Elysian Shadows - Kickstarter Announcement

Couchpotato

Part-Time News-bot
Joined
October 1, 2010
Messages
36,073
Location
Spudlandia
The Elysian Shadows development team has released more information, and a new video with news about the games upcoming kickstarter in two weeks.



We're back with a gigantic update on Elysian Shadows and our Kickstarter campaign! The team takes you on a wild ride inside the high-stress, sleepless world of full-time indie game development, as they work day and night preparing for the launch of the campaign on August 1st. With almost a full hour of highly polished and sincere commentary from the team fused with unapologetically raw and uncensored footage, this is our most ambitious production to date… We truly wanted to show our fans everything that goes on behind trying to run a startup gamedev company and successfully running a crowdfunding campaign.



The date we've all been eagerly awaiting is rapidly approaching… We're both terrified and excited for it, and we have truly poured our hearts and souls into creating a product and a campaign worthy of your backing. Thank you for the continued love and support we have received from the indie game development community over the years. Let us know what you think of the stretch goals and if you have any input on the campaign. We would love to hear from you!
More information.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
36,073
Location
Spudlandia
Start the video and get called a bitch. Then they commence to eating cereal at me. Errr, yeah, jump ahead. They're screwing around with some sprites, not telling me anything. Jump further ahead - now they're lighting sprites. They really expect us to spend almost an hour watching that??
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
8,220
Location
Kansas City
Lead engine developer here.

Well, considering the fact the video has received thousands of views in just a few days, yes, I was hoping people would actually take the time to give our hard work, blood, sweat, and tears a chance.

It's unfortunate that you are not a fan of our sense of humor, as we have an established fanbase of 9.5k subs on YouTube who are used to it.

Our only goal was to create a video depicting the hard work and emotional stress along with the game progress required to create a successful Kickstarter campaign. I understand that our presentation does not appeal to everyone, but we have a publishing deal for the Sega Dreamcast, and we are the cover story for next month's issue of Indie Game Magazine.

I encourage you to watch with an open mind, but I doubt you will. That's fine too. Here's some pretty screens, we'll do it the "traditional" way. :)
10568970_778660275510953_342624939554079875_n.png

10501613_779628052080842_3581863161414940207_n.png

10443415_781187458591568_2408192755022890944_n.jpg

10432139_775202225856758_7250614413171872707_n.png
 
Also, thank you for the continued support and coverage, RPGWatch.

We have been publicly promoting our game through podcasts, magazines, interviews, articles, and our YouTube channel for months leading up to this Kickstarter. We've gained a pretty large following, but unfortunately lots of people are not "in the loop" with our development, so they do not get the same thing out of our videos that our established fans do.

We would love to do any kind of article, interview or podcast with you guys to help shed some light on the project and our creative vision for everyone who just sees the videos.
 
Lead engine developer here.

Well, considering the fact the video has received thousands of views in just a few days, yes, I was hoping people would actually take the time to give our hard work, blood, sweat, and tears a chance.

It's unfortunate that you are not a fan of our sense of humor, as we have an established fanbase of 9.5k subs on YouTube who are used to it.

Our only goal was to create a video depicting the hard work and emotional stress along with the game progress required to create a successful Kickstarter campaign. I understand that our presentation does not appeal to everyone, but we have a publishing deal for the Sega Dreamcast, and we are the cover story for next month's issue of Indie Game Magazine.

Yeah, we get it, you're working hard. *Plays tiny violin* The thing is, that doesn't make me want to back your game. As a potential Kickstarter backer, all that I want to hear from you is what will make your game different from all the other RPGs out there (i.e., what will you do that is new or an improvement upon the genre), and why do I "need" to see this game developed. Now it could be that you've already amassed a big enough following that you'll reach your funding goal (if so, good for you). Presumably, though, you want to bring in new fans / supporters or you wouldn't be spending time posting in this forum, but it seems that through your videos, you're only preaching to the converted.

Moreover, you need to realize that RPGWatch members are primarily cRPG (PC) players. We probably aren't your core audience, but you may find some backers here if you can convince us that this game will have novel mechanics and depth to it. I'm not nearly as anti-console as some of the members of this forum, but I don't really get a warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feeling when I think of past consoles either; at any rate, I never owned a Dreamcast. And to be frank, I find developing the game for an old console to be a silly gimmick and nothing more. I also don't care about the drama or a behind the scenes documentary about indie developers. I just want to know if ES is a game I will enjoy.

