OK, before I go to bed, I must give you all my chat log:
http://bambam.info/filedump/pit/texmurp ... -05-31.txt
I'm grateful to AC, CJ, and Adrian Carr for doing this. They are princes.
http://bambam.info/filedump/pit/texmurp ... -05-31.txt
I'm grateful to AC, CJ, and Adrian Carr for doing this. They are princes.
Last edited by Sai on June 02, 2012 • 5:52 am, edited 19 times in total.
Here's a cleaned up prettified version, hopefully I didn't miss anything, I double-checked etc. But if anyone wants to read it in full check Jane's chatlog.
Welcome Chris and Aaron, hows the search for Tex's kidnapper going?
Chris & Aaron: It's coming along fine, thanks. We have some good leads.
What are your thoughts on the kickstarter responce? Were you expecting this much support?
Adrian Carr: For me the response has been incredible, the same for all the loyal support from you guys.
Will the length of Fedora be about as long as Under a Killing Moon? Are you deciding to do a 5 hour game with 5 paths instead of a 25 hour game with no paths? (I would prefer a longer game with fewer paths)
Chris & Aaron: It's hard to say how long the game will be. A lot depends on what we have for funds. But we'll definitely provide an epic experience with some great narrative pathings.
Will any of the Chandler Avenue characters have a larger role than in games past? Also, we've heard confirmation of the return of Louie, Rook, and Clint. But, what of Chelsee Bando?
Chris & Aaron: They will have roles similar to past games. Someone on the forums mentioned that just focusing on past characters might hold things back a bit... but they're very important and will have key roles in the new story. As for Chelsee...we can't say too much for now.
Talon2000uk : In an interview it was mentioned about "shorter attention spans" and Project Fedora being "easier / slick" etc. A lot of fans loved the gradual buildup with how the story took time to grow and we could immerse ourselves in the world of the past games. I liked the depth of the games where everything you clicked on had a comment or a little story behind it, fantastically voice, by the velvet toned Chris Jones. Please tell us that your not going to ditch these elements in favour of more "Modern" OCD approach.
Chris & Aaron: All the detail will still be in the new game - (voiceovers, etc). That has been somewhat of our trademark and we will continue to have the immerseve depth of gameplay as in the old games.
When we talk about pacing, we are talking from a cinematic standpoint. Our filmmaking has improved and we will be able to tell the story better. There are instances in the old game of "restlessness" because the delivery could have been sharper. These are the kinds of things we intend to clean up - so to speak.
This game will not feel rushed, it will feel better.
Editor Note: This was also mentioned in an answer on another site:
Chris: Hi Guys - Chris J here - Just saw the thread on "slick" game. Don't worry. I am referring to the interface and the pacing of the story. It will be true to our past games but will keep a good energy level throughout . There will still be two levels of game play with one level designed for gamers. It will be the real deal.
Also check out the RetroNauts podcast for another answer about this:
Who plays/sings the rock song at the end of the Kickstarter video?
Chris & Aaron: Bobby James wrote that song. He'll be doing much of the soundtrack for the new game.
Cubase: What of Matt Heider?
Chris & Aaron: Matt will be consulting, hopefully.
We'll have our usual mix of jazz and big movie theme music.
BeekNariz: CJ: Was the James Dean in the Kickstarter video played by your son?
Chris & Aaron: Yes, that Mason, Chris's son.
Adrian Carr: Mason was terrific to work with - a chip of the old CJ block
In the new game may we see more of the actors at the diner in the kickstarter video?
Chris & Aaron: Probably - Mason is a pretty talented actor, as is the young woman who played Marilyn. Elvis...not so much.
Sai writes: I am hoping you guys smash way past your goal! But if you just got the 450k goal, would you still be able to cast even just one of those "very recognisable names" in the contact list you mentioned, like in past games? And if not how much past the goal would be required? If possible I'd also be curious how much past the goal for the other things you mentioned: longer game, more paths, increasing caliber etc.
Chris & Aaron: Chris says: When you look at how much the other Kickstarter projects exceeded their goals, we'd need something similar - like +30%. We can't really say who we would go after for actors, but we would certainly put as much quality as possible into the production.
Adrian: What would Adrian like to do different this time around that he may not have been able to do previously (perhaps due to technology at the time)?
Adrian Carr: Try using a widescreen format for live action - incorporate more camera moves - more realistic depth of field to replicate real film lenses.
RyanP: were Avatar that James Cameron did was green background, right?
Adrian Carr: Cameron used Mo-Cap with state of the art technology to see his actors live in virtual sets and spent $300 million doing it
RyanP: You mean 3 million not 300 mil?
Adrian Carr: no $300 million US. The fact Cameron is doing the next 2 Avatar movies back to back will average the costs out over the 3 movies
Beek writes: One thing i liked about Under a Killing Moon and Pandora was that the games were broken up into chapters or days. This is something i really missed in Overseer. I know the format in Overseer is a little bit different since its a flashback but still. Are you thinking about dividing this new game up into chapters/days ?
Chris & Aaron: Yes, Overseer was very different. I know some people complained about not having narrative pathing as well, but it took place in the past! We will definitely have the new game divided into days or chapters.
Adrian: What's Chris like to direct?
Adrian Carr: He is amazing to direct... Chris, for an untrained actor, knows when he is even the slightest bit off Tex before I, or Aaron, can say anything and that is such a time saver. And he takes the rigors of acting/producing/running a company in his stride, not many people could do that.
Is most of what happened in the Radio Theater episodes, going to make it into the new game? I'm excited already about having to find away to escape from the place Tex was kept captive.
Chris & Aaron: Sorry...the events of TMRT are in Tex's past now, so we'll find out about some of the things that happened, but it won't be part of the gameplay.
Will we see a return of the optional "darker/badguy" Tex that we saw in Pandora?
Chris & Aaron: There will definitely be some ways the story can play out where Tex gets a little testy...
Thedirector writes: I'd personally like to know if Project Fedora will explore some of Tex's backstory? He's obviously a great character (this very site is proof of that); but I'd like to know a bit more about him. I'd like to find out what happened between Tex and the Colonel for instance...
Chris & Aaron: You have no idea what kind of backstory you're going to get...
We're pretty sure you'll be blown away by some of the revelations we're going to, well, reveal.
Adrian Carr: So will I...
With the game being a downloadable game, how will the video quality be affected/compressed to deal with this? After all, the old games are gigabytes already. I ask because I'd prefer very good quality video (preferably HD) but I fear it will be DVD quality or less to make the downloadable version easier/cheaper. Maybe better video for the disc based version?
Chris & Aaron: The video will be as high quality as possible, with no regard for how many days it may take to download our game.
Will the game interface be more like Pandora/Moon or Overseer?
Chris & Aaron: Game UI is one of our core issues. A lot will depend on which game engine we go with. We can't say exactly how it will be...just a LOT BETTER than it was.
RandomX: I think all of us are a lot more forgiving of the old interface than a current audience would be. Pretty much has to be FPS-style.
Chris & Aaron: Duly noted, RandomX.
Another from RandonExile: Any chance of a comprehensive list of what tools you guys use to make these games (especially PF, but even back to Mean Streets)? Guitarists like to know exactly what gear and rig Slash/Steve Vai use to produce their unique sounds, and similarly for other artists/creators.
Chris & Aaron: We'll be licensing an engine for this project, so it won't be any secret which tools we're using. Unlike the old games, which we developed all our own tools for. We haven't made a final decision on the game engine.
What will happen to Mac Malden in the game, considering the circumstances?
Chris & Aaron: There are a number of characters from our past games that won't be returning for a variety of reasons. We try not to let the "real world" and Tex's world cross over too much.
