{"author_name":"zeh","cat":"LD #24","comments":[],"epoch":1345995000,"likes":1,"metadata":{"p_key":"52515","p_author":"zeh","p_authorkey":"13340","p_urlkey":"88216","p_title":"Can I take your plate?","p_cat":"LD #24","p_event":"LD24","p_time":"1345995000","p_likes":"1","p_comments":"0","p_status":"UPD5","us_key":"13340","us_name":"zeh","us_username":"zeh","event_start":"1345766400","event_key":"12","event_name":"LD24"},"text":"

Time is running out, but objectives are falling into place and things are getting scratched from the to-do list. Right now, I’m working on the “bill”, as seen below.<\/p>\n

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My attempt is to have a game set on a dinner table where customers see their pasta flying around and fighting each other in an attempt to conquer each other’s plate. In other words, just your usual Italian bistro experience.<\/p>\n

The Evolution theme works on top of that, by allowing you to evolve your pasta over time (the whole idea is about the “evolution of pasta”). That’s not working yet though; right now it just spawns different types of pasta on every plate, to test the gameplay mechanics.<\/p>\n

But anyway, what I’m trying to do is to have visual game representations that are as metaphorical as possible. For example, since each plate has to be “conquered” by a number of flying pasta pieces (think Battlefield’s “Conquest” mode), you need a way to indicate which team (or “customer”) owns that plate, and what’s its status if other pasta pieces are trying to conquer it. Instead of having some abstract graphical representation, everything is indicated on a “bill” next to a plate. It makes actual state readout somewhat difficult (e.g. some bills are actually upside down, you have to rotate the tablet or the table using gestures), but I’m counting that as part of the game’s physical context.<\/p>","time":"August 26th, 2012 10:30 am","title":"Can I take your plate?"}