Dev Thread: Vasily Verchek's Not Dead

Authoring Story Research and Design
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Hello all!

Oh, whoops, something has fallen out of my pocket, onto the ground, face up at your feet! Don’t look at it! Don’t look at it! Don’t look at it… too closely, anyway:

Beneath a blood-red sky, Director Charmant’s body slumps over the balcony railing, arms dangling into the vast geothermal borehole below. Inspector Tremain surveys the crime scene, while Doc prods the body with strange instruments. A beautiful man in a silk robe loiters near the exit. Emi shadows me, diffidently. > body Things are dramatically different, but here I am again, looking at a dead body. Yes, I notice things the average person probably wouldn’t — the spores dusted on his shoulders, the fleck of paint on his hand, the notch in his sole — but none of it matters without Solomon here to deduce and reason what it means! I see the more obvious as well: he’s a middle-aged man in a drab suit and domino mask. There are wounds between his shoulder-blades and on the back of his head. An incongruous belt has been tied around his waist, over the suit jacket. Perhaps I need to start with those things.
Beneath a blood-red sky, Director Charmant’s body slumps over the balcony railing, arms dangling into the vast geothermal borehole below. Inspector Tremain surveys the crime scene, while Doc prods the body with strange instruments. A beautiful man in a silk robe loiters near the exit. Emi shadows me, diffidently. > body Things are dramatically different, but here I am again, looking at a dead body. Yes, I notice things the average person probably wouldn’t — the spores dusted on his shoulders, the fleck of paint on his hand, the notch in his sole — but none of it matters without Solomon here to deduce and reason what it means! I see the more obvious as well: he’s a middle-aged man in a drab suit and domino mask. There are wounds between his shoulder-blades and on the back of his head. An incongruous belt has been tied around his waist, over the suit jacket. Perhaps I need to start with those things.494×517 71.5 KB

My current WIP is a detective game using my Forsaken Edge setting from Forsaken Denizen and Killing Machine Loves Slime Prince. It’s blending ideas I’ve explored before in Castle of the Red Prince (each case is a single location) and Weird City Interloper (verbless gameplay where you acquire knowledge), but I guess the elevator pitch would be:

Toby’s Nose meets Ace Attorney

Toby, as depicted in the Frogware Sherlock Holmes games, with an Ace Attorney "Objection!" speech bubble.
Toby, as depicted in the Frogware Sherlock Holmes games, with an Ace Attorney "Objection!" speech bubble.607×601 278 KB

(IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: there is no dog in my game.)

Normally, I toil away on these things in the dark and then throw them at my poor beta testers to help smooth off the rough edges, while shrugging about any major flaws they uncover in the foundations of the design. I’m still going to do that to some extent! I don’t think this is the best concept for “a detective game” that I could have come up with, especially when we have the likes of Return of the Obra Dinn, The Roottrees are Dead and, in our own community, Color the Truth, all directly tackling the problem of how to make a game where you investigate and make deductions. I’m just making my simple game where you explore some fantastical locations and contradict witnesses and suspects! That’s what appeals to me!

BUT.

The fact is that I am singularly ill-equipped to write murder mysteries. I like playing with my weird little characters in make-believe land. I like dressing them up and decorating the set. I like leaving things a bit vague so you can fill in the blanks with your own imagination. I like giving characters rocket launchers and jetbikes and letting them use them. What I am less good at is writing a cast-iron plot with no logical inconsistencies. Really, I have probably never done that!

So my plan with Vasily Verchek’s Not Dead is that after I’ve finished each of the five cases (I have a vague character arc in mind, but mostly it’s just that Ace Attorney games normally have five cases), I’ll release them for beta testing - maybe even open beta testing?! And we can try and fill in all the plot holes with gravel (or whatever plot is made of).

I’m probably still a way away from anything worth sharing (how about a very early alpha-type release to check that the basic mechanics are comprehensible? something a sensible author might do, if I am one), but while I work on it, I’m going to post here every so often with some polls, in-universe bits of text etc. to try and drum up interest and expand my pool of victims volunteers.

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The Makzelo Facsimile
Fool’s Orbit, 360 I.C.

Partisans Captured, Killed in Citywide Raid
Rex Kaster, Crime Correspondent

When Inspector Tremain transferred to Makzelo from New Mars, it was with the unspoken promise that he would help restore law and order at a time of unprecedented chaos and uncertainty. Following a series of raids on suspected terrorist safehouses within the city, assisted by Space Corps forces from the orbiting battleship Venko, he appears to have made some first steps in that direction. “Several” key members of the Forsaken Militia leadership structure have been captured alive, according to Imperial sources, while an unstated number of other partisans were killed in the engagement.

