Echoes of eternia kickstarter videogame

I feel confident that Japan's games developers/publishers could learn something from a game like this one. It's got a western set of people making an asian, japanese originated, style of genre. For this reason I wanted to get it's name further out into the world.

I love JRPG's, but they need some help to come back to life in the current day's market. With the recent western release of Xenoblade chronicles, Japanese developers may get the message that we still want JRPG's quite a bit, but that we want easier-to-get-your-head-round gameplay and shorter learning curves more.

Give it a look guys and back it if it's your cup of tea, plus if you're just feeling charitable.

What do you guys think, worth a look in?

@TorMasturba said:

this one. It's got a western set of people making an asian, japanese originated, style of genre.

Sounds very interesting. I generally like most Japanese games, but sometimes their flares and some of the cliché characters you see can get a bit annoying. So theres a good chance I could love this game.

Hopefully it gets the kickstarter. It says 27 days to go, any idea how long its been going? Its more than half way to its goal.

@TorMasturba: pay 225 and they make you get to make your own character in the game AND voice act him/her...

sweet lol.

I might give this 15 bucks.

@senorfuzzeh: About 4 or 5 days, so hopefully they can get the funding, and then some too.

@Lady_of_the_patriots said:

@TorMasturba: pay 225 and they make you get to make your own character in the game AND voice act him/her...

sweet lol.

I know RIGHT! I was the first backer to go with that reward too, I was so excited by that reward that I metaphorically jumped around like a kid on Christmas morning when I'd sent payment. I said to myself: "Self, if you really want to work in videogames you gotta put some buck where your mouth is", and this was my response. I'm just hoping the character's role has a couple of minutes to it so I can at least say I have my voice in a game, as I'm thinking about drawing up a voice acting portfolio.

I may even up the amount I'm paying to the next level so that I can design a quest.

-----------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: Money where mouth is part 2.0: I just said fuck it with some slight trepidation and upped my pledge to $350, heck I want to design a side quest dammit!

This sounds like it could go horribly wrong with random people getting to voice act a character - but with that said I must say I'm interested in seeing if they'll bring something fresh to an otherwise fairly stale genre.

Seems like an interesting endeavor and I may pitch in to this one. Although I am curious whether or not "Eternia" is copyright by Namco Bandai what with them having a game called "Tales of Eternia" and all... And if it is, just how much would a company need to pay for the rights to use that name?

done

@PixelPrinny said:

Seems like an interesting endeavor and I may pitch in to this one. Although I am curious whether or not "Eternia" is copyright by Namco Bandai what with them having a game called "Tales of Eternia" and all... And if it is, just how much would a company need to pay for the rights to use that name?

As far as I'm aware, Namco only has the rights to the full "Tales of Eternia" title, though I'm sure that Namco would have trouble staking a claim to it regardless. Eternia is also the name of the world in Masters of the Universe.

Excellent. I've been waiting for a good Western JRPG set in the Masters of the Universe universe,

$30 tier has a sweet poster. I'm in.

@TorMasturba said:

UPDATE: Money where mouth is part 2.0: I just said fuck it with some slight trepidation and upped my pledge to $350, heck I want to design a side quest dammit!

Said side quest should involve a wizard knowing how fucked up something looks and a large explosive device of some sort.

@Hailinel: Ohh, good point. But yeah Namco is pretty anal about copyrights, and if Bethesda will sue over the use of "Scrolls" I wouldn't be surprised if Namco didn't like the similar name... So we'll see. Maybe this'll just fly completely under their radar regardless. In any event, fingers crossed that there's no messy copyright business for this small development team.

While I do wish it seemed to give more thought to the combat system at this point, the art is gorgeous.

@PixelPrinny said:

@Hailinel: Ohh, good point. But yeah Namco is pretty anal about copyrights, and if Bethesda will sue over the use of "Scrolls" I wouldn't be surprised if Namco didn't like the similar name... So we'll see. Maybe this'll just fly completely under their radar regardless. In any event, fingers crossed that there's no messy copyright business for this small development team.

I guess we'll see. I do hope that they don't run into any trouble with the copyright/trademark process. And like @TorMasturba , I've put my money where my mouth is on this one, as well. $350 is a reasonable asking price to design a sidequest, I think.

TrademarkS! They're fucking trademarks, not copyrights! AARDGHGEH!!!

@LordAndrew: Semantics! It's fucking semantics! ARRDASFSDAFSKJHFAS!!!

@Hailinel: $350?! You people are crazy! You realize you are paying to do work, right...? Well, whatever floats your boat and sets your sails. Now it's time for me to figure out how I can make a game where people will pay me for the privilege to work on it... *plots*

They appear to think RPGs began in Japan. And not with a guy named Dave Arneson. Wasn't Arneshiba.

