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research_report_tot:start [2010-01-11 14:01] – 94.225.45.31research_report_tot:start [2010-01-13 16:31] – 94.225.45.31
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 //under construction!// //under construction!//
  
-== Initial idea: Plant RPG ==+=== Initial idea: Plant RPG ===
 The first idea that came to mind when thinking about making a game with plants, was an older one. This idea was documented in our personal wiki as "Plant Simulator RPG": The first idea that came to mind when thinking about making a game with plants, was an older one. This idea was documented in our personal wiki as "Plant Simulator RPG":
 //You play a plant. Gameplay is a combination of level-up-RPGs and Sim City. You manage your resources (soil, air, sun, water) and decide to grow leaves or flowers, longer stems, larger leaves or more of them. If your flowers are attractive enough, the bees may help you multiply. Perhaps players can influence or even design the look of their petals and flowers. //You play a plant. Gameplay is a combination of level-up-RPGs and Sim City. You manage your resources (soil, air, sun, water) and decide to grow leaves or flowers, longer stems, larger leaves or more of them. If your flowers are attractive enough, the bees may help you multiply. Perhaps players can influence or even design the look of their petals and flowers.
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-== Early sketch: growing a plant (July 2008) ==+=== Early sketch: growing a plant (July 2008) ===
 A first prototype was built based on this idea. A first prototype was built based on this idea.
  
 http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/PlantRPGprototype04.swf http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/PlantRPGprototype04.swf
 +
 http://lib.fo.am/plant_game http://lib.fo.am/plant_game
  
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 Disadvantages of this prototype are the random shape of the plant and the all too direct control by the player over growth, creating an emotional distance between player and plant, where the player feels more like a gardener than a plant. Disadvantages of this prototype are the random shape of the plant and the all too direct control by the player over growth, creating an emotional distance between player and plant, where the player feels more like a gardener than a plant.
  
-== The vegetal mind == +=== The vegetal mind ===
-being a plant, vegetal mind, being inside a plant, inside the seed, guilds+
 A brainstorm discussion of the project lead to several ideas and inspirations. A brainstorm discussion of the project lead to several ideas and inspirations.
 One of the strongest ideas was the desire to create a game in which you feel like a plant, experience life as a plant and perhaps learn from the plant's existence ways of improving our lives as humans on this planet. There's two attractive aspects to "playing a plant": one is letting going of individualism (no longer thinking of yourself as a single unit separate from others) and the other is the idea of a sort of unconscious or subconscious life (dubbed "the vegetal mind" during the meeting, i.e. a state of life where everything you do is instinctive, where, in other words, you are fully connected with your environment). One of the strongest ideas was the desire to create a game in which you feel like a plant, experience life as a plant and perhaps learn from the plant's existence ways of improving our lives as humans on this planet. There's two attractive aspects to "playing a plant": one is letting going of individualism (no longer thinking of yourself as a single unit separate from others) and the other is the idea of a sort of unconscious or subconscious life (dubbed "the vegetal mind" during the meeting, i.e. a state of life where everything you do is instinctive, where, in other words, you are fully connected with your environment).
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 http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_vegetal_meeting_notes http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_vegetal_meeting_notes
  
-== Going underground ==+=== Going underground ===
 To solve the problem of feeling like a gardener when directly manipulating plant growth, we came up with the idea of focusing on the roots as the "control center" of the organism. We imagined a kind of hi-tech factory with an pseudo-technical abstract look that you would control as a manager of sorts. Or it could be a sort mining operation where digging tunnels in search of nutrients would represent the growing of roots. Rather than interacting directly with the environment, we imagined a group of minions doing the work for us and thus creating a sense of autonomy in the plant (i.e. nature running its course). To solve the problem of feeling like a gardener when directly manipulating plant growth, we came up with the idea of focusing on the roots as the "control center" of the organism. We imagined a kind of hi-tech factory with an pseudo-technical abstract look that you would control as a manager of sorts. Or it could be a sort mining operation where digging tunnels in search of nutrients would represent the growing of roots. Rather than interacting directly with the environment, we imagined a group of minions doing the work for us and thus creating a sense of autonomy in the plant (i.e. nature running its course).
  
