Armed Fantasia & Penny Blood Backerkit Pre-order Store
Created by Double Kickstarter
This is your last chance to back Armed Fantasia and/or Penny Blood! Join the amazing fans who have helped make this project a reality! All backers receive Beta Access, a special Backer role on Discord, and can assist in choosing some character design choices, as well as enjoy exclusive live game concerts! We currently don’t have shipping prices entered for physical rewards in Backerkit due to the volatility of shipping prices over the past year. We plan to wait until a few months before the games launch to provide as many shipping options as possible. We will update backers after shipping options are locked in. Based upon the shipping option you select, a shipping charge will be made to the payment method on record.
We have enabled Paypal. If you're using PayPal to purchase something via the Double Kickstarter pre-order store, fill out your survey until the payment step and do not finalize it. You'll be charged once the shipping costs are confirmed. This process ensures your order is correctly processed. For Digital Only merchandise is digital you can disregard this step.
If you are looking for a fun experience you can enjoy right now, check out the Penny Blood Hellbound store. Pre-existing backers get a discount!
https://penny-blood-hellbound-store.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
これがArmed Fantasia やPenny Blood のバッカーになる最後のチャンス！ このプロジェクトの実現をサポートしてくれた最高のファンのみんなに仲間入りしよう！すべてのバッカーの皆さんに、ゲームのベータ版、Discordでのスペシャルバッカーロール、キャラクターデザイン選択の機会を提供し、また、独占的なライブコンサートも楽しんでいただけます！ 過去1年間の配送価格の変動により、現在Backerkitに物理的なリワードの配送価格が選択できません。できるだけ多くの配送オプションを提供するため、ゲーム発売の数ヶ月前に発送オプションを確定して、バッカーの皆様にお知らせします。
重要なお願い：ダブルキックスターターストアにおいて、PayPalで支払う予定がある場合は、発送に必要な情報の記入までしていただき、支払い情報は入力しないでおいてください。送料が確定された後に請求が行われます。この形で進めていただけると、注文が問題なく処理されるはずです。デジタル系のアイテムのみご購入された場合は、すべての商品がデジタルのため、このステップは不要です。
今すぐ楽しめるものをお探しなら、Penny Blood Hellboundストアをチェックしてみて！既存バッカーの皆さんには割引価格で！
https://penny-blood-hellbound-store.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Mechanics Mondays #2 / 月曜日：ゲームシステム紹介 #2
over 1 year ago
– Thu, Sep 15, 2022 at 02:29:51 AM
※日本語のアップデートは下の方にあります
We are a full 2 weeks into the campaign now! You’ve started clearing more individual stretch goals and might actually make it to the next Combo Stretch goal soon! As always, the middle 2 weeks of any campaign are the slowest, and your passion and word of mouth support is essential to keeping the momentum moving. You also hopefully found like-minded fans on the Discord and social media, so go on and talk about the fun you’ve had playing Kaneko-san’s and Machida-san’s previous games!
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
We’ve gotten a ton of useful feedback, so we’re going to address the most important stuff first.
Stretch Goals
Perhaps thanks to the amazing "field test video" released on Friday, we picked up enough pledges over the week to unlock one stretch goal for each game!!
Armed Fantasia
・Costume Change System - CLEARED!
We will include a system where you can change each character's costumes. Hopefully being able to do so will help your adventure through the deadly wastelands be that much more fun.
We will increase the amount of whistling in the battle music, field music, and story music by an incredible 20 percent. With this, surely even the most weary adventurer will enjoy their journey through the wilderness just that much more.
・Added Goal - More Gadgets [120,000,000 yen]/[Approx. $841,000]
The ever-important gadgets characters will increase, giving them an even more diverse set of Actions to choose from.
Not only will this add to the strategy in dungeons and make them more interesting, but it will add more visual style to the game and hopefully increase your affection towards the characters as well.
???
HINT: Data Mine
Penny Blood
Third Stretch Goal - CLEARED! Thrilling Greyhound Races!
Dog races, a staple of back room gambling in 1920s New York, will be added to the game. Aside from earning funds and special rewards from betting, Luca will also be able to personally enter the races as a mini-wolf and acquire powerful new abilities.
“Hey, mister, ever been to a dog race? They hold 'em nightly down in the basement here! Tough guys from all over come to try and strike it rich, and I've even seen a wolf running the tracks along with all the pups! Y’know, in order to learn some new tricks…”
85,000,000 yen So, little boy... How much torture can you take?
Events will be added to the game where characters are captured by the enemy and must survive grueling torture sessions. Completing these events with certain characters will earn them special equipment.
“Withstanding torture while hiding information to protect your allies is no easy task. Trust me, if you ever got captured yourself...you'd understand just what a hellish experience it truly is.”
87,500,000 yen Cacophony of Chanting (More Chants)
Extra music tracks featuring chanting will be added to the game, and the names of each vocalist will also be displayed.
??? Hint: Behooved by Hoover
Community Game
The Domovoy counter-attacked on Sunday but you all came together. Was great to see the different memories everyone had playing the games Machida-san previously worked on. Another week and more monsters to plague our heroes! We’ll be honest, this will not be an easy week, so we’ll need you to come together as a strong community. It’s not about sides... It’s all about survival! Let's talk about some of the more "unique" community goals this week:
・On the AF side of things, in order to do the Thunder attack, you'll need to send us a clip of you whistling. Let's try to at least make it a 5 second clip or longe. Submit to the official discord "# fan-creations" channel.
・For Penny Blood, the discord users have been particularly active in the #pets channel but the ratio of cats to dogs is about 9 to 1, and that makes Luca a sad puppy. It's time for a little dog power! You'll need to post 10 photos of dogs this week in order to be able to perform the "Haste Dance" attack.
・Finally, you've all seen the launch trailer featuring Machida-san spinning the wheel of life choices, right? Remember that mosaiced out slice on the wheel? Send us various "life choices" for what you think Machida-san should be doing with his life. Build sand castles? Eat more bacon? Play Armed Fantasia? You tell us! Submit your suggestions to "[email protected]" or DM the pennyblood Twitter.
Merch Information
Merch Mistakes
As some fine backers have pointed out, the description on the side bar for “Drawn Together” is wrong. It does include the OST. We are sorry for any confusion this created.
Merch Descriptions
We finally have a detailed description of the coffee table book for you:
The premium "art book" consists of two hardcover coffee table art books in a luxurious slipcase. The books feature design drawings, concept art, key art, and developer interviews that provide meaningful insight into the development of Penny Blood and Armed Fantasia. The books are designed and produced by high-end video game book publisher and art gallery Cook and Becker, known for producing some of the most impressive coffee table art books on iconic video games. These 150 page hand-numbered books will be printed to the highest standard at one of the most premier art book printers in Europe.
Here's a mock-up of the mug and lighter options that you can choose from the Double Kickstarter Collector's Choice Set Add-on:
New Add-ons
Complete Soundworks CD Upgrade
Wow. This week is going to have a heavy focus on music, but the AF team really put us in a pickle by having a stretch goal that doubled the music tracks from 50 to 100. The good news is by completing the AF community goals for this week, we can add 1 CD onto the base number – but 2 CDs still won't be enough to fit every song in. So we’re offering a "Complete Soundworks CD Upgrade" that will include every song in the game! This will be an add-on option for AF or PB. The upgrade fee of 16 dollars will guarantee that you get every song in that game even if either team later adds more in-game music. (Please AF team, don't double the number of tracks again!!) Don't worry though, standard users with the base 1 or 2 CD set (depending on the community goals this week) will still get a great sampling of the key battle, boss, and field music in the games, so we still have you covered there.
PRICE: 2300 yen
Double Kickstarter Premium Collector’s Box
Yes, the music for both of these games is amazing... and we still have a few tricks up our sleeve! Did I mention this Wednesday’s Worldbuilding update is primarily about MUSIC! Well, we know the premium music box is set at a tier that is very expensive but it is such a cool item! Enough people have asked us for this as an add-on that we talked with our fulfillment partner Red Art and although this isn’t a mass produced item and therefore not cheap, we can offer it as an add-on. The other good news, it will contain music from BOTH games so if you are a JRPG purist, this one is for you!
PRICE: 55,000 yen
Reissues of Premium Rewards
Last week we put up a few reissues of popular premium tiers and they disappeared in hours. By the time we reach a 3rd reissue of a tier, it has become too expensive or too invasive to the point where that will permanently close out that opportunity forever. You backers sure like your vocals and music, as both the “Have a Voice” tier and “Making Music” tier are now at their third reissue! Here are the reissues appearing this week:
Colosseum Champions II
Name A Team in the Colosseum
230,000 yen
JRPG Fan's Best Friend II
Add your pet to the game
400,000 yen
Fabulous Fashion II
Work with the developers to create a costume for one of the main characters
500,000 yen
Have a Voice III
Voice an NPC in the game
500,000 yen
Enemy of my Enemy II
Design an Enemy
600,000 yen
Making Music III
Work with the talented folks at Elements Garden to design your very own in-game song
700,000 yen
Tokyo Game Show Interviews
Are you a member of the Western press and planning to attend Tokyo Game Show? We will be holding limited interviews on Friday September 16th near the venue. Reach out to us at [email protected] if you'd like to discuss securing a slot.