Fred asks: Will there be achievements in Fedora?
Chris & Aaron: Fred, I don't think so. We're really focused on a game-story experience, not so much a sandboxy thing. Though I expect we'll have a point system and at least two levels of difficulty.
sam10100: Aaron, i know you love nepotism, so will your family (wife, brother, or dog have cameos in the new game?
Chris & Aaron: Funny question, Sam! There will absolutely be cameos from loved ones in the new game!
Do you guys have anything else planned promotional-wise for the campaign?
Chris & Aaron: We've got a bunch of things lined up, so stay tuned.
ChrisMars: Adrian - It may be just me, but it seems the FMV sequences are not shot in a traditional tv/cinema fashion. They feel more...descriptive. As if watching a novel unveil, instead of a storyboard. The Pandora intro scene at the Brew & Stew especially comes to mind. Can you elaborate/describe the process a bit?
Adrian Carr: There is a great deal of information in every FMV movie sequence, they are not just stand alone movie clips – the opening sequence in the Brew and Stew sets up Tex then eases into his meeting with Fitzpatrick. Because this is a game and not a movie certain information in the script needs to be imparted for the player to be aware of before they start out on their adventure.
Also when I directed The Pandora Directive I was not able to move the camera because of the amount of memory it would eat up. We did one tracking shot very simple at the very opening, it was MS past the ‘sleeping’ girl to find the BAK rifling through dresser drawers.
Every shot from thereon in are all static shots – the illusion of movement was created with smoke and mirrors. The shots of Tex sliding down the Mayan tunnel are basically Chris on a half tube painted blue being rocked, the camera was static. We employed Film Noir traditions; lighting, camera angles and attitude.
The working space of the stage was about 20’ by 20’ so the wider shots are composites of actors into the same shot or if actors couldn’t be scheduled on the same day. A good example of this is in Pandora when Tex/Regan/Cross/Fitzpatrick are altogether in the spacecraft.
We only had Tex/Regan/Cross as Fitzpatrick had been filmed earlier with just Tex with spaces allowed for Cross/Regan. It was a little tricky because of the different combinations of characters depending on which path you were playing.
We obviously did our job well because no one noticed any discrepancies in performance by the characters, a testament to their professionalism. Hope this helps
BeekNariz: If you had a restriction on camera movement in Pandora Directive, than the editing is even more impressive than I had originally thought.
Adrian Carr: Thanks.
RyanP: Ade, what program did you use? Adobe, etc?
Adrian Carr: Back then it was a beta cam video editing system.
Clint: Chris, Aaron, and Adrian: In a recent interview one of you mentioned that you learned a lot about doing short, to-the-point cutscenes in the 3 Cards games... the 3 Cards games were great, but some of the cut-scenes seemed to be cut a bit short, like the punch lines were taken out... will Fedora be like this?
Adrian Carr: I was not involved in 3 Cards
Chris & Aaron: Don't use the 3 Cards games (or any other games) as reference for what we'll do with Tex. We'll bring Tex back the way he needs to be.
Mister Fedora: If the story supports it, have you thought about having a small segment of gameplay in Fedora where the player plays as a character other than Tex? This could be a great “tick-box” feature.
Chris & Aaron: No, we hadn't really considered that. We'll give that some thought.
Adrian, suggestion maybe you get ahold of Nicole *Emily Sue Patterson* if she would starring in her own TM Kickstarter video while you shoot the vid of her delivering her support?
Adrian Carr: Should look in to Nikki
CathyH: It looks like Tex is wearing a different fedora in the Kickstarter promo video, is the old one going to make an appearance in the new game?
Chris & Aaron: As for the Fedora in question, Tex does, in fact, have a new fedora (which will be explained in the game).
FrankCSIS: Admit it, Aaron lost the old one
Chris & Aaron: Aaron DID NOT lose the old one... '-)
JenL: So Aaron did not lose the old one, that means the original tex fedora's. So does that mean that there is still two?
Chris & Aaron: I do believe there are two original fedoras floating around...
IanRegan: Is "Project Fedora" going to be the final game title?
Chris & Aaron: Project Fedora is only the working title.
RyanP: I would like to know the backstory of Dalton and who he is after he shot Tex:)
Chris & Aaron: I think there's a good chance we'll find out more about Dalton.
How much cajoling was necessary to get DV to wear that wedding dress?
Chris & Aaron: Very little. He is an amateur transvestite.
Adrian Carr: Doug couldn't wait to get dressed up in a wedding dress
Is Project Fedora a stepping stone to further TM adventures or is this a farewell game?
Chris & Aaron: Chris says: "That's for you to decide! If we get enough support, we'd love to continue the adventures."
What avenues are you going to initially pursue for distribution? There has been talk of Steam, and presumably you'd also make it available for direct download from Big Finish. Any other tricks up your sleeve? Are you planning on pursuing a physical distribution mechanism as well?
Chris & Aaron: Distribution questions are a bit off our radar right now - we're totally focused on KS and getting what we need to make the game. I'm sure we'll pursue all avenues when the time comes. Sorry for the lame answer.
Clint: Will there be a funny video update in 5 languages saying that if we get to $540,000, the game will get EFIGS support?
Chris & Aaron: No, Clint. No.
Duckie asks: "now that you got the word out on kickstarter and that it is going pretty well, have bigger companies like EA showed interest in it/contacted you at all either with a donation or a "good luck with it" ?
Chris & Aaron: No corporate interest, Duckie. Which is fine by us. Big corporations haven't done Tex Murphy any favors, ever!
JerryDan: If you guys would get a Reddit AMA set up between now and June 6, it'd go a long ways to ransoming Chr-- I mean Tex.
Adrian: as a fan of cinematography and interesting camerawork, i would like to see more movement in new cutscenes. i know it`s a bit tricky with green screen, but we`ve got "avatar" and "matrix" (but not their budgets, of course). can we expect some steadicam-style shooting or it will be the same more traditional, old-school, still footage with minor zoom where necessary?
p.s.: there was several scenes with handheld camera in overseer, and i liked them. but that was filmed on location
Adrian Carr: Yes - I plan on incorporating more movement - budget and time affects what I can do on green screen - but many noir movies are fairly static and let mood work for them. IF we can do a movie scene on location and still make it feel part of the game - like we did with Sonny's hotel room - since you could not explore his room in VR I suggested we build a small set - unfortunately I believe one of Sonny's scenes was cut out - it was brilliant too
Chris & Aaron: We're working on a Reddit thing right now.
ACMac14: Are there any other BIG FINISH games coming soon, more Rita James etc.?
Chris & Aaron: No more BFG games until Tex sees the light of day.
Kickstarter Rewards
Sai writes: Considering the B-movie homage, would it be possible, in addition to the director/cast commentary with the "Plan 10" film, to do a parody Mystery Science Theater 3000 style commentary? I'd think Rook (in character) would love to take jabs at it and others could make funny comments too. An evil GRS security robot could be the one forcing them to do commentary (in reference to the robots in MST3K). Just audio would be fine to keep it cost-effective (in the vein of the newer cheap audio-only Rifftrax by the same crew as MST3K). Lots of cult MST3K fans might up their pledge to get it!
Chris & Aaron: Sai, that's hilarious! We love MST3000. And, actually, when we watch stuff, we're pretty much like that. We'll consider doing something like that.
The $500.00 tier on Kickstarter states that UKAM/PD/Overseer will be a part of that reward level in a special edition box. What more can you tell us about this package? Are they remastered in any way?
Chris & Aaron: We won't be going back to update the game graphics, if that's what you're asking. But the deluxe packaging will be fresh and interesting.
