I've been working on this game for about a year, and I have not actually started building the game. I'm unsure of what kind of look I want it to have, and want to make sure the feel is right, so I'm taking things slow.
First off, this is a serious game. There's no comedy. I've been fleshing out the characters and world for a very long time. There's no objectionable content, although it is a more mature story and world. The story is not that complex, because the game relies on character interaction opposed to plot twists every five minutes.
Now, my main problem is that I suck at naming things. I really, really suck at it. So I need help naming things.
Backstory
The game takes place in 1949. North America. The exact location as we know it is never named (I know what it is, but the geography could be seen as a spoiler). Everything has been renamed, restructured. Our race gave up control of their own fates sixty years ago, completely by choice.
Seemingly overnight, large beings showed up all over the world, at first not interacting at all with people, just wandering around, exploring. observing. Most people were afraid, and attacked them. They gave no resistance, and left if they felt they were not wanted.
As the weeks passed, they started building large constructs on the outskirts of towns and cities. These large buildings were very beautiful, and towered over anything mankind had ever made. People tried entering the buildings to investigate, but the doors would not open. People were locked out, and it had been days since the buildings' creators stepped outside their doors. Obviously, humanity didn't like this. All the nations of the world quickly joined forces and declared war on these "outsiders".
The effort was a failure. No force on earth could even damage the buildings. Occasionally they were struck by tornados and tidal waves to no effect. To say that every person on earth was scared out of their mind would be a terrible understatement.
as soon as the attacks stopped, and people tried getting on with their lives, the doors opened. the "outsiders" stepped outside, and constantly begging forgiveness (these words were the only words they spoke to humans) for their actions that scared the people of the world, they stepped in wherever help was needed. resources that were depleted due to the war efforts were restored by these "outsiders" working in place of the humans, at a much faster pace than the humans, and without rest. They were absolutely dedicated to making things right. Still, people were fearful of them due to their immense size and otherworldly appearance.
Finally, a reporter stepped forward and asked one of the "outsiders" who they were. After all this time, the answer the entire world was waiting for was finally given. "We are Angels, and we are here to help". However, the "Angel" was quick to point out that they had no connection to any god, and chose the word only because it was an easy way to show their peaceful intentions. Humanity ignored this, and decided that they were in fact sent from god since no alternative origin was ever presented by the Angels. The Angels quickly come to regret the name they chose.
With the help of the Angels, most of the world's problems were quickly resolved. They had no bias or attachment to humanity's ideals, no ulterior motives when trying to unite the people of the world. Never forceful, never aggressive, they were trusted by everyone. One by one, the world leaders convinced the Angels to take control, since they could not be corrupted as people could.
it is now 1949, and humanity has reached a golden age with the help of the Angels. Hunger is completely eliminated. The world has been remapped without national borders, the only segmenting done is the careful palcement of civilization, crops, forests, wildlife, and resource harvesting (like wood). The environment is not harmed in any way thanks to this extensive effort, and they manage to harvest enough food for every person on earth, while still maintaining massive sections of wilderness where animals are free to roam without ever seeing a single person. Disputes between people are quickly settled by the Angels, and world is for the most part, perfect. Cities and towns are set up to have 4 Angels overseeing each area, with one in charge as an Overseer.
The first of a new generation of Angels were born around 30 years ago, only knowing the world as it is today (er.. 1949). They know nothing of their race's origins, and have grown up alongside people. They are forming unexpected personal bonds with humans as well.
Our story begins when one Angel (currently un-named) reaches maturity (25) and after the Overseer dies, is assigned to take his place as leader of the city he grew up in. Now in charge of the people he has known since birth, he is experiencing worry and self-doubt. The older Angels working under him are concerned that he may not be an effective leader. It doesnt help things that as part of the newer generation, his elders do not have any plans to inform him of their race's origins, in order to maintain a good relationship with people and to remain effective leaders. They say it would complicate relations if humans were to find out their origins, since the humans are still convinced they were sent from god, and so their true origins should be left in the past and forgotten. This has rubbed off on the newer generation of Angels, some of whom now believe that they actually were sent from god.
