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Preview/breakdown of Geneolith
11 years ago
Though it's fun to keep everyone guessing, I decided to release some of my notes on the new game I'm making, that way people have a general idea of where I'm going with this.
Also, this game is going to be bigger than I expected, so it may take longer to make. For that reason, once I get an alpha build ready to go, I'll either post it here, or send it to some fans.
Feedback is not only welcome but highly encouraged and desired.
-World-
This game takes place on an alternate version of Earth in which even more of the planet is covered in water. Thus, the entire game takes place on a single (currently unnamed) island about the size of England. The general theme is the classic fantasy setting, with magic, steel, and piety.
No one knows exactly how many gods exist, but seven have revealed themselves thus far, and an eighth is suspected to exist. Their power is limited compared to the common idea of gods, and the majority of them hold at least some distaste for the others.
-Society-
There are seven cities, one town, and one nomadic settlement. All of them have hunters, farmers, blacksmiths, etc. who make their living by selling their items to both locals and travelers. Cultures and practices vary from settlement to settlement, and the differences are quite stark, ranging from the honorable Lupine culture to the cut-throat style of the Cheetahs.
After the Exiled Cheetahs awakened Etrum, the god of order, the culture of the entire island took a dramatic turn. Etrum offers wealth, power, and even miracles if given a decent offering of testicles, which caused thousands of residents of the island to forget their old life and instead turn to hunting down various males and ripping off their precious balls to offer to Etrum. Not all balls are created equal, however, and the more valuable the contents of one's sack, the larger the target on them becomes.
Keeping one's balls safely attached has obvious rewards, but the incentive is increased even further by the fact that females are extremely rare. Even before the rise of Etrum, a male was considered lucky to produce a single offspring, and producing two or more was legendary. Most cities have anywhere from 10-50 females, which is insignificant compared to the thousands of males in each settlement. The birth of a female is considered a miracle, and is thus celebrated by the entire community as if it were a holiday. In most societies, parades, dancing, and jubilant singing are all common sights on these days. From the moment a girl is born to the day she dies she is treated as royalty, with several servants giving them all they desire.
A woman can decide to mate with any male at any point, and all those who serve her are obligated to bring said male to her as fast as is physically possible. In large cities, brigades of 20+ armed soldiers are sent to collect the female's desired man if needed. In these cases, any attempts to evade capture and subsequent mating will be met with force and often violence. Though it is rare for a male to deny the chance to pass on his genes, the few times that is has occurred resulted in broken or severed limbs, ensuring that he has no chance of escaping.
-Races-
Lupine
God: “Macco” - Represented by a granite monolith. Macco is the oldest god in existence, and thus is worshiped primarily for his wisdom. He adapts easily to changes in the world around him, and fights fiercely for what he perceives as right. Unfortunately, his power has waned over the years, meaning he offers little in the way of direct assistance to his people.
Culture: The lupines are independent, strong, and willful. Their spirits are unwavering, and their hearts full of purpose, which translates to a relentless fighting style.
Average race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race: “Omegas”, lupine fighters born, at most, once every 50 years. They must speak to Macco upon coming of age and receive a purpose. The Omega is compelled to complete their task, no matter the risk or odds. Ball value: Extreme
Vulpine
God: “Furkasi” - Represented by a basalt monolith. Furkasi is a god known for his love of swift and clean justice. Commit a crime in his view, and expect to receive an appropriate punishment within moments. The god has not, and likely never will speak, instead preferring silent actions.
Culture: Due to the nature of Furkasi's actions, the vulpine are known for being extremely polite and courteous. They typically prefer to follow rather than lead, and they do so with exceptional skill. An army of vulpine soldiers led by a strong leader is a force few can stop.
Average race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race: “Marked”, which said to have been touched by Furkasi himself. They typically possess oddly colored and/or marked fur, and have faintly glowing eyes. In the vulpine culture, the marked are considered to be from beyond this plane of existence, and thus above any and all laws tied to this world. They are allowed to do anything and go anywhere, so long as they do not conflict with the laws of Furkasi. Ball value: Very High
Feline
God: “Delior” - Represented by a jade monolith. Delior is a god of balance, seeking to solve problems by equalizing the situation and thus allowing all beings an equal chance. This god is stubborn, however, and adapts poorly to new ideas, circumstances, or challenges.
Culture: The feline civilization follows a communistic blueprint for their society, treating all members of the race as equal. However, Delior, being the stubborn and active god that he is, often ignores the feelings of his people and will occasionally intervene in ways that seem to contradict his very nature. His choice to exile the Cheetah and Pandellion races are well-known examples.
