What if your imaginary friend was real?

Game Development
21

Recent update have decided on a general setting. BUT am thinking on a few others incase this doesn’t quite settle well.
Something a ‘little’ different but not too far out there, I’m thinking thirty years from now:
-shortly after a Second-Great Depression
-Heavy anti-pollution laws implemented
-climate change, and more frequent weather events in storm prone areas ei)hometown which is going to be vancouver-ish, so lots of rain for ambiance :wink:
-clean energy
-homelessness running amok
-it’d be alot like now with a few minor updates in tech just a little drearier
-a harsher police force and laws since depressions tend to make criminals out of the disenfranchised.

All this makes for a darker feel, and I think there’s greater chance for conflict, and chaos ofcourse. Just imagine how some imaginary friends would grow up within such an environment:)

Does this sound like a solid ground work??
am happy to hear public opinion on the matter.

4 Likes
22

a lot has happen in 30 years it seems :sweat:
sounds good, though is there any advancement in technology?(thinking wearable tech etc… less flying cars).
and for my own curiosity, why 30 years?

where does the protagonist fit in this hasher world, are they part of the homeless(or could become part of it)?
either way sounds like like an interesting setting.

23

Well its still being batted around my brain as things often are up until the point I write it all down

But in earnest I’m thinking of a very fractured society where people can fall through the cracks. Many with some serious problems… in this case psychological. And a bump in crime rate so these crimes often don’t get much face time with police detective ala Mysteriousness

Tech wise I’m thinking mild advancement due to a depression only the things that one can’t live without would be most subject to such upgrades. Transportation, power generation , Healthcare, and communication. I’d say that a good comparison would be a serious upgrade in windbased and solar energy, and that trickling down to things like cell phones…though I was considering ‘glasses’ in this case. Lightweight easy to carry and with the obsession with voice and handsfree these days I can imagine the ugrade to a wearable media device not too far off.

I chose thirty years because its enough time for society to have gone a serious overhaul. Well into the next generation. Just look at the difference between now and the 80’s. Ten years isn’t quite enough for society to make a society change all that much, twenty you can still see alot of the last generations influence; thirty on the other hand you can see the faintest of resemblances. but anywhere north of forty and the changes become alien, compare 1960’s to 2000 for best example.
its kinda like a grand parent and a grandchild standing together, you can see the connection but barely, if you get my drift.

The protagonist,(without giving too much away) is in one way or another a ‘victim’ of society, a deep psychological wound marks them due to events spurred by the way the world is. Even in real life, the world around us leaves its mark though to different effects. And in this case when one’s imagination gives life to another being a reflection of their mental state, a world in turmoil would certainly make for an interesting creature would it not? Not too mention ‘others’ with the same ‘power’.

I’d like to display a contrast in this regard, haves and have-nots, and the possibilities there in. Give the players a reason to like/dislike aspects of this society and the people in it and even the people they meet including those that they’ll grow close to.

BUT as I’ve said I don’t want to go too far as it’d be alien and hard to relate to.

OR I’m completely off my rocker and missed to many classes in sociology for this to make any sense. I’m a strong proponent of balance, and grey’s as opposed to black and white. When the lesser of two evils is usually the more entertaining choice and often the only choice.

but I’ve been wrong before, it happens shrugs

2 Likes
24

Sounds to me like your story is set in 2009. Seriously, just have it take place in the US in 2009. Except for the heavy anti-pollution laws and the Google glass, practically everything your last two posts have named is there. A massive recession, people losing their homes, economic stratification, increasing militarization of the police, dramatic advances in communications and healthcare technology, crazy floods and snowstorms, it’s all there.

Setting the game in the future sounds good too, but it might wind up being an exaggerated version of 2009.

2 Likes
25

You’re quite right.
And also you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned ‘exaggerations’ being on of the bigger reasons I’m going forward in time rather than back.

Also helps that it allows me to be more liberal in my culture icons; )

I have a hard time stretching reality so I rationalize it or make my own:D
EDIT:

Though on further thought I can play down the environmental angle,

1 Like
26

Is that a good thing? I’m not sure it is

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I’ll take that as a hint to reign in my creativity a little.
I admit I get carried away easily so if things sound OFF please do tell me.

I fail to pick up on somethings until I’m pretty much slapped with it.

28

You’ll probably do fine, but I’ve seen wips go too crazy too many times

3 Likes
29

@Snoe I have a few questions to ask. What will this game mainly focus on…the state of the world or your imaginary friend. I don’t really see your “go” on the future and your imaginary friend combining into a story unless the MC has a mental disability due to the state of the world. And will there be a lot of other characters interacting with their imaginary friend.(The last two sentences kind of conflict each other)

   -Just a few thoughts from your friendly forum poster Ryse
30

How do you feel about spoilers?
But essentially yes I intend the world or at the very least the state of the city to have a very personal effect on the MC history.
As well as those others that will play a part within the story.
Though the setting is more for a good background rather than a pivotal point.
The MC is going to be the focus.

31

Hi-lo folks!

Have been hard at work, am almost through with the intro chapter.

Opted to tone down the ‘world’ view and limit it to city wide issues. And day’n the life sorta stuff while being mildly creepy throughout the whole intro process.

once I’ve gotten through all the essentials I’m hoping to get a few folks to run through it pre-emptive beta of the first chapter. Y’know see if I’m on the right track so to speak, rather than get all the way to the end and suddenly find out its a lemon:(

and am working up some concept art on the ‘general’ look of some of the antagonists, I’m planning for.
One for sure is going to have an ‘angel’ for his/her friend.

5 Likes
32

Coolio, julio. Can’t wait for the demo!

33

One last question…
Is drop box the best option for this next step??

34

I would contact LordIrish. He has a free site that I used. Works great.

2 Likes
35

Next inquiry which file exactly am I supposed to upload?

Sry total noob

On the bright side apart from doing a spell check ect… all the code seems to lineup and I’ve hammered all the basics into place.

I’m working the troubled past angle. Some repressed memory and psychological damage resulting in our imaginary friend being locked away.

36

If you’re dealing with memory loss through whatever condition, be sure to do some research into it. Vague hand-wavey mental illness is the worst. As for your other questions:

3 Likes
37

Did you use dropbox or the LordIrish thing?

38

Can’t use dropbox…now that I see its a paid service :sob:
So I guess I’ll have to find this Lord Irish.
Then do I jump through the “‘compile’ method” hoops?

One of my fav subjects is psychology, kinda why I chose the imaginary friend route for my first venture. Write what you know right?
Repressed memories are tricky things and a bit controversial considering memory itself is subjective so its a fun topic:)

39

@Snoe, I used Filezilla to compile my wips (It’s free). It also kept my pictures.

1 Like
40

The compile method as mentioned in the second link @Sashira provided enables you to make a public link through dropbox in a way you don’t have to pay for it. It’s a bit of a complicated workaround, but it does work. It only doesn’t display any pictures you might’ve put into your game.

1 Like