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In It For The Tank
Feb 17, 2011

But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.
:siren: This game (and thread) contains spoilers for the television series! If you haven't watched Season 3 and 4 of Game of Thrones, turn back now! :siren:

:siren: Don't talk about the books in this thread! If you want to discuss the books, go here or here! :siren:



The series will be available to download on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, and compatible iOS devices. Other platforms are to be announced.

The first episode of Game of Thrones will be released on:
2/12: PC/Mac and PS4 SCEA
3/12: Xbox One, 360, and PS4 SCEE
4/12: iOS
9/12: PS3 SCEA and SCEE

Spoiler Policy

Due to the staggered releases dates of the episodes and series as a whole, please use spoiler tags when discussing the events of the most recent episode. For example, tag spoilers from the first episode until the second episode comes out, and then tag spoilers from the second episodes until the third comes out, etc.

Spoilers from the television show up to the end of Season 4 can be unmarked. Season 5 of the show will likely begin before the first season of the game ends, so please tag spoilers from Season 5 where applicable. Book discussion is not allowed.

Story

House Forrester is a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros. Bannermen to House Glover, they have always offered unswerving loyalty to the ruling great house of the North – the Starks. The Forresters are seated at Ironrath, an imposing stronghold surrounded by towering Ironwood trees. Built over fifteen hundred years ago by Cedric Forrester and his triplet sons, Ironrath is a testament to the strength and endurance of Ironwood itself. Ironrath sits on the edge of the largest Ironwood forest in Westeros, which has proven to be a strategic advantage for the House. The Forrester house words are ‘Iron from Ice’, which echoes their belief that – like the Ironwood itself – the adverse conditions and unforgiving landscape of the North only makes them stronger. Although the Forresters have not appeared in HBO’s TV show, they are canon to the world created by George R. R. Martin, having appeared in the book ‘A Dance with Dragons’.

You will play the game from five different points of view. Each character you play as is a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to House Forrester. Scattered across Westeros and Essos, the characters play their part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction. Caught up in the events surrounding the War of the Five Kings, they are thrown into a maelstrom of bloody warfare, revenge, intrigue, and horror as they fight to survive while the seven kingdoms tear themselves apart.



Characters

Here is a list of the thirteen original characters created specifically for the game:
  • Lord Gregor Forrester, the father of the House and loyal to the Starks.
  • Lady Elissa Forrester, the matriarch of House Forrestor that vows to prevent the destruction of her family as had fallen to her birth family, House Branfeld.
  • Rodrik Forrester, the first-born son of the House and its heir, with a prominent military background.
  • Mira Forrester, the eldest daughter of the House and serving as a handmaiden to Margaery Tyrell.
  • Talia Forrester, the second-eldest daughter, who is gifted with a talented voice.
  • Ethan Forrester, Talia's twin, the third-born son, and an academic that was drawn into the War of the Five Kings.
  • Ryon Forrester, the youngest son of the House.
  • Asher Forrester, the exiled son of the House that nearly brought it war and since has resided in Essos to leave that past behind.
  • Maester Ortengryn, loyally serving the House Forrestor after studying at the Citadel and assigned to the family.
  • Ser Royland Degore, an experienced military leader that serves as the master-at-arms for the House.
  • Duncan Tuttle, a good friend of Lord Forrestor to which he now serves as the House's Castellan.
  • Gared Tuttle, squire to Lord Forrestor and son to Duncan.
  • Malcolm Branfeld, brother of Lady Forrestor and, with her, the only surviving members of House Branfeld.
The game will also include characters from the show, with voice work performed by the show's actors, including: Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady), Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), and Ramsay Snow (Iwan Rheon).


Promo Material

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series - Teaser Trailer

Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series - Episode 1: Iron From Ice - Launch Trailer

FAQ

quote:

Is the game based on George R.R. Martin’s original books, or HBO’s TV show?

Our game series is based on the world, characters and events seen in HBO’s TV show, which in turn is based on George R. R. Martin’s books (A Song of Ice and Fire).

