nope, animeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Keep in mind their definition of RTS could mean any system with a real-time component involving strategy. Anything from Final Fantasy’s ATB to what MMOs do to friggin’ Worms.
The donations started picking up steam again but I have no clue if it’ll be enough now to get explorable Overworld mapas. Seems like at the least they’ll make the 800k$ stretch goal although it doesn’t seem like it’ll impact the game.
"Project Phoenix and Good Smile Company Cooperate on Sylrianah Figurine
Update #20 · Sep 8, 2013 · 60 comments
Today’s Kickstarter and Paypal total
Kickstarter $796,433
Paypal $20,724
Total $817,157
Another day, another stretch goal down! Thank you so much for your support! So as we move forward, only 3 days remain. It’ll take an Olympian 
effort, so be sure to let your fellow JRPG fans know about this final push!
With this stretch goal down, all Treasure Hunter backers will receive that exclusive A4 poster while Digital Collector backers receive a digital copy of that same poster.
So while we continue strive forward, propelled by our passions and ability to succeed, we’re amazed and grateful at the amount of support we’ve gotten from individual backers like yourselves and larger companies like Obsidian! Well, we’re proud to announce that one of our newest partners who’ve come on board is none other than Good Smile Company, the Japanese company famously known for making really awesome figurines from games and anime!
If you’ve been an avid collector of anime and games figurines, you’ve probably have heard about or even own some of Good Smile Company’s high quality sculpts! We’re definitely fans of their work on the very elegant Fate/Unlimited Codes Saber figurine as well as their numerous Touhou Project and Vocaloid releases.
Needless to say, we’re really excited at this opportunity! Good Smile Company and Project Phoenix will be working hard to make and deliver NOT one, but TWO Sylrianah figurines! The first version is a Limited-Edition version which will differ from the normal version in several ways. The Limited-Edition comes with:
Clothing color that will be different from the normal version and will be designed by our Art Supervisor.
An elven knife accessory
Different packaging, complete with a serial number and a Certificate of Authenticity
And you’ll get it months before the normal version comes out!
That a well-established figurine company known for their high quality supports us is a big boost and we look forward to working with them to not only deliver a fantastic game experience, but also an awesome Sylrianah figurine that encapsulates an aura of nobility and resoluteness as this elven princess stands at the ready to defeat any and all who dare to threaten her friends, her people, and her homeland!"
hot glue time
any why the fuck did they just put in these stretch goals now?! feels even worse if these can’t be delivered in the final product
We could have had Co-op?
:sad:
I’m hoping that CIA could pull some bullshit after the campaign and somehow say that they have enough financial backing outside the Kickstarter to fund the additional stretch goals. Highly unlikely, but I think the game could be mad ballin’ if he had these last 7 stretch goals.
Don’t be sad guys and girls. Assuming this game does well, all those things will additionally be put in the next game/as DLC.
We’re getting an awesome RPG from a great team =D
The Ebb and Flow of Combat and Story, New Staffers, and a Trip to the Dwarven Lands!
Update #21 · Sep 8, 2013 · 14 comments
Today’s Kickstarter and Paypal total
Kickstarter $817,314
Paypal $22,247
Total $839,561 and a little over 50 hours remaining so be sure to let your fellow JRPG fans know about this final push!! But first…
Gameplay Update:
As we draw down ever so closer to the end of our Kickstarter campaign, there’ll be quite a few items left that we’d like to talk about. For today’s update, we’ll have Hiro present our vision for how the RTS element will work. So without further ado, here’s Hiro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDdNUVGp5NE
**As you can see from the video, Project Phoenix aims to de-emphasize the more tedious aspects of the RTS genre like resource gathering and having to select and micromanage individual units so that we can focus on the aspects that matter most and are of most fun to many of you: the tactical planning in using environmental objects to gain that advantage AND the thrill of combat!
Furthermore, we know how important it is for you to be able to personalize your own squad, to give them your own flavor that reflects your personality. So to that end, Project Phoenix allows you to deck out your characters in whatever gear suits your fancy and you will be able to see how those accessories and items look on your character so that each of your squad’s look and feel will be uniquely yours!**
Story update
Furthermore, there’s a grand story to be told in the world of Azuregard. More than anything else, the JRPG genre has excelled in getting people like you to identify with and empathize with the characters and draw you into the greater world events in which your characters are involved.
