americanmcgee
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Fire Alice and the Chamber of Anger + Coin Design
🕑 Added 2020-12-03 00:11:59 +0000 UTCDear Insane Children,
First up: A quick note to confirm that there will be NO live stream today. Sorry about that - but I have been super busy across projects and personal life such that I'm not able to set aside the time. For the record, when we do a live stream it really means a "live stream day" for me since it involves Martin coming over at 8AM and not leaving until 8PM (or later) due to his dislike of traffic on an elevated freeway. So it's an all-day commitment and, recently, I've just not had a full day to set aside.
We will resume our regular live stream schedule next week (10th of December) and we'll have TONS of stuff to cover at that time!
Be sure to subscribe over on Twitch to be notified when we go live:
Chamber of Anger
In my last post, I shared the Alice: Asylum Narrative Outline. And several of our Insane Children are busy engaging with Crowd Design around the narrative. If you don't mind spoilers and want to join the conversation, hit the link above, and check out the comments section.
Mentioned in the outline is a section where Alice makes her way through the Queen's Dungeons... a place filled with lots of angry prisoners.
The final Boss of this section of the game is Fire Alice (main image, above). She occupies a special chamber just below the Queen's Throne Room. Omri sent over an initial sketch of this area and the encounter. About which he said:
OK this took me a moment but American you said that the ceiling leads towards the queen's throne room. i think it only makes sense for it to look like a doorway?
if we are doing the room Eshcer style of course we can make it far more complex then this - and i will add platforms and stuff but- please tell me if This is the right direction.
my thought was to use chains with the chaos as one and using arms as the main enemy. nothing too human and defined not to take away from the child's look.
i can imagine the player doing a boss fight and then trying to figure out how to get to the ceiling... that's the point.
To which I replied:
Alice doesn't travel through that door by "normal" walking, jumping type movement. She gets there because she's magically lifted up through it and into the Throne Room by the Queen of Hearts.
That being said, I still like the design you've presented here. It's great. But you don't need to worry about making it functional for the player to traverse.
This is one of those emergent details that I really like - Omri designed the room to look like you might actually climb up through the door at the top... but we'll ultimately be lifted up through it by a magical force used by The Queen.
Let us know in the comment below what you think of this scene.
And how many of you are avoiding the Narrative stuff because you don't want to read or see spoilers? I'd love to know!
Decision Coin - Crowd Design
Alex is applying his amazing coin-design skills to the 2020/3-Year Anniversary Coin.
After chatting with him for a while, we hit on the idea to present a Decision Coin - one that, when flipped, comes up with either a "YES" or "NO" type of design. In this case, we're thinking it would be something like "ADVENTURE" (follow the White Rabbit) or "DEATH" (you fell into lava).
He wrote in a follow-up note about these designs:
Rabbit on the "yes" side (The Fall Continues). An allusion to tumbling further down the rabbit hole.
Skull and Fire Alchemy Symbol on the "no" side (Everything Ends), with relation to 2020.
On the rabbit side, I've worked in a "3" which is dual representative of the 3 years celebrating the Patreon, and also, the third potential game in the series. It's abstract enough for the dual meaning to land with the target audience.
The skull side has some vorpal blade-ish vines, and some heradlry and loose crown / queen motifs. Chaos is in there too, but in more of abstract way, more representative of the Chaos of 2020.
Both sides can be ringed in text, which is TBC, but again, this is the easiest thing to change or drop in when we're ready.
...having the positive coin as "Madness Begins" or "Madness Continues" is a good riff on Madness Returns. "Everything Ends" is pretty final, but it could also be "Madness Ends", in keeping it on brand and on tune.
When he mentions it being "ringed in text" - it's in reference to this...
Where you can see that lines of text are wrapped around the outside of the coin. We really like this design style and plan to include lines around the outside of both faces of our coin.
Another Crowd Design opportunity... what's the text say?
I was thinking some classic Alice in Wonderland quotes like "believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast" and "all the running you can do, to keep in the same place" - what do you think? What AiW quotes are good for communicating Yes/No or Life/Death or Foward/Backward?
Let us know in the comments below!
Rabbits Multiplying
I've mentioned before that I funnel all the Patreon money back into Patreon and our Art/Design Team, and that my family is supported by The Mysterious Shop. So whatever sells at Mysterious is what supports me, Yan, Lucky, and Lulu... and for a while now that's been RABBITS.
It's a strange thing but I guess it makes sense? We do a lot of marketing (when it's working!) via Facebook and Instagram. And our Distressed, Love, and Angry Rabbits do really well with that audience. So we're selling quite a few of the little critters these days. To the point where the Plush Rabbits and related products (hoodies, wallets) are always in the Top 5 Best Sellers every month.
So... since they do so well, let's make more! CROWD DESIGN TIME!
But the question is... what design is going to appeal the most to that audience?
I'll tell you that the order of popularity for the existing rabbits is:
Love, Distressed, Angry
And the Love Rabbit outsells everything else by a large margin.
So, obviously the cute/love rabbit style is what gets people clicking and buying.
Jen did up some new concepts and I'll share them here:
In terms of what you think would appeal to someone who bought a Love Rabbit, which rabbit above is the best?
Feel free to pick one or say "none."
Got ideas for a Rabbit Type that we should sketch as a concept?
I told Jen (half-jokingly) something like: Baby Momma Preggers Bunny AKA Baby Bun in the Oven Bunny.
