No.841
So, I just got done reading an article on the game (
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/09/25/the-extremely-deep-hidden-theme-of-borderlands?page=1 ) and it mentioned TftBL. I figure I would post it here see what /ttgg/ thinks on the issue.
The part of it that relates to /ttgg/:
>IGN: Let’s talk about Borderlands’ franchise trajectory. What was the impetus for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Tales from the Borderlands?
>Armstrong: … [Telltale’s] Poker Night at the Inventory 2 has Claptrap and Moxxi in it. It’s wonderful, and we had a great time doing that with them. And that sort of evolved into them wanting to tell a story, and as I’ve said, we’re constantly looking for opportunities for other developers to come and play in the Borderlands universe. We have a big, huge, rich universe, and it’s designed to support different kinds of mediums, it’s designed to support big comic books and other games. So, in many ways, Tales from the Borderlands was one of the most important games of all the Borderlands games because […] this is a great opportunity for us to let that aspect of our universe shine. And as I’ve said, we teamed up with the best storytellers in the entire videogame industry to do that. So that’s pretty nice.
>IGN: Is it difficult to maintain consistency and canon with all these different people working within the same universe?
>Armstrong: We’re herding cats. It’s a herding cats job. But the fact is, the universe is rich because of all the people. I have had to shut down several different things over the years, but usually when someone has an idea that doesn’t quite work, you don’t step on it and just say “No.” You explain why, and a lot of those ideas evolve and grow into something fresh. Like, Telltale or 2K Australia. When you work with them, they come in and they think they know the universe because they see what all the public sees, and [then] we explain to them what’s really going on in the universe – you know, the things that the public doesn’t know about. Generally speaking, a lot of the story ideas they have suddenly fall apart, but they get very, very excited because it’s a lot richer than it may appear at the surface. That’s when we get into some really fun, cool things.>The other thing is, the people working on the game have to believe in and care about what they’re doing. You have to give them some freedom. If they don’t feel like it’s theirs, if they don’t feel some sense of ownership, they’re not going to do their best work. So when Telltale comes in and they have some ideas to do things that are pretty radical and extreme and very Telltale-ish with our characters, they immediately think we’re going to say no – and we don’t. We work with them on that, and it’s really fun. I give everyone as much freedom as I can to bring their vision to the shared vision of Borderlands. No.1436
I hope Telltale do a good job of it for the Borderlands fans, but I still won't play it. TWD is the only game for me.
No.7305
Bumping this in case people actually want to talk about this game tomorrow.
No.7316
Did anyone watch the stream?
Was it shite?
No.7338
File: 1416958147201.png (1014.75 KB, 1360x768, 85:48, Borderlands 2014-11-25 15-….png)
>>7316First episode was surprisingly really good.
>Characters are fun and likable. Motivations made sense>Felt a lot longer than I expected, but didn't drag either>I had heard bad things about "Borderlels"-style humour, and there were a couple groaners, but I liked the comedy in this game, especially the when it was used to create memorable little moments between the characters>Rhys' eye scanner thing provides some depth and humour to the world, really clever world-building device. Still not sure about Fiona's bank account thing since it didn't really provide any memorable moments or interesting informationOverall really enjoyable, and shows there are still writers at Telltale who know how to write good characters. Gives me a little bit more hope about TWDS3.
No.7340
>>7338I should have spoilered that image in hindsight.
No.7343
>>7338>sameanonI'll make a more in-depth post when I get my thoughts together. For now there's just my initial impressions.
No.7382
>>7338What this anon said, plus the humor is either hit or miss at times really. The Loader Bot is mostly Eeeeh / Annoying tier humor, even though the character itself is 10/10 bro, but it's not as bad as Claptrap. Goddamn does it try tho'.
The jokes and chemistry between the 4 main characters of the game is fantastic tho', and I swear to God, it was like watching a goddamn episode of Archer at certain points, especially when it was just Rhys and Sasha. In other words, good cast there.
Comedy is subjective tho', but it has a bit for everybody I'd say, for the better or for the worse.
No.7383
>>7382>The jokes and chemistry between the 4 main characters of the game is fantastic tho'This is what I meant by "I liked the comedy".
Who's your favorite character so far? I think mine's Rhys.
No.7387
>>7383Rhys is definitely the best, but I think that's mostly because of the looney tunes-esque situations the fucker manages to find himself in a lot of the times this episode. His chemistry with Sasha is the best as well.
That's not to say Fiona and Vaungh aren't great as well, but nothing can beat this sly motherfucker. I do find it funny that the best chemistry between the characters seems to be Rhys-Sasha and Fiona-Vaungh. I ain't complaining tho', Sasha a qtie.
