Project Orpheus

Game dev for Project Orpheus

[projectorpheusgame]

Hi, I’m an indie game dev working on a mech based game, this is my blog for discussing my work, inspirations, and any deep dives on sources of inspiration/ familiar works of mech media

Tags:

#project orpheus - anything pertaining to Project Orpheus, concept art, ideas that struck me, ect

#inspo - probably going to be paired with #Deep dive or #overview, but its just any source of inspiration

#deep dive - a look into how I understand a system in any mech related media

#overview - simple overviews of each inspo

#trope - tropes

Goal:

The ultimate goal of this is blog is this - I want to understand every part of my inspiration down to the very core of what makes them interesting, and combine all of those parts into my own unique creation

Additional:

Unfortunately I do not have the time to address the non mech needed tropes of any mech media, simply, if the main characters could be pirate captains in the ocean in 1576 and have the same trope I cannot spend time on it, but yet I would like to name some from sources of inspo, so in the inspo post you can find those

I’m almost certain I’m going to use niche terms to define certain things and i’ll try to update this to inform on those

If your really interested in Project Orpheus thats great thank you but I do have some bad news, I do not have a planned release date for this game, in order to be a full time game dev I need to make money off of other games that i have yet to make as of current even, so in other words, Project Orpheus is at best 4 years away and at worst 15 (I’m kinda hoping for 7 we’ll see) but regardless the reality of the situation is I need some skill with 3d Modelling, and to get through college before i can start on Project Orpheus truly, and I’m just starting both of those

[projectorpheusgame]

I finally finished all of AC6

“FREELANCER-“ (stray dog in the Japanese version)

IGUAZU SHUT THE ACTUAL FUCK UP

Spoiler warning NG++ AC6 and project wingman

Allmind was a severely interesting player in this whole shabang, but iguazu feels like some add on with a revenge quest, I’d like to take a fee moments to compare him with another character here, this being Crimson 1 (Project Wingman)

For the purpose of this post - Al lacta est is the assumed path

Both are on a revenge quest after being defeated by a sudden and new enemy, they are both willing to sacrifice everything for the goal of winning against this enemy; however, this is where any resemblance ends

Iguazu is not high on the Redgun rankings at G5 and by all means is probably used to losing

Crimson 1 however, is the top peacekeeper, before Monarch he probably never lost a fight

And then Raven/Monarch comes in and we have a rival

Heres the story telling difference between the two

I was surprised by Crimson 1 because i thought I killed him, and my whole squad just got murked(not really but its not known at that point)

I was surprised by iguazu was because he literally has no functional use, he’s by all means a lower skill than Raven, why him, he’s worthless, at any point i fought him he was a nuisance butting into my combats who was high and mighty and annoying

The worst thing about iguazu is that he doesn’t shut up, he literally needs to just stop talking Im trying to focus on not getting murdered by the cross map attack that can kill me from half health

So in summary, take your own advice Iguazu and SHUT UP pleaseeee

[projectorpheusgame]

Project Orpheus- a deep dive on The Calamity

The term “The Calamity” is subject to change, as is anything but essentially it is a calamity so the name fits

The Calamity is nuclear war, simply, it’s the catalyst for the story of Project Orpheus, now, much like fallout I’m not about who started it, or why. I’m about how the world coped. How did the world react to cataclysm and thats what this deep dive is

As a result of The Cataclysm the world was almost completely irradiated with a single circle of land 50 miles in diameter, this is the starting position of the City Eurydice, its this circle of land + whatever ocean space they decide to build on top of that are free of radiation

However theres an issue, in order to survive the immense radiation of the earth, all creatures grew utterly massive, their bodies now able to metabolize and basically withstand radiation however due to the fact that the entire planet is covered in radiation if the grass absorbs it and then it gets consumed by a kaiju then that kaiju becomes itself a source of radiation and its just an ever evolving cycle of increasing or at least sustained levels of radiation, thus mech pilots inside the radiation zones get very little time to actually stay inside radiation zones before they experience a lethal dose, resulting in a need for remote piloting

In regards to the threat of kaiju I’m kinda unsure on if they want to eat people, go to Eurydice to get out of radiation for a minute or just *wander* and every now and then one is too close and too big to ignore the potential threat and pilots must be sent out against it

Point of address, Kaiju are biological, but there is another that I’m keeping as a secret that five kills of will grant you ace status and better gear probably

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This one isn’t really about inspiration but rather game story itself

A pilot becomes an Ace when they have five kills I think of Project Orpheus pilots as a evolution of plane pilots rather than Infantry or anything like that, so what makes an Ace Mech Pilot

Thats easy, five kills of a biological enemy (within Project Orpheus anyway) I’ll get into how and why biological enemies are in the first place, but side tracking a different direction want the player to be the first Ace in this world, so how would that work, and again theres an answer, but to put it simply, I can’t reveal the big twist of Project Orpheus before I’ve even started on it at all

[projectorpheusgame]

I’d like to take a further chance to address a favorite instance of the “ultimate power” trope

While its not my favorite favorite its a really beautiful one and is off the top of my head, Project Wingman

LONG LIVE MONARCH

Project Wingman displays an instance of “ultimate power” thats contradictory to Gurren Lagann, the difference is skill vs brute power respectively

In Project Wingman Monarch has such high knowledge of the functions of a plane and pure g tolerance to make a single guy start nuclear war part 2 electric boogaloo and then win what could be a straight 5-15 minute combat with that same guy who is the best of the enemy force