Will the new Radio Theatre episodes continue from where the first batch finished?
Chris & Aaron: The new TMRT will definitely cover some of the events that take place between the end of Overseer and the beginning of the new game. THe novel, incidentally, will go into great detail about that time period (one big difference between the book and game).
Will the boxed version of the new game be available for purchase or just part of the KS rewards?
Chris & Aaron: We hope to offer the deluxe version even after the KS.
How many walk in roles are avaliable, and any information about what the roles will involve?
Chris & Aaron: Trust us, we'll find a role for EVERYONE who donates $10,000! Don't let that stop you!
Can we pretty please have an $888 level that includes something like a couple Brew and Stew branded mugs or glasses?
Chris & Aaron: Great idea! We're on it! Don't say we never listen!!!
CathyH: I've been meaning to ask... At the 5K level 'lunch w/ Chris Jones' - who picks up the tab?
Chris & Aaron: Cathy, we will treat you to the drive-through restaurant of your choice! And it's dinner with Chris AND Aaron!
All the cans of Eat the Rich you can eat!
I read in the Kickstarter comments that the beta test will be released about a month before the full game gets released. Do you think having a beta test earlier in the development cycle would allow for fans to give more input on the entire game, instead of just bug reports?
Chris & Aaron: We'll have to see about the timing. We'll beta test when it's at a point where we can get some constructive feedback. Stay tuned for updates!
At the $500 reward level, we can have our picture in the game... How will that be incorperated?
Chris & Aaron: We will put the photos in the game in a variety of fun, clever ways. It will be kind of an easter egg hunt. In fact, maybe we'll have a bonus for anyone who can find all the photos!
On the Kickstarter forums several backers have been wondering about mockups for some of the items in the reward tiers. Will any of those be coming out soon?
Chris & Aaron: We're discussing how to get some images out of the tier rewards. Look for an update soon.
RandonExile asks: Would you guys be willing to add design documents into the reward tiers for each of the games, either whole design documents and/or puzzle dependencies and story pathing?
Chris & Aaron: We want to keep most of our rewards to things we get out there right away. Those design docs haven't even been written!
Past Games
Aaron - In the Pandora Directive you played Dag Horton. We're you always the masked man during filming, or did you have a stunt double. Also, the pictures in the D.H.'s office that included you... any stories behind those?
Chris & Aaron: About Dag Horton - Aaron did not do the fight scene on the roof, but did all the other scenes. The photos of Horton were with a couple buddies of mine who really wanted to be in video games.
What happened to the Steakhouse Stakeout mini-game idea?
Tex Murphy Overseer had a deleted scene with Henry Darrow that was cut due to intensity, where Sonny talks about his wife dying. Is the scene on someone's hard drive somewhere and if so is it possible for us to get it and any other backed up scenes?
Chris & Aaron: Adrian? Want to take that one?
Cubase: Yeah Dalton, why are you so damn cruel?
Adrian Carr: Cruel - I am not cruel just frank
Sai: I think deleted scenes would be great in another reward tier like the bloopers if there are any
Chris & Aaron: Deleted are great. Unfortunately, we had to use pretty much everything we had.
Chris & Aaron: The Steakhouse Stakeout was going to be a substitute for a "real game", which (hopefully) we'll now get to do!
Cubase: Did they pay $500 for the privellage Aaron? lol
Chris & Aaron: Cub, they didn't pay me a dime! That's how good a friend I am.
Aaron: Jackson and Regan were working together, so how did Regan end up in the Mayan chambers, and Cross didn't?
Chris & Aaron: Regan was a treacherous little lass. I think she was trying to double-cross Cross and got triple-crossed.
joilet_jane also asks: Why does Tex consider licking everything he sees in Mean Streets???
Chris & Aaron: Joilet, when you're as down on your luck as Tex is, everything starts to look sort of tasty.
Duckie asks: "have you ever been thinking about relaunching other older games series you made? Like Amazons: GUardians of Eden & Crimewave?"
Chris & Aaron: Interesting thought on the other old games. Hmmmm
Ashkey: It has been mentioned in recent interviews that CJ & AC have replayed the games, with TPD which path do you folks enjoy following the most?
Chris & Aaron: Aaron is a sucker for the happy ending with Chelsee. Chris loves the dark path.
The files in the Tex games, and even non Tex games, have the file extension .ap. Can you tell us what the .ap extension is and how to decompress .ap files? There's a fan made program called Overviewer that does this, but only works with Tex Murphy Overseer.
Chris & Aaron: No, we cannot. :-p
We are not programmers and there's no one here with the slightest clue what a .ap extension means. Sorry!
FredBuer: Wait, what? I'm not the only game designer in the world with no idea how to program? I'm not aloooooone! *Sobs*
Chris & Aaron: Fred, I feel your pain.
Novels & Books
Hammerhead asks: What is the status regarding the Tex Murphy novel Aaron said he was working on in our last chat (back in March)? Will there be an audiobook of it voiced by Chris Jones? And, will Chris be doing an audiobook of Under A Killing Moon (for those of us that love books but hate to read them)?
Chris & Aaron: I'll be starting a Kickstarter project for the novel if this one doesn't work.
Actually, it's coming along pretty well. I'm looking forward to having it done later this year for sure. And I hope Chris will do an audio version of it.
We'll see about the UKM audiobook...maybe one final tier award...?
What happened to the overseer novel?
Chris & Aaron: Aaron didn't do the original version of that story, just the remake...but we've considered doing a novelization at some point.
Aaron: Read any good news novels you can suggest?
Aaron: I love the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Really great. And the Hardy Boys, of course.
Community-Based Questions
RandomExile again: Might some of the tools you develop in-house be released in some form, perhaps leading to a Tex Murphy modding community? (I know the potential horror that leaves us vulnerable to, as with all modding communities, but you know Cubase/Mat and others are also capable of adding meaningful content to the Tex universe.)
Chris & Aaron: I don't think we'll support modding (though we support it in theory). Our games aren't sandbox games, so we kind of like to keep them the way we made them.
JerryDan asks: In developing the game would you consider utilizing some of us from your faithful community at UTM in making the game? Our board hosts some amazing talent (Cub, Rockefeller, and Fred being great examples), and we'd pitch it in for dirt cheap (i.e. free)...
Chris & Aaron: We would certainly do that. Obviously, people like Cub (Mat) and James and Rockefeller all have a lot of talent. As long as no one feels like we're asking too much of them, we would love to have creative input from you all.
Clint: Are you going to use Cub's rock version remix of the Day's Introduction from UAKM for the Day seques? (Please say yes!)
Chris & Aaron: We LOVE Cub's remix, so it's a definite maybe!
ACMac14 asks: Was wondering if you had any big action scenes in mind I am an alum of the United Stuntmens Association which is based up there in Seattle. Sure I could get a few of the local members to donate their time and skills and might save them a nice chunk of change out of the budget they can put to good use on other parts of the project? I am quite happy for a walk on role to be a fall down one
Adrian Carr: Murph will steal every scene he is in - be warned, he's that good!
Chris & Aaron: Thanks for the offer, ACMac14. Maybe we'll take you up on that.
Misc. Questions
Another from joilet: Are Tex and CJ the same height? No one in the Texverse seems to notice that he is a GIANT P.I.!
Chris & Aaron: Jane, they are, in fact, the same height...though we have to admit that we cheated a bit with Gus Leach (who, in fact, is actually 6' 5" - but still shorter than Chris). Chris is 6' 7" (or used to be).