One major point is that human culture is still thriving, although out of concern for the environment, technology is a bit primitive compared to what we're used to now. No vehicles, for instance. There's also no money or jobs. if people do something, it's because they want to, not because of any obligation. The Angels happily take care of any labor that is needed, even the most menial tasks. People still do things for themselves, they just always have some giants willing to lend a hand if needed.
Now, some information. The Angels are eight feet tall when born, and the largest are 15 feet tall. When born (reproduction is a mystery, as only certain Angels are selected and allowed to do it) Angels are already able to speak, and as far as intelligence goes they're close to the average seven year old human.
The Angel's appearance is that of a mechanical knight. Not to say they are mechanical, they just look it due to their armored appearance. Only their faces are "exposed", although their faces can be covered if needed for safety reasons (like going under water). Their eyes are white with a dark area surrounding them, and their faces are also white and rather plain looking. Their "armor" is always brightly colored and grows with the Angel. It is unknown if the Angels can actually remove it. Most Angels look alike, there are around 40 known "armor types", but each one has details that make them stand out from the others. some have a unique placement of colors, some have added pieces to their "armor", some have even added decorations like designs or pictures to their "armor", much like tattoos. The only Angels to have completely unique appearances are the Overseers, as no two look alike.
Angel/Armor Types
There are only four Angels in most cities and towns, and each one performs a certain job. The "armor" of an Angel reflects it's job type, and as Angels change jobs, their armor is forcibly changed to reflect the new job. cities with extremely large populations may have multiple angels for each job, except the overseer position. Job changes are mostly done by genetic alterations that change the shape of their "armor", as well as their size.
Overseers (the type of Angel humanity first came in contact with) can do any job that needs to be done, in addition to handing out orders to the other Angels in their area, and deciding the laws and regulations of their area. Overseers are the tallest Angels, reaching an average height of 15 feet (it only fluctuates a few inches). Their armor is the only type that is completely in the "knight" style, with no special features or modifications to assist with their job, which is to make them easy to identify, and to show their authority. Their armor is covered in sharp angles, and their anatomy is changed to make the shoulders and his further out from the torso. Overseers faces are not exposed, as the "helmet" area has expanded to encase their entire head, leaving only slots for air flow and vision in the front. Overseers spend most of their time in the towers, communicating via unknown means with the Overseers of other areas.
Arbiters interact with people to solve problems, and relay messages from humans to the other Angel types (if the human cannot find the Angel they need), and acquire anything people may need or want, like food, or clothes if they are unable or unwilling to get it themselves. Their armor features mostly rounded edges, with very few protrusions from the basic body shape, as they are intended to look as non-threatening as possible. The average height for an Arbiter is 11 feet tall.
Medics are the smallest of all Angel types, never leaving their birth height of 8 feet, which is to let them easily access anywhere that a human might be. Through genetic alteration, they are given knowledge covering every known human medical problem, and how to remedy it (when possible). Their "armor" is very thin, and doesnt deviate from the Angel's basic body shape very much at all. They carry a wide assortment of tools and medicines with them at all times.
Engineers are the second tallest Angel type, measuring 13 feet tall. They cover all construction and repair needs of the area they are in. Their armor is very large, and features many "standard modifications" that cannot be done through the genetic alteration process. These modifications include shock absorbers at every major joint, along with locks at each major joint in the armor that can keep any body part in a position without stressing the Angel at all.
Characters
Lucid (named by Obright)
Type: Arbiter. He is white and blue in color, and as far as personality goes, he's the type of "person" who is content to just lay on the ground at night with his (human) friends and just stare at the sky for hours, maybe discussing random things that pop into their heads, and loving every minute of it. He is jokingly called a hippie by his Angel peers because of his easygoing, relaxed personality, although he has no idea what the term means.
Lucid has made a few physical modifications to his "armor". The most obvious was breaking off large sections of his armor from his shoulders, forearms, and knees, along with the semi-transparent plate that once covered his eyes and forehead area. The only other major modification made was carving out a hollow space in his "helmet"'s central crest and installing a flashlight inside, since he spends most of his nights outdoors. Because of these modifications, those from outside his area may have a hard time figuring out his job type. This is a relatively common trend with the younger generation, influenced by human culture to be more individual, and stand out from the crowd. This is an endless source of frustration with the human population, since the Angels who modify themselves like this don't look anything like the Angels of the previous generation.
