State of Things

I am aiming for this post to be a reference point for me in the future. From now on I will refer to Memoirs of C.F. Bundy as "the game". The following is a rundown of the current version of the game and comparisons to its predecessor, an HTML point and click game I called Moments of Sufficient Lucidity.  The game will be similar to it in terms of story but hopefully expand upon the ideasI already explored. I am also building it in Unity3d this time. In this post I analyzed the older versions of the game as I needed to re-familiarize myself with my code and collect ideas to incorporate into the game in the future.

"stone giant buried in sand"

Controls & Mechanics

In the game the player controls what I call a "blob".  I figured that the player is a smell that triggers the giant's memories.  So I am aiming for the controls to be buoyant, light, and a little bit slippery in order to achieve a sense of "formlessness". The game in its current form allows the player to :

• Move around
  • Movement keys are standard WASD. The player can fly around but to ascend and descend they will need to look at the direction they want to move towards. There is also gravity. But the player is lightweight so the fall is slow.
• Look around
  • I have disabled clamping on the Y axis so that the player can do a 360 degree flip if they desire. This might disorient the player at times but if anything it adds another layer of formlessness to the controls. I can pull back on this depending on future feedback. But also the upside down view of a level is an idea that yearns to be a part of a puzzle.
• Click on things.
  • Current rayCast ray length allows player to interact with objects outside of their vision. I have yet to actually start designing the levels, so that is subject to change if necessary. I am assuming this could become a problem in small locations or in locations where intractable objects are in front of each other. On the other hand, I don't want the player to only interact with objects at "an arms length". The player does not have arms.

Graphics

I am using two free plugins. RetroFX & Volumetric Lights. I am also using a three color palette that  evolved from the HTML version of the game. Dithering effect from the RetroFX plugin produces different shades of these colors and far away objects dissolve into little dots which I find fitting.

I am using simple low-res textures for pretty much all my assets. I found that it works well with the current shading. So far there are couple versions of sand and stone textures. I assume that won't change much because of the narrative.

Volumetric lighting gives me directional light shafts I can use to guide the player towards progress.  

Story

The game currently has one scene called "ThoughtScape". I originally intended this place to be a dreamy, deserted dune where everyday objects like books, cups, matches etc. were making up the architecture of the space and giving the player a chance to explore interesting geometry. The idea was that the objects around have lost their original purposes and in the process their materials and scales were also skewed. I was imagining the space from the perspective of that one stone giant buried in the sand who also went through the same process. The player can click on the "nose" part of the giant and proceed to the next level (which is not there yet).

In the HTML version of the game the player enters through the nose and into the brain. Where they can rotate around with a gear in the middle and view the three different areas. In each area I explored a different aspect of a decaying mind. On the left were a bunch of old boxes. Clicking on them would take the player to a GIF of people losing and regaining shape as a track of whispering sounds played. Clicking on the door in the middle would take the player to a table. On the table was a puzzle of a winter cabin scene with sounds of children playing suppressed by the sounds of a snow storm. The puzzle itself would reshuffle the moment player had solved it. On the right was a staircase going down. It would lead the player to abasement scene in which there was an old television the player could use to communicate with the mind. The player could ask the mind their age, name or location and the mind wouldn't remember any of that. The player could also determine what the right answer to these questions was and the mind would go along with it. This room was also where the track All You Are Going To Want To Do Is Get Back There by The Caretaker played, which was a major influence on the project.

A scene from the HTML version. The screen had a frame in it where the player had a dialogue with the mind which I wrote in Twine.

Things to Do

In the upcoming three months, (other than finding a better name) I plan to implement at least the following:

Controls & Mechanics

• Limit the amount of "flight time"
  • This would be in order to gamify movement and create a challenge. I'm hoping this gives the player an incentive to explore the environment and the story itself can be the reward. I am worried otherwise the game will become a collection of story bits rather than one continuous experience . But also  if the player is not impressed by the story at least they had a challenge to beat.
• Incorporate "clicking on things" to the rest of the game.  
  • Currently the game would only allow players to explore memories. I would very much want it to feel like they were uncovering memories.  So I plan to make the core gameplay mechanic a "clean up job" where the player goes around clicking on things, only to chip away the layers of stone and reveal the scene underneath.
    

Graphics

• Dithering creates weird artifacts when the game is viewed in different resolutions, which is not good. I will look for solutions.
• Find an appropriate typeface.
• Particles
  • Currently the player leaves behind a trail of dust specs. Ideally the interactive objects trigger particle effects too.

Story

I have decided to shift the design perspective for the environments to the perspective of the smell.  In contrast to the idea that objects around have lost their original purposes, I propose objects never had prior purpose. They are pure geometry.  I'd like to think this allows me to design a more abstract environment and give me more freedom in creating obstacles for the player to overcome.

• Finish the scene  "ThoughtScape"
  • This will be the prologue of the game where the player learns the controls. So I  will need to design the level in a way that requires the player to get used to flying around but also see where they need to go.
  • The "stone giant buried in sand" image for me is really strong both in terms of setting the tone for the rest of the game and arousing interesting associations with ancient structures, fossilization, "sands of time"... I will definitely be forming the level around this.
• Make a list of memories to uncover.
  • I am planning on creating scenes of everyday, mundane memories. Mostly because I don't want to focus on the memories themselves but how they deteriorate, become lost or confusing over time. Since the main idea is to display this through visuals and gameplay.
• Define the story structure of the game.
  • The HTML version had a very on the nose approach concerning its ideas. While i still want to incorporate some aspects of it to the game, I don't want it to play like a series of mini games. So a solution would be, for instance, if there is going to be a puzzle of a memory that the player needs to put together, it can be made up of scenes the player previously uncovered.
  • I also need to read up on connections of architecture and game design. I believe the way I design the 3D space of the mind will have an impact on the rhythm and intensity of the story. Does going up the stairs also mean rising action? I will see if that's the case.
• Write the ending.
  • I like the idea of the stone giant recognizing that the player is there. In the HTML version he says "goodbye and thank you" as the player leaves his mind even though the player made practically no difference. It says to me that what really mattered was the player's companionship. I would really like to end the game on a kind note.