Project Name: Euphoria/Starchild
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Medium: Video Game and Possible Webcomic
Entry Type: Overview

Story Overview

Euphoria, or Starchild (I always have trouble with names…), is an epic story revolving around a ragtag group of misfits and destiny bound heroes as they try to hold together a once glorious world, now on the brink of utter oblivion. They have to face down all manner of piratical thugs, ancient evils beyond this world, soulless bio-mechanical organisms staving off their own decay and the monolithic military-government CENTRAL who have their own agenda for the planet. More than anything, they’ll have to come to terms with their pasts, rivals and ultimately the dreams and nightmares each possesses.

Planet Euphoria was once a verdant paradise with the most amazing plant and animal life, beautiful and sophisticated architecture, mystical serenity and a plethora of sentient beings who possessed advanced technology that belied their peaceful existence. The planet was protected by an animaloid brother- and sisterhood called the Guardians in our language. Though many races on Euphoria carry ancestral animal traits, the Guardians were the original beings to take that shape. Born long ago from an unfathomably ancient race that have long left this universe, the Guardians were shaped with the natural instincts an appreciation for natural balance of beasts and the highest reasoning of humanoids. They were created to watch over the Aurora Core, several mystic crystals in direct communion with the planet that control the flow of “magic” (technically the combined powers of life and consciousness) in our universe. The Core rests on Euphoria and creates a nearly endless beacon of light that empowers and protects those whom it shines upon and most importantly it banishes the Guardian progenitor’s nemesis from “The Other Side” of reality. The Guardians used this power to craft their utopia and protect freedom, justice and the power of life that resonates with the Core. 

The Guardians had prophesied that when the time was right, a Son of the Stars would be born and lead them into the rest of the galaxy to further their ideal. When it came to pass, the Starchild was born and all could sense the intensity of his power. As he grew, he began to master any task or discipline set before him and he was unparalleled in the use of the aura energy around him. When he came of age, great star fleets were constructed and the Guardians took the next step in their grand dream. It wasn’t long before they encountered one of the greatest menaces to the galaxy beyond the Euphoria system. They called the bio-machines “The Maw,” because they enslaved and consumed any form of life they came across to prolong the inevitable decay that comes from their fundamentally flawed design. War raged and even though the Starchild and the Guardians fought to the brink of victory, they were betrayed by one of their own. It’s unknown what happened in detail due to the historical obscurity at the time. Euphoria itself came under siege and in the last desperate battle, the Starchild stood alone inside the core shrine. Defeat must have been at hand, for the Guardians triggered the ultimate magical sanction, shattering the core stones and releasing the light that had so blessed Euphoria. The resulting force cleansed the world of the machines and all beings who did not possess aura affinity but at a terrible cost. The light became dim and the surface of the planet was ripped apart, leaving loosely connected planetoids where a proud world once stood. The world(s) then began to become shrouded in dark, otherworldly mist that heralds the coming of nightmare wraiths from “The Other Side” of reality.

500 years later, the story begins. Kit Kabbit was a free spirited canid boy (I’m loathe to give the Guardians a species limitation like “fox, dog or wolf”) who was found on the core planetoids of Euphoria. His adopted mother, Soria Kabbit, raised him to 12 in the outskirts onboard an amazing skyship. She found him and a distinct sword in Guardian ruins and learned from the artifact that it belonged to the legendary Starchild. She was convinced he was rebirth of the last of the Guardians. Despite the mantle of destiny, Soria knew that the Guardian infant wasn’t safe from the evils that had spread through Euphoria in the time that had passed since the near apocalypse. She whisked the boy away to her ship and the outer most planetoids where they were always moving and hopefully safe. 

From infancy, Kit was nonchalant and upbeat but was unusually gentle and possessed strange abilities, the likes of which the crew had never seen. He seemed to see a whole different world no one else could see. After he lost his family, the crew, in a terrible tragedy a few years ago, he struck out on his own and took to taking care of himself in his own cavalier way. He made a few friends along the way, but held true to his nomadic lifestyle. He eventually partnered up with a roguish gypsy named Cadney and they managed to run a small shipping business on Kit’s scratch-built, piece-of-junk skyship when not treasure hunting. On a routine trip to a floating island cluster, they ended up in danger as dark forces finally tracked Kit down, having chased him from birth. In the chaos he is saved several times by an immense, armored stranger with an equally huge sword and who calls himself Ceta. After catastrophe is averted, Ceta enlightens Kit on the many forces that are searching for him and the magnitude of his destiny. Kit seemed to be the reincarnation of the Starchild and it was only he who could save a planet spiraling downward. Even though he was scrawny and a constant goof-off, it would be up to Kit, Ceta and the Order of the White Rose (tentative name for modern followers of the old Guardian ideal) to find the newly reemerging core stones and restore them to the heart of the planet. Hesitant to take up arms for any cause, Kit finally accepted training and began to use his amazing aura control to fight for the innocent, just like the Starchild once did.

