Project Update-10/23/2014

[Ricey012]

A bunch has actually happened on the project recently that we wanted to fill you in on. Most importantly, TIM FINISHED WRITING ACT 2 AND THE FINALE! We now have a super clear and detailed picture of how the rest of the game looks. This is a huge milestone for the project and means we are able to push forward with a lot of things that were waiting on those details to be locked in place.

For instance, with the cutscenes now written, Peter was able to write a bunch of new music including a piece for the finale of the game! This was recorded just this week with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, alongside the new live versions of Grim Fandango’s score for our upcoming remaster.

It also meant we were able to get back in the studio to start recording the remainder of the voiceover work for the rest of the game. Tim actually was down in LA just this week for that very reason. There will still be another session to cover any new lines needed to address playtesting feedback, but this session covers the last major chunk of dialog. It was great to get back together with Khris Brown and all our amazing voice actor friends.

As for the rest of the team, the majority of folks are currently focused on the final sprint of taking Vella’s half of Act 2 to Alpha. After that, we’ve just got the finale left and then the entire game will be at Alpha!

Well, in actuality the game will be a bit further than that, and many parts already are! The nice thing about working with our friends at SuperGenius is that it has allowed us to parallelize a lot of Act 2 production. So while the core team at Double Fine is still working on taking things towards Alpha, Supergenius and our audio team are actually running with Beta work on much of Shay’s half of Act 2, which is playtesting reaaaallllly well.

The topic of a ship date is still one that’s ongoing at the studio, but now that we have the final writing we’re able to put together a much clearer plan for the remainder of development and are in the process of doing so. Until then, everyone is hammering away on the game and working to get it in your hands as soon as possible. Ultimately we’re going to give the game the time it needs to be something truly special, and we really appreciate your patience while we do so.

So yeah, a lot of stuff has happened since we last talked and the game is really shaping up. We’re confident we will be able to deliver something that falls in line with Tim’s original vision for the game and hopefully will be really satisfying to players. It’s looking like it will be longer than Act 1, continue to build in puzzle complexity from where we left off, and most importantly will wrap up the story in a meaningful and satisfying way. Suffice to say, WE’RE REALLY EXCITED!

[TheManofSpiel]

I for one am really glad to hear al of this. I loved Act 1 and have been looking forward to the rest of the game for months! Can't wait to see it all!

[BloodyCookie]

Yes

[MooP]

Well thats good news, I was thinking you guys ran out of money for this game and kept quiet to prevent outlash from the backers.

[RedNome]

Frankly i'm glad that it is taking soo long for part two to come out. There is nothing worse than a game that is rushed and ends up being ultimately disappointing, I'm looking at you Kotor: Sith Lords!

Loved the first half and I truely can't wait for part two :)

Also, had no idea that "Grim Fandango" is being remastered, I am super excited for that. It's been years since I played it, I had always kinda hoped for a sequel or just something else in the same universe so mayhaps a remastering of the original could open up to that.

[Silent Dan]

Obviously, the update is much appreciated. It's far better than silence. But ... wasn't Act 2 fully funded in February, with an estimated release date in May 2014? And now we're told the writing has only just recently been completed. I think I'm done with episodic games for good, now. Upon release, they'll be a treat to play in their entirety, but I'm just really sick of not remembering enough of the previous episode/act/chapter by the time the next one eventually staggers over the finish line, months later than we were led to expect.

Sincerely, thank you for the information, though. I appreciate that you're still working hard on this, and not being secretive about it.

[blisteredimages]

Super cool! I feel like I have been checking every week to see some kind of news on Act 2 So it's really awesome to hear that progress is being made. Can you at least give us a general timeline of a release? Sayyyyy within the next 4 months maybe??? I just hope there's a lot more meat to this release. I LOVE Act 1 but was a little disappointed by the length of the adventure. Thanks for making such a beautiful game though...it really is fun and the story is awesome. DoubleFine 4EVER!!!!

[Mendacious Calamity]

I noticed Ricey wondering out loud in another thread why this has so few replies, while the rampaging threads it's a response to continue to gather dozens of (idiotic, factually incorrect) replies.

I actually think Pinning a post makes it less visible. I think most forum users automatically lower their eyes to the latest 'normal' posts, where the conversations are happening.

I'd unpin this and let it sit in amongst the regular threads. Might actually get seen then.

