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research_report_tot:start [2010-01-11 13:12] – 94.225.45.31research_report_tot:start [2010-01-11 13:43] – 94.225.45.31
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 http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_plant_dungeon http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_plant_dungeon
  
-== The hex game ==+== Casual games ==
  
 We realized that there is already one type of game that is capable of "reducing the player to a plant". It's the mindless casual game that is so popular with web savvy senior citizens. We realized that there is already one type of game that is capable of "reducing the player to a plant". It's the mindless casual game that is so popular with web savvy senior citizens.
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 http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_vegetal_time http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_vegetal_time
  
-hex+== The hex game == 
 +When thinking of simple software systems to grow roots in 2D, we stumbled on the hexagonal grid. Hexagons have been a staple for a certain type of strategy games, so it sort of felt right. 
 +We started prototyping a root growing game with hexagons. 
 +The abstract nature of the hexagon shape also connected well to our desire to make a hi-tech underground factory.
  
-hex dressed up+http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex1.mov
  
-dave continues inside the roots+== Hex dressed up == 
 +The mindlessness of the early hex prototypes was extremely satisfying. But the lack of aesthetic connection to plants (apart from a vague abstract representation of root growth) felt uncomfortable. 
 +When Dave introduced us to a way in which textures on a hexagonal grid could be used to represent roots more naturalistically, we found a means to correct that problem.
  
 +http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex12.mov
 +
 +== Dave inside the roots in 3D ==
 +At some point, Dave started working on a 3D version of the root growing game.
 +This became the most detailed gameplay prototype in this phase of the project
 +
 +== Tot above ground ==
 +While Dave was creating the gameplay underground, we decided to work on what would happen above ground as the result of this root growing activity.
 +We felt that one of the important motivators in the social experience of the game, would be the plant avatars that each players would be growing. So we came up with a system to represent how these plants might look. And how a garden would look comprised of such plants.
 +
 +<IMG SRC="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/4057547369_cc7d5bdec9.jpg">
 +
 +The basic shapes of these plants were based on drawings by Lina and Theun.
 +
 +The concept of or garden was that each player was represent as a basic shape that grew out of the ground surface and was made from the same material (we were imagining white ceramic for the prototype). So plants and world are one. This basic shape would grow according to algorithm that were specific to its species. This growth would happen very slowly.
 +
 +Next to the basic element that is specific to the species, every plant would be able to grow attachments based on nutrients found by the roots in the soils. This are like leaves and flowers, except that every plant is capable of growing every type of attachment. So the attachments are not species-specific (but they could be location or time specific).
 +
 +When below ground, the player would be playing from his plant's perspective.
 +Above ground, the player gets full control over the camera to roam the garden.
 +
 +== Ideas for future development ==
 no game no game
 our priorities: user experience is more important than artist's message our priorities: user experience is more important than artist's message
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 make a game for people? make a game for people?
- 
-adding missing elements: avatars, garden 
  
 ==== Context ==== ==== Context ====
  • research_report_tot.txt
  • Last modified: 2010-01-22 17:12
  • by nik