🍅Why I put an Endless Mode in the TORSO TENNIS Demo

Talking about the TORSO TENNIS Update and my experiences with RimWorld, a game that brands itself as a "Story Generator".

The TORSO TENNIS Demo has gotten it’s fourth major update: The ENDLESS TENNIS Update. Play the Demo and Leave a Review on Steam

New features:

• Endless Mode - keep looping through the 4 weeks of the demo

• Tails - each loop will grant you an additional limb slot

• Force-trigger limb slots for insane combos

• Tattoo Viewbar - easily reference your tattoos in the shop, and stack multiple tattoos

• Balance adjustments to Critters, Shells, and more

  

Why I Put an Endless Mode in the Demo

I wanted demo players to experience the thrill of filling out a build over the course of a full run even though the demo is limited to 12 rounds of tennis matchups. Endless Mode was going to be a full-game-only feature, but I recently changed my mind on this.

I watched this GDC talk (starts at 30 mins) about how spaceship-building simulator Cosmoteer was free during it’s development, and that helped to build more of a community and gather feedback around the game. I also just think it’s cool to allow people to dig deeper into the demo as I polish up the final game.

If I may reflect a bit here, I’m glad I’ve been treating the demo as an “Early Access” for the game rather than actually launching as an Early Access title. It’s been nice to keep the pressure low as I make adjustments and add content to the demo.

I loved adding Shells and RIPs to the demo in previous updates, but this Endless Update might have some of the best QoL changes yet. It’s been good to hear peoples thoughts and see some of the WILD builds in this new update.

So far the furthest a player has made it into the game is 188 rounds - 15 loops of the demo!

What’s next for TORSO TENNIS:

I'll be live on Twitch throughout the month of June (usually Weekday mornings around 9am Eastern Time) working on updates to the TORSO TENNIS demo and moving towards a complete version of the game.

I published 20 short videos in May. It was a lot. I will probably dial back on that a bit as I prepare to attend the Too Many Games event in Philadelphia, PA at the end of June. If you see me there, come say hi!

What I’ve been Playing: a Story Generation Game?

Recently, I’ve been playing RimWorld. It’s a colony simulation game with an approach of focusing on interactions between individual colonists that have their own flaws, skills, and passions.

Notably, Rimworld is very upfront about branding itself as a “Story Generator” rather than a game. This is listed prominently on the Steam page and is part of the in-game tutorial. Before starting any game of RimWorld, you must choose between three “AI Storytellers” who guide the pacing of events in the game. You can choose between balanced-pace storytellers and chaotic storytellers, but the player must be aware of this choice before even entering the game. This does a lot to set the tone: we are here to create and take part in a storytelling experience.

I was curious about this storytelling concept, so I dove in. It is indeed a fantastic story generator. There are countless times over the last few weeks that I’ve recounted to friends stories that were all based on emergent gameplay: The herd of angry elephants that wrecked my base, the mistake led to my favorite pet dying, or the moment that a colonist had a mental breakdown and returned to the wild (they will literally just behave like the other animals on the map until you re-tame them)!

When I slow down to notice the story moments, I truly become immersed in them. I imagine what the colonists are saying to each other as they greet each other in a hallway, I feel the relief when a rainstorm puts out a raging fire, I empathize with the immense grief of losing a loved one.

Even with all this, even with all of RimWorld’s strengths as a story generator, I find myself viewing it and playing it as more of a base-building game. As I play, my mind is fixated on growing the colony, expanding my base, and stockpiling enough to survive wars and winters. The gameplay is gripping. Hours will melt by as I just barely ride out whatever curveballs the AI Storyteller sends my way.

It’s maybe because of this trance-inducing gameplay that there are also moments where the emotions arise and hit you like a ton of bricks. Last night, I was focused elsewhere in my base when a raider walked by my beloved pet dog and slaughtered him in an instant. I literally gasped.

Tynan Sylvester, lead developer of RimWorld has an excellent GDC talk (Contrarian, Ridiculous, and Impossible Game Design Methods) where he talks about the inspirations of making a game that was more designed around emergent story moments than the “Arcade Emotions” of triumph or defeat. I’d argue that RimWorld still leans on these Arcade Emotions quite a bit, but I don’t think that is a bad thing! It’s cool that a game can do a wide range of things and can be played and enjoyed in many ways.

Thanks so much for reading the newsletter. As always, join the Discord to leave feedback and stay up to date on development. You can also respond directly to this email if you’d like to get in touch with me.

<3 Michael