#memory gallery

You can store your memories in memory galleries. You can make a memory gallery by making a symbol that triggers your memory gallery. For example, the symbol of 3 circles and 1 square can trigger your memory gallery. Notice that you can make multiple memory galleries (I wrote the word gallery in its plural form.) You should make sure to have a separate symbol for each memory gallery, so they don't overlap. You don't need to make more than one memory gallery if you don't need more than one memory gallery. You can put memories into a memory gallery by making a "mental photo" of something (a place, a person in a place, etc) you see with your eyes or recalling a mental photo, imagining a short amount of text describing the mental photo, and assigning it a unique number (1, 2, 3) or a unique group number (1a, 2b, 3[yellow circle], etc). Groups in your memory gallery represent memories with common features. Ways to make a mental photo: - Imagine the symbol that triggers your memory gallery next to the memory using an interactive mental image or using interactive vision. - Imagine a flash of any colour using an interactive mental image or using interactive vision. You can combine both of these to make a mental photo together if you want to. In your memory gallery, you can view memories by their unique number or by their unique group number. You can imagine the memories that have unique numbers to be in columns and rows. Unique group numbers can be viewed by imagining their group identification letter, symbol, etc in your mind (in 1a, the group identification letter is "a" and in 3[yellow circle], the symbol is the yellow circle). Memory interactions: - Trigger memories = Make an unequal memory trigger connection where the superior trigger is a symbol (two blue boxes, etc) and the inferior trigger is a memory. When you think of that superior trigger, the memory assigned to it will get triggered. - Fake memories = Make a memory that didn't happen and put it in a unique group number that only holds fake memories to not forget what memories in your memory gallery are fake. By thinking these memories in this fake memory group are real, you may change your behaviour. For example, if someone wants you to interact with them more, you can make fake memories of you often interacting with them and try to believe that they are real memories. Some fake memory example types are fake action, fake activity, fake name (change name of a person to another name), etc. - Planned memories = Make an unequal memory trigger connection where the superior trigger is a situation (a room, a feeling, argument, etc) and the inferior trigger is a memory. When that situation, the superior trigger, occurs, the memory assigned to it will get triggered. You can use this if you know a situation where you need a specific memory or memories. Note: Planned memories may not be triggered if you become distracted (deep feelings, a heated argument, etc). A useful thing to know is that memories can trigger specific emotions moods that you can use to your benefit. For example, if you're running to train your endurance, you can think of a memory of you listening to your favourite motivating song to get that motivating mood while running. If the memory contains enough information about the music in it, you could play the song in your head while running too.

Another useful thing to know is that memories can trigger specific temporary traits that you can use to your benefit. A temporary trait is a trait that someone can get by triggering it, while a permanent trait is a trait that occurs naturally in someone without them triggering it. Temporary traits are often much faster than permanent traits in some way due to the individual not being adapted to them. For example, if you're reading a text, you can think of a memory of you quadruple checking something that is similar to what you're currently doing (example: quadruple checking a sentence in another text) to get the temporary quadruple checking trait. With the temporary quadruple checking trait, you would be able to read the text you're reading with some stops while doing fast quadruple checks with your mind that you may not feel like you're doing. If you had a permanent quadruple checking trait, you would take more stops while reading due to doing much slower quadruple checks. Memory trigger information

here’s the memory for playroom escapades – a recreation of the playroom / attic in the house where kalliope and saffron grew up with their parents milton and ilona:

note that there are four childlike drawings on the wall, one of each family member (presumably done by saffron – kalliope is drawn very small and without any details, so my theory is that saffron is the older sibling to kalliope, and saffron drew this when they were a toddler and kalliope was a baby!). now let’s zoom in on ilona and milton:

also of note is this little blue car in the window (which ilona is implied to be driving in to support milton thru his health crisis — both in the text of the memory and in the silhouette aligning with the drawing of her (though what is implied to be milton’s silhouette with the cane in the other window debunks this bc he isn’t wearing a hat lol but still)):

now with all of that in mind.................... (dramatic pause)…………… here are some background / “prop” characters in playroom escapades, specifically seen in the background of the level select menu (!!!) as well as the levels “suspicious toys,” “toyraiser,” and “hide and seek”:

————————

GalaxyNextDoor interview

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Our friends at the superb gamingblog GalaxyNextDoor asked me a few questions about ilomilo.

[NOTE FROM TESS: Since the GalaxyNextDoor site is also only accessible on the wayback machine, I’ll paste it below as well for easy reading!]

Swedish developer Southend Interactive may be most know for their remakes of Lode Runner and Tecmo Bowl, but the small studio is hard at work on an original IP for XBLA which looks to be the studios biggest game yet.

ilomilo is Southend’s newest title, exclusively for XBLA and one of the most creative looking puzzlers around. Featuring gorgeous graphics and a delightful soundtrack, ilomilo is one of those stand out artsy titles that Microsoft has been slowly bringing to XBLA.

ilomilo Level Designer,  Martin Blomkvist was kind enough to give us some new info on the studios title as well as some of the benefits of going the digital delivery route for smaller studios.

GND: ilomilo looks incredibly cute. Where did you guys get the inspiration for the characters ilo and milo and the dreamlike world they inhabit?

Martin: The visual inspiration for ilomilo came from many everyday things but was mainly inspired by artists such as Hundertwasser and Klimt. We also took inspiration from russian animation such as Cheburashka, Hedgehog in the fog and the russian version of Winnie the pooh.

GND: ilomilo is a puzzle game, that’s obvious but what isn’t are the goals of the game. What’s ilo and milo’s goals for each level and do specific cubes have special properties?