Content Updates
Today, Kaneko-san will help us delve a bit more into the battle systems. No JRPG is complete without them, and if you’ve seen the amazing announcement video, then you already know about the Cross Order Tactics, Order Chain, and Force Break systems…so this is an exciting update indeed. From the Penny Blood side, now that we’ve cleared the Fusion Monster stretch goal, Machida-san has a lot to show and tell about this amazing mechanic you helped us get into the game.
Today I'd like to talk about the Battle System.
Armed Fantasia uses a turn-based battle system, but has many new and special systems within. We're hoping these systems will keep the action and tension up and allow for players to enjoy deep, strategic gameplay.
Encounter Judgment System
Normal battles in the game are random encounters. I'm sure that you thought we'd be using standard random encounters like older games? But rest assured, we've aimed for stress-free encounters by using the Encounter Judgment system. This way, people who want to concentrate on exploration can do so without battles getting in their way.
Let's have a look at how that works.
A sign called an "Omen" will appear next to the character you're controlling about one second before you encounter an enemy, and if you hit the Judgment Button while the sign is displayed, any normal battle can be canceled without any demerits whatsoever.
If you push the Judgment Button twice while the sign is up, you force the battle to start, but with a Battle Bonus. This means the player gets a random effect like getting a Preemptive Attack, MP Recovery, or two times the normal amount of experience points. This lets the player start with an advantage, making it easier to win the battle.
If the player doesn't press anything while the Encounter Sign is up (or isn't able to), battle starts normally without any Battle Bonuses or any advantages to friends or foes. Also, if you accidentally let a battle start when you didn't mean to, you can always run from normal battles with no penalties.
As you can see, the Encounter Judgment system allows the player to control whether or not they'd like to enter battles or not.
On the other hand, story battles, Quest Bosses and other strong enemies will be fought Symbol Encounter style. This means they might have traps set for you, might fight from advantageous terrain, or have other gimmicks that you'll need to use your brains to survive.
Cross Order Tactics and Order Chains
In battles, as you're selecting your commands at the beginning of each turn, you can check where your allies and enemies are in the turn order and see what they're planning on doing. Your party's turn order changes based on what commands you select, so the player can control the order.
That's Cross Order Tactics, the foundation of the battle system.
You might think that dealing damage to enemies as quickly as you can is the most effective way to do battle. But that's not the case.
This is where one of the important systems in battle comes in: Order Chains.
When all of your party members attack the same target, a combo attack known as an Order Chain will occur.
Order Chains make your skills stronger, cause more damage than normal attacks, and makes it easier for status effects to take effect on enemies.
For example, if you're fighting a tough enemy that you can't seem to damage or an enemy with high HP, using an Order Chain will allow you to get the damage you need to defeat it. When and how you pull off Order Chains is a basic part of strategy in battles.
However, while Order Chains might be a powerful tool for you, the enemy can pull them off as well.
If the enemy manages to pull off an Order Chain, you'll take a ton of damage and be in a tight spot.
If you manage to defeat an enemy on your first attack, that's great. But if they survive, they might get to use an Order Chain on you.
So you'll have to use a command to interrupt their turn order and stop them from pulling one off. That too is an important part of strategy during battle.
As you can see, taking actions faster or taking them slower can have their own advantages or disadvantages. If you're always trying to take the first move, you'll find yourself having trouble in battles. And the Battle Bonuses given by the Encounter Judgment system can change battles in a big way.
We're hoping that the combination of Cross Order Tactics and Order Chains will create a sense of tension in players, making them think carefully about when to go on offense or stay on defense.
Force Breaks
By pulling off Order Chains and using the Encounter Judgment system to gain Battle Bonuses, you'll also gain Force Points. Once you have a certain amount, the Force Gauge will light up. By using up a filled Force Gauge, you can release a powerful special move known as a Force Break.
The most important thing about Force Breaks is you can use them in real time. They're an action element to battles that can be used to interrupt the turn order.
Once you've filled up a Force Gauge and pull the Force Trigger button, a Force Break will activate whether you're selecting commands or if actions are being carried out in battle. You can activate them at any time.
Let's say your enemy managed to pull off the conditions for an Order Chain. You can interrupt them and stop their combo from going off. Or you can use one after your own Order Chain to pull off another powerful attack on your foes. There are many ways to use Force Breaks, and how you use them is up to you.
Also, while one Force Gauge will pull off a single character Force Break, if you use more than one Force Gauge you can have multiple characters participate in a combo Force Break as well. Each of these techniques will be beautiful, flashy, and unique to each character or set of characters involved. We hope you look forward to seeing them in action.
Cross Order Tactics makes you carefully consider the rules of battle. Then Force Breaks let you break those rules. We believe the contrast between those two systems will make the battles in Armed Fantasia fascinating.
Fusion Monsters: Malevolent Spectral Knights
Matthew, the main character of Penny Blood, has the ability to transform into fusion monsters – other versions of himself, which manifest when he fuses with the souls of his ancestors that sleep within his blood. When thinking about the fusion monsters for Penny Blood, the concept that I’ve always had in my mind since the start was “ghost knights”.
The concept I used in my previous series was “devils,” which was influenced by Devilman, a personal favorite of mine. This time I’m focusing a bit more on myths and legends - on the “holy” nature of heroes that appear in fairy tales, so I decided to go with knights. Additionally, the base color isn’t going to be black, which was meant to evoke demons. This time, the base color will be white in order to express the “holy” nature of the knight, which you can see in Demna, Matthew’s first fusion monster.
As you can see in the Kickstarter campaign video, as Demna fights, its ancient armor creaks and its ragged cloak flutters eerily along with its movements. It’s the birth of the ghost knight I’ve always dreamed of.
At this point, I can tell you about what happened right after we finished the Demna’s 3D model. I went and watched Moon Knight, a new Marvel show which had just been released on Disney+, and thought “This looks just like Demna!” It really shocked me...
After speaking with my staff members, we decided we had no choice but to change its appearance, so I (very reluctantly) gave Demna a mask. This really caused Kato-san and our model designer a lot of headaches, but as the mask ended up giving Demna more of a ghostly aura, we all ended up breathing sighs of relief in the end.
Now, getting back on topic... In order to center things around the ‘knight’ concept in the fusion monsters, I decided to make Matthew a descendant from real knights of the past. Another point I really spent a lot of time thinking about when designing the monsters was figuring out how ‘crazy’ they should look. Knights are a very major element of both Western and Eastern games and films, so it was very important for me to create a version of knights that could be unique to Penny Blood. Simply making them “holy” would cause them to look too heroic, so the “spectral” nature would be necessary to give them some spice.
Now, I’d like to pass the baton over to Hanya-san, the one who actually designed the fusion monsters. Please introduce yourself, Hanya-san, and tell us about the challenges you encountered and things you focused on when designing the fusion monsters based on Kato-san's design for Demna.
-
Nice to meet you, everyone. I’m Nobutaka Hanya, a member of Studio Wildrose. I’m in charge of designing the fusion monsters and normal monsters for Penny Blood. When Director Machida first approached me about this job, he said he wanted the fusion monsters to look both creepy and cool at the same time. When he showed me the initial design for Demna, it made sense to me... But actually designing the other fusion monsters didn’t go as smoothly as I expected it to.
Something I kept in mind was how cool the fusion monsters would look when facing off against their enemies. And when I say cool, I mean I didn't want it to look like “a hero fighting against a creepy enemy,” but rather “something creepy fighting against another creepy thing,” then have the coolness ooze out from that. I even thought it might be a good idea to make the fusion monsters look even darker than the enemies in some places... It took me a lot of time to figure out the right balance.
In the end, Kato-san gave me some advice that really helped to push me in the right direction, and I was able to finish the designs in one fell swoop. Yes, now that I think back to it, things went much quicker once I’d figured out the proper direction for the designs.
Lastly, I’d like to leave a message here for all the fans who are looking forward to Penny Blood. A lot of evil, grotesque monsters are going to appear in this game... I’m aiming to design some monsters that will make you want to look away the moment you see them, so I hope you’re excited to check them out! I also hope you’re excited to see the fusion monsters moving in-game. They should end up looking even creepier and cooler than the normal monsters! Now, I’ll pass the baton back to Machida-san.
-
Thank you very much, Hanya-san. I know how hard you worked on designing Macdeva and Rukia, the fire-elemental and ice-elemental fusion monsters. Day after day, Hanya-san wanders around the Graveyard, encountering new fusion monsters and designing them based on my orders.
As you proceed through the story of Penny Blood, Matthew will explore the graveyard that exists deep within his heart and acquire new fusion monsters. They’ll have as many variations as there are elements, and we intend to give each one a unique appearance.
These fusion monsters are meant to be a mixture between the kind of knights who appear in fairy tales and creepy ghosts... We’re doing our best to make them even darker and cooler than the enemies themselves. That's what you can expect from the fusion monsters in Penny Blood.
Demna, the Crownless Knight
A non-elemental fusion monster, and a symbol of the loneliness and emptiness that lurks deep within Matthew's heart.
