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Building a Village, 03/10/2019 Song of Time
I really love the passage of time in video games. Day / Night cycles, seasonal changes, NPC schedules, and so on I eat that stuff up. There was a time in the late 90s and early 00s where it seems every game regardless of genre included the passage of time as a big bullet point. It was fantastic time to be alive! Ive no doubt already spoken at length about the time system in Village Monsters as Ive been tweaking and perfecting it since the very start, but Ive yet to put it all in one place in an easily digestible post. Until now.
Lets start with how time is structured! The calendar of Village Monsters is kept purposefully familiar: there are four months in a year which correspond to each of the four seasons. Each month has its own distinct vibe and flavor that makes them dramatically different from each other. A month has 4 weeks which in turn consist of 8 days. Here we deviate a bit from reality to include an extra 8th day called Baldursday. This new day is sandwiched in between Saturday and Sunday and is meant for relaxing and catching up on projects. Its often the day of the week that village holidays and festivals fall on.
A day in Village Monsters is split up into four main slices Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. While its far more granular behind the scenes, I purposefully kept it simple so its easier to keep track of things like villager schedules, critter spawning, and other time-sensitive tasks. The exact length of the day is incredibly important and is something Im constantly tweaking. It currently sits at 12-15 minutes. Thisll be constantly adjusted right up to release, but my goal is a length that isnt too rushed.
As in real life, a ticking clock and changing calendar means big aesthetic changes. The sun rises and sets which changes the lighting. The tiles change with the season, as do the look of vegetation and buildings and decorations. Even the music changes to fit the mood.
Its not an exaggeration to say that every single piece of the game is dependent on the time and season. Heres some of them:
Villager schedules have been a big priority these past couple weeks as its one of the last technical hurdles I have. Its a humongous task and unfortunately Im not yet ready to share what it looks like, but even the incomplete (and wonky) system has breathed so much life into the game. The final system is going to be pretty rad.
The biggest draw to time cycles is creating a strong sense of immersion. But this is still a video game and in the case of Village Monsters, a video game thats canonically coming apart at the seams. That means its ok to break some 4th dimensional rules every now and again. There are a number of special items you can buy or craft that control how fast or slow time passes.
You may also find certain areas of the world that arent playing by the same rules of time; some areas may be locked into a certain season all year round. Others a certain weather pattern. This can be especially useful late game when youre trying to find specific items or critters, fish, and mushrooms. Finally, heres a question I get a lot: is there a time limit as far as the story goes? The answer is no! Story beats (and progression in general) are independent from the passage of time, so you wont bump against any kind of restrictions. Take as long as youd like.
[ 2019-03-11 00:18:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Hello Villagers!
I really love the passage of time in video games. Day / Night cycles, seasonal changes, NPC schedules, and so on I eat that stuff up. There was a time in the late 90s and early 00s where it seems every game regardless of genre included the passage of time as a big bullet point. It was fantastic time to be alive! Ive no doubt already spoken at length about the time system in Village Monsters as Ive been tweaking and perfecting it since the very start, but Ive yet to put it all in one place in an easily digestible post. Until now.
Structure
Lets start with how time is structured! The calendar of Village Monsters is kept purposefully familiar: there are four months in a year which correspond to each of the four seasons. Each month has its own distinct vibe and flavor that makes them dramatically different from each other. A month has 4 weeks which in turn consist of 8 days. Here we deviate a bit from reality to include an extra 8th day called Baldursday. This new day is sandwiched in between Saturday and Sunday and is meant for relaxing and catching up on projects. Its often the day of the week that village holidays and festivals fall on.
A day in Village Monsters is split up into four main slices Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. While its far more granular behind the scenes, I purposefully kept it simple so its easier to keep track of things like villager schedules, critter spawning, and other time-sensitive tasks. The exact length of the day is incredibly important and is something Im constantly tweaking. It currently sits at 12-15 minutes. Thisll be constantly adjusted right up to release, but my goal is a length that isnt too rushed.
Impacts
As in real life, a ticking clock and changing calendar means big aesthetic changes. The sun rises and sets which changes the lighting. The tiles change with the season, as do the look of vegetation and buildings and decorations. Even the music changes to fit the mood.
Its not an exaggeration to say that every single piece of the game is dependent on the time and season. Heres some of them:
- Which types of of critters and fish you can catch change with the days and seasons
- Villager routines and shop schedules depend not only the time of day but things like the weather, whether its their day off, and so on
- Some tasks like growing mushrooms, training critters, and building / upgrading your home require time to pass
- Each season has unique weather systems and frequencies
- Visitors come and go throughout the year, and some may even show up during festivals
- Speaking of festivals, each season has multiple events ranging from town-wide celebrations, feasts, villager birthdays, and so on!
- Certain areas transform dramatically depending the time of day or season
Villager schedules have been a big priority these past couple weeks as its one of the last technical hurdles I have. Its a humongous task and unfortunately Im not yet ready to share what it looks like, but even the incomplete (and wonky) system has breathed so much life into the game. The final system is going to be pretty rad.
Control
The biggest draw to time cycles is creating a strong sense of immersion. But this is still a video game and in the case of Village Monsters, a video game thats canonically coming apart at the seams. That means its ok to break some 4th dimensional rules every now and again. There are a number of special items you can buy or craft that control how fast or slow time passes.
