Shadow of Arkana

[kitethefallenangel]

Slight update I summoned up in my brain:

In Shadow of Arkana, you would choose to play as one of two characters, each with their own side of the story.

Mana Tatsumiya
Offered a job to hunt down a religious cult that are planning to resurrect a
destructive demon and so travels around the world to stop them but other mysteries await her.

Hiruko Sanukachi
A male character and excellent gunfighter. He travels around the world to hunt down Mana Tatsumiya for killing his brother... os so he believes.
Along the way, he reluctantly learns about the demonic cult and becomes thrust into their path.

There'll be times when Mana and Hiruko's paths cross and so they fight each other every once in a while.

[kitethefallenangel]

Just for fun, permit me to ask:

What would you think about a video game with Mana as the main character?

[The Chemist]

I'd buy it. All other games nowadays suck big ones.

[kitethefallenangel]

And what would you say about the storyline?

You take on the dual-roles of Mana Tatsumiya and Hiruko Sanukachi.
On Mana's side of the story, she is offered a job via anonymous email to hunt down and kill the leader of a cult that is planning to resurrect a terrible demon. She accepts but throughout her journey, she encounters soldiers from a private mercenary organisation hired by the cult, some of the cult members themselves and realises there's something more to the cult than she thinks. She also experiences flashbacks of her time with her
NGO and deceased mage partner as he revisits certain places across the world. Her past is an important aspect in the story and something tells Mana she may meet an old friend she thought was dead.

On Hiruko's side, he is searching the world to hunt down Mana Tatsumiya and kill her for apparently murdering a close relative of his. Throughout the story, they both cross paths frequently and fight each other. He learns of the demonic cult (Although he believes its none of his concern) but reluctantly gets thrust in their path, so he's fighting the bad guys too.

[The Chemist]

Cut the other dude out; seems lame and very formulaic.

Just concentrate on Mana. Also, you'll need to throw in some Negima Characters, for continuity.

[lockx]

maybe nagi shows up?
interesting

or members of the crimson wing

[kitethefallenangel]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

Cut the other dude out; seems lame and very formulaic.

Just concentrate on Mana. Also, you'll need to throw in some Negima Characters, for continuity.

Which I already have: Negi and all 31 girls (Chao only in flashback scenes)

[kitethefallenangel]

Originally Posted by lockx

maybe nagi shows up?
interesting

or members of the crimson wing

Only if any of them have any involvement in her backstory.
Besides, the story would just be about her background.

[kitethefallenangel]

Another idea popped up when I was reading about the Shinmei ryu.
Since that organisation existed in all of Ken's fictions, I just had thought of Motoko from Love Hina making a crossover appearance in Shadow of Arkana. What would you say?

[The Chemist]

No, two separate stories, with such radical differences, wouldn't make sense.

What you need is a Game Design Document. Even as just an Idea, I think that it would be a cool project for, say 3-4 people (you, me, 2 others) to actually hash a game out of this idea, and make it a proper proposal. I coincidentally know a few people in the game industry (some sound guys from Bungie, some Square-Soft and Square-Enix sound guys) I could send a professional GDD to.

[Mr.Anderson]

Having a story line center around two characters isn't bad, but it's kinda hard to do it. They mustn't feel the same, you really want to make them feel different to play. But the step from one character to the next shouldn't be that different that it makes it hard to control and switch between characters.

But that aside, yes Motoko lives in too different a world.

Also as I'm doing a computer siences studies and I am willing to help with this project.

Also what I seem to see a lot these days in games is that they want so many gadgets and gimmicks that you spend the first half of the game being introduced by it, just look at GTA 4, you're easily 2 hours into the game and the last thing just got explained to you, if you like sandbox you could have already spend 5 hours on the game. So be carefull with what you want in the game and what not.

