ThimbleWeed park in 640x480 on a Commodore 1942 CRT

That’s true. We had our first PC when HDDs became affordable, a few years after '87. That’s one reason why I already had finished MI 1 & 2 before I bought MM and Zak. We had a greyscale display, too.

Well in my case it´s pure coincidence that my “only valid version” also happens to be the “original” objectivly because it was the first one to be released. I can absolutly understand anyone who played the enhanced version first and is appauled by the looks of the early Commodore versions. I won´t argue about the music though, that one is objectivly better…

Oh yeah, there is lots of stuff that is really stupid in hindsight. I used to like a C64 called “Game Over” and looking at it now I simply have no clue why.

But as I´ve said I will admit that the FM Towns version of Zak is really really good and possibly the definitve one, there is possibly a reason for it being the version that is on GOG now.

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Just the opposite. They have been hugely successful, one of the defining aspect of the game. Unlike the toilet paper, or the floppy sounds, the dust grew into a larger “system”, but I don’t regret it one bit. It was well worth all the effort. But, the point is, you never know what will catch and what doesn’t. If you self-censor too much, you end up with a bland game. The key is not letting it get out of control on the other end, and that is where experience comes in. There are a lot of fun things that didn’t make it unto the game just for that reason, we pulled back once they became too complex.

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Greyscale was advanced. :wink: We had a bernstein colored display - without any shades. I haven’t found an image from Zak, but it looked similar to this Monkey Island version:

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That’s impressive indeed!

The specs weren’t mentioned often in the german press or by german players, so I assumed that they aren’t such a success (like the toilet paper).

I agree with you in every aspect, but isn’t the Arcade another example for the things that became too complex?

In my opinion, it doesn’t necessarily need to have an impact on the press. It’s also worth the effort, if a lot of players appreciate it.

Of course, but if it’s not mentioned by the press and/or word-of-mouth advertising then it’s not a PR or marketing success.

We actually don’t know that financial situation at all, because we’re not the Terrible Toybox financial consultants. I don’t think that this is our business, and I don’t think it is a good idea to discuss other people’s financial situation.
And doing it in the presence of the aforesaid it is somehow unpolite, too.

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I hate the floor textures in that version.

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Kotaku devoted three paragraphs(!) in their review to the specks of dust:

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I don’t have written such a thing. Please read my other answers above - I assume you haven’t?

I think he means that at some point in time you have to let your baby go and move on to other things, lest you get stuck in a rut, working on tiny enhancements for the same game forever.

I appreciate that you may not be at that point yet – the game has only been out for a few short month – but it has already consumed over two years of your life, and we’re closing down on the third.

Of course, it’s not for anybody else but you to decide how to spend your time and how to recharge your batteries.

However, just keep it in mind. As a creative individual myself, I know how hard it is to let go of a long lasting project. I have also seen others get stuck adding endless “new levels” to the same games and trying to ride their once found glory (for whatever motivations or insecurities they may have), instead of trying out new things.

This is especially true when you are self-directed, for you do not have the pressures of an employer pushing you to move on to your next task.

All that said, I welcome those C=64 floppy sounds (and the arcade, and the extra goodies)! Bring it on. Bring it all on!!! :+1:

dZ.

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I wrote in the german press …

And yes, the specs are mentioned but not like the toilet paper thing.

Thanks, @DZ-Jay, that is exactly what I meant. :slight_smile:

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I agree with this, expect that we’re still working on 4 ports of the game, plus adding the arcades, so we’re very actively working on the game right now, so making changes and enhancements is well within reason, plus we’re actually getting good press and feedback for continuing to make improvements, something adventure games don’t commonly do.

Once all the ports are planned features are done, I don’t expect to work on the game anymore (barring big bugs).

But what if I did? Devs work on other games for years, making changes and improvements. Why can’t that happen with an adventure game? Keep adding features, maybe even new areas and puzzles to keep the game fresh. I’m not saying we’re going to do that, but it seems like a fine thing for an adventure game to do. Lots of other genres do this.

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He’s been working in the industry for more than 30 years, and not only has he closed the book on many projects, he’s even walked away from an entire franchise–a franchise that many people have demanded that he sacrifice his principles and time to return to. People who don’t want him to burn out from working on the same thing endlessly should remember that the next time Monkey Island gets mentioned.

Not “complex”, but we didn’t have the time to get them working without missing the ship date, so we just pushed it. Places like Steam also reward games for adding features. There are marketing programs you can be involved in if you do that, so it’s in devs best interest to keep making changes. Good or Bad, that’s the world we live in.

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That’s okay. We forgive Germans for their complete disinterest in dots and spaces. :wink:

That doesn’t change a single thing. Most of his past work was for a publisher, with business drive pressures and schedules, not personal passion, self/crowd-funded projects. Mr. Gilbert is very experienced, but he is a mortal human after all, with the potential of failures and bad decisions. (Not to say he has made any.)

@RonGilbert I agree with you (about continuing with the game after completion of all ports and loose ends) to a degree: an adventure game could be enhanced and expanded over time. Of course, there is no technical reason not to. Personally, I rather see new games, even games within the same world expanding the story and characters, but new ones; rather than retreading old ones eternally. It’s the difference between a long running TV series or movie franchise, and the ever-evolving sub-text, characterizations, and visual styles of a George Lucas work.

I do agree with all your other points. :slight_smile:

dZ.