Martin: The goal for each level is to bring ilo and Milo together. It doesn’t matter where on the level they meet up, but they need to be on the same side and on connecting cubes. In order to bring ilo and Milo together the player needs to make use of special cubes that can be picked up and placed down almost anywhere on the level. Some cubes have special abilities that activates when they are put down on the ground or placed in a hole. One cube for example stretches out so that it becomes three cubes lenght. Another cube has a hole in it that ilo or milo can fall through and end up on the opposing side.

GND: Featured in one of the trailers we saw for the game were what looked like some flying creatures, will we be able to ride them?

Martin: If you mean the flying grey cubes then yes, you will be able to ride them. They are a key part in many of the tricky puzzles.

GND: When we first got a look at ilomilo our first thought was, “OMG a co-op puzzle game, that’s brilliant!” Please tell us that ilomilo can be played with a friend.

Martin: Yes, you will be able to team up with your best friend (or your worst enemy for that matter) and solve puzzles together. The gameplay is essentially the same, but in two player mode you work as a tag team where one player controls ilo and the other controls Milo. Only one character can be active at a time, but the player who isn’t active controls a fly which can be used to mark out cubes to help out the active player. Also, if you don’t feel so helpful you can choose to annoy your fellow player instead by using the buttons on the controller to play instruments.

GND: In the past few years XBLA has matured quite a bit from the retro fueled games that it began with, to now fuller and more experimental experiences like Braid. With so many different genres like shooters and side scrollers making a comeback on XBLA, what inspired Southend to go with a puzzle game and what do you think differentiates ilomilo from anything else out there?

Martin: The visual style is probably what makes ilomilo stand out of the crowd the most, but the 3D-labyrinth gameplay isn’t exactly overly done either. The reason we choose the puzzle genre was simply because we like puzzlers and felt like doing a fully fledged puzzle game. Next time it could be a pirate-brawler, a fantasy space marine RTS or a dark epic dinosaur MMORPG. You never know! :)

GND: What are some of the benefits of going the downloadable digital route for a new IP like ilomilo versus the more traditional brick and mortar route?

Martin: Games distributed online are usually smaller and doesn’t have the budget of a retail title. Since online distribution isn’t as expensive it makes it possible for smaller companies like us to get our games on the market without taking too great risks. Without digital distribution smaller and more niched games such as ilomilo, Braid and tower of goo probably would not have been possible.

GND: Will Southend be supporting ilomilo with perhaps some DLC after release?

Martin:There is always a possibility.

GND: When can gamers expect to get their hands on ilomilo and do you guys have any idea on a price point?

Martin: ilomilo will be out this year at some point. The price has not been set yet.

————————

multitap interview

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Brazilian videogameblog multitap interviewed me the other day. If you can read portuguese Click here for to read the interview!

Even if you can’t read it, you should head over anyway as there are some new screenshots there.

Want to read the interview in english? Why, here it is then:

Where did the inspiration for ilomilo and its art style came from? Inspiration comes from a lot of places. It can be from everyday things but I’m also inspired by artists such as Hundertwasser and Klimt. There’s a lot of inspiration drawn from the world of animation. For example i’m a big fan of hedgehog in the fog, cheburashka and russian winnie the pooh.

What does “ilo” and “milo” mean? What are they? ilo and milo are names, and ilo and milo are whatever you want them to be. I like to think of them as represantions of two peoples minds.

What’s the main objective on every level? Is there an “end spot” to reach? The main goal is to unite ilo and milo wherever possible on the level. There’s no “end spot”. There’s also other stuff to do on the levels, such as collecting stuff to unlock secret things and stories.

Is there any difference in gameplay between ilo and milo? They play exactly the same.

How many levels there will be in the game? About fifty, including the super hardcore bonus levels that features a lot of fun stuff that we haven’t shown yet!

Is there some kind of plot, story mode? What is it about? There is a story yes. In fact there are several stories told in different ways, on different consciousness levels. But we would like the players to find out for themselves when playing the game.

In the last trailer for ilomilo, you show some kind of 8-bit ilomilo. Is that just a minigame, or maybe a standalone title (for XBLA)? You’re talking about ILOMILO SHUFFLE! It’s a minigame that you find somewhere within the main game. It’s more of an action oriented game than the main game. It also has it’s own leaderboard!

The game seems too cute, at the same time complex for little kids. Who are you aiming to? Everyone that likes fun experiences. To get through the main story is probably not too complex for not so experienced players. But if you want to unlock everything, play all the bonus levels and such you have to be pretty clever. So there’s hopefully something in ilomilo for players of all skill levels.

Certainly this is not the first new IP Southend is creating and developing, but you have been more famous with remakes like Lode Runner, R-Type Dimensions and Tecmo Bowl Throwback. What are the difference between working in a new IP and a licensed game? There’s a lot of differences. The bigges one is that there is of course greater freedom when working with your own IP. Since we’re creating this world by ourselves we set the rules on what is fitting in the universe and stuff like that.

Most games from Southend Interactive are for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Another one is being developed for Windows Phone. What about making or porting games for iPhone or PSN (at least a PSP Minis)? Maybe WiiWare? Tecmo Bowl was actually released for PSN, so we have experiences from other consoles. There’s nothing specific going on for the platforms you mention, but surely it would be fun to work with either some day.

Any news about the release date for ilomilo, or how much it will cost? Releasing this year, that’s all I can say! We’re hoping to be able to offer it at an affordable price point, but in the end it’s all up to the publisher.

So I guess that's its official name? (It's the only place I can find it mentioned, as it's a level prop and not a game mechanic)