Further what I like about most RPG's is that you need to learn how to use something first, I'm going to fetch another game for this example, take the FPS RPG Bioshock. I enjoyed the game and all, but there was hardly any RPG in it, you could use any gun, plasmid and hack anything. The only things that was a bit RPG-ish was the tonics (if I remember the name well), but on easy mode you got enough of them to boost everything up (don't remember what it was like on hard). So make sure it is an RPG.

What I personally think is a good RPG, is great story line (and telling) and 'real' RPG elements. Learn how to use a weapon, magic (magic schools? (both as in places of learning and as types of magic, such a conjuration/summoning, necromancy, divination, etc)).

Ow and I'd download a game featuring Mana (as soon as I have money I'd buy it )

[kitethefallenangel]

I'm NOT actually making a game. I'm just thinking up the story.
Not making it, not making! NOT NOT NOT!

And why I'm even pouring out my ideas? Just for the sake of it.

[Mr.Anderson]

I know I know, your not making the game. I never said that, what I did say was that you have to remember those points when thinking up a game.

And I dunno, to see what others thought of it? Perhaps find new ideas or just get critisizm (positive or negative)

[The Chemist]

Originally Posted by kitethefallenangel

I'm NOT actually making a game. I'm just thinking up the story.
Not making it, not making! NOT NOT NOT!

And why I'm even pouring out my ideas? Just for the sake of it.

I completely understand you're not seriously making this game, but, as a project, develop it, or allow others to do so... It would be a great community building exercise. Even if you drop it, I'll continue to think of this.

[lockx]

hey he never said we can't...

he just can't make it himself. which is sad
cos it does seem a good idea

[The Chemist]

What about tying it into the Negima Manga? Like, say a couple of missions, at different times, are what Mana did in the Manga?

[kitethefallenangel]

Originally Posted by The Chemist

What about tying it into the Negima Manga? Like, say a couple of missions, at different times, are what Mana did in the Manga?

Those would be some of the flashback scenes, others would be set during the time Mana was part of that NGO before she atteneded Mahora Academy and you get to play as her younger self.

[kitethefallenangel]

Just because I'm bored as much as you'd find this boring but here it is anyway...

Slight overhaul:

GAMEPLAY

-When Mana's Health is low, the screen turns blurry and red with blood splats, Mana breathes heavily and heart beat sound effects kick in. After waiting for a moment, her health will recover automatically.

-Instead of an RPG-styled skill learning system, Mana gains special powers (with the auto-healing as one of them) as the plot unfolds.

-Although it'll still be a third person shooter, during certain actions like peeking out of cover, using a vehicle or gun turret and others, it'll switch to first person (jn contrast to FPS's that switch to Third person like Rainbow Six Vegas). Also the First person toggling is scraped out.

-R6 Vegas style Cover system and destructible environments.

-To emphasize the player being Mana, he/she has the feature to find items and use them to customize the ammo for weapons. Make non-lethal bullets such as "Time distortion", sleeping poison or if you have a lust for blood or you're a sadist, make explosive shells or bullets with a special poison which cause enemies to go insane if hit in the head.

STORY

Mana is a fugitive on the run, though it is unknown what crime she is charged with or whether she done it or not. Forced to escape from Japan, Mana runs and fights for her life from a mysterious cult.

Also a man named Keichiro Misako who wields a demonic katana (in contrast to Mana using guns) is on a solo quest to hunt down and kill Mana for reasons unknown and their paths cross frequently throughout the story.

Frequently, Mana experiences flashbacks of her past with the "Bells of the four note scale" and her deceased mage partner and also ends up in fatal incidents, resulting in her death but mysteriously wakes up later alive.
So it's a fan fiction about life and death and Mana recollecting memories of her past and why she became a mercenary and struggling with her morality due to her desperate quest for survival. It'll be like any other game with an open ended story, the story course changes based on what kind of bullets you use, whether you use non-lethal heat or resort to killing, who you befriend, what jobs you take (Damn that traitor to the depths for you know what!) and also where you go and what clues you find about the plot.

And unlike Negima, it'll be a lot darker, more action-packed, more heated, lot of cursing (plus F-words!) and much much more violent (blood included)