OTV CONTEST:

Process Slides

Heyo! This presentation contains all of the slides we created while writing Ludwig Wants Off.
They appear in chronological order of creation and reveal the rough timeline of our creative process.

We’ve learned to focus on “sharpening the axe” via creative visualization. With any team endeavor, thorough communication is
ESSENTIAL. We find that strong communication is the #1 priority: it’s what enables teams to exchange their unique, individual
strengths while avoiding the black hole of design-by-committee.

Gotta get inside each other’s brains and focus on nurturing passion and morale – at least that’s what works for us.

- Kye

Kye Cavender
Writer - Producer
Kye’s first and foremost concern is with the well-being and
creative development of their team members. After a
career spanning a variety of live mediums and audio
environments, they’ve uncovered a love for traversing the
unknown with creative teams. Especially when tackling
challenging productions with uniquely strict constraints.
Kye founded Groundwater Studio in March of 2020 and has
led the release of 3 game jam titles as part of an
incremental plan to develop GW Studio . Currently they are
overseeing production on a 4th title from the remote sites
of their day job as a cell tower climber. Adverse conditions
and snowy ruins deep in misted woods are just one source
of inspiration for them.
- Written at 9000’, 23 miles from the Canadian border
PORTFOLIO LINKS
https://groundwater.itch.io/
http://www.groundwater.studio/valeo.html
http://www.groundwater.studio/well-done.html
BIOS
Thomas S. Evans
Writer
Thomas is particularly interested in the formal qualities of
media and the ways in which we communicate meaning.
He believes in the potential of design, art, and architecture
to enrich us spiritually and guide us towards new behaviors
and values – in much the same way that oral narrative and
rites of passage served, in our earliest days of cultural
development, to orient and guide us.
Thomas works as a Japanese-English translator, has a
background in film/TV production, and is currently studying
to prepare for a potential doctorate in neuroscience out of a
desire to research the basis of subjective experience.
- Written in a self-built bedroom in a loft space in East LA
PORTFOLIO LINKS
www.thomasevans.xyz
https://vimeo.com/user11453568
https://itch.io/profile/tsevans
The following are the slides we created during our meetings as a
way to visualize our ideas. They were written in parallel with the
development of Ludwig Wants Off. They are currently laid out in the Is looking at
order in which we came up with/iterated ideas. a holoreport
of dead
Oversees
drone
then hears
discovery
fthis
Ad

Expedition Talks
/Logs Guy says With
Logs Fiona Father
/Drones “Fuck this”

Drone
Fav Cafe Overhears

7 year Fiona
Expedition
Guy
- Explorer Guy
vs
- “fuck this” rescue guy Rescue guy

Fiona
Cold
Fiona Focus
Open ???
estb? +Cliffh
Convo
anger
Title
Live
Logs Logs
transmi
1+2 3+4
ssion

All above ground, Highlights that going

Expedition guy conveys similar underground presents
issues to those catalyzing issues to already
that’ll happen present phenomenon
underground
 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9

FUCK
Cold Fiona THIS I
Logs
Open ASKS ALMO
Live Log 1+2
Convo Robot? ST
Title trans 3+4 DIED Index