Aaron is actually 6' 5" - that's actually one of the reasons the company was named "Big Finish" - people always commented on how big we were for videogame guys.
Adrian Carr: They are... big guys
Do CJ and AC refresh the Kickstarter page as much as the rest of us?
Chris & Aaron: There have been times when we were refreshing like mad!
Aaron: Have you ever been tempted to do a Tex easter egg in one of the Sims games?
Chris & Aaron: Thanks for mentioning the Sims games. I hope everyone here knows that Aaron works for EA (happily) and that this is just a fun sideline. And that's a neat idea about having Tex do a cameo in a Sims game. Hmmmmmm.
The only thing Aaron loves more than a Tex fan is a Tex fan...who's also a Sims fan!!!!
joilet_jane asks: I heard AC, CJ, and Doug Snr. were in a band together-- can we hear that sometime?
Chris & Aaron: IT's true, we've been in a band together off and on for years. And we just might share some of that someday
Cubase: Who plays what instruments?
Chris & Aaron: Chris plays keyboards, Doug plays bass and guitar, Aaron plays a little of everything and we all sing.
Malloy asks: Chris - What is your best real life golf score? I'm curious....
Chris & Aaron: Malloy, fairly close to what Kim Jong Il shot on his best day...around a 19, I believe it was.
joilet_jane asks: Can you all tell us more of this "Courtney" person?
Chris & Aaron: Joliet Jane, she is the most wonderful, lovely, hard-working young woman you could ever meet. She keeps things running here at TruGolf. Er...Big Finish.
Adrian Carr: I can second that Chris - what a gal!
RyanP: she the one that played blonde Mal? she did good performance
Sai: No she works on the customer support email
Chris & Aaron: No, Courtney is a very reluctant on-camera participant. The Marilyn actress is a good friend, however.
Sai: If you don't mind me asking would there be a future update about the no-credit-card payment guide or link on the Kickstarter page? Like what DoubleFine did. I think its kind of hidden on the BFG site for international folks.
Chris & Aaron: We'll have an update soon with info about paying outside the U.S. Very soon! We promise.
From Jen: Two projects are currently on Kickstarter that I would love to see succeed. Is there any chance please of using your powers for good, and maybe giving a shout out or a little nudge to....
1) The Curse of the Shadow House. I originally saw it because you backed it, and it is chugging along better now that some Tex fans have helped it, but it's not too far from ending, and needs a little push.
2) Superluminous: A Sci-Fi, Noir Graphic Novel: written by our beloved friend and board member Fred Buer. And yes Fred, I am paying all that international shipping to get you to sign it for me.
Chris & Aaron: We're checking to see if we've already supported Curse of the Shadow House. If not, we'll get right on it. And, of course, we will support our friend Fred! We just backed SuperLuminous! Yay, Fred!
Glitched Answers (cut off)
For Adrian: What are the biggest challenges to directing an interactive movie, as opposed to a linear one?
Adrian Carr: The movie reward scenes are very traditional except where certain moments are changed depending which path you are on. It was the Interactive Conversations that were new to me and with Aaron’s help guiding me through the quagmire of the flow chart I was able to help the actors maintain the tone for each answer so that if played back as a scene would not look uneven/ flow chart. With the knowledge I have now I plan to [cut off?]
Misplaced Lines
This was either in relation to the Henry Darrow deleted scene question or in relation to Dalton's backstory but due to timing it got confused between the two.
Adrian Carr: It should be revealed in Fedora... but I have to talk to Aaron about that one
Some other overlooked questions e.g. "Will Chris and Aaron have enough time to make the game and rewards with their day jobs (e.g. working at EA and TruGolf etc.)" were answered in the RetroNick podcast:
http://www.retronick.com/2012/05/retron ... rphy-live/
Summary: They're not worried about not having the time.
Goodbyes
Chris & Aaron: I think we'll call it a night as well...
Adrian Carr: Yep things could get worser if we keep going
JerryDan: Guys, you're so gracious to spend your time with us like this. We know you're just people like us, but you're important people to us, so it means a lot.
Adrian Carr: Ditto JerryDan
Chris & Aaron: Thanks, Jerry Dan. You guys mean a lot to us, too. That's really why we're doing this. Now let's make it happen!
Thanks for joining us tonight. It was a blast for us. We'll see you on the UTM Board and in the Comments section of the KS page!
Adrian Carr: Ciao guys !! We'll make it a bloody ripper of a game for sure!
Misceallaneous for Posterity because I had to:
Chris & Aaron: CHRIS JONES IS GREAT AT A LOT OF THINGS. BUT NOT TYPING.
Chris & Aaron: What the hell is mirc?
Chris & Aaron: YES! It's CHELSEEEEEEEEEE! No A's!
Chris & Aaron: Luckily, Aaron's dog is here to keep us entertained. His name's Murphy (of course).
Adrian Carr: Hey Murph it's Ade
Chris & Aaron: Murph says hi, Ade.
Adrian Carr: He's writing it!
Chris & Aaron: Murphy is half cute, half adorable. Actually, he's a Maltese/Poodle mix. I'll post a photo. We were just speculating that Tex fans seems to be dog people.
RyanP: Dog would be great. Murph would be Tex own personal dog next to his desk
Adrian Carr: Dalton could use a partner in crime
RyanP: Dalton everyone laugh about your Wanker tshirt when you did the video
Adrian Carr: Ryan - the Tee gets commented on by passersby - they often want to buy it off my back.
Welcome Chris and Aaron, hows the search for Tex's kidnapper going?
Chris & Aaron: It's coming along fine, thanks. We have some good leads.
What are your thoughts on the kickstarter responce? Were you expecting this much support?
Adrian Carr: For me the response has been incredible, the same for all the loyal support from you guys.
Will the length of Fedora be about as long as Under a Killing Moon? Are you deciding to do a 5 hour game with 5 paths instead of a 25 hour game with no paths? (I would prefer a longer game with fewer paths)
Chris & Aaron: It's hard to say how long the game will be. A lot depends on what we have for funds. But we'll definitely provide an epic experience with some great narrative pathings.
Will any of the Chandler Avenue characters have a larger role than in games past? Also, we've heard confirmation of the return of Louie, Rook, and Clint. But, what of Chelsee Bando?
Chris & Aaron: They will have roles similar to past games. Someone on the forums mentioned that just focusing on past characters might hold things back a bit... but they're very important and will have key roles in the new story. As for Chelsee...we can't say too much for now.
Talon2000uk : In an interview it was mentioned about "shorter attention spans" and Project Fedora being "easier / slick" etc. A lot of fans loved the gradual buildup with how the story took time to grow and we could immerse ourselves in the world of the past games. I liked the depth of the games where everything you clicked on had a comment or a little story behind it, fantastically voice, by the velvet toned Chris Jones. Please tell us that your not going to ditch these elements in favour of more "Modern" OCD approach.
Chris & Aaron: All the detail will still be in the new game - (voiceovers, etc). That has been somewhat of our trademark and we will continue to have the immerseve depth of gameplay as in the old games.
When we talk about pacing, we are talking from a cinematic standpoint. Our filmmaking has improved and we will be able to tell the story better. There are instances in the old game of "restlessness" because the delivery could have been sharper. These are the kinds of things we intend to clean up - so to speak.
This game will not feel rushed, it will feel better.
Editor Note: This was also mentioned in an answer on another site:
Chris: Hi Guys - Chris J here - Just saw the thread on "slick" game. Don't worry. I am referring to the interface and the pacing of the story. It will be true to our past games but will keep a good energy level throughout . There will still be two levels of game play with one level designed for gamers. It will be the real deal.
