Goodness, it seems I've gone back to being a month between postings. :(
I could say I've been pretty busy with work, but as much as it's a valid excuse, I still feel like I've neglected the blog a bit. So, I'm going to try and go back to a more frequent (and regular!) schedule.
Since I've had almost no time to work on my projects, I spent a little time going through my notebooks and game dev papers to find something interesting to talk about. And I found a list of game ideas that I really want to create. I still found them interesting and motivating, so when I do get to finish TUAH and Starlight, one of these just may be the next on the list.
Ghost Hunter (needs a better title)
Genre:
Adventure, Puzzle, Single Character
Story:
Your close friend has inherited an ancient mansion, but it's come riddled with dangerous (and deadly!) ghosts. As a talented young ghost hunter, it's your job to get rid of the ghosts and send them to the Great Beyond. But is it really possible that one single mansion is the epicenter of so much ghostly activity? Or is there something more nefarious in the works?
Comments:
I wanted to create a game that has a smaller scope and a more limited setting. The entire game happens in the mansion and its immediate surrounding (garden, cemetery, stables, chapel). It's loosely based on the many awesome point-and-click adventures I've played over the years - and that's my favorite game genre.
Albeon: Marigold's Story
Genre:
Adventure, RPG
Story:
As the middle child of a family of 12, Marigold feels ignored and invisible to her family. After having a fight with her family, she makes a wish that she were the only child. The next morning, it comes true. But being an only child is not as great as Marigold thought, and she decides to go on a inter-dimensional quest to find her brothers and sisters.
Comments:
This is a light-hearted RPG that basically deals with family dynamics and the classic question of whether the grass is really greener on the other side. It appeals to me because it's not about saving the world (though that's also fun to do from time to time), and also because this game takes place in a very elaborate world that I created a long time ago. I've got another dozen ideas for games that happen in Albeon.
Oracle
Genre:
Adventure
Story:
In the 2649, it's illegal to be a fortune-teller or a psychic of any sort. When Cassie has a premonition that a horrible accident will destroy her school, she's torn between warning everyone and hiding her psychic talent. With the help of her childhood friend, Hayden, Cassie is going to have to make some hard choices.
Comments:
There are two things that are amazing about this idea. The first is that it's futuristic. And there's a lot of really interesting concepts I'm hoping to introduce in terms of society, technology and general futuristic life. The second is that there's a really awesome artist that's making the main character portraits for me.
Out of all of these, I think Oracle is the most likely to be the next in line. But I've still got little bits of inspiration poking me to make the other two projects, too.
Do you have any preferences?