I remember when you posted those silhouettes of the Divine Dreams characters! We never did see any of the revealed arts. I would like to see those some day, as well as that series bible you wrote for Atonal Dreams.
I think that downscaling the scope of the project is definitely for the best, you already proved with Memody that a smaller format can work just fine, with a proper gameplay system and character/narrative progression you don't necessarily need a big overarching grand stakes or some overworld to explore. I know from your prior game developments that those overworlds always took up a great deal of your development time.
The format of being a therapist with clients is also a novel one, I don't think I've seen it before outside of one visual novel. It fits the concepts you've already been brewing up for the game and makes it much easier to actually have those six separate worlds without needing to connect everything somehow while also keeping it all non-linear. Having the encounters be more deliberate and directly meaningful rather than having zones/areas with a bunch of 'filler encounters' for the sake of exploration also just better fits the narrative/gameplay integration you're going for since your move towards a more emotions-driven battle system.
I suppose the explanation for the actual gameplay is that the therapist character takes the clients into a sort of dream or hypnotic trance state? I'm curious how you justify the gameplay in this narrative, you could go for a more literal or metaphorical trajectory with it!
I definitely look forward to seeing these posts on Patreon, and wherever else you post them! I've been following your development of this concept since its inception, and this version of it seems the most promising thus far. Memody is a great game to take an example from, that game was tightly focused and like you said you made it in about half a year. This idea very much reminds me of that, with a clear limitation on the scope of its development.
I'm surprised there aren't more games focused around therapy, considering how often people mention it as a part of their daily lives. I hope that doesn't mean that games and therapy don't go well together at all.
Earlier in the development - maybe before it was called Dreamons? - I had a similar idea where you worked in something like a mental health hospital and ventured into the minds of patients (though I don't think I stuck with it long as I couldn't find any screenshots from then), and I devoted some time to planning all these lore reasons for it all like 'you're a member of the Dreamwalkers (or whatever) and you use [magic means] to enter minds'... though I'm wondering whether to keep the lore reasons minimal or ambiguous or something this time around. People seem to have fun speculating about things that aren't explicitly explained anyway! (Though something might come to my in time; everything's in flux currently.)
Since I had this idea, I've been sort of seeing it as 'Memody: Sindrel Song if its gameplay wasn't so frustrating and inaccessible', or something!
I'll post the first reveal post thing on Patreon later today!
There might be other games with therapy as a focus, but they usually make the protagonist(s) the ones going to therapy. The other side of the chair can also be interesting though, and the focus during sessions will always inevitably be on the people going to therapy. I expect to see more games focusing on therapy in the future since it's gotten a lot less stigmatised than it used to be.
I don't remember this mental health hospital concept, you must've never posted that one. The lore could go either way I think, either being mystical, scientific or ultimately wholly metaphorical. Are you intended to have this game set within the greater Alora Fane setting or a realistic, modern-day Earth setting?
Honestly, I'd rather you get inspiration for your projects rather than reply to something I've probably regurgitated before. And it works, because I like the things I see so far. I'm looking forward to the day I can play a new game from you, Tobias.
I remember when you posted those silhouettes of the Divine Dreams characters! We never did see any of the revealed arts. I would like to see those some day, as well as that series bible you wrote for Atonal Dreams.
I think that downscaling the scope of the project is definitely for the best, you already proved with Memody that a smaller format can work just fine, with a proper gameplay system and character/narrative progression you don't necessarily need a big overarching grand stakes or some overworld to explore. I know from your prior game developments that those overworlds always took up a great deal of your development time.
The format of being a therapist with clients is also a novel one, I don't think I've seen it before outside of one visual novel. It fits the concepts you've already been brewing up for the game and makes it much easier to actually have those six separate worlds without needing to connect everything somehow while also keeping it all non-linear. Having the encounters be more deliberate and directly meaningful rather than having zones/areas with a bunch of 'filler encounters' for the sake of exploration also just better fits the narrative/gameplay integration you're going for since your move towards a more emotions-driven battle system.
I suppose the explanation for the actual gameplay is that the therapist character takes the clients into a sort of dream or hypnotic trance state? I'm curious how you justify the gameplay in this narrative, you could go for a more literal or metaphorical trajectory with it!
I definitely look forward to seeing these posts on Patreon, and wherever else you post them! I've been following your development of this concept since its inception, and this version of it seems the most promising thus far. Memody is a great game to take an example from, that game was tightly focused and like you said you made it in about half a year. This idea very much reminds me of that, with a clear limitation on the scope of its development.
I'm surprised there aren't more games focused around therapy, considering how often people mention it as a part of their daily lives. I hope that doesn't mean that games and therapy don't go well together at all.
Earlier in the development - maybe before it was called Dreamons? - I had a similar idea where you worked in something like a mental health hospital and ventured into the minds of patients (though I don't think I stuck with it long as I couldn't find any screenshots from then), and I devoted some time to planning all these lore reasons for it all like 'you're a member of the Dreamwalkers (or whatever) and you use [magic means] to enter minds'... though I'm wondering whether to keep the lore reasons minimal or ambiguous or something this time around. People seem to have fun speculating about things that aren't explicitly explained anyway! (Though something might come to my in time; everything's in flux currently.)
Since I had this idea, I've been sort of seeing it as 'Memody: Sindrel Song if its gameplay wasn't so frustrating and inaccessible', or something!
I'll post the first reveal post thing on Patreon later today!
There might be other games with therapy as a focus, but they usually make the protagonist(s) the ones going to therapy. The other side of the chair can also be interesting though, and the focus during sessions will always inevitably be on the people going to therapy. I expect to see more games focusing on therapy in the future since it's gotten a lot less stigmatised than it used to be.
I don't remember this mental health hospital concept, you must've never posted that one. The lore could go either way I think, either being mystical, scientific or ultimately wholly metaphorical. Are you intended to have this game set within the greater Alora Fane setting or a realistic, modern-day Earth setting?
I liked Memody: Sindrel Song!!
Honestly, I'd rather you get inspiration for your projects rather than reply to something I've probably regurgitated before. And it works, because I like the things I see so far. I'm looking forward to the day I can play a new game from you, Tobias.