Simulation over scripting
From UO and Morrowind: rules that produce stories, not stories that pretend to be rules.
Inspirations
Standing on shoulders
Moondog is not built in a vacuum. These are the games and objects that left a mark, and the small thing we take from each.
Real screenshots are coming later; placeholders show intended framing.
The short version
What we carry forward
Care as gameplay
From Tamagotchi: a creature whose life you are responsible for. Failures matter.
Space and silence
From Ocarina: moments between things, not only things.
Persistent danger
From EverQuest: a world that does not bend for you.