Stuck in Time; Like Snails in the Rain

Dear Insane Children, 

Last weekend, I went into the city with Lucky and Yan to meet friends for lunch. Some of the other kids at the get-together were sick with a cold; so Lucky and Yan got sick immediately. My immune system fought valiantly for a few days… and then I got sick. Bummer… since then, I’ve had body aches, sore throat, and … some form of brain-damage. Not really brain damage, but it certainly feels like it. I’m often confused about what I was in the middle of doing; am doing common tasks in the wrong order; placing objects in places they don’t belong… and just generally, well, brain-damaged. 

Hence my not posting much in recent days. Plus, add to that, we’re in the middle of packing house… Anyway, you get the idea. 

But work continues… 

This image is from Adam and depicts a scene in the Vale of Tears where Alice is exploring… of it Adam says: 

Here is a work-in-progress update on the Valel of Tears, I have a “Madness Returns” more colorful version and the more depressing, cold-colored variant. Omri has suggested to go with the more depressing one, but to keep the leaves on the trees.

And to which I replied: 

I really like the vibrant “Madness Returns” version… but it would make more sense for it to start in the Depressing mode… which is a great idea for a mechanic in this area…

The area starts in the Depression Mode and then slowly shifts to Vibrant Mode as Alice passes through… or as the area is healed with Tears.

This is basically just a filter on certain models/areas applied inside Unreal. We did a simliar thing with “Grimm” … so maybe supply us with a Final Version of each half? As in, deliver one image but split it into two sides. One for Depression, one for Vibrant?

And, in general, it’s a beautiful scene. Awesome!

If you’re interested in learning more about this scene and what happens in it, you can check out the relevant section in the post containing the semi-complete Alice Narrative Overview. SPOILERS in that Document so… SPOILER WARNING!

Joey turned in this beautiful piece… a depiction of an encounter between Alice and The Duchess. This also takes place in the Vale of Tears; just after Alice and the Duchess in a battle because, as the Duchess says: 

Once defeated, The Duchess invites Alice in for tea and biscuits.

Duchess: “I had to make sure you were you. Hard to tell these days; no one is what they seem anymore. I don’t even know if I am me anymore.

Though it’s a beautiful scene, and we’ll find a way to use it, it does deviate from the original request as Omri points out… 

i imagined more something like this, a skinny skeletal large hunched ugly duchess and alice drinking tea and talking on oversized chairs and table. on the line of a conversation, something closer to the copy.

And he provides this rough sketch for a new render from Joey… 

And last but not least (for this post anyway), is a collaboration illustration from Norm and Omri. This scene takes place in the Circus Realm. And it depicts Alice attempting to escape from this prison of fun with the help of a recently acquired Vorpal Blade. 

That image (above) is the cropped and color (final) version) of a larger illustration… 

Again, this scene can be found in the early pages of the Asylum Narrative document (link above). As we continue to develop and takes steps towards the writing of that document, the Art Team is following in our tracks and illustrating all the critical scenes. All of this content will be rolled into the Alice: Asylum Design Bible. And Alex has already started work on the layout and design of that document. We should have an early (style guide) draft of that to show you in a month or two. 

Feels to me like everything is turning out great. 

Let us know in the comments below what you think of these scene illustrations. Our artists love to hear your feedback and comments. 

Housekeeping (moving)

A quick reminder that my family will be moving to a new house on the 30th of January. That is only 8 days from today, so we are starting the process of packing up the Old House and prepping for a move to the New House. As you are aware (or might imagine), the packing and moving of a house that contains 3 adults, 1 child, and 1 dog, plus our Studio, Live Stream room, Warehouse (for Mysterious stuff), and two offices… is a LOT of work. So please excuse me if in the coming days leading to the 30th, and for a few days after, you don’t see many posts from me. 

The rest of the team will still be at work on the story, art, and BD during those days. And when I return, I’ll be to sure to bring with me a BIG UPDATE on all that’s gone on during that time. 

From Shanghai with Love (and tears), 

-American

Hysteria and Chinese New Year

Dear Insane Children, 

Font Lord here again.
How are you?

Just stopping by to remind you of 2 things.

1) February is when the $75 tier changes.

Starting next month, the Chaos Necklace part of the $75 tier is being replaced with the Hysteria Rabbit + Tote Bag Set (Image below). Yay!