What is the combat system like? What are the quests structured like? What (if any) character customization options are there? Will it be a linear narrative-driven game, non-linear, or somewhere in between (a story driven game with branching paths / multiple endings)? These are the kinds of things I hope to see in your Kickstarter pitch.
Note: I'm not simply asking for a list of your favorite JRPGs either.

I'm surprised you got as many subscribers as you have pissing and moaning about how hard it's been being up for days, eating nothing but ramen noodles but I'd say it's hard to predict how many of them will actually put up money for the game. (I realize this video wasn't your pitch video, but you seem to think that this video should make us all hyped and eager to back your game.). Please take this as constructive criticism that it is; OK, bitch? :p
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
2,296
Location
PA
all that I want to hear from you is what will make your game different from all the other RPGs out there (i.e., what will you do that is new or an improvement upon the genre),

Big (even if reasonable) request.

Most KS projects are about bringing the same old, same old. They are for players who cant be satisfied with having one thousand offers in the same and need to add that extra one.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
LOL! daveyd, you're my kind of guy, and you are my audience. Nothing you have said is even remotely offense to me, and that's the exact reaction I would expect you to have (as I would have the same reaction).

Dreamcast support does seem like a gimmick, and it has actually (and unfortunately) give us shittons of industry attention for all the wrong reasons... They're reporting because we're on a dead console, not because they took the time to really understand what we're trying to do creatively. As a developer, it's actually frustrating. I grew up developing for the Dreamcast, active in the Dreamcast scene. I taught myself C at age 14 to program for it, and I am targeting because it's my favorite console, and it has been my dream. I honestly don't give two beyond that. I'm doing that for myself, not for press.

Now as I said, this was a video posted to our YouTube channel, where people have been following our project for years, watching the game evolve. They know what we're about already. You guys don't.

Fortunately this game is far more than a "Dreamcast gimmick", and the PC version is going to be the only version capable of realizing the game's full graphical potential. Obviously we're giving a gigantic amount of gameplay information and footage away on the Kickstarter page, but I will go ahead and give you the lowdown here, just because I think this project deserves your respect.

I am literally copy and pasting text from our Kickstarter page, which lots of people in the gaming community have been begging to see.
Intro said:
Travel through lush environments and diverse biomes, exploring a series of mysterious ruins, and discovering a world caught in constant conflict between magic and technology. Magic is a gift reserved for only the loyal followers of The Creator, while the non religious sects of society are forced to rely upon technology in their daily lives. Upon uncovering a mysterious artifact deep within one of the ancient ruins scattered throughout the land, Julien and friends find themselves thrust into the middle of this rising conflict. Can you solve the mystery of the ancient civilizations and prevent the destruction of your own?

Elysian Shadows is an indie 2D RPG being developed for Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, Ouya, and even the Sega Dreamcast (not even kidding). We fuse aspects of 16-bit classical RPGs with a highly stylized, modern vision by using dynamic lighting, physics, and audio engines along with swapping between 2D and 3D perspectives. Our goal is to create the "next-generation" of the 2D RPG in terms of gameplay, graphics, and audio. We want to reinvent and revitalize the aging genre for a new generation of platforms, while still remaining true to the 16-bit charm of the SNES and Genesis classics that we all grew up loving.

With Elysian Shadows, we want to push the boundaries of pixel art by creating diverse, lush environments for players to explore with beautifully lit scenes and advanced rendering effects that could not have been possible on older hardware. Our goal is to create a gigantic, open world with an emphasis on exploration and environmental interaction while still retaining the rich storyline and combat mechanics of a full-fledged RPG. Combat is fast, fluid, and action-oriented, sporting particle effects, rigid-body physics, and advanced AI, while simultaneously offering tactical and strategic depth through character customization, unlockable abilities and techniques, and an advanced class system.

Our team spent two years developing a custom in-house engine capable of realizing our ambitious creative vision for Elysian Shadows.

Dynamic lighting with pixel-perfect shadows
3D environments and dynamic 2D/3D camera perspectives
Full-fledged rigid body physics and particle engines
Diverse gameplay styles and platforming mechanics
3D positional and dynamic audio engine

World of Elysian Shadows said:
The world of Elysian Shadows is a diverse, multilayered landscape consisting of villages, towns, cities, and a variety of different ruins and sub-dungeons. Connecting the various ruins to the societies of Elysian Shadows are many overworld maps the player must explore. They are generally beautiful, lush, and feature a variety of different biomes such as forests, deserts, mountains, tundra, beaches, swamps, and islands. The ruins tend to exhibit a darker, moodier, and more foreboding atmosphere, playing host to ancient, long-forgotten technology and a multitude of dangerous creatures guarding their secrets.

