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Defining Shock
🕑 Added 2019-05-13 01:37:54 +0000 UTCDear Insane Children,
Omri and I are working on the Map of Alice: Asylum starting with the first moments of the game and first stage we'll explore. We start with Shock and then move into Denial. Omri and the art team will spend the next week+ defining visually the areas we see from the start of the game up until we enter Denial.
Spoiler Warning - Story and Game Details Ahead - Spoiler Warning
Scroll to "Spoilers Over" if you don't wish to read these details.
Here's my note to Omri on the topic of Shock - how Alice arrives there, what she finds there, and how the transitions to the next area. These are initial notes, a rough sketch, upon which we'll brainstorm, generate art, and then build our design.
Ok... been thinking about this over the weekend. I'll share what I have so far and then you and I can shape it into something...
First, we need to establish a mood, a setting, our characters, etc. That means the game might open on Alice's normal life pre-fire. I still like the idea of something slow and peaceful - like building a snowman with her sister. This is the stage we call "Slumber."
That will transition (somehow) into the Prelude.
https://www.americanmcgee.com/asylumwiki/index.php?title=Prelude
This section might be largely cinematic - but in a walk-through mode... player still controlling Alice's movement but on a sort of rail system where the only real option is to continue forward.
Prelude then gives way to Shock. I think this starts in a fashion similar to the start of Slumber - whiteout, snow falling, are we building another snowman?
https://www.americanmcgee.com/asylumwiki/index.php?title=Shock
As your list suggests, there are some elements we've already established. White sky, the burning/burnt house, cold, flakes of ash, flakes of snow, ghostly echoes of Alice and her family going through the motions of life pre-fire.
The first thing Alice does in this environment is pick up her White Rabbit Plush (from the snow where Alice fainted after her escape from the fire). Acquiring the Plush unlocks (ability? helper dialog from the rabbit? what?).
Shock is a stage of helplessness - so Alice will only be able to move around (stumble) and will be unequipped for fighting. She will have stealth abilities (given to her by acquiring the White Rabbit?) which she can use to avoid - Insert Enemy Which Feeds of Alice's XYZ.
Question: How does one overcome shock? First, it takes Time. Do we find a representation of Time and make that part of the task list for this area? Perhaps this is where we deliver the Rabbit Clock Bomb item? Second, it takes a distraction. You cannot escape from Shock by focusing on the shock. Alice should acquire her List Holder and the tasks contained within. Tasks will take Alice's mind off the state of Shock. What is the List Holder? A diary, notepad, book, or ???
Alice explores as prompted by the White Rabbit. She discovers the Clock Bomb and her Notepad. The Clock Bomb is used to overcome previously insurmountable obstacles. The Notepad gives Alice details on tasks she needs to complete in order to move forward and escape Shock.
Thought: The Notepad could be Alice's "List of Chores" as given to her by her mother. The List would have been mentioned in the opening scene of the game - Alice's mother calling to her and Lizzie, "Get back inside and take care of your chores."
From Shock Alice transitions into Denial. I do not think we need to make clear the spatial relationship between these areas until later in the game when we're able to see a large map of Wonderland or view the whole as a vista in the sky. When you are in Shock you don't know it - you can't think of a "next step" or even grasp the reality of where you were before you went into Shock.
Denial is a kind of protective mechanism after Shock begins to become too much. Her transition into Denial could literally be the donning of an old dress (which we'll dub The Denial Dress). In the act of wearing the dress, Alice transports herself away from the numb horror of Denial and into the following stage (Denial).
So... that means that Alice's Chore List will contain an item (like "clean your wardrobe") which leads to the Denial Dress which leads to the next stage of the game.
In between, we'll want to jump, swing, climb, use the Clock Bomb, sneak, jump, duck... what other Basic Movements are we teaching the player in this stage?
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In terms of art style, I think you have a pretty good grasp on how to render this scene. It should give us the visual feeling of a constant ringing in our ears, of a nonstop feeling of vertigo. Shock is the complete loss of our grip on reality. Everything we thought we knew is a lie. And our minds race back through past events trying to put everything in the context of the new reality. What could we have done to avoid this? Whose fault is this? What do I do now? What's the point of doing anything if all my previous planning and effort can be so easily shattered?
Shock feels shattered - mind and soul are shattered into many pieces. Another chance to represent the world as floating/broken chunks. Shock contains lots of pop-up surprises as your mind catches on some recollection, some phrase, some sensation from the past. Find a way to represent the swirling miasma, tornado of thought...
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That's my thinking on Shock. Please let me know what you have in mind.
Spoilers Over
Of the image Omri originally created to represent this area (posted above) he says:
We have / Had so many fire images, i think the color scheme of Red/orange/Black is just overdone. I worked according to the wiki, The burnt house is in the middle, i thought that for me, Shock is like a flash of light. I think artistically it really resonates with Bright white light. The cyan color i think fits better than, Again, fire and brimstone.
The house is in the middle of the island, a bright white sky, burnt flakes, Cyan Eye, Chaos symbol integrated.
I put Alice in her hospital dress and the rabbit will be with her, both looking at the house from a far, him comforting her. I want this image powerful but bleak and to stay away from the fire's heat. Making it more detached so the shock factor will pass to the viewer better. for me the Fire is indication for Trauma, not shock.