Lucid's personality is mostly shown in his interations with others, since he is rarely by himself. So to flesh the character out more, I'll detail the characters he interacts with, and that will help me reveal more about him.
Megan
22 years old, slender build, with shoulder length brown hair. Not very outspoken, has a somewhat distant relationship with her parents even though she still lives in their house. Moving out scares her, because she hates being alone. That she would stay in a house to be with people she barely interacts with tells just how crippled she is by this fear, although she pretends it doesnt exist at all. The few friends she ever had left when she was a child when their parents decided to move to larger areas with more going on. She met Lucid when she was 12, while having a fight with her mother (a frequent occurance) that he interrupted. Lucid wasnt a very effective conflict mediator in those days, and his method of ending the fight was to run in the house (he still fit in human houses back then), pick Megan up, and run out of the house with her to calm her down in a nearby field. They became friends that day, and Lucid is still prone to interrupting mother/daughter arguments by abruptly reaching into the house and carrying Megan away. Her parents aren't big fans of Lucid because of this, and Lucid doesnt realize that he's making things much worse by ending the fights in such a way. He knows he's supposed to let them work things out for themselves most of the time, or step in and act as an unbiased mediator unless things escalate to a dangerous level, but Megan's appreciation of him performing these rescues only encourages him to break protocol again and again. Megan fancies herself a bit of an artist, and has painted numerous decorations on Lucid's armor, which he proudly shows off every chance he gets. None of the other Angels he knows have ever been used as a human's canvas, after all.
Megan has always been curious about the Angels, and bombarded Lucid with endless, repetitive questions about himself and his species when she was younger. Lucid got her to stop by telling her that there was a death penalty for revealing any information to a human. Just a few weeks ago, Megan asked the Overseer of a neighboring town about the death penalty, which is how she found out that there is no such thing. The Overseer surprised her when he revealed that Lucid is allowed to tell anyone anything he knows. Since then, Megan has been writing a rather massive list of questions she plans on assaulting Lucid with very soon.
Plot
Lucid is informed early on in the game that the town's Overseer has passed away, but before death decided that Lucid will take his place. The town's other two Angels have little faith in Lucid as an Overseer, despite being friends with him. Lucid has long been criticized because of his close friendship with Megan, and often neglects his responsibilities to the town while the two of them wander off on their own, and this is the primary reason Lucid was chosen to be the new Overseer: to sever his friendship with Megan so that he will be forced to act like a "proper Angel". Lucid is aware of this, and obviously terrified because of it. He cannot refuse a dying wish, and is forced to become an Overseer. After the conversion, he is confined to the tower for several weeks to adjust to his new role. the confinement starts to take it's toll on him, to the point where he breaks out of the tower. He seeks out Megan, who does not recognize him (she was unaware of his "promotion"). Rather than reveal himself, he heads back to his provate floor of tower, where he begins tearing the Overseer armor off, severely damaging his body in the process. His physical damage, combined with his mental state force his body to reject the genetic alterations that turned him into an Overseer. Waking up in the middle of the night, still broken and bloodied, he manages to drag himself out of the tower, leaving his responsibilities and title behind. Shortly after leaving, Megan discovers him.
Lucid is near death when the core game starts, and getting him back on his feet is the first priority. There are several ways to accomplish this, and several ways to fail. If you are able to save his life, there will be other immediate problems, such as his extensively damaged armor that provides little protection against the elements, the fact that he is wanted for going AWOL, and of course that the entire planet is under the control of the people he is trying to escape. Making things worse, Lucid has decided to take (a very willing) Megan with him.
Character Designs
Notes
The Angels are not mechanical, or robotic. they are organic.
The Armor is synthetic, but it grows along with them. it's a result of implants and genetic engineering. Why the hell would Angels genetically modify themselves to have armor? I'm not telling. although the Angels do call it armor.
You may have noticed that Lucid has no visible nostrils. He does have them, they just aren't where you'd expect. you can see them clear as day in the image linked above. there's one slit on each side of the nose. it's shown as a thick black line. those are their nostrils, and they're capable of sealing shut if neccesary.
The black strip around his eyes is naturally occuring. combined with the helmet that comes out pretty far from the forehead, it keeps the sun from getting in an Angel's eyes.
