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Post by dareka on Dec 27, 2017 13:47:43 GMT -6
Enkeria It's true that sex sells, but I think the term NSFW didn't have much of an impact on the votes it's getting, since Vampire (Elegant) is number 2. I mean, the difference is like 1%! IMHO People just like the whole gothic vibe - any additional sexyness is just icing on the cake for those who like it (and for the record, I don't dislike it myself, ) Angel-Corlux Thanks for chiming in! Some people see the original Dracula as a very sexual novel, despite the fact that the most that happens is one kiss (the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula TOTALLY butchered it in this regard, adding sex where there was none). When you think about it, it does make sense though: it's a story about a creepy old man who pretends he's young and visits women in their sleep every night. The point I'm trying to make is that the gothic-romance theme and sexuality have always gone hand in hand. That's why enemies like "bloodless" are there. I think most of us are on the same page as far as that goes.
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Post by dareka on Dec 25, 2017 22:18:45 GMT -6
Merry Christmas to you too, Angel-Corlux ! Here's hoping next year we're all here celebrating what a resounding success Bloodstained was! Very much looking forward to Bloodstained hype come next year... like, in a week!
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Post by dareka on Dec 22, 2017 2:56:43 GMT -6
Pure Miriam 1. Dunno... not sure that there will be a justification in-game, but I would think so, seeing as how it is from a very different culture. It really makes me wonder if we'll see motifs from other countries as well. I would expect the boss to somehow reflect the area's motif - but that's a given. 2. Depends on how spacious and varied they are. I would also like a different, more green-ish, swampy-ish cavern, if I could have it my way. 3. Since the setting is noticeably different from others, I would expect to get "Japanese" versions (color schemes and/or model tweaks) of existing enemies and maybe a couple of enemies exclusive to the region. 4. Actually, it didn't really sound that different to me, because the biggest difference is not the rock beats (we've had them in IGAvania BGMs before), but the Japanese vibe to it - which would be odd not to have, since the motif is Japanese. It kinda reminded me of the music in the 2D Shinobi games. 5. I dunno... Enma ? Or maybe one of those fire-wheel type enemies? Personally, I'd like to see a Rokurokubi, though. 6. Dunno/don't care. As long as it drops a roast when you kill it with a fire attack, we're good.
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Post by dareka on Dec 21, 2017 18:51:12 GMT -6
Thanks for the XombieMike ! Now that I think about it... would it be too much to ask for a gif of Miriam's animation from December Treats #2? You know, Santa hat, whip... it just feels so IGAvania christmassy!
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Post by dareka on Dec 21, 2017 17:10:37 GMT -6
That little piggy is super-cute, cant wait to turn him into bacon!!!! Interesting environment too kind of an inverted/impossible japanese garden, interesting choice for something set in 18th (very nearly 19th) century England. I like it though, feels kind of maze-like and claustrophobic. Remember guys - it's not 18th century England, it's Dracula's castle IN 18th century England (yes, I know, technically it's Gebel's castle, but you know what I mean ). What was it that Alucard said in SotN, when Maria remarked than it looked different than she remembered? "This castle is a creature of darkness." Its interior is free to morph into whatever darkness (or in this case IGA) wants it to be ... except the interior of the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku. That's a red line for me, LOL.
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Post by dareka on Dec 21, 2017 15:24:14 GMT -6
Loved this update. My jaw literally dropped when I saw the new environment. The art direction and level of polish is beyond anything I could have hoped for when I backed the game. My only concern now is that the rest of the environments don't look stale in comparison! ;-) Also nice to see the first enemy in an IGAvania I'd like to have for Christmas Dinner... I'm wondering if it'll drop HP replenishing roast if you kill it with a fire attack. Angel-Corlux ?
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Post by dareka on Dec 20, 2017 22:04:24 GMT -6
I chose:
Corrupted
Demonic
Elf
Vampire
Succubus
Stained Glass
Other than the outlier, elf, I think you can see a common thread in my choices: gothic.
