Preface to 3001 A Space Story
My game is supposed to represent an emergent system, one that arises out of a single urge: progression. I wanted to represent that urge through the act of play. More specifically, the act of playing a 2D platformer. As such, I wanted my game to utilize all the tropes that we are accustomed to expect in a game of this genre, and even bend them a little. I hope that my game brings these tropes into consciousness, while also bending them slightly, making a larger commentary on the idea of progression in play itself.
The idea for this game came to me while I was developing a basic platformer, so I could learn the basics of the program I was using, Flowlab. I created two levels and connected them with an object that would bring the player to the next level when touched. I had no third level to connect the second level to, so I just connect the second one back to the first. For some reason this reminded me of one of my favorite movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey. I always interpreted the ambiguous ending of that movie as an emergent system, where Dave transcends and becomes the interstellar force that places the first monolith that starts the movie. This of course is just my interpretation, but regardless, I then had the idea to adapt this movie to the pixelated screen.
I then created a mock up of the first level, a recreation of the first scenes in that movie. I created all the sprites and designed the level to look like the movie, but I didn’t know how to tell the story of that opening scene within the gameplay. In the movie, the early-human apes have conflict over a water source, and the larger and more intimidating apes scare the others away. The group that is kicked out is later visited by the mysterious monolith, which imparts hidden knowledge to one of the apes. He then learns how to use tools, using a bone to smash things. With this knowledge he returns to the water source and beats one of the rival members, scaring them away and reclaiming the territory. Unsure of how to tell convey this scene in a 2D platformer, I recalled the standard tropes of the genre. In platformers, the player usually moves right and jumps on enemies to kill them. So here, the tool of domination was the ability to jump. So I took the significance of the bone-tool, and placed it in that ability. In order to make the player feel weak without that ability, I needed them to fail without it, so I designed the first encounter to be impossible. Upon starting the game, the player would seek to progress, inevitably moving right, but that progress would be halted by an enemy ape which you could not kill. After enough tries, the player would decide to seek progress elsewhere and move explore the left. Here they would learn how to jump, allowing them to progress through the rest of the level. I wanted to convey the confusion and frustration that comes from an obstacle, and the aha moment that comes from knowledge gained through exploration.
The game then becomes one of domination which is common of games in the genre. The player kills all enemy apes and reclaims the water source for their fellow apes. This is very much a standard game, but also a standard, instinctually rewarding form of progression. Throughout the rest of the game, this form of progression does not return, and instead the player uses their ability to jump for progression, but not domination. As a game, this is much more boring. The player progresses, but with very little threat against them, making that progression much less satisfying. This way another deliberate choice on my part to convey the commentary that Kubrick seems to be making. Our drive towards progression has ultimately brought us further from what makes us human in the first place. The gameplay is somewhat a bore, but the characters in the movie seem profoundly bored with space travel as well.
This is of course until players reach Jupiter and come against HAL. HAL halts the player’s progress not through violence, but through imposition. He controls the doors, not allowing the player to move right, like they are inclined to do. The player must then negotiate a series of tasks in order to overcome him, which allows further progress.
The final level of course flips the idea of progress on its head entirely, placing the player in a room where they can do nothing. With their agency stripped the them, they might run to either side or jump around, but their attempts are fruitless. I wanted the player to feel confused here, and make them question the level and their purpose within in. That questioning would then turn inward, perhaps asking themselves why they are playing my game in the first place. Their reward for this is essentially nothing, and after the level plays itself out, the game restarts. Much like life, progress is subjective and perhaps life should be considered more than a series of objectives to conquer.
Hey guys!
Here is a rough outline of what the general flow of my finished product is going to be. Designing a game is much harder than I anticipated, so through all my work I have only been able to create most of the assets and sprite work. I’ve been toying with some game design ideas in another in another game and will be taking some of those ideas (most haven’t worked or were difficult to get running smoothly.
I’ve also completely completed the level for the final scene of the movie, but I’m holding out on that for now. I think fans of the movie will get a kick out of it.
Let me know what you guys think so far and hit me with some suggestions!
Thanks,
Nick
P.s. The second level is a work in progress (sorry). The rocket ship you start out in will look for like one soon.
]]>I have changed my approach for this project entirely. I am now using a simple designing software that doesn’t require coding (thank god…) to create a side scrolling adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
“How will he do it!” you ask. Well, I’m not entirely sure myself but i have a general idea that i am working on. Here is the very rough first level which I hope demonstrates what I want to accomplish with this game. It it isn’t running smoothly, refresh the page.
I’ll be working on this pretty much daily, so depending on when someone uses this link, the game may be extra glitchy or unfinished.
Thanks!
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