Survivor persp
Cafe convo
Log 1: Survivor (?) character is on their way to VAL-30, while (These are the ones I’ve thought the least about)
they technically could turn back they’ve decided to burn their Live Transmission: I
boats. Ruminations on being told how things will be versus haven’t fully reoriented this Log 3: Survivor has signed up with expedition and they’re
experiencing them. Talking about the emotional experience of after we switched it from underway but have just barely set out. Already running into
taking your last step on Earth and also severe self doubt. Drone Logs but essentially issues but they’re being handled (cuz it’s above ground). Rough
it’ll be a hybrid combination mentions of benefits of comradery and a common goal
of raw reports and
Log 2: Survivor is now on VAL-30 and while shit really sucks Log 4: Expedition has been through some shit but has pulled
commentary by those who
at least there are things going on. They aren’t stagnating and through because they’re prepared. Establishes that it’s dicey
were monitoring the data
they’re making friends sort of. Mentions they’re gonna start and handled however a severe unforeseen complication
transmission when
looking in news for interesting work unique to VAL-30 (Should could be devastating. Details that expedition proceeds into
everything went tits up
be pretty clear that he’s going to stumble across the cave system the next day. Overall positive note reflecting on
expedition, which he does between logs 1+2 and logs 3+4 growth since initially coming to VAL-30
 Cold
Approach
(stern face off between FTG and
(Fthis guy is looking at holoreport of
Daddy. Holoreport hovers between
own exploits, says “fuck this” as FiDad
them. Daddy asks Fthis guy to explain
and Fiona enter. Fiona runs to Fthis
Convo Expo
what happened one more time.) (Fthis guy introduces the scenario.
guy, points at carnage on holoreport
image, and says “Robot?!”) Says that he was sent out on a rescue
mission for spelunkers. Daddy
Arranged meeting comments that he heard about this.
(Fthis guy asks for a consultation
Impromptu advice FTG opens up a holoreport)
about emigration back to Earth and is
(Fthis
told toguy recognizes
meet FiDad
at FiDad’s andcafe)
favorite asks
about emigration back to Earth)
Reverse approach
(Daddy and Fiona are at cafe, having
a father/dot chat. Fthis guy comes in,
sees Daddy, approaches w/ his
signature line as greeting. Daddy asks
him not to swear in front of his LIVE TRANSMISSION
Discussion daughter.) HOLOREPORT
(Fthis guy confirms FiDad’s identity
and asks for permission to sit,
reluctantly given. Fthis guy opens
holoreport to explain why he wants to
leave)
Inquiry
(FiDad chadly puts an arm over Fthis
Curious dad
guy’s shoulder onto his table, jokingly
asks him why
(FiDad sees holoreport afterhe’s swearing in front of
his young
overhearing Fthis daughter.
guy say Fthis, Fiona points at
approaches w/drone
Fionaon
inholoreport
tow) images, and says
“Robot?!”)
 INTERROGATE CNXN
Approach
(Daddy asks if FTG knew about this
(Fthis
guy guy is looking
personally. at holoreport
FTG says that theyof
own exploits, says “fuck this”
came over together on the same as FiDad FROG ON A LOG
and Fiona enter. Fiona runs to
vessel, but he was kind of a privateFthis (Daddy asks for more information
guy, points at carnage on holoreport
guy, like he was working through some about the logs. FTG says they’re kind
image,
shit, but and
sawsays
some“Robot?!”)
of his logs) of scrambled, he’s happy to give the
REACTIONS
Arranged meeting information he has, but really he just
(Fiona asksasks
(Fthis guy why for
theaspelunkers didn’t
consultation wants to talk about how to get on the
send in a “robot.” Daddy tells her
about emigration back to Earth and thatis next ship back to Earth ASAP)
drones are unreliable, people need
told to meet at FiDad’s favorite cafe) to
do it. FTG says “sure – people who
ain’t me.”) INTERROGATE RESCUE
(Daddy asks about the rescue
mission, what FTG found in the cave
and what the circumstances of the
rescue mission were. FTG explains
what he found and says that the logs LOG INTERLUDE:
Discussion he saw in the scrambled transmission THE EXPEDITION
(Fthis guy confirms FiDad’s identity freaked the hell out of him)
and asks for permission to sit,
reluctantly given. Fthis guy opens
holoreport to explain why he wants to
leave)
Inquiry
(FiDad chadly puts an arm over Fthis
Curious dad
guy’s shoulder onto his table, jokingly
asks him why
(FiDad sees holoreport afterhe’s swearing in front of
his young
overhearing Fthis daughter.
guy say Fthis, Fiona points at
approaches w/drone
Fionaon
inholoreport
tow) images, and says
“Robot?!”)
 THE RETURN TRIP
Approach
(Daddy asks
(Fthis guy is FTG if this
looking is why he of
at holoreport
wants to go back to Earth,
own exploits, says “fuck this” because of
as FiDad
SEALED DEAL
how spooky the underground is
and Fiona enter. Fiona runs to Fthis and (Daddy says he’ll see what he can do
what
guy, happened to spelunkers.
points at carnage on holoreport and gets the man’s information. The man
FTG says fuck no, it’s because I
image, and says “Robot?!”) thanks him and leaves. Fiona says that
REACTIONS almost died on the way back and the she thinks people should use robots to
Arranged meeting rest of my crew DID die, explains go exploring. Daddy pinches the bridge
(Fiona asksasks
(Fthis guy if thefor
rescuers went to the
a consultation
cave in a “robot.” Daddy tells herand
thatis surface attack, but the circumstances of his nose in frustration and sighs. A
about emigration back to Earth
there are no “robots” for that sort of haven’t been made public yet so it’s moment of silence)
told to meet at FiDad’s favorite cafe)
thing. Fiona asks “what about not in the newsholos yet)
moborobo??” (ie, GLMR). Daddy says
not now, Fiona.)