The thing is, I personally like costumes which fit the game world and don't take me out of the experience.
I don't have any problem with other type of costumes being in the game, obviously. It's just my personal preference.
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Post by dareka on Dec 12, 2017 1:10:53 GMT -6
More for the attacking itself feeling more satisfying, I'd like to see, feel and hear weight to weapons when they're hitting enemies. In the Development Update 9 video for example, Miriam is using a mace, but it sounds more like she's slapping them with a paper fan. That's a solid piece of steel there. In the Zangetsu fight, the sword sounds more appropriately slashy. This. I personally find kills satisfying when the preceding attacks are satisfying. Anything that makes the hits feel like you're, well hitting the enemy - sound effects, enemy reaction, SFX - will ultimately make the killing blow itself more satisfying, especially if it's a more exaggerated version of the reaction the enemy had to your attacks.
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Post by dareka on Dec 3, 2017 19:17:46 GMT -6
m0nkf15h I see absolutely no problem with that. Any gender could have sexy costumes as far as i'm concerned, equal opportunities for silly and sexy for all genders. Since i'm straight, i don't know what would be sexually appealing for the men in the game (boxers? shirtless) but i see no problem in doing that too . Just guessing here, but two words: Zangetsu Fundoshi.
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Post by dareka on Dec 3, 2017 13:42:09 GMT -6
Since I don't really have an opinion on the rest of the questions, I'm gonna go ahead an answer the item-related questions, since these appear to be the most controversial anyway.
1) Do you think that fashion items will take up common equipment slots or they will just be cosmetic options at separate equipping slots (and possibly not offering any bonuses whatsoever)?
Dunno how it's gonna work, but here's an idea of how it could work 1. All weapons have unique visuals 2. Non-weapon equipment may or many not have a unique visual. 3. If the non-weapon equipment has a unique visual, there's a toggle to turn it off. 4. At some point in the game, you acquire the ability to set the visual for each slot, regardless of the equipped item. 5. At some point in the game, you acquire the ability to set the color for each slot.
2) For now, we can assume the fashion items and common equipment are two different things (but maybe they aren't). Considering common equipment, that shows up at her graphic, such as headpieces and boots (as weapons) and also scarves, what are your thoughts regarding that, maybe, the game can have visual things that wouldn't be good looking for you, but would offer such great bonuses that you would feel forced to use it?
If the scheme works more or less as described in my previous answer, then you might be faced with a situation as the one described in the question at some point during your first play-through, but not afterwards or in subsequent play-throughs.
3) Would you like fashion items as DLC? (Paid Downloadable Content)
I would not mind as long as...
1. They remain "fashion" items, i.e., do not affect gameplay. 2. They are all priced the same. 3. They are not released together with free DLC items (since some people could feel cheated, in that the items they are interested are paid and not free)
4) Some fashion items, like the bunny set or the maid headpiece, may be considered "too cute" for some, for a game that proposes itself to be gothic horror in nature. Do you think fashion items like that doesn't fit Bloodstained's overall atmosphere?
Maria attacked with doves in Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night... I mean, these games have always had these kinds of elements. As long as they're not mandatory, I don't see how they could affect the game's overall atmosphere.
5) What are your considerations about sexy costumes (such as swimsuits, bikinis, revealing clothes)?
I don't think there's any problem with having them per-se, so long there's a reason for them and the selection is not ridiculously skewed towards them (e.g., 20 different maid outfits for each "period" outfit). When I say reason, I don't mean it in the sense of "what possible reason you could have for wearing a bikini in a demonic castle." What I mean is that, for instance, if you were doing seasonal fashion DLC, you could have some bathing suits along with something like parasol skins for the weapons or something like that. So there's a theme and the DLC is following it.
Speaking for myself, I would personally love to see an outfit based the succubus-like design Miriam had at some point in development.
ANYHOW...