Excellent stuff.

We talked about it more in detail HERE.
Please have a read of the details at that link.

And also next month’s ‘print of the month’ (Image Below) is pretty darn fine too, so it really is a great month to go to $75 if you were thinking about it.

2) Chinese New Year is coming.

As many of you know, businesses, production, and pretty much everything, grinds to a halt in China during the CNY holiday. As we are in Shanghai, this affects us quite a bit.

(Editor’s Note: American is also moving house on 30th of January, so that will introduce delays for art print signing, packing, and delivering). 

So please be prepared for potential delays on items getting sent out if you’re expecting anything.

This is just a rough guess but I expect CNY disruptions to be from around February 1st to February 20th. (Editor Note: Many factories in China are closed from Feb 1st-27th. And shipping is delayed between 7th and 20th). 

That’s it really.

Just wanted to point out those 2 things before February hit   🙂

– Cheers

Insane Children and Their Make-believe

Dear Insane Children, 

It’s freezing in Shanghai! We’ve just gone through a cold wave described as “the coldest days in 20 years” and… my feet are freezing! Houses in Shanghai are not famous for being well insulated. As I sit here at my desk working, the thermometer reading is 10c (50f)… which is just brrrr!

Is it cold where you are? Or are you, like Alex, enjoying a southern hemisphere “summer”  in your shorts and t-shirt? 

Couple of things to look at today: Artwork, Live Stream, and Narrative

Artwork

The main image (above) is from Adam. It shows Hatter giving Alice a guided tour of “the story to date” – a visual exploration of events leading up to where they are when Alice arrives in Hatter’s domain. Basically a “where are we and how did we get here.” 

This scene takes place when Alice first meets Hatter.. and is designed in a way such that explaining the required exposition is done in a way that’s kept exciting and engaging. 

The scene (above) with Alce and The Knave is her first encounter with this Insane Child who has taken up employment with The Queen of Hearts. 

Lots of great art being produced these days – all of it following along the scenes written in the Alice: Asylum Narrative Overview. You can click on that link to download the Narrative Overview – but beware! – lots of spoilers contained in that document. 

Live Stream 

There WILL BE a live stream this week over on Twitch. The usual place and time… 

www.twitch.tv/americanmcgee 

Important Note: This is very likely the last Live Stream from our current location. And the last Live Stream in The Year of The Rat. Because we won’t do another Stream until after the upcoming Chinese New Year – as we head into The Year of The Metal Ox. Rawr!

And… we’re moving house! American and family will be heading to a new home on the southern outskirts of Shanghai. That means there will be a period of time where Live Streaming is disrupted by moving home – and another period disrupted by going back to Yan’s hometown for Chinese New Year celebrations (with her family). 

The last item for today is related to Narrative Crowd Design. 

STOP READING NOW if you want to avoid SPOILERS!!!

Lately, I’ve been working on the mechanic for presenting all the back story elements we need to convey to people playing Alice: Asylum. So we’ve come up with a couple of ideas… and one of those ideas is presented in what’s written below.

STOP READING NOW if you want to avoid SPOILERS!!!

The main idea is that we’re implicating the Liddell family lawyer, Radcliffe, in Alice’s encounter with chaos (the fire that killed her family, incarceration in The Asylum, Bumby’s predilections, and the problems caused by Alice killing Bumby. 

And Alice’s discovery of Radcliffe’s involvement, plus her method for extricating herself from guilty in Bumby’s murder… are contained in a Letter she’s written to Radcliffe. 

Anyway, before we get too far ahead of ourselves on this… have a read… 

STOP READING NOW if you want to avoid SPOILERS!!!

Memory Scenes – Test Writing

These always take place when we visit Caterpillar. The main narration we’re hearing is Adult Alice – she’s reading the Letter to Radcliffe. (At the start, we are unaware of The Letter – and do not reveal it as a letter, or Adult Alice as the narrator, until much later in the game).