Also check out the RetroNauts podcast for another answer about this:
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=91078481UP: Have you been playing adventure games since Overseer, and will any of the changes in design influence how Project Fedora is made?
Chris: I think to a certain extent that will affect it, but one thing I'm finding is when we go out and we've been talking to people, and the people who have been backing the project, they really have an idea of what they want.
Chris: I've talked on programs before and I've said we're going to make it a little slicker, and that was almost a mistake. What I meant by that was saying we're going to make the interface easier to use. You look back 15, 20 years, the interface was a little clunky, so we wanted to make sure that the mechanics don't get in the way of the game, and so much has improved that way that we want to make sure we build that in, but in many regards they absolutely want a classic Tex mystery, and so there are design philosophies and concepts that I think make puzzle better and more intuitive and a little more fair to the player, and I do think those things needs to be incorporated, but I want people to understand that we are re-creating Tex's world and we are technically improving things that make it easier to play, but that the game they knew and loved through the series is going to be the heart of what the experience will be.
Who plays/sings the rock song at the end of the Kickstarter video?
Chris & Aaron: Bobby James wrote that song. He'll be doing much of the soundtrack for the new game.
Cubase: What of Matt Heider?
Chris & Aaron: Matt will be consulting, hopefully.
We'll have our usual mix of jazz and big movie theme music.
BeekNariz: CJ: Was the James Dean in the Kickstarter video played by your son?
Chris & Aaron: Yes, that Mason, Chris's son.
Adrian Carr: Mason was terrific to work with - a chip of the old CJ block
In the new game may we see more of the actors at the diner in the kickstarter video?
Chris & Aaron: Probably - Mason is a pretty talented actor, as is the young woman who played Marilyn. Elvis...not so much.
Sai writes: I am hoping you guys smash way past your goal! But if you just got the 450k goal, would you still be able to cast even just one of those "very recognisable names" in the contact list you mentioned, like in past games? And if not how much past the goal would be required? If possible I'd also be curious how much past the goal for the other things you mentioned: longer game, more paths, increasing caliber etc.
Chris & Aaron: Chris says: When you look at how much the other Kickstarter projects exceeded their goals, we'd need something similar - like +30%. We can't really say who we would go after for actors, but we would certainly put as much quality as possible into the production.
Adrian: What would Adrian like to do different this time around that he may not have been able to do previously (perhaps due to technology at the time)?
Adrian Carr: Try using a widescreen format for live action - incorporate more camera moves - more realistic depth of field to replicate real film lenses.
RyanP: were Avatar that James Cameron did was green background, right?
Adrian Carr: Cameron used Mo-Cap with state of the art technology to see his actors live in virtual sets and spent $300 million doing it
RyanP: You mean 3 million not 300 mil?
Adrian Carr: no $300 million US. The fact Cameron is doing the next 2 Avatar movies back to back will average the costs out over the 3 movies
Beek writes: One thing i liked about Under a Killing Moon and Pandora was that the games were broken up into chapters or days. This is something i really missed in Overseer. I know the format in Overseer is a little bit different since its a flashback but still. Are you thinking about dividing this new game up into chapters/days ?
Chris & Aaron: Yes, Overseer was very different. I know some people complained about not having narrative pathing as well, but it took place in the past! We will definitely have the new game divided into days or chapters.
Adrian: What's Chris like to direct?
Adrian Carr: He is amazing to direct... Chris, for an untrained actor, knows when he is even the slightest bit off Tex before I, or Aaron, can say anything and that is such a time saver. And he takes the rigors of acting/producing/running a company in his stride, not many people could do that.
Is most of what happened in the Radio Theater episodes, going to make it into the new game? I'm excited already about having to find away to escape from the place Tex was kept captive.
Chris & Aaron: Sorry...the events of TMRT are in Tex's past now, so we'll find out about some of the things that happened, but it won't be part of the gameplay.
Will we see a return of the optional "darker/badguy" Tex that we saw in Pandora?
Chris & Aaron: There will definitely be some ways the story can play out where Tex gets a little testy...
Thedirector writes: I'd personally like to know if Project Fedora will explore some of Tex's backstory? He's obviously a great character (this very site is proof of that); but I'd like to know a bit more about him. I'd like to find out what happened between Tex and the Colonel for instance...
Chris & Aaron: You have no idea what kind of backstory you're going to get...
We're pretty sure you'll be blown away by some of the revelations we're going to, well, reveal.
Adrian Carr: So will I...
With the game being a downloadable game, how will the video quality be affected/compressed to deal with this? After all, the old games are gigabytes already. I ask because I'd prefer very good quality video (preferably HD) but I fear it will be DVD quality or less to make the downloadable version easier/cheaper. Maybe better video for the disc based version?
Chris & Aaron: The video will be as high quality as possible, with no regard for how many days it may take to download our game.
Will the game interface be more like Pandora/Moon or Overseer?
Chris & Aaron: Game UI is one of our core issues. A lot will depend on which game engine we go with. We can't say exactly how it will be...just a LOT BETTER than it was.
RandomX: I think all of us are a lot more forgiving of the old interface than a current audience would be. Pretty much has to be FPS-style.
Chris & Aaron: Duly noted, RandomX.
Another from RandonExile: Any chance of a comprehensive list of what tools you guys use to make these games (especially PF, but even back to Mean Streets)? Guitarists like to know exactly what gear and rig Slash/Steve Vai use to produce their unique sounds, and similarly for other artists/creators.
Chris & Aaron: We'll be licensing an engine for this project, so it won't be any secret which tools we're using. Unlike the old games, which we developed all our own tools for. We haven't made a final decision on the game engine.
What will happen to Mac Malden in the game, considering the circumstances?
Chris & Aaron: There are a number of characters from our past games that won't be returning for a variety of reasons. We try not to let the "real world" and Tex's world cross over too much.
Fred asks: Will there be achievements in Fedora?
Chris & Aaron: Fred, I don't think so. We're really focused on a game-story experience, not so much a sandboxy thing. Though I expect we'll have a point system and at least two levels of difficulty.
sam10100: Aaron, i know you love nepotism, so will your family (wife, brother, or dog have cameos in the new game?
Chris & Aaron: Funny question, Sam! There will absolutely be cameos from loved ones in the new game!
Do you guys have anything else planned promotional-wise for the campaign?
Chris & Aaron: We've got a bunch of things lined up, so stay tuned.
ChrisMars: Adrian - It may be just me, but it seems the FMV sequences are not shot in a traditional tv/cinema fashion. They feel more...descriptive. As if watching a novel unveil, instead of a storyboard. The Pandora intro scene at the Brew & Stew especially comes to mind. Can you elaborate/describe the process a bit?
Adrian Carr: There is a great deal of information in every FMV movie sequence, they are not just stand alone movie clips – the opening sequence in the Brew and Stew sets up Tex then eases into his meeting with Fitzpatrick. Because this is a game and not a movie certain information in the script needs to be imparted for the player to be aware of before they start out on their adventure.
Also when I directed The Pandora Directive I was not able to move the camera because of the amount of memory it would eat up. We did one tracking shot very simple at the very opening, it was MS past the ‘sleeping’ girl to find the BAK rifling through dresser drawers.
Every shot from thereon in are all static shots – the illusion of movement was created with smoke and mirrors. The shots of Tex sliding down the Mayan tunnel are basically Chris on a half tube painted blue being rocked, the camera was static. We employed Film Noir traditions; lighting, camera angles and attitude.
The working space of the stage was about 20’ by 20’ so the wider shots are composites of actors into the same shot or if actors couldn’t be scheduled on the same day. A good example of this is in Pandora when Tex/Regan/Cross/Fitzpatrick are altogether in the spacecraft.
