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[cLOUDo]

i hope they add a goal to include a Inverted castle

 

[Zaventem]

Just backed, my first KS project too!

 

[FrontalMonk]

I hope an inverted castle just comes standard, but is (somehow) hidden. Like, they spend their kickstarter campaign talking about all the stuff in the regular castle, and then when you actually sit down and play it, you find the inverted castle and it's like "HOLY SHIT!"

I mean, I feel like if we knew there was an inverted castle from the word go, there wouldn't be any mystique to it, and would even go into "lol reused assets" territory.

 

[Sword Familiar]

Hmm I wanna donate to this bad but I'm kind of hesitant until I see more of what the game will actually look like. I'm not really liking how MN9 turned out visually. I'll keep an eye on this but if there is no updates by time this ends that shows at least something in progress I may pass.

If you don't need a physical copy there's no need to donate any money right now. I don't think they'll update this any further before the deadline either, so if you're skeptical, that's fine. Why not help with the achievements at least? That way you can contribute without risking any of your hard earned cash.

Edit: And guys, let Shouta do what he wants for a weapon. He paid the equivalent of more than 30 physical copies of the game after all.

 

[OnPoint]

i hope they add a goal to include a Inverted castle

I'd prefer them to already be planning it in the normal design and have it be a surprise when we get there.

 

[dancrane212]

Hoping for one of those hidden stretch goals to be the equivalent of Julius Mode in DoS. Something more than just another playable character or NG+ but where you have to deal with different mechanics (like 3 switchable characters vs using souls) and ends with a new boss fight.

 

[Durante]

if it takes two years and ten people are working on it, then you only have to be paying them $50k a year before you've spent $1m on wages alone

I don't really agree with calling it "wages alone". Wages are by far the most significant cost of game development. It's not like you are using up materials

 

[varkuriru]

I'd prefer them to already be planning it in the normal design and have it be a surprise when we get there.

Yes! Maybe it could be an entire different location but if it costs too much then an inverted castle is cool.

 

[Stone Ocean]

Hoping for one of those hidden stretch goals to be the equivalent of Julius Mode in DoS. Something more than just another playable character or NG+ but where you have to deal with different mechanics (like 3 switchable characters vs using souls) and ends with a new boss fight.

All secret characters in Metroidvania games have been like that

Hell they usually can't even Level up having to either play the entire game with base stats plus their movesets.

 

[Charles Brandon]

I don't really agree with calling it "wages alone". Wages are by far the most significant cost of game development. It's not like you are using up materials

yeah but there are other significant overheads. Rent, equipment, legals, marketing, accounting, production costs, insurance, whatever employment taxes there are in the US, heat and light, communications etc etc

 

[Sword Familiar]

All secret characters in Metroidvania games have been like that

Hell they usually can't even Level up having to either play the entire game with base stats plus their movesets.

Some of them, like Richter, start out very strong though.

 

[Onemic]

I heard Iga and his crew already had the game funded and the KS wasnt to help with dev costs, but just to get the stretch goals.

 

[jetsetmario]

I heard Iga and his crew already had the game funded and the KS wasnt to help with dev costs, but just to get the stretch goals.

From the kickstarter...

"In addition to funding the creation of physical discs, the main purpose of this Kickstarter is to fund stretch goals, which will help IGA expand his vision for this game"

 

[Stone Ocean]

Some of them, like Richter, start out very strong though.

Real Belmont play Axe Armor!

I heard Iga and his crew already had the game funded and the KS wasnt to help with dev costs, but just to get the stretch goals.

Sorta. He still needed the KS to be funded to actually get said funding.

 

[Alo81]

I heard Iga and his crew already had the game funded and the KS wasnt to help with dev costs, but just to get the stretch goals.

You should watch the video on the kickstarter page. They comment saying they have an publisher lined up, but the investor wanted some confidence that this game had a fan base that desired it, so if it could reach 500k on a kickstarter they would fund it.

In an interview he comments that 500k is 10% of the funding for the game and the publisher would be providing the additional 90%

 

[Dreamwriter]

I heard Iga and his crew already had the game funded and the KS wasnt to help with dev costs, but just to get the stretch goals.

He found investors willing to invest in the development of the game, but those investors wanted proof that a Metroidvania game would actually sell. So the Kickstarter was set up to come up with 10% of the funds needed, with the rest coming from investors. Any money they get in addition to the 10% ($500,000) they get to use for stretch goals that they want to do but weren't in the original $5 million budget.

Edit: Beaten!

 

[Onemic]

You should watch the video on the kickstarter page. They comment saying they have an publisher lined up, but the investor wanted some confidence that this game had a fan base that desired it, so if it could reach 500k on a kickstarter they would fund it.

