I have been thinking about an idea how to give Oort a lively appeal.
Of course this can be achieved by various flora and fauna. And maybe also the way an animal is animated in this world. I only can repeat myself – it is about creating an illusion. The illusion that the game is inhabited by real animals for example. One could simulate life like Karl Sims did:
Or one could give the creatures just such a cute and lovable appeal that the player instantly is supposed to fall in love with them. This automatically creates a bond to the digital world, and essentially also creates some sort of illusion that the creatures are alive (meaning: filled with the love which the player is projecting on to a digital creature).
For an example one could take a Lemming from the game classic Lemmings. Those creatures were so dumb and actually fully controlled by the player. But they had a soul: Their excellent animation, and simplistic style. And most of all – the squeek sound when one has fallen from to far up high. Not mentioning the lovable pixels which were bursting around when one exploded and the craters they left.
In Oort, I believe, one is not only supposed to be able to hunt creatures down, and just slay them. Maybe one is supposed to be able to actually play with them. One could craft traps to catch an animal. Or lure them out of their hiding hole with food.
Dig a hole in the ground, cover it with a trapdoor or a blanket – lay a carrot on it and wait at night until a creatures tries to go for the carrot.
Almost like Safari!
.