We only had Tex/Regan/Cross as Fitzpatrick had been filmed earlier with just Tex with spaces allowed for Cross/Regan. It was a little tricky because of the different combinations of characters depending on which path you were playing.
We obviously did our job well because no one noticed any discrepancies in performance by the characters, a testament to their professionalism. Hope this helps
BeekNariz: If you had a restriction on camera movement in Pandora Directive, than the editing is even more impressive than I had originally thought.
Adrian Carr: Thanks.
RyanP: Ade, what program did you use? Adobe, etc?
Adrian Carr: Back then it was a beta cam video editing system.
Clint: Chris, Aaron, and Adrian: In a recent interview one of you mentioned that you learned a lot about doing short, to-the-point cutscenes in the 3 Cards games... the 3 Cards games were great, but some of the cut-scenes seemed to be cut a bit short, like the punch lines were taken out... will Fedora be like this?
Adrian Carr: I was not involved in 3 Cards
Chris & Aaron: Don't use the 3 Cards games (or any other games) as reference for what we'll do with Tex. We'll bring Tex back the way he needs to be.
Mister Fedora: If the story supports it, have you thought about having a small segment of gameplay in Fedora where the player plays as a character other than Tex? This could be a great “tick-box” feature.
Chris & Aaron: No, we hadn't really considered that. We'll give that some thought.
Adrian, suggestion maybe you get ahold of Nicole *Emily Sue Patterson* if she would starring in her own TM Kickstarter video while you shoot the vid of her delivering her support?
Adrian Carr: Should look in to Nikki
CathyH: It looks like Tex is wearing a different fedora in the Kickstarter promo video, is the old one going to make an appearance in the new game?
Chris & Aaron: As for the Fedora in question, Tex does, in fact, have a new fedora (which will be explained in the game).
FrankCSIS: Admit it, Aaron lost the old one
Chris & Aaron: Aaron DID NOT lose the old one... '-)
JenL: So Aaron did not lose the old one, that means the original tex fedora's. So does that mean that there is still two?
Chris & Aaron: I do believe there are two original fedoras floating around...
IanRegan: Is "Project Fedora" going to be the final game title?
Chris & Aaron: Project Fedora is only the working title.
RyanP: I would like to know the backstory of Dalton and who he is after he shot Tex:)
Chris & Aaron: I think there's a good chance we'll find out more about Dalton.
How much cajoling was necessary to get DV to wear that wedding dress?
Chris & Aaron: Very little. He is an amateur transvestite.
Adrian Carr: Doug couldn't wait to get dressed up in a wedding dress
Is Project Fedora a stepping stone to further TM adventures or is this a farewell game?
Chris & Aaron: Chris says: "That's for you to decide! If we get enough support, we'd love to continue the adventures."
What avenues are you going to initially pursue for distribution? There has been talk of Steam, and presumably you'd also make it available for direct download from Big Finish. Any other tricks up your sleeve? Are you planning on pursuing a physical distribution mechanism as well?
Chris & Aaron: Distribution questions are a bit off our radar right now - we're totally focused on KS and getting what we need to make the game. I'm sure we'll pursue all avenues when the time comes. Sorry for the lame answer.
Clint: Will there be a funny video update in 5 languages saying that if we get to $540,000, the game will get EFIGS support?
Chris & Aaron: No, Clint. No.
Duckie asks: "now that you got the word out on kickstarter and that it is going pretty well, have bigger companies like EA showed interest in it/contacted you at all either with a donation or a "good luck with it" ?
Chris & Aaron: No corporate interest, Duckie. Which is fine by us. Big corporations haven't done Tex Murphy any favors, ever!
JerryDan: If you guys would get a Reddit AMA set up between now and June 6, it'd go a long ways to ransoming Chr-- I mean Tex.
Adrian: as a fan of cinematography and interesting camerawork, i would like to see more movement in new cutscenes. i know it`s a bit tricky with green screen, but we`ve got "avatar" and "matrix" (but not their budgets, of course). can we expect some steadicam-style shooting or it will be the same more traditional, old-school, still footage with minor zoom where necessary?
p.s.: there was several scenes with handheld camera in overseer, and i liked them. but that was filmed on location
Adrian Carr: Yes - I plan on incorporating more movement - budget and time affects what I can do on green screen - but many noir movies are fairly static and let mood work for them. IF we can do a movie scene on location and still make it feel part of the game - like we did with Sonny's hotel room - since you could not explore his room in VR I suggested we build a small set - unfortunately I believe one of Sonny's scenes was cut out - it was brilliant too
Chris & Aaron: We're working on a Reddit thing right now.
ACMac14: Are there any other BIG FINISH games coming soon, more Rita James etc.?
Chris & Aaron: No more BFG games until Tex sees the light of day.
Kickstarter Rewards
Sai writes: Considering the B-movie homage, would it be possible, in addition to the director/cast commentary with the "Plan 10" film, to do a parody Mystery Science Theater 3000 style commentary? I'd think Rook (in character) would love to take jabs at it and others could make funny comments too. An evil GRS security robot could be the one forcing them to do commentary (in reference to the robots in MST3K). Just audio would be fine to keep it cost-effective (in the vein of the newer cheap audio-only Rifftrax by the same crew as MST3K). Lots of cult MST3K fans might up their pledge to get it!
Chris & Aaron: Sai, that's hilarious! We love MST3000. And, actually, when we watch stuff, we're pretty much like that. We'll consider doing something like that.
The $500.00 tier on Kickstarter states that UKAM/PD/Overseer will be a part of that reward level in a special edition box. What more can you tell us about this package? Are they remastered in any way?
Chris & Aaron: We won't be going back to update the game graphics, if that's what you're asking. But the deluxe packaging will be fresh and interesting.
Will the new Radio Theatre episodes continue from where the first batch finished?
Chris & Aaron: The new TMRT will definitely cover some of the events that take place between the end of Overseer and the beginning of the new game. THe novel, incidentally, will go into great detail about that time period (one big difference between the book and game).
Will the boxed version of the new game be available for purchase or just part of the KS rewards?
Chris & Aaron: We hope to offer the deluxe version even after the KS.
How many walk in roles are avaliable, and any information about what the roles will involve?
Chris & Aaron: Trust us, we'll find a role for EVERYONE who donates $10,000! Don't let that stop you!
Can we pretty please have an $888 level that includes something like a couple Brew and Stew branded mugs or glasses?
Chris & Aaron: Great idea! We're on it! Don't say we never listen!!!
CathyH: I've been meaning to ask... At the 5K level 'lunch w/ Chris Jones' - who picks up the tab?
Chris & Aaron: Cathy, we will treat you to the drive-through restaurant of your choice! And it's dinner with Chris AND Aaron!
All the cans of Eat the Rich you can eat!
I read in the Kickstarter comments that the beta test will be released about a month before the full game gets released. Do you think having a beta test earlier in the development cycle would allow for fans to give more input on the entire game, instead of just bug reports?
Chris & Aaron: We'll have to see about the timing. We'll beta test when it's at a point where we can get some constructive feedback. Stay tuned for updates!
At the $500 reward level, we can have our picture in the game... How will that be incorperated?
Chris & Aaron: We will put the photos in the game in a variety of fun, clever ways. It will be kind of an easter egg hunt. In fact, maybe we'll have a bonus for anyone who can find all the photos!
On the Kickstarter forums several backers have been wondering about mockups for some of the items in the reward tiers. Will any of those be coming out soon?
Chris & Aaron: We're discussing how to get some images out of the tier rewards. Look for an update soon.
