One of the more challenging things about this game in particular is how condensed everything is. I feel like Aonuma building Termina in Majora's Mask. As you can see above we've reached the 50% in the interior decorating. Right now that means I've placed about 6500 props.
One of the core tenets of this design is that Each of the Nobles has their own core Personality, which aligns with their vice. But that means that not only does each character have their Own Crayon color, but they have core decor in that Color. So I need to create uniquely skinned props for their vice. But then each room need to 'tell a story'.
It's no exaggeration to say that the Devil is therefore in the details. I had to assembled about 10,000 props which matched in theme, then divide that up into 9 groups, then color each set to match the area to which it belongs. Then use the items to paint a narrative about the lifestyle that cursed noble lived within that space. Then, once that's done, I need to make it look and feel like no one has been inside those quarters for hundreds of years. Suffice it to say, I consider the decoration of the Castle to be the real achievement in the storytelling. This is my first attempt to use the 'secondary' narrative, where the environment tells a story all its own.
Propp will appear at random throughout the game to deliver narratives about the various rooms you're entering and leaving.
FROM MY BOOK: THE ODIN METHOD Vladimir Propp was a Soviet folklorist renowned for his groundbreaking work in the analysis of fairy tales, particularly through his book Morphology of the Folktale published in 1928. Propp's contribution to fairy tale studies lies in his identification of the basic structural elements that compose Russian folk tales, which he termed "functions." He discovered that these functions occur in a consistent sequence across different tales, leading to a universal narrative structure. Propp identified 31 such functions and categorized them into four phases, which together form the backbone of many fairy tales. Additionally, he proposed that characters in these tales could be grouped into seven broad roles, or "spheres of action," such as the hero, the villain, and the donor. Propp's work was initially overlooked in the West until it was translated in 1958, but it has since become a seminal text in narratology and semiotics. His structuralist approach has influenced various fields beyond folklore, including literature, film, and even game studies, as scholars have applied his model to analyze and generate narratives in these domains. Despite some criticisms regarding the limitations of his model's applicability beyond Russian folktales, Propp's methodology remains a vital tool for understanding the universal components of storytelling
The Storm above the Castle will decrease as you find the Keys and Return the Nobles to their Human Form. (Getting ever closer to reactivating the Runegate and escaping the Island). But as each key is activated the time of day will advance from one Dawn to the Next. As you pass through each of the 8 time periods Jump Puzzles, Target Puzzles, Achievements and Kodama Quests will cycle. You'll also see some content appear for flawless playthroughs, and some appear for repeated failures. But Propp will always appear in order to share with you what items have changed in the castle.
Much time and care was taken in the R2 versions of the Characters. The first batch were placeholders by another designer. But as we grew closer CC4 was used with some custom mods to generate the matching characters to be more in line with the other 4 In-Development games in the Mad King's Lair Franchise (releasing over the next three years).
Each character had to match their original dynamics and their door. And I'm really proud of these more articulated, and detailed models. They more closely match the graphics style of the rest of the game.
But Brandon, "where the heck is the Trailer?" you might be asking. I've entered into negotiation with a talented young musician, and a talented elder nerd to license for the project. I myself am SAG, and Equity, so I have to be SUPER careful not to cross a picket in gathering this work. But I found some treasures I want to use as the backbone for the Trailer and the Credits. So expect a couple more weeks before I assemble the initial feature trailer.
Based on wanting to add the Achievements and First Round Parkour events to the design, I opted to push out the release date. Originally I had set it for October 3rd, only to realize that Steam NextFest 2024 was at the end of October. So, I've decided to release on November 6th, my 40th Birthday. This will give me time for a release candidate worthy of purchase, as well as be a wonderful milestone for the date. And it will give me time to connect with folks through the Demo.
I'll be releasing an 'Intro to the beginning of Yellow' Demo. There will be no limit on Playtime, however, only about 10% of the grounds will actually be explorable. You will however be able to do as MANY puzzles in the Grey Tower as you'd like. Finding and Using the Yellow Key will end the Demo. This should give someone wanting to play as much time as they need to decide if the game is their cup of tea.
Steam Frowns on adding features which aren't part of your game yet to the Store Page. Even if I'd chosen Early Access I would still have been limited in what I could say about content which didn't exist. I've chosen Photon for 2 Types of Multiplayer. There will be a Co-op mode which will allow you to share the Puzzles in exchange for shorter timers. You can complete story mode, or play in Endless Mode with two people. As far as Versus goes, I've crafted the Basement of the Castle for later completion. There will be a 'Trap Dodging' race to find the treasure and toss it into a Magic Wishing well. First to the target score wins. And the Basement will randomize the floorplan on each play.
I'm also, as mentioned above, adding an Endless Play mode, where the Whole Castle is available and the puzzles just keep adding and subtracting from your score. And I'll add a steam scoreboard and personal achievements for those who love counting those numbers. These will be post launch milestones. I want people to enjoy the main story before I toss them the multiplayer. And to be honest, I want the game to be in human hands before I build multiplayer on it. I want to be sure we've squashed the big bugs prior to stacking a more complex experience on it.
That said I've tested the network code on and in the game and Multiplayer won't be an issue. It will work just fine with the 'Pass the Soy Sauce' plugin.
As many of the Beta Testers and my Game Industry fellows are well aware, I am Epileptic. I have Seizures a few times a year. Which makes making games for a living both a questionable and hilariously empowering use of my time. I'm also HFA (High Functioning Autistic) just like my youngest Son. A HUGE part of this undertaking is to empower him that he really CAN take the life he wants into his own hands. I'm trying to show my kids that overcoming one's limitations is an art form, and worthy of a life.
As such I've added the above to the core introduction of the game in order to make it clear that everyone should enjoy the title. And to state up front how hard I've worked to make it beautiful while also making it playable by anyone. And, as I discover more opportunities to do so, I'll make it playable by others. I plan on introducing subtitles for the deaf as I build the narrative components into the 0.3 build next month.
This game is meant to be a call back to my childhood, and something which just makes people feel good about gaming. It has a moral, and it should be fairly obvious to those who do enough exploring. But I want something your inner child can play, enjoy and feel enriched about. And something which can be played on ANY quality of system.
I am pursuing that Steam Deck Green Check day one. I want the game to launch ready for the Deck's 'Play me in Bed' experience. I'm still trying to find a way to get Dan & Arin to do some voice acting for me. But that may have to wait for the sequel. For now it's time to get back to decorating the Purple Duke's Museum in the center of the Island. I'll be passing out some QA Keys on TikTok in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out once the Trailer Goes live for those keys.
Thank you for reading friends! Don't forget to wishlist and like the update! ♥
-Brandon