I gave it to them because I like video games, but fuck I hate that mindset.

@PixelPrinny said:

@LordAndrew: Semantics! It's fucking semantics! ARRDASFSDAFSKJHFAS!!!

You wouldn't last five minutes in court.

While I do love a good JRPG, I don't know if I'd just want a FF battle-system clone at this point. Oh well, he seems like a nice enough chap. $15 granted!

@Brodehouse: I don't know where you get that idea. From what I gathered, they spoke only in terms of Japanese console RPGs, not RPGs in general.

@PixelPrinny: Oh, I understand that. But all the same it is helping to fund the game's development and also provide it with content.

this looks really cool, but I look down at the development team and I don't see any programmers. which makes me worried.

The game looks promising. I might invest also.

@TorMasturba: Oh then they'll definetely get it, and go quite a bit over their goal.

Doubt it'll be as much as Double Fines though, who got over 3 million dollars when they only asked for one million.

A search of trademarks filed with the USPTO suggests that there should be no issues unless they start making toys based on Echoes of Eternia. That's based solely on registerd trademarks, mind you.

I don't really like how they worded their mission statement, saying that RPGs have become too "westernized". What does that even mean? Western RPGs will naturally feel like this and Xenoblade seems to be the first time a JRPG developer realized there was a whole other content making RPGs to draw ideas from.

@LordAndrew said:

@PixelPrinny said:

@LordAndrew: Semantics! It's fucking semantics! ARRDASFSDAFSKJHFAS!!!

You wouldn't last five minutes in court.

Yeah, well you wouldn't last 5 minutes in the sack!

/notsurehowweendeduphere

@PixelPrinny: You'd know.

@PixelPrinny said:

Yeah, well you wouldn't last 5 minutes in the sack!

/notsurehowweendeduphere

@LordAndrew said:

You'd know.

INB4 "Your mom"

It looks like an RPG Maker game from a list of no names. It's a good thing they're not asking for that much.

@LordAndrew said:

@PixelPrinny: You'd know.

How is that even a retort? I'm sure it made sense at the time, but replying with "You'd know" after being told by someone you under-perform is only confirming their suspicions to be true!

@TorMasturba: Oh then they'll definetely get it, and go quite a bit over their goal.

Doubt it'll be as much as Double Fines though, who got over 3 million dollars when they only asked for one million.

@MikeGosot said:

@senorfuzzeh said:

@TorMasturba: Oh then they'll definetely get it, and go quite a bit over their goal.

Doubt it'll be as much as Double Fines though, who got over 3 million dollars when they only asked for one million.

They asked for 200,000$, i believe.

I just checked, it was 400,000$.

@senorfuzzeh said:

@TorMasturba: Oh then they'll definetely get it, and go quite a bit over their goal.

Doubt it'll be as much as Double Fines though, who got over 3 million dollars when they only asked for one million.

Actually, Double Fine's goal was $400,000.

And I doubt that anyone expects this Kickstarter to explode like Double Fine's did in even the remotest sense. The Double Fine Kickstarter succeeded as it did because they're Double Fine. Even the Wasteland 2 Kickstarter, which is already over the $2 million mark, did as well as it did because people have fond memories of Wastland and the earlier Fallout games and understand that major names behind those games are behind Wasteland 2.

Echoes of Eternia, on the other hand, is a small, retro-style RPG being developed by a small indie team with no name recognition. The request for pledges is basically coming as a blind faith gesture allowing people that enjoyed those games of yore to make a game of their own in a similar style.

@upwarDBound said:

It looks like an RPG Maker game from a list of no names. It's a good thing they're not asking for that much.

In the Kickstarter's comments, the project lead states very clearly that they're using RPG Maker VX running the Melody Engine, which expands the capabilities of VX.

@Hailinel:

Yeah good on them for making an old school game. It's just that these things are a dime a dozen. I guess here's hoping that money will make it stand above most other RPG Maker endeavors.

@Hailinel said:

@Brodehouse: I don't know where you get that idea. From what I gathered, they spoke only in terms of Japanese console RPGs, not RPGs in general.

The actual quote is

"Our goal with Echoes of Eternia is to reignite the memories and nostalgia that Gamer's have toward retro games. We feel that lately, RPG Video Games have been forgotten and have been too westernized. RPG's have lost their appeal and their heritage."

The word heritage is the complete wall banger. Either they don't know better or they're intentionally ignoring that all Japanese RPGs were inspired by Western influences; D&D and Wizardry. And that Western/Computer RPGs aren't a reaction to Dragon Warrior, they're a reaction to Wizardry. I don't like it when people claim to honor the past by getting it wrong. I'm still with them if they crank out a fun game, but I don't have to agree with their politics.