RandonExile asks: Would you guys be willing to add design documents into the reward tiers for each of the games, either whole design documents and/or puzzle dependencies and story pathing?
Chris & Aaron: We want to keep most of our rewards to things we get out there right away. Those design docs haven't even been written!
Past Games
Aaron - In the Pandora Directive you played Dag Horton. We're you always the masked man during filming, or did you have a stunt double. Also, the pictures in the D.H.'s office that included you... any stories behind those?
Chris & Aaron: About Dag Horton - Aaron did not do the fight scene on the roof, but did all the other scenes. The photos of Horton were with a couple buddies of mine who really wanted to be in video games.
What happened to the Steakhouse Stakeout mini-game idea?
Tex Murphy Overseer had a deleted scene with Henry Darrow that was cut due to intensity, where Sonny talks about his wife dying. Is the scene on someone's hard drive somewhere and if so is it possible for us to get it and any other backed up scenes?
Chris & Aaron: Adrian? Want to take that one?
Cubase: Yeah Dalton, why are you so damn cruel?
Adrian Carr: Cruel - I am not cruel just frank
Sai: I think deleted scenes would be great in another reward tier like the bloopers if there are any
Chris & Aaron: Deleted are great. Unfortunately, we had to use pretty much everything we had.
Chris & Aaron: The Steakhouse Stakeout was going to be a substitute for a "real game", which (hopefully) we'll now get to do!
Cubase: Did they pay $500 for the privellage Aaron? lol
Chris & Aaron: Cub, they didn't pay me a dime! That's how good a friend I am.
Aaron: Jackson and Regan were working together, so how did Regan end up in the Mayan chambers, and Cross didn't?
Chris & Aaron: Regan was a treacherous little lass. I think she was trying to double-cross Cross and got triple-crossed.
joilet_jane also asks: Why does Tex consider licking everything he sees in Mean Streets???
Chris & Aaron: Joilet, when you're as down on your luck as Tex is, everything starts to look sort of tasty.
Duckie asks: "have you ever been thinking about relaunching other older games series you made? Like Amazons: GUardians of Eden & Crimewave?"
Chris & Aaron: Interesting thought on the other old games. Hmmmm
Ashkey: It has been mentioned in recent interviews that CJ & AC have replayed the games, with TPD which path do you folks enjoy following the most?
Chris & Aaron: Aaron is a sucker for the happy ending with Chelsee. Chris loves the dark path.
The files in the Tex games, and even non Tex games, have the file extension .ap. Can you tell us what the .ap extension is and how to decompress .ap files? There's a fan made program called Overviewer that does this, but only works with Tex Murphy Overseer.
Chris & Aaron: No, we cannot. :-p
We are not programmers and there's no one here with the slightest clue what a .ap extension means. Sorry!
FredBuer: Wait, what? I'm not the only game designer in the world with no idea how to program? I'm not aloooooone! *Sobs*
Chris & Aaron: Fred, I feel your pain.
Novels & Books
Hammerhead asks: What is the status regarding the Tex Murphy novel Aaron said he was working on in our last chat (back in March)? Will there be an audiobook of it voiced by Chris Jones? And, will Chris be doing an audiobook of Under A Killing Moon (for those of us that love books but hate to read them)?
Chris & Aaron: I'll be starting a Kickstarter project for the novel if this one doesn't work.
Actually, it's coming along pretty well. I'm looking forward to having it done later this year for sure. And I hope Chris will do an audio version of it.
We'll see about the UKM audiobook...maybe one final tier award...?
What happened to the overseer novel?
Chris & Aaron: Aaron didn't do the original version of that story, just the remake...but we've considered doing a novelization at some point.
Aaron: Read any good news novels you can suggest?
Aaron: I love the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Really great. And the Hardy Boys, of course.
Community-Based Questions
RandomExile again: Might some of the tools you develop in-house be released in some form, perhaps leading to a Tex Murphy modding community? (I know the potential horror that leaves us vulnerable to, as with all modding communities, but you know Cubase/Mat and others are also capable of adding meaningful content to the Tex universe.)
Chris & Aaron: I don't think we'll support modding (though we support it in theory). Our games aren't sandbox games, so we kind of like to keep them the way we made them.
JerryDan asks: In developing the game would you consider utilizing some of us from your faithful community at UTM in making the game? Our board hosts some amazing talent (Cub, Rockefeller, and Fred being great examples), and we'd pitch it in for dirt cheap (i.e. free)...
Chris & Aaron: We would certainly do that. Obviously, people like Cub (Mat) and James and Rockefeller all have a lot of talent. As long as no one feels like we're asking too much of them, we would love to have creative input from you all.
Clint: Are you going to use Cub's rock version remix of the Day's Introduction from UAKM for the Day seques? (Please say yes!)
Chris & Aaron: We LOVE Cub's remix, so it's a definite maybe!
ACMac14 asks: Was wondering if you had any big action scenes in mind I am an alum of the United Stuntmens Association which is based up there in Seattle. Sure I could get a few of the local members to donate their time and skills and might save them a nice chunk of change out of the budget they can put to good use on other parts of the project? I am quite happy for a walk on role to be a fall down one
Adrian Carr: Murph will steal every scene he is in - be warned, he's that good!
Chris & Aaron: Thanks for the offer, ACMac14. Maybe we'll take you up on that.
Misc. Questions
Another from joilet: Are Tex and CJ the same height? No one in the Texverse seems to notice that he is a GIANT P.I.!
Chris & Aaron: Jane, they are, in fact, the same height...though we have to admit that we cheated a bit with Gus Leach (who, in fact, is actually 6' 5" - but still shorter than Chris). Chris is 6' 7" (or used to be).
Aaron is actually 6' 5" - that's actually one of the reasons the company was named "Big Finish" - people always commented on how big we were for videogame guys.
Adrian Carr: They are... big guys
Do CJ and AC refresh the Kickstarter page as much as the rest of us?
Chris & Aaron: There have been times when we were refreshing like mad!
Aaron: Have you ever been tempted to do a Tex easter egg in one of the Sims games?
Chris & Aaron: Thanks for mentioning the Sims games. I hope everyone here knows that Aaron works for EA (happily) and that this is just a fun sideline. And that's a neat idea about having Tex do a cameo in a Sims game. Hmmmmmm.
The only thing Aaron loves more than a Tex fan is a Tex fan...who's also a Sims fan!!!!
joilet_jane asks: I heard AC, CJ, and Doug Snr. were in a band together-- can we hear that sometime?
Chris & Aaron: IT's true, we've been in a band together off and on for years. And we just might share some of that someday
Cubase: Who plays what instruments?
Chris & Aaron: Chris plays keyboards, Doug plays bass and guitar, Aaron plays a little of everything and we all sing.
Malloy asks: Chris - What is your best real life golf score? I'm curious....
Chris & Aaron: Malloy, fairly close to what Kim Jong Il shot on his best day...around a 19, I believe it was.
joilet_jane asks: Can you all tell us more of this "Courtney" person?
Chris & Aaron: Joliet Jane, she is the most wonderful, lovely, hard-working young woman you could ever meet. She keeps things running here at TruGolf. Er...Big Finish.
Adrian Carr: I can second that Chris - what a gal!
RyanP: she the one that played blonde Mal? she did good performance
Sai: No she works on the customer support email
Chris & Aaron: No, Courtney is a very reluctant on-camera participant. The Marilyn actress is a good friend, however.
Sai: If you don't mind me asking would there be a future update about the no-credit-card payment guide or link on the Kickstarter page? Like what DoubleFine did. I think its kind of hidden on the BFG site for international folks.
