Why Not Humans
Ever wonder why the Green Ember is populated with rabbits instead of humans? After all, Green Ember rabbits wear armor and clothes; they garden and do pottery. In short, they behave like people. What advantage comes from casting the characters as animals?
Glad you asked! One advantage is to make the familiar unfamiliar, which drives interest. But that’s not all! What happens when you pair a rabbit with a wolf? Instant sympathy. The rabbit is in danger. The odds are stacked against him. The drama arrives without a scrap of backstory or exposition. Why? Because animal types give a shorthand for relationships.
Animal types also clarify complex political arrangements. Suppose you’re putting your kids to bed with the story of Skanderbeg defending Albania against Turkish invaders in the 1400s, only to be undermined by Venetian merchants. Kids love that story—such a favorite. Yet it requires you to explain the wealth of the Ottomans, the poverty of the Albanians, and the greed of the Venetian merchants. That’s a lot of rigamarole.But tell of a rabbit general betrayed by rabbit merchants to Ottoman wolves, and the treachery is instantly visible. In short, anthropomorphism reveals the nature of groups in conflict, suited to a big sprawling story.
How the Game Brings This to Life
The game borrows these same conventions. Most notably, the Komodo dragon imagery in the Dragon Tomb creates an uneasy setting for rabbits.
These environments deepen the story and immerse the player in menacing echoes of a past civilization. Curious about the backstory? You’ll find its roots in Green Ember: Old Natalia (particularly, Prince Lander and the Dragon War).
Players are Talking
Speaking of stories, yours have been a joy to read. It’s wonderful to receive feedback on the Demo. If you haven’t tried it yet, you can go to Steam and download it for free. Here’s a smattering of the praise we like to print out and flop around in like Scrooge McDuck in his money bin.
One player says:
“It’s so cool! My sister and I and our dad have all played it. The graphics are super well done. The music is awesome! I just love the soundtrack so far! The puzzle/fighting combination is well-constructed and a great way to make the game unique, fun, challenging, and realistic… Helmer is an awesome character in The Green Ember series, and a game and book dedicated to him is super cool! So excited for the book release!”
A mother writes:
“Thank you so much for putting this together! My eldest son, age 11, LOVES the Green Ember Series. This summer he quickly read the entire series and couldn’t stop talking about it. When I showed him the demo he said that the game looked a lot like the book…Thank you so much for creating this series, my youngest son, who prefers to read graphic novels, has been enjoying reading these chapter books without much prompting.
One more:
“It was amazing! I am dying to get my hands on the whole game, the demo itself was fun and full of action! The graphics and controls were all so smooth and quick, I took down all the enemies in seconds.
Thank you SO MUCH S.D. Smith for making a way for me to adventure!”
Your words keep us going, and we’re trying our best to deliver the best results possible. Thank you for journeying with us.
Sincerely,
Zach