Broken into episodes that focus on one character at a time, the story is told in the present, aided by crucial flashbacks that relate to each characters journey of self-discovery and the tasks they now face. Kit will form a remarkable team of comrades and allies from all walks of life on his quest. He will develop an equally impressive roster of rivals and enemies as his past and present collide. The story may be a linear epic in some regards, but it strives to keep itself flexible by applying decisions in flashbacks of the past to the present story. It has the effect of casting different tones on otherwise static events.

    Gameplay Overview

The Euphoria project has long been groomed to be a story driven RPG. It’s largely inspired by JRPGs in that it is almost a playable novel. More recently though, I’ve been working on many ways to make it a modular and custom experience by incorporating lots of nifty western features that make it a true storytelling/gameplay experience. Even though the story attempts to be equal parts drama, comedy, action and suspense, the gameplay is largely focused on extremely face paced action that plays somewhat analogous to an arcade fighter with RPG complexity and character development. It also doesn’t define gameplay as “the grind,” like some existing franchises, but rather as meaningful advances in the story or specifically to a character.

In combat, it’s as menu-free as possible and instead relies on graphical prompts to let you know what actions are available so they can be performed in real time. It is an extension of the action command systems we’ve seen in Super Mario RPG, Paper Mario and Dissidia: Final Fantasy that I call an event-driven action/response interface. It’s turned based, but in a looser sense than what’s traditionally out there. I’m serious when I say I want to be able to control the whole party in real-time. Party members are always either disabled, on offense or on defense. In lieu of traditional ATB gauges, Euphoria uses a stamina bar that slowly regenerated. Offensive action lasts as long as the gauge still has power, the player chooses to go on the defensive or until offensive actions are countered. Defensive doesn’t mean inactive. These party members can still respond to the battlefield, give aid to other party members or cast defensive magics (typically rune casting). This is accomplished with peripheral support buttons on a controller that allow either defensive party member to be given instructions at any time. Enemies are controlled by a separate mechanism than that of the PCs which means they can take action, offensive or defensive, at any time. In the heat of it, battle flows continuously and “turns” are being changed so constantly and smoothly, that it appears to be purely real-time, arcade action. To top it all off, there is even a “hyper” system that amplifies or modifies abilities and effects as the battle intensifies.

Characters can evolve in many ways, both statistically and abstractly. Physical attributes like strength and dexterity are separated from abilities that represent skill of things with melee, ranged and aura-based combat to better reflect the nuances of a persons mental and physical skills. While a persons skills are always in flux and can be improved upon, it’s unlikely that a person of Kit’s stature could ever become a muscleman beyond basic conditioning. To represent this, leveling up has only a marginal effect on physical characteristics while having a big impact on stamina, focus (limited energy that aura and technical abilities use) and the development of fighting styles and proficiencies. Just because a character might start out being adept with quick melee attacks doesn’t mean he has to stay that way. There are many divergent paths styles and skills can take over time so, basically, the way you play a character has an increasingly notable effect on them. Perhaps you prefer Kit’s aerial, lunging defense breakers to his basic hit and run sword staccato. The more you use these attacks, the more likely you will be to be able to accrue specializations like modifiers and bonus effects that can eventually become a divergent fighting style all it’s own.

In addition to characters’ statistical progression, they can also be customized with the mimeomancy system. Besides being a magic system somewhat reminiscent of popular JRPG ideas like the materia, Paper Mario’s badges and the junction systems, it allows players to expand characters beyond archetypal classes by acquiring abilities outside of their normal skill set. Fluff wise, mimeomancy is the practice of learning by interfacing directly with the memories (including muscle and genetic memory) and experiences of others. This is done by merging with core shards or, more rarely, by accessing the latent aura emanating from all life. In terms of game mechanics, this is generally achieved by coupling acquired corestone shards with finite slots each character possesses and gain as they level up. Once a shard is equipped, a tree list of abilities that can be learned is unveiled and each asset can be selected to be learned. Once selected, the asset become immediately usable, but only while the shard is equipped. Over time, however, the skill can be learned and become permanent. Learning skills is also the only way to access higher tier assets related to that skill. In this way, characters adapt to the environment by acquiring useful traits they come across and study just like people do.