First off, this is a serious game. There's no comedy. I've been fleshing out the characters and world for a very long time. There's no objectionable content, although it is a more mature story and world. The story is not that complex, because the game relies on character interaction opposed to plot twists every five minutes.
Now, my main problem is that I suck at naming things. I really, really suck at it. So I need help naming things.
Backstory
The game takes place in 1949. North America. The exact location as we know it is never named (I know what it is, but the geography could be seen as a spoiler). Everything has been renamed, restructured. Our race gave up control of their own fates sixty years ago, completely by choice.
Seemingly overnight, large beings showed up all over the world, at first not interacting at all with people, just wandering around, exploring. observing. Most people were afraid, and attacked them. They gave no resistance, and left if they felt they were not wanted.
As the weeks passed, they started building large constructs on the outskirts of towns and cities. These large buildings were very beautiful, and towered over anything mankind had ever made. People tried entering the buildings to investigate, but the doors would not open. People were locked out, and it had been days since the buildings' creators stepped outside their doors. Obviously, humanity didn't like this. All the nations of the world quickly joined forces and declared war on these "outsiders".
The effort was a failure. No force on earth could even damage the buildings. Occasionally they were struck by tornados and tidal waves to no effect. To say that every person on earth was scared out of their mind would be a terrible understatement.
as soon as the attacks stopped, and people tried getting on with their lives, the doors opened. the "outsiders" stepped outside, and constantly begging forgiveness (these words were the only words they spoke to humans) for their actions that scared the people of the world, they stepped in wherever help was needed. resources that were depleted due to the war efforts were restored by these "outsiders" working in place of the humans, at a much faster pace than the humans, and without rest. They were absolutely dedicated to making things right. Still, people were fearful of them due to their immense size and otherworldly appearance.
Finally, a reporter stepped forward and asked one of the "outsiders" who they were. After all this time, the answer the entire world was waiting for was finally given. "We are Angels, and we are here to help". However, the "Angel" was quick to point out that they had no connection to any god, and chose the word only because it was an easy way to show their peaceful intentions. Humanity ignored this, and decided that they were in fact sent from god since no alternative origin was ever presented by the Angels. The Angels quickly come to regret the name they chose.
With the help of the Angels, most of the world's problems were quickly resolved. They had no bias or attachment to humanity's ideals, no ulterior motives when trying to unite the people of the world. Never forceful, never aggressive, they were trusted by everyone. One by one, the world leaders convinced the Angels to take control, since they could not be corrupted as people could.
it is now 1949, and humanity has reached a golden age with the help of the Angels. Hunger is completely eliminated. The world has been remapped without national borders, the only segmenting done is the careful palcement of civilization, crops, forests, wildlife, and resource harvesting (like wood). The environment is not harmed in any way thanks to this extensive effort, and they manage to harvest enough food for every person on earth, while still maintaining massive sections of wilderness where animals are free to roam without ever seeing a single person. Disputes between people are quickly settled by the Angels, and world is for the most part, perfect. Cities and towns are set up to have 4 Angels overseeing each area, with one in charge as an Overseer.
The first of a new generation of Angels were born around 30 years ago, only knowing the world as it is today (er.. 1949). They know nothing of their race's origins, and have grown up alongside people. They are forming unexpected personal bonds with humans as well.
Our story begins when one Angel (currently un-named) reaches maturity (25) and after the Overseer dies, is assigned to take his place as leader of the city he grew up in. Now in charge of the people he has known since birth, he is experiencing worry and self-doubt. The older Angels working under him are concerned that he may not be an effective leader. It doesnt help things that as part of the newer generation, his elders do not have any plans to inform him of their race's origins, in order to maintain a good relationship with people and to remain effective leaders. They say it would complicate relations if humans were to find out their origins, since the humans are still convinced they were sent from god, and so their true origins should be left in the past and forgotten. This has rubbed off on the newer generation of Angels, some of whom now believe that they actually were sent from god.
One major point is that human culture is still thriving, although out of concern for the environment, technology is a bit primitive compared to what we're used to now. No vehicles, for instance. There's also no money or jobs. if people do something, it's because they want to, not because of any obligation. The Angels happily take care of any labor that is needed, even the most menial tasks. People still do things for themselves, they just always have some giants willing to lend a hand if needed.
