u/foolofaperegrin

We've spent generations trying to engage in good faith, trying to heal from the past, just trying to get back to an ounce of the mana our tupuna were acknowledged to have when the world arrived on our shores, but I'm becoming increasingly despondent in the belief that "middle New Zealand" is never going to recognise our sovereignty, let alone our dignity and just want to go on hating us, whatever the consequences.

At any chance possible we see the cooker pākehā rabble relish in straight up lies to discredit diminish and disgrace Māori - this time at the foot of Mauao - lies are being repeated that the removal of exotic trees "by iwi" (quotes because like, iwi were tangentially involved so therefore solely responsible smfh) caused it (this is complete and utter crap, the trees in question were nowhere near the slip site).

So what do we get? Oh yeah that's right hEaDs mUsT rOLL. Karens out in force. Māori culture has gone too far. Forget that it's all bull-kaka, the lie circles the Earth before the truth has its shoes on.

Climate change causes these extreme weather events, businesses and councils fail to manage the associated hazards - and MĀORI are to blame?

I'm soooo fucking sick of this. Any crisis is fair game for these shameless gutless fuckers to weaponise against us, and it's so obvious that bad-faith liars are fueling it too, looking at all those pricks who got kicked of radio for being assholes and have moved online. Looking at the Wright Foundation in Tauranga for funding them, and the Best-Start education centers that unwittingly funnel money into these hate channels. These people are trampling on our mana on the regular, at what point do we actually tell them kau rahi tēnā, haere atu?

Aroha mai for the rambles, I know this isn't really anything new, but it does feel like these kuare are getting louder and bolder, and I wonder what can be done to fight back...

Well hey Spore, thought I'd drop an update on where we're at with our Spore-Cell-Stage-like, Molec.

We’ve been deep in the code implementing gameplay systems so that the real time elements of this game are as fun and engaging as the creator. We envision combat and gameplay to be a clumsy, wriggly dance of flailing limbs, some of which might get severed, think Spore’s Cell stage with a lot more strategy on the design-and-combat front, but still with a squishy and organic underlying game feel.

We’ve implemented a system where the player can re-map parts to action slots, allowing groups of parts to be triggered at once, so the player is able to design some elaborate movements and attacks unique to their creature. This has also involved NPC behaviour trees, implementing tasks that mesh with the emergent movement system - basic things like rotating, moving along paths, targeting other creatures, using abilities and switching between states based on attributes such as health, aggression, hunger and fear. We're building upon established UE systems here, like GAS & EQS if you know them.

But by far the most work recently has involved collating materials for applying and pitching Molec to funders - we are dead serious about developing a game that actually gets developed and shipped, and want to ensure we are setting ourselves up for success on that front. We just wanted to mention this to communicate that although we are a small indie team, we are prudent about building a sustainable and successful commercial plan with this game. I know there is a frustration that many games in this niche don't make it to market, very keen to know if anyone might have insights as to why? Too risky for publishers? Scope creep? Procedural edge-cases?

From here, we’re looking to tie a bow on the game loop, implementing resource gathering and a parts inventory. Before October we hope to run some playtests - so please stay tuned if you are interested - we're really keen to know what Spore players are looking for in such a game!

If you're interested in the project, you can follow progress on our discord!
- Pezzalis

I'm interested to know if the setting and narrative I've made for this are compelling, as I hope to give it a full realisation one day.

itch: No Ordinary Sun

The premise is that you've been chosen by your colony (who are currently sheltered underground) to deploy a mysterious technology out in the overworld.

The game mechanic is what I am least fond of - it's probably most similar to SSX? I don't know. Penguins do this belly sliding thing that looks really fun and I thought that might help cut out the gaff out of walking everywhere, but the whole thing feels a bit incongruous... I'm sure it could be a lot more fun with a bit of love and consideration, but please don't hate me for it - the course I made this prototype for was actually focused on assets and worldbuilding, so I'm interested in feedback on that front - particularly what mechanics might really serve the more ominous narrative.

Game Title: No Ordinary Sun

Playable Link: https://foolofaperegrin.itch.io/no-ordinary-sun

Chosen by The Bord, and sent on your way, you must undertake a woeful deed for the sake of the colony. Obey.

Free to Play Status:

• [ x ] Free to play
• [ ] Demo/Key available
• [ ] Paid (Allowed only on Tuesdays with [TT] in the title)

Involvement: Okay I made this game really quickly in two months for an asset creation course. Will admit the gameplay is a bit naf, but my main focus was on worldbuild, sound and vibe setting. I've grown quite attached to the setting, and am thinking about redeveloping this game one day with different mechanics. Keen to hear feedback from anyone with the time to check this out! Game is 20 minutes or so. Obey.

EDIT: no idea why the video ended up so long, oops!

Hey Sporelings - we're making a critter-building survival game set in an alien ocean and yeah, part of our original concept was "What if Spore's Cell stage was longer than ten minutes?". There always seemed something so compelling in that first stage, with lots of gameplay avenues to explore. Our main focus has been on implementing creature building based on parts that snap on to one another rather than a central blob - this clip shows a little taste of where things are at the moment - have just added basic behaviours for NPCs and things are finally starting to feel a bit more alive!

We're not aiming to build a big grand evolution narrative with this - we know "spore-twos" are a hot button topic at the moment, but to be clear it's staying in the sea!

What would you want to see in a cell-stage esque game where you build up from a tiny critter into something fearsome?

If anyone is interested in following the project, or playtesting in the not-too-distant future, you can find our discord link on our website - www.molecgame.com

https://www.spore.com/sporepedia#qry=usr-Pezzalis%7C500416133923%3Asast-501123796244

I know this breaks the rules of NBA, but this isn't a sh*tpost or Spore 2.

We've implemented and extended Unreal's Gameplay Ability System to have abilities granted per modular part! Feels good to finally see the system paying off. The project is something like a mashup of Spore, Lego, Besiege and Subnautica - it's called Molec, and we hope to start playtests once we have some, y'know, gameplay!

Toying around with the critter editor in Molec - our in-dev indie hybrid of Spore/Subnautica/Besiege. If you were making a creature from mechanical LEGO or like a siege-engine in a game similar to Spore's Cell Stage, what kinds of parts would you want to achieve interesting builds? We're getting stuck into combat design now!

We're gonna be starting some playtests soon and can't wait to see what people will make!
A link to our discord is on our website for anyone interested: www.molecgame.com