Show the scenes from the past (memories) as Living Scenes – ghostly actors moving around sets – where Child Alice can walk around, explore, and listen as the scenes play out. Night of the fire; taken to the Hospital; the missed Funeral; moved to The Asylum; years of Incarceration and Madness; the First Adventure; the Home for Wayward Children; the Second Adventure; the murder of Bumby; the murder investigation; ejection from The HFWC; life on the streets of London; discovery of critical evidence regarding Radcliffe;

Night of The Fire

Alice peers into the Snow Globe and is pulled into a ghostly scene: “The Liddell House – Date Nov 5th, 1863” – The scene is presented in a dream-like style of muted colors and uncertain lines. Alice’s avatar is solid and normal – wearing her nightgown – while other characters in the scene are presented as transparent specters – not solid; unable to interact with; cannot touch or be touched by Alice.

Alice stands in the front yard of her family home. It’s night and snow falls from the sky above. There are no lights on inside. The house is sleeping.

“That night began like any other. But it ended as an encounter with chaos, unlike anything I’d known before. But I was only 11, so what did I know of chaos?”

We PLAY as Alice navigates the scene and makes her way into the house through a front door that is open to the night air.

“At first I blamed the cat. Always knocking over the oil lamps and having nearly burned down the house at least two times prior. But it did not add up. The locked doors on the second floor. The front door wide open so that the flames could be seen raging inside.”

Flashes of imagery to match the narration: The cat knocking over the oil lamp; Alice’s parents frantically trying to open their bedroom door as smoke filled the corridor. Alice laying in the snow-covered front yard looking up at a burning house filled with screams – the front door conspicuously open.

We PLAY as Alice makes her way to the second floor.

“There were lamps on every floor. But we had checked to ensure they were all extinguished before turning in for the night. Lizzie and I even made a game of running around the house and snuffing them out. And no one ever locked their doors in our home. We had no secrets to hide… or so I thought.”

Flashes of imagery to match the narration: Alice and Lizzie running around excitedly to extinguish all the lamps. A shady black-gloved hand turning a key in a lock. A shadowy figure pouring lamp oil down the corridor outside the family bedrooms. A match thrown to light the oil on fire.

“I imagined you a centaur. I later discovered you were a different kind of monster entirely. But first… I had to be the monster.”

Final flashes of Child Alice being taken away in a straight jacket.

Taken To The Hospital

Alice peers into the Snow Globe and is pulled into a ghostly scene: “XX Hospital – Date Nov XXth, 1863” – The scene is presented in a dream-like style of muted colors and uncertain lines. Alice’s avatar is solid and normal – wearing her nightgown – while other characters in the scene are presented as transparent specters – not solid; unable to interact with; cannot touch or be touched by Alice.

Flashes of Alice taken from her burning home to the hospital. On a stretcher and tended to by nurses and doctors.

“I don’t know what they expected of me. A world blown apart in the span of a night. I was bruised and burnt. At the hospital, they treated my obvious wounds. But left unattended the damage they could not see.”

We PLAY as Alice explores the corridors of the hospital weaving a path that ends at Alice’s room. Here we see our first glimpse of the family doctor and another unknown figure: Bumby and Radcliffe.

Voices overheard: “It’s a miracle she survived.” “Inconvenient.” “She’s young. An event like this will be naturally suppressed – a sort of survival mechanism.” “You had better be right. Not only her survival depends on that.”

Flashes of scenes – Alice resisting the doctors and nurses. Police visiting her room, notebooks in hand. Alice stabbing a doctor with a scalpel.

“But my silence and rage – a sort of neurosis or hysteria – were taken to suggest madness. And from that madness blossomed a bouquet of accusations. The more they accused me, the more I lashed out. And so you had me sent to Rutledge.”

Rutledge Asylum

Alice peers into the Snow Globe and is pulled into a ghostly scene: “Rutledge Asylum – Date Oct XXth, 1863” – The scene is presented in a dream-like style of muted colors and uncertain lines. Alice’s avatar is solid and normal – wearing her nightgown – while other characters in the scene are presented as transparent specters – not solid; unable to interact with; cannot touch or be touched by Alice.

Flashes of The Asylum – Alice bound to a stretcher, thrashing as she’s rolled through the entrance. Nurses and doctors whispering and staring as she’s wheeled through the corridors filled with the shouts and screams of insanity.

“At that time you were already acting as my guardian. Having me committed to the asylum was easy. Who would you believe? The family lawyer and the doctor? Or the raving mad child everyone now believed had burned her family to death?”