Well-balanced in terms of attack and defense, Demna can prove useful in all manner of situations. Both its sword and shield are inscribed in ancient Goidelic. The sword's text reads "Bestowing endless slumber on the sinful", while the shield reads "Accept any manner of hardship".
Demna is the first fusion monster that Matthew transformed into after inheriting the ability from this father, and still hides further potential...
Macdeva, the Recalescent Knight
A fusion monster that embodies the element of fire, and a symbol of the anger and cruelty that lurks deep within Matthew's heart.
Macdeva is a dimachaerus who ignites flames with its quick movements, and whose sword techniques prioritize damage above all else. As proof of this, the dagger in its left is used not for defense, but rather for quick, violent thrusts. Macdeva revels in murder and loves to sample the blood of its victims by licking its dagger clean.
New Monsters
Domovoy
A household spirit who often reveals itself to young children as an imaginary friend, happy to play with them while it watches over their home.
Many regions envision the Domovoy as a hairy, bearded old man. It is said to prefer the warmest places within homes, such as hearths, and is highly resistant to fire. The Domovoy is also no stranger to violence, and can use its extendable goatee to bind and suffocate anyone who dares to intrude on a house under its protection.
Currently, the Domovoy watches over a vacant house as it waits patiently for a certain family to return home, oblivious to the fact that they've already perished in an accident outside.
Kaleido Echidna
After a nun offered up her body and soul to evil gods in exchange for salvation, one god heard her prayers and transformed her into the perfect monstrous bride. Once beautiful in her human form, her body has now painted with sinister, bewitching inscriptions of chants in praise for the evil god.
In order to keep her new object of worship satisfied with an endless stream of sacrifices, she tries to lure human men night after night, passing through the world of dreams in order to sneak inside their hearts. It is said that on the dawn of the seventh day after any man lays with her, his mortal flame will burn out.
Will Roxane be able to defeat this monster that’s started to appear in her precious Luca’s dreams?
New Location
The unsettling landscape of North Tarrytown
Located 30 miles north of New York, positioned right on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Some call this small village 'Sleepy Hollow' due to a legend about a headless knight that roams the area.
In order to uncover the mystery of the monster that appeared in Golgotha Asylum, Matthew goes to Tarrytown to visit the birthplace of Oswald Craig, the one who became the creature’s host. But what awaits Matthew within the lonely village’s eerily thick fog...?
-
That ends this Monday but TRUST US, you wanna be here for this Wednesday’s Worldbuilding update! You’ll never guess what big name is joining us. And as if that’s not enough, you’ll have another chance to be the puppeteer and help us determine another character design!
このグッズは、いくつもの有名ゲームの素晴らしい大型装飾本の制作を担当したことで知られる、最高品質のゲームブックパブリッシャーであり、アートディーラーでもあるCook and Beckerがデザイン、制作を手掛けています。150ページに及ぶ大型判型で、ヨーロッパのもっとも著名な印刷会社の1つにおいて、最高品質で印刷されます。
Feature Friday #2 / 金曜日：特別企画 #2
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Sep 10, 2022 at 01:04:50 AM
※日本語のアップデートは下の方にあります
Feature Fridays #2
We are closing out our second week with some more developer interviews, shout-outs to content creators, and introducing another indie Kickstarter campaign!
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Stretch Goals
We've seen a lot of questions about currency rates and how that affects stretch goals. While we wanted to keep the goals in dollars since Kickstarter is primarily a Western audience, the reality is that our developers do live in Japan and salaries are paid in yen. So we have talked with the developers and agreed to calculate stretch goals based on their yen equivalents. We don't want to have two stretch goal meters (one in dollars and one in yen) but we will be clearing off goals at their yen equivalent. For example, going by these calculations, Penny Blood needed 75,000,000 yen to clear its first goal, which it has. Matter of fact, it's cleared its second goal as well! Armed Fantasia has made over 100,000,000 yen so it has actually cleared the next THREE goals!! Here's the updated infographic:
Stretch Goal Update for Armed Fantasia
20 Puzzle Boxes - CLEARED!
We will place 20 brain-busting puzzles all over the world. Completing them will net you various rewards, including valuable items that will help you in your quest.
More BGM - CLEARED!
We will increase the amount of BGM in the game from 50 songs to 100 songs. That's double the battle music, field music, and story music in the game! This will surely make your playthroughs more fun.
Bounty System - CLEARED!
We will include a mini-game where you search for monsters roaming the world that have bounties on their heads and take them down in battle. The more difficult enemies might even give you a run for your money, and you’ll gain important items when you've beaten them.
Costume Change System - 110,000,000 yen
We will include a system where you can change each character's costumes. Hopefully being able to do so will help your adventure through the deadly wastelands be that much more fun.
More Whistling - 115,000,000 yen
We will increase the amount of whistling in the battle music, field music, and story music by an incredible 20 percent. With this, surely even the most weary adventurer will enjoy their journey through the wilderness just that much more.
?????
HINT: Inspector
Stretch Goal Update for Penny Blood
First Stretch Goal - CLEARED! Eviscerate Your Enemies as a Fusion Monster!
Grants Matthew, the main character, the ability to transform into fusion monsters during battle. His fusion forms will span a total of seven different elements, each with their own unique design.
“Matthew... Someday, you'll find yourself pitted against foes who can only be defeated through transforming into a fusion monster. That's right... In order to defeat those monsters, you'll need to become one yourself. And I'm going to give you that power right now... Don't say your old man never gave you anything, alright...?”
Second Stretch Goal - CLEARED! Melees of Madness
A parameter will be added to the game that displays the characters' current sanity level. When it reaches zero (or lower), characters will go mad and gain a massive boost in attack power. This will add a new layer to PENNY BLOOD's battle system, encouraging players to strategically toe the line between sanity and madness as they fight.
“Only when you shed your sanity can you awaken your true power... And if you manage to aim your rampage in the right direction, your enemies will never stand a chance.”
82,500,000 yen ThrillingGreyhound Races!
Dog races, a staple of back room gambling in 1920s New York, will be added to the game. Aside from earning funds and special rewards from betting, Luca will also be able to personally enter the races as a mini-wolf and acquire powerful new abilities.
“Hey, mister, ever been to a dog race? They hold 'em nightly down in the basement here! Tough guys from all over come to try and strike it rich, and I've even seen a wolf running the tracks along with all the pups! Y’know, in order to learn some new tricks…”
85,000,000 yen So, little boy... How much torture can you take?
Events will be added to the game where characters are captured by the enemy and must survive grueling torture sessions. Completing these events with certain characters will earn them special equipment.
“Withstanding torture while hiding information to protect your allies is no easy task. Trust me, if you ever got captured yourself...you'd understand just what a hellish experience it truly is.”
??? HINT: MONKey Business
Community Game
You have done a great job with the community goals so far and our monsters are defeated but unless the 10,000 plus backers we have start registering for both Twitter accounts, the registered Twitter user count goals might be the first community goals we won't complete! Can you amazing Double Kickstarter backers come together as one to help our heroines?
Character Design Vote Result
The results are in for our first character design vote featuring Penny Blood's fourth character Luka! After compiling votes from Twitter and Discord, the winner is C. Due to the nature of Twitter being more popular (and a bit easier) the voting was a bit skewed in Twitter's favor. For the next character design vote, we'll be counting each Discord vote twice. This helps us balance the different voting platforms but we also want to incentivize folks to join the Discord because that's the easiest place for our creators to do Q&A.
Comment from Director Machida:
Everyone, thank you so much for participating in the Luca design vote. The truth is, this isn't the last three-choice character design vote we'll be doing! We also plan for one of the votes to determine a certain character's color palette. Everything will be introduced in a future update, so we hope you're excited!
Finally, Director Machida wants folks to know that while the character designs chosen during the poll will be used in the main game, some edits may be applied to the final design when adjusting the overall balance of the main characters.
Media Spotlight
Check out these new videos by different content creators related to the campaign:
Also, a quick call out to these outlets who have been actively covering the stretch goals on the campaign! It really helps so please swing by and visit them when you have time. Any kind of coverage like this really helps a campaign like ours!
Our call-out for this week wears its horror heart on its sleeve. Love horror? Online Co-op? Great visuals? This game has you covered! Why don’t swing on by and give it a look?
This week, from Armed Fantasia we feature Studio Director Satoshi Nishimura who has a long history in games. From Penny Blood, we have Lead Artist and Character Designer Miyako Kato! We hope you enjoy their interviews. As a reminder, you can sometimes see Kato-san pop over in Discord so feel free to join us and the other fans there too.
Interview With Development Studio Director・Satoshi Nishimura
And Nishimura-san has shared with us this development video that was just finished a few hours ago!
Hopefully everyone will be able to get a better feel for the atmosphere in the field maps of Armed Fantasia.
Keep in mind that the terrain and character actions are all in-development, and we've left out things like character swaying and shaders. Also, the current lighting is all temporary. This video will look very different from the promotional video we released previously.
* This video is from a work-in-progress and may change in the final product.
Kaneko comments - Mr. Nishimura
If I'm the pitcher with poor control who never gets tired but has blazing fastballs, Mr. Nishimura is the pro catcher who can lead and catch with the best of them. On this project, he maintains the same speed and high quality I've known him for as we go. And I think the reason he can still do that is because of his logical thinking as a programmer.