EPI-LOGS
Discussion
(Fthis guy confirms FiDad’s identity
and asks for permission to sit,
reluctantly given. Fthis guy opens BBB
holoreport to explain why he wants to (bbb
leave)
Inquiry
(FiDad chadly puts an arm over Fthis
Curious dad
guy’s shoulder onto his table, jokingly
asks him why
(FiDad sees holoreport afterhe’s swearing in front of
his young
overhearing Fthis daughter.
guy say Fthis, Fiona points at
approaches w/drone
Fionaon
inholoreport
tow) images, and says
“Robot?!”)
VAL-30 DISPATCH
Reports from the first (and so far only) expedition deep into VAL-30’s
cave systems reveal subterranean bacteria analogue production of
emergent large-scale hyposentient effects – such as extreme
hallucinations and shifting, mazelike landscapes – that drove the crew
insane.
The Shine is one of the least-understood “seasons” on the planet. Many strange and inexplicable phenomena have been documented in
Following a conventional snowy season, magnetic field activity results in the VAL-30 wilderness. While many organisms have close analogues to
constant aurora borealis, while a red pollen “snow” covers the existing Earth’s biosphere, there are some things that...do not.
hardpack, seeping in and fertilizing the land.
Deep
dream
warmups:
post-rescue
encounter
Deep dream warmups: flare
 Order of appearance
- Help wanted sign for val30 expedition

- Entry 1 and 2 of journal owned by some person traveling

to VAL-30 from earth with basically nothing to return to

logs - Last recording from drone sent in for repairs after acting
up post routine scouting. Issue was found to be due to
small paper book found inside the sealed power supply.
Book details the travels of a member of the val30
expedition, drone patrol was near entrance to cave
system 180 miles from and 8000’ below the flowing lake
cited as expeditions destination

- Entry 3 and 4 of same journal (the same one that was

revealed to have been discovered within drone) detailing
the events the day prior to the accident
Potential Written Media Formats

- Machine cult guy and atheist having argument in some forum

- Pamphlet with coded instructions to hidden event/venue/party/rave
in some out of the way corner
- "Now Hiring" job posting for some shop/restaurant/cafe
- News articles
- DM logs
- Sci-fi discord server?
- Research logs detailing discovery
- Measurement instrument logs w/writing in margins (google "WOW
signal)
- Religion holy texts w/ notations in margins of some non member
trying to learn something/decode something
- Security system logs for a facility
- Travel logs from an expedition (either an automated log from a
drone or a daily journal style log of someone traveling)
Potential Narrative Concepts

1. Two people of unknown importance carry the whole series of vignettes as a C-3P0/R2D2 deal (ps Lucas stole tons of Star Wars from
Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress)/Cowboy Bebop old men, at the coffee shop
2. Two moborobo characters carry blah blah blah. Probably fiona and j4, but could be otherwise
3. One person of unknown importance is a regular at a cafe and either tells or listens to stories from anyone who would like to talk
4. One moborobo character (probably fiona or jack) blah blah
5. Moborobo characters and other characters of unknown importance are successively introduced in a "chain" fashion, where one person (fiona)
listens to the first story, and then whoever told the first story listens to the next in the next episode