Now, some information. The Angels are eight feet tall when born, and the largest are 15 feet tall. When born (reproduction is a mystery, as only certain Angels are selected and allowed to do it) Angels are already able to speak, and as far as intelligence goes they're close to the average seven year old human.
The Angel's appearance is that of a mechanical knight. Not to say they are mechanical, they just look it due to their armored appearance. Only their faces are "exposed", although their faces can be covered if needed for safety reasons (like going under water). Their eyes are white with a dark area surrounding them, and their faces are also white and rather plain looking. Their "armor" is always brightly colored and grows with the Angel. It is unknown if the Angels can actually remove it. Most Angels look alike, there are around 40 known "armor types", but each one has details that make them stand out from the others. some have a unique placement of colors, some have added pieces to their "armor", some have even added decorations like designs or pictures to their "armor", much like tattoos. The only Angels to have completely unique appearances are the Overseers, as no two look alike.
Angel/Armor Types
There are only four Angels in most cities and towns, and each one performs a certain job. The "armor" of an Angel reflects it's job type, and as Angels change jobs, their armor is forcibly changed to reflect the new job. cities with extremely large populations may have multiple angels for each job, except the overseer position. Job changes are mostly done by genetic alterations that change the shape of their "armor", as well as their size.
Overseers (the type of Angel humanity first came in contact with) can do any job that needs to be done, in addition to handing out orders to the other Angels in their area, and deciding the laws and regulations of their area. Overseers are the tallest Angels, reaching an average height of 15 feet (it only fluctuates a few inches). Their armor is the only type that is completely in the "knight" style, with no special features or modifications to assist with their job, which is to make them easy to identify, and to show their authority. Their armor is covered in sharp angles, and their anatomy is changed to make the shoulders and his further out from the torso. Overseers faces are not exposed, as the "helmet" area has expanded to encase their entire head, leaving only slots for air flow and vision in the front. Overseers spend most of their time in the towers, communicating via unknown means with the Overseers of other areas.
Arbiters interact with people to solve problems, and relay messages from humans to the other Angel types (if the human cannot find the Angel they need), and acquire anything people may need or want, like food, or clothes if they are unable or unwilling to get it themselves. Their armor features mostly rounded edges, with very few protrusions from the basic body shape, as they are intended to look as non-threatening as possible. The average height for an Arbiter is 11 feet tall.
Medics are the smallest of all Angel types, never leaving their birth height of 8 feet, which is to let them easily access anywhere that a human might be. Through genetic alteration, they are given knowledge covering every known human medical problem, and how to remedy it (when possible). Their "armor" is very thin, and doesnt deviate from the Angel's basic body shape very much at all. They carry a wide assortment of tools and medicines with them at all times.
Engineers are the second tallest Angel type, measuring 13 feet tall. They cover all construction and repair needs of the area they are in. Their armor is very large, and features many "standard modifications" that cannot be done through the genetic alteration process. These modifications include shock absorbers at every major joint, along with locks at each major joint in the armor that can keep any body part in a position without stressing the Angel at all.
Characters
Lucid (named by Obright)
Type: Arbiter. He is white and blue in color, and as far as personality goes, he's the type of "person" who is content to just lay on the ground at night with his (human) friends and just stare at the sky for hours, maybe discussing random things that pop into their heads, and loving every minute of it. He is jokingly called a hippie by his Angel peers because of his easygoing, relaxed personality, although he has no idea what the term means.
Lucid has made a few physical modifications to his "armor". The most obvious was breaking off large sections of his armor from his shoulders, forearms, and knees, along with the semi-transparent plate that once covered his eyes and forehead area. The only other major modification made was carving out a hollow space in his "helmet"'s central crest and installing a flashlight inside, since he spends most of his nights outdoors. Because of these modifications, those from outside his area may have a hard time figuring out his job type. This is a relatively common trend with the younger generation, influenced by human culture to be more individual, and stand out from the crowd. This is an endless source of frustration with the human population, since the Angels who modify themselves like this don't look anything like the Angels of the previous generation.
Lucid's personality is mostly shown in his interations with others, since he is rarely by himself. So to flesh the character out more, I'll detail the characters he interacts with, and that will help me reveal more about him.