And just between us? He laughs a lot more than you'd think. He helps keep the gloomiest of meetings calm and happy, and inspires all of us.
Interview with Miyako Kato, Character Designer and Art Director
Here, we'll be posting a handful of rough sketches chosen from the many sketches that Kato-san has drawn over the course of the project. Some aspects have changed since she drew these, while others remain the same. Through these sketches, we hope you'll be able to see all the trial and error that ensued as she consolidated her imagination.
New Location
Graveyard: Nightmare Carnival
The gate reads: Atam’s Fun Carnival.
It looks just like the traveling carnival that Matthew’s father took him to when he was a boy.
Of course, this carnival (graveyard of the heart) isn’t simply here to show humans a jolly time. It’s a fun fair of horrors built to contain the wandering souls of the dead…
As Matthew steps inside, the moon smiles down upon him.
“Where’d you come from, kid? And what’s your name?”
“Matthew.”
“Matthew, eh? Funny, I remember Matthew bein’ a pint-sized tyke… Ah well, go on through the arch – and have some fun, will ya?”
The paths to various attractions stretching out in front of Matthew mirror the branches he’s encountered in his life thus far, leading him deeper into the yawning abyss…
Thompson Report #02: Thrilling Greyhound Races!
"Good evening everyone, Dorothy Thompson here. The year is 1923, and our world is filled with all kinds of social entertainment. Tonight, I've decided to do a special report on the dog races that happen nightly in the Harlem underground. Keep listening to find out more!"
"It’s been three years since Prohibition dried our cities, but it looks like the race hall is full again tonight! These races are managed by Owney Madden, aka "The Killer," an infamous gangster – oh, I think I hear cheers! It sounds like another race has just begun!"
"Yeah, attaboy! You can do it! Get ahead of ‘em!"
"The hall sure is hot tonight! The crowd's on the edge of their seats, desperate to win bi--O-oh my!"
"Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t mean to bump into you like that. Are you alright?"
"Ma’am? Excuse me?! I’m not that ol--oh, wait, you’re the one who bumped into me, little boy? This is no place for a child! Did your mommy or daddy bring you here?"
"No, I came on my own. Matthew n' Emilia said they don't like gamblin', so I didn't have much of a choice. Anyway, mind not treatin' me like some little kid? I got a name too, y'know – it's Luka!"
"OK, Luka... So you came here to enjoy the dog races all by your lonesome, I take it?"
"You betcha! If your luck’s any good, you can win all sortsa cabbage and prizes, too! Ain't why I came here, though."
"Then what, pray tell, did you come here for?"
"You seen how fast those dogs run, ain’t ya? Sure feels swell making 'em all eat my dust!"
"Oh, you’re talking about winning with your bets, yes?"
"What? Nah, I'm talkin' about racin' and beatin’ em!"
"Umm... I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say."
"I mean goin’ wolf! Then I get to enter the race and beat 'em all by a mile! Helps me train, too."
"Wolf? Wait… Who's entering the race here?"
"Me."
"..."
"You alright, ma’am?"
"Could you stop referring to me like I’m some tired housewife? Just call me Dorothy!"
"Okay, okay!"
"Good heavens, I'm not sure what came over me just now. I didn't mean to lose my temper. Now then, Luka, I believe you were telling me about how you've been entering your pet dog in the races here."
"Yeah, sure, that's it! My...pet! My pet runs the races for me."
"I see. I wasn't aware that these races allowed spectators to send their own pets out to compete."
"Oh, you betcha they do."
"Well then, I'll be sure to root for your little Wolfie when you send him out to race!"
"Thanks, I'll do my best!"
"What was that?"
"I-I mean my dog...will do his best. See you 'round, Dorothy!"
Chibi Characters Penny Blood's characters have a unique atmosphere to them even when they’re deformed, wouldn’t you agree? Even with these faces, they're still dead serious about living on.
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That closes our 2nd Feature Friday! Hope we’ll see you back on Monday for more merch and more great design discussions!
Worldbuilding Wednesdays #2 / 水曜日：世界観設定 #2
over 1 year ago
– Fri, Sep 09, 2022 at 04:22:21 AM
※日本語のアップデートは下の方にあります
We are at our second Worldbuilding update and this one provides a ton of new information about both games!
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
Chat with the Creators
Kaneko-san and Machida-san will both be dropping in on their respective discord on September 7th (Wednesday) at 8PM EST/5PM PST. Both creators will be visiting the English and Japanese channels for about 1 hour saying hello, teasing stretch goals, and answering your burning questions. They will first be visiting the below listed Japanese channels for about 15-30 minutes and then jump into the English facing channel after that. If you have time, this is a great chance to get to know your creators!
Penny Blood is getting very close to clearing its first stretch goal! Individually calculating the stretch goals is no easy task, but we’ll keep you updated as we get close to clearing goals. Also, feel free to check us out on social media or the Kickstarter comments sections because sometimes we can react faster there.
Merchandise News
Those premium rewards came and went. Wow. “Making Music II” and “Have a Voice II” went in less than 4 hours. As a general rule for premium rewards, if they are sold out, we talk with the teams about whether a reissue is possible. Sometimes they say yes, and sometimes no. No one wants to ruin the game’s atmosphere with too many of these, so it’s a delicate balancing act. However, in the case that we are able to beg and plead for a reissue, it usually comes with a 10% increase in base price. Getting “early bird” discounts for taking the plunge earlier is fairly standard in Kickstarters so we wanted to be clear about that for future premium reward reissues. More merchandise and reissues will be added next Monday
We know a lot of people are asking for specifics for the upgraded art book. After we get a write up from our partners at Cook & Becker, we’ll share with you. It really is going to be a beautiful collectible.
Community Game
The sly Gwiber counterattacked over the weekend but the Japanese community came through putting up 17 amazing pieces of art. Here are some of the best ones! As always, you never know when a counterattack could occur so check the campaign frequently and see if you can help out. Extra points go towards making the rewards better for EVERYONE.
And the one who chose these pieces was none other than Ishii-san, the member from the Armed Fantasia team who designed Gwiber! We also got a comment from Ishii-san.
"I've seen all of the fan-art that was made of Gwiber. They were all amazing pieces of work. I was told to choose five, and I had to choke back tears as I did so!" -Ishii-san.
クラモン（@kuramoonn）
Korrag（@Korrag4）
Ｇａｎｔｙ Ｒ❀ｓｅ HYPE FOR PENNYBLOOD（@xacidstrawberix）
リンク（@Linkleft）
Zaxio(なーじゃ) （@2axi0）
There are still several community goals open, so see if you can work together as a community to clear them. One note about the community game: the first 3 challenges are worth 1 point each. The special attack is worth 2 points. The last goal on the list is a guard that reduces the goal amount for a counterattack. The AF team completed their “guard goal” which meant you only needed 10 pieces of Gwiber fan art instead of 20! Securing that guard goal in advance helped you stop the Gwiber counterattack! Additionally, all the accrued points for both teams go towards unlocking Combo community stretch goals. The more both teams can complete, the better the rewards for both games.
Content Updates
Armed Fantasia delves into a lot of the core lore behind the game whereas Penny Blood gives us our first character design vote. Here’s how it works. Go to the Penny Blood Discord here. In the #character-vote channel, we’ll feature the 3 different designs. Just “react” by choosing the icon under the design you like the most. After 24 hours, we’ll tally up the votes and see who won!
〇Londenium
The story takes place in a land far, far away. A land known as <Londenium>. In the ancient tongue, the word means <wilderness>.
The majority of the ground is dried up and barren, and what little water or plant-life that is left is slowly fading away. The land of Londenium will soon have no future.
The cause of the phenomenon that created this wilderness and tore hope from those who live here is still uncertain, but one theory suggests that the first few cases appeared roughly 1000 years ago, when the Order of the Sacred Key was established... although details remain unclear.
Humanity is not only in danger because of the harsh environment they live in. Another calamity, born of the world's distortion, threatens humanity. Anomalies.
Humanity has nowhere else to hide, but they've no choice but to cling onto hope for the world and keep on living.
Around Londenium are structures--evidence of the world before it began to decay. Ruins of a prehistoric civilization hide technologies and dangers once thought long lost.
〇The Order of the Sacred Key
The Order was established roughly a millennium ago, around the same time the world started turning into a wilderness.
With humanity falling from the top of the food chain, the Order tasks itself with how to unlock the future of humanity. They believe strongly in their mantra of cladding themselves in iron and shedding blood in order to achieve that goal.
Their symbol is a woman martyred for her beliefs -- a sword saint -- but in spite of this the Order is not a religious organization. They are, instead, the sole governing body for all of Londenium while it remains unable to maintain any sense of statehood/sovereignty/self-rule due to its decline.
And so they have come to be known as a World Governing Organization.
They help establish laws, build infrastructure, stimulate economic growth, and protect the peace. They also share technology to make life in the harsh world easier and lead armed groups to deal with the threat of Anomalies.
One of those groups are Knights of the Order. The other a guild that supports adventurers known as <Pathfinders>.
The Order also heads up research on ARMs, the weaponry that both Knights of the Order and Pathfinders use. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Order controls all the instruments of violence in Londenium.
