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Old 01-15-2007, 03:12 PM   #68
Ariel Type
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Snow Country
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numble
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You initially complained that "New S&M are not adventures," but now you're complaining that the new Sam and Max games are "repeating old formulas."
Yes. But the old formulas worked in older games because you didn't have to find three items to progress. There were LOTS of things to do between those actions. And the story actually progressed. In new S&M that's all you have to do: perform several actions, collect 3 items and you are allowed to watch the final part. That's the gameplay of S&M or Bone, not a part of it. And that's why it looks so unoriginal.
S&M games are short, yes. But designers can always come up with some new challenges, as I wrote before. "Lucas-style" is not all about "3 items".
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story really overwhelms everything
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Depends on the game. MI games have rather weak and cliche stories, but nevertheless, they are instant classics. And what about S&M? The original game had a very simple story, but in the new games stories are even simplier! They don't progress, nor they are original.
So, what we are left with? Humor, characters and nice animation? That doesn't make an adventure game, sorry.

phankiejankie
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The easy puzzles are a great tool in order not to break the pace which is very-very important if you want the fantastic writing to shine through.
If I want fantastic writing, I'll go and read a book. If I want to see a cartoon, I''l go and see a cartoon. But if I want an adventure game, I'll go and play some adventure game. It might sound strange, but in earlier games by Lucas Arts, Sierra or Legend I often found everything - great stories, humor, characters AND puzzles. Real puzzles, not some "click here-click there". And I felt like I was playing the game, not watching some movie or reading a book. To say in your words, hard puzzles were a great tool in order not to loose interest.
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One day we talk about how adventures differ from other genres due to their deeper stories
Please, can you answer my question: where did you see a "deep story" in S&M? The plots are very, very simple. Intro+outro - that's it.
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Combining various -irrelevant or relevant doesn’t matter- inventory items in order to solve a puzzle is not considered in my book a quality way of extending a game's life.
You know, puzzle solving is not all about combining tons of items. Actually, this is a symptom of bad puzzle design..
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