1. A subterranean expedition in which hyposentient activity from soil bacteria creates powerful hallucinatory effects that drive the spelunkers
insane, despite being in relative safety, leading to indefinite suspension of underground expeditions (think made in abyss bone daddy level)
2. Anything campbell wants to do with holy plumbers
3. A cult arising around an inexplicable but regular VAL30 phenomenon (open-ended)
4. A story about the coffee shop itself
5. Boggly (rumors that information on intelligent life on another planet in the VAL-30 solar system is being suppressed)
6. Why full dive VR doesn't seem to work on VAL-30 (but does on Earth)
7. Influencer culture on VAL-30 (lil poop or lil poop adjacent)
8. Night is young walk on girl-esque gustatory tour of VAL-30 base city nightlife
9. (from kye) "I really shouldn't drink the night before a strut drop again"
10. UAWC and KKG tension
11. Can Rainbow be trusted?
12. What the fuck is up with these weirdass plants and animals anyway? (a psychedelic adventure into VAL30)
Log Entries 4

- Day before entering cave.

- Pensive but confident. Attunement with Hypo-sentience is going well. Maybe

the same group that ambushed Ludwig somehow sabotaged this group?

- Deployment site is being prepped with defoliant field to allow decent to

surface
Log Entries 3.x-3.xx
(encounters)
- Growth geyser engulfs supply barge with subterranean decent rigs and measurement mounts. Lead engineer recovers it by
dangling self from cargo box held by cargo lift to get close enough to wire barge tether to function as a charged defoliant.

- Whole crew working to overcome hyposentience flare, expedition hypo-meteorologist able to give entire crew warning ahead of
time, captain and helmsman work closely together while navigator and cartographer plot most likely course out of epicenter

- Ground team lead and Cartographer plotting course through upper canopy of horizon forest (area where the “tamed” forest starts
to regain it’s amplified behavior.)

- Large creature attaches self to bottom of vessel and has to be removed using “low clearance” technique by helmsman and boom
operator

- Collecting data from orbitally deployed maglock observation depots (ODMO) via flying boom. Similar to aerial refueling w/ boom
operator.

- Captain interviews Cartographer while expedition is docked, crew fucks around in background

- Hungover log night after drunk karaoke with whole crew

- Hypo-Meteorologist/zoologist adopts some creature from surface. The slightly meditative process of interacting with and observing
hyopsentience

- Discussing cave expedition with captain, crew has never been below the surface on Val30 but is confident it’ll be manageable.
Corruption Fade in/out w/ Ipsum Lorem Example:
ɯ̵̯̩̐͛ ̴ ̶̴͕̠̐̓ᴉ̴̷̗͎̍̌ḑ͍̄͛ s̷̵̷ n̵ɯ̷ poloɹ sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna
aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud eᴉɔɹtat̵x̴ǝ̵i̵o̵̷s̵i̵r̴o̸b̵a̴l̷ ̴o̵n̸ ̴u̸l̸l̴ȧ̮̹͈ ̕ ṁ ̸ ̯ c̸̵ ̩͑̇ o̶̯͖̊ ̋ ̡

Corruption Fade in/out w/ Log1 Example:

ɥ̴̩̗̰̝̺̘̑̔ȍ̵̫̅ o̴͖̟̥̐̈ͅ ́̊ o̶̹̊̂̌̆ͅ o̶̧̎ o…ɯ̸ɐ̷u̶ ̷I̶ acu’ʇ ǝʌǝu b‫ן‬ɐme life, I gave myself these lemons. I’m the lemon giver. The giver of 4 year long space voyage lemons,
of off-world city lemons. There had better be somǝ pɐɯu nsƃɐ.erehw̶e̵m̼̊̾ ͝ s̴̸ ͝ ̫͍̂͂ o̸ ̃ ͕̙̮̠͌̅̌ ȓ̵̘̳̈ ̬̝̮̜́ ͌ ̃́͜ ̷
 Hyposentience
Lecture

Alright the following slides are notably more dense and were created by Thomas to help me write around Hyposentience.
Hyposentience being the dominant force on VAL-30 and the source of many of the planet’s excentricities.

