Logo Design – Dungeon Fodder
The silhouette is an important part of what I think about when putting together logos and designs. Assuming the logo stands-alone, will be sufficient to communicate it’s message? For the Dungeon Fodder logo, I’ve decided to go with a traditional fantasy-typeface and play around with illustrated components instead. Skulls are a definite must-have for any respectable dungeon and the standard version (vanilla version) of Dungeon Fodder will feature three classes which are the iconic Warrior, Rogue and Wizard.
Smug Pug
Old Dogs is a biker group that’s quite unlike what one might imagine. Wild days aside, they are now professionals with stellar careers but the passion for riding still burns in them. This patch is a commission to all those out there with a love for life on the wild side.
A Journey Begins
‘The commercialization of table-top games in Malaysia.’ will be my title for my postgraduate masters degree at University Pengajian Sultan Idris (UPSI) Tanjung Malim, which is an hours drive away from where I live.
In the research proposal;
This research is aimed at exploring the existing methods employed and how an approach might be formulated to locally produce and commercialize a table-top game with international value.
In non-academic terms, figure out how to manufacture and produce a board-game that sells. This might seem pretty simple but I’ve come to realize that its ridiculously difficult and I’d like to explore this while also documenting this for future wannabe board-game designers and developers. Why the analog pathways? I enjoy it.
This journal is to document the path I will be exploring, the findings of my research and also to remind myself of what I’ve done and how much further I’ve got to go. My previous attempt at a research paper fizzled with my previous company so this time I’ve got to do this right.
World Development – Vestigia
A student project needed an injection of detail for their story so utilizing sanskrit names and influence, here was a draft of the backdrop story for the puzzle game, Vestigia.
Revelations
Legends tell of the end days, when in their vanity, mankind loses all restraint and angers the gods with their endless wars of petty ambition. The fury of the Heavens was unleashed upon mankind and countless civilizations ceased to exist in mere moments, leaving the earth scorched, sickly and bereft of life.
The world was silenced.
The Divine Abhayankara, in his wisdom led those deemed worthy to a hidden world far beneath the surface to begin anew. Free from the evils of the old world and a wondrous new paradise was prepared for those worthy and the blessed.
Thus began the city of Bhumigata, the World beneath the World.
Bhumigata
Bhumigata is a massive metropolis located deep within a subterranean cavern which was built as a preservation fail-safe in event of a portended world-wide catastrophic event which took place in the year 2042. As nuclear fallout and bio-warfare wiped nations off the globe, an exodus of surface-dwellers made their way down to the massive complex known to those that live there as Mahatva Bhumigata or the Great Underworld.
Over the course of hundreds of years, much of the war is forgotten and the inhabitants of Bhumigata became segregated into distinct levels of citizenry. Each level of society lives in separate districts which named after elements that represent the district. Of the many districts of Bhumigata, the most notable ones are the Emerald District, the Golden District and the Iron Districts.
Bhumigata is built around a central elevator shaft known as the Hradaya that connects all the districts throughout the levels. Power, water and produce are manufactured in the lower levels and sent up the Hradaya to the higher levels making the Hradaya an integral part of Bhumigatan life. Like the human body, the Hradaya is referred to by some as the Spine of Bhumigata.
The Emerald District is elaborate, bright and beautiful and is also where the Divine Jade Palace is located. Only the direct descendants of the Divine Abhayankara may live in the Divine Jade Palace and they form the ruling elite of Bhumigata. The rest of the Emerald District is carefully structured and contains mansions belonging to the most influential and powerful families of Bhumigatan society. The only form of law-enforcement in Bhumigata are enforced by the Royal Guards. The Royal Guards defend Bhumigata from their fortress known as Kavaca and answer only to the King of Bhumigata. While Guard Stations are built in the lower districts, all Royal Guards are considered to belong to the Emerald Caste and members of the Guard are usually from the families of the elite of the Emerald District.
