The Walking Dead (from Telltale Games) - Catch All

I hope someone here can answer me this:

Will how the majority "votes" in those decisions that are listed in the end screen influence the course of the season?

Loving this game so far. I'm going to try to play it in stages so I can savour it.

MEATER wrote:

I hope someone here can answer me this:

Will how the majority "votes" in those decisions that are listed in the end screen influence the course of the season?

I just assumed they put that screen in the game because XBox Live Arcade has some kind of contractual "Leaderboard" requirement that they were half-heartedly satisfying. But I could be wrong about that.

I think the script has to be written so far ahead in the production pipeline, taking into account the time for console certification and all that, that there is probably not time to alter each episode based on the "voting" of the masses for the previous one.

Two of the Walking Dead developers were on a podcast recently... Giant Bomb, maybe? and I believe they said that feedback would be considered for future episodes. But I imagine the development pipeline is at least 1-2 episodes deep.

Bought the entire season on the strength of the first episode. Best horror game in far too long a time.

Was it wrong that...

Spoiler:

as I was deciding whether to give the woman from the motel room the gun, so she could kill herself before turning into a zombie, part of me was also wondering if she had any batteries in her room?

Great game.

I bit on this after the emphatic recommendation on this week's CC. Very good stuff. The plot, art style and camera work are all great. I'm very excited for the next episode.

Just to establish my street cred (Clock cred?), I dislike zombie fiction as a rule, watched S1 of the TV series (wife's idea) and thought it was awful, and have never played an adventure game before (beside LA Noire). I bit on this though since I heard the choice/consequence was really compelling (what I hoped to see in The Witcher 2, but I'm not enjoying other aspects of that game), it's 400 spacebucks, and I was interested to see what Famous and Video Games' co-directorial project was like.

And it's seriously good. If nothing else, the characters are more real and interesting than the show's. Without rehashing what others have mentioned above, I'll just add that taking part in those conversations is some of the most satisfying decision-making I've made in a game, fueled by that tension-driving timer. All the choices are valid decisions that a human might make, without a whiff of that asshole/saint dichotomy that typically plagues video game dialogues. The choices and timer combine to make a system that can't just be analyzed for the "optimal" solution. During one of the best parts of the game (the argument in the drugstore) I found myself playing and reacting—and being allowed by the game to react—like a real human being: some of my decisions then were just to try to calm everyone down, rather than trying to play optimally or paragon-ally, making snap decisions to keep someone from doing something they might regret.

Much more interesting and engaging than any argument I might have instead witnessed in a passive medium. Playing as Lee, the experience is charged with empathy, which video games are so well positioned among all media to deliver. It reminds me of another game, Last Night on Earth coincidentally, which causes you, when you have to make that choice, to understand why and empathize with the character who has to run back to the shed despite the danger. Instead of yelling at the TV if I was watching it happen, I know why Lee said some of the things he did, since I felt they were the best he could in those moments.

As an aside, I don't get the hair-splitting I've been reading about whether TWD is a "game" or not. Of course it's a game. It's the literal implementation of Sid Meier's definition ("a series of interesting choices"), it has win states of various degrees (foster harmony, solve puzzles, make it to the end), fail states (cause discord, be stymied by puzzles, or simply pop your tasty clogs). What elements do people think it's missing that it's not a true game?

As another aside, so you can choose which you want to be my last word, I was hoping to play this "co-op": my wife make the decisions and I press the buttons. Unfortunately, zombies to her are like sharks: morbidly compelling, but too frightening to stand for long (for some eps of the show, she'd have to go to another room while I described what was happening on screen—don't tell her I said that), so my idea for our play together lasted right up to getting the shotgun.

Gravey wrote:

If nothing else, the characters are more real and interesting than the show's.

I said almost this exact same thing to my wife when I finished the game. So much more close to the heart of the comic series than the television show.

Really enjoyed it, just like most people here. I found the conversations engrossing and was really worried about how my dialogue choices would impact the rest of the game and series. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season.

Interestingly enough, the last Telltale game I played was Tales of Monkey Island. While I enjoyed it for a return to Monkey Island's characters and humor, I felt after playing it that I was done with the traditional LucasArts style of point and click adventure games. I didn't play the Back to the Future games after that because they look mostly like more of the same. I had been looking forward to Jurassic Park and was disappointed when the reviews came in. On the other hand, trying the demo for The Walking Dead really sold me on it, and I was happy when the puzzles were fairly straightforward. The segment where

Spoiler:

you sneak around the hotel parking lot trying to silently take out the zombies

was fantastic. The game had real emotion and real tension. The first is rare for most adventure games I've played. The second is nonexistent for the ones I've played. So yeah, bring on the rest of the season. If Telltale is at the point where they're now innovating and moving forward the adventure game genre, I'm happy to see where they're going.