Initial rumours, inspired by the lack of newcomers among those apprehended, suggested that these might be members of the notorious, human-supremacist Zeta Cell, which is said to be growing bolder in venturing south from the Olmlands. But authorities have now identified the terrorists as belonging to Rho Cell - contradicting its egalitarian facade. Having already been charged with terrorism and sedition, sentencing of the suspects under the Emergency Mandate is expected later today.

RHO TWO’S NOTES: Comparison to Zeta Cell is direct Imperial talking point. Though if none of us are supposed to be newcomers that keeps suspicion away from me. Possible that no-one captured alive - attempt to provoke rescue mission? Trap? Not enough good soldiers left anyway.

Here’s a first little poll for you lot: about the title. I can’t promise I’ll change anything based on any polls, mind, but it will at least help me gauge reaction.

In the Forsaken Edge setting, Vasily Verchek is a Great Detective out of the history books. You might think he died hundreds of years ago… but, in fact, he’s Not Dead! (Kind of!)

This is the essence of my title. There’s a name presented like you should know who the heck it is. And there’s a surprising description of his state that might pique your interest and perhaps implies that he has had previous exciting adventures. I know I often come up with strange titles for my games, but in this case I think I’ve done pretty well!

But Verchek was a detective on a generation ship, and there’s another prominent parser game out there featuring a starship on a long voyage and with a title that ends in “Dead”: Never Gives Up Her Dead. It’s also one of the few games to have a dev thread on this forum. Do these similarities actually matter at all? Click a thingy below and let me know what you think!

Does the title “Vasily Verchek’s Not Dead” remind you of “Never Gives Up Her Dead”?
  • No, it’s fine
  • Yes, you should change it
  • Yes, but it’s fine
  • No, but you should change it because I, a person with bad taste in titles, do not like it
0 voters
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Just playing the devil’s advocate for a moment, I know that “Verchek’s” in the title is a contraction of “Verchek is”, but it could also be seen as possessive, as in the Not Dead (or Undead) belonging to Vasily Verchek, and that may even be intentional.

As a (former) technical writer, I was trained to not use contractions in technical documentation for an international audience, as English may not be everyone’s first language and they may not understand contractions. So, should it be “Vasily Verchek is not Dead”?

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When I saw the poll and that it was about a name, I still didn’t think of Never Gives Up Her Dead, and I wrote it! It just didn’t occur to me that they might be different. I think it’s because for me I thought of Russian first (my apologies if it’s actually Polish or another non-russian language) so I started picturing Cosmonauts and some kind of vibe like ‘Jetson’s if it was written by the Soviets and more gritty’. So while the meter and last word are a little similar if pointed out, the images your title evokes felt unique and fresh to me and didn’t bring any similarity to mind.

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I’ll confess that I like the cadence of four words more, but you make a good point. There’s also “Vasily Verchek isn’t Dead”, which retains a contraction but avoids the ambiguity.

I’d say that someone who can’t understand contractions wouldn’t be able to get into the game, but titles still have utility for people who haven’t engaged with a work directly (or can’t).

I suspect there may be another poll in the future…

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E: Not until you suggested it, ✓

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The ‘not dead’ expanded universe:

Choice of the Deathless

Will Not Let Me Go

Long Live the Queen

Never Gives Up Her Dead

And then the sequel series:

Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish Out of Me

Dead Like Ants

Tonight Dies the Moon

Everybody Dies

(sorry for clogging up responses to your dev diary. The setting from your other two games is so cool, love to see it coming back, and mysteries are my favorite type of IF!)

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The names aren’t that similar so I think you’re fine on that front.

I also don’t mind the contraction in the title but I like the ‘isn’t dead’ version better. It rolls of the tongue eaiser.

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Real life events have slowed me down a bit the past week or two, but given that I’m maybe halfway through the first of five cases, I’m in this project for the long haul regardless.

For now, let’s talk about worldbuilding. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed a fair few lore dumps, setting books and fan wikis in my time, but I’m also more than happy to suspend disbelief and I don’t mind occasionally seeing the creator’s fingerprints on the world.

When I’m making something, I usually see worldbuilding as the box of toys that I give myself to play with. And my main preoccupation is putting enough cool and weird things in that box to hold my interest.

But what’s even the point of reusing a setting if I end up contradicting myself too badly? I want to try my best to keep things consistent, even if I hope you’ll give me a bit of leeway. To that end, I’ve tried documenting Forsaken Edge in a few different OneNotes, TiddlyWikis and other formats… None of which have stuck… until now!

Denizens, sun-siders and apians: here is The Denizen’s Guide to Forsaken Edge!

Screenshot of The Denizen's Guide to Forsaken Edge: a webpage with a red aesthetic by default.
Screenshot of The Denizen's Guide to Forsaken Edge: a webpage with a red aesthetic by default.1106×811 27.6 KB

It’s divided up between characters, locations and a glossary. And each entry adheres to my rule of thumb that everything can be described in two sentences if you try hard enough. There are some mild(?) spoilers for Killing Machine Loves Slime Prince and Forsaken Denizen, and some things are defined a little more concretely than they are in the games - but I’ve still erred on the side of being mysterious. Even now, no-one can tell us what a hydroponics sphere is!

