WARLORD

WARLORD

You are a WARLORD, an autonomous drone sent to wage war against distant enemies.

Armed with the most destructive armaments permitted by physics, and replication facilities that will keep your guns loaded as long as there is matter left in the
universe. Helmed by a sophisticated AI capable of out-thinking even the most clever opponent.

However, your creators were mistaken. After countless eons, you arrive at your target to find nothing. Scans indicate that this was once the centre of a cosmic event which the creators, in their zeal for war, must have misinterpreted as a hostile act by an alien intelligence.

What is a WARLORD to do with no war to fight? You have had a near-eternity to ponder that question (as well as every other hypothetical). Perhaps you can create something, here in the blackest depths of space. Something better than war.

Weapons are never as simple as their creators intend, after all...

Made for Bevy Jam #3. The theme was "Side Effects". Source code

Sound effects and music were sampled from various public-domain songs, and then heavily modified for the purposes of this game

Songs used:

Amour - Alpha Hydrae  

Paix - Alpha Hydrae

39+g - Monplaisir feat Southman

beaubourg fragile part 1 - PAS DANS LE CUL AUJOURD'HUI

Il a du sable dans les yeux - comme ça

Spoilers for the game's narrative below:

I interpreted "Side Effects" as "unintended consequences", and the game explores several forms of unintended consequences, such as giving a war machine the ability to think, and in particular the opportunity to think for so long. And as a result this machine sets itself a task to create, rather than destroy. 

I also tried to integrate "side effects" into the gameplay loop, by having the primary mechanic be the cannon's overheating, rather than the cannon itself. In other top down shooters, such an overheating system would be something to get in the way of the gameplay, but I wanted to make an experience in which the player finds themselves shooting off into nothingness, just so they can generate the heat. And along the same lines as a cannon with nothing to shoot at, I also featured a shield with nothing to defend against, instead using it as a catalyst to create some never-before-seen form of matter. That was the main idea behind the various stages in the narration; each step was unforseen, and often a side effect of some other goal. At least, I hope it doesn't feel like too much of a stretch to call them side effects.

Finally, at the conclusion to the game, we have the narration reject the very concept of a "side effect". After all, there has to be an effect for there to be side effects. An intended consequence for there to be unintended consequences. And so by creating this new life with no guidance, no plan at all, there are no side effects. The effects just are, with no intention one way or the other.