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So that's what we have for Shock right now. Feel free to leave your feedback in the comments below.
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Crowd Design Session
There's another Crowd Design Session on the calendar for tomorrow at the usual time. That's Tuesday, May 14th in Hong Kong - Monday, May 13th in Los Angeles. Here's the timetable:
We host these sessions over on our Discord Server. You gain access to that by pledging $5 (or more) for a month (or more). Your payment has to process for one month before access is granted (this is Patreon's setup, not ours).
For more info on Discord, what it is, how to use it, hit THIS LINK.
From Shanghai with Shock,
-American
Comments
love this!
I LOVE this idea for shock. It's like when in movies when a grenade is thrown - stark bright light, everything becomes washed out, dreamlike. Colours are but a wash, sounds are muffled and distant and there is just confusion, as though the world has slowed down around you. Very excited to see this executed in game!
Suggestion: In the 'Shock' stage..I agree white and neutral tones are fitting..she would be confused.. disoriented..so I imagine her holding her head staggering..after waking.. touching her head coming away with blood..but it feels unreal. Her head would throb vision would go in and out.. ringing in her ears once she advances And sees visions in the distance...is that my sister? No...it's just my mind playing tricks...she picks up her rabbit and continues forward until she collapses from exhaustion and disbelief.. waking up to a tingling bell which happens to be her cat who survived the fire..thus saving her after she chases her.... collapses again.. drifts in and out..wakes at the asylum??? (Is the doctor there out of 'concern for her safety.'..but it's really for damage control?) Then the denial stage begins?? Food for thought...
Suggestion: What if you used a scroll screen similar to what was used during segments of Oriental Grove? You mentioned that it kind of will be a thing where you can only go forward, and that is what you did. But this all sounds so good! Would the period of shock be connected to Alice’s yellow dress or will she get a different one? Going along with the person’s suggestion (above my comment) I think that yellow dress would fit too.
Suggestion: I got an idea from your 'making a snowman with her sister'. In moving from the from denial couldn't she be making the snowman, with the white/blue snow falling and all happy and serene and then ash starts to mix in and colors start to fade with the scene getting darker and darker until you have the burnt out scene and dead, wet (from the hoses) surroundings, and haze/fog from the smoke...just a thought.
Very interesting picture of the story being painted via the description here. I dig the illustration as well, it's definitely got a very bright and blinding effect.
Looks amazing Great job Omari! SUGGESTIONS: how about if the task list (notebook) could be Alice's drawings little doodles a child could make, instead of just text?
Awesome idea! I think what could really drive home the feeling is if the “snowmen” turn out to be ash. Or if there’s a snow version of the Liddel House that bursts into ash when their cat bounds through it/lands on it. Just a thought. Additionally, as much as the character might like to stay, maybe a countdown forces them to rush toward the house. The ticking could get louder as you approach the house. When you enter, the White Rabbit could be on the floor. (Mom: “Alice, what have I told you about picking up your toys?) *Bright Flash*
Definitely not Adam Driver
I love the idea of of seeing Alice and Lizzie play together, and I absolutely love the idea for Shock! I think it would be good in the beginning that Alice cannot fight yet, and that she sneeks and hides, as you said with stealth. I think the notepad with chores idea is also really good idea
Question for you, BUT when you were in that state of shock you just said you were not able to move or blink, do you think if in that moment you'd get a list of a "to do" you would be able to do it? it sounds that you were totally frozen if you get the list from before.... afterwards it disappears?
How about when Alice is in Shock the color scheme could turn to a smokey gray, black, and white visual with blue flames for anything on fire. I agree the red/orange fire has been done a lot so this could be another way to keep the images of fire but in a different but realistic color. Seeing the color blue in a flame with a gray, black, and white color scheme gives me a feeling of a cold type of disconnect with the colors of reality. Then as Alice recovers from the Shock the color scheme can fade back into normal.
*SPOILERS* I think the notebook should be an old diary in keeping with the time period. Also, perhaps the GUI should change to mirror Alice’s new perspective? Fear, and shock; perhaps we should feel as though we are going crazy too? (Wait that’s not where I remember the compass icon? Did my tv just shut off? Etc. ) I can speak to what the character is probably feeling, when you hit these phases of grief and you get to acceptance and you are hurled into that seemingly endless darkness, nothing is so horrible as that, the world moves slower as that knowing sets in. These are my favorite games i am sure you will hit this out of the park, you never disappoint:)
I also like the ideas described in the spoiler area
I love the white and blue!
That is one of my favorite pieces. It's so sad and beautiful at the same time. I'm glad it was decided to keep away from the reds etc ...was a nice idea. I love the idea of Alice and Lizzie paying. I would love to see them play hide and seek.
Sarah Heist
**SPOILERS** SUGGESTION: As Alice goes through Shock, and either the whole way or as she gets closer to Denial, we can hear through Alice snippets of voice clips of her parents & sister calling her name- like a sort of psychosis induced schizophrenic state along with the ringing. Might as well start disorienting the player to go with Alice's disorientation.
Wendy Jaa
We could never do this without you, American. You're so talented at this that it's not even funny. I love everything you've described and I don't have any changes to suggest. Looking forward to the design discussion tomorrow! ❤
