Dear Insane Children,
The team continues work on various Asylum elements including enemy design. Above is an image from Omri which depicts the potential design for a Tarot Enemy representing The Fool. The idea is that throughout Asylum we’ll encounter cannon fodder enemies (think The Ruin in Madness Returns – but more interesting/varied) based on the Tarot Cards. This provides us a means for layering art and interpretation into these character designs so that they’re varied and surprising.
During a recent YouTube Live Stream we touched on the subject of the companion dog(s) seen with The Fool. Many of you expressed a dislike of harming animals in game (and otherwise) – a response which myself and Martin share. So… we want to avoid battle against realistic doggos and such… but what about shadow wraith type dogs?
Here’s what I wrote to Omri over on Trello:
I think we can live with fighting and killing “shadow dogs” – they just need to be magic and evil enough.
Since we see him about to walk over a cliff in the usual cards – have him do that as his entry and exit… he “walks” up through the floor and back down through it to appear and disappear. I like this sort of enemy mechanic. There can be a “tell” every time a Fool is about to appear – a glitter on the floor, a puff of that smoke… perhaps the dogs appear first and then the Fool arrives?
As for attacks and effects… The Fool represents (in the reverse meaning) blindness to danger. So it seems that his attacks, like his dogs, should be clouded, smokey, and cause the player difficulty seeing the battlefield. A smokescreen which does damage. It could be that so long as you continue to stand in his smokescreens you take damage. So Alice must move out of the smoke and attack… perhaps one of her weapons is able to disperse the smokescreen?
Let us know in the comments below your thoughts on The Fool, his smoky companions, and the ideas presented for movement and attack.
Ok, ok! Denial Alice wins. Personally, I wanted an Asylum Alice to complete this set but this is a democratic dictatorship and I don’t feel strongly enough about this decision to use one of my Dictator Points on it… Besides, we can still do an Asylum Alice in the future.
One of you asked, “Why only three plushes?” Which is a fair point. No need to arbitrarily limit them.
And I did see some interesting questions/feedback on the topic of Bumby being a character in Asylum (running a toy shop in the train station). Lots to dive into there – save that for a future Live Stream or Crowd Design Session.
Anyway, Jen did this wonderful render of a Denial Alice Plush design. Should this be our next plush? Probably won’t tackle this until early 2020… but doesn’t hurt to start thinking about it now!
Meet “The Ringmasters” – latest poster by Omri from the Circus Realm. This will likely be the last of these – for now. Omri says,
I thought that it makes the most sense having the third poster with the Tweedles, it’s their circus.
I think this is the last of the series… i’d ask the patrons? if they want more of these we can stretch it to 5. Norman will help me with the goats on the bottom.
BTW symbolism, the first is sadness, Pris has Jabberwock’s head on her hat and in this one it’s demon summoning.
For “the goats” I asked Omri to make sure those come out “super satanic” as my mom would love that. (“No, I won’t” – mom).
Everyone’s favorite Mysterious Model, Lulu, is going in for surgery today. We suspect she swallowed something naughty. Her “pipes” have been blocked for days and she had to go into the doggy hospital for an IV and observation. Multiple xrays have revealed “something” in her intestinal tract. Not good.
So, if you love Lulu as much as we do, light a candle, say a prayer, howl at the moon – and join us in hoping that she’ll make a swift recovery.
We’re missing her farts and licks very much 🙁
From Shanghai with Sad,
-American
