Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

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~Julia~
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Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#1 Post by ~Julia~ »

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===== STORY =====
Heaven's Rift---an event which would change the world as we knew it, in the early 16th a crack tore in the sky and from it fell two beings. The embodiment of chaos, taking on the guise of a mass of intertwining serpents levitated by several jet black wings, Orochi, and the upholder of order, in the form of a large four-winged bird engulfed in flames, Rossolyn. The appearance of these two great beasts marked the beginning of the War of the Serpent, a conflict which would extend for the next 500 years, pitting humanity, who sided with Rossolyn, against Orochi and the demonic entities which it controlled. For centuries the war was but a slow massacre as with each passing day humanity's numbers began to dwindle, if looked as if the end was in sight, but just as things approached their bleakest a man rose up with a solution.

Devil Gene---a biological weapon created from the cells of Rossolyn, it granted the host with strength and abilities easily rivaling those of the opposition, however longevity in hosts could not be guaranteed unless the subject was "born" with the gene. And so the Family Project, in which children were created already housing the Devil Gene, began. This may have divided humanity but without these extreme measures they would have never grasped victory, sealed away Orochi, and secure the right to continue existing...

2034---it has been nearly 20 years since the war ended, much reconstruction of the land and civil order has begun, but it has not been easy. The World Peace Organization was formed in the aftermath and has firmly established itself as the sole order in the world, and with the demon threat largely removed this has made many uneasy and small outbursts of "rebellion" occur because of it. And now a new threat challenges the WPO, and the greatest irony lies in the one who issues it. Kyosuke Blackheart, the man who invented the Devil Gene and was revered as a hero, has targeted these words at the entire planet:

"I will finish the job started 20 years ago and eradicate humanity, and on the ashes shall be built a new world, led by my children"

Now the world converges to stop this fallen hero, including one young woman who has a deep and personal vendetta with Kyosuke and the Devil Gene.


===== CHARACTERS =====
Raven Blackheart
An estranged daughter of Kyosuke's, 2 years ago she fled from his side and became involved with a local crime syndicate, but that too was short lived and she disappeared altogether. None have known of her whereabouts are actions since then but there are numerous rumors of the "Raven Hunter". Her agenda in returning to Silent City is clear, she wants to stop her father and end the cursed bloodline that has caused nothing but trouble. She seeks not revenge, but redemption.
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Amy Cross
A member of the Church of Soldats, an ancient order that once served as the army of Rossolyn but are now reduced to working for the WPO. Although the Church has publicly stated they will observe Kyosuke action without interference, Amy was called on by the group's 2nd in-command and ordered to infiltrate Silent City and procure one of the Gene Children known as the "Black Princess". She does not question her orders but she is not fully sure who she is looking for...
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===== PURPOSE OF THE THREAD =====
To raise awareness, as I have actually begun a Kickstarter campaign to try and fund the project. If successful I'd like to reach out to the members of this forum to help with assuring quality of the final product by offering demos and displaying the latest developments. I thank you for taking the time to read all this and look forward to more soon!
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gekiganwing
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#2 Post by gekiganwing »

Looked over your post, as well as your Kickstarter page and your blog. Wanted to get a good idea of what you're trying to achieve.

First, do you have experience with creating indie games? Have you already coordinated a team of people in order to get a project done and released? If you are already involved with the indie community, then make sure to ask them if you need help. If you are not already dedicated... well, I don't want to discourage you, but make sure to do your research. Creating an ambitious indie game is certainly something to aim for, but if you are not ready, then you will need to work on freeware games first.

Second, it looks like your goal is to get people to pledge $10000 US. How will this money be used? Do you need this money in order to pay people to create illustrations, animation, and music? Do you intend to hire amateur or professional voice actors? Will you need someone to create animated opening and closing sequences?

Third, how much of your story is focused on general plot, and how much is focused on characters' relationships? It sounds like you have a plot-driven episodic story planned. Is the story about one relationship, or are there romance options? Will the GxG relationships have an effect on the plot?

Finally, if you intend to sell your game, then who is your audience? What sort of people will be willing to buy it?

(A personal note: you mentioned Thousand Arms on your blog. Yeah, I remember that game. It was a half-decent RPG... I thought it had frustrating combat and unintuitive controller mapping. There were a lot of loading times, though that may have been an inevitable problem with the Playstation hardware. On the other hand, it had a lot of things I enjoyed -- complex gameplay concepts that didn't necessarily blend, plenty of humor, intentionally ridiculous characters, an upbeat tone, and a cute aesthetic. There were a few untranslated 90s games that may have been even better, such as Mitsumete Knight. Anyway... I think that a talented person could create a quality video game by refining some of Thousand Arms' concepts, and adding original ideas.)

~Julia~
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#3 Post by ~Julia~ »

I can see your concern, I shall answer your inquires to the best of my ability:

No, I have never made anything "professional" in the indie scene, but I have made several personal things in the past and I'm always experimenting with stuff. I have done some research here and there and I'm continually looking into all facets of the industry.

All of the pledge money is going into the development of the title, this will be quite a costly endeavor (just to get the finalized character designs and base sprites it's going to cost 1.5k, and another 1.5k to cover the physical items being created for some backer rewards) most of the funding will be spent on art, the next biggest chunk will probably be the voice work (at the moment "amateur" actors are planned to be used, but if a few strings are pulled that might change slightly) and there is of course the music too. And yes there are plans to have opening and closing sequences, so there's that to cover too.

Hmm it's interesting to separate plot and character relations, I view them as one in the same, I mean characters are constantly interacting, regardless if a major or minor event is occurring and it all accumulates into the viewer's overall experience. The romantic relations within the story are focused on sole pairings (many character view points, but each one already has a romantic interest in mind, so this is not about pursuing maidens). Hmm the shoujo-ai doesn't affect the overall plot I guess since it's more about preventing the revival of a war, the romantic relations are more there to help enrich character connection and let viewers witness how characters interact and grow with one another.

