Game Plot
Game starts with the player, known as ‘the reader’ opening a book and being transported into an unknown world of Moss in the form of a spirit. The player encounters Quill, a small mouse with dreams that go beyond the confines of her village The Clearing. It is while exploring outside the village she encounters a strange glass artifact that binds her to the player and it is there that Quill and The Reader learn to develop a bond that will help them save Quill’s village and uncle from an evil that draws closer.
To start my research i wanted to find out why ‘Moss’ was designed the way it was, what the development team wanted ‘Moss’ to be as a game through these design choices and how they went about achieving this - specifically from the visual side of designing the game.
Character and Environment Descriptions
These descriptions are from the Polyarc Website and detail different characters and places the player will encounter in the game, i thought this would be helpful information to have about the characters and the world they inhabit as there is very little information about the game besides actually playing it. Even if i only end up focusing on one character this information will help me understand the history and unseen narrative that is threaded into the game which will help with writing a brief.
Quill
She’s always dreamed of greatness and now it’s finally time for her to embark on an epic journey.
“If Quill’s capabilities are doubted by anyone, it’s certainly not her. She may be small, but Argus taught her well”
The Reader
Welcome to an alliance for the ages! After opening the book of Moss in the mystical library, players are transported into the world as their own character and key ally to Quill. Their abilities are complementary to Quill’s.
“It wasn’t fear Quill felt—she intuitively knew they were on her side—but rather, it was the feeling that everything she’d ever known was about to change.”
Argus
Quill’s mentor and caretaker. Living together for as long as she can recall in their quiet forest settlement, Argus trained her in many useful skills including the art of the sword. But what knowledge of the past has he kept close to protect her?
“His sword has seen many battles. Argus once crossed through the smoke three times to carry wounded knights to safety.”
The Clearing
Leaving was an inevitability in Quill's mind. Her heart was simply in two different places—the forest home she’d always known, and the faraway lands of her wildest dreams.
“Initially a haven along the escape from the ‘Cinder Night’, this canopy settlement eventually became a place to call home.”
The Library
It all begins in the library, filled with the legends of Moss, both old and new. The whispering, gilded book on the table is your window into the world. Sit by the candlelight, reach into the book's pages, and help write the story of a hero in the making…
Twilight Garden
On the journey to save her uncle, Quill finds the entrance to a strange and vibrant place. Here, you’ll be tested in new ways as a mysterious presence prepares you for the dangers ahead. You and Quill will explore vast chambers, discover unique weaponry, and face a new realm of puzzles and enemies. Success here will require mastery from you both, and could change what’s believed possible for a partnership of your kind…
Forest
Unsurprisingly, Quill lost track of time. Endless in their wonder were the caves and springs and creatures surrounding her forest settlement. How could one not lose track of time?! That defense, of course, rarely worked on Uncle Argus. He had only one rule: be home by dusk. No exceptions. But what undiscovered treasure might she find if she went just a little farther…?
The Clearing’s Waterwheel
The Clearing’s waterwheel was a turning point in the building of the settlement. The day it made its first rotation, the weary and displaced settlers erupted into cheers, finally able to unwind. The old king’s fiddler dusted off his bow and everyone spun about, dancing in circles and feeling home at last.
The Cottage
No matter where the adventure takes her, Quill’s home will always be the small cottage she shares with her Uncle Argus, on the far edge of The Clearing. Her favorite nights are those spent in the library with rain pattering against the skylights, reading stories together until the roaring fire wanes to embers.
The Eastern Wall
Despite her curiosity, Quill never traveled the path beyond the eastern edge wall, as it was ever-guarded and strictly forbidden. She knew it led to the mire—a place of myth and legend—and beyond that, faraway lands she could only imagine. But tonight, her uncle needed her, and she had to go after him…
The Mire
It was a clash of the giants—desperate chaos before the tragic demise of their kind. Traces of this ancient battleground now protrude from the murky waters of the mire, creating nameless headstones for these doomed and forgotten souls.
Ancient Ruins
Originally a hub for the aqueducts that channeled water to the nearby city, this ancient structure was built up over time and became a place of worship and ceremony. Nature unrelenting, the prying fingers of the surrounding swamp continue their tireless work of pulling these long-deserted ruins back down.
Abandoned City
Far away there looms an abandoned city at the edge of the sea. Once brimming with street markets, royal processions, and joyful chatter, this ominous place is now empty and still. That is, except for the burning glow from beneath as the Arcane hollow out the bones of the city, ceaselessly toiling, ever searching…
Research References:
https://www.polyarcgames.com/character-and-enviro
https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/moss-blends-redwall-and-zelda-in-one-of-the-best-vr-games-of-the-year/
https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/336325/Road_to_the_IGF_Polyarcs_Moss.php
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