Dialog removed in updates :: 3 Minutes to Midnight 01. General Discussions

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leisureX 24 Dec, 2024 @ 6:44am

Dialog removed in updates

Starting with version 1.0.6, you've begun removing dialog to make the story more "streamlined", but was it really that bad that it had to be removed (even with the dialog highlight feature) and thus basically preventing "latecomers" (or GOG users) from experiencing it? I wonder if it was really completely redundant, or it was removed only based on personal preferences of some players who reported it as an issue.
Personally I think that instead of removing stuff, it can be made optional with a toggle in the options menu, like Ron Gilbert did in Thimbleweed Park. And in any case, you already added a dialog highlight feature, so I don't see why removing dialog was necessary.
Anyway, will it be correct to say that the initial version (1.0.4?) and version 1.0.5 are the most complete versions content-wise, except for the epilogue which was added later (and the revised progress tracker, but that's not in-game content)?

And speaking of the epilogue, are there five of them, or it's the same epilogue regardless of the ending that was reached?

By the way, in one of the updates you referred to the 5 endings as the 5 main endings, does it mean that there are actually more than 5? :)

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Showing 1-6 of 6 comments

Scarecrow Studio [developer] 6 Jan @ 4:00am

Hi LeisureX,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and questions about the updates. Let me address each point for clarity:

Removed Dialog: Starting with version 1.0.2, we carefully removed text and lines from the dialogue that were unnecessary or overly long. Our goal was to make the story more streamlined without affecting its core or any important details. Every change was made thoughtfully to ensure that nothing essential was lost.

Epilogues: There is only one proper epilogue, which belongs to the "good ending." The other endings conclude with cutscenes or animations but do not include a full epilogue.

Number of Endings: There are five proper endings to the game. Additionally, there are a few "endings" where the main character might die. These are lighthearted references or jokes, and they are not considered actual endings since you can continue playing after them.

Progress Tracker: The revised progress tracker was introduced in version 1.1.0. Before that, it was less clear and not as detailed.

Most Complete Version: Content-wise, version 1.0.1 had the most dialogue. From version 1.0.2 onward, we started refining and shortening the script, making adjustments periodically to improve the pacing and flow of the story.

I hope this clears up your questions! If you have more feedback or need further clarification, feel free to reach out.

leisureX 11 Jan @ 9:21am

Thank you for your detailed answer, I really appreciate it.

I think there might be a confusion regarding the version numbers - your first ever update on September 3 was version 1.0.5 (and SteamDB confirms[steamdb.info] there were no previous updates between 1.05 and the initial release), so could it be that by 1.0.2 you actually mean 1.0.6, which would make 1.0.1 actually 1.0.5 (and the initial release would be 1.0.0 I suppose)?

Personally, I still think removing content in updates is a mistake, and while I never thought you removed something essential, some people prefer a more fleshed out story or characters, so the correct approach IMO is to leave it up to the player, with a new toggle in the Options menu (you can have it turned off by default like Ron Gilbert did), which probably isn't too complicated as the bulk of the effort is to go over the dialogs, which you already did anyway. This way, everyone will be happy :) Just something to think about if you ever want to do an "ultimate complete edition" ;)

Regarding the epilogue - so if I understand correctly, only one of the 5 endings would trigger the epilogue (and add it to Collectibles → Epilogue)? If I reach any of the other 4 endings, I won't see the epilogue?

Thanks again :)

Last edited by leisureX; 11 Jan @ 9:23am

McReesington 12 Jan @ 3:42am

One thing about dialogue, or content in general, is that more is not necessarily better. There was a game I played years ago which IMO had flawed writing because they didn't know where to cut, and it constantly sidetracked to discuss how a character was rubbing their eye or scratching their jaw which interrupted the flow of reading the dialogue, and added nothing.

If the devs have decided that some lines here and there are better off being snipped for a more fluid experience, they might well be making a better version of the game by making it flow better and not waste your time where it doesn't need to, even though it might seem like less. Most movies do this as well, cutting dialogue and even scenes, to make a cleaner final product.

Zyro

28 Jan @ 11:56pm

I guess no developer would remove stuff for fun. They wrote it, they rewrote it, they liked it, they had it recorded... If they ever remove it, I'll trust them it's an improvement and not taking stuff away is love to see.

leisureX 22 May @ 8:07am

@McReesington, @Zyro - I completely trust the developers that nothing important was removed. I just suggested that instead of removing dialogs, they can be hidden behind an off-by-default toggle, and I gave the example of Thimbleweed Park which did exactly that. This way everyone is happy IMO, and I still hope they release an "ultimate complete edition" some day (with the removed dialogs re-inserted and hidden behind such a toggle), which will then be the only version of the game that needs to be preserved for posterity :)

@Scarecrow Studio - can you clarify the version number issue about which I asked above? You mentioned versions 1.0.1 and 1.0.2, but in the Steam update history the first updates I see are 1.05 and 1.06...

Last edited by leisureX; 22 May @ 11:05am