In an interview he comments that 500k is 10% of the funding for the game and the publisher would be providing the additional 90%

ah gotcha

 

[dancrane212]

All secret characters in Metroidvania games have been like that

Hell they usually can't even Level up having to either play the entire game with base stats plus their movesets.

Most of the bonus character were overpowered out of the gate though. Julius mode still gave you a decent amount of progression by having you need to find the other 2 characters and even then your abilities as Soma were split between the three.

Real Belmont play Axe Armor!

I think I remember reading about that on the Gamespot forums back before PoR came out. Figured it had to be a joke, that we'd get a Bloodlines character instead.

 

[vcc]

It's just me. I mean, in filmmaking, nobody talks about the producer. The director is far more important in the creative process. In music, producers aren't the creative driving force, unless you're not a real musician and you're just providing a face and vocals. I suppose in gaming the producer can be many things together, especially in a small team. Again, I don't pertain to know anything about Inti Creates or Japanese game development in general.

Good on Iga though to be able to rally so many supporters to his cause. Like many of you, I do miss Castlevania.

Kevin feige, Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas for the original trilogy, tim burton, quintin tarintino etc... there are many notable producers Who were important even when they didnt direct.

Also in gaming the titles are less defined. There two guys responsible for pulling dragon age: inquisition together in the last months. Neither were the director. Sillent hill was pulled together and fixed by the animator. Kojima Is credited as a producer and co director on mgS4. Basically the titles mean little. The bulk of the leadership and creative direction could be a lot of people And the role of producer is important.

 

[Sesha]

Wait, Boss Rush Mode stretch goal? Man, with co-op, local and online, versus mode, boss rush mode and speed run mode, I might consider getting this after all.

 

[Maedhros]

i hope they add a goal to include a Inverted castle

It should be within the theme of the game.

I dunno... a completely bloodstained/cursed/inversed area... get what I mean?

 

[Stone Ocean]

It should be within the theme of the game.

I dunno... a completely bloodstained/cursed/inversed area... get what I mean?

Mirror the castle instead of inverting it and give the entire map a stained glass motif

 

[Maedhros]

Mirror the castle instead of inverting it and give the entire map a stained glass motif

Hopefully the "Blood" part in "Bloodstained" will be relevant too.

 

[zewone]

i hope they add a goal to include a Inverted castle

The initial impact of the inverted castle was not knowing it was coming.

Putting up a goal stating it's there will take a lot of steam out the sails. With that said, I still would like something similar in the game already (without the need for a stretch goal).

 

[MagnaderAlpha]

Mirror the castle instead of inverting it and give the entire map a stained glass motif

I always thought the next step of CV after SotN should've went the "2nd castle is a totally new castle" rather than a reflection of the first. I always had the idea regarding happened after SotN revolving Richter, and fanfic'd this concept about a "Court of Owls" type of group that were sympathizers towards Dracula(comprised of fellow vampires, like Elizabeth Bartley and Carmilla, as well as evil sorcerers and occultists) that planned to fuck over the Belmont family some way that eventually resulted in the Morris clan having to step into the light(mind you, this was before IGA set the whole concept of 1999/AoS and such). My idea was that Richter(or his son) would be lured into the castle of these sympathizers, who'd attempt to corrupt the Belmont blood so that the link to wield the VK would be broken and the Belmonts would have no choice but to forfeit their claim to it. This castle had two sides, the side that takes form as a regular castle(areas such as Main Hall, Catacombs, Library, Outer Wall, Chapel, Alchemy Lab and Castle Keep, but in the Keep, there's a room with a blood pool(kinda a large fountain with satanic runes scribed around the basin). Stepping into it, you sink into the "other side", which like the "Castle B" portions of these games, is as large as the first side, but all the areas are completely new, and now you have areas like the Guest Quarters(kinda an inner quarters styled area), Dungeon of Torture(dungeon of lots of pointy death things), Hellish Living Caverns(a walk through hell and a sort of meaty-abyss of merged souls), Night Gallery(a haunted art gallery), Clock Tower(nuff said), Ancient Temple(a temple to worship the "dark things" older than time), Coliseum and the Master's Lair(final area).

 

[system11]

I'm excited for this. Allot of not positive posts, but I'm staying optimistic about this. Order of Ecclesia would have been a fine note to go out on, but I welcome more.

Someone a while back mentioned that they don't seem prepared for how positive and how quickly a reception this kickstarter got though. The new stretch goals definitely don't seem prepared. "What else can we give them?"

I don't actually see the value in throwing endless stretch goals into projects. What's wrong with getting more backing without offering more in return, everyone still gets what they paid for assuming the end result succeeds.

 

[Maedhros]

I don't actually see the value in throwing endless stretch goals into projects. What's wrong with getting more backing without offering more in return, everyone still gets what they paid for assuming the end result succeeds.

