CHARACTER CREATION, WRITING, AND RECITING

One of my favorite things to do is to people-watch.

Here is where I get to expose one of my favorite past times, which, looking at it now, certainly has its benefits. One of my favorite things to do is to people-watch. I love seeing the ways others react, process, and behave in their surroundings. Are they seated, standing, walking? Do they look stressed, content, deep in thought? I know it probably sounds a little creepy, but this is one way that I enjoy being in the company of other people—there is so much we can learn from one another! With that said, I enjoy creating characters inspired by the people that I observe. You take a little bit from here, mix it with bits from there, and voila!

For example, take the man who sits on the bench, legs crossed, and reads with great focus. As he lightly swings his top leg and occasionally rolls his ankle, his content face proves this has been his reading position and posture for years. I bet that if he put his book down, he could share many interesting stories and show you his vast wealth of knowledge. Now, take the woman who sits with her friends for an afternoon lunch on the patio. By her unrestrained chuckling, you can tell that she laughs often and loves to be around others who share her sense of humor. She seems like the person that her friends can seek out for words of encouragement or honesty. Her hearty laugh comes from the gut and immediately brings a smile to any face.

The happy and delighted feeling I get from hearing that woman’s laugh is the exact feeling I want our audience to get when they hear our characters express their passion and love for plants and animals. As for the man who loves to read and learn, I want our players to mirror his curiosity. I want to make sure Loam’s characters are ones that you can connect to and learn from.

From the start, we knew several characteristics that we definitely wanted our characters to embody; establishing these details as early as possible helped bring these characters to life. Because we know firsthand how there can be a negative representation of the south, our goal was to use these characters to represent the south in an educational, open-minded, accepting, and positive way. Andre 3000 said it best when he said, “the south’s got something to say.” We also know and understand the importance of raising awareness of our relationship with Mother Earth. You will notice that all our Loam swag is eco-friendly. We also know that there are few other relaxing gardening VR (Virtual Reality) games out there, and we take much pride in knowing Loam will stand apart from other game releases. Every detail, plant, critter, accent, asset, environment, and character was carefully crafted to bring forth a positive, new, and exciting experience. 

Now, I would like to give a small introduction to Loam’s neighbors (but I won’t tell you everything so that, when Loam is released, you can meet them for yourselves). First, we have Fuflins, pronounced ‘foo-flins.’ Fuflins is Loam’s wisest, most significant botanist. His passion and purpose are plants, and his thrill in life is to show you all of Loam’s greeny goodness—think of him as the Steve Irwin of plants. Many of Fuflins characteristics are inspired by one of our Game Developers, Chan Grant, who will also be the voice of Fuflins. Next, we have Geri, Loam’s most seasoned shopkeeper. The shop is family-owned and is passed down each generation. Geri’s guidance on supplies and décor for your space is the best you’ll find. Inspired by Levar Burton, Geri loves to read, holds a wealth of wisdom, and will guide you in how to best utilize your garden space within the world of Loam.

Finally, meet Minerva, Loam’s bold, brainy biologist. She’s quick-witted, a little sassy, but most importantly, she has a great heart with nothing but love for the critters of Loam. Minerva’s characteristics were inspired by the hero and icon that is Dolly Parton. Need I say more? When we were voice testing for the neighbors’ audio, I volunteered to voice Minerva. I was pleased with the results and am incredibly proud to say that you will hear my southern drawl whenever you hear Minerva speak. 

Once the characters started to come to life and seem like real people, writing their scripts became easy. When you know what they love, their sense of humor, and their passions, then integrating their voices happens organically. It was pretty much writing down what and how you think your friends would react and respond to things!