Jess Loren, who goes by RamonaAStone on Discord, is the Solarbots Lore Master – creative, communicative, and highly productive. (More on the most recent Captured Record here.) She also released music under the name The Juke Bottle Casino. imimoqui talked to her about her artistic influences, the notion of “new equals good” and why she actually disapproves of common notions of “lore”.
Can you tell us a little bit about your background – how did you get your start as a writer? And what are some of your most important influences?
My video game influences scream from every pore, but I love Hideo Kojima as much as I love William S. Burroughs or Loretta Lynn. My technique is almost cheating. I've written songs since about fifteen. All music is narrative, from repetitive dance music to murder ballads. The Solarbots Captured Records are canonical narratives based on the “lore” of Solarbots. These stories are all musical in technique and have enough lyrical quotes to suggest something about what Earthly music itself has to do with Solarbots mythology.
And this is actually my first longform writing project! No matter how much I've done in other fields, I've always wanted this exact job. It's the baby dream job. We do pretty things and pretty things happen.
So how and when did you join the Solarbots team?
Around fall of 2021, a mutual friend had asked if I wanted to work on this. I looked over what they had already started and thought it could use a lot of work – sounds insane to just say it like that – but co-founder Misotsune also had said that they aren't a writer. Nobody who ever starts a creative project has the courage to admit that they aren’t writers! W-we also... b-both like Yoko Taro a lot... This stuff made me fall in love with Solarbots very quickly. Literally first meeting, I'm drunkenly shouting about the worldview the game should have. Miso's putting up with my shouts and trusting our shared vision as well as our dissonance. I knew this was something that I’d be great at – something full of honest people with humility and grace. I rewarded the open-minded graciousness with the best work I could summon up. People liked the story about a man's view of how a girl becomes a “princess”, learning how horrific that title is outside of pillow talk.
I noticed that you put the word lore in quotes in your first answer. Why is that?
I don't approve of what the word represents. Conversations with the team showed me that we were doing story, meaning, emotion, immersion. “Lore” seems like a cheap concept compared to what we’ve ended up with. What I get from other games I appreciate is not a series of details to remember. Not just: “Cool lore to add to the pile of random facts people know about Eld.” But entire life philosophies and personal tales. Story and meaning are what matter, and “lore” is a trick. Watch this: It’s now canon that one of the Caretakers is watching over this interview. Now what? Doesn’t seem as cozy, huh? {I’m very proud of you, Miss Loren. - Ruin}
While we’re on the subject of immersion, transgression and meta-ness, I want to bring this up: One of the most striking developments in gaming is the new principle of maximum player involvement or stakeholding. Is this because the gaming community is disappointed by traditional game release structures?
We’re a response to the treatment of video games as an artform. Many game projects get slobbered and chewed on until they resemble just that much mock-eaten mush. The fork scrapes the teeth and some of us hear it. Some of us FEEL it.
The increase in NFT popularity is promising for various avenues, but admittedly a bit of a “new thing = good thing” situation. That's the cynical take. Though, some truly believe in the medium itself. My belief in it is positive but ignorant. Still working on learning more than just writing and telling people cool things to draw. Exceptions to the “new = good” system, along with holding a gigantic defiance to the medium is definitely where we operate. I see this situation as an escape hatch from the typical industry of forks holding the food, ready for the chewing, knowing the meal is not worth eating.
In your opinion, why are games which include NFT economics increasingly popular in recent times? Do you think it speaks to a general development or trend in gaming or even society?
Everyone is so disconnected, even before the Big Sickness and the resulting isolation. Everyone craves a new beginning – the internet has fallen and we want our magic. Immersion of players in any group activity defines the quality of that activity. People enjoy blurring lines of entertainment because we get bored of art that doesn't leave its footprints in our souls. The future of video games rests in the careful hands of those willing to immerse the audience.
I can’t not ask you: Lacrean Empire, Illskagaard or Arboria? Why?
I love all of these factions deeply and all of their leaders have a very personal significance to me. I’ll say I often lean towards Arboria because their creation, from Anemone downward was the most accepting I’ve ever been of some of my own complicated personality traits. Lacrea is an extremely deep and complicated metaphor made flesh with a sense of community I occasionally envy. Illskagaard is literally me creating a faction leader as “what if” scenario. “what if” lead to me writing a merciful second chance to a man who isn't a good man and growing a whole philosophy from it. Here’s my true cop-out answer: My favorite is whichever one I'm writing at the time or else the writing would suck.
What are you working on this week? Can you explain some of the details or challenges that you’re facing?
This week, I’m working on some art design (we have the best art team, holy God they're insanely good), a few Captured Records (my co-writer Adam Bridwell is a literal genius and he keeps me creative), a promotional piece (our voice team is incredible as well) – and some other alterations to the story are happening.
The team has had many sickness and loss experiences in the short while we've been burning it up, so that hasn’t been easy. What’s also challenging when it happens – which is extremely rare since we trust each other – is when I irritatingly attempt to get away with really silly, personal, and deranged concepts. I have to explain them to get away with them, and I’m not great at explaining myself outside of writing. See, look. This is me doing it.
What 2022 Solarbots do you most look forward to?
This whole thing is a ritual for me, and discussing too much might interfere with my process. I’m also astoundingly superstitious. I’ll just say: An incredibly ambitious trilogy of stories is near a horrific introduction. I'm looking forward to that and am simultaneously so terrified I could eat my own teeth out.
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