[Mendacious Calamity]

Originally posted by Silent Dan:

Obviously, the update is much appreciated. It's far better than silence. But ... wasn't Act 2 fully funded in February, with an estimated release date in May 2014? And now we're told the writing has only just recently been completed. I think I'm done with episodic games for good, now. Upon release, they'll be a treat to play in their entirety, but I'm just really sick of not remembering enough of the previous episode/act/chapter by the time the next one eventually staggers over the finish line, months later than we were led to expect.

Sincerely, thank you for the information, though. I appreciate that you're still working hard on this, and not being secretive about it.

What you're sick of, in fact, is how long videogames have *always* taken to make, and how unpredictable and prone to unexpected delays videogame development has *always* been.

It's something we've been shielded from before, but the combination of digital delivery, new KS-style finding models, episodic games and the general sense of I WANT IT NOWWWWWW that modern life is rather tainted by have all conspired to make it quite confusing to gamers that just think "well, WHY isn't it ready on exactly the day they originally speculated?"

[Silent Dan]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

What you're sick of, in fact, is how long videogames have *always* taken to make, and how unpredictable and prone to unexpected delays videogame development has *always* been.

I distinctly recall the days when Telltale was able to hit, or only miss by a couple of weeks, their monthly deadlines. It's factually incorrect to suggest that these delays aren't new. They are new. It's factually incorrect to suggest that promised deadlines can't be hit. They've been hit before, many times, by many developers.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

... general sense of I WANT IT NOWWWWWW that modern life ...

I take offense to that. It's one thing to ask us to pay per episode, as it's released, and miss your expected release dates. It's quite another to take our money, make promises, and break them. This isn't about instant gratification. I was told I'd be able to play Act 2 in May. If it came out in June, or maybe July, I'd say that's pretty close, and it's be fine. It's Hallowe'en today. I've been patient for almost a year. Don't give me that "I want it now" crap; that's not even close to what's happening.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

... all conspired to make it quite confusing to gamers that just think "well, WHY isn't it ready on exactly the day they originally speculated?"

Was there an exact day? I don't recall hearing that, but you might be right. Still, it's a straw man. They expected a release date in May, and I didn't complain on June 1st. Or July 1st. Or August 1st. Or September 1st. Or October 1st. Didn't tell 'em they were liars, because I don't see it that way. Didn't ask for my money back, because I don't want my money back. I just want the game I paid for nearly a year ago, and that's not unreasonable, that's just how selling stuff works. If you think that smacks of entitlement or a failure to delay gratification, then I have some unfinished products I'd like to sell you.

[Mendacious Calamity]

You've taken offence to me describing a general atmosphere of wanting it nowwwww in the modern world, and how a large section of gamers don't really seem able to understand some of these new models and how they differ from the old ones, simply because I did so after you wrote a post wondering why the game wasn't released.

Well, I tried to be non-specific, but let me clear: I didn't mean you. You just sparked the thought in my mind through a process of association.

Sorry about that.

---

Also, this wasn't planned as an episodic game, it only became one after initial budgeting and planning proved to be unsustainable. Telltale is planned from the start to be episodic and they only put out dates once they know they're on track.

We never see a Telltale game going through development, as we did with this, so we have no idea how many other launch dates Telltale may have set internally and subsequently missed. From what I've seen and read, many devs are unwilling to name a date during ongoing production as opposed to towards the end of beta testing, because things change so much during production and there's no point name a date until you're absolutely sure you're ready to hit it - and that surety only really comes once pretty much everything is finished.

If you do everything publicly as DF did with Broken Age, the public will see all those planned and missed dates. But the public needs to view those missed dates through an appropriate lens: "This is how all game devs roll internally. We're just not used to seeing the internal plans and adjustments. We're used to seeing the game emerge a couple of months from finisbhing beta, with final dates set in stone. That, is not this."

[Silent Dan]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Well, I tried to be non-specific, but let me clear: I didn't mean you. You just sparked the thought in my mind through a process of association.

Sorry about that.

Okay, that's cool. The "What you're sick of, in fact" part made me think it was directed at the singular "you" instead of the generic "you," which I now see was what you intended. No worries, then.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Also, this wasn't planned as an episodic game, it only became one after initial budgeting and planning proved to be unsustainable.

That's a fair point. It's not as apples-to-apples as I made it sound, I suppose.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

... we have no idea how many other launch dates Telltale may have set internally and subsequently missed.

