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- Apr 16, 2017
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(early concept art, subject to change)
So after about a year and a half's worth of work with a small group of friends, I'm ready to show off our project. The working title is "Revenant Dracanea" but that's soon to change. It's a quirky, comedic adventure about a land facing rebellion, which was lost in the stories of time.
With a lighthearted tone and a charming cast of unique characters, it places heavy emphasis on witty dialogue and storytelling, while spoofing a lot of cherished cliches and tropes in video games.
Here's a brief overview of the basic concept, before launching into the nitty-gritty stuff.
Introduction
Basically, the way we're framing the story is that Dracanea (the setting) is a real place that really existed in our world, it just so happens that everyone all just sorta forgot about it for some reason. By playing the game, you're recounting the events that took place in it, as a collection of fun stories and journals (storytelling and archiving being a running-theme in the game) and discovering why people forgot about it in the first place. So in its purest sense, it's historical-fiction with a fun twist.
Obviously this all sounds pretty okay and run-of-the-mill for an adventure/RPG, so the way we're hoping to help it stand out is by giving it a lot of humor and charm. Me personally, I perform stand-up comedy, and my fiancee is a professional writer with experience in creative writing.
As such we're trying to reflect our talent by making the dialogue witty and funny, as well as giving satire on cherished tropes and cliches in oldschool RPGs. That said, the game isn't just one big yuk-fest either, we're trying to find a good balance of 50/50 between serious and light-hearted. A good example is the Paper Mario series, where characters and dialogue are legitimately funny, but the overall narrative does take itself seriously.
The game assets are almost entirely original, drawn by me, or based on royalty-free stuff as a base, with a teensy bit of the RTP sprinkled in.
I do have a few ideas for unique features to help distinguish the game, some of which we've already begun implementing already, such as:
Obviously this all sounds pretty okay and run-of-the-mill for an adventure/RPG, so the way we're hoping to help it stand out is by giving it a lot of humor and charm. Me personally, I perform stand-up comedy, and my fiancee is a professional writer with experience in creative writing.
As such we're trying to reflect our talent by making the dialogue witty and funny, as well as giving satire on cherished tropes and cliches in oldschool RPGs. That said, the game isn't just one big yuk-fest either, we're trying to find a good balance of 50/50 between serious and light-hearted. A good example is the Paper Mario series, where characters and dialogue are legitimately funny, but the overall narrative does take itself seriously.
The game assets are almost entirely original, drawn by me, or based on royalty-free stuff as a base, with a teensy bit of the RTP sprinkled in.
I do have a few ideas for unique features to help distinguish the game, some of which we've already begun implementing already, such as:
- "Past" sections where you relive memories or history of characters in the form of short little 2D sidescroller vignettes
- An in-depth cooking system which has nearly 100 "real" recipes. Each recipe is based off of actual IRL foods, and as you master them in-game, you can unlock the actual recipe which you can learn to cook in reality. (My fiancee and I also run a food blog, go figure lol).
- In addition, we've plans to release a companion app with the game which will basically be something like the Dracanea Cookbook or something, as a fun bonus thing. Mostly just a phone app collection of the recipes with the characters telling you about the food, its history/culture, food science, etc...
- Team-up skills, called "Super Duo Attacks" instead of generic "ultra" skills, where two party members that have a high friendship, can tag-team the enemy in fun, dynamic attack sequences.
- I'm not going to say where specifically, but the land of Dracanea and its features are loosely based off of a real-life location which is a lot of fun for people who may recognize it.
- Most maps and locations will have hidden bonus rooms that you can discover, which reward you with secrets and prizes, to make exploring the world more interesting.
Plot Overview
Not so long ago, in a not so distant land, the nation of Dracanea nearly fell into ruin when an unthinkably evil warlord rose to power and began his conquest of all he could get his hands on, an event we call the Nova War. Fortunately, he was foiled by a group of teenagers (not trained soldiers, mind you) all because they managed to collect a set of mystical gems... Well, this story sounds pretty familiar, correct? You remember that story of course.
More importantly, though, you do remember the land of Dracanea, right? ...Hm? No? Well, let's talk about it a little bit more.
Fast forward fifteen years later, and Dracanea was a totally different place! The land flourished, cities were built, and magic had advanced society to a bit of a more modern setting.
However despite its advancements, the nation had a long-standing policy of isolation that forbade travel to and from Dracanea. The current ruler, King Paumanock was open to the idea of ending this policy, as luck would have it! Surely this would usher in a new age for all of Dracanea! Unfortunately, there are some pretty outspoken critics of the King and his ideas to open their lands, and these critics began pooling their efforts together as a new Rebel Army, to overthrow the crown once and for all.
You play as Riker Tierros, a beloved general of the Royal Guard (because let's not forget, this is a video game).
Why is he beloved? Well, of course, he was the leader of that ragtag group of kids who managed to overthrow the magical warlock! (Or was it warlord?) But regardless, the Nova War fifteen years prior to this was what thrust Riker into the limelight and now that he's a grown man, he's considered a national hero!
Now, it doesn't quite make sense to march an army of 2,000 soldiers out into a tiny village to investigate a minor disturbance, wouldn't you agree? So instead, good old Riker leads a small recon group across Dracanea in search of any intel on the Rebel Army, fighting the good fight, all while cooking up some tasty grub.
