Jamaican me want to play a new kind of Harvest Moon
I think that someone should make a harvest moon kind of game about black people in Jamaica. This may sound far fetched and random at first, but hear me out, all the way.
The vegetation and agriculture there is so interesting! I think it would provide a rich backdrop for a carefree game about banishing restless duppies (spirits), solving mysteries about town, and raising a crop of sugar cane, plantains, coffee, etc. It doesn't seem crazy to me, because I can see the cool sprite work already.
And the vegetation supports a sort of magic system that is based on plant remedies. The religion would be 90% catholic, as Zora Neal Hurston says, but "100% voodoo". A VOODOO MAGIC SYSTEM WOULD BE SO COOL. Actual voodoo, instead of just sticking needles in stuff. The magical lore and art of Jamaica is fascinating, and altogether neglected, dismissed, and misunderstood. Generally, like any power or force that belongs to black people, historically.
Respectfully portraying the forces of mischief and good would make an interestingly flavored harvest moon.
I would want to make the most bananas, and pick bissy (Kola nut), and other medicinal herbs, and get the coolest girl in town to like me. Goats, chickens, and wild animals would be featured. I would go to the medicine man when sick, and he would give me advice to save myself from evil forces. I would do the mini quest associated with getting well. Or pick some wild plant stuffs.
Jamaicans traditionally only jerked wild caught boars. Which is a dangerous thing. Some hunting aspect of the game would be really cool too. Hunting parties, and food stores.
I think there is a way to write the game to honor the language style of Jamaica without making it obscure to English speakers who are just too dumb to get it, or people who don't even speak English. Really, the magic system, the crops, the medicine man and stuff makes the setting. It doesn't matter if the writing in the game sounds local. Only if it gets across what it has to, or respectfully suggests the way they speak.
I would be basing it on early 1900's Jamaica. Things have changed quite a bit for Jamaica, but I really like the idea of a woman exclaiming "True, sah?" (Is that true). Despite the sin I perpetrated in the title, one shouldn't make an otherwise good game that features boring stereotypes about Jamaican English dialect. Some of the language sounds so good. The both bare bones and artful way they talk about proverbs and so on.
I think you could paint both an accurate and iconic picture of Jamaica for the purposes of the game. And what I really want from the game is the voodoo and herbal arts magic system. Also, to have the best farm and win the heart of the coolest girl. Or boy.
Oh, yes. And the game shouldn't take itself too seriously. It should be silly the way games are meant to be, while making fun of itself, but not Jamaica, like some people would have it. It shouldn't take itself too seriously, because that would be super dumb.
I really like death gods and mischief gods. The devil is one cool, mysterious, bluesy kind of guy in the south. And one boring evil figure in the wrong hands.
I like horse drawn carts of death, and sprites, zombies, and stuff.
Zombies would be a really cool part of the game, can't even begin to say how cool zombies would be. And all the usual suspects of Caribbean monster lore.
Done up all medieval RPG like. But done logically. Rather than randomly, and without sticking to tradition for the sake of tradition. I think the specific battle mechanics of a game should be determined in part by the style you're trying go for...that doesn't mean enough by itself.
But this is my first, unedited brainstorm about Zombie Moon. Err, something. Jamaican harvest. Can't resist...Jamaican me wanna harvest...must stay strong.
The vegetation and agriculture there is so interesting! I think it would provide a rich backdrop for a carefree game about banishing restless duppies (spirits), solving mysteries about town, and raising a crop of sugar cane, plantains, coffee, etc. It doesn't seem crazy to me, because I can see the cool sprite work already.
And the vegetation supports a sort of magic system that is based on plant remedies. The religion would be 90% catholic, as Zora Neal Hurston says, but "100% voodoo". A VOODOO MAGIC SYSTEM WOULD BE SO COOL. Actual voodoo, instead of just sticking needles in stuff. The magical lore and art of Jamaica is fascinating, and altogether neglected, dismissed, and misunderstood. Generally, like any power or force that belongs to black people, historically.
Respectfully portraying the forces of mischief and good would make an interestingly flavored harvest moon.
I would want to make the most bananas, and pick bissy (Kola nut), and other medicinal herbs, and get the coolest girl in town to like me. Goats, chickens, and wild animals would be featured. I would go to the medicine man when sick, and he would give me advice to save myself from evil forces. I would do the mini quest associated with getting well. Or pick some wild plant stuffs.
Jamaicans traditionally only jerked wild caught boars. Which is a dangerous thing. Some hunting aspect of the game would be really cool too. Hunting parties, and food stores.
I think there is a way to write the game to honor the language style of Jamaica without making it obscure to English speakers who are just too dumb to get it, or people who don't even speak English. Really, the magic system, the crops, the medicine man and stuff makes the setting. It doesn't matter if the writing in the game sounds local. Only if it gets across what it has to, or respectfully suggests the way they speak.
I would be basing it on early 1900's Jamaica. Things have changed quite a bit for Jamaica, but I really like the idea of a woman exclaiming "True, sah?" (Is that true). Despite the sin I perpetrated in the title, one shouldn't make an otherwise good game that features boring stereotypes about Jamaican English dialect. Some of the language sounds so good. The both bare bones and artful way they talk about proverbs and so on.
I think you could paint both an accurate and iconic picture of Jamaica for the purposes of the game. And what I really want from the game is the voodoo and herbal arts magic system. Also, to have the best farm and win the heart of the coolest girl. Or boy.
Oh, yes. And the game shouldn't take itself too seriously. It should be silly the way games are meant to be, while making fun of itself, but not Jamaica, like some people would have it. It shouldn't take itself too seriously, because that would be super dumb.
I really like death gods and mischief gods. The devil is one cool, mysterious, bluesy kind of guy in the south. And one boring evil figure in the wrong hands.
I like horse drawn carts of death, and sprites, zombies, and stuff.
Zombies would be a really cool part of the game, can't even begin to say how cool zombies would be. And all the usual suspects of Caribbean monster lore.
Done up all medieval RPG like. But done logically. Rather than randomly, and without sticking to tradition for the sake of tradition. I think the specific battle mechanics of a game should be determined in part by the style you're trying go for...that doesn't mean enough by itself.
But this is my first, unedited brainstorm about Zombie Moon. Err, something. Jamaican harvest. Can't resist...Jamaican me wanna harvest...must stay strong.