General race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race “Pandellions” are a mysterious feline sub-race known for their quick reflexes and slender forms. After being exiled from Delior's kingdom, they chose to become godless, nomadic people. Being the only godless beings, they are feared and shunned by the vast majority of civilizations. Ball value: high
Reptile
God: “Vasaan” - Represented by a stone monolith which is riddled with gold veins. A god known primarily for his ambivalence, Vassan rarely directly intervenes in the world of mortals, and instead chooses to “push” the world in directions that he views as beneficial. Vassan is commonly called “The god of destiny” due to the remarkably good fortune that comes to his kingdom and its inhabitants, though his true nature is shrouded in secrecy.
Culture: The reptilian races despise the dragons, and thus consider any of the common traits associated with them to be despicable. Showing any signs of pride or wealth around them can lead to being exiled or even sentenced to death. The reptiles live humble lives, choosing to live off the natural good fortune provided by their god.
Average race ball value: Moderate
sub-races: None.
Dragon
God: “Sekkah” - Represented by an obsidian monolith. Sekkah is Vasaan's brother, and they were once so close that they were considered a single entity. No one is quite sure why the duo split up, and the two refuse to speak about it. Sekkah is commonly known as “The God of Magic” due to his connection with all things arcane. His nature reflects his chosen people, as he is bashful, arrogant, and prideful.
Culture: The dragons are known for being prideful and often arrogant, but with good reason: they possess some of the most powerful abilities on earth. Their society is based on a caste system, with The Ascended sitting on top, The Enlighted making up the middle, and the Zhuul at the bottom.
Average race ball value: high
Special sub-race: “The Ascended” are dragons with golden scales who are created by Sekkah himself as conduits for his abilities. They do not age, sleep, or eat, and are thus feared by all other races of the world. Ball value: Beyond. Offering up even one Ascended testicle will mean instant wealth and power to mortals, making The Ascended a prime target for hunters. Unfortunately for the hunters, obtaining a set of these golden orbs is nearly impossible.
Sub-race: “Zhuul” are considered mutants within the dragon culture. Some are born without wings, have odd scale colorings, and/or have little in the way of arcane ability. The Zhuul are used as slaves for their god's bidding, and thus have no rights. Ball value: Nearly valueless
Equine
God: “Huko” - represented by a limestone monolith. Huko is xenophobic, trusting only his chosen people, and rarely allowing outsiders into his city. He advocates personal strength, solidarity, and independence.
Culture: Equines are known for being nomadic, traveling all over the world for trade or simply tales to tell. Since Huko refuses to allow outsiders into the city, the race must venture outside themselves if they ever wish to branch out to the other races.
Average race ball value: High
Ursine
God: “Omi” - Represented by a sandstone monolith. Omi is, by far, the most mysterious god in existence. Upon gazing at his monolith, some see a crumbling ruin that is only a few yards tall, while others see an intricate and massive spire stretching high into the clouds. Getting within ~130 yards of the monument has been known to cause extreme headaches and hallucinations which get more powerful the closer one gets to the epicenter. No one has heard Omi's voice, seen his power, or even knows if he really exists.
Culture: The ursine have a free and fun-loving culture based around enjoying each and every precious moment of life. Sex, drugs, and wealth are all considered joys that every living being should experience as often as possible. The bear race is also known for being experts in seduction. Few can deny an ursine's soft fur and promiscuous conversation. All of these factors makes the ursine city the ultimate location for fun-seeking travelers to visit.
Average race ball value: Low
Sub-races: None
Cheetah
God: “Etrum” - No monolith. Etrum is often called “the god of order”, or “the keeper”. He exists to prevent any one race from gaining too much power over the others by taking offerings of male genitals, and thus stunting the growth of a given race. Rather than having a monolith, small stones of various types are said to rise out of the earth near anyone who has an offering and is willing to trade. Etrum was only a myth before the cheetahs (feline exiles) managed to awaken him through the offering of several pairs of Ascended balls. Originally the cheetahs were the only race making offers, but as word got out of Entrum's awakening, all races began hunting fellow males and offering their manhoods in exchange for power, wealth, or fortune.
Culture: The cheetahs are far from trustworthy, and have been known to sever and offer the balls of even their best of companions. After their exile, they became bitter and selfish, interested only in bettering themselves or their race. There have, however, been several instances where a cheetah has been commended for their heroism and honest intent by other cities.
Ball value: Average
Sub-races: They all are one.
-Gameplay-
(Copy-pasted from older journal)
A game similar to Corruption of Champions in that you make a character at the start and stick with them, but also borrowing from FTL by having incentives to replay the game over and over. The game will be short (taking only 10-20 minutes to finish), but have tons of random events that may or may not occur in a specific playthrough. Like FTL, there will likely be perma-death, so once you lose your balls and/or life, you lose the game and have to start over.