The Silver District is by far the largest district in Bhumigata. It is home to the scholars, thinkers, philosophers, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, musicians, craftsmen and artisans of Bhumigata. The largest building in the Silver District would be the University of Atma where the greatest minds of Bhumigata gather and attempt to recover the lost knowledge of the days before the exodus.
Much of technology involved in the creation of Bhumigata had been lost across the ages and many of Bhumigata’s mechanical systems could not be maintained and had to be replaced with more rudimentary forms of technology. This is why Bhumigatans prize education above all else and children of the Silver District undergo mandatory education programs in the many schools and education centers across the district.
Much of Bhumigatan trade and commerce is also conducted in this district in its many marketplaces and commercial centers. Much of the produce and food sold in the markets of the Silver District come from the lower levels of Bhumigata, namely the Iron District.
Life in the Iron District is difficult and majority of those living in the Iron Districts work and toil endlessly in the numerous processing plants, eco-domes, factories and power generators in this district.
The Iron District is the industrial district, where large sprawling factories manufacture all of Bhumigata’s necessities. Mining operations supply the factories with the required raw materials which are in turn processed into mechanical components, clothes, and building materials. Huge water turbines convert underground streams into sources of electricity and Power-plants continuously burn fossil fuels in order to supply Bhumigata with its much needed power supply.
Deep Pumping stations supply the other districts of Bhumigata with its source of water by means of huge pipes that travel up along the Hradaya. The pumps never stop to ensure that the privileged living above in the upper levels never do without.
Artificially lighted Eco-Domes are used to grow various types of subterranean crops which is then processed into food for the people of Bhumigata. Meat is a luxury but certain species of livestock have been genetically engineered to be able to live underground. The primary type of food cultivated in the Eco-Domes are a species of highly dense fungi. Certain types of evolved vegetation have also adapted to growing in artificially lighted environments.
The People & Society
The people of Bhumigata are of Pan-Asian origin and retain much of the typical features associated with the race. Years of living below ground have altered them somewhat. The people of Bhumigata (or referred to as Bhumigatan) are very pale due to the lack of sunlight and required nutrition. Those living in the lower levels have evolved slightly to adapt to their surroundings. Those living in the Iron Districts tend to be shorter and hardier than their cousins above.
Bhumigatan society follows a very strict caste system in which the Royal Family, those of direct descent of the original King Abhayankara rule over the entirety of Bhumigata. The elite families of Bhumigata come from those that have amassed sufficient wealth and have been accepted into the inner circles which form Bhumigata’s Elite caste. Bhumigata’s Royal Guards also come from this caste and is regarded higher than menial workers living in the lower levels.
Immortality
I’ve just found out something amazing about certain lifeforms on earth. In particular, about one of the most delicious, priciest crustaceans out there, the Lobster! Turns out, lobsters are seemingly immortal. Other such creatures according to wikipedia would be bacteria, hydras, tardigrades and jellyfish but the largest would still be lobsters.
This is apparently because researchers have found that lobsters do not slow down, weaken or suffer reduced fertility. Their cells are rejuvenated and can theoretically live forever thanks to their DNA. If not eaten, injured, or killed, a lobster might actually continue living and growing which makes you wonder if there exists a huge lobster species in the ocean deeps.
Imagine if geneticist were able to give humans the same ability to constantly reproduce cells, would immortality be within our reach?
Post-Apocalyptic Currency
In the aftermath of a devastated world, a certain form of currency would definitely be necessary to define items of value. Most agree that a system of barter will definitely be the first form of trade that reemerges once the rebuilding begins but who is to say a carrot is worth ten potatoes? This is why I feel the need for a new form of consistent currency to be in the picture.
For a game world, an economic model that operated purely on bartering and trading goods would be extremely difficult to pull-off. There has to be at least a basic value system in place in order to base all the other items or services in the world. Imagine having to compare the value of a salvaged AK-47 assault rifle with the value of a healthy un-mutated cow? Also value varies between different people so a culture that lives near a stream would have a different value placed on clean water than a culture that lives on a dry rocky mountainside.
