Sunday, July 1, 2012

New Ideas... but spacing out on the details

Sometimes you have what you think is a wonderful idea, you jot it down, and then later you revisit it and think: "Eh, maybe..."  Sometimes you have that idea and you KNOW it will turn into something really cool (if you put in the work, of course).  I hope that the one I had yesterday, for a new game project to follow Homebrew '82, will remain in that second category.

I feel strange not revealing any details about this new idea, which may end up being something that combines the styles of "board game," "party game," and "role playing game."  It may be a year or more before I have anything resembling a finished product, and I want to give myself time to let it develop without worrying about the busier bees of the game design community catching on to what a cool idea it is.  (Note I'm not saying "stealing it," since I do intend to release it freely and open-source -- and I hope it will kick off a trend of D.I.Y. activity to broaden the basic idea -- but I do want to get my own thing out there first.)

So, apologies for being cryptic.  As a memento for my future self, let me just transcribe the lyrics to a fun song (that may... or may not... be relevant) that I heard on the Sirius/XM kids channel while driving with my son...

Space Cadet, by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo  (video here)

You're my little telescope, always starin' into space.
You're my little wall-clock, always got your hands on your face.
Your eyes are like donuts, big and warm and glazed.
You're my little space cadet and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Hey daydreamer, what's your dream?
I can tell that your mind is a movie screen.
What's the scene on that invisible TV?
I walk by, say hi, you don't even see me!
Easy, I ain't mad at your daydreamin,
Not furious; I'm curious, the main reason I'm askin'
Is I wanna know what you imagine.
What sort of supergenius thoughts are you havin'?
What's the gas revvin' your mind's engine?
Maybe conventions have your attention...
What are you creatin'? makin' in your magic imagination?
From the attic to the basement, your house is full
Of real cool characters,
I know, me too; I'm right there with ya!
Let's compare notes and combine stories.
Go ahead, space cadet, open your mind for me.

You're my little telescope, always starin' into space.
You're my little wall-clock, always got your hands on your face.
Your eyes are like donuts, big and warm and glazed.
You're my little space cadet and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"If I wish harder, would it make a shooting star shoot farther?
How can you pee when you wear a suit of armor?
Do birds like to practice singing in the bath?
And is it still called skinny dipping if you're fat?
If I was a sky-writer, I'd sign my name on a sunset,
And put a picture of it in our plane.
If I was a scuba-diver, I'd hide,
And jump out and scare submarines that ride by.
Like booooo...
Are ghosts made of fog?
And do you only dream in black and white if you're a dog?
Does a tree sloth sleepwalk without movin'?
And if robots talk through fans, do they sound human?
Do fish burp?  Can they whisper?
If a starfish splits in two, is that a sister?
If I ran a race backwards and took last place, did I win?
And why are you lookin' at me that way?"


It's how you keep on askin' all these questions every day
Reminds me of a joke book with all the punch lines taken away...
"That's not funny!"
You're my little telescope, always starin' into space.
You're my little wall-clock, always got your hands on your face.
Your eyes are like donuts, big and warm and glazed.
You're my little space cadet and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"How does a dung beetle stay clean?
And can nocturnal animals daydream?"

I don't know, but I bet that they never have nightmares.
Are albinos born old because they have white hair?
"And how can you ever be wrong if you're right there?
And if a lion attacked a cheetah would he fight fair?"

Are there 8 more lives when a tiger dies?
Are spiders' eyes blinded by fireflies?
"Could a flying squirrel cross the Grand Canyon?
And do you think they only have crash landings?"

Do trees miss their leaves when they leave?
And if turtles have turtlenecks, are their arms long sleeves?
"If planets orbit, do stars turn?"
If dragons breathe fire, do they get heartburn?
"If I cheat on an eye test, is that wrong?
And where do babies come from?"

Um, ask Mom.

You're my little telescope, always starin' into space.
You're my little wall-clock, always got your hands on your face.
Your eyes are like donuts, big and warm and glazed.
You're my little space cadet and I wouldn't have it any other way.


2 comments:

  1. I do think ghosts may be made of fog.


    :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm going to have this song going through my head for the next week, I'm sure...

    ReplyDelete