Hmm I believe my target audience is anyone who enjoys a good story, though if you like strong female leads and/or yuri, there's a higher affinity then. I feel it's pretty restrictive to think only of pleasing 1 demographic, and while I'm sure subconsciously I'm doing that, I write the story I think would be most enjoyable.

At the end of the day I ran into a situation where I discovered this may be the last chance I get to do something I enjoy, so I'm giving it my all, and if it works out then I will be overjoyed, if it doesn't then I can at least be thankful for all the people who have shown me support and I can proudly say I gave it one last serious try.

[Also I still firmly stand behind my statement of Thousand Arms, but that's a subject for another time and place :3]
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#4 Post by Starcloud »

I looks like a really interesting project and I look forward to the demo! Good luck getting the funding, really. If that does not pan out remember that there are always new artists out there that you could ask to give it a shot. It's not going to be easy but they need the practice and if you need the art then its worth it. Keep it up :)
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Ask me about my work in progress, The Jovian Sunsets. Not really hiring at the moment but I am always willing to share!

~Julia~
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#5 Post by ~Julia~ »

Thank you for your interest! And we just hit our first 1,000! So to commemorate I'm showing off 2 more characters:

Swan Blackheart
Raven has many sisters but she and Swan are the only twins among all the Gene Children but despite this special bond Swan holds nothing but contempt for her wayward sibling, although she wont say why, she merely mentions a "betrayal". Her relationship with her father is far from perfect either but she has decided to fight for his cause in order to get a chance to fight and kill Raven, not much else matters to her and she'll eliminate anyone who gets in her way.
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Nigatsu
Swan's loyal attendant and lover, the two have spent many years looking out for one another and as such both are quick to enrage should you come between them. Nigatsu lacks any memories before meeting Swan but in the far reaches of her mind are dark whispers, and in the coming conflict she will have to face the great fear of the unknown.
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I'm so happy with all the support and I hope it can continue! Thank you everyone.
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gekiganwing
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#6 Post by gekiganwing »

Thank you for your feedback and updates, Julia. It's about halfway through April now, and it looks like people have donated over $2500. You might benefit from the following:

* "Selling" people on your characters and pairings. You've included some info on Kickstarter about your plot. Please let us know more about the characters in your story. Help us learn about their relationships.

* State if Devil Gene R will be available for devices other than Windows/Mac/Linux computers.

* Make it clear what content will definitely be in the final version. If there are no romance options, be sure to say so. Let the public know if you are committed to features like multiple endings, or if there will be added gameplay.

Right now I'm keeping a close eye on my spending. Perhaps I'll be able to contribute soon.

~Julia~
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#7 Post by ~Julia~ »

Sorry for the silence~ But I have returned! http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/548 ... -episode-i

Our first Kickstarter failed, but I took all that I learned from that and regrouped my efforts! We even have a proper demo on the page, so please try it out and tell me what you think ^^
gekiganwing wrote:* Make it clear what content will definitely be in the final version. If there are no romance options, be sure to say so. Let the public know if you are committed to features like multiple endings, or if there will be added gameplay.
There is romance, however it is not like a harem where you go around and pursue potential candidates.

There are in essence "multiple" endings.

I do have a gameplay element in mind, but whether or not I get to implement it depend on the success of the funding drive.


If anyone has questions, please don't hesitate to ask ^^
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#8 Post by gekiganwing »

The old Kickstarter page had a couple sample screens with black-and-white art. I think you made the right decision by including color screens on the new page.

Also, you wrote a paragraph stating that at least four other people will be -- or already are -- working on Devil Gene R. Are they committed to the project once it's funded, or are they currently helping you create it?

It seems your goal right now is to fund the first episode, and then release it for free. How many episodes do you estimate the story will span? Also, are you planning to let the player carry over save data over to episode two, so that the game will remember the player's decisions?

Finally, if you get funding and you believe your game will benefit from a gameplay element, then consider adding it. Just make sure to clearly communicate to your audience that they're funding an interactive, plot-centered story, and not a complex video game with a love polygon.

~Julia~
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Re: Devil Gene R - [Sci-Fi] [Supernatural] [GxG]

#9 Post by ~Julia~ »

gekiganwing wrote:The old Kickstarter page had a couple sample screens with black-and-white art. I think you made the right decision by including color screens on the new page.

Also, you wrote a paragraph stating that at least four other people will be -- or already are -- working on Devil Gene R. Are they committed to the project once it's funded, or are they currently helping you create it?

It seems your goal right now is to fund the first episode, and then release it for free. How many episodes do you estimate the story will span? Also, are you planning to let the player carry over save data over to episode two, so that the game will remember the player's decisions?

Finally, if you get funding and you believe your game will benefit from a gameplay element, then consider adding it. Just make sure to clearly communicate to your audience that they're funding an interactive, plot-centered story, and not a complex video game with a love polygon.
Luckily I was able to get money to spend on making the actual character sprites so I was able to make the demo and screens as complete as they are now.

Those mentioned are indeed committed and will provide assets in the future.

Four episodes are planned for sure, however whether or not a 2nd episode and beyond are actually made is completely dependent on fan support, but of course if the sequels do go into development retaining data is definitely a possibility.

A gameplay element would be nice but it's not necessarily needed, the demo provided shows what you can definitely expect. I don't want to promise the element as it may not even make it in, the idea I had could easily carry over into it's own project, so right now I honestly would like to focus solely on the story, characters, and world. So for now we're just going to ride it out and see how support builds before going for anything more complicated than it need be.
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