Welcome to this new blogpost Heroes!
Today, let's embark on a journey into the setting of Forgotten Mines, drawing inspiration from classic fantasy, ancient myths, and the nostalgic memories of my childhood games. My little RPG will hold no secrets for you after reading this!
Works inspiration
To develop Forgotten Mines, I got inspired by existing games which served as a powerful blueprint for shaping my own. As a teenager, I used to play RPGs a lot with my friends and I was the one insisting on playing a Dwarf character. I used to open the Player's Handbook and read about the organization of the races, cultural issues, etc. In the Monster Manual, the many different Dwarves made me want to find out more about them.
As for other inspiring works, let’s say that Berserk was a huge influence. I ended up watching the 1997 animated series, without knowing what it was. I was very young and it tore me apart in a way that I can't explain. I simply sensed a desire to evoke in others the same emotions that had stirred within me.
After Berserk, Forgotten Realms also inspired this game a lot, being the RPG scenario that I played the most. And, lately, I've ended up getting very interested in Dune, but that was after I'd already laid the groundwork for Forgotten Mines, otherwise we'd have had the first Desert Dwarves game on Steam, no kidding.
Myths inspiration
While I was vastly inspired by other works, History and Myths gave me wonderful ideas too. For example, there is a legend from Brazil: Boitatá. It is a giant snake with many eyes, surrounded by flames, which protects the fields from invasions and especially fires. Mixing this character design with the Mariliths from D&D; this is how the Sleeths in Forgotten Mines were born.
I made the Sleeths half women half giant snakes in reference to Boitatá. In the game, they carry elemental blades and are perhaps the most lethal basic units you can stumble upon.
Sacrifice and choices
I shaped Forgotten Mines based on concepts that fascinated me. Another significant inspiration was the notion of the "Divided Line". The Divided Line is an analogy that establishes and orders two realms of being that a person can think about: the intelligible realm is the realm of thought while the sensible realm is the realm of perception. With that in mind, I created the four floors, to symbolize those different realms. The layers, represented in the game by Verdant Halls, Muddy Tunnels, Ancient Prisons, and Gates of Hell, guide players into a new dimension, unable to return to their previous ignorance.
I see it that way: Forgotten Mines is about a suicide mission to take their mines back, pushing the characters into a downward spiral of morality. It makes them go through different states of consciousness until the Idea of Evil is defeated beyond the limit of understanding, on another plane.
Growing up in the Global South, I understand the lasting impact of invasion and colonization on a community. Reclaiming land from invaders resonates with many of us here. That’s why, from my perspective, myself and those around me are like the Dwarves in this analogy.
Want to know another not-so-fun fact about Forgotten Mines?
Alongside battles, the player may end up being faced with the possibility of sacrificing their entire party in exchange for becoming a new Demon King, or even encounter a character willing to sacrifice their entire party to make the same pact. There are ancient and forgotten deities within the mines, who can be found and will propose a pact. And perhaps the oddest possibility that comes to my mind right now is engaging in arm wrestling with a naked, gray-skinned giant abomination.
How Ultimate Shot was created
Ultimate Shot is an attack only the archers can cast; it fires 2 to 3 arrows per attack. It is the final arrow attack. And do you know where it comes from?
During development, a strange bug appeared with the archers. The bug allowed the unit to fire a number of arrows equal to the player's clicks while the unit attacked (like in an action game). It turned out that the bug was so fun and enjoyable that I decided to leave it, that’s how improved attacks and Ultimate Shot were created.
Thank you so much for reading this blogpost. What we can acknowledge is that Forgotten Mines is my creation but it's also a tapestry from the inspiration of countless other works. Also, know that you all play a part too because each idea and piece of feedback contributes to the game’s evolution, and for that, I am truly grateful!
And don't forget: Forgotten Mines will be available on Steam later in 2024! Until then, you can wishlist the game and play the demo!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2238630/Forgotten_Mines/
If you want to chat with the team and other players, you can join us on Discord and Twitter!