Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I kept wanting to finish and post up an alpha for the next post, but obviously that hasn't happened yet. I also felt sheepish because I am still finishing up the XML editor. But I do have some thoughts and developments regarding the game, and I don't want to neglect this blog, so I'll go ahead and share what I have so far for now.
I've actually been to two conferences back-to-back the past two weekends, which has been very helpful regarding ideas. One was a Korean christian conference, and the other IndieCade East, and the difference in cultures in both in addition to the inspirations both separately provided helped with fleshing out my game idea. I found that at IndieCade East there was a marked openness and ease compared to the average public setting. The fact that the group held an interest in the encouragement and embracing of diverse types of games and developers, and the fact that many of the games encouraged participation of multiple peoples into a context of collaborative play contributed to a culture where the level of familiarity between strangers was markedly higher than in most other public contexts. It was presumed that all the people about you were conducive to a playful spirit and willing to collaborate to reap max enjoyment from a game. The amount of distance people had between one another was also reduced (their 'personal space' bubble was smaller or was flipped off if a game demanded it).
At the Korean conference the particularities of Korean culture was present, as well as the context of religion. Like in most Korean cultures, rather than a meeting of eyes and a hello, there is a brief meeting of eyes and then a short, humble nod from both parties. There was also markedly more distance between people; the 'personal space' bubble was more pronounced and rarely broken. Interestingly a number of group games were played, but even during such moments of altered context did the bubble remain in effect. The context of the conference kept players back from being too fully engaged. Rather, the lack of the properties of the pro-diversity pro-play context at IndieCade East meant that like in most public contexts there was a reserved undercurrent amongst those present, one that requires a great deal of energy to cast off. The serious properties of morality affirmation, soberness, humbleness that marked this conference also further reinforces that undercurrent.
That being said, in addition to the more noticeable 'personal space' bubble I find in Korean culture there is also a contrasting concept in Korean culture known as 'skinship.' This social concept refers to any hugging, patting on the back, joking punches, pinches that one might do to someone they feel comfortable with. The term actually does not refer primarily to couples, and it can be done to strangers as well. If someone tends to be a very huggy sort of person, they would be deemed a person inclined to skinship. Perhaps it is the more pronounced formality of Korean culture that has led to the acknowledgment and delineation of more physical means of language. Though the kind of playfulness and approachability I felt at IndieCade was not present, in this new context I implicitly understood that pats, playful hits, leaning, hugging from a newly-formed acquaintance was acceptable and a part of the social language, an expression of affection and goodwill.
The religious context of the conference, coupled with a very Korean inclination towards the expression of strong emotions also led to a phenomena that honestly shocked me when I first encountered it. Before I address that, though, I would like to note differences to the Korean church that arise from the particularities of Korean culture.
Korean church is actually markedly different from most American churches. The sharing of food is actually considered a very important part of expressing goodwill, respect and common courtesy. When one has a guest, for example, it is expected that tea, drinks, and snacks be presented, and that the guest has brought gifts as well (usually consumable). On roadtrips it is implicitly understood that the females (or males/others that are predisposed towards cooking) will have spent the morning preparing something to share with one another. In every Korean church you go to, you will find that after service there is always a shared lunch that is always made from scratch. People are expected to stay after and eat together, and it is considered almost as integral as the service preceding it. The making of food from scratch and the eating of that food is considered a very important, intimate part of fostering and acknowledging camaraderie within a group. This applies as well to the Korean workplace (perhaps to a detriment, as sharing all meals with workmates rather than family has become the norm, and here heavy drinking, sometimes daily, is expected and its refusal a social no-no).