Also, Sasha is the first time Telltales done a goddamn pinky promise properly No.7388
>>7387A huge part of what makes Rhys great is that he's a fish-out-of-water in the BL universe. The player can empathize with his bewilderment of the characters and environment, especially if they aren't familiar with the universe themselves.
I'm a little disappointed with Fiona, to be honest. She feels like a 'really important secondary character' instead a main character and her sections felt relatively less entertaining. I think part of that's because, despite being seemingly normal, she still feels like a part of the bizarre BL universe so I didn't really connect with her the way I did with Rhys. She's still a good character, though, I just hope later episodes let us get to know her better and make the story hers as much as it is Rhys'.
No.7389
>>7388She's a Pandorian, born and raised, while Rhys comes from Helios, so I understand the feeling. Still, I do quite like her for the simple fact that Laura Bailey does good Banter and the character design is surprisingly great. I expected some Moxxy tier abomination at first honestly, but it actually looks good in motion.
Also, we forgot to mention the best part of this damn thing. Episode is between two and a half, and three hours. Without scanning everything, it's still a minimum of two hours. I'm pleasantly surprised by this, but I'm gonna apply the goddamn rule of three to Telltale Games from now on.
I will never again be bait and switched like I was with TWAU.
No.7390
>>7389>2 1/2 - 3 hour episodeThis, and the hubs were actually kind of fun. As Rhys you got to use your eye scanner and as Fiona you scrounge and loot for cash. They're still somewhat barebones compared to TWDS1 hubs, but still better than TWDS2 hubs, which felt like pointless empty junctions between scenes.
I really hope the cash you collect accumulates over episodes.
No.7391
>>7390It's not that the hubs were empty honestly. For example, the first hub you get to talk to the
bandit, fuck around with the toilet, poke a passed out guy, inspect everything with the eye thingy, and look at the panel edited by Jack one year ago.The thing was that they were short as fuck, taking you like 5 seconds to pass them if you wanna do a speedrun or something, but packed with content. They were also rather scarce, with only 2 hubs I believe? One with Fiona at the
World of Curiosities, and the one with Rhys I mentioned earlier.
Also, best comedy moments were
Rhys trying to suffocate the bandit and having both Sasha and the bandit laugh at him and the Snobbish British Gentleman and Ladies tea party discussing an alliance segment.Prove me wrong.
No.7396
>>7391I didn't mean the TftB hubs were empty, just that they were shorter and weren't packed compared to TWDS1 hubs, mainly in additional dialogue. That's not really a complaint, though, since longer, more dialogue-heavy hubs would probably have messed with this game's quick pace.
Also,
there's four hubs total: Rhys talking to the bandits, exploring the World of Curiosities, waking up in the car, Fiona at the Purple Skaag, five if you count her walking down the streets towards the Purple Skaag.Best comedy moments:
Rhys describing his plan to infiltrate Bossonova's compound, and convincing August to honor the deal. No.7401
>>7396>Rhys plan to infiltrate Bossonova
>Rhys being pouty bitch if you choose anything but option 2.Good times. I do hope they keep the Looney Tunes-esque slapstick and sequences around for the following episodes, since I can only imagine how better they will work out now that
Jack is back and kicking No.7402
>>7401>Rhys being pouty bitch if you choose anything but option 2When was this again?
Oh, I almost forgot
Rhys having a tantrum over being demoted and kicking the trash can. Man, I love Rhys.
No.7403
File: 1416995254177.jpg (123.12 KB, 500x384, 125:96, tumblr_memebgvELt1r78gaio1….jpg)
>>7402After the team promptly ignores him in the monologue he is having outsdie the Atlas facility and clears the entrance without him. Option 2 was "Well, I'm just gonna assume you did everything I said, sooooo … Good Job team!", while option 1 is "My plan would of worked, hmph." and option 3 is "Baaaaw, why did you leave me behind you dicks baaawww."Rhys a best.
[spoiler]Sasha is love tho'
Sasha is life
Can't believe I like someone voiced by Bonnie.[/spoiler]
I'm also surprised they didn't use Hutchinson in this. Guess they finally learned she dosn't give a shit if shes not partnered with Fennoy or Hammon
No.7404
>>7403Not sure why that second spoiler didn't work.
Also, there ARE another 4 episodes. You never know who's gonna be in the game.
No.7405
>>7404Ah, I thought you meant a different moment.
I didn't know Bonnie voiced Sasha, though. I should look up the voice cast.
>>7404>Not sure why that second spoiler didn't work.The [spoiler] tag seems to be a little finicky on 8chan, try putting spoilers between double asterisks instead.