We wanted to create an immense and immersive world that is rewarding to explore, playing host to a cast of characters and a culture that are both compelling and emotionally engaging.

- No overworld map. The world is open, vast, and full of detail. We wanted to create a world that is continuous and connected rather than disjoint and separated through a world map or menu.

- No decorative doors. We hate it when games show us a beautiful environment but restrict our ability to fully experience it. If you can see it, you can interact with it.

- Real-Time Day/Night System. Time of day affects NPC behavior, monster encounters, sidequests, and offers an entirely new dimension of strategy and exploration.

- Rich storyline and engaging cast. Our characters are interesting and relatable on a personal level, and our storyline is highly influenced by the philosophical and moral dilemmas of modern society. We want to create an intellectually fulfilling experience, and we want more than anything to engage with you on an emotional level.

Combat of Elysian Shadows said:
When dreaming up the gameplay experience of Elysian Shadows, we drew inspiration from not only the great 16-bit RPGs of our youth, but also a vast list of games we grew up loving, many of which aren't even in the same genre. We wanted to create an experience that could also be enjoyed by people who are traditionally disinterested in the slow-pacing of RPGs. We sought to revitalize the old school formula and integrate gameplay mechanics from action games and even platformers to create and even more exciting and immersive gameplay experience.

- Exploration. An important aspect of Elysian Shadows is exploring and interacting with our gigantic maps and diverse environments. As such, we want the experience to be rewarding and engaging, with a plethora of hidden paths, chests, and secrets scattered about the world. We were inspired by "The Legend of Zelda" to create highly interactive environments, where the player can chop down grasses and trees, cast spells to burn obstacles in their way, and return to old levels with new items to discover previously inaccessible areas.

- Combat. The combat of Elysian Shadows is action-packed, and our team lovingly refers to it as the marriage between "Secret of Mana" and "God of War." Combat takes place in real-time, without a separate battle screen. As such, the player can freely use objects in the environment for a tactical advantage--you can even drop a potion from your inventory and smack a boss in the face with it, for example! The player is able to quickly assume control of an active party member, with the rest operating under the control of user-configurable AI. Spells, particles, and physics are also intimately married aspects of combat, as many spells can set obstacles on fire or lift and throw large objects at enemies.

- Platforming. Julien and the rest of the party are able to jump and interact with their environment in full 3D space. This opens up exploration to the third dimension and allows us to introduce a slew of new gameplay mechanics that have not traditionally been found within 2D RPGs.

- Strategy. In contrast to the action-oriented combat mechanics, we wanted to enhance the depth and strategy of the battle system by introducing a slew of opportunities for character customization. Elysian Shadows features a full-fledged class or "job" system, where each character's innate strengths, weaknesses, and gameplay styles can be augmented through a wide-array of job-specific abilities and talent trees. These jobs also introduce a variety of gameplay mechanics outside of combat, such as alchemy, smithing, and monster taming.

If you still remain unimpressed and disinterested, fine. But it's not because I did not personally take the time to introduce the project to you guys, leaking Kickstarter information early just because I want you to appreciate the game for what it is, not because it's a Dreamcast gimmick or because we're big on YouTube.
 
I don't have time for youtube, never heard of dreamcast, etc.

Seen those 4 screenshots and that's not bad at all. You don't have 3d graphics highclass artist and that's okay, 2d is not bad on those pics.

But seems a few things are not mentioned:
- is it endless respawns game?
- will encounters be luck based (roguelike) or balanced?
- can I save the game whenever I want (outside of combat)?

Too early to say if I'll back it or not, count me interested, but no promises till I see Kickstarter project.
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
23,459
I think I've only played one sprite game ever. It was called Zelda something or something Zelda. It was fun. It was 30 years ago.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
8,821
crpgnut, OMG!
Shame on you.
You should buy yourself a smartphone. ASAP. :D
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
23,459
Nothing to-do with smartphones. Plenty of great 'sprite' games on PC. Eg, Elysian trail which I always think are these devs but no
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
1,502
Back
Top Bottom