In addition to the aspect of food, there is also a very interesting phenomena, and this is tied into the aspect of strong emotion that marks Korean culture. I cannot say I know for sure where the origins of this aspect of Korean culture stems from, but I believe it is related to the persistent drama that Korea has faced regarding its existence throughout history. Korea has persistently been invaded, endangered and in political turmoil thanks to its location. During the Japanese invasion of WWII, the culture and its language itself was also in danger of complete erasure. Perhaps it is because of its persistent exposure to turmoil, but in Korea there is a degree of intense emotional expression that is more pervasive, common and accepted than I have found here in America. It is common for the angered or wronged to scream hysterically, red in the face. It is common to, upon facing heartbreak or some other equally depressing downer, to stumble dramatically into a bar and drink oneself into a stupor. One common trope is for an elderly mother at a family member's funeral to be on the floor, sobbing, pounding her chest, while grieving loudly and persistently regarding the tragedy of the person's undeserved death. These tendencies towards intense, emotionally charged outbursts also inform Korean media, specifically that which they call 'Korean Drama.' The absurd, hyper-dramatic scenarios that litter most standard dramas become understandable in this context. On a side note, the lack of emotional expression is seen as highly creepy, and in the context of something that should elicit emotion, like a puppy getting kicked for example, not showing much emotion will get you serious creeper points. I guess a very good thing that comes out of this is that, if someone in a public space is getting wronged, everyone in that room will jump on the offender and totally harrass them into stopping, rather than ignoring and walking by it.
When this emotional intensity combines with religion, something very interesting happens. There are designated moments where people at service are expected to delve completely into prayer for a good ten-fifteen minutes, and unlike most American churches I've gone to, this moment is very charged and chaotic. The first time I experienced it I was honestly shocked and freaked out. Devotion is considered best expressed emotionally, and so, rather than pray silently, those all around you will suddenly start crying out their fears, their sins, their pleas out loud all at once. It is also common for those around you to start weeping openly. People will get on their knees. There is also another phenomena I find kind of terrifying still where some people, completely overwhelmed with emotion and devotion, will suddenly start uttering loudly a string of repetitive gibberish. This is a phenomena that happens to circulate amongst the Korean churches, and is explained as a kind of possession of the afflicted by the holy spirit. It is seen as something that is achieved and occurs when the person truly opens their heart and lets the holy spirit in, and is seen as an experience that consumes the person, terrifies them at the same time, and yet gleans high respect. The mixture of the contexts of church and Korean particularities has led to the natural birth and propagation of this particular behavior phenomena naturally throughout particularly the Korean American churches. It is almost like a natural emergence from the rules of a running simulation.
From all of this and from some of the games I'm familiar with I've decided that the main mechanic of the game will consist of a string of gestures and sounds. Players will start within their own village and through observation of and interaction with the other members of their village, pick up the gestures and grunt-sounds that make up the culture's social language. I thought that the gestures could consist of a series of very simple movements tied to keys. Q would raise the left arm, E would raise the right. Arrow keys could make the body either tilt left or right, or get on tiptoes or crouch down. Based on variable weights and 'beliefs' in the village there will be a series of gesture combos that tie into various expressions of goodwill and camaraderie generated from the get go. Gestures and grunt-sounds do not always hold a positive valence, of course. They may also hold romantic, rude, derogatory meanings as well. Later in the game, when another village is introduced, the differences between the gestures that make up the two village's social languages will naturally create conflict and DELICIOUS CHAOS. Seeing the misunderstandings arise should provide countless entertainment. You would play mediator, pick up the nuances of the new village's culture, and then learn how to get the two villages to work together.
My main interest still remains an illustration of the cultural clash that was encountered during the handling of the Ebola situation, and so I would want to throw in some sort of natural calamity or impending apocalypse scenario into the mix. Perhaps the rude, totally strange and definitely unwanted new villagers that have oh so rudely invaded our village are in actuality here to desperately stall said impending calamity and save our ignorant, difficult selves. And by finally getting to understand these new strangers and then acting as liaison between both villages said scenario can be averted. To put both villages on equal footing, I could also damn both villages, and force both to find a way to alert and inform the other. I am hoping that while playing the game the player will be able to better understand the feelings that the villagers during the unexplained invasion of the hazmat suits experienced, and that from this means of more compassionately and respectfully approaching those of other cultures, beliefs and backgrounds can be cultivated.
I am going to work on the cool keyboard gesture thingy that I mentioned, that should be easy. Games I am drawing inspiration from include QWOP (for the gesture system) and this other gesture-based communication game that I cannot remember the name of. When I remember I will post that as well. I go to GDC next week, so that should be exciting and further inspiring.
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