You may also find certain areas of the world that arent playing by the same rules of time; some areas may be locked into a certain season all year round. Others a certain weather pattern. This can be especially useful late game when youre trying to find specific items or critters, fish, and mushrooms. Finally, heres a question I get a lot: is there a time limit as far as the story goes? The answer is no! Story beats (and progression in general) are independent from the passage of time, so you wont bump against any kind of restrictions. Take as long as youd like.
[ 2019-03-11 00:18:32 CET ] [ Original post ]
Village Monsters
Warp Dogs
Developer
Warp Dogs
Publisher
Oct 2018
Release
Game News Posts:
77
🎹🖱️Keyboard + Mouse
🎮 Full Controller Support
🎮 Full Controller Support
Positive
(16 reviews)
The Game includes VR Support
Public Linux Depots:
- Village Monsters Content (Linux) [322.3 M]
Have you ever wondered what happens inside the world of an abandoned video game? All those NPCs with their artificial lives...what happens to them after the game is powered off for that final time?
Village Monsters is a relaxing life sim game set in one such world.
You play as someone booting up the game for the first time in decades only to discover that it is nothing like you remember.
The monsters that were once enemies have thrown away their weapons and have settled down in a peaceful village of their own making.
Stranger still, they're inviting you to come join them.
![]()
At its core, Village Monsters is a lowkey, relaxing village life experience.
There are no farms to manage or meters to monitor, and on an average day you'll have complete freedom to do whatever you want.
This is a game that celebrates leisure, so you'll find no shortage of activities and diversions to discover each day.
![]()
The world of Village Monsters may be digital, but that doesn't stop it from feeling alive.
From sunrise to sunset, you'll find a world that changes all around you. Sparrows fly overhead during the day while owls patrol the night. Villagers hang out at home while it it's raining and go shopping for new furniture after it clears.
There are countless little details for you to discover as you explore the game and its simulated systems. In fact, you'll be frequently encouraged to experiment with these systems to see how they interact with you - and each other.
![]()
The premise of exploring an abandoned video game serves as the jumping off point for creating an interesting and unique story.
The village has always been a peaceful sanctuary, but the world outside has been showing increasing evidence of disarray.
Glitches and faults have become more common, and there are even rumors that entire areas have gone missing.
It's as if the digital foundation itself is collapsing, and as an external force you may be the only one capable of finding out what's going on.
Village Monsters is a relaxing life sim game set in one such world.
You play as someone booting up the game for the first time in decades only to discover that it is nothing like you remember.
The monsters that were once enemies have thrown away their weapons and have settled down in a peaceful village of their own making.
Stranger still, they're inviting you to come join them.
At its core, Village Monsters is a lowkey, relaxing village life experience.
There are no farms to manage or meters to monitor, and on an average day you'll have complete freedom to do whatever you want.
This is a game that celebrates leisure, so you'll find no shortage of activities and diversions to discover each day.
- Personalize your very own home with furniture, decorations, and upgrades. Plant a garden! Install a secret room! Sit on a golden throne you found in the woods!
- Get to know dozens of whimsical monster neighbors, each with their own personalities, activities, and problems to solve.
- Pick up a new hobby, like fishing, critter collecting, botany, archaeology, or cooking, then donate your findings and creations to the Historical Society of Monsters.
- Leave your mark on the village by unlocking new buildings and influencing its development over time.
- Fill out your daily routine with activities like shopping, talking with villagers, watching TV, hunting for mushrooms, and so much more.
The world of Village Monsters may be digital, but that doesn't stop it from feeling alive.
From sunrise to sunset, you'll find a world that changes all around you. Sparrows fly overhead during the day while owls patrol the night. Villagers hang out at home while it it's raining and go shopping for new furniture after it clears.
There are countless little details for you to discover as you explore the game and its simulated systems. In fact, you'll be frequently encouraged to experiment with these systems to see how they interact with you - and each other.
- An immersive day / night cycle where everything has a schedule to keep - the villagers, the birds, and even the flowers.
- Dynamic weather changes including dozens of distinct weather types ranging from clear skies to thundersnow.
- The world changes with the seasons, and you can expect activities, items, creatures, and even music unique to each month.
- A packed calendar full of holidays ensures that every week brings something new. Enjoy events like the monthly Critter Safari, the springtime Good Egg Day Feast, and the Pumpkin Patch Bash.
The premise of exploring an abandoned video game serves as the jumping off point for creating an interesting and unique story.
The village has always been a peaceful sanctuary, but the world outside has been showing increasing evidence of disarray.
Glitches and faults have become more common, and there are even rumors that entire areas have gone missing.
It's as if the digital foundation itself is collapsing, and as an external force you may be the only one capable of finding out what's going on.
- Explore a digital land that’s been transformed by its abandonment.
- Experience a unique story told through unusual methods such as via item descriptions, overheard conversations, and anomoly research.
- Help unravel the unknown by investigating and solving Mysteries, a unique type of quest system.
- Complete a massive compendium that logs your journey through the game. Use it to track Mysteries, collectibles, secrets, and triumphs.
MINIMAL SETUP
- OS: Ubuntu 12 or Higher
- Processor: 2 GhzMemory: 2 GB RAM
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: 256 MB
- Storage: 512 MB available space
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