[i]Hi, we are the developers of the game [b]Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow[/b]. Today we want to tell you how we managed to make a touching story out of a friendly heart-to-heart conversation. When we read the development diaries of other teams, the first thing we came across was the technical side of the issue. Therefore, we share here our experience of finding a plot.[/i] Human mind is endless and beautiful. The world of our imagination is like a kaleidoscope, in which, on the one hand, chaotic images and fragments of events assembling up to something concrete, and on the other hand, the whole image remains abstract. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/1c191fe6d07143641eb4276f989ebf5f7f2bf9df.png[/img] With this knowledge we wanted to recreate the model of our imagination on the screen in some way. However, in this regard, there was an obvious question: where should I start developing a game if there are no references in the usual sense? We did not set out to create something like the paintings of Salvador Dali. Our game shouldn't have been too surreal. To do this, we decided to cut some game features to focus on creating an unusual, beautiful yet organic world. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/2385fc5c92125d5990c925a2bb10de1cb869dfce.png[/img] [i]This is how our game might look if Dali (c) Midjourney participated in the game’s development.[/i] Discussing the peculiarities of human consciousness, at some point we managed to move on to stories about our dreams. We began to fix on paper some features of the dreamworld and random parts of our future stories. From all these stories, we have identified patterns: with a bizarre logic in dreams, there is a lot of logic noise in details and a total conventionality. In dreams everything looks logical but it is often hyperbolized or inaccurate. For example, in a dream you can come across your home pet and it will be huge, talkative and with a three tails. This is still your pet, but with some conditionality. We did not try to explain the mechanics of such changes, being game developers, not somnologists, but as a certain rule for our game, we liked this. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/cc77c4313d7a785c5eaf8af4c91c54635544ff5a.png[/img] Another rule that we noticed was related to the visual perception of dreams. Normally, a person's lateral vision has an overview of 120 degrees, but in dreams the viewing angle is noticeably narrowed, and all attention is focused on the central plane. In a dream, you have almost no opportunity to see what is on the sides of your vision. To convey this feeling right, we had to work a lot on variations of different visuals. In addition, we tried to use chromatic aberrations, but this method badly ruined color correction of the game. Final solution was simple: vignetting of the screen helped to convey the condition of a limited field of view. This is not a technical know-how: this visual filter is very popular in the game industry, movies and photography. The main thing about this method – dark and twilight mood of a scene, which generally affects the whole player experience. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/92f6d7e91bcfdf700b43222b3d0e6f863f9a5534.png[/img] The next step was lighting. In our game – lighting is a fundamental element of the environment, it affects the unique spirit of the certain location and helps to convey the mood and tell the story. Lighting engine highlights the current state of mind of our characters. Light literally shows their feelings and thoughts and changes its shades as protagonists progress through the game. For example, in the first chapters, darker scenes are used to personify difficult moments in the life of the main character. In the following scenes, the surroundings are lighter and brighter, that means that our hero has found a way out of the darkness and gained his freedom. It will be easy for the player to understand the feelings of the protagonist without any additional text explanations. Lighting is not only about art but it is a key thing for understanding the whole narrative of the game. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/66fb30ec42e3b421d801dcf61c66890d21c3180f.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/de57c5527af5ac6b290040ac695596e18bb83a27.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/bd347a6529d74fed17c72782fbbec169febf76b3.png[/img] So, the visual canvas was ready, but we lacked the most important thing – the main plot idea. This idea appeared suddenly, thanks to a story which we accidentally came across on social media. It was a story about a man who, after coming out of a coma, literally changed all his habits. The idea seemed interesting, as it asks the question: "What was going on inside his head while he was unconscious?" Plus, it justified the duration of our title, Since dreams are limited and usually do not take place in multiple locations and a coma can last for years… this plot was just great for the duration of our game. Talking about this, we deliberately avoid the details. The coma-related storyline in this game will try to help the player to reveal his character and make great metal progress in the end of the story. Our protagonist, Griffin, finds himself in a dreamworld and tries to understand his purpose in the bizarre universe of his own subconscious. Of course Griffin has a sidekick. Birly is not just a virtual companion, he’s an essential person of the story. Speaking of him, it is difficult to say something about his role without spoilers. Birly entirely depends on the main character and this is what makes him help during the game. Well, here, we have to stop, leaving the players the opportunity to find out all the details of the story by themselves. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//39799031/69bb2fee3edeeca0f023790c097f25f2b61683d2.png[/img] Speaking about the basic idea, it is very important for us not to make just an entertaining product but also to find the shortest way to the hearts and feelings of our players. In real life we don't always experience one particular feeling at a moment. More often it’s a mix of different simultaneous sensations: happiness and anger; sadness and resentment; admiration and pride. Imagine that you found your old roller skates in the attic, which you liked to ride when you were a kid. How would you describe your feelings at this moment? Perhaps it would be gladness and sadness at the same time, the so-called "happy sadness". There are two feelings: happiness and warm memories of a carefree childhood and a slight sadness because this time has gone forever. The same thing is our story. When we worked on the plot, we tried not to cause players positive or gloomy feelings only. The nature of the game is as ambiguous as the emotions you will experience. And finally: maybe our game might seem gloomy and bizarre but, in fact, it's a touching and kind story that will surely find its way to your heart. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1542110/Daydream_Forgotten_Sorrow/ [h3][b]About the game[/b][/h3] [b]Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow[/b] stars a boy named Griffin as he embarks on a journey to face his fears alongside his teddy bear companion Birly. As Griffin learns to confront haunting memories amidst floating castles and enchanted forests, he’ll come to discover the mystery of this newfound world. [h3][b]Key Features:[/b][/h3] [list] [*] A touching story made for everyone [*] Command an adorable teddy bear companion [*] Intelligent puzzles [*] A charming and mysterious universe [*] Unbridled (and sometimes scary!) fantasy fun [/list] Find [b]Daydream: Forgotten Sorrow[/b] on social media: [url=https://discord.gg/zap9pZ4k8k]Join other daydreamers on our Discord[/url] [url=https://twitter.com/day_dream_game]Follow the latest updates on Twitter[/url] [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/DayDreamGame/]Support Griffin & Birly on Reddit[/url] [url=https://www.instagram.com/daydreamgame/]See beautiful stuff on Instagram[/url] Thank you! 🧸