Character customization only beings with statistics and skill sets. While it’s true most attributes and skills can be represented statistically, Euphoria is primarily a story-driven experience. Because of this, characters are customizable based on choices they make, and have made. Each chapter/episode revolves around one character at a time and this allows you to make decisions in the past that will make dramatic differences in the present because both are immediately relatable to the individual story within the episode. I admit most of the characters fill archetypal RPG roles like fighter or mage but the character’s equipment, stats and fighting styles can change over time to become how you think they should evolve and grow. A users experience and interpretations of or with a character are just as important as the authors conception. Both perspectives are equally valid and are both meaningful parts of storytelling and communication Because of this, characters can become an interesting blend of my preconception and your guidance at crucial moments. Video games are so amazing because they are so interactive and the potential for real imaginative connection between the conceiver and those traveling through his world is limitless. 

“These crystals are the tangible connection between all life. Through corestones we can commune and draw strength from the Guardians, our brothers, our ancestors and the world itself. When you join your body with the gems, your every heartbeat is as that of the universe.”

-Ceta, on corestones

Post Updates

Kit here! I just wanted to let you folks know that I've heavily modified some of my old posts in preparation for new ones. Right now it's just personal and background info, but it might shed some light on me and why storytelling and the Euphoria Project are so important to me.

Endless Daydreams Resurrected and Reopened

    Well folks, here I am, back from the dead and ready to resume my project. As I look to the new year, I feel especially compelled to document my creative pursuits. To all of you (like all three people...) who visited my blog, I'm sorry for getting so busy that I forget to decompress creatively which only made me more stressed. I realize now that my posting standards were a little high and that I really only needed to go at my own creative pace and feel free to throw half-finished ideas, settings and characters out there because life itself is a work in progress. I've removed a bunch of older posts that I felt were going off on a tangent I'm not ready for yet.

    I'll be posting a lot more, probably shorter posts that will outline ideas before details which I think is a better way to communicate my stories and give characters and events some relatable relevance. For the next month or two, I'm just going to post basic synopses and/or gameplay descriptions of stories so I can get more ideas out and brewing instead of getting bogged down in any one topic. I've recently learned that ideas are easy but implementation and execution is everything. So, the new goal isn't to market any idea on it's own, but to give me a usable portfolio and idea reservoir. It also has the added benefit of being a testament not to my life's work, but to my life's potential work. I might not make it as a professional game designer, but I can damn well tell my stories and use game design as a very time consuming hobby. This concept has put me back onto the path of optimism and has got me willing to express my mind and soul online.

    I've made one or two formatting changes to the blog to enhance it's stated objectives. Instead of that stupid quote of the day crap, I'm going to accompany every post with a writing exercise or artwork. The writing will usually be a random description of a character, an excerpt, a group, place, setting, event or mythology that relates to the post and might add to my growing mythos. The artwork will probably be almost always character or object related because I'm even less talented at drawing scenery than anything else. And that's saying something. I'll try to draw scenes, but excerpts might be the only way I can do my  ideas SOME justice.

    Last, but not least, I love, nay, NEED feedback, input, inquiry and the occasional reality check. With all of that out of the way, let the daydreaming continue!

     

          

A Tale of Two Kits and proudly introducing Kit Kabbit

Project Name: Euphoria/Starchild
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Medium: Video Game and Possible Webcomic
Entry Type: Character

What's in a Name?

   Before I delve into Kit Kabbit's character profile, biography and gameplay notes I should clear up the Kit naming issue. Kit Kabbit is the main character in my story Starchild and although he is a takeoff of my personality in some respects, he is also very unique and independent from me rather than some kind of Mary Sue. In truth, Kit began development long before I donned the title. The character's origin goes back to my third grade year, which should tell you how long I've been working on this story in one form or another (I'm 22). Because I was/am a fairly introverted person, the character was a lot like me, but he eventually outgrew me as a creation and became his own "person" with a disparate attitude and set of complexes from my own. For the record, my nickname Kit came later and was somewhat embarrassingly derived from the nickname "Kitten." A girl in my neighborhood called me that after seeing my affinity for animals and my self-detremental curiosity. It was shortened as I got a little older for obvious reasons. My fursona Kit E. Kat aka Kit Foxboy, is something of an amalgam of all these elements and my personal drift towards a more canine attitude which I believe is my more natural inclination. Enough about me, lets get on with it...