I got the season pass on PS3 tonight. I needed a break from work and thought it would be relaxing and the same time as a movie, by all accounts.
I may be regretting the season pass. I've remembered my problem with adventure games. I can see 100 ways to do the thing that I need to do, but I can't figure out the one mechanism that the developer built in.

I'm currently in the

Spoiler:

drug store

, and could use some help.

Spoiler:

I've fixed the radio, given everyone food, turned on the TVs, talked to everyone, and I can't seem to get the brick to break the window at the TV shop, and open the lock. Can someone help me out. I don't care if you spoil the scene for me, I just want to get past this roadblock.

Thanks.

Ghostship wrote:

I got the season pass on PS3 tonight. I needed a break from work and thought it would be relaxing and the same time as a movie, by all accounts.
I may be regretting the season pass. I've remembered my problem with adventure games. I can see 100 ways to do the thing that I need to do, but I can't figure out the one mechanism that the developer built in.

I'm currently in the

Spoiler:

drug store

, and could use some help.

Spoiler:

I've fixed the radio, given everyone food, turned on the TVs, talked to everyone, and I can't seem to get the brick to break the window at the TV shop, and open the lock. Can someone help me out. I don't care if you spoil the scene for me, I just want to get past this roadblock.

Thanks.

Spoiler:

If you've already gone to save ball-cap guy (I forget his name), you can use the axe to break the lock. If not, you need to talk to the reporter with the gun to go get him once he's radioed in.

Yeah, the puzzle-solving is not very taxing—the linearity is a benefit there. That either solves a criticism of the game, or compounds them. I got hung up on that part for ages too, then decided to forge ahead with another task. One thing led to another, and all solutions were provided in the preordained way.

CptGlanton wrote:

I played it Saturday and really liked it. It was a distilled version of what I like about the show--critical choices and tense arguments--without what drags the show down--everything else.

One thing I strongly disliked: No option to invert the Y axis (on 360, at least, that I could find). Boo.

I've only played a bit of the game, but the inability to invert is terrible. Not being able to invert as I like was the reason I didn't bother with Beyond Good and Evil on xbla.

Thanks for the tip.

I gave some thought to my complaint about being locked into one solution. It's not like any narrative FPS is any different.
It seems to me that the reason it bothers me is, in a story driven FPS, the objects and puzzles which you need use or solve are obvious. You don't see anything else which is interactive or useful, yet somehow they make it feel like you were just using what was available to you at the time. The pixel hunt aspect of this adventure game style, calls your attention to any number of things that you would like to use, but it just doesn't happen to be the device that the designers implemented.

Spoiler:

In this example, I'm specifically referring to the cane. They go as far as to call your attention directly to it, and how good it is for whacking bad buys, but then won't let you have it. I kept wanting to get the cane to pull the brick closer, to smash the lock, or throw at the TV store. It was incredibly frustrating to have those options there, but unavailable.

I was thinking in a triage kind of way. You treat the heart patient who is here now and safe, before going out to risk your life.

Thanks for that adjustment.

I'm excited to get past this little hold up because, despite the adventure game mechanics which don't particularly like, and a bit of jankiness for scene cuts, and a lot of loading on the PS3, I'm really invested in the characters.

Strangely enough, I find myself role playing the character. I suppose if you know my penchant for Neverwinter Nights, maybe not so strange, but I'm asking myself things like, "OK I'm this guy, what would he do?" This is difficult at times because my only real knowledge of him seems to be coming from the menu choices. I also know, without having finished that hey intended me/us to be this personal with the lead character; I know they're going to take that, turn the point around and stick back through my own ribs somewhere and soon. I have an idea what's going to happen at the end of the episode. I need to see if I'm right.

Spoiler:

The boy WAS bitten wasn't he? No don't tell me.

Hope I get time to finish it tonight.

I've been debating playing Episode 1 again and playing Lee as a complete douche just to see what changes.

Does accuracy of the reticle matter in the combat mechanic?

because...

Spoiler:

The scene where he chops up his brother, I thought I was getting good aim at the head, but it hit the neck twice. Was that my aim, or written in for dramatic effect?

Ghostship wrote:

Does accuracy of the reticle matter in the combat mechanic?

because...

Spoiler:

The scene where he chops up his brother, I thought I was getting good aim at the head, but it hit the neck twice. Was that my aim, or written in for dramatic effect?

The second:)

I finished the 360 version the other day in one sitting with the environment/story UI off, which made a couple spots more challenging. I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to the remaining episodes after the teaser at the end.

Spoiler:

My summary page showed I was in the minority picking Shawn over Duck, and giving the gun to the girl at the hotel.

KidDork wrote:

I've been debating playing Episode 1 again and playing Lee as a complete douche just to see what changes.

I've thought about that too, but didn't look to closely, does the 360 have multiple save locations like the PC version?

