Thimbleweed Park Podcast #9

by Ron Gilbert
Jun 12, 2015

This weeks podcast is marked NSFW and Parental Guidance Suggested as David throws the M-word around.

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

- Ron

Zak Phoenix McKracken - Jun 12, 2015 at 14:51

First!
:-)

Frank - Jun 12, 2015 at 15:10

It would be cool, if you could play the music also at the end of the podcast and maybe you could include Mark also in the Podcast.

That would be aweeeeeeeeesome. :D

PS:

This "Seckrit Questions" are so difficult... I did that last time 20 years ago (1 + 5 = 6; 7 + 2 = 9 .... :D )

Ron Gilbert ✓ - Jun 12, 2015 at 15:14

We plan on including Mark at some point.

Dominik - Jun 12, 2015 at 17:49

I second this. I am really looking forward to connect a voice to those awesome Backgrounds. Even if he comes on only for one podcast it would been appreciated!

Mattias Cedervall - Jun 12, 2015 at 19:56

Still no word on Jenn...

Mr.Pinsky - Jun 12, 2015 at 15:31

1. It's best to implement the elevator mechanics as a finite state machine. Every other way is far more complicated.

2. Why not put Ron's roadtrip pictures into the game somewhere? It could be a nice little easter egg for those who listened to the podcast.

Patrik Spacek - Jun 12, 2015 at 16:05

How many rooms and characters will you have in the game? How long is the gameplay? Will you add Mark to the podcast as well? I would like to hear his process of making pixel art in these days. Thanks.

Dominik - Jun 12, 2015 at 17:47

I have a 75 hour work week behind me (and still about 12 hours to go tomorrow). And this evening when I got home I leaned back and listened to the podcast and just had a big smile on my face. Thanks guys, you're awesome!

Mattias Cedervall - Jun 12, 2015 at 19:54

I'm unfortunately very bad at finding my way in both games and real life so I would really appreciate a map very much!

Ron, there was some more ideas posted after you posted in the spoiler post. I hope you've read them too(?).

Natalija - Jun 13, 2015 at 03:51

What's wrong with your voices? Was the connection bad because I can barely hear you?

Sewa-o-matic - Jun 13, 2015 at 09:12

It should be nice, but just to be curious, to have a list of the different tools (apps, formerly known as "programs") You are using.... I Heard You have a schedule on gdocs, and sometimes one uses to think that developers have nasa like tools...

Great podcast by the way!

Mattias Cedervall - Jun 13, 2015 at 09:42

:-( The word "application" (I'm not lazy so I write the whole word!) is just a synonym for the word "program"! You've now been enlightened!

Natalija - Jun 13, 2015 at 13:43

The M word? You mean MAZE!!!

Natalija - Jun 13, 2015 at 13:43

The M word? You mean MAZE!!!

Dominik - Jun 13, 2015 at 14:03

Psssst!!
You can't drop the M-word here! Think of the kids!

Zarbulonian - Jun 14, 2015 at 15:54

I'm surprised it wasn't automatically bleeped out by the automatic profanity expurgator™.

Peter - Jun 13, 2015 at 15:56

Hi Ron, I thought about the character and I can tell you what I would really love, when I would see it in a computer game:

A really "american" Soundtrack, some kind of Rythm'n'Blues like Keb Mo, what I love so much about american Culture...

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keb%E2%80%99_Mo%E2%80%99

Maybe Thimbleweed Park would also fit some kind of "Sitcom" Elements, especially Sitcom Humour, like
Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, Seinfeld, King of Queens or Frasier.

I would love, if the characters have a kind of "Sitcom" Character, like Frasier Crane, Mike Biggs, Sheldon Cooper, ....

Give it some kind of Sitcom - Atmosphere, that would be totally new aspect in a Retro - Adventure game.

than it would also be possible to do "Thimbleweed Park Season 2"... :D

Sledge Hammer - Jun 17, 2015 at 07:58

Big Bang Theory, Mike and Molly, King of Queens or Frasier

They are all very un-80's and pretty annoying. Typical 80's samples like ALF, Who’s the Boss, Happy Days, Family Matters are all very different in tone and style. But how would that fit into a (humorous) crime scene thing?

Maybe it's better to look at some cop comedy or cop drama - or at sledge hammer ;)

Peter - Jun 13, 2015 at 15:58

PS:

I think we all would love to have a comeback with two other guys, we are loving so much for their great Art over the years!

Steve Purcell and Michael Land!

Ron Gilbert ✓ - Jun 13, 2015 at 17:13

Steve Purcell is off directing movies for Pixar.

Mike - Jun 13, 2015 at 17:23

Do you think the crew is finished, already or do you think some LucasArts Members from the past could still join, like Dave Grossmann, Noah Falstein, Tim Schafer, Brian Moriarty, Sean Clark, Peter McConnell, Clint Bajakian, Michael Stemmle....

Dan - Jun 13, 2015 at 18:40

Why even more? I'm already very impressed by the current crew members. Thimbleweed Park will be a great homage for sure!

Peter - Jun 13, 2015 at 17:42

https://youtu.be/KqMLBFmNl-g

Peter - Jun 13, 2015 at 17:46

This was the greatest Music, I ever heared in a Video Game:

https://youtu.be/Nn8cWVwpQU4

Peter - Jun 13, 2015 at 18:02

Sooooooo amazing....

https://youtu.be/kHgRlsOvN3M

Jammet - Jun 14, 2015 at 20:45

I absolutely adore the Adlib and Soundblaster and even MIDI versions of this, but the one with actual singing voices ... wow ... I hadn't heard that one before. That one's *terrible*! ...