Description

   Kit is a short canid boy (I am hesitant to say fox because he is an original species) covered mostly in soft snow white fur with very light grayish tones on his limbs and back. He has large, innocent looking eyes with irises that glow with a mysterious yellow light. Several parts of his body are "tattooed" with black fur that make out designs and symbols and glows blue at night. He wasn't born with these, a Guardian trait, and still doesn't understand the implications. His ears are of fairly average size for a fox or dog and are usually held erect. His brush shaped tail is somewhat large in proportion to his body and it's thick fur makes it look quite plushy. He has a lean build and although he has little in the way of muscle mass, he is very lithe and toned.

   Before he learns about his heritage (and after during casual periods) he is content to wear a comfortable loin cloth around his waist with long cloths that cover his front and back. He also wears leather straps to hold his travel possessions and gear.  In more "civilized" settings he wears a pair of denim-like pants that are worn down and a little shredded. Because of his lifestyle as a wandering nomad, he sees very little point to dressy or fashionable attire and thinks little of clothing in general. He does however take pride in a charm with beads and feathers called the guiding light pendant which his mother gave to him. He uses this as a hair clip for his scruffy ponytail (mane?). After signing up on the quest for the control stones, Ceta (pronounced say-tah) sets out to train Kit how to fight. Kit learns how to use his sword and pistol with no armor but also trains in different types of light and medium armor at times. In the game setting the players preference dictates Kit's combat attire and weapon(s) style but canonically he sticks with very light armor in favor of speed and grace. In combat, Kit wears a short, durable pair of leather shorts under his loin cloth and shoulder pads made of leather. Later in his adventures he acquires a high tech armor set called active armor. The suit consists of activation clips around his neck and belt that when triggered cover the body from neck to knees in a tight, black, electro-core (a technology that uses core shards as a powers source) infused material that is capable of stopping bullets while weighing next to nothing.

   Kit is an upbeat person who appears easygoing and carefree. He has an adventurous attitude oddly coupled with a passion for relaxation and goofing off. He's fairly capricious but puts his heart into anything he pursues. His charm and charisma bely his occasional, deep pensive moods that he keeps to himself. He's gentle by nature and dislikes conflict which is a personality trait he has to learn to balance with the duty of protecting the Aurora Core and the innocents of Euphoria by his blade if necessary. Even though he is cheerful and passionate, Kit harbors a dark side that troubles him greatly sometimes. His strict morals regarding violence and the preservation of innocence are always at odds with a seemingly ancient fury that burns slowly and deeply within him. His power over aurora and sheer potential frightens him in that he might lose control of it. His capacity for suffering is great because he holds on to his pains in life quietly and he rarely shares his emotional state when it's anything but cheery. If he wants to achieve his potential and fulfill his goals, he will have to let go of his charming facade now and then by trusting his comrades with his feelings and facing his demons or more accurately his true nature. There once was someone who Kit confided in and shared his dreams with, but she disappeared in one tragic moment in Kit's past. He wonders, did she even exist? Perhaps she was just a part of Guardian genetic memory. (More on her later)


    

My Special Project Euphoria ("Starchild")

Project name: Euphoria or Starchild

Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi

Medium: Video Game and Possible Web Comic

Entry Type: Personal

A Special Introduction

   Ah where to start… This project, currently known as Project Euphoria, or Starchild (working titles), has been with me a very long time. It’s had many incarnations and revisions and is without a doubt my biggest, most elaborate story/game idea. This blog will most likely be about Starchild most of the time but don’t worry, I do other genres. The project is primarily designed to end up as a video game but I'm also open to doing a web comic if I can ever get my artwork passable. I've grown up with a few inspirations that have really stuck with me and evolved as I have grown older and depended less on existing formulas. Starchild is thus a synthesis of all I love about storytelling, interactive entertainment and things that I feel are simply fun without apology. I want to see this project succeed in some way more than any other and it is 


