Knightmare.com

If you think about it we've already had a "new Knightmare" - Series 7 and 8. The format was kept the same but many of the traditional elements were gone - even the trademark helmet was replaced. And did it suffer from it? No, if you ask me.

Every series of Km was an experiment - it's a case of The new series will either be radically different, Or there will be no new series. There is no point in trying to recapture past glories by remaking old series; what must happen is for an experimental new series to come out that is every bit as good as previous series (if not better) and that can be respected for treading new ground. I've no problem with the concept of a dungeoneer that can see - it will certainly speed things up a bit.

But the point is, should it have the name Knightmare? Personally, I don't think it wuold truly be Knightmare without certain elements that rely to some extent on the dungeoneer being blindfolded - the beam room, bomb room, corridor of blades, causeways, spike rooms, spindizzy, mills of doom, I could go on...

It's not the individual puzzles and traps that make Km - it's the adventure itself. It's all about the tension and excitement of a team close to winning and about the excrutiating disappointment when they lose. If this new series has that, then it WILL be Km.

Just as long as they don't duff it up and make it another "trendy kids" programme.

This is such a thorny issue. I suppose it could be seen as an identity question: how much of old KM can you take away before it's not really KM any more?

Identity is a big question in philosophy, and since eminent philosophers across the ages can't agree on an answer, I doubt we will. Some will claim the name is enough. Some will say that a certain "feeling" makes it properly KM. Some people will hold on to various things from the old KM as being critical in making the new animal fit the name. And no doubt some diehards will suggest any change from the old format invalidates calling it by the same name.

For my part, I'd rather look forward. Instead of focusing on all the things from the old series that must be included and the ways in which the new version would lose something, I'd like to focus on the things the new version can do better, the new challenges it can offer, the ways it can surpass its predecesor in form and style. Yes, it's difficult now, since we've only seen a few pictures. But I'm sure we'll get a better and more optimistic picture in time. I doubt they'd have dug it up if they didn't think there was something significant to be added and a great end product possibly to be had.  

Absolutely. Km was forced to finish when it was still evolving. If 1995-2003 had series they would have gradually morphed into the series currently under development, and we wouldn't have said anything because it would have been gradual. What we need is faith in Tim Child.

Some old-style obstacles could work just as well, if not better, with a seeing dungeoneer if they just made them faster - imagine the excitement of such causeways or corridors of blades...

I don't think the causeways would work with a seeing dungeoneer - they'd just skip over it and through the door before the first level had even had a chance to fall away.

Puzzles like that must be modified to FORCE the dungeoneer to pause after a certain bit is completed. For example, the next layer will not materialise until the layer before the dungeoneer has gone.

I agree about the Corridor of Blades, though!

In any case, what's stopping them from having "Blind Spots"? Places in the dungeon where the dungeoneer loses his/her vision temporarily?

I don't think the causeways would work with a seeing dungeoneer - they'd just skip over it and through the door before the first level had even had a chance to fall away.

Puzzles like that must be modified to FORCE the dungeoneer to pause after a certain bit is completed. For example, the next layer will not materialise until the layer before the dungeoneer has gone.

That's certainly a possibility. It'd also be possible to make a Causeway logical sequence one that the Dungeoneer has to spend a few seconds working out for every step. Numerical calculations? The next step in a logical sequence? That'd make them have to spend a little more time rather than just leaping across.

In any case, I'm sure the production team could time it so the blocks fall just after the dungeoneer's stepped off them, however fast they go.

Ban the REACH wand.

Well, there's certainly not going to be any need for the Eye Shield!

I agree, though: get rid of the Reach wand and shrink all the rune-style puzzles to something the size of a control panel on the wall, next to the door. The dungeoneer could touch it with their own (avatar) hands.