Whenever I have an idea, or I want to expand on one, I usually head straight to total game concept file that I have saved on my computer, so the idea is preserved forever.

Of course, when I do that, nobody else knows what I have planned for my game unless I specifically tell them. For the most part, this is actualyl a good thing, but sometiems I feel like I need to clarify stuff that players/playtesters may not really get. This article is about the beginning of the game, which alludes to something called “They” getting you if you don’t follow the light.

So, who are “they”? This is a secret that is deliberately kept from the player, and will be revealed later. The forest itself, however, acts as a sort of hub. It will connect all the levels in the game, which will be loaded in and out of memory as the player approaches them. The bright light that you see will always serve to guide the player to the next levels, and if you veer to ofar from your path, you will be killed. Because death in this game will be permanent, the player would have to pretty much be deliberately going the wrong way before anytihng happened to him.

Now, why do I want to kill the player from veering off course? The obvious answer is to prevent him from seeing levels before he’s supposed to, or from getting lost, or walking off the edge and falling infinitely. On a deeper level, this mechanic also ensures that the player never feels completely safe, or alone, in the forest. Coupled with the fact that the forest will be filled with very, uh, “interesting” sights, the forest can serve as an excellent way to tie levels together, without breaking immerson or the suspension of disbelief with a loading screen or unrealistic hub.

The suspension of disbelief is vital to the emotional impact that games can have on people, it’s one of my highest priorities to maintain it as stronglyt as I can throughout this game.