Because of that, we’d like to present a bigger peek into the world of Azuregard and some of the personalities that inhabit it as well as the process of bringing the story to its finished form. Yoko Enoki-san, our scenario writer will touch upon the story and characters while Bill Benfield, our editor will discuss the editing process and the tone that you can expect from the story. We’ll have to re-upload the video due to sound issues. Stay tuned!
Another SQUARE ENIX veteran joins the team
Today’s latest addition to the staff roles is none other than gaming veteran Yumiko Sugihara, who will be working as a 3D Environment Artist. Her credits are quite huge, with work on 3D environments for games like Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX (fun fact: she was handpicked by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi himself). Since then, she’s worked for Capcom, Microsoft, and EA and we’re very lucky to have her!
Finally, a Music Update
Music has remained a pivotal part of creating the mood and atmosphere in Azuregard and our composers have been hard at work in composing themes that fit in with the game’s idiom. Today, we take a trip to the Dwarven Mountain Halls where the air is rich with tales of the stout-hearted folk’s military glories.
We’ll also get a chance to tour the overworld take a quick look at a Human town, and a brief side trip to Orc territory to give you an idea of what their theme will sound like. We won’t stay too long though, as relations are a bit… strained, shall we say?
Gorek Greyhelm
And finally, while we’re on that trip with our angelic friend Ruffles, take the time to say “hi” to the Dwarven warrior, Gorek Greyhelm! He’s jovial when he needs to be and this cheery personality has made him a favorite drinking buddy of the Dwarven King. But he’s not all fun and games, for when the trumpets of war sound, he can be counted to take his hammer and fight with a ferocity that causes those of lesser heart to turn tail and flee. We’re still checking to make sure he’s not part-Spartan…"
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1271298_358063570994269_415389875_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1243703_358064514327508_95477347_o.jpg
Hopefully you’re right Korbidon
“Raphael Ramos (me/Laban) about 1 hour ago
@Creative Intelligence Arts, Inc.
Let’s say in the circumstances that not all of the stretch goals could be met by the end of this campaign, is it a possibility that the remaining features in the stretch goals such as Multiplayer/Co-op, world expansion, side stories/quests, end game content, and etc. could be added as DLC content post-production/launch/release of the game?”
“Creator Creative Intelligence Arts, Inc. 24 minutes ago
Raphael Ramos,
Anything is possible ;D
A famous quote in Japan
’Boys be ambitious!’
-Hiro”
mah dick
"PlayStation Exclusive
Update #22 · Sep 8, 2013 · 19 comments
Today’s Totals:
Kickstarter$822,678
Paypal$23,033
Total $845,711
Less than 48 hours to go!
PS4/PS Vita Item Codes
We know you’ve been looking forward to a PS4/PS Vita version and so are we! As things stand, Project Phoenix can only be purchased and downloaded from the PlayStation Store. If this stance changes before the game launches, we will make sure to announce it immediately!
Furthermore, this impacts our ability to create individual item codes on the PlayStation Network. But worry not! We’ve come up with a solution that we think you’ll enjoy. Here’s how it’ll work: if you pledge $120 or more for the Treasure Hunter tier, you will receive a code to redeem the in-game items listed below on both the PS4 & PS Vita. We are currently looking into the possibility of adding backgrounds, screensavers and icons into this bundle to make it more awesome, and we’ll update you with more information as we progress.
The Composer tier’s Musical Items will be exclusive to Windows/Mac/Linux, and will not be available anywhere else. All of these exclusive items will only be available during the KickStarter Campaign.
PUPPETEER
We have created new tier for backers who are able to give $950+. This tier will contain a limited edition 1/8 scale figurine of Sylrianah, and be included in the rewards of all higher level tiers. We will be offering this figurine for the next 55 hours at a reduced cost; after KickStarter the figurine will be available on our website for $250, so get in there while it lasts!
-Cronus
Story Update Redux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=86Ea-IcWgK8
"
Can you translate pls? I don’t speak weeaboo.
No offense to you whatsoever.
@SWBeta, this might be too much info, but I like being thorough. I’ll just bold the main concepts/definitions:
Chuunibyou (中二病), or “Middle-school 2nd Year Syndrome”, is a colloquial and rather derisive term in Japan which describes a person at the age of fourteen would either act like a know-it-all adult, or thinks they have special powers no one else has. Some would even go as far as being obnoxious, arrogant, and often look down on adults or older people. This way of thinking or acting is mostly seen in teenagers during adolescence, however there are people who still act like this even after reaching adulthood.
