Character Design with Tentacles! (Patreon)

Recently I started re-introducing myself to gameplay programming - and doing it all by myself now. This might be a surprise for you, but I haven't done any real programming in years, instead I've been working on everything that is related to graphics, but not the actual game's functionality. I wish I had infinite time to do art, rigging, animation, design and (learn) coding all at once, oh well. In any case, I've got to show you my progress as it goes, even if it's still quite a way before it's fully realized.

Combining all abovementioned professions, I'm working on a game mechanic now, and it's all about tentacles!

I've weighed countless ideas for what would fit the main game mechanic in a lewd game, what would stimulate the player to do different activities of such nature.

In the past I designed different weapons and dreamed up different combat movement styles - but none of that felt right to do for a game that is supposed to encourage a more gentle, intimate relationship with NPCs, even if they are enemies. And for my mind of a gamer used to violence in games, it was (and still is) the greatest challenge to turn the regular combat mechanic on its head like that.

Fortunately, I think I finally have found a direction I'd like to pursue. At first I wanted to use character's hands, to pick things up, stroke them, finger holes, etc. You might remember it from the interaction system I told about a few years ago. More recently wanted to attempt to make a better version of Jurassic Park: Trespasser hands (you should look it up if you don't know, that thing inspired Half Life 2, despite being a total disaster and failure).

But then after more time, I suddenly remembered of a very attractive character from Love Death Robots S01E01, Khanivore! And then it hit me! TENTACLES!

Tentacles are very versatile, much longer than the hands, stretchable, easier to animate (it's harder to spot mistakes on tentacles rather than hands)! Tentacles can be used for combat, lewds, item manipulation, puzzle solving, rubbing, stroking, getting inside the orifices, jumping, grappling hook… So much possibilities with just this one appendage (or a pair of them).

Soon after I made a poll on my Discord server, asking for feedback on what sort of tentacle creature people would wish to see and play as, and with the results from that poll, I started to design. I used a very unconventional workflow and tools for it. You can see the results in the picture above!

Hope you like the design, I also thought of a possibility to add her an egg-laying ability, which could be used as some sort of a power-up or a crafting system, eggs can act as traps, explosive (non-lethal of course), but we'll have to see.

It's just a picture for now, I will be adapting this design to my modeling style soon, but first I'd like to just attach some tentacles to the models I already have and make some gameplay prototypes. Additionally, after I model her, would you be interested in such a character as an avatar for VRChat, Neos, or even maybe Second Life?

With lots of Dragon Love,
Salireths.