A proper way to do this is letting people donate and when they get at some point, they announce that they'll add something else to the game.

 

[Gbraga]

The initial impact of the inverted castle was not knowing it was coming.

Putting up a goal stating it's there will take a lot of steam out the sails. With that said, I still would like something similar in the game already (without the need for a stretch goal).

I kinda agree, but it won't be as much of an impact now, on the contrary, people will be looking for it, and then be disappointed if it's not there. So it could be better to just be excited about working torwards that goal.

 

[JackelZXA]

I always thought the next step of CV after SotN should've went the "2nd castle is a totally new castle" rather than a reflection of the first. I always had the idea regarding happened after SotN revolving Richter, and fanfic'd this concept about a "Court of Owls" type of group that were sympathizers towards Dracula(comprised of fellow vampires, like Elizabeth Bartley and Carmilla, as well as evil sorcerers and occultists) that planned to fuck over the Belmont family some way that eventually resulted in the Morris clan having to step into the light(mind you, this was before IGA set the whole concept of 1999/AoS and such). My idea was that Richter(or his son) would be lured into the castle of these sympathizers, who'd attempt to corrupt the Belmont blood so that the link to wield the VK would be broken and the Belmonts would have no choice but to forfeit their claim to it. This castle had two sides, the side that takes form as a regular castle(areas such as Main Hall, Catacombs, Library, Outer Wall, Chapel, Alchemy Lab and Castle Keep, but in the Keep, there's a room with a blood pool(kinda a large fountain with satanic runes scribed around the basin). Stepping into it, you sink into the "other side", which like the "Castle B" portions of these games, is as large as the first side, but all the areas are completely new, and now you have areas like the Guest Quarters(kinda an inner quarters styled area), Dungeon of Torture(dungeon of lots of pointy death things), Hellish Living Caverns(a walk through hell and a sort of meaty-abyss of merged souls), Night Gallery(a haunted art gallery), Clock Tower(nuff said), Ancient Temple(a temple to worship the "dark things" older than time), Coliseum and the Master's Lair(final area).

(Kinda wish you'd formatted that a little for easier reading, but anyways...)

Let's take a walk through the second castle concepts of the games:
SotN: Inverted Castle, best castle
CotM: No second castle.
HoD: Castle A and Castle B. Different puzzels, enemy layouts, bosses, color layouts. Not the best, but interesting in some ways.
AoS: Not really a second castle, just a weird dream maze to a narrative unfulfilling bug boss.
DoS: Second Castle is a hell dimension. Ends on a giga terror boss. Pretty good.
PoR: Remixed versions of the previous levels. kind of repedative, but had some good boss fights.
OoE: The castle is actually hidden until the "trick ending", pretty interesting this time.

So like, we've kind of had the idea of the second castle being a new area a few times, and the idea of the second castle phasing into the first castle. TBH, the castle b thing kind of just feels like an extension of the original design, but with less ability to rely on your map (which i'm not super sure on if i like).

OoE made an entire castle as the secret, but it ended up not feeling like the inverted castle did, and more like the trigger to get there was just a puzzle that was put there to make it have more impact, rather than feeling COMPLETELY natural to it's own feeling of being "secret".

PoR kind of felt repedative in it's second half content, partly because the layout didnt become more interesting in the second half, it just became darker, got scarier enemies, and usually had a mirrored design to the point where it could have just been an act 2 of the initial level.

I think DoS pulled it off really well by just doing a better version of SoS's, where the nightmare dimension is actually a nightmare. The only thing that woulda made it better in my eyes would be if Soma got to fight Dracula-Soma after the big skeleton fight (as sort of an inner conflict thing) Would have really pushed that ending to 11. (Julius mode getting an exclusive boss WAS cool though)

As for the new game, I'd love to see something that's more along the lines of the nightmare from DoS, but more in line with what this game is doing with the stained glass motif. (Maybe a Stained glass world?)

 

[theMrCravens]

I never liked the concept of the inverted castle, but it added more content to SotN, so I was happy at the time.

I think OoE did it best.
Having the actual Castlevania pop-up as a crazy huge area is pretty awesome.

 

[Shouta]

Dear Shouta,

Remake this, please.

Love,

Firemind

That's a big sword.

If I put in a NeoGAF in-joke, it probably wouldn't be overt at all. If anything, I'd write the in-joke to fit into the lore, lol.

 

[depths20XX]

I'd rather they not have an inverted castle or dark version of the main castle this time. It's old hat. I like how OoE just opened up the castle at the end though.

Just make the game BIGGER.

 

[georly]

I never liked the concept of the inverted castle, but it added more content to SotN, so I was happy at the time.