This is probably why for my post-apocalyptic world, I’d need at least a rudimentary form of new government or authority that have reestablished a working economy and a simple banking system to mint new coins that are unique to the citizens of this government. For the purpose of this idea, I’d imagine a large settlement or a city that produces ‘Ducats’ as their currency. These coins might be worthless to survivors that live beyond the influence of the city but if they wish to do trade within the city, these Ducats would come into play.
The Ducat has to be;
- made from a material that is difficult to obtain.
- Difficult to reproduce (counterfeit)
- Durable (unlike paper currency)
- Consistent in size and weight
- Can be manufactured in a regulated manner
Other suggested forms of currency;
Bullets and ammunition as the processes for making bullets might be lost in the destruction of the old world. In a world where Might makes Right, this would inadvertently make any surviving military force the main economic force as well (especially since soldiers may retain the knowledge of manufacturing the bullets).
The Fallout universe utilizes Nuka-Cola bottlecaps as their main currency which is also a pretty good choice as it does fit the requirements for a form of currency. It is hard to counterfeit as making caps might have been lost, its durable and consistent in size and weight. Also in game-rationale, it is also light, small and durable.
Cigarettes, canned food stuff are also possible but ultimately, it is one currency without a sustainable source. A currency which only gets rarer and rarer as time progresses would not be suitable for any long-term economy.
Clean drinkable water is also a legitimate contender to become post-apocalyptic currency, especially in a dry wasteland type of world but it also suffers from the fact that it isn’t very sustainable. One could argue that the only existing water treatment facility is under the control of the ruling authority therefore they control the value of water and trade. The only major beef in using water as a proper currency for a game would be the logistics of carrying around sufficient water to trade unless of course water consumption is controlled by government issued water vouchers and then THAT could be the currency.
Everything else would be a trade of objects of value or services of value. Even the act of selling sexual favors wouldn’t be uncommon. Slavery will definitely come back onto the scene but all of these cannot really be considered as proper currency.
Over time of course, things would progress from bartering to currency with real value (such as my Ducats) to currency with an insured value, (such as money value that is pegged to the value of gold) to credit (non-existent money) and we’d be right back where we started before the apocalypse.
Meet the Heroes
Character Illustrations for the three classes in Dungeon Fodder. The Warrior which eventually becomes a Champion, the Wizard that becomes an Archmage and the Thief which becomes an Assassin. This project has taken ages and gone through tons of rework but I hope to have a more refined prototype to test soon.
Specky! Mark of the Year!
Check out 5 Minute Siesta’s upcoming game Specky! Mark of the Year! which is soon to be out on the App Store with visuals & animations all done by the boys in the Lab. We’ll be putting up more visuals as soon as the game is proper launched but in the meantime do drop over there and show them your support by LIKE-ing their page!
Also those that sign-up for their newsletter get an instant 50% the game once its launched!
MGDC Logo
Another little thing that I neglected to post up,… The Logo represents a G and a D entwined in a never-ending loop. The G of course is for Games and the D is for the Developers out there. The colours was initially drawn from our national flag but since that got too corny, it’s primary reason is because of the lovely contrast it gives the logo. And of course the thick set heavy outlines are something I love to foist upon any Logo I get my hands on. And lastly, it is meant to convey a sense of dynamism kind of like something a Superhero would use on their spandex outfits. Something that stands out and yells, LOOKIT’ ME!…
Do visit the forum and contribute at http://www.mgdc.com.my/forum/ . Til’ next week on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF LOGOS!
Boxed Ammunition
A minor commission by the chaps at Ammobox Studios who are working on an amazing RTS/FPS Hybrid called Project Combine which you can check out here. The bullets were supposed to look like people standing together to represent the ‘team’ while also emphasizing the Ammo portion of their identity.