From the cradle to the grave, the Order wants to govern over even life and death itself. The Order naturally comes to rule over the world with an iron fist, and there is no small amount of civil unrest about it.
○ARMs
ARMs are a secret weapon used by humanity in their battle against the Anomalies that roam the wilderness and dwell in the darkness of ruins.
ARM is short for <Aether Reaction Maximizer>, and is the name most people use to refer to them.
ARMs are machines that react to Aether (the source of magic within all living things), amplifying that power in order to drastically strengthen the user. They were created to give the user a way to deal with any threats that stand in their way.
There are six basic frames for ARMs: Guns, Spears, Staffs, Gatling Guns, Katanas, and Fist Weapons. They are created by the Order of the Sacred Key, and over roughly a millennium have seen constant technological advances.
The Order of the Sacred Key claims that ARMs include many hidden functions not covered in their manuals, as well as many black boxes installed during their creation, subsequently making it impossible to manufacture one outside of the Order's development branch.
One would think, then, that all ARMs sold on the market would subsequently be under the control of the Order of the Sacred Key, and yet...
There have been reports of bootleg ARMs being created illegally and sold on the black market. The Order sees this as a problem they cannot ignore.
Not only are they easy for criminals and those with bounties on their head to get their hands on, but the bootlegs have their limiters and safety measures taken off. This makes them less safe, but boosts their output making them dangerously lethal.
○Pathfinders
<Pathfinder> is the name given to adventurers who travel across the vast wilderness.
They repel Anomalies, guard merchants, or search the depths of ruins for treasure or lost tech. They face danger for the sense of adventure and to keep their rations full.
Most Pathfinders specialize in a type of ARM in order to cope with the dangers of the wastes, so they typically belong to a guild of the Order to benefit from their support.
Pathfinder guilds offer aid to the Pathfinders, acting as an intermediary and mediator for quests, but are also tasked with managing and monitoring them.
However, Pathfinders, with their powerful ARMs, are considered by many to be just as dangerous to their way of life as Anomalies are.
Character Spotlight
Suseri Otsuki
Born in Tokyo in 1906. Now 17, Suseri serves as an advisor priestess to Kamuzumi, the Japanese empire's monster extermination force.
As her mother came from a family of spiritualists gifted in kidō magic arts, Suseri has the ability to sense otherworldly creatures as soon as they appear. She was to be the eyes of the Shinteigumi, Kamuzumi's front line brigade, but never hesitates to dispatch the monsters herself when the need arises, utilizing the great reserves of spiritual power that swirl within her.
After Matthew and Emilia save her in the imperial capital, she joins their cause in order to repay them. Suseri's weapons of choice are her seimakyō magic mirrors.
Fusion Monster: Macdeva, the Recalescent Knight
A fusion monster that embodies the element of fire, and a symbol of the anger and cruelty that lurks deep within Matthew's heart.
Macdeva is a dimachaerus who ignites flames with its quick movements, and whose sword techniques prioritize damage above all else. As proof of this, the dagger in its left is used not for defense, but rather for quick, violent thrusts. Macdeva revels in murder and loves to sample the blood of its victims by licking its dagger clean.
Designing the World of 1923
PENNY BLOOD takes place in 1923. Why 1923? Well, let’s think about the history. This was right after World War I had ended, and people were reflecting on the importance of peace while also harboring a torrent of anger and division that would eventually lead to the next war. All they needed was for someone to light the fuse, and the flames of war would spread once more. The world of 100 years ago was a very perilous place.
Did anything pop into your mind as you read the above paragraph? Yes, that’s right – it sounds a bit similar to our own era, doesn’t it? It may seem silly for someone to make a game about fighting monsters in order to promote peace, but I’m trying to create a story that takes place 100 years ago yet also overlaps with our own time period.
Now then, I’d like to quickly go over the status of the countries that will appear in PENNY BLOOD.
First, we have America. 100 years ago, America had just enacted Prohibition, which prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. This led the mafia to start underground production as a new source of capital, and these undercover transactions led to an increase in violent, gang-related crimes. The center of a new power network that would light up the world was being built in Manhattan, but it still lacked the necessary infrastructure, allowing shadows to remain in every corner.
The next country Matthew will visit after America is Japan – or the Empire of Japan, as it was known at the time. After a streak of wins in the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I, Japan was in the middle of an imperialistic push to further strengthen themselves. Individual thoughts and beliefs became more controlled, and gradually a lack of peace became the norm across the land. In Japan, Matthew will first learn of the danger that’s only moments away from bringing the world to its knees, and through a fateful encounter, his true adventure will finally begin.
Meanwhile, we have China – 10 years after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, partitioned and half-colonized by the Great Powers. After erasing the former glory and power of the emperor, politicians vied for power, causing people to fear that a possible civil war would soon erupt. The peace and stability of great cities such as Beijing and Shanghai were also in shambles... In China, the ravages of time will swallow up every last one of Matthew’s hopes and dreams.
This brings us to Europe. After the exhaustion of World War I, the countries of this land had just begun to rebuild themselves. Of course, social inequality continued to run rampant, along with racial and ethnic discrimination. As the ambitions of those who wish to push the world away from peace continue to keep Matthew and his allies on their toes, they find themselves stunned at the depth of the darkness that can fester within people’s hearts. Regardless of the era, what people truly need is compassion and unity.
It is on this century-old stage that PENNY BLOOD will raise its curtain... Next, I’d like to pass the baton over to Watanabe-san, who worked on creating a beautiful image board for the time period.
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Hello! My name is Watanabe, and I work for STUDIO WILDROSE. It’s very nice to meet you all.
First, I’d like to begin by saying what a valuable experience it was for me to work on this image board. I have spent many years of my life drawing architectural perspectives, and never had any connection to the world of games. I didn’t even know what the word RPG meant... So when I was approached about designing the world of this game using my hand-drawn watercolor touches, it really threw me for a loop. The more details are added, the more you start to lose the hand-drawn touches, but if you start off with too bold of a drawing, you won’t be able to add details. It was quite the dilemma. This has always been the part I had to spend the most time on throughout the process, and I intend to continue using trial and error until I arrive at the proper result.
Lastly, I’d like to leave a short message here for all the fans out there who are looking forward to PENNY BLOOD.
I’m still an amateur when it comes to the world of games – more stumbling about in confusion right at the entrance, if you will – but the one thing I understand is just how vast Director Machida’s world design is. The stories that are about to unfold within that world are very exciting... So I hope you’re all excited as well.
Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity. I think one of the greatest characteristics of this game is its ability to overlap reality with fantasy in its own twisted landscape. The real-life story of 1923 will gradually shift over into a world of darkness, blooming into a dimension that far surpasses any manner of reality. Players will learn of events that never made it into the history books, learn of the transient nature of peace, and perhaps even turn away from some of the shocking events that occur. But no matter how painful or tough things may become, “we still have to live.” That’s the theme of PENNY BLOOD. I hope you’re all ready to witness history through Matthew’s eyes.
New Locations
Skyscrapers glowing in the evening sun…
One night after narrowly defeating the Motofuji in Golgotha Asylum, Matthew drives down to the Hudson River in a stolen police car.
Across the river, he can see the evening twilight painting the buildings of New York in a deep shade of madder red.
Midst the sinking beauty, Matthew notices his heart quicken. He can feel that something is on the verge of changing within the world… Something greater than anything he’s ever known before.
Beijing – Alleyways of the Forbidden City
In 1923, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, its young last emperor was allowed to go on living within the vast forbidden city of Beijing while the military took control of the government. After years of uprisings and the collapse of the house who had ruled for over 200 years, public safety had waned, and chaos ran rampant through the streets.
This was especially the case within the alleyways and backroads (hutong) of the city, which had become filled to the brim with impoverished peasants and unsavory thugs. It was within these hidden nooks that anarchist factions and armed thieves thrived... And to an outsider like Matthew, the city proved to be nothing more than another perilous dungeon.
Swallows’ Nest at dawn
At the southern tip of the Crimean Peninsula in Yalta sits a small castle on a cliff facing the Black Sea.
After the Russian Revolution began in 1917, Yalta was placed under the jurisdiction of Lenin's new Soviet Union. When plans were made to transform Yalta into a resort, the castle was promptly converted into a luxurious restaurant meant for wining and dining elite government officials.
However, this was all mere camouflage meant to mask the true reason why so many VIPs had gathered in one place. In truth, the castle had become a chemical weapon R&D facility where bio-experiments were performed on people with special powers who had been kidnapped from all over the world.
After Matthew and Emilia learn of a young boy prisoner named Luca who has the ability to transform into a wolf, they vow to sneak in and save him… regardless of what dangers may lurk within.
Character Design Vote!
Luca
Born in Lviv (Western Ukraine) in 1913 as an Inheritor (a race of people who have inherited Old Blood).
Now 10, Luca currently lives in a small castle on the edge of a cliff that overlooks a lake. He’s been imprisoned here ever since he was taken away from his parents.
Luca has special abilities that other boys his age don’t... He can heal wounds by touching them, and when he gets angry, he can make shockwaves erupt from his body. After meeting up with Matthew and his companions, he starts traveling with them in order to find his parents.