Look guys, this game is being released on PC. There are going to be nude mods, for one, like it or not. If the team decides to release fashion items you don't like, for whatever the reason, then just don't buy them and don't use them. I can understand how some of the content can be off-putting, but what puts someone off might enhance the experience for someone else.
We need to learn to appreciate games for what they offer us, not for what they do or do not offer others.
It's the only way to live peacefully in a world with different tastes, opinions and sensitivities.
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Post by dareka on Oct 31, 2017 15:00:07 GMT -6
Got a kick out of Zangetsu as a boss.
Reminds me of the fight with Julius in Aria of Sorrow (and the fight with Richter in SotN, for that matter)
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Post by dareka on Oct 5, 2017 16:21:14 GMT -6
Maybe because I have had a lot of dreams like that myself lol. (things not being the way they should, not dreaming that I'm Alucard hehe) I was sure you were going to say seeing a succubus in my dreams, and I was gonna say " yeah, we've all had that dream." *Ahem* First played the original Castlevania at my next-door neighbor's when I was about 7 or 8 years old... the NES version, more than 30 years ago... That I remember the whole thing should tell you how big of an impression the game made on me. Even back then, it just oozed style. I really enjoyed Simon's Quest, and absolutely loved Dracula's Curse... my best friend gave me SotN as a birthday present. At first I was a bit taken aback, because it was a lot easier than Castlevania III... but it obviously grew on me, and here I am. I think the only IGAvania I haven't played is the second one of PS2. Other than that, I've played them all, beaten them all, but had lost hope I'd ever see another again... until Bloodstained. Obviously, as soon as I saw the kickstarter, I knew it was gonna break records and... well, here we are! Here's hoping this is the start of a beautiful franchise!
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Post by dareka on Oct 2, 2017 20:00:04 GMT -6
This was a no-brainer - YES!
That said, I'm not saying her art's better than Natsume's, or that it should be more prominent than his.
I'm just saying it's really good, so the more we get, the better.
If you asked me whose art should grace the cover, I'd love for it to be Kojima's.
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Post by dareka on Sept 24, 2017 16:23:38 GMT -6
I think it will be a non-copyright-infringing version of Alucard, and I think his role will be similar to "Arikaado" in Aria of Sorrow.
From the "mystery" to the voice-actors thing... it's just the only thing that makes sense to me at this point.
Wouldn't be surprised if he were playable.
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Post by dareka on Sept 14, 2017 21:35:58 GMT -6
Well, I can see how people would be disappointed by having an update about things they don't really care about, seeing as how they likely won't experience in the game to begin with. That said, I don't think there's any reason to lose faith in the project at this point. They're in the mass production crunch right now - they're super-focused putting all the elements together so that the game can enter the final phase of development, where they make adjustments, debug, refine and polish. It's probably not the best time to release information on features, seeing as how those features are still being worked on and only just starting to settle into their final form. As for the E3 demo not being available... well, that would probably require losing a good chunk of development time, time they're trying to make the absolute most of. See, developing a demo exclusively for E3 and releasing it to backers are two very different things. For one, for the E3 demo you have fixed hardware - no need to test, rewrite placeholder code so that it works with most hardware configurations. If they were to release a demo to backers, that would take up both the programmers and the game designers' time, not to mention Mana 's time going through all of the feedback in the demo - feedback given on a product that's still unfinished but too far into development to make some of the changes people may demand (and which may become moot once they play the finished product). So relax - no news is good news. It means the development team is focused on what it should be focusing on at this point. Soon enough, they'll get to the final phase of development and then the floodgates will open. Remember: most games aren't even announced until they're well into mass production and probably done with most, if not all of it. This is normal. Peace.
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Post by dareka on Aug 5, 2017 20:19:35 GMT -6
Hello, Angel-Corlux ! I'd just like to say that it's extremely encouraging to see staff from the publisher become involved in the community like this. I'm sure I'm not just speaking for myself when I say that the wonderful communication we enjoy with IGA & ArtPlay (through Mana !) has only increased my investment in the game. We're ready to do whatever it takes help you guys make Bloodstained a success! Count on us!