Gurren lagann is the biggest mech wins

Also the name of Project Wingman probably inspired my Project Orpheus name

OHH ALSO ITS SO FUN TO PALY WITH FLIGHT STICK 10/10 SEVERALLY RECOMMEND

[projectorpheusgame]

AAAAA HOW COULD I FORGET TITANFALL 2

Titanfall 2 - an overview

Scale: one or two worlds, but a whole galaxy if they want

Controls: Physical

Good: One of the most well known pieces of Mech media, Contains a very influential character in a unexpected but perfect form, Has a direct and beautiful story, a true gem

Bad: I don’t like the multiplayer (I hate pvp so much)

Unique: A real good use of the “Outside the Machine” trope under which the pilot is really useful

Has the “ultimate power” trope: Yes, no questions asked yes

[projectorpheusgame]

Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon - an overview

Scale: Rubicon (a single planet)

Controls: Unclear, I’m calling it physical

Good: Has one of the most inspirational systems overall and is a goal to reach towards

Bad: Its so hard that I actually haven’t finished it (and thats ok its fromsoft)

Unique: The system that makes every single mech entirely unique from leg type to weight to booster type is utterly amazing and I love it so much

Has the “ultimate power” trope: Ehhhhh not really, like kinda but mehhhhh

[projectorpheusgame]

Project Orpheus- a deep dive on the Neural Connector

The neural connector is a remote connection system that links the pilot to the mech which reduces risk to the pilot, due primarily to the dangers of a radiation contaminated world and the fact that most pilots do not get even five minutes beyond the walls of Eurydice

The neural connector allows the pilot to ignore inputs (with exceptions) from system(s), and additionally it allows for one pilot to connect to multiple systems simultaneously HOWEVER too much pain simultaneously can be a serious mental load and as such missions with damage risk should not be undertaken by the same pilot across more than one system

It works as a connection into the nervous system (from somewhere in the spine) that then connects across all systems under the pilot

[projectorpheusgame]

One with the machine - A deep dive

One with the machine is a trope that I don’t possess a distinct example of but I love

Essentially for a heavily experienced pilot there comes a point where you struggle to distinguish yourself from the machine

In Iron-Blooded orphans we get somewhat close to that when Mikazuki has to be plugged in to Barbatos to move and you can even see his right eye has no shine in it unless he is but its not truly the same

[projectorpheusgame]

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans - a deep dive on the alaya-vijnana system

The alaya-vijnana is essentially just a sensory organ, thats it, thats all it does, it allows the pilot to process the excessive data of the machine which means the pilot is now a demon, great

[projectorpheusgame]

Project Orpheus - an overview

Scale: Earth / Solar system maybe?

Controls: Mental

Good: Everything hopefully

Bad: I want there to be nothing bad but there proably will be

Unique: Biological enemies, an insane movement and combat system (positive)

Has the “ultimate power” trope: Yes

[projectorpheusgame]

Gurren Lagann - an overview

Scale: Earth, and then the multiverse

Controls: physical

Good: A good use of the “plans of mice and men” trope, has a very memorable ending with a nice feeling too accompany it, a well done humble character

Bad: I don’t have anything really that i hate about Gurren Laggan but to my recognition people believe the characters are one dimensional with the exception of Kamina

Unique: It can be closer to dragonball in terms of power-ups than a me h anime sometimes

Has the “ultimate power” trope: oh hell yeah

[projectorpheusgame]

Tropes:

Outside the machine - the time and combat abilities of the pilot outside the machine are addressed

Everyone dies - self explanatory

Plans of mice and men - read the book, but the full quote is “the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry” in summary, plans will fail

Ultimate power - ultimate power

[projectorpheusgame]

Pacific Rim - an overview

Scale: Earth

Controls: Mental

Good: The size and corresponding imposingness of mechs is perfect

Bad: Terrible sequel, The weapons system is very limited in a way that wouldn’t work for Project Orpheus

Unique: this is one of the few with a mental link to the mech and it works so perfectly, additionally biological enemies as opposed to other pilots

Has the “ultimate power” trope: Semi gray area, but yes i’d say so

[projectorpheusgame]

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans - an overview

Scale: Earth and Mars primarily, maximum distance of Pluto probably

Controls: Physical

Good: Many of the fights are seriously impressive, mechs feel appropriately threatening, ending is good, additionally the “Outside the machine” trope is well used

Bad: The “Everyone Dies” and “Plans of Mice and Men” tropes are excessively painful for this story in a way that while works I despise

Unique: The Alaya-Vijnana System is a boost for pilots in some form or another

Has the “Ultimate Power” trope: Yes

[projectorpheusgame]

Overview format (and explanation)

Title - an overview (title - the fact that its being overviewed)

Scale (the scale of the world - a single planet or multiple systems? How far could the characters go if thats what they wanted)

Controls (system of control for a mech - physical or mental or some other)

Good (what I like or what makes it good)

Bad (what I don’t like or what makes it bad)

Unique (what makes it unique)

Has the “Ultimate Power” trope (if it has a personal favorite trope in which someone shows true power)

[projectorpheusgame]

Some well known sources of inspo for Project Orpheus (in no particular order)

Pacific Rim

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans

Honorable trope / theme mentions -

Injustice

Gurren Lagann

Honorable trope / theme mentions -

The desire of humanity to push ever forward

The power of believing in oneself

Armored Core: Fires of Rubicon

Deep dives planned for all of these soon