When Luca awakens the true power sleeping inside him , he transforms into a cute white wolf. His weapons of choice are his tiny fangs and claws.
Hello everyone! Machida here. In today’s Penny Blood update, we’re trying something we’ve never tried before… Kato-san has drawn three different designs for Luca, the little wolf boy, and we want you to pick your favorite!
You’ll be able to participate in the voting on both Discord and Twitter. After the update, the official PENNY BLOOD account (@PennyBloodGame) will post a poll in a tweet, so you can also use that to vote for the design you like.
Below are comments from Kato-san about what she was going for with each design.
Type A:
This is the oldest Luca of the three types. I gave him a strong-willed, energetic facial expression that would bring out his wolven side. His trademark is his scruffy hair. And he’s got a cuff attached to his leg… He must have gone on a rampage while he was imprisoned.
Type B:
The youngest of the three types. This Luca is wearing traditional clothes from Ukraine, where he was imprisoned in the castle. His silver curls are supposed to remind you of his white wolf form. I gave this Luca a very sweet, lovable appearance.
Type C
This Luca’s age is in between Type A and B. The theme here is “gothic”. Quiet, elegant, and of a very good upbringing. This Luca may have the biggest gap between his human and animal forms.
In order to vote for your favorite Luca design, join the Penny Blood Discord here. In the #character-design channel, we’ll feature the 3 different designs. Just “react” by choosing the icon under the design you like the most.
If you don't have a Discord account, you can also vote on Twitter. Just search for the official Penny Blood account. (@PennyBloodGame)
After 24 hours, we’ll tally up the votes and see who won!
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And that completes our second Worldbuilding update. Let us know what you thought in the comments!
Mechanics Monday #1 / 月曜日：ゲームシステム紹介 #1
over 1 year ago
– Wed, Sep 07, 2022 at 06:56:21 AM
※日本語のアップデートは下の方にあります
Week 1 is over and we finally got some rest over the weekend… (Just kidding, we’ve been checking the campaign, discord, and twitter every second just like you!)
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
We’ve gotten a ton of useful feedback, so we are going to address the most important stuff first.
Stretch Goals
People want to know about the stretch goals, and quite frankly they are pretty amazing... the further up we go. For now, the good news is the Armed Fantasia has passed their first stretch goal. Additionally we are adding an additional stretch goal so that you see more of what’s to come. We are also going to list out what each revealed stretch goal is so that you have a better understanding of what we are “stretching” for. Finally, some stretch goals will be described in deeper detail in future updates.
Here’s the new stretch goal infographic!
Armed Fantasia
Role Change System - Characters will be able to use all ARMs types instead of just the ones they start off using. Not only does this allow for Role changes and strategic choices, but you can pair up your favorite character with your favorite ARM type and enjoy how they look as well!
800,000
20 Puzzle Boxes - We will place 20 brain-busting puzzles all over the world. Completing them will net you various rewards, including valuable items that will help you in your quest.
825,000
HINT: Play me a new one
????
HINT: Dog will Hunt
Penny Blood
Inner Demon - Grants Matthew, the main character, the ability to transform into fusion monsters during battle. His fusion forms will span a total of seven different elements, each with their own unique design.
800,000
Melees of Madness - A parameter will be added to the game that displays the characters' current sanity level. When it reaches zero (or lower), characters will go mad and gain a massive boost in attack power. This will add a new layer to PENNY BLOOD's battle system, encouraging players to strategically toe the line between sanity and madness as they fight. “Only when you shed your sanity can you awaken your true power... And if you manage to aim your rampage in the right direction, your enemies will never stand a chance.”
825,000
HINT: Backroom Betting
????
HINT: Pleasure and Pain
Defining stretch goals is always challenging. We have to work hard to reach the necessary budgets, but if we reach the middle two weeks of a Kickstarter campaign and pledges begin to slow, a stretch goal that is set too high can demotivate people (and us!) That being said, we’ve seen a lot of campaigns make unrealistic promises in the past. And when they fail to deliver, swear off crowdfunding, which in turn closes a lot of doors and make it harder for people like us to convince a potential backer to trust us. We will hear out any suggestion we get, but please do understand that games are very expensive to make, so this is a very delicate balancing act.
Community Game
It’s another week and that means new monsters are attacking. This week pits Armed Fantasia’s Alicia versus the dreaded Xibalba. On Penny Blood’s side we have Emilia versus Domovoy! Do what you can to help our heroes!
New merch!
While Mechanics Mondays allow the creators to go into more detail about the game design, they also give us a chance to present new merchandise. We are always listening to what you say you want, but we’ve also gotten a lot of comments from people saying there are too many merchandise options. With two games, this can be especially challenging. At one point we had combos for every reward tier and it was over 100 reward tiers!
New Add-ons:
Acrylic Standee – Previously only available in the higher-priced tiers, you can now get the entire set of characters in this limited edition acrylic standee set. There’s more good news. The fine folks at Red Art Games, our key fulfillment partner, have upped the number from 2 to 3. So now you will get all 3 characters for that game. Price: Approx. $70 USD
Double Kickstarter Collector’s Choice – You’re a collector and know you’ll never get the chance to get your hands on this merchandise again. You also love BOTH games. What is a backer to do? Choose the Double Kickstarter Collector’s Choice Add-on! You can choose from 1 of 2 items per game. Both sets feature an awesome branded mug or a cool zippo lighter. Want the AF and PB mug? Sure! Two zippo lighters are your thing? Great! But as this is a tier custom designed to support BOTH games, you can only choose 1 item for each title. Price: Approx. $100 USD
Reissues of Premium Rewards:
There have been a few very popular premium rewards. They were snatched up in the first day, so we are reissuing them at a slightly increased reissue price. Since too many in-game rewards can ruin a game’s atmosphere, both creators are very careful when it comes to reissues. In many cases, these types of rewards will only be re-issued once.
Armed Fantasia:
Making Music Reissue - Work with the talented folks at Elements Garden to design your very own in-game song PRICE: 600,000 Yen, Reissue: 1
Penny Blood:
Have a Voice Reissue - Voice an NPC in the game PRICE: 450,000 Yen, Reissue:1
Look Ma, I’m Famous Reissue - Be a Wanted Poster PRICE: 175,000 Yen, Reissue: 5
Both Games:
JRPG Inner Circle - Combo Goodness - Meet with BOTH teams! PRICE: 1,000,000 Yen, Reissue: 1
New Price:
We love our pets. Penny Blood wouldn’t be the same without Monaka running back and forth in front of the camera during an important pre-launch Zoom meeting! So both creators have agreed to lower the JRPG’s Best Friend tier in hopes of getting some more pet love in the game.
JRPG Fan’s Best Friend - Add your pet in the game NEW PRICE: 350,000 Yen
And finally, we will be doing merch spotlights so you get a better understanding of specifically what goes into some of this awesome merch:
Acrylic Standees:
Armed Fantasia: Backers will receive three exclusive Armed Fantasia acrylic stands. Each of the acrylic stands features one of the game’s protagonists: Ingram Goodweather, Alicia Fairhead and Euclid Sturges (as well as the Armed Fantasia logo on the stands’ base).
Penny Blood: Backers will receive three exclusive Penny Blood acrylic stands. Each of the acrylic stands features one of the game’s protagonists: Matthew Farrell, Demna and Emilia Dawson (as well as the Penny Blood logo on the stands’ base).
Content Updates
For our first Mechanics Monday, we have Akifumi Kaneko talking about the world map, encounters, field actions, and vehicles!
The World Map is a Never Ending Adventure!
With Armed Fantasia, we want to bring back the feeling that old JRPGs had of traveling over a giant world map. Lately, RPGs seem to be omitting that aspect of gameplay, but we're putting our all into it.
The world map isn't simply a convenient way to take you from Point A to Point B in the story. We want to make sure that players can take a break from that and explore the world of <Londenium> to its fullest. That's the sort of map we're currently making.
Since the field will be made out of 3D models, players will be able to dash to get places faster, and jump to get to higher places. They'll be able to use those abilities with information they get in-game to set sails for new places and carve out a path towards them.
In order to make traversing the giant world easier, the players will be able to use vehicles as well. There will be vehicles for land, sea, and air that will allow players to get places they can't get on their feet alone.
And of course, you don't just move around the map. That would be boring.
You can hunt Anomalies with bounties on their heads. You can search for giant ships that appear in the oceans. You can search for valuable items in dangerous areas.
We want to make sure the world map is filled with these sorts of things so that players enjoy their time on the map.
And obviously the Westernpunk feel of the game world will tickle any adventurer's fancy. And once you find some of your favorite places, you can move the camera around and enjoy the sights as if you were on a trip.
Just how much fun you can have on the world map depends on how much support we get from you guys. So please consider supporting the campaign!
Puzzle-Riddled Dungeons!
One of the main characteristics of our title is the ability to use Character Actions to complete dungeons. For the most part, you'll dash and jump just like you do on the world map. But what makes dungeons special is the various puzzles that need solving. Each party member has their own set of Gadgets, and you'll have to make clever use of them if you want to solve those puzzles.