We PLAY as Alice walks the corridors of Rutledge Asylum. Everywhere are signs of neglect, decay, madness, and cruelty. This is not a place for curing insanity – it’s a prison designed to drive one mad. The path leads past various rooms and corridors where we see variations on Alice’s routine in the Asylum. Mealtimes; bouts of uncontrolled rage; interactions with doctors, nurses, and psychologists; playing with the other Insane Children. A final room where Alice is bound to a bed; staring, catatonic, clutching her White Rabbit.

“The days passed into months. The months into years. And many of those years were spent in a state far removed from reality. That must have made you feel at ease – no one believes Insane Children and their make-believe.”

Flashes of Alice’s drawings – sketches on paper; scratched into the walls of her cell; carved into the flash on her arms. Our first glimpse of Wonderland and its inhabitants.

“But in my make-believe was your undoing.”

— End of Test Scenes

After reading that you might have some sense of our goal here. Let me know in the comments below… how does this concept strike you? Can you see this working in-game? 

And a last note… Alex and I are working to present a new, longer format version of the Narrative Overview. Lots of YOUR ideas from Crowd Design are contained in there. And we should have something to share in a few weeks… depending on how much impact The Move has on things. 

From Shanghai with Brrr, 

-American 

Hysteria Rabbit $75 Tier Update

Dear Insane Children,

Font Lord here again   🙂

Letting you all now know that the Chaos Necklace reward is gone and has been replaced with the Hysteria Rabbit + Tote Bag.
Wheeee !!

This will affect everyone at the $75 tier and above charged from Feb 1st onwards.

Another amazing thing about this tier update is that if you have already got your Chaos Necklace reward from being at the $75 tier previously, you will STLL get the Rabbit + Bag reward if you pledge $75 again.

And just to clarify, this is not just a February goal, this is an ongoing and permanent thing at the $75 tier.
So you can change your tier to $75 now if you want, or just do it another month in the future, whatever is good for you.

By the way, this is February’s print, so it actually seems a pretty great month to do that particular tier   🙂

We also want to remind you that this is a timed Patreon exclusive.

At some point in 2021, the Hysteria Rabbit + Bag will be on sale in the Mysterious store, but that will not be for several months at least.
So getting it as a Patreon reward is currently the only way to get the Hysteria Rabbit.


PLEASE MAKE SURE your address is up-to-date and accurate on your Patreon profile, as we will NOT be fulfilling these through Backerkit.

Any questions, pop them into the comments and I’ll see if I missed anything   🙂

– Cheers

Patreon Art Print Schedule 2021 (first half)

Dear Insane Children,

Font Lord here with the final result of your choice for the next 6 art prints.

Honestly, surprised that Alice’s burning family didn’t make the cut, but hey, that’s why we’re asking you, so we can make the right decision on what to print   🙂

So, to be clear, those people who were charged in January are already getting “Holding the Moon”, but here’s what will be happening from February onwards.
And again, just to clarify, we reserve the right to change things up should we need to, and we will give plenty of notice if that happens.

Oh yeah, and some of the images might be edited slightly as they are updated/refined. 

Charged in February

Charged in March

Charged in April

Charged in May

Charged in June

Charged in July

Some incredible Art Prints coming up, I think you’ll agree.

– Cheers

The Art of 2021

Dear Insane Children,

Font Lord here wishing you all a Happy New Year and that your first 3 days of 2021 are off to a flying start   🙂

[American also here proofreading Font Lord’s post and maybe being mean to him.]

So, down to business.
We would like you to Choose 6 of your favorite pieces of art from the images below.
Then when we see which ones are the most popular, they will become the next 6 prints for Patrons in 2021.

[Well, Martin, technically we reserve the right to change a slot if something Truly Amazing comes up – but we’ll be sure to give lots of warning beforehand if we do that. Not like that one time YOU changed the print after the start of the month and made a bunch of Insane Children angry].

(By the way, the image for those Charged in January is already chosen, it’s Holding The Moon, which you have already seen here)[. <– punctuation, Martin!]

So, please only choose 6 and then next week when most people have voted, we can make an art print calendar for Feb-July [Why abbreviate “February” but completely spell out “July,” MARTIN?] so you all know what’s coming. Yay!

[NOTE from American: There are 10 images presented but ONLY CHOOSE 6 that you like best]. 

– Cheers

[From Shanghai with Teasing Martin, American]