Oooh a Substack account shared by four beginners making your first video game? Said game being "a pixel-art take on crokinole, set in the world of King Arthur, with as many weird medieval creatures as we can fit on screen"?? Substack is awesome. Subscribed! Can't wait to follow along and hopefully connect more!
I love Hildegard, and your ideas about game mechanics sound fascinating. As a mystic myself, I studied her career for hints on how to handle spiritual experiences. I can totally relate to the health challenges that come from not expressing what's going on in my inner landscape. I've also been thinking a lot about game balance in my work as an editor for materials. It sounds like you're really on the right track here. I'm excited that you're pursuing this project!
Holy cow is this cool! I would absolutely play this. In part because I grew up with video games in their infancy, much as you did.
I love your card play/combos mechanic as the core. Cards let you have beautiful art without investing in a 3D engine and animation and all of that.
The combos mechanic encourages players to explore options and be delightfully surprised at the outcomes. It's a bit like the tech trees in older games like Civilization and Age of Empires where researching this tech and that tech opened up a really powerful third tech. Only with the bonus that you don't know, as a player, exactly how those combos will play out. Which encourages experimentation and replay.
And then there is the intellectual "stealth" mechanic where you can't push too hard or too loudly lest you break the social bounds of your position and get suppressed (at least, that's how I'm interpreting it).
Happy to support you and this endeavor in whatever way I can.
Thank you Stuart! Assuming I stick with it (which I hope I do, because I really want to see this through), playtesters are essential along the way. I’ll come back to you!
Hildegard of Bingen fascinates me, too! Although I have to admit that the one book about her that I tried to read was remarkably dry, and I didn't finish it. I like her music, though, including this slightly-more-modern arrangement: https://penelopeturner.com/medieval-vocal-ensemble-music/hildegard-revisited/
The books on her aren’t that great. Probably in large part because there’s a lack of biographical detail, and biographers are reluctant to speculate or fill in gaps — it feels more like reporting than narrative. I’ve read a few books on her; I think the Fiona Maddocks biography is best, but yeah, still pretty dry!
Thanks for the music link! I’m listening to it now! Pretty amazing.
I would absolutely play a game about a medieval nun, although I think I may have a medieval game bias. interested to follow along to see how it goes!
Oooh a Substack account shared by four beginners making your first video game? Said game being "a pixel-art take on crokinole, set in the world of King Arthur, with as many weird medieval creatures as we can fit on screen"?? Substack is awesome. Subscribed! Can't wait to follow along and hopefully connect more!
I love Hildegard, and your ideas about game mechanics sound fascinating. As a mystic myself, I studied her career for hints on how to handle spiritual experiences. I can totally relate to the health challenges that come from not expressing what's going on in my inner landscape. I've also been thinking a lot about game balance in my work as an editor for materials. It sounds like you're really on the right track here. I'm excited that you're pursuing this project!
Thanks Robin! I’d love to hear more about your experience as a mystic in modern day.
Holy cow is this cool! I would absolutely play this. In part because I grew up with video games in their infancy, much as you did.
I love your card play/combos mechanic as the core. Cards let you have beautiful art without investing in a 3D engine and animation and all of that.
The combos mechanic encourages players to explore options and be delightfully surprised at the outcomes. It's a bit like the tech trees in older games like Civilization and Age of Empires where researching this tech and that tech opened up a really powerful third tech. Only with the bonus that you don't know, as a player, exactly how those combos will play out. Which encourages experimentation and replay.
And then there is the intellectual "stealth" mechanic where you can't push too hard or too loudly lest you break the social bounds of your position and get suppressed (at least, that's how I'm interpreting it).
Happy to support you and this endeavor in whatever way I can.
Thank you Stuart! Assuming I stick with it (which I hope I do, because I really want to see this through), playtesters are essential along the way. I’ll come back to you!
Hildegard of Bingen fascinates me, too! Although I have to admit that the one book about her that I tried to read was remarkably dry, and I didn't finish it. I like her music, though, including this slightly-more-modern arrangement: https://penelopeturner.com/medieval-vocal-ensemble-music/hildegard-revisited/
The books on her aren’t that great. Probably in large part because there’s a lack of biographical detail, and biographers are reluctant to speculate or fill in gaps — it feels more like reporting than narrative. I’ve read a few books on her; I think the Fiona Maddocks biography is best, but yeah, still pretty dry!
Thanks for the music link! I’m listening to it now! Pretty amazing.
fascinating!