 http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_plant_dungeon http://lib.fo.am/tale_of_the_plant_dungeon
  
-== Casual games ==+=== 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
  
-== The hex game ==+=== 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. 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. We started prototyping a root growing game with hexagons.
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 http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex1.mov http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex1.mov
  
-== Hex dressed up ==+=== 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. 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. 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.
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 http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex12.mov http://tale-of-tales.com/foam/growHex12.mov
  
-== Dave inside the roots in 3D ==+=== Dave inside the roots in 3D ===
 At some point, Dave started working on a 3D version of the root growing game. 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 This became the most detailed gameplay prototype in this phase of the project
  
-== Tot above ground ==+=== Tales 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. 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. 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.
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 Above ground, the player gets full control over the camera to roam the garden. Above ground, the player gets full control over the camera to roam the garden.
  
-== Ideas for future development ==+=== Ideas for future development ===
  
 At the end of this phase, we were a bit disappointed that we didn't really have a clear idea of the kind of game that we might want to make. At the end of this phase, we were a bit disappointed that we didn't really have a clear idea of the kind of game that we might want to make.
 To help get to that point, we would suggest the following. To help get to that point, we would suggest the following.
  
-= It's about the player =+== It's about the player ==
 The user's experience is more important than the artist's message. The user's experience is more important than the artist's message.
 All of our ideas should serve only as inspiration. Our focus should always be on how the player feels when interacting with our game. Not on whether or not we are expressing our ideas well. If the game ends up being about something else, that is fine too. We're not making edutainment. All of our ideas should serve only as inspiration. Our focus should always be on how the player feels when interacting with our game. Not on whether or not we are expressing our ideas well. If the game ends up being about something else, that is fine too. We're not making edutainment.
 We should take the interesting elements from our prototypes and optimize them. We should take the interesting elements from our prototypes and optimize them.
  
-= Not the kitchen sink =+== Not the kitchen sink ==
 When producing games, trying to implement all ideas is a recipe for failure. When producing games, trying to implement all ideas is a recipe for failure.
 It's important to make choices and to have a reductionist approach to game design and features. Choose one idea and make a game with it. Not necessarily because the others are bad but because you need focus in order to finish something. and our philosophy is "It's better to make something than nothing".  It's important to make choices and to have a reductionist approach to game design and features. Choose one idea and make a game with it. Not necessarily because the others are bad but because you need focus in order to finish something. and our philosophy is "It's better to make something than nothing". 
  
-= What we would keep and throw out =+== What we would keep and throw out ==
 To our mind, the best idea for a game that came out of this phase is a dual game of being in a plantlike mindset when playing (underground), showing off your flower as a human (above ground). To our mind, the best idea for a game that came out of this phase is a dual game of being in a plantlike mindset when playing (underground), showing off your flower as a human (above ground).
  
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 the motivation to play would thus be human and consist of showing off your plant, trying to make something pretty and care for the organism that you're creating. the motivation to play would thus be human and consist of showing off your plant, trying to make something pretty and care for the organism that you're creating.
  
-= Passive game = +== Passive game == 
-passive game idea+We're still very fond of an idea we shared on the groWorld mailing in November 2009. 
 + 
 +//There is no interaction. There's a persistent ongoing world "out there", somewhere, on the internet. Things happen in it (rain, sun, nutrients, magic). If you are present, your plant can absorb these and evolve, grow, change. If you're not present, your plant slowly dies. 
 + 
 +You can be "present" in many ways. Dial a phone number and listen to the silence. Send an email. Hang out on a website. Run an application that depicts your roots in some way. As long as you clearly give some attention to the game, your plant will be affected by things that happen in the world. 
 + 
 +In this mode, you only ever deal with your own plant. The multiplayer aspects happens exclusively above ground, in the garden. There's no interaction there either. And you're not the plant. You can just fly over the garden and look at the results of everybody's playing. The social aspect simply comes from the way you've made your plant look. And admiring other people's creations. Or seeing other plants whither when their player is absent too much.//
  
 ==== Context ==== ==== Context ====
  • research_report_tot.txt
  • Last modified: 2010-01-22 17:12
  • by nik