Extra note: You will choose to become any of the races or sub-races above when you start the game, and your gameplay experience will be dramatically altered.
Also, this game is going to be bigger than I expected, so it may take longer to make. For that reason, once I get an alpha build ready to go, I'll either post it here, or send it to some fans.
Feedback is not only welcome but highly encouraged and desired.
-World-
This game takes place on an alternate version of Earth in which even more of the planet is covered in water. Thus, the entire game takes place on a single (currently unnamed) island about the size of England. The general theme is the classic fantasy setting, with magic, steel, and piety.
No one knows exactly how many gods exist, but seven have revealed themselves thus far, and an eighth is suspected to exist. Their power is limited compared to the common idea of gods, and the majority of them hold at least some distaste for the others.
-Society-
There are seven cities, one town, and one nomadic settlement. All of them have hunters, farmers, blacksmiths, etc. who make their living by selling their items to both locals and travelers. Cultures and practices vary from settlement to settlement, and the differences are quite stark, ranging from the honorable Lupine culture to the cut-throat style of the Cheetahs.
After the Exiled Cheetahs awakened Etrum, the god of order, the culture of the entire island took a dramatic turn. Etrum offers wealth, power, and even miracles if given a decent offering of testicles, which caused thousands of residents of the island to forget their old life and instead turn to hunting down various males and ripping off their precious balls to offer to Etrum. Not all balls are created equal, however, and the more valuable the contents of one's sack, the larger the target on them becomes.
Keeping one's balls safely attached has obvious rewards, but the incentive is increased even further by the fact that females are extremely rare. Even before the rise of Etrum, a male was considered lucky to produce a single offspring, and producing two or more was legendary. Most cities have anywhere from 10-50 females, which is insignificant compared to the thousands of males in each settlement. The birth of a female is considered a miracle, and is thus celebrated by the entire community as if it were a holiday. In most societies, parades, dancing, and jubilant singing are all common sights on these days. From the moment a girl is born to the day she dies she is treated as royalty, with several servants giving them all they desire.
A woman can decide to mate with any male at any point, and all those who serve her are obligated to bring said male to her as fast as is physically possible. In large cities, brigades of 20+ armed soldiers are sent to collect the female's desired man if needed. In these cases, any attempts to evade capture and subsequent mating will be met with force and often violence. Though it is rare for a male to deny the chance to pass on his genes, the few times that is has occurred resulted in broken or severed limbs, ensuring that he has no chance of escaping.
-Races-
Lupine
God: “Macco” - Represented by a granite monolith. Macco is the oldest god in existence, and thus is worshiped primarily for his wisdom. He adapts easily to changes in the world around him, and fights fiercely for what he perceives as right. Unfortunately, his power has waned over the years, meaning he offers little in the way of direct assistance to his people.
Culture: The lupines are independent, strong, and willful. Their spirits are unwavering, and their hearts full of purpose, which translates to a relentless fighting style.
Average race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race: “Omegas”, lupine fighters born, at most, once every 50 years. They must speak to Macco upon coming of age and receive a purpose. The Omega is compelled to complete their task, no matter the risk or odds. Ball value: Extreme
Vulpine
God: “Furkasi” - Represented by a basalt monolith. Furkasi is a god known for his love of swift and clean justice. Commit a crime in his view, and expect to receive an appropriate punishment within moments. The god has not, and likely never will speak, instead preferring silent actions.
Culture: Due to the nature of Furkasi's actions, the vulpine are known for being extremely polite and courteous. They typically prefer to follow rather than lead, and they do so with exceptional skill. An army of vulpine soldiers led by a strong leader is a force few can stop.
Average race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race: “Marked”, which said to have been touched by Furkasi himself. They typically possess oddly colored and/or marked fur, and have faintly glowing eyes. In the vulpine culture, the marked are considered to be from beyond this plane of existence, and thus above any and all laws tied to this world. They are allowed to do anything and go anywhere, so long as they do not conflict with the laws of Furkasi. Ball value: Very High
Feline
God: “Delior” - Represented by a jade monolith. Delior is a god of balance, seeking to solve problems by equalizing the situation and thus allowing all beings an equal chance. This god is stubborn, however, and adapts poorly to new ideas, circumstances, or challenges.
Culture: The feline civilization follows a communistic blueprint for their society, treating all members of the race as equal. However, Delior, being the stubborn and active god that he is, often ignores the feelings of his people and will occasionally intervene in ways that seem to contradict his very nature. His choice to exile the Cheetah and Pandellion races are well-known examples.
