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Memory Clots
🕑 Added 2021-07-06 01:06:04 +0000 UTCDear Insane Children,
An interesting series of ideas were floated by Omri over on our Monday production board. I thought I would share those with you here...
Omri says:
OK i know we already closed this task but i did wanted to add 2 images that can be presented like speedpaints- i think this can be represented or not- do whatever you want. Showing the General structure and a Singular memory Entrance.
1. American you said that this place isn't on Rails and it's like stockpiles that go up above. and the bottom has "stuff" essentially. so i imagine that according to Victorian times it's something like this.
There should be machinery or characters or enemies, i don't know. something that piles the stuff, something that takes the stuff and places it somewhere. it can technically be done Air- without strings. it can Shrink as it goes up... endless possibilities...
He continues:
But for this art i made it literal.
Bottom has stuff that tie up to the rope and that gets dragged up to the "pile" the top image has greenery as it's a peek at the top area that is an underground forest- where the robot is.
Then goes on to say...
2. Memory entrance- we have Stuff on the tree, whatever we decide to represent a memory, an object, a blob, whatever it is / will be. What i imagine now is that alice will enter it- if it's a box, a doll head, tiny dollhouses, tiny asylum etc.
IF we will keep the shrinking mechanic, it can work well. of course i believe that specific memories will be presented in a way that is more Clear to be said "go here" but this is the general idea i had. based on joey's tree version.
I think if the above is a memory tree we can have smaller trees in the forest as unique locations as well- if it fits the story you guys had in mind.
And provided the beautiful image of the little house under the tree (Main Image Above).
And then said...
We have the mines, we have the objects that represent the memories and we have the memories themselves- we don't have the ENTRANCE to the Memory.
let's say a memory that wasn't processes is tied down to the floor OR is bigger and can't be lifted up to the memory tree to "feed it" so this is a rough example of one of those memories. having a light source is a key for gameplay "go here as this does something"
we can also create "clogged areas" with an oversized object that can't be lifted up to the tree, making everything else stuck and Alice will need to visit that memory in order to "release" it. once she exists that memory, it will shrink and go up into the air towards the large tree at the end. that way the player will have to enter that memory in order to proceed.
think of it like blood clots.
having "steps" where it's basically stuff flying around
And I think all of this is really cool. I love the idea of "memory clots" that need to be cleared. And the visual of shrinking to access these memories inside the mines.
Basically, I love all the things presented here. Excellent!
NOTE for This Week's Live Stream
There will be a live stream this week but we're going to host it on our Friday - that's Thursday in the USA.
Again, this means the live stream is on THURSDAY at 7PM for those of you in the USA (Pacific Time).
It'll be in the usual places - Twitch and YouTube. But join us via Twitch if you want to qualify for the prize giveaways.
From Shanghai with IT'S HOT OUTSIDE!,
-American
Comments
Greyson Kehm
This new method for reliving memories sounds interesting! I liked the memory collectibles in Madness Returns, but this sounds like it'll be more immersive and impacting. Basically, Child!Alice will be living Alice's memories for the first time; I wonder what her reactions would be?
Nicholas Brokaw
I like the sound of this!
Kenny
I love the memory clot idea, it creates a disjointed look of clogged memories that kinda represents how one’s mind gets disjointed and unfocused when one can’t process a memory. Not to mention the interesting way it would cause the player to move through the level and the memories.
RedBreloom
Super cool ideas. I like the metaphorical-literal PTSD process of how trauma can prevent them from being properly stored. There's also the subtler metaphor of 'when the memory is processed and stored, it becomes less huge and in the way. Which also speaks of processing trauma. Question: Was the memory tree's concept ever described in detail and its relation to everything else? I recall it being mined on and messed with by Shadow Alice to keep certain negative memories out of the loop and unprocessed. And is this still accurate if the Shadow Alice is the Alice we know? It'd make sense if she was being dragged down by everything, but i figured I'd ask. And if there is a robot taking these shrunken/processed memories up into the tree, does that mean there are positive uses of 'modern' technology in Wonderland as well? I'm not sure if that was ever a given and I haven't played through much of AMR or AMA personally. I just always got the impression that most of the machines and technology in wonderland was a negative force. The mines and steampunk areas, a number of the enemies, the infernal train, all these things made up to keep Young Alice in Denial. They tend to give off dirty and dark side of London vibes, contrasted with beautiful natural areas like the Vale of Tears (uncorrupted) etc.
Sarah Heist
Genius.. As usual🤗
Oooh! I love the idea that these memories child Alice experiences are the ones that cant be Absorbed. A tangle that is trapped I imagine like a spider egg sack surrounded by webds with strands holding aspects of what the memory pertains. Then having to shrink down to get inside these places. Perhaps there is a little bit of the drink me potion in each area that Alice has to collect in order to enter the little rooms. I imagine that as soon as the memories are resolved then they sort of split off the webbing and are shot up like a sling shot and then Absorbed. Maybe Alice collects an Ingredient that will allow her body to be absorbed into the tree where she then sprouts out of the ground in the Vale of tears and in a dress themed around flowers and distant memories! That would be an amazing visual! This is a very exciting development!
This is awesome!! This game is going to be amazing. Im so excited
