# Summary Mice on Venus was a detective simulation game about investigating cases with ambiguous morality. In this world, mankind has left Earth, setting up colonies floating in the upper atmosphere of the planet Venus. You play as a Private Investigator on one of these outposts. It’s your job to solve cases assigned to you by the world’s Citizens, and decide how you go about it. Each case is played out like a routine, where the world’s citizens follow their own simulated schedules. The player must navigate these routines to intercept targets, follow leads and gain information. As of 2020, Mice on Venus was discontinued... # Gallery | ![[DayNightGif.gif]] | ![[example_Convo.png]] | ![[Inspection_USB.png]] | | -------------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------- | | | | | # Features ## Radiant Citizens // ![[RadientNPCs.png]] Radient Citizens roam the games world, performing their daily routines and helping to bring the environment to life ### **_Homes and Friends  :_** Each NPC has their own house & friends. If the player was to follow a Citizen for long enough they would being to discover the Citizens unique routine, along with their friends and house. ### **_P.O.I System  :_**  TheCitizens utilize a “Points of Interest“ based pathfinding system. Various locations throughout the map are marked as P.O.I’s, and the Citizen decides their next location based on their preferences and needs.   (The functionality allowing Citizens to talk to each other has been removed from the current build due to instability, but will be reimplemented ASAP). ## Inspection Mode // ![[Inspection_USB.png]] At any point the player can enter Inspection Mode by zooming the camera all the way in. While inspecting the player can interact with items in the environment, translate text and snoop on conversations. ### **_Interacting with Items :_**  While exploring the world the player will be able to pick up and interact with a number of objects of interest. While inspecting the player can manipulate the object in the viewport to, allowing it to be seen from any angle. ### **_Focus Mode  :_**  While in Inspection mode the player’s perspective is shifted, constraining the focal point of the camera to wherever the player looks. To aid with the players investigation, items of interest in the scene become more obvious to the player such as People of interest and Inspection Objects ## PDA – Personal Digital Assistant // ![[PDA.png]] Mice on Venus requires the player to supply their own critical thinking and investigation skills. Through this the game expects the player to keep their own notes and create their own objectives. The PDA allows this functionality without the need for external note keeping. ### **_Note Taking  :_**  At any point during play the player is able to drawn their PDA and take notes on the situation. While drawn The mouses is detaches from the camera, while still allowing the player to ‘click and drag’ to manipulate the viewport. This allows the player to take notes without feeling completely devoid of controls while doing so. Once Opened the player is able to create their own Header and Text Body for each note. Each will be added to a central list the player can browse back through at any time. ### **_Storing Items/Clues  :_**  The player is allowed to open the PDA while inspecting an item. Doing so will present an additional icon; the inventory button. This allows the player to store an inspected item, doing so will link that item to an entry in the PDA. Opening that entry back up and pressing the inventory button again will bring the stored item back out. This allows the player to reference clues in the text and store clues for visual reference. ### **_Casual mode  :_**  Opting for Casual Mode at the beginning of the game automatically populates the players PDA with entries pertaining to each item they find. While this helps players who wish to play casually, it still allows the player to modify these entries and create their own if they so wish. (due to more critical mechanics requiring attention the current implementation of Casual Mode appears to change nothing. However critical changes do take place behind the scene that will be populated at a later date) ## Simulated Time // ![[DayNightGif.gif]] Each of the games Cases (Mission) are based around the world constantly progressing in the background throughout play. Key scenarios happen at scripted times throughout each day, requiring the player to properly time manage each case. ### **_Accelerated Time  :_**  Roughly 5 minutes in real life is equivalent to an hours of in-game time. This allows the cases to keep pace, without wasting the players time. ### **_Real Time Simulation  :_**  A secondary option is present allowing the player to run the game at real time. Although this setup isn’t ideal, it offers an extra layer of simulation & realism for players who enjoy that. ### **_Accurate Sun simulation  :_**  The games time and sun are fundamentally linked. At any given time the sun’s transit across the sky is accurately simulated, in accordance with the time & geographic location of the current Case, giving some locations in extreme locations (such as the Polar Region) a wholly unique vibe. ## Dynamic Narrative // ![[example_Convo.png]] At the start of each Case (Mission) the player will be given a single nebulas objective; Find my wife and report what she’s up to, spy on this person, infiltrate this group etc. The player is then give a few initial threads, then it is up to them alone to decide how they see the case to fruition. ### **_Ambiguous Morality  :_**  The game’s core theme is ‘Ambiguous Morality’. Each case tackles issues that do not necessarily have an obvious right or wrong answer. The game makes no effort to state what’s a good, bad, right or wrong action to the player. It leaves the participation, and the reflection, up to the player alone. The game aims through this mechanic to encourage the player to think more deeply about their choices, their opinion on the situation and what repercussions that has on the people involved in each case. ### **_Vertical Slice Case  :_**  course of the the Vertical Slice level the player is told to investigate a man’s wife and report what she’s up to. The game initially allows the player to assume the wife should be in the wrong. While over the course of the mission, presenting the player with increasing evidence that muddies the water. Ultimately resulting in no clear right or wrong participant. ### **_Case Write Up:_** At the conclusion of each Case the player must report back their finding to a Case Giver. During this stage the player is able to ‘spin’ their evidence however they wish, further allowing them to project their own moral compass. ### **_Casual Mode  :_**  At the begging of the game the player will be prompted with a choice; Casual or Hands On mode. Hands on mode plays the game as it was intended. However, Casual mode replaces various points of gameplay such as the player creating their own objectives, pointing out their destinations more obviously etc. I personally feel the alterations made to the core gameplay spoils what I find fun about the game. However it would be foolish to ignore an entire demographic of players who would in-fact prefer a more hands-off gameplay experience.