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[Kyle O]

Letters from Earth

Here is a devlog for some game. I don't know what it's about but it features or will feature myriad gameplay styles, including--

• jumping
• ecosystem management
• stealth
• farming
• SHMUP
• dating sim
• super mario bros. 2
• digital pet
• run n' gun
• cooking simulation
• pikmin

In this game you play as a human on the earth 33 000 000 years in the future. Most of the game centers around you assisting and facilitating the relationship between two super-computers-- one of which is a vain and temperamental machine which orbits the earth and is indifferent to all life. The other is a machine which was left explicit instructions by its creator to maintain conditions for life on earth as long as possible.

With this game I am also currently pioneering the use of a main character wearing different hats...

...something which has never been done before. I try to update weeklyish.

[Kyle O]

Sometimes you wear hats. This is a hat that looks like a rock. Not sure what hiding from. Probably big scary monsters to add in soon.

[Code_Assassin]

I don't know what this is about.. but it looks interesting! The art style gives off a friendly tone =)

EDIT:

Oh and some criticism about the jump. I think the player should fall much faster, rather than glide down. Other than that, everything looks just fine!

[gokimen]

Can you tell us more about the game? some background story perhaps? or a playable version?

[karlozalb]

interesting art style man, add monsters,gore and destruction pls!

[Morgondag]

This is so cute, love it! 

[Kyle O]

I think the player should fall much faster, rather than glide down.

Duly noted. Will make gravity more oppressive.

some background story perhaps?

No story fully materialized as yet. Setting is Earth. You play as human. Might be what could possibly be considered... maybe metroidvania... though, with current momentum in my brain... maybe more of a sidescrolling Shenmue.

There is one button to use current hat ability. Some hats have no ability. There is also context sensitive button. You can use to talk to people and other things. Sometimes there are context specific things in certain places that you can only do when wearing certain hats.

Here is a new hat for when not hiding under rocks. It is a stump. You can shoot a leaf, and it will come back to you sometimes.



This stump hat has special ability. When you stand on other stump and use context specific button with hat equipped, you can change the seasons. This is an original idea and probably has not been seen in other games.

[Kyle O]

Spent most of weekend with level design. Personally maybe most difficult part. Leaves seem too colorful compared to rest of gray world. Also kind of... "busy". Trying to find balance between not too plain and not too "busy". Working on it.

Also added a new hat-- but does not do anything yet.

[Kyle O]

Was sick for a while. Working on some sort of worm/bird/monster for stealth section. It eats you when it sees you...
but you can't see it's eyes...
this creates epistemological problems that I don't want to discuss.

[ZeppelinCaptain]

Spent most of weekend with level design. Personally maybe most difficult part. Leaves seem too colorful compared to rest of gray world. Also kind of... "busy". Trying to find balance between not too plain and not too "busy". Working on it.

Also added a new hat-- but does not do anything yet.

Re: trying to balance busy with plain, this article from the artist behind Braid is excellent if you haven't read it. He talks a lot about making it clear what things are available for interaction, and what is just there for show. I know that you're not going for the same style, but it's still a good read.

I love the worm thing. And your links to show that all ideas are completely original. Will follow this.

Edit: whoops, forgot the link: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132147/the_art_of_braid_creating_a_.php?print=1

[Excy]

This game looks incredibly cute and I'm loving the mechanics. What are you making it in?

[Blodyavenger]

As it was mentioned already - the game looks really cute and I also like the color pick. Hat mechanics are very ineresting as well, I like it. I'm wondering where this is going - keep it up

[CasePortman]

Lovely looking game, aldo. Looks very polished!

[Christian]

Was sick for a while. Working on some sort of worm/bird/monster for stealth section. It eats you when it sees you...
but you can't see it's eyes...
this creates epistemological problems that I don't want to discuss.

Oh wow, love the enemy design.

[wccrawford]

I'm loving the art in general here!   Your inventive hats are interesting, too.  Makes me wonder what other hats you'll come up with.

[rundown]

Looks intresting! Feels like something I havn't seen before. Especially the monsters are nice.

[Kyle O]

Humans don't walk upright. This is a fact. Because this fact, it is difficult to pick things up. Problem is solved with this hat--



This hat uses the context button. You can pick things when wearing this hat, and then throw them, but when not wearing this hat there is no way to interact with them. Also included is spinning forward thrust. Doubles as both an offensive attack and also used to till ground for farming mechanic. Earth is barren, so turnips and cabbage grow well. Going to probably add small enemies next week.



Also worked on large moving platforms--





The one in the pic and gif is actually quite small. I plan on making some large, level sized platforms. These large moving platforms are part of the stealth level where you hide under your rock hat to avoid being seen by very large predatory worm-bird-monster-things.

Re: trying to balance busy with plain, this article from the artist behind Braid is excellent if you haven't read it. He talks a lot about making it clear what things are available for interaction, and what is just there for show. I know that you're not going for the same style, but it's still a good read.

Thank you for that, yes that was interesting... though I must say the main message I gleamed from that article is to keep trying over and over until it looks right.

This game looks incredibly cute and I'm loving the mechanics. What are you making it in?

Crayons and Color Pencils.

[clockwrk_routine]

the art is great. i like your humor.

[Alex Higgins]

Graphics look sexy. World looks good in motion. Hat mechanics are cool.

Also, I see your game has jumping in it - I've never seen a game that's done that before.

[sakuyo]

Hat based game mechanics are always a win. Really nice art/palette. Following.