No.7406
>>7404From the preview, I could spot
Sasha roughing up another delicious brown chick and pinning her against the wall. My dick will be goddamn diamondsAlso, Jack egging you on while Brock Samson tries to fuck your shit up. Hell, Jack in general being an ass towards you will be fun. I expect at least some comments along the lines of "Jesus Christ, just fuck already" at an eventual Rhys/Fiona bickeringRegardless, fingers crossed it wont be another damn bait and switch like TWAU was. I'm still mad over how much they fucked it up, Laura Bailey as Auntie being the only saving grace of episodes 2 through 5.
I'm also thinking their releasing GOT and Borderlands together to just get an idea of what their consumer base wants more. While Borderlels is surpassing expectations and seems like a good game, I'm expecting GOT to be more horse shit ala TWD S2.
Telltale dropping everything serious with MAYBE the expection of TWD because milking the cashcow and picking up Archer and Alpha Protocol when
No.7407
>>7405Bonnie voices Sasha, Nolan North does August, and Patrick Warburton, aka that one guy who can only do one voice but it fits so well, does Vasquez. Troy Baker.
I have to say, it's nice to see Laura and Troy get more work outside of shitty dubs in anime and hit-or-miss cartoon shows. They got pretty good acting skills and decent range, it's just a shame there hasn't been much stuff to make them shine.
No.7408
>>7406>fingers crossed it wont be another damn bait and switch like TWAU wasYeah, that's what's been keeping me from getting my hopes up for the next episodes. TWDS2's and TWAU's first episodes were their best and things just went downhill from there.
>>7407I found Warburton as Vasquez distracting and jarring. He wasn't bad, but he felt miscast. Wasn't Troy Baker the voice of Joel in the Last of Us?
No.7409
>>7408TWDS2 EP1 was so-so I'd say. Definitely a lot better than EP3 and 4 of S1, but only slightly, and when compared to the others, it paled in comparison. I'd say the finale for S2 was the best for the simple fact that Breckon told his people to sit the fuck down and work on it properly, and stop spazzing out like retards. That, and I'm a Kennyfag, so I'm biased as fuck.
No.7410
>>7409I guess I mean 201 was the 'best' in that that was before I realized the season was going to be a major step back. 205 had better moments, but the damage had been done. I was burnt out and the only person I cared about by that point was Kenny and, to certain extent, Jane.
No.7411
>>7410
>Year of our Lord 2014>Giving a fuck about Jane>Not Luke after he became likableFuck Jane.
No.7412
>>7411I was waiting all season for a reason to give a fuck about Luke, but it was too little too late for Telltale to provide one at the last episode. But yeah, fuck Jane. She was alright until she OOC'd and provoked Kenny and hid AJ. Seriously, what the hell was that?
To keep this on topic, what were your choices this episode?
No.7414
>>7412Fair enough. It's a shame Luke had to die and not be in the final showdown. If, instead, Jane got killed by drowning, Luke could of gotten a lot more character development, through story telling and flashbacks to not make it all so forced / crammed into one episode. I would of loved to have the ability to talk to Luke if he tried to leave with Mike and Bonnie and convince him to stay with you instead. Having him say something like "Kenny is a dick. I'm not denying that. But he did his best and kept us alive so far, and besides his temper, he didn't do anything wrong. Besides, we can't leave a damn baby here, with no supplies and wounded people you cunts."
As for choices, I finished playing the episode again a second time now to see some of the differences.
[spoiler]Loader Bot with the shield equiped is a lot better than the machine gun. The "What is war. Why are we dying pointlessly." was a far better joke than a fucking refference like you got with the machinegun. Although I admit "I am become Death, destroyer of Bandits." got a giggle out of me, the other one was better served and a bit more subtle, especially with the followup regarding Jacks Death.
I also played Rhys as a snarky, but amiable cunt, and it fitted well with the way the plot was progressing. Fitted the man to a T. Fiona, snarky snark but helpful and again, fitted her. Going full Snark or full friendly dosn't work well for either character.[/spoiler]
Spoiler ahead regarding Felix near the end in case you didn't save the bullet Cannon route, I just went the muh family route and tried to shoot him with no bullets, hoping it would at least deter him from fucking me up further. "Only Emergencies" and his smug ass grin were great in that scenario. But saving the bullet and actually shooting him was a great scene, and somewhat emotional. It was subtle and done right really. He falls to his knees, blood pouring from his neck and coughing like a madman, desperately trying to open the case, only wish was to just see the money. When he hears the ticking sound and drops it, then tells Fiona she was his favorite, it was a bit heartwarming. TWD needed more shit like this, less in your face "ARE YOU HAVING FEELS YET, PLS CRY FOR ME PLS."And, of course,
Pinky promised with Sasha and didn't betray Vaungh. Bros 4 lyfe. Hoping they don't fucking kill Sasha off like they like to do recently, just because she is a possible love interest / good bro Also, didn't steal the money from the dying man. Does the most expensive mask do anything special? Seems the free one and the mid-price one don't change anything but the mask you, and the psycho, wear. Spekaing of which, that Psycho was great, shame he got axed early in the race. Would of loved more philosophical / murderous speeches from him. No.7418
>>7414I want to keep talking about Borderlands, but I'm tired as fuck. I'll see you tomorrow, anon.