Let us know in the comments below what sort of cute/funny/awww type Bunny you'd like to see. Or maybe you have an excellent idea for a not-so-cute bunny. Share that too!
From Shanghai with A Bun Out of The Oven,
-American
Comments
Sarah McKeegan
I love the chamber!! I also love the coin! My favorite bunny is the mad scientist!!
I love all the bunnies ( not helpful I know but it's true), I'd want to get them all,. but my order would go Broken Bones, Mad Scientist then Barbed wire
Mad science or broken bones or my favourite honestly the Barb wire
Completely agree with this
Karolina Belomestnova
I love the Pink Rabbit! I’d buy one in a heartbeat!
The coin looks great! I understand the bunnies are what is selling but I'd like to go to another character for a new plushie. The Catarpillar, Jaberwock, or Hatter would all be awesome! That being said, I do like the Mad Scientist Bunny.
Droitclair
I want them all! But I think it's hysteria bunny time and if it's possible to make every bunny have a bundle like the angry and love bunnies I will buy them in a heart beat
I love the Mad Scientist Bunny the best. The others are too bright and colourful.
Broken bones!
Erin Flower
I think the Barbed Wire bunny is cool! But if the Love Bunny is the best seller, seems folks like a more classic take. Perhaps a little twist on the classic with a Mad Hatter Bunny?
Gabriele Gambucci
i would like to mention some AIW quotes: "i can't go back to yesterday because i was a different person then" “I’m not strange, weird, off, nor crazy, my reality is just different than yours.” “Everything’s got a moral if only you can find it.”
My first coment here on Patreon goes to Barbed Wire Bunny. Its so cute. I also support the Alice Bunny suggested in the coments.
Well my only comments is Id buy multiples of that coin, my only input would be maybe the rabbit would be a lil less edgy/evil
An Alice bunny would be great
Saleh Abu-Rashid
An eldritch element to the coin would be amazing.
Nicholas Brokaw
RedBreloom’s suggestions for the bunnies sound good to me. And I like Omri’s design for the Fire Alice boss chamber very much! The coin designs look great too. Ringing it with text would be a good idea in my opinion, just like the ones you suggested (AiW quotes), although nothing comes to mind at the moment. Keep up the good work!
The Mad Captain
I second the idea of a bunny dressed like Alice!
RedBreloom
i'd say barbed wire bunny would definitely appeal to the general audience(and also me I'd buy one right now). The broken bones bunny is very cute too but I think it may be a bit hit or miss depending on who's looking at it. Given the sadness, illness, and loss that's plagued this year, it could either be a beaten up friend who needs a hug or a painful reminder of something worse. I'd still buy one cos its super cute and reactions would probably favor the first reaction, but i do think it'd be a mixed bag to release right now. Maybe in the future? That's my take anyway. Scientist bunny is a bit too plain. Dressing up the distressed one in a basic costume isn't that inspiring. Coin design is rad, I want one. the AiW quote sounds good too. Ideas for rabbit plush: A burning version, (like the burning younger cheshire cat). A jabberwock inspired bunny (wings, grr, steampunk) Stripey colorful cheshire cat bunny (can be creepy face but colorful!) A steampunky aviator bunny? (give him goggles!) And Seconding a prior comment on rabbit in an Alice Dress. If you want you could do a pastel themed one in a denial dress, which would also be A+ as an easter sale item. Bloodstained denial variant as patreon exclusive?
Camille R
I like them all a great deal, but my favorite is Broken Bones. If in collectible form (stickers or patches or similar) I'd just get all of them!
OMG I LOVE THAT BARBED WIRE BUNNY!!! SO CUTE!! Also I cant wait to see this finished art! I like that we will be playing as Guilt Alice in all her flaming glory lol
I like barb wire bunny, however, what about tentacle bunny?😍 red queen much?
Destiny Jenson
Barbed wire bunny! Or, as others have mentioned, Alice bunny or hysteria bunny!
Barbed Wirre BUNNY 😍😍😍 so cute. I love the coins as well.
Anna Lepper
I have been avoiding the narrative discussion for spoilers, since you asked. I think the coin design looks great. I didn't go for any of the previous coin designs, but I'd love to see something flippable. Only, I think it might be too heavy too properly toss?
Barbed Wire Bunny!
Stephanie Groth
Broken bones bunny!!! Maybe have it with a squeezed middle too...cause bunnies get squeezed!
I want a coin very much, great idea gang
I'm still interested in a Hysteria Rabbit!!! A suggestion would be a rabbit wearing Alice's dress.
Lucky Dragon ‘She.They’
Oh and I’m digging the design of the dungeon
Denise Sury
Broken Bones Bunny for sure! (Personally love the mad scientist bunny!)
Lucky Dragon ‘She.They’
I like having the quote on the coin being “believe in 6 impossible things before breakfast” It’s the kind of positive sentiment a hopeless nihilist like me needs to hear. I love all these rabbits. What’s the status of the Hysteria Rabbit? Because if possible, that should be the next one.
Out of the 3 bunnies I really dig the broken bones rabbit. Nice job Jen!
I gotta say, I’m loving all of this new Alice content! I’m also really loving the rabbits! They’re so cute and cuddly. My only criticism is that I think the broken bones rabbit would be even cuter if it were more of a pastel blue rather than a super bright blue. Great work!! 👍🏻💗
Will the love rabbit come in the hoodie set like ager rabbit currently is?