Humble Origins   

    The project name is based on the setting (planet Euphoria) and the mythical "Starchild" character. One of the things that will become evident  over the course of this blog (other than my chronic run-on sentences) is that I kind of suck at naming things. Euphoria was the original title and then Starchild seemed right for a while, but now I have no clue. If you come up with ideas for my piles of unnamed characters, settings and stories as I convey them, SPEAK UP! I need it. They say write about what you know, and, while no one can really know a fictional universe full of all kinds of creatures and magics, it's been in my mind's eye since age eight (I'm now 23). It debuted under the wonderfully elementary school name, "Magic World." It was basically an interactive video game that you acted out live. This was informal and before LARPing gained a solid following. I was always the narrator and the players played somewhat consistent characters that would make choices, perform challenges and figure themselves out of tough situations. There was very little story beyond "missions" and "quests," but the settings were there and the stories my friends played out contribute occasionally to characters and situations. 


    Eventually the game died out, but I never forgot the story that was truly mine. I was pretty socially awkward for most of my life and so the story became a kind of mental escape that I still use. As I internalized the story, I began to imagine myself in the situations and stories my friends had played and it eventually led to me becoming the main character. It stayed that way until I'd imagined all sorts of adventures, characters and places. There was little in the way of the current continuity and was more like day to day adventures. I still intend to keep much of the game/comic as a day in the life of a psychic, fox-boy with aliens and redemptive demons for friends (a slice of crazy, sci-fi life?) despite the plots and subplots that have popped up. The main character was and still is a lot like me, but he grew on his own as the scale of the fictional universe outpaced my expectations. Kit Kabbit is now more like an old friend I grew up with and he carries the best of my hopes, dreams. He's not ideal though, because he also carries my fears and nightmares.


    In about 5th or 6th grade, my story took a huge turn. All the marvelous things I'd seen in my head up to that point weren't always original or anything to stand out from existing works. There's a line between inspiration and plagiarism that I always respected but the story had lost some of it's potency as it became more of a haphazard mish-mash of ideas that were just tacked on. I needed something to regain the adventurous spirit of my games and tie together the universe and boy did I get it. I had a newer group of friends at the time, and as RPG video games became more and more common, so did the desire for role playing in general. My world had then been recently rocked by the new JRPG Final Fantasy VII and my friends began to show an interest in live action play once again.


   It happened like a fireball from the sky. I found everything I needed in the idea of a central plot. It tied everything together and made it a work of true originality and potential. It was like the original Star Wars movie in that the universe, action and special effects make it cool, but a solid story makes it so much more than the sum of it's parts. The story shaped itself in my mind and grew exponentially. I then had everything a good story needed. A kind but reluctant hero who must face a nightmarish nemesis who represents all he fears in himself in a good vs. evil epic that explores self-discover, forgiveness and revenge. A seemingly distant love interest that makes his heart ache and soar at the same time. An amazing and deep world and a quest to explore it. A huge cast of colorful and non-superficial characters who's destinies intertwine in intricate ways as they all seek the same thing: a resolution to the past and the fight for freedom and survival. 


   I believe that's enough for now but I'm always daydreaming and Euphoria is always evolving. Feel free to comment for a discussion on storytelling and Euphoria's strong and weak literary archetypes.

Introduction

   Welcome to Endless Daydreams, my personal proving grounds for prototypes and ideas of all kinds. This blog will feature my ideas for stories, comics, video games and general musings. I will discuss my ideas primarily through text but I hope to have some occasional concept art as long as you readers don't mind my lack of artistic prowess. Things like backgrounds, characters and game mechanics will be presented and I invite readers to comment with constructive criticism or add their own take on stuff. Maybe you might want to do some fan artwork if I am inspirational enough (yeah right...).

   My hope for this blog is that I can finally document the creative ideas that flow through me so intensely. I endeavor to become a game designer and need a tangible portfolio of concepts and systems. I hope this will allow my ideas to become manifest as I often have difficulty getting things in all their glory in my mind into a real medium. I want to weave dreams and mold worlds, and have you along for the ride!

Bonus Excerpt

    "But that's the point of an introduction isn't it?" The girl explained playfully as she walked in a circle around the clearly unnerved Kit. His canine ears angled downwards as his gaze followed her. "We greet each other," she continued,  "make nice through the awkwardness and get on even terms with one another."

-Nikki Scott to Kit Kabbit after revealing she knew who he was and of his "nocturnal escapades"