A few hours have passed since I had my purely visceral reaction. I am now ready to start making more “reasoned” comments.
Since yesterday, I have been wondering why I am so excited, like a child who just won a Big Whoop E-ticket, while my reaction to the RTMI announcement was, in comparison, much composed. I don’t know why.
I have a hunch that the entire TWP1 process and experience plays an important role. From its development blog, to the community vibe, to the discussions with people on this forum, I was really emotionally invested back then. It’s likely that, today, that memory triggers the hope that a similar experience might arise from the development of TWP2…
…which (I just remembered) might not be a classical point-and-click adventure game like TWP1, as he said in this interview:
After some consultation with my Homer brain I have decided that it’s fine for me, because I’ll enjoy the atmosphere of Thimbleweed Park (and the community) regardless of the different gameplay mechanic.
The TWP2 announcement seems to me to confirm Ron’s intent. He has said that it will not be a sequel or prequel, so I think that we’ll probably get a game “set in the universe of Thimbleweed Park”. We will get also a new murder case to “solve” (prediction: it won’t be solved), which is no small matter.
I think I read on his Mastodon that the contract he uses for collaborators includes a clause that prohibits the use of any AI technology. From his posts, I get the impression that he has a very strong anti-AI ideological stance, in general and especially when it comes to creative tasks. (which is common among artists)