tranquility (video game)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

tranquility
Developer(s)	TQworld, LLC.
Publisher(s)	TQworld, LLC.
Version	6.0
Platform(s)	Mac OS X, Mac OS, Windows
Release date	1992, 2006
Genre(s)	Music Video
Mode(s)	Single player
Media	Download
Input methods	Keyboard, Mouse

tranquility is a computer game available for Macintosh and Windows computers.

The game first appeared in 1991 as a demo included with Silicon Graphics computers. It resurfaced ten years later as a commercial game, again written by its original author, William Romanowski.

tranquility defies genre classification -- it is an arrhythmic music game in which the player (an abstract viewpoint) floats in a sea of starlit geometric structures (platforms) in order to pass through targets called spinners - it is a bit like hide-and-seek. Play is self-paced and self-directed; there are several commands to control game speed and difficulty, including an auto-pilot button.

Advancement through the game is done in groups of 3, 7 and 21. There are 7 spinners per level, 3 levels per "rank", and 7 ranks in 21 "realms". Each rank and realm adds subtle complexity to the game play, making for a very long term experience. Getting all the way through the tranquility levels can take upwards of 400 hours.

The essential elements that define a "tranquility" level are:

"platforms" (typically hundreds of them) that are synchronized in movement and color
The "spinner" - a special platform that, when reached, advances the game to the next level
Lateral movement controlled by the player, typically with the mouse
Movement downwards caused by the level's gravity
Movement upwards when the player "bounces" off of a platform
A distant background star-field
A floor, usually marked with a grid pattern for spatial reference
A soundtrack that is influenced by the movement of the player within the game

Some players feel that the game's design is based on transcendentalism or that it draws heavily from stock new age themes (probably because of its use of ambient music). Other players have reported a drug-like euphoria, vertigo, or disorientation during and after playing the game.

In addition to normal play modes, tranquility includes a simple level editor and a jukebox mode for enjoying the game's generated soundtracks. Fitting with tranquility's non-traditional approach, the cost of the game can vary from month to month.