[squarejawhero]

What's great about these ideas is that they don't require any action or make things too complex for those that can't handle it. Even though there are less rules and linearity, the availability of options through an easily explainable menu system and real life attributes (coupled with capable forward planning at the design side) keeps things simpler and opens up new arenas in terms of exploration, world interaction and puzzle creation. Puzzles would be smoothly integrated into play through their use of such skills.

I think the adventure genre has the ability to reach out even further without losing what makes its great through these.

@sam - without resorting to direct control it's good to study what can be done purely using a mouse as a design basis, which I feel is being looked at here. I agree real time components through cycles in NPC and world behaviour could be extremely interesting though, availability of quests and resources changing as time passes without causing frustration to the player, through interaction density and themed optional (and benefitial) side quests. 80DATW looks like it'll be dealing with that.

[shiajun]

Maybe it's not exactly what you're saying, but when you say context-sensitive actions, do you mean something like what was done in Gk3? There, depending on which hotspot or item you where acting upon, there could be from 2 to up to 5 or 6 verbs for that hotspot or item, if I remember right. I think that worked pretty well, since it added a lot of actions that just gave nice comments for character build-up and immersion, and it gave an "illusion" of choice of how to interact. Perhaps mixing this in with the tactile sensation given by Myst IV's interaction with the environment would be quite pleasing.

[squarejawhero]

Exactly, although I have to say I found GK3's system to be a little too complex for its own good. But that's just a sign of age and how forward-thinking that title was, despite its flaws.

[Lucien21]

These days the two button system with left mouse performing every option under the sun is too streamlined (or watered down if you prefer).

In my view Lucasarts hit on the right idea with Full Throttle and Monkey Island III. The right click brings up the look/use/push/pull/talk menu.

Particulary like the flaming skull head.

The ways it's going if Microids were to make another game one single click at the start of the game will trigger a 3 hour cutscene of the game solving itself.

From the infinite "> " prompt ,where you could type anything you want as long as you don't mind reading "I don't understand" alot, to the single click fits all actions is a step too far.

[Ninth]

I'm partial to the good old Lucas Arts philosophy, interface, and plentiful hotspots, but all in all, I don't care that much about this "watering down" stuff. Syberia is an entierely different kind of game from Monkey Island or Myst, each is providing a very different gaming experience, wether it's based on narrative, fun, or brainstorming, and I enjoyed the three games a lot.