When and where does the game take place?

The events in our game series begin towards the end of Season Three of the TV show, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. You will visit familiar locations such as King’s Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.

Do I play a character I’m familiar with from the TV show?

No. Although you will meet and interact with familiar characters, you play the game from five different viewpoints; all members of House Forrester. This allows us to tell a brand new story within the world of Westeros that isn’t pre-determined by the events seen in the show. It’s important to note though, that the events and characters of the show are intertwined with the game, and do have a very powerful impact on House Forrester.

Do Telltale’s games usually feature this many playable characters?

No. The increased number of playable characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of, because the actions of one character that you are in control of can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you’re truly playing the Game of Thrones… where you win, or you die.

What kind of game is this?

Games of Thrones is an adventure game similar to Telltale’s other award-winning series’ The Walking Dead – A Telltale Games Series, and The Wolf Among Us. Telltale’s games offer a ‘tailored story’ meaning that the story you experience could be very different to someone else playing the game. This is because the story changes around you based on the choices that you make. The reverberations from each choice may be felt immediately, later in an episode, or something may sneak up and surprise you much later in the series.

Why is this game episodic? What does that mean?

Telltale has a history of releasing episodic games – our development philosophy is built around it and it’s something that makes us different from most other developers. Like many story-based TV shows, the game will tell a complete story arc over the course of a season. We will release one episode at a time until all episodes are available and the season is complete.

How many episodes are there in the season, and when are they made available?

There are six episodes in this first season of Game of Thrones. Episodes are usually available to download between 4 and 6 weeks apart.

Is George R. R. Martin involved in the production of this game?

Although Mr. Martin is not directly involved in the day to day creation of the game, he has oversight of the story and other content via his former assistant and collaborator on numerous projects, Ty Franck. Mr. Franck - consultant to Telltale, and author in his own right – ensures that the game is in-keeping and canonically correct with the world that George R. R. Martin and HBO have created.

How is HBO involved?

HBO is the license-holder for Game of Thrones, providing support, guidance, and approval of the game and its contents.

Do I need to have watched the Game of Thrones TV show in order to enjoy this game series?

You can play and enjoy Telltale’s Game of Thrones series without having watched the TV show. However, you will get the maximum amount of enjoyment if you have watched the show to at least the end of season three, and preferably beyond.

Will any characters from the TV show appear in the game?

Yes, you will meet with and interact with major characters from the TV show. We’ll let you find out who!

Do the actors from the TV show featured in the game reprise their roles?

Yes.

Is this game series available to buy on disc?

We usually release a full season on disc, or other retail format, sometime after the final episode is made available to download. Telltale is a ‘digital-first’ company.

How long is each episode?

It varies by player, but most people finish an episode in around 2 hours.

See the full FAQ here.

In It For The Tank fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Dec 2, 2014

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In It For The Tank
Feb 17, 2011

But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.
Post reserved for future information.

VaultAggie
Nov 18, 2010

Best out of 71?
So is it going to be one character per episode? And then the 6th episode will tie everything up? Or will each episode follow a few characters?

COOKIEMONSTER
Oct 31, 2006
As an affluent straight white male I know quite a bit second hand what it's like to be incredibly poor and oppressed.
Having characters from the show sounds like a very dangerous move to me. But that could just be because I played that Game of Thrones RPG and everything that had to do with the TV show characters was bad and felt shoehorned in to capitalize on Game of Throne's fame.

I was hoping for something more like Dunk and Egg: Sworn Sword. Smaller story with original characters, smaller stakes, but every bit as interesting as the main series.

Karpaw
Oct 29, 2011

by Cyrano4747
I think this series will show whether Telltale is stuck in a rut or has promise for the future. Focusing on story-driven games is all well and good but it doesn't absolve you of the need to innovate and experiment with mechanics, instead of thinking that PROFOUND MORAL CHOICES ON A TIMER (that eventually play out the same way except for minor details) is some kind of golden formula that you can coast on forever.

