Thimbleweed Park Podcast #17

by Ron Gilbert
Aug 14, 2015

Bla bla bla making an adventure game bla bla bla*

You can also subscribe to the Thimbleweed Park Podcast RSS feed if that's 'your thing'.

- Ron

*This is why I'm not in sales.

Mattias Cedervall - Aug 14, 2015 at 21:59

Ron, will we be able to download the demo in October?

Ron Gilbert ✓ - Aug 14, 2015 at 22:04

No, this is a build for us to show in a controlled setting, not to download. It won't be a "hardened" build, so you if you stray of the demo track, bad things will happen. It's unlikely there will be a public demo until shortly before launch.

Mattias Cedervall - Aug 14, 2015 at 22:54

I see. Thank you for your reply, Ron! I'm just eager to play the game so take that as a compliment. ;-) :-)

Zombocast - Aug 17, 2015 at 14:57

For now, let the forum be our sandbox. Or a litterbox, depends on how many stray cats Ransom has.

Helge Frisenette - Aug 14, 2015 at 22:11

This is probably all embarrassingly obvious but all the comment posts should of course be taken as friendly suggestions only. You should not let yourself get even the slightest bit uncertain or intimidated by them.
I don't think that there is even the slightest doubt amongst your backers that *you* are the experts and you alone know best what to do.
It follows then of course, that you should take good ideas and run with them wherever they should turn up.

During a recent play through of Monkey Island for the first time in many years (EGA version with MT-32 this time (only real way to experience it I can now attest)), I got stuck at the place where you have to retrieve LeChucks key from his cabin.
Having a picture of a compass where the fact that it was strongly magnetic as opposed to just regular magnetic would've been a great help. Not like the very ordinary really looking compass in the VGA version.
It didn't even cross my mind that a regular compass with the weedy little magnet needle inside should be able to attract a key over several meters.
So that is one instance were a well drawn pictorial inventory would have proved its worth.

Santiago - Aug 14, 2015 at 23:15

Hi there! I wanted to know what is the name of the song from the podcast . Thanks!

Mattias Cedervall - Aug 15, 2015 at 09:18

It's the game's soundtrack. Steve Kirk is the composer. He's the ancestor of James Tiberius Kirk... ;P

Bogdan Barbu - Aug 15, 2015 at 00:39

Character revamp suggestion: *Ransome the Fat Clown*

Perhaps Gary could make his belly go up and down slightly as he walks. He already sounds like a classic. Besides, the farting you mentioned in one of your podcasts would be even funnier.

Man with the golden gun - Aug 15, 2015 at 06:15

And he comes from the Carnival of Terror. The best ride is the spine-breaker roller coaster.

Miles - Aug 15, 2015 at 04:24

Since I allways enjoy these podcasts, I would say they're very entertaining... in some weird kind of way.
Even if I don't get even the half of your fast and confusing talk ;)

Looking foreward with excitement!

Manimal fan - Aug 15, 2015 at 04:53

Hi Ron. I have one more suggestion for an occult book.

Titanic: The First UFO Abductee

(sorry if im too late, but I just thought this one was good)

Tom - Aug 15, 2015 at 05:12

@Ron: Have you considered PortAudio or OpenAL for audio? Will there be a post about the audio side of things?

Arto - Aug 15, 2015 at 05:19

The first Bla bla bla was ok, but the second bla bla bla was a bit repetitive.

Arto - Aug 15, 2015 at 05:55

This actually has nothing to do with this week's podcast, but I'll post this anyway: yesterday I showed this blog to my colleague, who knew nothing about the game. Her first spontaneous comment was "They look like Mulder and Scully". So you nailed it ;)

Dan - Aug 15, 2015 at 07:11

The developers of the first Prince of Persia game made use of rotoscoping back then. The result was awesome for a game of that time! But this would be a very extensive method and in my opinion the movements in TP shouldn't be too realistic in order to achieve the charm of classic computer animations.

Gary Winnick ✓ - Aug 15, 2015 at 11:21

Although I'm familiar with rotoscoping, I've never used the process in any of the games I've worked on- Thimbleweed Park will also be hand drawn similar to the other classic adventure games we've done.

Dan - Aug 15, 2015 at 16:05

This couldn't sound more promising to me!

Marcel Taeumel - Aug 15, 2015 at 11:54

Yeah, it was awesome! :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAjRNU3DbSY

urielz - Aug 15, 2015 at 23:35

New happy backer here :)

Oh the joy of discover this project! I've been slowly catching up by reading the archive over the past couple of days. I get more excited with every post.

Cheers to the first of hopefully many true adventure games to come!

nibble - Aug 16, 2015 at 05:27

Speaking of audio: How much music will there be in the game? I haven't read anything about it on this blog, only from other sources that you have a composer (Steve Kirk).
What I really liked about Monkey Island was that important characters/situations had their own musical theme (LeChuck, Largo, Elaine+Guybrush). Music can be as important as graphics!

Big Red Button - Aug 16, 2015 at 06:53

That's right. Some guiding themes would be great!

Bacon Man of Swine - Aug 16, 2015 at 09:03

Why did Gary think the last podcast was boring? I thought that was the most funny one. You know the one with Mark. Not because there was said anything useful, but because you had fun in that podcast and was joking a lot.

Gary Winnick ✓ - Aug 16, 2015 at 15:11

Sorry - I mixed up podcast 16 with 15- Mark's only kinda boring....

Peter - Aug 16, 2015 at 15:45

Hi Gary, I think I understand Mark's Joke:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley

:D :D :D

Peter - Aug 16, 2015 at 16:35

PS:

Gary! You both guys are extremly gifted, I loved both Maniac Mansion and Loom/Monkey Island. For the fans it is a really pleasure to have you both back in the team. It's great to have you back, after long years without Lucasfilm Games Adventures! Thanks!

Peter - Aug 16, 2015 at 15:03

Sorry, if the question was (maybe) already discussed, but I don't read the blog daily: Are you useing also Maps, like the Island Maps in Monkey Island for Thimbleweed Park or do you found another solution, like the Planes in Zak McKracken? How is it possible to cross long distances? But last but not least: What about Maps?

Peter - Aug 16, 2015 at 15:06

PS: I mean a really painted map, like this: http://tinyurl.com/nnyvty5

I don't mean this with maps: http://tinyurl.com/oxfu67v

urielz - Aug 16, 2015 at 17:13

I think Ron confirmed they will be using maps like MI.

Natalija - Aug 16, 2015 at 15:20

30 sec of bonus material again! Cool..
And Gary,the last podcast was not boring at all!

Helge Frisenette - Aug 17, 2015 at 15:25

So Ron doesn't even have an Xbox One? Ask Microsoft for one! That's the least they could do.