For example, Ingram has the <Bomb> Gadget. Set a Bomb and it explodes, delivering a shockwave to the surrounding area and anything in it. You can use them to blow up cracked walls, destroy rocks, or use them to create footholds to jump to higher places. You can also set several of them at the same time in order to make the shockwave even bigger.
One of the main parts of dungeons is how players use Gadgets to get through puzzles. And yes, we can hear the players out there who aren't great at action games. We understand your concerns. We will be implementing a difficulty level that makes it so that you can enjoy the story without getting stuck on puzzles. Regardless, the key to puzzles is how you use each action. And your only limit is your imagination.
First, Matsuzo Machida will give us an in-depth look at the Psycho Sigil and how it changes from character to character in Penny Blood! The Psycho Sigil: Crest of the Soul
The Psycho Sigil is the star of PENNY BLOOD’s exciting battle system – and today, I’m going to tell you all about it!
The original idea came to me when I was trying to come up with a way to depict a character’s soul – an otherwise invisible thing. I didn't want it to just be another plain-looking circle... I needed a way to graphically display a character’s lineage, personality, and trauma, and also in a way that would allow it to transform as the story progresses. I thought it’d be a great way to depict the unique aspects of each character if I could just come up with the right idea.
In terms of fitting a sigil to each of PENNY BLOOD’s characters, I gave Matthew a knight’s sigil, and Emilia a mechanical-looking heart. Each sigil is supposed to represent each character’s psyche. On paper, it seemed like it’d be a great motif for a new button-pressing system, and so far, it’s been working great.
As for how it works, each sigil contains shining dots that represent spots the player is supposed to hit. The player’s goal is to hit the button when the moving light passes over each spot at the proper timing. The Psycho Sigil will serve as an important tool for succeeding in both battles and events, and will require the player to hone their timing skills. Of course, I don’t want to make it overly hard, but if you want to aim for perfect hits in the center of each spot, you’ll need to train your finger.
As explained above, the design of each sigil will differ by character, and the same goes for the location of the spots you’ll need to hit. Some characters’ sigils might be easier for you to deal with even if they’re not your favorite battle party members. You don’t need to worry, though – as you proceed through the game, you’ll run into an entity named the Sigil Soul. Through speaking with him, you’ll gain items that you can use to boost the hit areas of characters’ sigils.
While the battles are centered around the Psycho Sigil system, we’ve still got a lot of other features to show you...and here are two of them!
-One-Hit Kills
Attaining a perfect with a Psycho Sigil input during an attack will allow you to kill a normal enemy in one hit. This system is meant to reward those who manage to perfectly complete extremely difficult inputs as well as show respect for their skills. The one-hit kill animations will not only feel good – they’ll also be pretty grotesque and extreme, so I hope you’ll all try to land a few of them. I’m also thinking about including certain enemies in the game who can only be truly killed in this fashion.
-Combo Attacks
As you might guess, combo attacks allow multiple characters to gang up on an enemy. There were combo attacks in my previous games, but they merely allowed characters to link up attacks one after another rather than attack at the same time. With this game, I’d like to try something different. These ‘gang-up attacks’ won’t just show the characters using their normal attack animations together – they’ll all be given special animations that only activate during combo attacks.
Activating a combo attack will depend on the characters’ affinities and personal conditions, but the most important factor will be ‘coincidence’. For example, when you play a fighting game for the first time and press a bunch of buttons only to coincidentally unleash a powerful attack. I’d like to put a touch of that ‘joy of discovery’ in this game. Of course, once you discover a combo attack, you’ll unlock the ability to perform it again at will. And while certain combo attacks may be more difficult to pull off, I’d like to make it so that players will eventually be able to plan ahead and perform the combo attacks when they’re ready. I hope that discovering the hidden combo attacks of each unique character will be a fun cherry on the top of PENNY BLOOD’s battle system.
Next, we are proud to present to you Penny Blood’s first Thompson Report, an in-depth interview between characters that will shed further light on specific stretch goals. But first, please allow us to introduce you to our reporter, Dorothy Thompson.
Dorothy Celene Thompson (July 9, 1893 - January 30th, 1961) was an American journalist and radio personality. In 1923, she was 30 years old. After contributing to the women's rights movement in America, she traveled to Europe in 1920 to pursue her journalism career. Finding success abroad, she was later appointed as Vienna correspondent for the Philadelphia Public Ledger. Further on in her career, she became the first American journalist to be expelled from Nazi Germany. -
“Matthew... Someday, you'll find yourself pitted against foes who can only be defeated through transforming into a fusion monster. That's right – in order to defeat those monsters, you'll need to become a monster yourself…and I'm going to give you that power right now. Don't say your old man never gave you anything, alright...?”
Thompson Report File No. 01: Eviscerating Enemies as a Fusion Monster
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Farrell. Please take a seat over there."
"So you're the world-famous Dorothy Thompson, huh? Hard to believe you'd be interested in interviewing some rube masquerading as a gumshoe."
"Now, now, word on the street is you've also become quite famous in your own right. After all, who wouldn't be dying to hear the story of an expert monster hunter who secretly fights in the shadows of civilized society? I'm especially intrigued by this 'fusion monster' I've been hearing about – the 'other face' of the man I'm sitting here interviewing, so to speak."
"Sometimes, when you run into creatures that don't belong in this world, guns and knives aren't enough to do the trick. And in those situations, making the wrong split-second decision usually means your goose is cooked."
"You don't fear death?"
"I did at first... But not anymore. If anything, I'd have to say it’s sort of exciting."
"Instead of fearing your battles, you enjoy them?"
"In a way. Standing on the brink of life and death can be very stimulating. Then when I'm all riled up, I unleash the darkness deep inside my heart. It takes the shape of a knight and utterly consumes me."
"And that 'knight' is your fusion monster?"
"Bingo."
"A medieval knight in the 20th century... This is all starting to sound surprisingly romantic."
"Heh. If you're into dead knights, I suppose. This isn't some gallant knight riding on a white horse I'm talking about here – it's a demon that lets me rip monsters into bloody pieces. And nothing feels better than pulverizing 'em in a single blow."
"You served in the great war, didn’t you, Matthew?"
"I did. I entered the service in the spring of '17. Things shifted over to the Western Front shortly after I arrived, but I fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood, and then the war ended while I was three miles out of Sedan."
"Was the war what awakened you to your power?"
"No. I inherited this from my da’. Children inherit all shades of darkness from their folks, don't they? My da’ found a way to wield the power of the monster living in the darkness of his heart... And now, I can too."
"So that power you use to defeat all those monsters was actually a gift from your father."
"Not a gift – a curse. When I turn into Demna, I'm just another monster to everyone else."
"Ooh, I must say that gave me the chills! Now I'm even more interested in this 'Demna' character. Will I get a chance to meet him someday?"
"I don't know about that. I mean, I'm flattered, but I can't say I recommend it. After all, where there's a fusion monster, you can bet there'll be blood."
–
Whew! That was a long one! Hope you enjoyed it, and looking forward to sending you more great art for our next Worldbuilding Wednesday…which will feature your first CHARACTER DESIGN VOTE!
Making Music Reissue ：作曲家と協力してBGMを１曲作る権利 価格：600,000円、再発行数：1
PENNY BLOOD:
Have a Voice Reissue ：ゲーム内に登場するモブキャラクターの声になれる権利 価格：450,000円、再発行数：1
Look Ma, I’m Famous Reissue ：ゲーム中の指名手配ポスターに登場できる権利 価格：175,000円、再発行数：5
両方:
JRPG Inner Circle - Combo Goodness ：両方の開発スタッフと会える権利 価格：1,000,000円、再発行数：1
新価格:
私たちはペットが大好きです。キャンペーン準備中のZoomミーティングでカメラの前を行ったり来たり走り回る、「もなか（町田氏の愛猫）」がいなければ、今のPENNY BLOODはなかったことでしょう！そこでゲームを通してペット愛がもっと盛り上がることを期待して、JRPG’s Best Friendティアの価格を下げることに両方のクリエイターが同意しました。
JRPG Fan’s Best Friend：あなたのペットをゲーム内に登場させる権利 新価格：350,000円
Feature Friday #1 / 金曜日：特別企画
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Sep 03, 2022 at 06:28:26 AM
※日本語のアップデートは下の方にあります
Hey there backers!
Thanks for joining us on another awesome update to close out the week.
CAMPAIGN UPDATES
SOCIAL MEDIA GAME
We are nearly at the end of the week and both games have achieved all their community goals. So long as there’s no counterattack over the weekend then it looks like you’re in the clear for the community game this week. Congratulations!
The higher-ups at the B.O.I. were shocked to see someone figure out the cypher for the red-letter code. How anyone figured out that each section’s red letters were scrambled and that by unscrambling them they’d reveal the key words: VIRGINIA, IO, RIGHT, ARMPIT, ESCAPEE which would then point to the first designated target of the B.O.I. William N. Bishop is beyond us. But the password BISHOP doesn’t seem to be safe anymore. Looks like our system is down! We'll have to put our best people on it to get it up and working by tomorrow.
That’s right, the Penny Blood red band trailers (for adults only) will be out tomorrow so feel free to take a look at www.pennyblood.jp. Not for the faint of heart!