Now do you remember the story Dracanea? That's more like it!
More importantly, though, you do remember the land of Dracanea, right? ...Hm? No? Well, let's talk about it a little bit more.
Fast forward fifteen years later, and Dracanea was a totally different place! The land flourished, cities were built, and magic had advanced society to a bit of a more modern setting.
However despite its advancements, the nation had a long-standing policy of isolation that forbade travel to and from Dracanea. The current ruler, King Paumanock was open to the idea of ending this policy, as luck would have it! Surely this would usher in a new age for all of Dracanea! Unfortunately, there are some pretty outspoken critics of the King and his ideas to open their lands, and these critics began pooling their efforts together as a new Rebel Army, to overthrow the crown once and for all.
You play as Riker Tierros, a beloved general of the Royal Guard (because let's not forget, this is a video game).
Why is he beloved? Well, of course, he was the leader of that ragtag group of kids who managed to overthrow the magical warlock! (Or was it warlord?) But regardless, the Nova War fifteen years prior to this was what thrust Riker into the limelight and now that he's a grown man, he's considered a national hero!
Now, it doesn't quite make sense to march an army of 2,000 soldiers out into a tiny village to investigate a minor disturbance, wouldn't you agree? So instead, good old Riker leads a small recon group across Dracanea in search of any intel on the Rebel Army, fighting the good fight, all while cooking up some tasty grub.
Now do you remember the story Dracanea? That's more like it!
Characters/Party Members
Riker Tierros
The main character of the game. He bravely led a group of friends to fight evil, when they were growing up. Now, he's an acclaimed hero of the nation that everyone knows and loves! ...and he's kind of bored of it.
Eevie Greene
Eevie is a monk who trains day and night to hone her martial arts skills, though she's a bit rough and tumble compared to most other monks in her tribe. Feisty, quick to anger, and good with a joke, she's pretty opposite with Riker, with whom she's romantically involved with, believe it or not!
Princess Nikole
The current Princess and sole heir to the throne; she shares her father's vision for a future in which Dracanea opens up to the rest of the world around it! She's a childhood friend of Riker's, and the two of them have shared a special bond ever since they fought side by side in the Nova War, 15 years ago.
*Not playable
Christoph Albus
A fellow member of the Royal Guard like Riker, and a bit of a man of mystery, Christoph just exudes charisma. Well-liked and well-read, he's the best man for any job and always comes through when the cards are down.
Sera Skelter
A bit of a homebody with a troubled past, Sera can seem a bit glum to some people, but it's partially because she's new to this whole "adventure" business. She's used to a simple life of gardening and village life, but after her friends depart on a journey for the greater good, she becomes inspired to do her own part and join up with Riker and crew.
Mike isn't just cool, he's the coolest. Or at least that's how he wants everyone else to perceive him. After all though, what could be cooler than an archaeologist who doubles as a professional ring-fighter? Mike loves studying the occult and despite his turbo-rad persona, he's surprisingly brilliant than most people would think.
Maloria Moffit
Maloria is a witch... or more accurately a witch from the swamp. While she is a sweetheart, she's also notorious for her affinity to all things dirty and smelly, which doesn't afford her many friends. If you can get past this (or at least pinch your nose!) then you'll find she's a loyal colleague with a masterful knowledge of all things magic.
Ivan
A vigilante who doesn't remember his full name or where he came from, Ivan travels the land in search of the Rebel Army to challenge them with his band of Freedom Fighters. While not actually a villain per se, he doesn't quite understand the whole "good guy" thing either, and him and Riker don't quite see eye to eye. Despite that, they are on the same side technically... right?
Jadezia Taurus
Jadezia, or "Jade" as her friends call her, is a librarian who'd rather spend her days reading than fighting. She (begrudgingly) fought alongside Riker in the Nova War 15 years ago, and now she's decided to (begrudgingly) fight alongside him once again! Don't let looks deceive you though, Jade is a proper lady, and she does not mess around. Oh, did we mention she's also a total pyromaniac? Yeah.
Drake Rufus
Drake is the chieftain of his village, the owner of a wilderness preserve, and a true outdoorsman. He loves nothing more than to be one with nature and befriends every animal he meets. Sadly though, Drake also suffers a long-standing illness which plagues him at every corner he turns. That doesn't stop him from serving his family and his country, and from hunting down the majestic, last few dragons which live in Dracanea (to research them of course!)
Prototype Map Images
Vangola Park
Melica Shrine
The Sunset Express
Odella Grove
Melica Shrine
The Sunset Express
Odella Grove
Music Tracks
All of the music in the game is being created and written by yours truly! I've released a few self-published albums on Bandcamp before, but never scored a video game before. It's been fun! Here's a few choice samples, but there are many more!
Overworld/Field Theme
Standard Battle
Event/Mini-Boss Battle
Melica Village, Quaint Farmland on the East End
Artemisia, The Home of Academia
Holly Jolly Zephyr City!
Theme of The Diatribe (Villain Theme)
Standard Battle
Event/Mini-Boss Battle
Melica Village, Quaint Farmland on the East End
Artemisia, The Home of Academia
Holly Jolly Zephyr City!
Theme of The Diatribe (Villain Theme)
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