Accordion Man
Nov 7, 2012


Buglord

Karpaw posted:

I think this series will show whether Telltale is stuck in a rut or has promise for the future. Focusing on story-driven games is all well and good but it doesn't absolve you of the need to innovate and experiment with mechanics, instead of thinking that PROFOUND MORAL CHOICES ON A TIMER (that eventually play out the same way except for minor details) is some kind of golden formula that you can coast on forever.
Yeah, TWD Season 2 and Wolf Among Us were still good, but they were a big step down from TWD Season 1 writing and gameplay-wise. Hopefully they can get back on track, though I have a sneaking suspicion that this will end up being a repeat of TWD Season 2 where Telltale had way too many characters than they knew what to do with so they were just shallow characters that they just offed for cheap and hollow drama.

Bieeanshee
Aug 21, 2000

Not keen on keening.


Grimey Drawer
I'm not a Martin fan, or really a fan of Telltale's stuff post Sam & Max, but I am curious to see how this and the Borderlands project will shake out.

Hakkesshu
Nov 3, 2009


Accordion Man posted:

Yeah, TWD Season 2 and Wolf Among Us were still good, but they were a big step down from TWD Season 1 writing and gameplay-wise. Hopefully they can get back on track, though I have a sneaking suspicion that this will end up being a repeat of TWD Season 2 where Telltale had way too many characters than they knew what to do with so they were just shallow characters that they just offed for cheap and hollow drama.

I think a lot of the problems with Walking Dead season 2 were mainly because they were working with such a similar story in the exact same setting, and so they couldn't really recreate the magic. I personally loving loved Wolf Among Us and will put it up there with TWD S1.

With Game of Thrones it's presumably going to be about family politics, which I think opens up a lot of interesting possibilites, and potentially a much stronger cast than the dumb bunch of survivors you were stuck with in TWD S2.

Either way I'm looking forward to it. And I don't really expect any of the TV show characters to play much of a role beyond the first episode; they're clearly primarily there for the trailer sting. Like what major role could Ramsay Snow possibly fill in this game?

In It For The Tank
Feb 17, 2011

But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.

VaultAggie posted:

So is it going to be one character per episode? And then the 6th episode will tie everything up? Or will each episode follow a few characters?

I'm like 90% sure it will be multiple characters per episode. Since one character is an exile in Essos (who I think is a safe bet to be a POV), it would be quite a sudden gear shift if they told a story in Westeros and suddenly you were stuck in Essos for an entire episode. It's not impossible though.

emanresu tnuocca
Sep 2, 2011

by Athanatos

In It For The Tank posted:

I'm like 90% sure it will be multiple characters per episode. Since one character is an exile in Essos (who I think is a safe bet to be a POV), it would be quite a sudden gear shift if they told a story in Westeros and suddenly you were stuck in Essos for an entire episode. It's not impossible though.

Meanwhile, back at the wall...

ActusRhesus
Sep 18, 2007

"Perhaps the fact the defendant had to be dragged out of the courtroom while declaring 'Death to you all, a Jihad on the court' may have had something to do with the revocation of his bond. That or calling the judge a bald-headed cock-sucker. Either way."
drool.

Roman Reigns
Aug 23, 2007

Karpaw posted:

I think this series will show whether Telltale is stuck in a rut or has promise for the future. Focusing on story-driven games is all well and good but it doesn't absolve you of the need to innovate and experiment with mechanics, instead of thinking that PROFOUND MORAL CHOICES ON A TIMER (that eventually play out the same way except for minor details) is some kind of golden formula that you can coast on forever.

Same here. Im hoping between the criticisms TWAU and TWD got Telltales crafted this game accordingly.

Dibujante
Jul 27, 2004
They changed their writers up a bit between TWD S1 and TWD S2/TWAU. I think this explains things? In any case, I hoep that they've grown their craft since then. Both TWD S2 and TWAU had high points but some rough edges (TWD S2 being weak at start and strong later, TWAU being strong at start and weak later) but then again, I do not know anything about writing games, so this is entirely bullshit conjecture on my part. Mods please delete this post thanks.

