Episode 3: Feedback and Thoughts

[KatieHal]

Welcome leovor, and thank you!

I love reading all these thoughts. Not gonna comment this time apart from saying yes, those are interesting questions and observations.

And yeah, that's Toegoff's mom's name and his. He backed at a level to have a name in the game and chose hers.

Well you are in the credits now, Gonz

[GrahamRocks!]

Well, I knew who "baby Kevin" was, which I thought was such a sweet tribute! I just didn't know what they meant by Marjorie Vargo being "out having" Kevin. I've never heard it phrased like that.

[stika]

Whoo! I'm in the credits!

Next up, we're going to have a character named "Gonçalo"

[br305893]

Whoo! I'm in the credits!

Next up, we're going to have a character named "Gonçalo"

He could be John's replacement. 

[GrahamRocks!]

Hmmm... buy the comic now or wait until Toegoff figures everything out and THEN buy the comic? Hmmm... waiting worked for The Silver Lining, because I watched his LP first and, going off of memory, was able to complete each episode pretty easily.

[AJBeals12]

This episode was great.  The plot twists and the ending had me at the edge of my seat.  Can't wait for Episode 4!

[GrahamRocks!]

Okay, I just watched Toe's latest Cog episode, and I have one thing to ask for anyone at Phoenix who can/will answer:

How will The Silver Lining Episode 5: A Thousand Times Goodnight top THIS?!

Katie, you said somewhere that I would love the conclusion to TSL, and while I still agree, I'm still also at odds with your great suspenseful writing for Cog and am wondering how you guys can top the writing for Cog in TSL.

I mean, not many games I can say have made my heart pound in suspense without even having PLAYED it and, having gotten quite a few spoilers along the way despite that! Even though I have been spoiled on quite a few things already, when I see them in context, I still get goosebumps.

[KatieHal]

Well, we didn't really create one game to try and top the other, in either direction. TSL and Cognition are two very different animals. From genre to tone to plot, even their appearance and sound are different. They have very different styles of writing as well. Personally, I'd measure the episodes of TSL against one another, and the episodes of Cog against one another, if anything.

A lot of the lessons in polish that we've learned from Cog will go into TSL Episode 5, but in a lot of other ways, Cognition is the game that came from the lessons learned during TSL. Though Ep 5 will come out after Cognition, it was designed before Cognition.

[GrahamRocks!]

So what lessons have you learned thus far?

[KatieHal]

Well, we certainly learned about the economy of words! And especially from this latest episode we've gotten a lot of feedback about people liking the contained nature of the story, as opposed to the more open world of Episodes 1 & 2. When a game is so focused on story, exploration apparently feels like a distraction, or even detraction. Now that may not be true in a game like Mass Effect where everything you do effects that story, but that sort of thing is way out of scope and budget for us.

Cutting down on excess, keeping the game tighter overall and not having filler puzzles because you think the episode needs more in it. Better ways to drop subtle clues. Even trimming the storyline to focus on the main story--that's a big one that comes from the budget end of things, actually. When you're working within a budget, you have to cut stuff out and focus on the aspects that you need in the game.

Now, some of this is in Episode 5--I think overall we did trim it down and focus it more than the other TSL episodes. But we've also continued to refine that work for and during Cognition as well.

[frederic09]

Hi !

I've done the 3 episodes 'in a row" and i can say - well - it was impressive.

Now i wonder how Cordelia will "convince" Erika to work with her. After all, she's done so many "bad" things in Erika's view (the journal, Sully's kidnapping, the fact she played with her all that time, and the other stuff i don't say to not spoil, or because the list will be too long otherwise.)

I'm pretty sure at the beginning of EP.4, "Red" will be fired, messing with MacAdams is not always a good idea.

Usually, how much time it takes for an episode to be released?

[snabbott]

Well, we certainly learned about the economy of words!

[Cathenah19]

Something I've been wondering since finishing the game:

Spoiler (mouse over to reveal):

Is it possible for the Cain Killer's machine to kill Cordelia if you wait too long to act at the end? The swinging pendulum with the spike on it certainly increased the sense of urgency in the scene, but I never waited to see if it would kill her.

Was the above the only possibly fatal situation in episode three?  I can go replay the episode to find the others if there are any. That should help to pass the time until episode 4 (or TSL episode 5 or Moebius or anything else that is next to come out.)

[GrahamRocks!]

Oh look, my hands are a'tremble again! That ending... Oh wow...! That ending! You guys certainly know how to tug at people's heart strings don't you?

[agewisdom]

Something I've been wondering since finishing the game:

Spoiler (mouse over to reveal):

Is it possible for the Cain Killer's machine to kill Cordelia if you wait too long to act at the end? The swinging pendulum with the spike on it certainly increased the sense of urgency in the scene, but I never waited to see if it would kill her.

I seriously doubt it. If Cordelia was affected, then the entire current timeline would cease to exist. It makes sense that the visions are just that, visions of the past and it's impossible to change that which has happened.

[KatieHal]

Welcome Frederic9 and thank you! So far, it's been about 3 months between episodes.

Cathenah: Since we know Cordy didn't die there, no.

[Cathenah19]

I understand that she really didn't die in the sequence, but it would have added a little more tension knowing that she could. Just as it "really" did not happen that Erica got hit by the car or Sully died in episode 2, it could also have created a game over scenario where Cordelia died, which would not have been canon, just adding to the gameplay.

To perhaps justify the death it could have been a situation of Erica or Cordelia playing a "what-if" game with their conscious minds that affected the true outcome of the vision.  So more-or-less, Erica could have imagined that she saw Cordelia die in the situation, knowing that she did not.

It just seems strange to play an episode without any possible deaths in it, but I realize that this episode is not quite like the others. I guess expecting death at every turn comes from playing too many Sierra games. (If there is such a thing as playing too many Sierra games.)

[Cez]

There is no such thing as playing too many Sierra games.

I wish the last 14 years were filled with them

[frederic09]

Welcome Frederic09 and thank you! So far, it's been about 3 months between episodes.

Ty !

After some thinkings, my mind had a kind of crazy illumination. Since Cordelia is able to see in advance what Erica will do, and since we're playing in an outside view, could it means what us the players are seeing are in reality Cordelia's visions "in real time" ? Ok ok, i know where the door is... But i need Reed's blood to pass it x)

[Andchan]

Hi, i just got here, hope not too late
Just finished Episode 3 a few hours ago. Mindblowing *_* I was hoping to see more of Erica and Cordelia and i got an entire episode of it \o/ great development! The focus on the apartment was interesting, i lost a lot of time going back and forward looking for clues in the map screen on ep 1 and 2 the more frequent use of the cellphone to talk to other characters was nice too... I had so many things to say now i forgot all of them I really liked it. The soundtrack, the art... The end. What was that? What was up with John? He was going to kill Erica? And Keith? And McAdams? And that "Reed Blood" on the ceiling? Cordelia wanna kill Erica?

Also i really like the comics o.o If you guys have to cut storyline from the game, do comics! And season 2!