Chris & Aaron: We'll have an update soon with info about paying outside the U.S. Very soon! We promise.
From Jen: Two projects are currently on Kickstarter that I would love to see succeed. Is there any chance please of using your powers for good, and maybe giving a shout out or a little nudge to....
1) The Curse of the Shadow House. I originally saw it because you backed it, and it is chugging along better now that some Tex fans have helped it, but it's not too far from ending, and needs a little push.
2) Superluminous: A Sci-Fi, Noir Graphic Novel: written by our beloved friend and board member Fred Buer. And yes Fred, I am paying all that international shipping to get you to sign it for me.
Chris & Aaron: We're checking to see if we've already supported Curse of the Shadow House. If not, we'll get right on it. And, of course, we will support our friend Fred! We just backed SuperLuminous! Yay, Fred!
Glitched Answers (cut off)
For Adrian: What are the biggest challenges to directing an interactive movie, as opposed to a linear one?
Adrian Carr: The movie reward scenes are very traditional except where certain moments are changed depending which path you are on. It was the Interactive Conversations that were new to me and with Aaron’s help guiding me through the quagmire of the flow chart I was able to help the actors maintain the tone for each answer so that if played back as a scene would not look uneven/ flow chart. With the knowledge I have now I plan to [cut off?]
Misplaced Lines
This was either in relation to the Henry Darrow deleted scene question or in relation to Dalton's backstory but due to timing it got confused between the two.
Adrian Carr: It should be revealed in Fedora... but I have to talk to Aaron about that one
Some other overlooked questions e.g. "Will Chris and Aaron have enough time to make the game and rewards with their day jobs (e.g. working at EA and TruGolf etc.)" were answered in the RetroNick podcast:
http://www.retronick.com/2012/05/retron ... rphy-live/
Summary: They're not worried about not having the time.
Goodbyes
Chris & Aaron: I think we'll call it a night as well...
Adrian Carr: Yep things could get worser if we keep going
JerryDan: Guys, you're so gracious to spend your time with us like this. We know you're just people like us, but you're important people to us, so it means a lot.
Adrian Carr: Ditto JerryDan
Chris & Aaron: Thanks, Jerry Dan. You guys mean a lot to us, too. That's really why we're doing this. Now let's make it happen!
Thanks for joining us tonight. It was a blast for us. We'll see you on the UTM Board and in the Comments section of the KS page!
Adrian Carr: Ciao guys !! We'll make it a bloody ripper of a game for sure!
Misceallaneous for Posterity because I had to:
Chris & Aaron: CHRIS JONES IS GREAT AT A LOT OF THINGS. BUT NOT TYPING.
Chris & Aaron: What the hell is mirc?
Chris & Aaron: YES! It's CHELSEEEEEEEEEE! No A's!
Chris & Aaron: Luckily, Aaron's dog is here to keep us entertained. His name's Murphy (of course).
Adrian Carr: Hey Murph it's Ade
Chris & Aaron: Murph says hi, Ade.
Adrian Carr: He's writing it!
Chris & Aaron: Murphy is half cute, half adorable. Actually, he's a Maltese/Poodle mix. I'll post a photo. We were just speculating that Tex fans seems to be dog people.
RyanP: Dog would be great. Murph would be Tex own personal dog next to his desk
Adrian Carr: Dalton could use a partner in crime
RyanP: Dalton everyone laugh about your Wanker tshirt when you did the video
Adrian Carr: Ryan - the Tee gets commented on by passersby - they often want to buy it off my back.
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
Thank you very much for posting that. Unfortunately my question didn't get asked. 
Not time for every one I suppose.
Not time for every one I suppose.~ Member: Tex Murphy's Mutant League, Crazy 888's Chapter~
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
The Unofficial Project Fedora Theme Song
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
The Unofficial Project Fedora Theme Song
I think they may of already answered it when that interview first came out that you mentioned, they basically said there'll be two modes and one for Gamers. Which sounds like Pandora Directive's two modes Entertainment and Gamer. In the past Entertainment Mode was described as being more "Casual" so that may be what they meant by making it easier. And they said in terms of pacing it will be "true to the past games but keep a good energy level throughout". And that it'll be the "real deal".talon2000uk wrote:Thank you very much for posting that. Unfortunately my question didn't get asked.
http://www.unofficialtexmurphy.com/mess ... 605#p51605
Also Clint asked about how cutscenes and punchlines were kept short to appeal to casual gamers in some of their recent games. And as above they responded to say ignore the casual games and they will be bringing Tex back "as he was meant to be". So I guess that means they won't be cutting things too short.
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
Also listen to the Retronauts podcast. It set my mind at ease!talon2000uk wrote:Thank you very much for posting that. Unfortunately my question didn't get asked.
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9107848
~ Member: Tex Murphy's Mutant League, Crazy 888's Chapter~
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
(also known as Steve Douglas, but usually by people less awesome than UTMers)
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
(also known as Steve Douglas, but usually by people less awesome than UTMers)
Jerry Dan wrote:Also listen to the Retronauts podcast. It set my mind at ease!talon2000uk wrote:Thank you very much for posting that. Unfortunately my question didn't get asked.
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9107848
Thanks Jerry. Added it to my post. Also edited in Adrian's answer on the other thread to a question.
If anyone wants to link to the interview to answer questions on the Kickstarter comments or to post on other forums (in existing Tex Murphy threads) incase it answers potential hesitating backers questions/concerns then here is a direct link:
http://www.unofficialtexmurphy.com/mess ... 644#p51644
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
To help further clarify the "slick" question, I transcribed a brief clip from the new 1up podcast.
1UP: Have you been playing adventure games since Overseer, and will any of the changes in design influence how Project Fedora is made?
Chris: I think to a certain extent that will affect it, but one thing I'm finding is when we go out and we've been talking to people, and the people who have been backing the project, they really have an idea of what they want.
Chris: I've talked on programs before and I've said we're going to make it a little slicker, and that was almost a mistake. What I meant by that was saying we're going to make the interface easier to use. You look back 15, 20 years, the interface was a little clunky, so we wanted to make sure that the mechanics don't get in the way of the game, and so much has improved that way that we want to make sure we build that in, but in many regards they absolutely want a classic Tex mystery, and so there are design philosophies and concepts that I think make puzzle better and more intuitive and a little more fair to the player, and I do think those things needs to be incorporated, but I want people to understand that we are re-creating Tex's world and we are technically improving things that make it easier to play, but that the game they knew and loved through the series is going to be the heart of what the experience will be.
1UP: Have you been playing adventure games since Overseer, and will any of the changes in design influence how Project Fedora is made?
Chris: I think to a certain extent that will affect it, but one thing I'm finding is when we go out and we've been talking to people, and the people who have been backing the project, they really have an idea of what they want.
Chris: I've talked on programs before and I've said we're going to make it a little slicker, and that was almost a mistake. What I meant by that was saying we're going to make the interface easier to use. You look back 15, 20 years, the interface was a little clunky, so we wanted to make sure that the mechanics don't get in the way of the game, and so much has improved that way that we want to make sure we build that in, but in many regards they absolutely want a classic Tex mystery, and so there are design philosophies and concepts that I think make puzzle better and more intuitive and a little more fair to the player, and I do think those things needs to be incorporated, but I want people to understand that we are re-creating Tex's world and we are technically improving things that make it easier to play, but that the game they knew and loved through the series is going to be the heart of what the experience will be.
Thanks guys that has put my mind at ease. 
~ Member: Tex Murphy's Mutant League, Crazy 888's Chapter~
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
The Unofficial Project Fedora Theme Song
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
The Unofficial Project Fedora Theme Song