I do think the level of reactivity decreased somewhat after TWD S1. I mean, there's a definite disincentive towards reactivity. It's extra work that all players do not see in all playthroughs. But I think it's a sacrifice that developers in the genre need to embrace.

monster on a stick
Apr 29, 2013
Playing that many characters sounds... ambitious? Maybe too ambitious.

I'm one of those people who wasn't happy with how TWD season 2 and TWAU ended, so I guess I'll wait until the final episode to decide whether it's a buy or not.

Shard
Jul 30, 2005

Telltale games is on my short list of developers to trust before the game is out, unless of course the game doesn't look like it will interest me. I plan to pick this season up, but not Borderlands. So we'll see if we can get a good Game of Thrones game outside of the Crusader Kings 2 mod.

BillBear
Mar 13, 2013

Ask me about running my country straight into the ground every time I play EU4 multiplayer.
Like I said across various other threads I think this series will benefit from having some seriously good material to work with for once that should offer some strong stuff to lean on later. Please show off some Stark banner men that aren't Bolton or loving Karstark, they both suck Tell Tales. :colbert:

Also Ramsay looks.. kinda strange.

BillBear fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Nov 21, 2014

Aphrodite
Jun 27, 2006

If the show characters are voiced by the actors you know you're only getting the C listers.

Apoplexy
Mar 9, 2003

by Shine

Aphrodite posted:

If the show characters are voiced by the actors you know you're only getting the C listers.

Natalie Dormer and Lena Headey aren't C-Listers so much. Lena is the highest-paid woman on TV, they say. Or do you mean that, with these people on the bill, we won't have any OTHER voice actors popping up? Because I think Telltale can get more than enough people for this to not sound like Oblivion did.

Aphrodite
Jun 27, 2006

Apoplexy posted:

Natalie Dormer and Lena Headey aren't C-Listers so much. Lena is the highest-paid woman on TV, they say.

Revenue and not profit, I guess.

I didn't know there was actually a trailer, that's cool. I guess the other advantage is that the show doesn't have any big names, so there's not really anyone who's above a game.

RocketSurgery
Feb 11, 2009

Aphrodite posted:

If the show characters are voiced by the actors you know you're only getting the C listers.

theirs some leaked photos of this game that show a few major characters
edit: and a trailer apparently

Dibujante
Jul 27, 2004

Aphrodite posted:

If the show characters are voiced by the actors you know you're only getting the C listers.

Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey are C-Listers?

El Pollo Blanco
Jun 12, 2013

by sebmojo

Dibujante posted:

Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey are C-Listers?

I believe that they mean because the show characters will be voiced by the actors from the show, every other character will be VA'd by a C-lister for financial reasons.

Kaidyn
May 22, 2009

What is there left to discover about donuts...?

El Pollo Blanco posted:

I believe that they mean because the show characters will be voiced by the actors from the show, every other character will be VA'd by a C-lister for financial reasons.

No from his second post ("being from a TV show means that they aren't above being in a video game" or smth) he does indeed think Peter Dinklage, Natalie Dormer and Lena Headey are C List actors. Which is hilarious.

Looking forward to this game and Borderlands, I'm in the camp that loved both Walking Dead Season 1 and Wolf Among Us.

Roman Reigns
Aug 23, 2007

Dinklage sounded like he was phoning it in for Destiny...

I know my earlier post here mentioned my doubts about this game, but I'm overall feeling optimistic for it. Telltales should know they have gold here with a story and character driven game based on a red hot franchise right now thats arguably bigger than The Walking Dead (I think the zombie fad is pretty much burnt out now).

The fact they got some of the actors (playing main characters, no less) from the show should demonstrate how focused they are on making this successful.

RightClickSaveAs
Mar 1, 2001

Tiny animals under glass... Smaller than sand...


I just hope they let you engage in witty repartee with Peter Dinklage's character at some point.

Starting to get excited for this, Telltale hasn't let me down yet, and although I'm the last person in the world to start watching it, I'm now obsessed with Game of Thrones.