Spoiler:

For the bitten girl at the hotel, I didn't want to give her the gun not because I had anything against her killing herself. The world is f*cked up and she can end it if she wants to. There was just simply no way I was handing over our only firearm to a clearly unstable person I knew nothing about.

It was unfortunate that this point of view wasn't reflected in any of the dialog choices.

edison wrote:

I've thought about that too, but didn't look to closely, does the 360 have multiple save locations like the PC version?

I'm on the PS3, and I thought there were three save slots. It's been a week and I'm in my forties, so my memory hasn't been the same since those Sophie Vergara pictures.

DanyBoy wrote:
Spoiler:

For the bitten girl at the hotel, I didn't want to give her the gun not because I had anything against her killing herself. The world is f*cked up and she can end it if she wants to. There was just simply no way I was handing over our only firearm to a clearly unstable person I knew nothing about.

It was unfortunate that this point of view wasn't reflected in any of the dialog choices.

I had the same dilemma.

Spoiler:

I really thought they were going to make me choose if I wanted to pull the trigger myself and keep the gun. Which I might have picked.

Ghostship wrote:
Spoiler:

The boy WAS bitten wasn't he? No don't tell me.

Spoiler:

When old big nose argues the boy was bitten- you don't actually get a chance to side with him, do you? I know there was an option to agree with Mr. Crank, but it wasn't until reading your question here that I began to wonder if something very, very bad might have happened had I agreed rather than defended the boy.

chaosmos wrote:
DanyBoy wrote:
Spoiler:

For the bitten girl at the hotel, I didn't want to give her the gun not because I had anything against her killing herself. The world is f*cked up and she can end it if she wants to. There was just simply no way I was handing over our only firearm to a clearly unstable person I knew nothing about.

It was unfortunate that this point of view wasn't reflected in any of the dialog choices.

I had the same dilemma.

Spoiler:

I really thought they were going to make me choose if I wanted to pull the trigger myself and keep the gun. Which I might have picked.

Spoiler:

For me, there's no might have picked- I would have picked this. It's the choice I wanted to make. I did let her shoot herself, though, as there was not the option to do it myself.

DanyBoy wrote:
Spoiler:

For the bitten girl at the hotel, I didn't want to give her the gun not because I had anything against her killing herself. The world is f*cked up and she can end it if she wants to. There was just simply no way I was handing over our only firearm to a clearly unstable person I knew nothing about.

It was unfortunate that this point of view wasn't reflected in any of the dialog choices.

This is exactly what I was thinking. And I think that the problem it has with a failure to anticipate audience reaction stems from the relative immaturity of this style of game writing. Not that the writing here was bad; in fact, I found it to be at times exceptional: the emotional tone was brilliant. See spoiler:

Spoiler:

I don't know that I've ever felt as much empathy towards any character in a video game as I do towards Clementine. If that girl dies, I may have to end my life.

I'll be really interested to see how the series progresses. My sense is that the rough patches in this first episode are something that can be ironed out. I've heard that Gary Whitta will be writing the third episode (he's involved as a producer right now). I'd like to see what he does with it, if only because it's Gaz.

Also, beyond empathy I just find Clementine to be excellently written. There is nativity and vulnerability in the little bit of dialogue she has. It surprises me how well written I find her character to be.

demonbox wrote:

Also, beyond empathy I just find Clementine to be excellently written. There is nativity and vulnerability in the little bit of dialogue she has. It surprises me how well written I find her character to be.

Exactly. I think that's what creates the empathy I feel. Like, fergodsakes, see the spoiler again.

Spoiler:

I couldn't tell her that her family was dead. I just couldn't, man!

WHEN IS THE NEXT EPISODE COMING OUT?

Yah, i am pumped for ep. 2. This is just a great little story.

Really enjoyed the story and the way the game made you feel like you could nuance what other people thought of you--creating your own identity from scratch after being "reborn" at the beginning of the episode. I'm sure it doesn't really affect a whole heck of a lot but, the game made me feel like it did and that's enough

My only beef was that the XBLA version had a lot of hitching in the action sequences, skipping a whole second or two of animation at a time. It really affected the tension of the moment in a bad way; I hope they fix this. I even died once because I couldn't react to a button prompt before the game killed me. It sounds like people were having the same issue on PC, as well.

Okay, so the word is that Episode 2 is soon to be released.

I'm getting this from the Telltale forums thread on the matter, which is an absolute BASTION of intelligent and measure discussion on the matter (it's not, don't go there).

Here's the goods.

1. Steam achievements have been released: http://steamcommunity.com/stats/TheWalkingDead/achievements (possible spoilers).

2. Alan Johnson, one of the devs, tweeted about 40 minutes ago that an update would be coming soon.

Many people seem to think that this means it'll be up today. We'll see about that. It seems kind of unlikely to me.

Yes, more perplexing moral quandaries on a Quik-Timer! Xbox version drops tomorrow, PC on Friday.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/26/te...