Project Title: [PYG]MALION*
Current Timeline: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13tJXyVm7UDcj951jFsw9mf3LHEVehYW9/view?usp=sharing
Short Description: A visually surreal, choice-based game that explores modernism and forces the player into role of a Murdered God.
Programming
As per my advisor's counsel, most of this work period was dedicated to making a prototype to experiment with Twine, mechanics, and data structures in my game. This proved incredibly helpful because I've not only established some organization/design rules to follow, but I also got to play with my mechanics before dedicating too many hours to them.
<<set $stmts to {
0: {
type: "heart",
phrase: "I think vanilla tastes the best.",
counter0: "Refute via heart",
counter1: "Refute via mind",
counter2: "Refute via creed",
answer: "Refute via mind"
},
1: {
type: "mind",
phrase: "Statistics support vanilla as the most enduring flavor.",
counter0: "Refute via heart",
counter1: "Refute via mind",
counter2: "Refute via creed",
answer: "Refute via creed"
},
2: {
type: "creed",
phrase: "Vanilla is the most fair option to offer at parties.",
counter0: "Refute via heart",
counter1: "Refute via mind",
counter2: "Refute via creed",
answer: "Refute via heart"
},
3: {
type: "specialattack",
phrase: "Why can't we just get ALL the ice cream!?",
counter0: "Now we're talking!",
counter1: "Are you buying????",
counter2: "You're just avoiding the problem.",
answer: "Now we're talking!"
}
}>>Prototyping: The Duel of Wits System
While most of the prototyping involved playing with the Sugarcube format and the options it includes, I also built the beginnings of the Duel of Wits System.
Essentially, it works like rock, paper, and scissors right now. After choosing an opponent, the game imports their 'statements.' Each round, the system spits out one PHRASE, and three COUNTERS. The player must then cycle through the counter options, and when the five second timer runs out, the system compares their answer with the answer bank. If they were correct, the opponent loses a point of health. If they were wrong, they lose a point of health. This continues until either party drops to zero, and the duel ends.
What I learned from this.... is that the system is a bit too confusing right now. Maybe. I used data banks so that duels relied on procedural content, but I almost wonder if it'd be better to make set "puzzles" like in the Ace Attorney series. It's a start, at least.
Aesthetics
In addition to prototyping, I've been experimenting with styles and aesthetics in order to test styles for the game. At first, I designed characters with more 'complete' identities, inspired by archetypes in traditional media.
But, after some more work and consideration, I felt these were too... on the nose? So, I began to try more representative imagery while working with a limited color palette. I might still use the designs above, but they would be rendered more like the style below:
Concept Art: Exercising style, using fashion magazines as a style guide.
This style immediately felt more natural and connected to my initial vision of the game, and as such, I made a few mock-ups to depict player navigation / data flow. The first shows an environment the player would see. Using their mouse, they can highlight certain objects, and the screen would fade between the two interfaces-- the latter of which depicts a mock-up for the dialogue system.
Concept Art: Interface design and user experience runs.
Writing
Finally, while not my major focus this time around, I did start some work on the story itself and designing the rooms the player can navigate. My goal isn't to write out the specifics just yet, but I have been trying to pin down the major events and get an idea for the game's progression before I get into it.
Right now, I'm using The Freytag Pyramid as a guide:
Drabbles: Planning the story and designing rooms.
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