Kainser
Apr 27, 2010

O'er the sea from the north
there sails a ship
With the people of Hel
at the helm stands Loki
After the wolf
do wild men follow
Hopefully this will be better than Walking Dead Season 2 and The Wolf Among Us. I also hope that they won't overuse the show characters, that would be pretty weird when you are playing as a really minor house like this.

Huge Liability
Mar 2, 2010
Which Telltale story game would people recommend playing to get a sense of whether I'd enjoy this genre? I'd rather test out a Telltale story game when one comes on sale before I decide to preorder this. I'm kind of excited at the prospect of an Ice and Fire game that isn't garbage, but I haven't played a story-based game in ages and I have never played a visual novel.

Endorph
Jul 22, 2009

Walking Dead Season 1 is probably the best thing they've made.

Shard
Jul 30, 2005

Huge Liability posted:

Which Telltale story game would people recommend playing to get a sense of whether I'd enjoy this genre? I'd rather test out a Telltale story game when one comes on sale before I decide to preorder this. I'm kind of excited at the prospect of an Ice and Fire game that isn't garbage, but I haven't played a story-based game in ages and I have never played a visual novel.

The Walking Dead Season 1 to see them at their very best for story telling and A Wolf Among Us to see how they can capture the feel of a particular IP.

King Vidiot
Feb 17, 2007

You think you can take me at Satan's Hollow? Go 'head on!
General Telltale question, does The Walking Dead Season 2 actually have "puzzles" in it at all, or has Telltale just given up on that altogether? The Wolf Among Us was really good, but it required absolutely no thought on the part of the player. Basically you just clicked on things, picked from dialogue options and watched the story unfold. You could take items but for the most part they literally did nothing apart from opening up minor dialogue changes. If you failed a quicktime event the game would just open another path that leads to the same outcome.

In It For The Tank
Feb 17, 2011

But I've yet to figure out a better way to spend my time.
There are no puzzles in The Walking Dead Season 2, just a lot of picking up items and using those items on others things to continue to the next area. The only thing that comes close (that I can remember) is having to distract a group of zombies by leaning a corpse against a car horn. But that's really still just picking up a thing and using it on another thing.

Hakkesshu
Nov 3, 2009


Yeah they've gone away from puzzles in a big way, and it's probably best to just not expect them to ever pop up again.

THE AWESOME GHOST
Oct 21, 2005

Oh man I hope this is good. I think I'll hold off until there are impressions on the whole season (in 2017)

Dibujante
Jul 27, 2004

Hakkesshu posted:

Yeah they've gone away from puzzles in a big way, and it's probably best to just not expect them to ever pop up again.

Puzzles were a problematic, frustrating part of old school adventure games that, I think, did limit their appeal. But I still miss them. I think the rudimentary puzzles in TWD 1 contributed to the game by sometimes slowing down the game, creating a sense of presence and giving the player some downtime to explore and experience environmental story-telling. I think TWAU and TWD 2 felt so rushed simply because, without this callback to the old adventure genre, there's no real downtime. Sure, the characters experience downtime, but the player never does. So I would like it if Telltale figured out how to re-introduce this kind of pacing, even if it means bringing back puzzles.

Dolash
Oct 23, 2008

aNYWAY,
tHAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS,
tO REPORT ON THE SUBJECT,
oF ME GETTING HURT,


I enjoyed Tales from the Borderlands despite not being a fan of Borderlands, which has helped hype me up for this game and its approaching release date. Here's hoping it's a good one. The family reminds me quite a bit of the Starks.

King Vidiot
Feb 17, 2007

You think you can take me at Satan's Hollow? Go 'head on!

Hakkesshu posted:

Yeah they've gone away from puzzles in a big way, and it's probably best to just not expect them to ever pop up again.

That's fine and all, I was just curious. For something like Game of Thrones I think having adventure game-y puzzles breaking up the narrative would feel really out of place.

Trivia
Feb 8, 2006

I'm an obtuse man,
so I'll try to be oblique.

