I was pretty sure that Monkey Island fans would be so starved for a new part, one with Rondave at the helm and the iMuse trio at the instruments (plus JEJ, I'll have to add), that they would not utter a word of criticism and just enjoy this new entry. Sure that was naive, but it was a naivity that was specific to the Monkey Island series. I've bathed in that fandom's positivity back in 2009 and that even sold the concept of episodic gaming to me. I'm pretty disappointed by game culture as a whole – so much in fact that I sometimes wonder whether the bulk of "gamers" nowadays even like their own hobby, or if it's just something they started because there's nothing else for them, really.

 

The criticism up until now was by a select few who dislike – rather "strongly dislike", "hate" or "despise", evidently, because there are no grey zones in gamer country – the early screenshots and animation shown in the teaser. However, I guess at least 97% of MI enthusiasts have taken a rough assessment of the dominant three negative nelly archetypes* and decided that those dudes will have to battle it out amongst themselves, to the death.

 

I of course reject the notion that this will be "perhaps the last" Monkey Island game. Chances for Monkey Island 7 are so, so much better now than they were, say, in March of 2022. We'll just make sure that Disney has their payoff, and a sequel is inevitable.

 

 

* [1] the 40+ year old "how could Ron ever do anything besides the pixel art he promised" archetype, [2] the younger "It should be like CMI but in HD" archetype and, of course, the default [3] "Ron can do whatever style he wants, but NOT THAT ONE" archetype.

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Vainamoinen

[madmardi]

I just took a break from reading a research paper for my master's program, and I have to say that the posts I just read by both Kroms and Vainamoinen were truly well-written, insightful, and thought-provoking literary masterpieces, not to mention much more interesting than reading about educational theory.

[OzzieMonkey]

I definitely share the sentiment of surprise at the initial reaction, but at the same time my exposure to how fans reacted to certain other famous franchises has left me a bit jaded and expecting some negativity. I also know from this experience that things pass and soon people will find the next thing to be angry at; at least we're spared the YouTube grifters making hundreds of videos about how Disney are forcing their "agenda" onto Monkey Island. That would've been exhausting and I promise you that my name would not be popping up in the forums this frequently if we got to that level of insanity. 

 

There's a part of me that's expecting nothing to be shown at Devolver's showcase just to protect my own sanity (even though it seems pretty likely that we'll get SOMETHING). I had to do that when the game was announced on April Fools' too, I just couldn't let myself believe it. 

Edited June 8, 2022 by OzzieMonkey

[Elle]

3 hours ago, Vainamoinen said:

I'm pretty disappointed by game culture as a whole – so much in fact that I sometimes wonder whether the bulk of "gamers" nowadays even like their own hobby, or if it's just something they started because there's nothing else for them, really.

 

I agree so much with that sentence you wrote. It echoes what I feel when I lurk around the rotten corners of YouTube and Twitter. It hurts me to see such anger, self-entitlement, disdain and malice from individuals who call themselves fans. What do they gain from it exactly? Do they feel better after all that venting? My guess is they don't.

 

I'm kind of happy I wasn't around when the announcement trailer came out.

Edited June 8, 2022 by Elle

[Vainamoinen]

4 hours ago, Elle said:

I'm kind of happy I wasn't around when the announcement trailer came out.

 

I had @Marius' reaction video and that simply made the day for me. April 4th, it was all sunshine and monkey wrenches.

[Elle]

This sure is a nice reaction video! Thanks for sharing.