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Post by dareka on Jul 26, 2017 16:12:46 GMT -6
What if....because INTI is completely focused on the prequel now they're upping the visuals so it's less NES and more SNES or ...PS1?!?!!?!?!! Speculation that probably won't end up being true. lol Part of the prequel's appeal will likely be its retroness, so yeah... That said, I'm expecting great things. Inti's only fault is that they don't have the technical know-how and manpower to deliver multi-platform games under tight time and budget constraints;otherwise they're fantastic at making 2D games, and bloodstained is probably the better for having had their involvement.
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Post by dareka on Jul 25, 2017 22:10:06 GMT -6
Maybe it is best to clarify it here. Inti Creates is not involved in the main development of the Bloodstained game, but they are involved in the prequel mini-game. Part of the vagueness is to avoid unneeded attention and negative speculation. So yes, they are involved but not in the main game since last year's E3. DICO has picked up the development from where they have left off under mutual agreement. A lot of parties are involved so it could be quite confusing. ArtPlay is the main developer, while we are hiring DICO as a third party developer. We created the game design, story, direction, gimmicks, and the overall production of the game while DICO creates art assets, design levels, and basically filling in the manpower ArtPlay doesn't have. In the future, you'll most likely see 505 Games and ArtPlay credited on trailer videos and articles to come out. Thanks so much for the clarification, Mana, we really appreciate it. However, this does raise some concerns I've heard elsewhere, though I think they should prove to be nothing important. Has DICO had to re-do any work or significantly delay progress as a result of "picking up where they [Inti] left off?" I assume not, given what you've said, but a bit of confirmation would put many hearts at ease, I think Well, my comments surely don't have the same weight as Mana 's but ... 1. IIRC she's previously said they were trying to keep as many assets as possible when they switched from Inti to DICO - which makes sense. 2. DICO was hired because they had more experience with UE 4, and especially with the procedural generation of assets levels and backgrounds. From these two facts it's possible to more or less discern the answers to your questions. DICO's likely built an entirely new game engine using UE4, so the amount of code kept from Inti ought to be very little - possibly zero, depending on who was given the copyright to the code as part of the severance deal ( Don't expect to ever learn the details - these things are normally not disclosed). As far as background assets are concerned, again, probably little to nothing, since one of the aims in switching developers was to be able to use procedural generation for the backgrounds and levels. Since the game was only starting with mass production when the switch happened, we may infer that not much in the way of character assets was finished at that point. If they kept anything from Inti, it was the character assets whose creation they supervised, which were both finished at the time of the switch and compatible with DICO's new game engine. In short, it was probably closer to restarting from scratch than it was to picking up where Inti left off. That said, the game's design - what ArtPlay has been working on, and Inti may be assumed to have contributed to - has probably remained largely unchanged since the beginning. So, in that sense, it's not like all of the work that had been done up to the time of the developer switch was lost. As for the developer switch causing a delay, well, it did - that's why the game was pushed to 2018. But there's no need to worry: the wait should be well worth it in terms of the quality we're getting. The best things come to those who wait.
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Post by dareka on Jun 14, 2017 19:38:50 GMT -6
As a huge advocate of the realistic shader, I have to say that the current (painterly) shader is filling my expectations for Bloodstained nicely. I don't/wouldn't consider the shader choice a mistake. Far from it in fact. As a community, we need to move forward and not dwell on things long past and unchangeable (such as the shader that is used). And remember that the backer community chose this shader, which means far more people would be disappointed if were not used for the game.
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Post by dareka on Jun 14, 2017 15:15:39 GMT -6
I think that one thing we have to understand is that no single game has ever pleased everyone as far as the visuals are concerned. This is especially true for series that started back in the good ole days of 2D (see: Street Fighter series). I personally love the visuals as they are, but given a choice, I would definitely like to see how they'd look with Arc System's 2D-using-3D engine but ... I'm aware that's not feasible... not now, anyway.
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