This was specifically created after an exchange between us regarding how it would affect machinery versus people, where to draw
the lines, and why it’s worth exploring a world high concept that isn’t based on human categories (such as fire, water, earth, air.)
That isn’t to say there isn’t a lot of meat in those kinds of high concepts, it’s just not what we’re chewing on here.

Hyposentience is strongly inspired by David Bohm’s “implicate/explicate order” interpretation of quantum mechanics and IIT
(integrated information theory) and sort of originated from this desire to create a sci-fi world with some sort of “magic” system
within it. I’d recommend reaching out to Thomas to discuss this more deeply if it strikes any of you as interesting.

- Kye
Hyposentience breakdown: a “feel” for the “rules” : ON CATEGORIES
This bit is meant to illustrate why I’m resistant to the man/machine thing. Hopefully it will demonstrate why I think it would be damaging to
what I think is the most interesting theme hyposentience offers, and why that theme is actually more flexible and magical anyway.

Consider a world that has apples, oranges, and sandwiches. This world has an unknown force that does
weird things to sandwiches, *unless* those sandwiches have apples in them.

ABSTRACT LINGUISTIC CATEGORY ABSTRACT LINGUISTIC CATEGORY

(orange, apple, sandwich, etc.) (orange, apple, sandwich, etc.)

NOTHING NOTHING SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THIS KIND

HAPPENS TO THIS HAPPENS TO THIS OF OBJECT – UNLESS IT HAS APPLES
KIND OF OBJECT KIND OF OBJECT IN IT (BUT NOT ORANGES!)

This kind of rule is obviously based on arbitrary human categories, defined by human
cognition and language – making it less foreign, less mysterious, and more likely to break
immersion (funny, though).
 Hyposentience breakdown: a “feel” for the “rules”

Now consider another world that has apples, oranges and sandwiches.
This world has an unknown force that does weird things to all of these things, but in different ways.
Sandwiches with apples in them may yield effects A + C, or may yield another effect altogether.

ABSTRACT LINGUISTIC CATEGORIES

(sandwich, apple, orange, etc.)

SOMETHING “A” HAPPENS SOMETHING “B” HAPPENS SOMETHING “C” HAPPENS

TO THIS KIND OF OBJECT TO THIS KIND OF OBJECT TO THIS KIND OF OBJECT

STILL NOT very interesting. In both of these cases, “something strange” is happening, but continues
to rely on linguistic categories. This is what you might call an “elemental” system where arbitrary
categories have human-defined attributes (fire attribute, water attribute, etc.)
 Hyposentience breakdown: a “feel” for the “rules”

Now consider what it means to have a “world with apples, oranges, and sandwiches.” Where does a
sandwich end, and an apple begin? Is a sandwich made entirely of apples more of a sandwich, or more of an
apple? How about an apple made of sandwiches? Is an apple seed an apple, or a different object?

ABSTRACT LINGUISTIC CATEGORIES

(sandwich, apple, orange, etc.)

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORIES
(other fruits, trees, other sandwich types, foods with bread and fruit, etc.)
Hyposentience breakdown: a “feel” for the “rules”
Extend this kind of breakdown to all things –
living, man-made, naturally occurring.
When does subjective experience arise? Why?
What is needed?
 VS

.
Which one seems more interesting?
Hyposentience breakdown: a “feel” for the “rules”

Now consider the world as it is, separate from the way we make sense of it using language.

A STEADY, CONTINUOUS GRADATION OF PHENOMENA

AN OCEAN OF EFFECTS THAT FROTHS, BOILS, AND CLASHES

AT LEAST SOMEWHAT MORE interesting/awe-inspiring, I think. In this case, the “something

strange” has non-obvious category effects, suggesting some unknown – and perhaps unknowable
– underlying pattern or logic. This, to my mind, is true wonder, and what I’d like to explore with
hyposentience before we blow the lid off it and everyone goes nuts.
But if autonomous machines work normally aside from the sensors, which are
unreliable, then how can the mech pilots use sensors to collect data later on?
-Autonomous machines wouldn’t always work normally. They just wouldn’t always break down, either. Weird Annihilation-esque
stuff happens to people out there, too, but not always.