STRETCH GOALS
We’ve had a lot of questions asking about the reasoning behind our stretch goal amounts. They’re pretty important and while we have a bunch of great ones planned, they can easily become the death of many campaigns—like by promising too many versions or modes when you don’t have the budget to back it up. We’ve analyzed the costs of these goals and placed them at intervals we consider to be responsible, with the first individual stretch goals for Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood starting at $750,000 each.
We’re close to hitting the first of those for each game but we’re not quite there yet. Both Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood have their own development teams and budgets, making $750,000 each a realistic number to really begin really fleshing out games of this scale. We’ll have to see how the funding progresses and may need to re-arrange certain goals to fit with the overall pacing, but while you are here, why don’t you tell us what goals you would find interesting to see?
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
Tonight’s update is all about video content! We want to say thanks to all the content creators out there who have given us call-outs so far and want to list those videos here:
Not to mention one of the hardest working JRPG content creators out there (who’s featured some of our creator’s past work a few times): Erick Landon RPG
Please check these creators out when you have a minute and spread your support!
If you are a content creator or know someone who is and is eager to help spread the word, send us your links and we’ll feature you on our Feature Fridays!
And lastly, the Double Kickstarter was created in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation, and continues to be one of the few platforms that gives not only creators like us a chance, but a wide variety of smaller teams across different genres too. We’d like to carry on the tradition we’ve seen in projects like Eiyuden Chronicle by doing call-outs to other Kickstarters.
As much as we’d love more funding to make bigger games ourselves, we’d prefer to share the spotlight even more.
Rebel Transmute: a 2D Action-Exploration game with a personal and heartfelt story, inspired by the likes of Hollow Knight, Super Metroid, and Nier: Automata.
CONTENT UPDATES
Games are made by people, and oftentimes you’re only able to catch a glimpse of those people through brief interviews and media spots. But we’re not about that, and have AMAs and appearances on our Discord channels planned in the future to help our backers connect with our creators.
In the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy our first batch of in depth interviews!
Kaneko's interview is pretty large, so we've only taken a few of the questions from the full interview and posted them here today. For the full version, please check out the official Armed Fantasia website at https://wildbunchproductions.co.jp
INTERVIEW WITH AKIFUMI KANEKO
Give us a quick self-introduction, please.
My name is Akifumi Kaneko, and I work for ARIA Entertainment as the head of the general headquarters of their cross-media department. We’re a music company, but we cross the lines between media types and develop new IPs. That’s what I do.
Thanks for having me today.
For Armed Fantasia your title is Overall Game Designer and Scenario Writer. What exactly does "Overall Game Designer" entail?
My first job as Concept Leader is to organise the overall policies and make sure that all other leaders understand what I have in mind and how I want the game to be so that they can do their jobs.
I also do many other things. You could say I do odd jobs.
What have you been doing over the past 15 years?
I’ve been making competitive action games and helping acquaintances with their own games while hiding my own name in the process. Other than that, my main work hasn't been for games, but rather anime production.
Originally, I had only planned on helping out a bit with the anime job. But the next thing I knew, I was creating my own original work, writing scripts, and helping with structure and all. Thanks to everyone supporting my work, it’s become a long series with five whole seasons.
Because of that... Some people might only know my name from anime now.
Before the Kickstarter started, I was involved in starting up several anime projects and writing scripts for them. However, that work has calmed down and all the prep work is finished. This will be the first time in a while for me where I'm actually working on developing the game rather than being a supervisor or guest writer.
Personally, I don’t see strong differences between games and anime. I approach both of them as entertainment jobs, so I don’t think my career has particularly changed much in the last 15 years.
Looking back on it now, it's just been 15 years of being chased by deadlines.
Why have you come to Kickstarter?
“I made a new acquaintance” and “it came up during conversation” is the actual beginning of the story.
But actually, the reason I decided to do development via Kickstarter is because I was charmed by the idea of having the freedom to make whatever I wanted.
I’m extremely happy that I was able to take the things I loved as a child – games and anime – and make them into my job. But when I think about what I want to do next, I want to be able to work on something with no paths imposed on me, something where I have the freedom to do what I want. That sounds really fun.
Of course, at this age, I know that having no paths imposed on me means that the world could become a very merciless and dangerous place. I get that. But I’ve always been a curious soul, and I’ve never been able to shake that trait. Perhaps deep inside I get some sort of excitement from the thrill of danger. For example, I love horror movies.
Oh, and I was told that I could do the project without showing my face on Kickstarter. That was a big plus for me, personally.
So, why aren't you showing your face during the campaign?
My sincerest apologies for that, but it's nothing personal. I’ve just done my best to make sure that none of my private information made it into the public for years. I’ve done my best to keep things like how I look, but also my sex, birthday, or even my blood type secret since the start of my career. Though, there was a really big interview I did a while back where I think I might’ve given a few things away that could allow you to imagine some things about me…
With this Kickstarter project, I made sure that all of my personal information would be hidden before we began. The reasoning? I’ve always personally thought my existence and personal data would only get in the way of my work.
But here’s an example… In the current world, it isn’t rare for even the most mild-mannered of people to become petty and aggressive on the internet. I think this is evidence of the fact that people transform into other people when they become anonymous. For me, keeping my personal information secret allows me to become both positive main characters brimming with vitality and inhuman villains so that I can write my dialog and stories.
I'll be hiding myself in this interview as well, but that'll allow me to go on writing about these positive main characters and inhuman villains to my heart's content.
How do you think JRPGs have changed over the past two decades?
It takes money to make a JRPG. And it seems to me that lately this is a genre where it’s hard to make your money back. I think that’s why lately JRPGs have had to cut things like the number of special moves or world maps. That's why they’ve got these narrow frameworks now.
On the other hand, perhaps because of that narrow framework, I think the staff making JRPGs now are much more skilled and sophisticated than they were during the Playstation 2 days. I feel like they don’t worry about the restrictions. They’ve got great ideas, unique direction, they’re sharp, and they’ve evolved. At least, that’s my own personal impression of things. The reality of things is that the games are fun and well-made.
For a period of time, JRPG was seen as a bad word, particularly overseas. But at some point, the genre established itself and became well-known. Gaining global recognition isn’t an easy thing to do.
There’s no doubt in my mind that JRPGs have changed a lot over the years. But just like the good old days, it’s still one of the best game genres out there.
What kind of input or feedback would you like to get from your fans during the KS campaign?
This is my first time doing any of this. My first Kickstarter campaign. So I honestly don’t know.
I’d just like for everyone to not hold back and give me any opinions they have.
Whether or not something will get included is a matter of time and budget, of course. But thinking about those sorts of things is my job. So while I might not be able to include everyone’s ideas, please, by all means, share your thoughts with me.
And of course, simple support, fan art and the like are welcome as well. Our staff (especially me) will be thrilled and get even more fired-up than they already are.
Do you have any fears about the game being unsuccessful on crowdfunding?
Of course I do! If you can succeed in something, you have to be aware of the fact that you could fail as well.
That’s why we’re in the middle of racking our brains to try to figure out what to do in this campaign. And thus, I’d like to ask everyone reading this interview to support our campaign!
Despite the fear, I remain optimistic. That’s the truth of things.
I have many doubts about my own abilities, but my allies have always remained by my side to reassure me. And this time is no different.
I am also aware of the fact that I am blessed to have so many fans out there of my work in games and anime.
It’s because of those fans that I’ve been able to do all the work that I’ve done and see sights I'd never dreamed of.
This might sound arrogant, but I’m the rare type of person who can enjoy my work alongside my fans. This time around, I'm looking forward to experiencing the joy of creating something with all my fans.
So whether we succeed or fail, let’s enjoy this party to the fullest!
-Akifumi Kaneko
Next up, we have an interview with Chief Director Hiroki Ishii!
We've been working together for over 20 years. This time around, he's working under the title of Chief Director. But he is just like me, and is a jack of all trades. He does design, but also does events, special move storyboarding, visual expression work, and gives advice on technology. He's truly versatile in his work. He's a very trustworthy member of my staff, but he's also there to yell at me and tell me to "stop dreaming and get to work". He can be kinda scary sometimes!
Moving on, here is a video interview from Matsuzo Machida, the general director of Penny Blood!
B.O.I.（情報局）の上層部はレッドレター（赤文字）コードを解く鍵を見つけた人物がいたことに衝撃を受けています。バラバラに配置された赤文字を並べ替えることで以下のキーワードを見つけることができましたね：VIRGINIA、IO、RIGHT、ARMPIT、ESCAPEE。これによりB.O.I.が目を付ける最初のターゲットであるウィリアム・N・ビショップ（William N. Bishop）の名が浮かび上がるなんて、どうしてわかったのでしょうか。ですがBISHOPというパスワードはもはや安全ではないようです。危ない！システムがクラッシューしました！明日中にバグを修正しなければなりません！
ゲームは人の手によって制作されています。こうした人々については、短いインタビューやメディア露出を通してやっとその人となりを垣間見ることができます。しかし私たちはそうしたことはせず、AMA（Ask me anything：なんでも聞いてください）やDiscordチャンネルに出演し、バッカーの皆様をクリエイター達と繋げる場を設けることを企画しています。
