Shenmue 3 - Interview with Yu Suzuki

Over at otakumode there is an interview on Yu Suzuki in which they discuss the kickstarter and how Shenmue 3 is progressing.

TOM: Please tell us a few things about the contents of Shenmue 3. First, about the story, what are you going to change and and what do you want to keep?

S: Right now, I aim on making production as effective as possible with the budget at our disposal. Since it will be a sequel in the Shenmue series, we will continue in the steps of its predecessors, having about five to six basic paths depending on the circumstances.

TOM: A game that requires thinking.

S: You think about what to do next and how to decide. Shenmue isn't about competing on who has better timing or skills, if anything it tests your ability to make decisions. For example, you can go that way because a person said so or you can outwit the person and go the other way. I want to create a similar system where thinking takes precedence in battles.

TOM:And that's what makes it similar to the previous Shenmue games.

S: That said, it won't feel good enough without some refreshing action. Not only will the player's decisions be properly reflected in battles, they will also feel good to fight. I want to build them in motion capture and show gamers something properly made.

S: Another thing is "technique scrolls." Although I haven't decided on how to include them yet, ordinary move scrolls could be available at weapon shops, players could get them as a gift, pick them up, get them as a prize for completing a quest, or receive them in the end after an event, it doesn't matter. Players would get their hands on them in various ways, and I intend to make them in a way that the techniques could be pulled off in a video animation without practicing, except for the master techniques which will require a certain amount of practice.

S: The skill tree system will also be connected to the technique scroll system. Just like a tree spreading its roots and branches, if you master every technique in Category A, the tree will be completed to the last leaf, and you will finally be able to learn the master move. However, in Category B, where you didn't master the general techniques, the tree won't grow, which means you won't be able to learn the master technique. This is the way this system works.