Dibujante posted:

Puzzles were a problematic, frustrating part of old school adventure games that, I think, did limit their appeal. But I still miss them. I think the rudimentary puzzles in TWD 1 contributed to the game by sometimes slowing down the game, creating a sense of presence and giving the player some downtime to explore and experience environmental story-telling. I think TWAU and TWD 2 felt so rushed simply because, without this callback to the old adventure genre, there's no real downtime. Sure, the characters experience downtime, but the player never does. So I would like it if Telltale figured out how to re-introduce this kind of pacing, even if it means bringing back puzzles.

I remember the spark plug problem slowing me down in Walking Dead season 1. I had never heard of them before then, so it never even occurred to me to whip broken ceramics at a window in order to break it.

RightClickSaveAs
Mar 1, 2001

Tiny animals under glass... Smaller than sand...


Dibujante posted:

Puzzles were a problematic, frustrating part of old school adventure games that, I think, did limit their appeal. But I still miss them. I think the rudimentary puzzles in TWD 1 contributed to the game by sometimes slowing down the game, creating a sense of presence and giving the player some downtime to explore and experience environmental story-telling. I think TWAU and TWD 2 felt so rushed simply because, without this callback to the old adventure genre, there's no real downtime. Sure, the characters experience downtime, but the player never does. So I would like it if Telltale figured out how to re-introduce this kind of pacing, even if it means bringing back puzzles.
I feel exactly the same way, the Walking Dead Season 1 managed to pull off at least a couple puzzle mechanics that weren't bogged down by the difficulty problems of older adventure games, but borrowed just enough that it really helped give the player some agency. Finding batteries for the radio and deciding who to give food to at the motel are two examples of gameplay that weren't really puzzles but made you feel like you were having meaningful interactions outside of dialogue choices. They seem to be shedding pretty much all that as they go along though, which is a shame. I think in a lot of ways WD Season 1 was an anomaly, it was wildly ambitious for the schedule they set and did a lot of things that were pretty new to games in general, while still keeping some of the basic trappings of the adventure games they were building off of. Moving into Season Two they already had a lot of the groundwork established and it seems like they just focused on telling the story. Part of it might be budgeting and scheduling issues, I also liked Wolf Among Us but there were story threads in that which were obviously cut or changed as they went along.

Dibujante
Jul 27, 2004

RightClickSaveAs posted:

I feel exactly the same way, the Walking Dead Season 1 managed to pull off at least a couple puzzle mechanics that weren't bogged down by the difficulty problems of older adventure games, but borrowed just enough that it really helped give the player some agency. Finding batteries for the radio and deciding who to give food to at the motel are two examples of gameplay that weren't really puzzles but made you feel like you were having meaningful interactions outside of dialogue choices. They seem to be shedding pretty much all that as they go along though, which is a shame. I think in a lot of ways WD Season 1 was an anomaly, it was wildly ambitious for the schedule they set and did a lot of things that were pretty new to games in general, while still keeping some of the basic trappings of the adventure games they were building off of. Moving into Season Two they already had a lot of the groundwork established and it seems like they just focused on telling the story. Part of it might be budgeting and scheduling issues, I also liked Wolf Among Us but there were story threads in that which were obviously cut or changed as they went along.

Yeah, I liked the food choice, even if it didn't end up mattering that much. It slowed things down without necessarily being a frustrating pixel-hunt puzzle.

Similarly, Bigby's investigation of Toad's pace really set the tone for me, and then caused me to be let down later, and also without really being a pixel-hunt. Your outcome is different if you don't do it right, it's not simply halted while you figure out that sparkplug + window = grand theft auto.

I guess I just want creative downtime with an influence on the narrative that isn't necessarily a pixel-hunt puzzle but I want the downtime badly enough that I'd tolerate a pixel-hunt puzzle just to get the downtime.

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Roman Reigns
Aug 23, 2007

Dolash posted:

The family reminds me quite a bit of the Starks.

Between that and the fact that you're playing as five people in a franchise known for brutally killing off characters it's not really a good sign...

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