Heya Smols, it’s time for another dev diary update! Things have been moving fast these last few weeks, with the addition of mini paper prototypes going live, game builds ongoing (check artist alley out), and a ton of design, art, and dev work happening in the background! In our last diary, we talked about the importance of zaniness–this time around, we wanted to give some solid examples of how that’s directly transferring into Smolville even in this early phase.
Anecdote 1:
See that deep, dark pit there? That’s meant to eventually become our Skywhale’s spout. But what if you can FALL into it? That’s literally what happened when we first put the whale model together and was walking around on its back–and got a good laugh out of it! Now we’ve put an NPC beside it that can be pushed for fun, and it’s these little moments that make the dev process fun & maintain the vibe that we’d want to bring to gamers too.
Anecdote 2:
This was our first attempt at implementing sprouts…it was a giant effort and led to…a giant sprout? But despite its size, PurpleSnow found this cute and deeply endearing (aside from the broken pixelation), and now constantly think back to how to recreate things with this funny, silly vibe. Accidents can lead to great discoveries!
Anecdote 3:
But perhaps a wordy example also does the job. NPCs play a big role in setting the tone of our world, and we want to get that zany spirit right! We introduce…briefs on Griswold the “Lion”.
Character Name: Griswold
Species: “Lion” (follows the same goofy anthro rules as Smols, but this ‘lion’ is VERY BUFF)
Overview: Griswold specializes in farming related activities - either serving as a shopkeeper, or as a character that is able to assist with planting / caring for crops in the field. Where most farmers are typically humble, quaint, and “earthy” - Griswold is anything but. The lion does everything to extremes, and quite frankly, seems something more like a pro wrestler. One could only wonder what led such a lion on a path such as this - and often, one does wonder - trying to figure out “what their deal is” is a popular activity among other townsfolk.
Despite their gruff and loud exterior, Griswold is actually a friendly, affable sort - they just don’t do anything by half measures, and this can sometimes come across as intimidating to folks not yet accustomed to their levels of BUFF.
Sample Conversations: (subject to change!)
Everyone calls me a “plant whisperer,” on account of how I can make ANYTHING grow. What a joke!
I would never whisper to a plant. I YELL AT THEM. They need to feel the burning passion of your soul, otherwise your wishes will never reach their roots!
You ever heard of a Chokehold Cherry Tree? They crowd out everything, killing things left and right. Damn near impossible to get rid of!
Not for me, though. I saw one the other day, and I wrapped my arms around it - hugged it as tight as I could - and you know what I did then?
I SUPLEXED IT! Straight out of the ground. Then I threw it on the ground. Then I picked it up and threw it again, just to make a point. NO WEEDS!
Sometimes when I’m out in the field, swinging my pickaxe around, I just stop and think about how POSITIVELY RIPPED I am.
The secret to raising good crops? You’ve got to water them properly! I water mine with 100% PURE GRISWOLD SWEAT. It flows free when I get my flex on - these arms are like the river of life.
I make my apples do sit ups EVERY DAY. It’s good for their cores.
That’s all for this time, we’re super excited to start sharing more and more updates and images!