True, but I'm not upset about the delays inherent in software development. I'm a developer myself, and have been on the explaining side of that as often as the complaining side. I know what it feels like to realize that your plan has a flaw (or to unexpectedly lose a key asset) after you've committed time and resources, and now it's time to improvise as responsibly as possible. I get that, but also see a big difference between promising my boss something (the good ones always pad my estimates significantly as they nod wisely) and promising the client something directly (mercy, but they hold you to the exact letter of what you said.) It's about setting expectations, and DF probably could've handled that a little better.

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

... there's no point name a date until you're absolutely sure you're ready to hit it - and that surety only really comes once pretty much everything is finished.

<southern US preacher voice>Amen! Testify!</suspv> You can't see it, but my hands are swaying back and forth over my head right now. DF may have been a bit premature in their announcements, is what I'm saying. :)

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

... the public will see all those planned and missed dates. But the public needs to view those missed dates through an appropriate lens ...

Look, you're not wrong about the Impatience Brigade being vocal and demanding crazy concessions. They exist, in small numbers, but so does the Submit to Grifters group. The former wants it all right now, the latter feels that paying for something entitles you to nothing at all, and the majority, falling into neither camp ... seldom post, so I guess I'm not too sure what they're all thinking, but I like to imagine they basically agree that it's poor form to miss a deadline by several months when money has already changed hands. Who knows, maybe some of them do. :)

Anyway, I misinterpreted your earlier post as being pro-grifter, and may have given you some of the attitude I try to reserve for them. Apologies for that.

I'm really not trying to do the Dad thing, here, but I'm honestly just disappointed, not really angry. It's not going to put me off buying DF's games. Or Telltale games, for that matter. I really tore 'em a new one of their forums when The Wolf Among Us had over four months between Ep1 (2-3 hours playtime) and Ep2 (45 minutes playtime), and they wouldn't tell us anything except content-free PR boilerplate like "our team is working hard to deliver on the blah blah value our customers blah blah highest standards of something or other, and thank you for your patience" but I was more upset with being stonewalled than with the delay itself.

DF isn't stonewalling. The OP is informative and helpful, and I felt better about Broken Age after reading it. (Thanks again, OP! Gripes notwithstanding, I really do appreciate it!)

I'm going to keep buying their games. Didn't play a second of The Walking Dead Season 2, but I checked just now, and it's finished. All episodes released. I shall buy them, and blitz through them tonight, and love them. And when BA Act 2 comes out, I'll do the same. I'll have gotten my money's worth, and I'll be happy. I just gotta cool it with buying unfinished games. Apparently, I can't help getting my hopes up, and I'd rather just not put myself through that as often as I have been. Maybe just 2 unfinished games per year, tops. The ones that really call to me. Uh ... starting now. If I back date it to January, I'll already have failed. Elite: Dangerous is just too cool. :)

[Sire Reap-A-Lot]

As much as I like to hear this news. It also deeply troubles me. Especially this part:
> TIM FINISHED WRITING ACT 2 AND THE FINALE!
and the fact, it is October of 2014

Kickstarter finished March 2012
Decission to make two parts July 2013
Release of Act 1 was January 2014
At this point in time, I do not expect a release in 2015.

That being said it's fine, double fine indeed. The money is long gone and I don't care anymore. But please be aware that you effectively burned the crowdfunding bridge.

[TheMoon]

LOLLLLL. So were supposed to feel better that you have finished writing it and have an idea on where its going?! This should have been in our hands long ago. Part one came out 10 months ago. What kind of idiot doesnt write an ending for a game thats part one has been out that long let alone "not have a clear direction for it" in the first place. The page clearly stated on the first day of sales "part 2 coming soon as a free update" then changed to later this year, so its MUCH later this year at this point and your just done writing.....you want a round of applause or something?

[pig iron prince。]

i'm glad to hear things are going smoothly, it's been a long wait but honestly, i'll just be glad to play. people's reactions to this have been hilariously embarrassing. i was upset for awhile too until i actually read posts from backers who weren't belligerent. art takes time. it's also pretty damn expensive. anyway, i really enjoyed the first part of the game and it's cool to know that the second half will be longer. this was the first time that i've really played a double fine game and despite the hiccups, i'm glad i did.

thanks.

[Amber]

Originally posted by my•glass•eye:

Originally posted by TheMoon:

What kind of idiot doesnt write an ending for a game thats part one has been out that long let alone "not have a clear direction for it" in the first place.

What kind of idiot doesn't understand the difference between writing a STORY and then writing the SCRIPT for that story?

Oh, this is an easy one: you.

seriously, you're like all over this forum saying the same stuff thats now starting (for me at least) to come across as trolling. why not just ignore them? everyoen else did...