Now that I look at it, the bad grammar and punctuation in the opening paragraph is kind of an ill omen.

A lot of kickstarter projects these days huh. Were I capable to fund a kickstarter this would be the one. The thing that i'm iffy on is the fan involvement, while cool may lead to a uneven game. For instance they may get bad quest/character ideas. What if someone who gets to voice their own character is a awful actor (which is likely).

But man, you can get stickers!

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

A lot of kickstarter projects these days huh. Were I capable to fund a kickstarter this would be the one. The thing that i'm iffy on is the fan involvement, while cool may lead to a uneven game. For instance they may get bad quest/character ideas. What if someone who gets to voice their own character is a awful actor (which is likely).

It would actually fulfill the 'retro' part of it. I wonder if they can simulate a bad translation, too. I would dance crazy.

I couldn't make it through the video, they really needed to put a different person in front of the camera as that guy seemed really nervous and stuttered a bit.

That said I will be honest the whole project looks kind of generic, from the few glimpses they showed of the game it looks like a random 2D rpg I could go and pick up on the DS or PSP, nothing really special.

They've already hit their goal of $10,000, which is cool. They also seem well aware of their limitations in terms of the physical pledge rewards, as they have closed those tiers off and have established additional tiers for non-physical rewards.

I'll just leave this here.

http://i.imgur.com/UJjGP.jpg

@nick_verissimo said:

While I do love a good JRPG, I don't know if I'd just want a FF battle-system clone at this point.

That's all I want. I hate how most RPGs now have to innovate and try to create new battle mechanics. I just want turn-based to come back.

@TopSteer said:

@nick_verissimo said:

While I do love a good JRPG, I don't know if I'd just want a FF battle-system clone at this point.

That's all I want. I hate how most RPGs now have to innovate and try to create new battle mechanics. I just want turn-based to come back.

Amen, brother!

@Soniku: Aww someone frequents Reddit. That's so cute!

I'll be the first to say I'm not funding this project but I wish the team involved in making it all the best. If this is going to be a full-time project for them, they're going to need money to pay for food/rent/etc... y'know -- the cost of living. So if this goes to covering that sorta thing then great. That being said, I honestly don't expect great things from this project, but if it's a labor of love then all the power to them and people coming up with graphics like that just sound like bitter, jealous twats.

Maybe it's my own bias, but I have a hard time seeing anyone using RPG Maker as professionals.

I hope this project goes well, but everyone involved seems totally inexperienced and I wouldn't feel comfortable helping to kickstart this. It's one of those projects I could see evaporating into nothing in a matter of months.

@TopSteer: @Chemin: You guys should buy a 3DS, because Bravely Default is coming at some point and god it looks amazing (simply because Yoshida's art is godly and all that, but yeah turn based combat!) Personally for me my favorite part about JRPGs is how different the combat is from one title to the next, can't really relate to always wanting turn based unfortunately.

@WinterSnowblind: I don't think anyone is claiming to be professional with this specific kickstarter, right? I couldn't actually finish the video though so I dunno maybe they claimed it. Regardless I agree this project just looks kinda silly, specifically I just don't like how generic it looks. I mean seriously they are claiming everything is original and cool but the screen shots/description make it look like a C tier JRPG I can go pick up on the PSP.

@Zenaxzd: I have a 3DS and I'm definitely getting Bravely Default. I don't want only turn-based, the Tales series has some of my favorite combat in RPGs for example. It's just that turn-based is so rare these days and I prefer that to what most new RPGs are doing. I'm around 20 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles and I'm liking it but I'm not really enjoying the combat which is something I seem to be saying a lot lately.

@TopSteer: Unfortunately yeah, it is pretty rare nowadays but I think my biggest problem with it is that most of the time we get a "traditional" turn based game it feels like they didn't put much effort into it. Honestly the only truly turn based RPG combat (on consoles) I fell in love with this gen was Last Remnant. Really the only way I can get into that kind of combat any more is if it requires some actual thought and strategy. In Last Remnant that came from positioning bonuses (Flanking/Morale increasing damage, deadlock system, etc). Lost Odyssey did a pretty good job with it too even if I feel like it fell apart at the end and moved to slow with 5 party members (especially if 3 of them had double-cast).

On the flip side something like Persona 4 killed me. I absolutely loved the game but the combat bored me to tears with how little there was going on. I am not saying they shouldn't use it but I hope they put some thought into it outside of spamming attack over and over while occasionally healing.

@Zenaxzd: Wow, it seems we are exact opposites on this. I really like the combat in Persona 4 and the way you feel about it is the way I feel about FFXIII and XIII-2. I love both of those games but I hate their battle systems.

Lost Odyssey was pretty good but I didn't much care for the concept of magic taking awhile to cast.