Chuunibyou uses the word “病” for “syndrome” or “disease” but it does not actually relate to any medical condition or mental disorder. It can also be written as 厨二病 in Japanese, where “厨” means “-fag” in net slang. In English it is often abbreviated as chuu2.
According to the “Chuunibyou User Manual” (中二病取扱説明書, Chuunibyou Toriatsukai Setsumei Sho), there are three types of people who have chuunibyou traits:
DQN (DQN系, dokyun kei)
Pretends to be anti-social or acts like a delinquent when in fact he or she is not or cannot become like either one. Tells made up stories about gang fights or crimes, or boasts and pretends to know about that subculture. “DQN” is slang for “antisocial person” or “annoying delinquent”.
Subcultural/Hipster (サブカル系, SubCul kei)
Prefers non-mainstream or minor trends and establishes themselves as being special. People of this type do not really love the subculture itself but rather strive to obtain the “cool” factor by not having the same interests as others.
Evil Eye (邪気眼系, Jyakigan kei)
**Admires mystical powers and thinks that he or she has a hidden power within them as well. It is this trait that they create an alias specifically for said power. This is also known as the delusional type. **
Anime such as Code Geass, Death Note, Another, etc. are pretty Chuunibyou. Aesthetically, stuff like FF7/8, Kingdom Hearts, etc. are pretty Chuunibyou-esque, especially if we have people with the “evil eye” syndrome that pretend to have those “cool powers/abilites” just like from those games.
Uguu is habitual, phonetic potpourri that a certain fictional character from “Kanon” (a visual novel/anime series) uses to express displeasure. The expression/sound pretty much superficially embodies “moé.”
Moé literally means to burn, as in fire. ** In the colloquial sense, it means for one to become impassioned, invigorated, turned on** (either sexually or non-sexually.) A person can have moé for something for any particular reason as long as it gives that kind of stimulus and response. The thing is in Japan, there is an overwhelming sense of moé for cute things in general; many people tend to confuse moé for the love of bubbly, cute stuff when the term is broader than that.
Current Japanese RPGs tend to appeal to the typical Japanese consumers’ sense of demand/moé to rack in sales. That’s why many JRPGs now are stuff like the Atelier series, Neptunia series, Tales of series, and etc.
With Japan, they’ve been in a recession for over 20 years now and there is a current culture that doesn’t really consume “culture” as much as they used to during their bubble economy. So the people that actually decide to consume non-necessities are niche, crazy, sub-cultural groups. So sub-human otaku/nerds, Gyaru, and 1 or 2 other niche groups dominate the economic market in terms of sales because no one else really wants to consume cultural goods other than these people (since the wise thing to do in a recession is save money and buy necessities.) That’s why niche idol groups like AKB48 can top song charts and sales because there isn’t much market competition rather than actual popularity. That and that the idol business, especially AKB and sister groups, are pretty cancerous in terms of their business model and wotaku (idol otaku) buy multiple copies of albums of their particular favorite idol within the group to help boost the internal “ranking” of their idol within the group so she has more privileges to star in music videos, do live events, have singles, and etc. while lower ranking idols don’t. And yes, rankings are based on album sales and are counted as “votes.” Wotaku are milked like factory farmed cows.
This becomes bad for Japan because they’re trapped in a vortex. To support their economy, they need to appeal to niche groups that are willing to spend ridiculous amounts of money on consumer goods, otherwise the economy would slow down. But the more they cater to these niche groups, the more that their national goods are so tailored locally that they can’t become viable exported goods to gain meaningful ground in terms of economic recovery.
I digress, haha.
Japan’s fucked up.
( IRC: #ProjectPhoenix on irc.worldnet.net )
"Come chat with other backers in real time on IRC! Follow the link below!!"
http://irc.lc/worldnet/%23projectphoenix
So someone made an IRC channel if you want to discuss stuff with other Project Phoenix backers in real time. The hyper link above should be an easy alternative to using IRC on a Browser rather than downloading and opening an IRC client such as mIRC. Some of the people in the chat have donated at the “Developer” level and will have alpha/beta access to the game, have Project Phoenix Developer forum privileges, and have more direct conversation and influence on developer decisions. I’m on there so shoot me a message there if you want to.
