Todo the Tea-Mouse

[davidn]

In the interest of keeping this going, here's a screenshot of a test room I've been building - click to expand it!



I had a fever dream about this a couple of days ago and had to write everything down before I forgot it all - the monk-mouse's name is now Todo the Tea-Mouse, and the adventure is based around completing his list of things he has to get done today. He comes from a village of mice who are experts on the growing and preparation of exotic tea, but he dreams bigger and has moved out of the village to take advantage of the lower property prices - though his family is doubtful of his chances, he has the aim of one day opening a 100% organic vegetarian cafe.

I've noted down a fair amount of subsystem stuff like how I'm going to handle storing room layouts and saving the game state - the platforming is a modified Crystal Towers 2 engine ("modified" in the sense of cutting out the utterly rancid parts) and the interaction and scripting is actually the engine from Hatogate. I've got a couple of objects and events set up now, but I keep on getting inspired to go off and do utterly pointless things like drawing the other character at the top left (who some people may recognize) instead of actually writing the vital stuff to support the continued expansion of the game.

I'll be writing a proper editor some time this week, though. It's odd making a to-do list for a game about a to-do list.

Comments

[kjorteo]

You had me at "village of mice." (I'm totally going to infiltrate said village--packrats are close enough, right?) The more I read, the more adorable this sounded and the less I can wait to try it. :D Especially considering your track record! If this ends up being even half the game CT2 was, it will still be absolutely outstanding. (Also, if this ends up being half the game CT2 was, I might actually stand a chance of completing it.)

[xaq.livejournal.com]

Aside from a bit of perplexion at how you would plug a Shadowgate-style engine into a platformer at all, this sounds fun! :D

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

I had no idea who the top-left mouse was meant to be until I investigated the shading. ;)

This looks like loads of fun :D

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

This has a really unique sort of a theme to it. I think it could be very interesting =)

[xaq.livejournal.com]

BTW, just for the benefit of those of us who are clueless on the subject, who is the mouse in the upper-left?

[lupineangel.livejournal.com]

This is adorable in every way, and I can't wait to see it in action! :) Are the CT2 gems and background going to get a make-over at some point, or are you keeping the same style?

D.F.

[davidn]

Here she is! (I didn't draw her hair because... I forgot.)

(Come on, HTML skills - it's only my job, after all)

[davidn]

I'm aiming for... sort of the same style except better-looking (I've already been amazed by just what I can sprite, if I really try). The game just now is actually Crystal Towers 2 with different graphics, hence the presence of those gems - but I'll be swapping in the mechanics and graphics as I go.

[davidn]

It sort of works in layers:

Interface (what you see)
|
|
Command interpreter
|
|
Game engine

The command interpreter in the middle is the part from Hatogate - the thing that takes commands from the game (whether they be LOOK LIZARD or PICKUP TEAPOT) and runs through the script attached to them. So no matter what the game looks like on the surface, whether it's a Shadowgate point and click or a side-scrolling platform adventure, all that's important is that it ends up passing commands down the chain that the interpreter recognizes. The interpreter then runs through the script and tells the game engine how to react - so some of the commands available to the interpreter had to be replaced, but you'd be surprised at how many apply across both games (adding/subtracting from an inventory, setting and checking flags and so on...)

[davidn]

Thanks, and I hope so :) I just need to put the work into the backend before I continue...

[davidn]

Ah, that can give it away :) I forgot to give her any hair, but I've really got to concentrate on the backend now so that I can expand the game beyond one room!

[davidn]

You were quick to insert yourself! But yes, I'll definitely be asking if anyone wants to make appearances... part of the game might be recruiting people from the village to work in the cafe, and if you do things like putting the wrong person in the kitchen they just run around with their head on fire.

I went over the top with CT2 (realizing that eight missions per level was insane but feeling I was stuck with it) - hopefully this one will end up more... completable. It'll definitely be more manageable to write, if I'm basing it on an external editor.

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

How cute~ Looking good so far!

[kjorteo]

Honestly, that's going to be entirely up to you as far as how heavily you want to feature any of my rodent characters--I have three you could use, but I'm nowhere near vain enough to demand that much of the spotlight (or any of the spotlight at all, really.) They're ... available if you happen to need more NPCs to fill a background shot, but of course it's not a requirement at all. :)

[ravenworks.livejournal.com]

"I forgot to give her any hair, but I've really got to concentrate on the backend now..."

... I thought you were still talking about the sprite for a moment there. :P

[davidn]

:D Yes, I realized just before you posted that that this was the most misinterpretable sentence I'd ever written!

[xaq.livejournal.com]

Ah. Nice.

[xaq.livejournal.com]

Down, Yuuya. :b

[whinknee.livejournal.com]

That mouse in the upper right is pretty darn cute. ;P

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

Maybe I can eat someone! =D

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Okay, first question: Is "Todo" pronounced "Toh-doh" or "Too-Doo"? I LOVE the backstory, sounds like something that only you would put into a story (which, since you've mentioned it came from a dream, makes it even more awesome).

Also, "putting the wrong person in the kitchen they just run around with their head on fire"... that is a sprite I want to see. I'm a horrible person XD

[davidn]

I've grown to pronouncing it to rhyme with "Frodo", but... I think it's up to you :) And thank you, it's... fantastic to hear people think I have a distinct style!

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

Well, the concept of the mouse eventually owning an organic cafe really called to me, but I was also reminded of the opening to CT2 with Bernard waiting for the bus. You still have that British wit about you ;)