TEXT: Lucasfilm Games Division internal memo 
  circa 1991
  So we’ve been tasked with creating a rough draft of a 
  sequel to Maniac Mansion.  Inspired by Ron’s SCUMM 
  system, I decided that instead of just writing a single 
  script, we could create several rapid prototypes of stories, 
  characters, gameplay puzzles, then go back through and 
  pick out the best ideas from what we generate.  Then, once 
  we’ve got some solid ideas, we can reincorporate them 
  into a something coherent, plug it into SCUMM and have 
  ourselves a complete game.
  To that end, I’ve outlined a system below for creating a 
  series of iterative mockups.  I call it the “SCUMM Rapid 
  Prototyping Game” Or “SCUMM RPG” for short.
  Maniac Mansion
  Return to
  “RPG”? Is this like Dungeons 
  & Dragons or something?
  A little bit, I guess.
  I like the oversized “M”s
  I don’t like the color scheme.
  Basic Premise
  Dr. Fred has gone insane (again).  He has kidnapped 
  you and your friends.  Dr. Fred performed some odd 
  experiment, and now you’re all able to hear each other’s 
  thoughts.  Not so bad, but then he threw you in the man-
  sion’s dungeon.  How will you escape?  What has caused 
  Dr. Fred to go insane (this time)?  What is his evil plan?
  Those Meddling Kids
  We’ll need a couple of notecards.
  Each player defines their character in terms of a teenage 
  horror movie stereotype.  On a central notecard, write one 
  verb that everyone can use (the pool starts with: Go, Take, 
  Drop, Examine, Pass, Talk to).  Then they define a verb 
  exclusive to your character.  Once you’ve done that, define 
  a verb for the character on your left and one for your right. 
  That’s it!  Now we have a pool of quick character sketches 
  to use for this initial prototype.
  Why does each of us play a single character?  Isn’t the 
  game going to be a single player game, like the first MM?
  Probably.  I mean, maybe we’ll decide to make MM2 into a 
  multiplayer game.  Even if it is a single player game, two 
  (or three or four) heads are better than one.  This way, we’ll 
  be generating more ideas and we won’t sit around frus-
  trated trying to think of solutions. But the eventual players 
  will have to do so.
  I get it now.
  Defining Dr. Fred’s Dungeon:
  Each player should establish one detail about the dungeon.  
  Is there a skeleton with manacles?  A loose stone?  A win-
  dow looking out on the garden?  
  Dr. Fred didn’t leave you any tools and any obvious exits 
  are closed off.  Getting out won’t be that easy.
  (Starting in the dungeon gives them a simple pseudo-
  tutorial.  They have only a limited pool of things to work 
  with, and they have to figure out how to escape before they 
  can explore the rest of the mansion.  We probably should 
  structure the starting puzzle to need several of the kids 
  working together, like with the gargoyles or the loose brick 
  in MM1.)
  Return to Maniac Mansion and SCUMM RPG developed 
  by Nick Wedig.
  Maniac Mansion is trademark and copyright of LucasArts, 
  a division of Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.
  This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attri-
  bution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, 
  visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send 
  a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, 
  Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.
  
  Don’t pick violent verbs like 
  “Attack” or “Kill”.  This isn’t 
  that sort of videogame.  And 
  don’t take the verb “Use” 
  either, as it’s way too broad.
  Gameplay
  Each of us will take turns playing the Mansion.  The 
  Mansion player controls the NPCs (like Dr. Fred and his 
  weird family) and the general environment.  The rest of us 
  will be regular Players.  While you’re a player, take turns 
  proposing a course of action to the Mansion.  a proposed 
  course of action consists of a verb and a noun and some 
  guess as to what will happen when you combine your verb 
  with that particular noun.  Then the Mansion’s current 
  player will respond using one of a pool of simple respons-
  es, which may or may not resolve the issue.
  Playing the Mansion
  When a player proposes a course of action, they present 
  a verb, a noun (if appropriate) and an idea of what they 
  think will happen.  Your job is to pick one of the following 
  responses and use that to give a answer to them.
  Responses
  Yes, and
  Yes, but
  No, and
  No, But
  You need something else to do that
  Something unexpected happens
  When you use a response, move its card off to a discard 
  pile.  You can’t use that response again.  
  When you only have a single response left, it’s time for 
  someone else to take a turn as Mansion.  After all, if you 
  kept playing the Mansion, then the players would know 
  what your next response would be, even if it didn’t make 
  any sense.  Instead, we’ll have the next player take on the 
  Mansion role (play goes to the left).  Move all the respons-
  es from the discard pile back to the pool.
  You aren’t supposed to be deciding solutions to puzzles 
  ahead of time.  All you do is create obstacles and let the 
  players propose the solutions.  When a good solution is 
  presented, use a “Yes” based answer.  When it’s less good of 
  an idea, use a “No” answer.
  Remember the gaming philosophy we worked out over the 
  last few games: 
  Don’t kill the PCs: It’s more fun to put them in peril or to 
  throw them in the dungeon again.
  Don’t let them reach a dead end:  There should always be 
  a way forward, though it may not be obvious.  
  Players should be able to use logic: Don’t make puzzles re-
  quire insane, sadistic game thinking or hunting for just the 
  right item.  The logic of the game may be slightly skewed 
  for comedic purposes, but shouldn’t be entirely nonsensi-
  cal.
  After everyone has had a turn being the Mansion, we’ll 
  improvise a cutscene.  I don’t have any hard and fast rules 
  for these.  People should just propose things that could 
  happen, roleplaying some NPCs instead of the teenagers 
  for a bit.  Just make sure that the cutscene makes things 
  worse, more complicated or more exciting for the player 
  characters.
  Specify what that thing is.
  Write these on 
  notecards, too.
  We’ll probably want to take notes on what does what with what, 
  so that later Mansions can stay consistent with earlier ones.
  Verbs Shared by Everyone
  Go   
   
  Specify what direction and the Mansion   
   
   
  will tell you where you arrive
  Take   
  Picks up an object
  Drop   
  Puts the item down nearby you
  Examine  
  Gives you a bit more information
  Pass   
  Let the next player take a turn
  Talk To 
  Speak to an NPC
  Definitely, make up your own.
  Possible Unique Verbs
  Repair
  Play
  Open
  Follow
  Adumbrate
  Program
  Tickle
  Kick
  Eat
  Taunt
  Throw
  Sabotage
  Hide
  Gargle
  Outside the Dungeon
  When a PC enters a new environment, the current Man-
  sion describes where they find themselves.  After saying 
  briefly what the room is like, the Mansion should ask all 
  the players for suggestions on what items or NPCs they 
  may find there.  Each player can propose one item/NPC/
  detail present in the room.  The Mansion must include at 
  least one of these elements, though they may choose to 
  include more of the elements (possibly all of them.)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Kid Friendly/3. Rules Lite Collection/Return To Maniac Mansion.pdf