(FYI, there are probably still some errors and omissions in the guide, but at this point I think I need to put it down and get back to my WIP.)

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The Makzelo Facsimile
Magician’s Orbit, 360 I.C.

The Ten Brightest Lights of Makzelo, 360
Ela Kaylock, Social Correspondent

It’s that orbit again: time to collate our list of the most influential citizens and denizens in the city we call home! There are a few new entries this year, so hold on to your veils…

10: Inspector Tremain
Our first fresh face, and at the bottom of the list. This New Martian detective has talked a big game, but let’s be honest: he’s still largely untested. With energy pirates shimmying along the cables in broad daylight and partisans growing bolder in the spore zone, it remains to be seen if he can bring us that sun-side law and order.

9: Milly “Mil” Lerueger
The puppet craze of my grandparents’ generation seemed like a rare oddity to my parents, but here we are, once again delighting in seeing funny little dummies prance around on the end of strings. Mil’s schtick is telling historical stories from long enough ago that it avoids all controversy. Denizens flock from across the city to see our ancestors flee the Old Twin Stars and murder one another on the Ancient Flotilla - all while wiggling around comically and speaking in silly voices.

8: Renoire “Ren” Jelarde
Makzelo’s most eligible bachelor, and the owner of our trendiest nightclub. What he lacks in depth he more than makes up for in good looks, mystery… and a dash of scandal. Anyone who’s anyone has to be seen at Club Caligineux… let’s just hope it’s not in too compromising a position!

7: Olfred Krondus
“Who?!” I hear you ask. But this scientist and adventurer has been moving in Royal circles for some time, and comes to us by way of the Third Prince’s Court. Of course, the less said about his Imperial benefactor the better, which is why he isn’t further up the list.

6: Xel
Money. Influence. Power. Xel has all of these, but at what cost? Can you really bank on the kind of clout you get through ties to Ĉefreto? Allegedly! Allegedly, I say! Xel, of course, denies any and all criminality.

5: Oracle Nya
I’m not a believer, but some of my best friends are newcomers, and let’s just say that they have a significant new incentive for going to church! This oracle won’t just help point your way when you’re lost, her dazzling black eyes are also likely to set hearts aflutter among the pious and impious alike…

4: Ludo Winfield
It takes only two people to run the entire massive power plant at the heart of our city, and, well, this is the other one! Ludo handles the more technical, less sexy aspects of Elektrocentralo Unu, which must give him some level of importance, even if you never hear about him!

3: Captain Celia Vanta
Not much is known about this mysterious extrasolarian. Ask the inhabitants of Astronaut Alley about her and they’re as likely to all point out a different person. But there’s an undeniable prestige to having been born under a different sun, and this is the only individual in Makzelo who can claim the honour.

2: Director Wilbur Charmant
When Elektrocentralo Unu was completed, and the denizens who helped build it were no longer needed, we still clung to its side like fleas, sucking out what stolen power we could. But it was Director Charmant who finally chose to negotiate with us and dole us out a fair portion of the energy intended for the shipbreaking yards at Illume. If our city has any legitimate industry beyond what you can power with a water wheel, we owe it to Director Charmant.

1: Baroness Niskai V
We’ve all seen it! The opulent airship floating in the sky. And we all know who’s on it! A bona fide aristocrat from the Event Horizon, living in luxury with only her automaton servant for company. What is she here for? Well, no-one doubts that when she wants us to know, we will all find out.

RHO TWO’S NOTES: Article would be unchanged if my cover intact or not. Nice to see Oracle getting such respect… Tough to say if Ela now in more danger from Xel or Adumbral Traditionalists.

In the grand tradition of hobbyist game projects, development has slowed a bit since I bought Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, pretty much on release day, and have been playing it obsessively since.

But the skeleton of case one is pretty much complete. If you know exactly the right commands to enter, you can get from the start to the denouement! Of course, without all the flesh that’s supposed to be on that skeleton, you won’t be able to figure out what those commands should be, but, hey, it’s a milestone.

I know I referenced Ace Attorney above, where the cases are often extremely dramatic and full of twists and reversals, but case one of my game, at least, plays out a bit more as an exploration of a space, with NPCs serving as gates until they’re unlocked with the right piece of evidence. This will reveal more about the murder until Inspector Tremain steps in and steamrolls through the summation/accusation/arrest. (Then there’ll be a little case epilogue where Vasily covers a few things that Tremain missed, with a twist or two as a treat.) Maybe I can come up with some different formats for later cases, or maybe this is the best I can do. I guess we’ll find out!

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