No.7498
>>7414Did you equip the shield with rocket launcher or the grenades? I did shields and rockets and the finisher with that was pretty cool. Still need to try the other combinations.I didn't fire my gun at all so I wonder how that will play out in future episode.>Does the most expensive mask do anything special?As far as I know, the masks don't change anything, not even dialogue, so there's not much point in spending any money on them. In fact, there isn't much point in spending money at all this episode.. Bribing Tector at least changes the dialogue somewhat, but regardless Sasha will get you into the bar. No.7611
I made fun of this game a lot before it came out because
>memelands
>chris hardwick
But I had some genuine fun and not counting the 3 times I had to check on my new drunk roommates, it took around 120 minutes to complete. Hope you all enjoyed it as well! Pirated it but might consider getting a season pass if the second episode exceeds expectations.
Also! tfw no Vaughn bf ;_;
No.7612
>>7611I made fun of it too, but it was a lot better than I expected.
No.7680
>>7612I think we all made fun of it, but the jokes on us since apparently it's actually good.
No.7722
>>7680So good it even got me playing the Borderland games.
No.7726
>>7722Let's not fucking crazy here
No.7727
>>7726I finished Borderlands 1 and I'm playing 2 now.
No.8318
How would you rank the main characters on the Clem scale?
No.8324
>>8318Can you post examples? I haven't play Borderlands yet, so I'm going to need pics if I am to judge.
No.8327
File: 1417915336635.png (960.09 KB, 1360x768, 85:48, Borderlands 2014-12-06 17-….png)
>>8324You should play the game. A lot of these characters' charm comes from their personality and banter.
No.8329
>>8327Here's three of them (Fiona's not in this shot).
No.8333
>>8327She's cute. I'd say she's about a .7 on the .cl scale.
No.8335
No.8361
>>8318Vaughn is 2.0cl
Sasha is .9cl
Rhys is .8cl
Fiona (with hat) is .5cl
Fiona (no hat) is .8cl
No.8364
>>8361>Vaughn is 2.0clBlasphemous!
Although I do agree Fiona is much cuter without her hat.
No.8366
>>8364>Blasphemous!Please, I am smitten…
No.8368
>>8366So now the ultimate question is, douganon…
Who do you like more, Doug or Vaughn?
No.8369
>>8368Oh wow okay. Obviously Doug is my #1 of all time, and we have only known Vaughn for one episode. We will have to wait and see, thought I doubt TTG can up their character build ups from TWDs1.
No.8370
>>8368>>8369What I'm saying is Vaughn does (and is the only one to) have the potential to usurp Doug.
No.8371
>>8370Even if he doesn't have a lisp and is voiced by Chris Hardwick?
No.8372
>>8370Would you change your trip to vaughn if that happened?
No.8373
>>8372Fuck haha you guys are putting a poor lovesick drunk idiot into a corner!
>>8371Him being voiced by Hardwick is the reason I'm so pissed
No.9405
I don't know about you guys, but I fucking loved this episode.
No.9406
>>9405Pretty much everybody I've seen post about it says it's great. I really need to get a better computer so I can get this game and talk about it with you guys.
No.9407
>>9406It's not that graphically intensive or impressive, you won't need much of an upgrade. But it's really fucking impressive in actual content.
No.10074
I just got done playing this and I'm hyped as fuck right now because of how much I enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and "You should remember that" came up about the exact same time I thought something similar. One scene also gave some good baneposting material. I wonder how important money will be in this game. I imagine more so than TWAU since an actual amount is being kept track of.
Post last edited at
No.18655
Bumping this thread in case people want to post here instead.
No.18660
So, they went back to the 90 minutes thing, and they clearly re-wrote the shit out of the second episode. It was still good, but I'm cautious. Hopefully the re-writes won't hurt the story like they did with TWAU.
No.18678
>>18660The only part that felt re-written was
the dig-your-own-grave scene with Vasquez. Everything else seemed the same.
No.18681
>>18678https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOd_iCvewAcThat part was one of the few that ended up being in the episode.
No.18689
>>18681I see what you mean now.
It does look like some of what they wanted in Episode 2 is appearing in Episode 3. I really loved Episode 2 but I agree with you, need to be a little cautious. Rewrites aren't necessarily a bad thing, but not necessarily good either.