General race ball value: Moderate
Special sub-race “Pandellions” are a mysterious feline sub-race known for their quick reflexes and slender forms. After being exiled from Delior's kingdom, they chose to become godless, nomadic people. Being the only godless beings, they are feared and shunned by the vast majority of civilizations. Ball value: high
Reptile
God: “Vasaan” - Represented by a stone monolith which is riddled with gold veins. A god known primarily for his ambivalence, Vassan rarely directly intervenes in the world of mortals, and instead chooses to “push” the world in directions that he views as beneficial. Vassan is commonly called “The god of destiny” due to the remarkably good fortune that comes to his kingdom and its inhabitants, though his true nature is shrouded in secrecy.
Culture: The reptilian races despise the dragons, and thus consider any of the common traits associated with them to be despicable. Showing any signs of pride or wealth around them can lead to being exiled or even sentenced to death. The reptiles live humble lives, choosing to live off the natural good fortune provided by their god.
Average race ball value: Moderate
sub-races: None.
Dragon
God: “Sekkah” - Represented by an obsidian monolith. Sekkah is Vasaan's brother, and they were once so close that they were considered a single entity. No one is quite sure why the duo split up, and the two refuse to speak about it. Sekkah is commonly known as “The God of Magic” due to his connection with all things arcane. His nature reflects his chosen people, as he is bashful, arrogant, and prideful.
Culture: The dragons are known for being prideful and often arrogant, but with good reason: they possess some of the most powerful abilities on earth. Their society is based on a caste system, with The Ascended sitting on top, The Enlighted making up the middle, and the Zhuul at the bottom.
Average race ball value: high
Special sub-race: “The Ascended” are dragons with golden scales who are created by Sekkah himself as conduits for his abilities. They do not age, sleep, or eat, and are thus feared by all other races of the world. Ball value: Beyond. Offering up even one Ascended testicle will mean instant wealth and power to mortals, making The Ascended a prime target for hunters. Unfortunately for the hunters, obtaining a set of these golden orbs is nearly impossible.
Sub-race: “Zhuul” are considered mutants within the dragon culture. Some are born without wings, have odd scale colorings, and/or have little in the way of arcane ability. The Zhuul are used as slaves for their god's bidding, and thus have no rights. Ball value: Nearly valueless
Equine
God: “Huko” - represented by a limestone monolith. Huko is xenophobic, trusting only his chosen people, and rarely allowing outsiders into his city. He advocates personal strength, solidarity, and independence.
Culture: Equines are known for being nomadic, traveling all over the world for trade or simply tales to tell. Since Huko refuses to allow outsiders into the city, the race must venture outside themselves if they ever wish to branch out to the other races.
Average race ball value: High
Ursine
God: “Omi” - Represented by a sandstone monolith. Omi is, by far, the most mysterious god in existence. Upon gazing at his monolith, some see a crumbling ruin that is only a few yards tall, while others see an intricate and massive spire stretching high into the clouds. Getting within ~130 yards of the monument has been known to cause extreme headaches and hallucinations which get more powerful the closer one gets to the epicenter. No one has heard Omi's voice, seen his power, or even knows if he really exists.
Culture: The ursine have a free and fun-loving culture based around enjoying each and every precious moment of life. Sex, drugs, and wealth are all considered joys that every living being should experience as often as possible. The bear race is also known for being experts in seduction. Few can deny an ursine's soft fur and promiscuous conversation. All of these factors makes the ursine city the ultimate location for fun-seeking travelers to visit.
Average race ball value: Low
Sub-races: None
Cheetah
God: “Etrum” - No monolith. Etrum is often called “the god of order”, or “the keeper”. He exists to prevent any one race from gaining too much power over the others by taking offerings of male genitals, and thus stunting the growth of a given race. Rather than having a monolith, small stones of various types are said to rise out of the earth near anyone who has an offering and is willing to trade. Etrum was only a myth before the cheetahs (feline exiles) managed to awaken him through the offering of several pairs of Ascended balls. Originally the cheetahs were the only race making offers, but as word got out of Entrum's awakening, all races began hunting fellow males and offering their manhoods in exchange for power, wealth, or fortune.
Culture: The cheetahs are far from trustworthy, and have been known to sever and offer the balls of even their best of companions. After their exile, they became bitter and selfish, interested only in bettering themselves or their race. There have, however, been several instances where a cheetah has been commended for their heroism and honest intent by other cities.
Ball value: Average
Sub-races: They all are one.
