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Project Phoenix Kickstarter


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If you're a fan of JRPGs, squad-based RTS combat, or awesome games in general, then you'll be happy to know Project Phoenix has arrived on Kickstarter. Project Phoenix combines JRPGs with squad-based RTS combat for a unique experience, with talent from some of the biggest names in the Eastern and Western hemispheres working on it. Director and producer Hiroaki Yura (Diablo III and Valkyria Chronicles), game designer Vaughn Smith (L.A. Noire), lead composer Nobuo Uematsu (basically every Final Fantasy), and dozens more are all working on this game, which should make for one fantastic journey.

 

 

Project Phoenix's story features clans of orcs that have come down from the mountains and begun raiding without regard. Free men from the south have supposedly returned with far greater organization than the past, and whose goal is to defeat the Empire. The elves believe a certain star signals a time of change, where the fate of everyone in the world of Azuregard will be decided. Amidst all this turmoil is paladin Marcus Stern, who meets an angel with amnesia, Ruffles, the elven princess Sylrianah, and Zarum the Lost. These four form "an unlikely bond" as they try to discover their place in the world and potentially even save it from itself.

 

Three modes are present in Project Phoenix: Exploration, Combat, and Character Advancement. The first means you travel across the realms of Azuregard, meet new races, characters, and obtain superior equipment. Each new location you discover allows you to equip local garb and experience the culture. The best part is there's no grinding required to get to new areas, so you can explore along at your own pace without worrying about getting that next level. The developers are making sure each new town or city you journey to has plenty of interesting characters and reason to stick around.
 
Combat is composed of story battles and random battles. Story battles are, obviously, designed to help progress the story, while random battles are "dynamic combat scenarios" that can occur during the story but typically when exploring areas without any story content (like revisiting an older town). Random battles are available whenever you like, too, so there's no extra burden with them. Battles are fought with a point and click system, with abilities using either mana or stamina. Tactical play and different heroes play a role in the battles, so you'll need to take into account factors like terrain and threat management to prevail.

 

As for character advancement, each character has their own class, style, abilities, and equipment, with no major concerns over which character gets a new piece of armor. Leveling up automatically improves character stats and abilities, with a talent system in place so players can customize their role. Completely customizable heroes are also being considered, so when you recruit them on your journey you can modify them however you'd like.

 

 

The $100,000 goal was hit in about nine hours, but there are plenty of stretch goals to aim for. More character and monster models, more music, detailed cities, character customization, and maybe even mutliplayer and co-op could all be added in. A $20 pledge gets a copy of Project Phoenix and beta access, with higher tiers offering more rewards.

 

The Kickstarter runs until September 11, so there's plenty of time for more funding to come in.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-ybgLgT_Hk

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Backed. Sounds pretty cool. I'm not a huge JRPG fan, but it sounds like it's combining the best of both worlds, especially if the stretch goals are met (which I have no doubt they will be).

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Been reading through some developer comments, and just thought I'd let you guys know that even if the PS4/Vita version is approved before the end of the campaign, we will not be able to choose a PS4/Vita key instead of a PC key:

 

"The problem is, the PS4/VITA version is VERY expensive compared to the game we're selling so it wouldn't work inside the current reward system as we would start making a huge loss."

"We understand. The PS4/VITA version is, again, too expensive to include in our Kickstarter campaign. You wouldn't want us to make a loss and only a small part of your money actually reaching development right?

So maybe you can enjoy our progress and decide whether to buy or not buy at the launch of the PS version mid-2015"

"We don't know how they do it... but it's way too expensive for it to happen for us."

"Sorry, rewarding for these console systems is hard because in the end, it's the publishers who get a lot of the money, not us, the developers."

 

All that being said, it seems like they're not ruling out creating a new pledge:

"The contract for the PS4 has not yet been signed, so we are unable to promise anything for rewards until then. That being said, I am unaware of any plans to create a pledge specifically for the PS4, but I will bring it up after we post the update (incoming soon)"

 

So I can see them maybe adding a pledge for a physical PS4 or Vita copy for $40-50 compared to the $20 PC version.

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Third Update, entitled "Leveling, Skills, and Squad Tactics"

 

Some tidbits (everything is subject to change, depending on how testing goes):

 

- Looking at a level cap between 80-100
-- Doesn't want to make the cap too high where it's a needless grind just to max out

 

- Each character has two skill trees

 

- Haven't decided if you get a skill point at every level or every two levels
-- They will make it so it's NOT possible to max each skill tree, even after reaching the level cap

 

- Sounds like stats will increase automatically, you won't allot points yourself

 

- Four playable classes announced so far: Templars, Paladins, Pathfinders, and Battle Mages
-- Each class starts off with similar basic abilities, but each will have their own unique skill trees

 

- During combat, you control squads, not individual characters

 

- There will be around 10 playable characters on the field at any given time

 

- You set up your squads prior to battle any way you like
-- Here's the example they provide: You create 3 squads for 9 characters. In the first squad you place 3 tanks, the second, 3 ranged, and the third, 3 healers. Then you set up the party formation so that the tank squad faces the enemy, the healer squad stays center to provide support to the other squads, and the ranged squad protects the flanks and rear.

--- You CAN mix and match characters and squads, having a tank, ranged and healer in one squad, for example.

 

- You assign "stances" to each squad that are adjustable AI parameters your squads follow when you're not directly controlling them.
-- Currently considering three: Aggressive, Defensive, and Stealth
--- Even when not in combat, squads will retain their stances and take up appropriate positions/formations when halted.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So CIA has decided it will release small video updates highlight key points about combat rather than throwing it all at us at once.

 

Here is the first video, entitled "Explaining the use of terrain in combat"

 

 

Kickstarter Update

 

Also, it has now surpassed 10K backers and very close to the $650K stretch goal.

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Very nearly to the $650,000 stretch goal when you take into account the Paypal backers. That's the one with more detailed cities as well as character customization for the non-main characters that can join your party.

 

As such the developers have revealed the plans for forum registration so all the KS and Paypal backers can more easily communicate with each other and the team.

 

 

We

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Unless there's about $200,000 pledged in the remaining 53 hours, it doesn't look like we'll get a fully explorable overworld. Still, there's plenty to look forward to already. :)

Yeah, still more content than Mighty No.9 ;)

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