Letter from Alex Massé
Apr 30, 2020
Hi there!
This week we wanted to share a bit more about us, who we are and why we are making Paralives. So Roxane, Léa and I all wrote a little something, here it is! As usual, remember to keep the content of this post between Patrons only :)
Alex
I started playing games at 5 or 6 on Nintendo consoles like the NES and SNES. I was hooked from the start. We also had a lot of Lego blocks in the house and I would spend all of my days building stuff, especially houses and space ships. Then, I remember when we first got a computer at home. It felt like magic! Just organizing my documents and images, drawing in Paint and playing the simple preinstalled Windows 98 games felt amazing to me. So, combining all these interests, it was natural to be very interested in simulation games like The Sims and RollerCoaster Tycoon. That's why I've been playing these games all my life, dreaming of cool features that I would love to add in them, if only I could.
In high school, I took an optional programming class and immediately liked it. It was now clear that I wanted to turn that into a career. I kept making small video games in my spare time while in university so I learned a lot that way. After graduating, I worked as a programmer in the game industry for about 5 years. Then, I felt that I had enough experience and savings that I was ready to quit my job and start working on something. Since I always had a ton of ideas for new games, making my own project and my own decisions always felt appealing to me. I chose to work on a life simulation game because it's the genre that is the closest to my heart, letting me express my creativity and getting lost in them for hours and hours. And as a huge simulation game fan, it was really easy to come out with ideas for a game like that! Then I discovered so many people like me where interested in the concept behind Paralives so it felt amazing to know people are as excited as I am for this game! To sum up, I'm simply making Paralives for myself and for everyone who are passionate about this kind of games! I feel extremely lucky to be able to be on this journey and incredibly grateful for all the support you have given us!
Me as a child, already building houses and working on the first prototype of Paralives!
Roxane
My first "game where you could build stuff" was Lego Creator Harry Potter. While fun, it didn’t run very well and had a low object limit. So my dad eventually got nine years old me the Sims Deluxe. Not only could I build, but also play around with my own intelligent(ish) people. I was hooked! (Other advantages of the Sims: easier to create new characters than having to buy more Barbies; a lot less messy than plasticine.)
What I love about this genre of games is being able to create my own little worlds. Creating (and recreating) all kinds of characters. Building not only homes, but public spaces, job sites, whatever the game will allow. Putting the resulting community into action, and playing out where it goes from there. I know I'm far from the only one who uses Sims games to illustrate their stories.
I initially got into 3d modeling through the creation of Sims 2 custom content. The first custom object I made was a smaller version of the game's fir tree - which I needed to accurately recreate my house and yard. It's a powerful feeling being able to create the content you want. This is one of the reasons why I am so glad to be part of the Paralives team.
So I obviously think flexibility and customizability are important. People do all kinds of things in these games, one playstyle is as valid as the next. My other big focus is gameplay ‘depth’: your choices should matter, and your parafolk feel like actual characters. In the end, this genre focuses on people and their environment. Better make them interesting for players to play god with.
Léa
I've always liked to imagine worlds and characters, the first career that I dreamed of was as a writer. When I was little, I used to play Playmobils with my brother all day long. We would create whole cities where each inhabitant had his or her own role and personality. I started simulation games with The Sims 1, then 2, then 3, and the wonderful games RollerCoaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon. I spent weeks playing these games with my best friend, glued together in front of the same computer during our school holidays. I have fantastic memories of it!
In 2014, I started streaming on Twitch with the release of The Sims 4, the one I played the most on and now I own almost all of the DLCs and Packs. Beside that, I'm a big fan of the Fable and The Witcher licenses, I have a soft spot for licenses that let you "write" the story you want to create.
I discovered Paralives very early on with the window video, I was instantly hooked. As an artist, what I liked right away was that Paralives is a game which allows you to express your creativity.
Now that I'm working on creating my dream game, what would I like to bring to it?
First of all I would say consistency in the universe, townies with a story, real personalities, rich lore and secrets to discover! I would like Paralives to find its own place in the world of simulation games. Beyond a mere game, I think that Paralives is an incredible medium to talk about what we care about, and create the stories we want. Its simple graphics give us a lot of freedom. I'm always looking for ways to distinguish it from other games, to make it Unique.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and tell us in the comment section of this post how you started playing life simulation games and what you love about them! I'm curious to know about that :)
Bonus screenshot of Léa, me and Roxane in Animal Crossing New Horizons!
Cheers!
Alex
Edit: This post is now public so feel free to share it with everyone!
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