I think OoE did it best.
Having the actual Castlevania pop-up as a crazy huge area is pretty awesome.

Agreed. Game has map w/ mini castlevania areas, making you think whole game is like that, then bam, actual, full-sized castlevania castle.

 

[Sword Familiar]

I hope they add more weapon types. Spear, gloves, pistols/firearms etc. would be a nice addition.

 

[jett]

That's a big sword.

If I put in a NeoGAF in-joke, it probably wouldn't be overt at all. If anything, I'd write the in-joke to fit into the lore, lol.

You should totally create another Crissaegrim.

SotN's trademark weapon. Everyone grinded for it!

 

[Stone Ocean]

I hope they add more weapon types. Spear, gloves, pistols/firearms etc. would be a nice addition.

Not just that, but more variety between similar weapons would be cool

Stuff like having signature special moves for QCF Attack and the like. Rare weapons in SoTN were awesome.

 

[VariantX]

SOTN had lots of absurd weapons like that, with nary a thing to use on them though since you'd likely have equipment that could utterly annihilate anything in your path already, so the enjoyment for having these things is simply by sniffing them out and collecting them.

 

[Sword Familiar]

Not just that, but more variety between similar weapons would be cool

Stuff like having signature special moves for QCF Attack and the like. Rare weapons in SoTN were awesome.

Definitely, and yes. Well, we know there will be variety in each weapon category, at least, if the crafting picture is any indication.

 

[Pureauthor]

Moar whips

 

[Shouta]

I'm actually hoping Igarashi goes with multi-function weapons thing that he seems to be favoring in the two designs he chose for the initial artwork. That gives me so much more room to design interesting stuff.

 

[Sword Familiar]

I think my favorite item in SotN was the Secret Boots. Item description:

Discreetly Increases Height!

Otherwise useless, I love that it actually made the sprite a pixel or two taller. I hope they add similar odd or remarkable items to Bloodstained.

I'm actually hoping Igarashi goes with multi-function weapons thing that he seems to be favoring in the two designs he chose for the initial artwork. That gives me so much more room to design interesting stuff.

I tend to think it's more a visual thing than a functional one, but I hope so too.

 

[AlphaDragoon]

You should totally create another Crissaegrim.

SotN's trademark weapon. Everyone grinded for it!

LOL, there'd be so much salt from CV players if Shouta got another Spamminway in this game. They cried about that thing to no end in Harmony of Despair.

Spoiler

I'd enjoy it because it was awesome.

 

[gappvembe]

Welp. I started with $100 backing... then went to $150.... now I changed again to $300.

 

[TreIII]

Not just that, but more variety between similar weapons would be cool

Stuff like having signature special moves for QCF Attack and the like. Rare weapons in SoTN were awesome.

And that's my thing. Having oodles of weapons is cool, but wears itself thin when you just see "Sword of Maximum Occupancy" do the same thing as the "Sword of First Month's Rent", just with a different aura trail/element/etc.

Again, that's one of the things I'm hoping working with 3D models will allow. Not only to have a variety of weapon models, but make it so that they each do something different and unique. Even better if they could be balanced such that they're viable for an entire playthrough, if you're good and have a certain attachment to a particular weapon.

While I'm at it...could using 3D models also mean that various equips will change the character model, too? Always a shame to read such nice flavor text, but never see that hat/cape/gloves/shoes/etc. never be reflected on the actual character model.

 

[Sword Familiar]

While I'm at it...could using 3D models also mean that various equips will change the character model, too? Always a shame to read such nice flavor text, but never see that hat/cape/gloves/shoes/etc. never be reflected on the actual character model.

It totally could, but probably won't.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I'm actually hoping Igarashi goes with multi-function weapons thing that he seems to be favoring in the two designs he chose for the initial artwork. That gives me so much more room to design interesting stuff.

So Bloodborne style trick weapons? I'm very down with that.

 

[InfiniteNine]

It totally could, but probably won't.

Yeah if they they actually go all the way into Xrd style this would be really expensive, but if they just use shaders then it's possible.

 

[OniBarubary]

I'm actually hoping Igarashi goes with multi-function weapons thing that he seems to be favoring in the two designs he chose for the initial artwork. That gives me so much more room to design interesting stuff.

You could have a dual weapon and call it Fair or Fowl.

 

[A-V-B]

You should totally create another Crissaegrim.

SotN's trademark weapon. Everyone grinded for it!

I got it totally by random first time I played the game. Had no idea what it was, tried it out. Blew my mind.

 

[Shouta]

So Bloodborne style trick weapons? I'm very down with that.

Yeah, what I was thinking was the hammer that's shown can be thrust out like a spear and could have a follow up hammer swing or something to it. That'd be neat.