What Are Your Merfolk Doing Today 2.0
Since the old thread has multiple broken links and things are different here. I decided to create a 2.0 version of the old thread I created. I thought I would create this thread as a variant of the ...
Forum Discussion
I decided to give my post from last night another go. I've done a lot of research into merfolk, mythology, folklore, and stories. My research has helped me find a vast amount of stories, so I'll share them at the end in case someone is looking for inspiration for a story in the Sims.
Since I keep trying to share the twins and run into technical trouble from false responses in the forums. I'll share what I did more with Alex exploring the outside of the shipwreck in an underwater cave he found leaving the grotto caves.
It was definitely worth using Andrew's Pose Player and the T.O.O.L by Twisted Mexi to get these screenshots.
Using the shipwreck from island living, I actually captured some pretty cool screenshots. T.O.O.L was critical for elevating him to simulate the swimming effect underwater. The thing about being underwater is it has a very similar effect to being in the Vacuum of space. Movement is in 3 dimensions and that's why I think underwater levels in games can be such a struggle for people and to implement in video games. Kingdom Hearts 1 might actually have the most complete Gameplay Mechanics for Merfolk underwater in the world Atlantica. And that can get a little clunky for some players.
But it can be very rewarding to have Sims that can move up and down around large objects. Especially when exploring an expansive underwater world. Imagine discovering places you didn't know exist in depths that humans can't reach. Imagine seeing a world that is so much like life on land but also very different under the sea.
And the way you swim through the water across 3 dimensions means you can investigate things from angles and perspectives that are only possible because under the sea, movement isn't limited by gravity.
My next SimLit chapter is really coming together.
I've seen stories following the "Little Mermaid" and Barbie "Mermaidia" themes. For merfolk, here are a few different things that might be worth thinking about.
From Video Games:
- Sora in Atlantica from Kingdom Hearts 1 by EA
From Disney Movies and TV Shows:
- The Thirteenth Year from the Disney Channel
- The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning by Disney
- Disney the Little Mermaid: Return to the Sea
- The Little Mermaid TV series featuring Urchin, Gabriela, and other characters unique to the series
- Sofia the First from Tune Disney
- The Little Mermaid Live Action
From Non-Disney Movies and TV Shows:
- Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid
- Rupert Bear: Episode: Floating Island
- Doraemon: Nobita's Great Battle of the Mermaid King
- Starla and the Jewel Riders Season 2: Episode 8: Jewel of the Sea
- Round the Twist: Season 2: Episode 5: Nails
- H2O: Just Add Water
- Mako Mermaids
- Mr. Merman
- Merman in my Tub
Books, Manga, and Manwha
- Gates of Atlantis
- The MerTails Book Series
- The Sunlit Curse
- Siren's Lambent
- Castle Swimmer
Pop Culture depictions of merfolk are largely the depictions of Variants from Norwegian Folklore and Folklore from the British Isles. Other influences come from the Central European Nix and Nixie as well as Ancient Greek Tritons and Mermaids.
Hopefully this helps anyone trying to find inspiration for a merfolk story. This list also outlines a Universal Depiction of Merfolk. Merfolk being a racial term that encompasses all variants of Mer that can be as diverse as fish in the sea. All merfolk are ideal character types for interactions for underwater worlds and the diverse environments under the sea is definitely a vast range of environments worth exploring for stories.
I have more examples to share but I fear that I would start to have overlap in story themes. I also want to keep examples within the more family-oriented depictions that feature magic and an underwater world without going in the opposite direction.
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