Greetings. This is the Underfoot thread. I am back from outer space to try and win $150 smackeroos. :haha: Anyways, this is my attempt at portraying oppressed societies, oligarchies, and revolution in a twisted and unique little setting. My muse: George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Blend that with mind boggling puzzles and some of the coolest music you'll ever be forced to hear, and you have Underfoot! Enjoy, comrades!
Underfoot takes place in an underground Orwellian dystopia known as The Citadel. The jagged labyrinth is home to roughly 30,000 citizens. Unaware of the outside world, the citizens of the Citadel work to produce many resources that are sold to evil governments on the outside. Brainwashed, beaten, and undersold, the Citadel people simply live to survive another day, hoping that life will one day be better.
The game focuses on the story of Preston(who's name can be changed by the player), a Citadel Grotto dock worker with gambling problems, fear of confrontation, and a rough streak with drugs and alcohol. Preston, who manages to secure a decent flat in a Lower Ward tenement, decides it's time to cool down, and try to save some money. His friend, Elton, recently out of a job, has decided the same thing. The two are bunk mates in a crowded apartment room of five grown men. They have only their personal belongings, an obsolete fire stove, a wooden table, and cruddy beds.
On a seemingly normal day, an alert is wrung over the Citadel PA Network of a wandering revolutionist, known only as a Patriot. The Patriots are a group of political revolutionaries wishing to topple the government of the Citadel, the Exalted. On his way to a simple game of dice, Preston is confronted by this man. The secrets this man proclaims to Preston are far beyond Preston's comprehension. Soon, however, the ravings of Alfred Marlon seem to make sense and Preston attempts to find the him again.
Before, Preston has a chance to talk seriously to him, he finds himself as Alfred's right hand man in attempted revolt. With both their heads wanted for treason, Preston has no choice but to escape the ghastly confines of the Citadel...
Age: 29
Preston Willows is the typical citizen of The Citadel. He suffers from a gambling problem that has had him in an out of jail. Preston has a good head on his shoulders but he just can't seem to get out of the gutter. He often resorts to habitual drug use and alcohol to quell these issues. Recently, it seems, he wishes to change his act. Unfortunately, his run in with a mysterious renegade leads him to commit open revolution against the Exalted, and he finds himself on the run in hope of light at the end of the tunnel...
Age: 27
Elton has known Preston since their job at the Runny Faucet Pub. They parted ways for awhile after one of Preston's arrests for gambling debts. By chance, they wound up rooming together when Preston received a job at the Grotto. Elton is easily one of the reasons why Preston is determined to get his head on straight and make a life for himself. Elton tries hard not to get wrapped up in Preston's misfortunes, but faith would have it no other way...
Age: 42
Alfred Marlon is the mysterious man that the Citadel Government refers to as 'a Patriot', or one of the members of a secret revolutionary group. In reality, not much is really known about Mr. Marlon. His desperate plea to Preston isn't convincing at first, but soon he finds Preston becoming his right hand man in unveiling the truth. Why is Alfred so bent on the downfall of the Exalted? What motivations does his work entail? Preston, with trust and admiration, joins him with these questions in mind...
Age: 56
Lucius is the supreme dictator of the Exalted, known as the Director. He controls every aspect of the Citadel's government with a cold hand. He deprives the citizens of quality life by fabricating almost every facet of their existence. His contact with the outside world helps the Citadel people survive, but it's abused for corrupt trade organizations in which he retains all the profit. His direct motives are unclear. Ever since his forerunner's discovery of the rare minerals within the Citadel's mines, his job has been to keep the masses shrouded in mystery. While his physical presence is rarely seen, his mental control of the Citadel people is absolute. They say the bigger they are, the harder they fall...
Age: 45
General Tyson is the main antagonist pursuing Preston and Alfred. His orders are to apprehend the Patriots - dead or alive. Tyson is the main proponent in the devious traps between the Citadel and ultimate freedom. He's a cruel and wicked man who abuses his authority by beating innocent citizens. Even he, however, is kept in the dark...
To be brusque, Underfoot is a puzzle game - a puzzle game with a deep story and cunning use of adventure elements. The majority of the game is played through a series of puzzles and traps devised to keep any dissenters from escaping the clutch of the Exalted. These traps are physically damaging and life threatening; however, through logic they can be defeated, and freedom can be realized. The player will have to use the rationing of light sources and medicines to survive and maintain sanity.
Puzzles will be short(think Portal), and usually contain unique methods of completion. The player will rack up points depending on how fast he completes the puzzles, what dynamic approaches he takes to complete them, and how much resources he can manage to ration. These scores will all tally up and be presented with a neat total score and diagnosis at the end of the game. I want the game to run around two and half hours, with about 20 puzzles of increasing difficulty. More will be added later on the concept of resource usage.
Although this component of the game probably won't count as one of the themes in judging, it plays a vital role in the games atmosphere. Besides the use of deep panning ambient backdrops and sounds, Underfoot features an onslaught of amazing music. Genres range from trip hop, drum 'n' bass, to jazz. When a new song commences a neat little track and artist bar will pop up. Each puzzle will have a nice little tune that will fit well with the task and mood. For example, a drum 'n' bass song will have you racing to complete a task fast and having moving around avoiding hazards; on the flip side, an ambient song may provide a dark and foreboding atmosphere. I intend to have the music be a crucial proponent to the game's style and atmosphere. The music is all free for use, provide by many talented artists on Newgrounds' Audio Portal. I am proud to showcase a lot of this excellent talent!
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Thanks for your interest in Underfoot! Hope you enjoyed the reading and stay tuned for more. :specs:
Mundane