Megan
22 years old, slender build, with shoulder length brown hair. Not very outspoken, has a somewhat distant relationship with her parents even though she still lives in their house. Moving out scares her, because she hates being alone. That she would stay in a house to be with people she barely interacts with tells just how crippled she is by this fear, although she pretends it doesnt exist at all. The few friends she ever had left when she was a child when their parents decided to move to larger areas with more going on. She met Lucid when she was 12, while having a fight with her mother (a frequent occurance) that he interrupted. Lucid wasnt a very effective conflict mediator in those days, and his method of ending the fight was to run in the house (he still fit in human houses back then), pick Megan up, and run out of the house with her to calm her down in a nearby field. They became friends that day, and Lucid is still prone to interrupting mother/daughter arguments by abruptly reaching into the house and carrying Megan away. Her parents aren't big fans of Lucid because of this, and Lucid doesnt realize that he's making things much worse by ending the fights in such a way. He knows he's supposed to let them work things out for themselves most of the time, or step in and act as an unbiased mediator unless things escalate to a dangerous level, but Megan's appreciation of him performing these rescues only encourages him to break protocol again and again. Megan fancies herself a bit of an artist, and has painted numerous decorations on Lucid's armor, which he proudly shows off every chance he gets. None of the other Angels he knows have ever been used as a human's canvas, after all.
Megan has always been curious about the Angels, and bombarded Lucid with endless, repetitive questions about himself and his species when she was younger. Lucid got her to stop by telling her that there was a death penalty for revealing any information to a human. Just a few weeks ago, Megan asked the Overseer of a neighboring town about the death penalty, which is how she found out that there is no such thing. The Overseer surprised her when he revealed that Lucid is allowed to tell anyone anything he knows. Since then, Megan has been writing a rather massive list of questions she plans on assaulting Lucid with very soon.
Plot
Lucid is informed early on in the game that the town's Overseer has passed away, but before death decided that Lucid will take his place. The town's other two Angels have little faith in Lucid as an Overseer, despite being friends with him. Lucid has long been criticized because of his close friendship with Megan, and often neglects his responsibilities to the town while the two of them wander off on their own, and this is the primary reason Lucid was chosen to be the new Overseer: to sever his friendship with Megan so that he will be forced to act like a "proper Angel". Lucid is aware of this, and obviously terrified because of it. He cannot refuse a dying wish, and is forced to become an Overseer. After the conversion, he is confined to the tower for several weeks to adjust to his new role. the confinement starts to take it's toll on him, to the point where he breaks out of the tower. He seeks out Megan, who does not recognize him (she was unaware of his "promotion"). Rather than reveal himself, he heads back to his provate floor of tower, where he begins tearing the Overseer armor off, severely damaging his body in the process. His physical damage, combined with his mental state force his body to reject the genetic alterations that turned him into an Overseer. Waking up in the middle of the night, still broken and bloodied, he manages to drag himself out of the tower, leaving his responsibilities and title behind. Shortly after leaving, Megan discovers him.
Lucid is near death when the core game starts, and getting him back on his feet is the first priority. There are several ways to accomplish this, and several ways to fail. If you are able to save his life, there will be other immediate problems, such as his extensively damaged armor that provides little protection against the elements, the fact that he is wanted for going AWOL, and of course that the entire planet is under the control of the people he is trying to escape. Making things worse, Lucid has decided to take (a very willing) Megan with him.
Character Designs
Notes
The Angels are not mechanical, or robotic. they are organic.
The Armor is synthetic, but it grows along with them. it's a result of implants and genetic engineering. Why the hell would Angels genetically modify themselves to have armor? I'm not telling. although the Angels do call it armor.
You may have noticed that Lucid has no visible nostrils. He does have them, they just aren't where you'd expect. you can see them clear as day in the image linked above. there's one slit on each side of the nose. it's shown as a thick black line. those are their nostrils, and they're capable of sealing shut if neccesary.
The black strip around his eyes is naturally occuring. combined with the helmet that comes out pretty far from the forehead, it keeps the sun from getting in an Angel's eyes.
As for names, I don't know if I could be of any help, because my names always come out sounding like some common name, or a name the Greeks would have used...Hmm...
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