Limiting the digital copies seemed a bit dumb, I mean they are basically turning people coming in with money to exchange for something they can’t actually run out of away, nice going there.
I hope japan realizes that the more they pander to these guys the more people perceive japanese society in a negative way. Know how much people in america think that japanese kids do all the dumb shit you see them do in anime? Thank god that particular niche of anime isn’t popular anywhere else
The ironic thing is that overall, these niche societies are far away from being an actual majority. Otaku of all types are looked down upon by the public and other niche groups are not significant enough to impact the majority. It’s just that their consumerism trumps other forms of cultural consumption to make it appear that they’re “big” when they’re actually not. So it’s not the matter of pandering or not pandering to them, it’s more that the Japanese markets should try to gain better leadership and innovation to increase exports and also encourage consumerism within the “silent majority” that simply isn’t buying as much as they used to, let alone the youth that were born and raised during the recession when there isn’t much consumerism or a predominant culture for it.
Another ironic thing is that the Japanese manga, Kami no Shizuku (Drops of God), boosted importation and consumption of wine not only in Japan, but generally across Asia. There’s no right or wrong in terms of “pandering or not pandering.” The real question lies in how to create long-term sustainability and maintain growth; much like our own current problem in the United States.
If anyone is further interested in the topic of the change in Japanese pop-culture, I recommend reading this series over here: http://neojaponisme.com/category/econo-business/
To be back on topic:
"Character Profiles
Update #23 · Sep 9, 2013 · 4 comments
On the heels of the story update featuring Yoko Enoki and Bill Benfield, we’ve gone ahead and added some character profiles on the Kickstarter front page! If you scroll through, you can read up on brief bios of Marcus, Ruffles, Sylrianah, Zarum, and Gorek which we’ve reproduced here:
Marcus Stern
Born to King Magnus Stern and the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Izaria, Marcus’ early life was marred by a great tragedy that has shaped his short-tempered personality and his outlook towards those of other races, especially Orcs. The tragedy was what drove Marcus to eventually join the feared unit known as the Death Templars. Through their training and Marcus’ single-minded dedication to become stronger, Marcus has become a weapons master and adept in swordplay, especially with the longsword and shortsword. Unfortunately, his decision to join the Death Templars has driven a wedge between him and his family and even now, their relationship is respectful, but distant.
Ruffles
An amnesiac angel, Ruffles seeks to find out who she is and her place within the larger world. She’s a being of pure heart who tries to help everyone she can, even if it inconveniences her or puts her in danger. She also tries to see the good in people, doing her best to guide troubled souls out of the shroud and back on the path of goodness.
Sylrianah Tyrnearaheal
Sylrianah, the Elven Princess, has always been driven by the desire to see the world beyond the forest’s borders, but only now, taking the first steps to venture outside the sanctity of the elven lands. She shares many of her people’s traits: she’s calm, cool, and collected, with a great reverence for life, but can also seem just a bit aloof. Like many of her people, she’s stealthy, especially in forest environs and she can wield a shortbow to devastating effect, as her keen elven sights and marksmanship training make her a fine scout.
Zarum
It’s not difficult to feel just a bit uneasy around Zarum. The battlemage has long had a reputation for being dangerous, with a hairpin trigger that, more often than not, leaves only destruction in his wake.This reputation allows Zarum to journey across Azuregard unimpeded, though the motives that drive him on are inscrutable to most. Those who come across Zarum’s path are advised to tread lightly lest they find their lifespan being shortened unexpectedly…
Gorek Greyhelm
Gorek is a dwarf with a jovial personality whose thirst for the beer cups is only rivaled by his thirst for combat, both of which has made him a favorite of the Dwarven King who finds his skills with his Stormhammer to be reliable and his seemingly endless banter to be even more pleasing. Despite this seemingly happy-go-lucky attitude towards most things, if there’s one thing those around Gorek should be aware of, it’s his enormous pride which can bring him to be angry at the smallest perceived slight, especially when drunk.
These won’t be the only ones however and we will expand upon this further, especially given latest developments like the cat-folk race that Yoko Enoki mentions in her video as well as WIP illustrations that GONTARO has produced, detailing such characters as a female samurai. We’ll have more of that once the art and bios are finalized!"
That nigga Zarum better be playable. Him and Ruffles need to be the Vivi and Stiener of this game.
Reddit AMA. Upvote if you have an account.
Answers tons of questions regarding the game, the most interesting of which is that it will have Dawn of War combat.