Dear Insane Children,
Work on writing and illustrating the narrative outline for Alice: Asylum continues – with the team fully engaged on a large number of art tasks we’re pulling from the game story. The idea is to present a Design Bible – something like an illustrated novel – that you can read through from start to finish to get a full understanding of the game in its final form.
There’s a section where Alice first enters The Queen’s Domain and must pass through Judgement (a physical “courthouse” building filled with obstacles and dangers). The story for that part of the game reads:
ANGER/JUDGEMENT REALM – THE COURTHOUSE
Arriving at The Courthouse steps Alice is warned by The Knave that this place is A Cruel Machine that answers to no one – not even The Queen. Once Alice enters the only way out is through The Trials and Judgement. If Alice is found Innocent, she will be allowed to continue on her journey to The Queen. If she’s found guilty, she’ll be sentenced to Croak for eternity. The Knave again implores Alice to return to The Circus.
[NOTE: Alice won’t be convinced to turn around so The Knave gifts her a New Weapon – American Requested – Card Association / Valued Queen’s Possession / Grenade Launcher High Damage / Artillery Weapon]
We PLAY as Alice enters the halls of The Courthouse and begins to make her way through The Trials towards Judgement. What follows is a sequence of Challenge Spaces (Trials) that contain Puzzles, Combat Arenas, and Navigation Challenges. These lead to a Kafkaesque Main Hall, a surreal embodiment of bureaucracy and brutal judgment where the combat and navigation puzzles continue while Alice’s sins and crimes are read aloud by a stadium full of judges.
Alice successfully completes The Trials and arrives at Judgment only to be told that, despite passing her trials, she’s been found guilty and will be sentenced to Croak for eternity. Alice is FURIOUS. So furious that she bursts into flames as she screams her rage at the mechanical face of judgment. But all her fury is in vain as the floor opens beneath Alice’s feet and she’s dropped screaming into the darkness.
From there, Alice finds herself engaged in a life or death game of Croquet… but more on that later.
As terrifying and challenging as this section of the game might be… Adam’s illustrations make me want to jump in and explore RIGHT NOW.
Let us know in the comments below what you think of Judgement. And put your Crowd Design Hat on… I’m looking for your thoughts on challenges or other elements that would fit into this area! Share them in the comments below. Keep in mind that the theme of this area is the link between PTSD-Anger-Judgement.
The idea is that when we suffer a trauma we experience a lot of anger – at ourselves and at others. That anger usually contains a lot of negative projection or introspection – judgment and blaming of ourselves and others for the calamity that’s befallen us. As an example, it would not be out of place to hear whispers (sometimes shouts) of “It’s Your Fault!” blaming Alice as she moves through this space.
What other kinds of dialog, challenges, and ideas might support the concept of Anger/Judgement here? Let me know in the comments below!
Housekeeping
Font Lord wants to me let you know that due to some delays at the Backerkit office, the surveys for this month’s Art Prints and Chaos Necklaces have not yet been sent out. He expects them to go out within the next week though. Your patience is appreciated!
Calendar Feedback?
I’m seeing a number of people posting online that they’ve received their calendars. And everyone seems to be happy with the quality of the calendar – as we should expect from our Crowd Design efforts! But also lots of people commenting on the sturdy box these were shipped in.
Did you get your calendar yet? Happy with it and the shipping container?
Live Stream This Week
Ah, jeeze Rick, it’s already Wednesday!?! Woo, this week got away from me. Busy, busy!
Anyway, we’re hosting a live stream over on my Twitch channel tomorrow.
Head over to www.twitch.tv/americanmcgee and subscribe for notification when we go live. It’ll be the usual time – 10AM Hong Kong Time and … 6PM PST (an hour earlier due to daylight savings!)
Please join us for Alice: Madness Returns, art review, Plushie Dreadful Crowd Design, business development updates, and all your questions/comments answered (if Martin can stay focused)!
From Shanghai with Love,
-American