Granted, the AMIGA soundtrack for MI2 was terrible, too. There was no Stereo mixing in it, and so at times it sounded like half of it was either missing, or all in the wrong place. And it came on 11 3.5" DD Floppy Disks. Makes you a pro DJ in no time! :)

I have some more favourites, most notably in Fate of Atlantis, and The Dig, but these tracks were all completely serious and not as playful or funny/silly as those in Monkey Island 2. MI2 really ... had such an astounding and beautiful soundtrack all throughout, too. Every room in the Shanty Town on Scabb island had a different variant of a common theme.

Though I love to listen to a lot of different of game music. Most of which is irrelevant to this thread though because they're from all around, many platforms, many games, many genres, composers. For instance, a few days ago I backed Matt Gray's REFORMATION project.

Peter - Jun 15, 2015 at 03:28

I know what you mean... If you listening to the Bone Song, the voices doesn't fit to the Chords. It's a little bit asynchron. But I think in general, the idea is super funny, that Guybrushs parents come and sing this silly Song. It's more about the comedy aspect of it, which is (in my opinion) really funny. I really adore this humour... Monkey Island 1 and Fate of Atlantis have the better Music like Monkey Island 2, for sure. I loved some of the classic themes in Monkey 1. But I don't have critics about the Soundblaster Stuff. The sounds in Monkey Island 2 were Roland MT-32:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_MT-32

Someone did a nice video, that I found recently about this aspect:

https://youtu.be/m6r5iWfbjlI

Yeah, the bone Song is silly and sounds a little bit wrong, but funny.....

Dan - Jun 15, 2015 at 08:46

For Thimbleweed Park I would be pleased with a mixture of both retro and hi-fi sounds, such as the Tron: Legacy soundtrack which features several mixes of 8 bit tones (some are similar to those from the well-known Super Mario Bros.) with instrumental accompaniment.

Marco Lizza - Jun 15, 2015 at 05:02

I always found *extremely* clever to use a children song and embedding the whole puzzle and parents flashback with it.

Geniuses.

( although the nice reference was most likely lost in with localization )

Peter - Jun 15, 2015 at 05:20

It has some kind of Muppet Show Element. I always loved the musical comedy of the Muppet Show, for example:

https://youtu.be/8nLS1nTRBDI

(This one is a moment, Phil Collins loves!)

Jammet - Jun 14, 2015 at 20:51

Ah! That is interesting! I was wondering what Steve was doing these days. That clears it up. So chances are he probably won't return for something like this, or a follow-up project anytime soon. A bit of a bummer, but as far as graphics and styling goes, I do prefer Gary and Marks works, personally. Mark has a much more pronounced and clean use of line-art, and his shading looks cleaner, too.

Peter - Jun 15, 2015 at 03:30

Good, the question was asked, because somebody (I think Ron) was telling that he could join for Brainstorming...

Dada - Jun 15, 2015 at 09:24

What a waste of talent.

Mike Hansen - Jun 13, 2015 at 18:06

I think this is the first time I've heard any mention of sound. Are you planning to bring in an additional team member for sound and music, or is one of you going to do all that in the last few days before you ship, like most game projects?

longuist - Jun 14, 2015 at 07:21

Had been multiple times in the comments, but easy to miss nevertheless. Music will be done by Steve Kirk, pretty sure Ron will talk about it when it has higher priority.

Peter - Jun 14, 2015 at 10:28

Just to understand: I know, that Steve Kirk will do the Music for the whole game, but also in the past, there was a big team for the music, even in Monkey Island (Michael Land, Barney Jones, Andy Newell and other Musicians from Earwax Productions). When you take for example modern Video Game Productions, they often work with special Music Ensembles and Formations that play the Music (or a band). So if there should be Steve Kirk responsible for the Music, there could be also other people for extra-Music. For example Michael Land with iMuse: He was not a solist, often he worked together with Clint Bajakian and also other Musicans. Don't understand me wrong, but even for the graphics, there is not only one person responsible. It's a big team in the game industry, that creates one game, not only a single person.
I just want to say: The old LucasArts Games are also great, because of the retro-Music, not only because of cool graphics...

Tomimt - Jun 14, 2015 at 07:32

I got all sweaty and started to see bad flashbacks on that M-word.

David Fox ✓ - Jun 14, 2015 at 19:28

So sorry... promise to not use the M word again. There are no M's in Thibleweed Park.

Jammet - Jun 14, 2015 at 20:35

But it is so deeply embedded in our culture ... don't do this, please. Every time you ^H an m, my mother makes a sad face.

longuist - Jun 15, 2015 at 07:44

Not even a fakey one? Not a-maze-d!

Tomimt - Jun 15, 2015 at 11:13

That's okay, I'm mostly fine now. My doctor gave me some pills to go with my straight jacket.

Mike - Jun 15, 2015 at 07:54

https://youtu.be/JSoh8NZKExA

Will Jessop - Jun 15, 2015 at 20:23

State machine!

Peter - Jun 16, 2015 at 12:01

Please get serious again!

Is there some kind of historical reference in the game, reference to other games? Some artworks are
self-referential to reflect other games on a meta-level? Is there a kind of reflective tableau in the game?

If you work with a quotation, do you expect people to understand it or is it also possible to understand the game, without
knowing the meta-level?

An easy example would be: Sam & Max References in other games, like for example Monkey Island, or "Indiana Jones and the last
Crusade" Posters in the VGA Version of Zak Mc Kracken?