-Gameplay-
(Copy-pasted from older journal)
A game similar to Corruption of Champions in that you make a character at the start and stick with them, but also borrowing from FTL by having incentives to replay the game over and over. The game will be short (taking only 10-20 minutes to finish), but have tons of random events that may or may not occur in a specific playthrough. Like FTL, there will likely be perma-death, so once you lose your balls and/or life, you lose the game and have to start over.
Extra note: You will choose to become any of the races or sub-races above when you start the game, and your gameplay experience will be dramatically altered.
Not all members of a race are going to be devoted completely to their god, there will be plenty of members of various races who will choose to leave the city/town/settlement and make their own way in life. I also MIGHT have some gods allow other races to live in their city and worship them, hard to say for sure at the moment.
Each race has an average ball value that is based on various factors (in the case of bears, their balls are less valuable due to being in constant use, and thus never full), but there's a decent random spread. Since you mentioned that, I think I'm going to have a sub-group of bears who don't engage in constant sexytimes, and thus their balls will be valued at "very high" for not only being full, but also much rarer.
Also, I'm planning on having something that changes the value of your balls. Some sort of item that increases things like size, fertility, and number of them. The upside is that you receive various stat bonuses based on these features, but you become a larger target for hunters who want to offer them to Etrum. For that reason, there could actually be a big benefit to having low-value balls early, then upgrading them as you go.
A secret society of throwback bears (Rekhan?), they have turned their back on the ways of their lustier brethren and fear that the bear race will fall into decline. To this end, they have separated themselves from the majority of their society where they train to become paragons of their species, striving through training to prove their genes are the closest to genetically perfect. With a scant one to two females at the dawn of their inception, they have slowly built a small community in the mountains. Most bears stay to prove themselves, but occasionally a bear will leave the seclusion of his home to venture out into the world to bring back proof of his superiority. Seeking high value balls to bring back to his village, the welltrained and disciplined bear is a fierce opponent, not simply fighting for glory, but for honor and the chance to become a patriarch amongst his kind. These bears make themselves known by wearing blue cloth to force confrontation with skilled opponents, having made the rare hunters who have taken down such a beast to dub their trophy "blue balls", seeing as how the tribe eschews any kind of sex except for the rare opportunity of procreating with their precious few females. Occasionally, a Rekhan bear will lose sight of his purpose, instead becoming a hunter for their own personal gain or sometimes they eschew their morals and go on to fuck their fallen foes, revelling in their prowess. Some devolve to the state of their generic kind, having fallen from grace and succumbed to worldly pleasures. Others still will insinuate themselves into other communities, choosing instead to strive to become chosen by another community's females.
Whatever their motivations for entering the world at large, A Rekhan's mind is focused, unclouded by fear or doubt, believing in their righteous cause. With their strong physique and naturally large frame, A Rekhan is truly a force to be reckoned with.
The first is that controlling a species numbers by removing males when they are the plentiful gender does not really work. Aside from the potential for singular males to impregnate many females, you simply don't get population control by culling the more numerous gender. What would make sense was if the culling was to weed out particular traits or lineages... which would fit very nicely with the favouritism towards certain races and sub-races, as well as individual variation, presumably because they were high in natural talents that Etrum wanted to quash. You could hook a lot of speculative plot on those kind of musings ;)
The second was more of a clarification - are you thinking of only using the one advancement mechanism (sacrifice to Etrum) or additional (perhaps multiple?) advancement methods depending on the other gods and their preferences? It seems like a lot of work to have multiple advancement streams, but if the rest were simple it might well be possible for you to prove/win yourself blessings from either a specific or indeed multiple of the other divinities. Pandellion felines could have a method that was direct instead of divine barter... Vore? Just Incubi? a thought ;) Hey, a little sideline in the less gory side of sexuality doesn't have to detract from the central stuff.
Third, I'm wondering how you're thinking of managing difficulty. It seems like this might be ready-made to go along a "increasing power, increasing competition" kind of thing, where your own virility/desirability as a target/sacrifice grows the more you empower yourself, but you could just as easily have difficulty of fights linked to location and players having to choose based on the whole risk/reward paradigm.
Lastly, as far as repeating play-through goes, maybe you could have individual species (of varying rarity/difficulty to unlock), a "you have previously achieved this level of desirability and can select any species below it" kind of thing, or even build-your-own race / hybrid features you could acquire by Achievement and Spore style (eg by unlocking parts and their associated abilities).
Anyway, just some thoughts. I hope you can see this through to completion because it looks like a great idea.
I have, however, been drawing a lot lately, so perhaps I'll start posting a bit of art from the Geneolith universe once I get comfortable with showing my stuff to the world.