-One thing machines can’t do, though, is record reliable data without on-site human confirmation. They get fucked up by
hyposentience often enough, and the phenomena are weird enough as it is. It’s too difficult to tell the difference between a
malfunction and a real recording (ultimately, it’s an issue with people, too).

-By the time the mechs roll around, Fiona will have developed a better sensor technology. Understanding of hyposentience will
have improved somewhat. Sensors might involve meeb goo or hyposentient bacteria as a “filter,” or maybe the sensor is
neuralinked to the pilot. Either of these would be a much smoother conceit, imo.

Again, why not just have the man/machine rule though?

Imagine something in-between man and machine. Would somebody with a pacemaker die in VAL-30 because their heart is a
machine? What “counts” as a machine? Is a stapler a machine? A steam engine? A retrovirus? Could you launch a mechanical
glider with a film camera attached and let it take unmanned pictures, or would it break? How close does a person need to be for a
machine to be safe? Could it be a dog instead? There’s no clear barrier for what a “machine” is. Why is it important?

Sure, these are questions that could be explored, but I think hyposentience offers much more interesting questions to ask about
the nature of perception and emotion, etc., that I think should be kept the focus.
Lectures on Hyposentience: a primer for the Curious
Q: But aren’t “subjectivity,” “consciousness,” “emotion” also all arbitrary linguistic categories?
YES. Hyposentience is not “consciousness doing something or having something done to it,” so much as it is a proposed
type of subjective experience defined by certain phenomena characteristic of it. We still need categories to talk intelligibly
about things – but those categories do not reference absolute categories, because no such categories exist.

If such categories do exist, it is extremely unlikely that they will be in a form that is convenient for us to understand. In fact,
the behaviors associated with hyposentience directly challenge the legitimacy/accuracy of many of our current “convenient”
scientific categories of physical phenomena.
This VAL-30 capybara appears to be capable of “perceiving” reality at a deeply This Earth capybara is only familiar with the senses and perceptions that we
fundamental level. The world its brain sees is full of opportunities that are non-obvious to know Earth creatures to enjoy.
us, “bending” reality in ways that should be “impossible.”
While Earth creatures may have a sense or two that humans lack - like the
When stressed, this capybara might suddenly grow fangs, or “phase” to safety. It might magnetic sense of birds – we have come to know (and indeed, master) the
be capable of rapid regeneration when injured. To the VAL-30 capybara, these are natural forces that once made their abilities seem like magic.
merely humble defense mechanisms belonging to a humble creature just trying to
survive.

REALITY AS WE KNOW IT EARTH

VAL-30 CAPY
CAPY

UT
O RTC
S H
THE “BLACK BOX” OF BEING (slides by Joseph Q. Horfensplätz, PhD)
Lectures on Hyposentience: a primer for the Curious
How is this different from the observer effect?
The VAL3-0 capybara is likely not making special use of an “observer
effect” by collapsing quantum uncertainties, per sé – at least, not any
more than Earth animals do, or – more correctly – standard
instruments for experimental measurement do. Rather, one might
imagine that the capybara simply “sees” aspects of reality that we do
not. To the extent that consciousness and subjective experience are
themselves fundamental forces, life on VAL-30 has evolved in a way
that capitalizes on this fact. Earth life – or at least humanity – is
“sentience-poor” in comparison.
While this might suggest that the term “hyposentience” would be
better termed “hypersentience,” in this case, the “hypo” is referring to
an awareness of “what lies beneath” – the depths of reality.
Scientists on VAL-30 are only tentative about this
hypothesis. It is an assumption that has led to the
development of some reasonably reliable heuristics for field
research and analysis, but it remains a challenge for us to
understand exactly how this works or what the rules are.
The research community believes this hypothesis can be
tested by using data collected from VAL-30 wildlife activity,
as the basis for study on the formal cognitive structures that
enable this bizarre behavior.

UT
O RTC
S H

THE “BLACK BOX” OF BEING

(slides by Joseph Q. Horfensplätz, PhD)
OK. But why do these categories matter?

However reasonable our terms for emotion, sentience, etc. are, there is at least one thing that is certain:

Without the phenomena they describe - in whatever way we choose to define or categorize them - nothing “matters.”