Introducing! Ox Milk Ranch

In the winter, I enjoy playing what I call “nesting games”

After a long year of nonstop work on many projects at once, I check out from adult life and invest all of my time into a video game the likes of Minecraft, Terraria, or Star Bound. These games fulfill a need that my human-animal programming calls for that modern life has ceased to provide: the sensation of hunting, securing shelter, and protecting oneself from zombies.

(not to say that isn’t what we’re achieve with our apartments and jobs as we do. It just doesn’t flip my bits in quite the same way)

This particular winter, I tried to guide those strong desires into not only playing a game, but attempting to make one as well. In addition to buying Stardew Valley, the ultimate farming and gathering experience, I’ve been learning the game engine, Unity so that I can create my own rendition of the nesting adventures I’ve come to love and crave. I’m calling this universe of mine, “Ox Milk Ranch”.

The goal of creating this game isn’t so much to produce… “a game” but to create an experience that embodies a collection of stuff from my mind. I invite you to explore it and let it influence you the way I have been inspired by many similar experiences throughout my life.

The underlying goal of all this is to become familiar enough with the game engine I’m using to produce a more polished game later this year that will star my robot child, NoodleFeet and his adventure on Mars.

Basically, Ox Milk is a learning experience and I’m inviting you to come along for the ride.

INSPIRATION FOR GENERAL “FEEL” OF THE GAME

• Kobe beef farms
• Dairy farms

• Forte: the five legged bull
• The music video “Lone Digger” by Caravan Palace

• my friend Krux’s massive automated processing plant in Minecraft, that takes cattle NPCs from the game and effortlessly transform them into stacks of cooked steak for player consumpti

SETTING INSPIRATION

• My memories of being a personal assistant on a ranch in Paso Robles… aka green acres larping for rich people who own vineyards and an assortment of farm animals.
• notes of the universe from Odd World.
• The fact that its the year my favorite movie takes place in: Blade Runner. I have a lot of work to do to catchup up with the cyber punk reality that aught to be.

GAMEPLAY INSPIRATION

• Stardew Valley : one of the more relaxing and enjoyable mini-life experiences I’ve had.
• Monkey Island : old schoool point and click adventure of absurd proportions
• Undertale: old school game style, fantastic character development
• The fact that the thing I enjoy most about playing a video game, or any experience for that matter… is the sensation of not having any clue wtf is going on.

STORY INSPIRATION

• The experience of being a personal assistant on a ranch
• Animal Farm
• Atlas Shrugged
• Our prized consumer culture here in charming America