[AFGNCAAP]

It seems I'm the only one who chose literary adaptations, which makes me feel guilty. It looks as though I didn't like reading or something. Actually, I know there were a couple of great games based on novels, but IN THE PAST (late Legend Entertainment almost specialised in making great use of book licenses). By NOW, however, I've seen far too many games that have nothing to do with the author/book mentioned on the cover. Look at recent so called adaptations of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne or Arthur Conan Doyle to see they are not only cashing in on the name, as Bastich put it, but also refuse to do anything to live up to the standard associated with the acknowledged original.

[D.C.]

Well like I said before any of these topics can be used to make awesome games but if I had to choose it would definately be the Knights Templars.

[eriq]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

It seems I'm the only one who chose literary adaptations, which makes me feel guilty.

Don't feel guilty! I voted that too. Why play a book? BLAH.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I think an adaption of a literary work would be redundant, but an interpretation of the style and details of a particular writer's oeuvre would be worth doing. For example, a murder mystery that pays homage to Agatha Christie, or a cross-country spy thriller a la John Buchan's The 39 Steps.

[Zygomaticus]

I voted for Amnesia, Saving the World, and Ancient Civilizations. I will admit, however, that if done well, anything can be a good game. An ancient civilization game isn't immediately a creatively challenged game. Creativity exists not just in the setting or general plot. There are several layers to it...

Btw, you could've added Treasure hunt to that list...if ever "adventure" identified with something, that's it...

Btw, can somebody help me on this? What exactly is a "Knights Templar" game...example?

[D.C.]

I'd definately like to see a point-and-click adventure game that uses locations like Atlantis or Egypt well. Knights Templar games include Broken Sword: The Shadow Of The Templars, Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon, Gabriel Knight III: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned, as well as Post Mortem. Games that use the Knights Templars.

[Bastich]

Originally Posted by remixor

Well, considering Serial's post had a smiley face attached, and I echoed his post, I think you're taking our responses WAY too seriously.

LOL! Oh, the irony of it!!!!

Bastich --->

[Bastich]

Well, it seems like the game we least want to see is another "Save the world from the Templars" game...

Funny thing is. Now that I think about it. I can't really think of all that many adventure games that have Templar references in them. Is it just too many in a relatively short time that makes me feel that way, or am I just forgetting some because of the trauma? This is all I can think of:

Azrael's Tear
The Messenger
Drowned God
Time Gate
Legend of the Prophet & The Assassin
Broken Sword 1 & 3
Gabriel Knight 3
Post Mortem
Realms of the Haunting (Action/Adventure)

There has got to be more, right? What am I forgetting?

[LauraMac]

but I'd asy that I'd like to see *GOOD* games set in ancient Egypt.

That was my thought about many of the categories.

And I know serial killers have been used a great deal. But - I don't know, is there really such a thing as too many serial killer moments?

Actually, I would like to see another WELL WRITTEN serial killer game, that gets into the mind of the killer, rather than just wade through bodies. I am thinking with the profiling research Galilea did, that Jack The Ripper might be one to do that. At least it appears to be trying to.

[Ninja Dodo]

Originally Posted by Erwin_Br

Was that in the parody movie Spaceballs, maybe?

It was actually a screenshot of a game, the name of which I can't remember. It must've gotten canned though, cause I don't think it was ever heard of again.

[nordic_guy]

Originally Posted by Bastich

Serial Killers: Black Mirror, Black Dahlia, Ripper, Post Mortem, Police Quest 3 (I'm fairly certain), Jack the Ripper (coming soon), In Memoriam, Mystery of the Druids, Gabriel Knight, and probably many, many more.

Movie/TV: The X Files Game, Beavis & Butthead, Duckman, various Star Trek games, Daria, Ace Ventura, An American Tail, Plan 9 from Outer Space, It Came from the Desert, Law & Order, and CSI, to name a few.

I am sure if I really set my mind to it and did a little internet surfing, I could come up with dozens more for each of those.

I'm sorry if I sounded crass, I didn't mean to at all. But thanks for taking your time, though.

[Wajus]

The idea for a game is in my opinion both the easiest an least important thing. The fabular sketch, the idea and the background of a game is just the begining of the game creation process. I think that it's the way this idea is developed and approached that determines whether it turns out cliche or not.

But for the sake of the question. Maybe it's just me but right now I cannot think of any satisfying way of telling the story set in ancient civilization.

[Bastich]

Originally Posted by LauraMac

And I know serial killers have been used a great deal. But - I don't know, is there really such a thing as too many serial killer moments?

Actually, I would like to see another WELL WRITTEN serial killer game, that gets into the mind of the killer, rather than just wade through bodies. I am thinking with the profiling research Galilea did, that Jack The Ripper might be one to do that. At least it appears to be trying to.

Actually, I would like to play a serial killer adventure game where you actually play the killer and not the investigator. You can't get any more into the killer's mind than that. People probably couldn't handle it though, and the press would eat it up...

[AFGNCAAP]

Something horrible just occured to me: how could we forget about time travels?

[Bastich]

Originally Posted by AFGNCAAP

Something horrible just occured to me: how could we forget about time travels?

LMAO! WOW! How did I forget that one?

[Zanthia]

time travel? Whats wrong with time travel?

[DomStLeger]

I just can't believe pratchett was put in the Literary Adaptations catagory to help argue that they are BAD cliches! They turned into 3 of the best adventure games made AND I'd say they're anything but cliched (but you're right about all the other names i think, who've had their works abused by the genre)

[DaveGilbert]

Originally Posted by DomStLeger

I just can't believe pratchett was put in the Literary Adaptations catagory to help argue that they are BAD cliches! They turned into 3 of the best adventure games made AND I'd say they're anything but cliched (but you're right about all the other names i think, who've had their works abused by the genre)

I'd say the DW games made FUN of the cliches. Rincewind basically spends the first two games complaining about all the quests he has to go on. My favorite line has to be:

"Open door. Take Sword. Kill Dragon. Why couldn't I have been born in the age of text adventures?"

[Erwin_Br]

Cliche's are always (or at least very often) used in comedy/parody games. (and comedy movies too)

--Erwin

[Bastich]

Originally Posted by DomStLeger

I just can't believe pratchett was put in the Literary Adaptations catagory to help argue that they are BAD cliches! They turned into 3 of the best adventure games made AND I'd say they're anything but cliched (but you're right about all the other names i think, who've had their works abused by the genre)

You misunderstood my intention. The work being adapted is irrelevant, as is whether the game turned out good. The cliche as far as lack of creativity was reaching for the bookshelf instead of a piece of paper to start writing down your own ideas. It isn't so much that it is bad or good, but that developers take the easy way out, hence the title of the thread, the decline of creativity.

Abusing the title and the author's name, is just another aspect of the same category, not the only one.