Indie Vampire Syndicate: Gangs of MoonFall - Semi-Isometric Cyberpunk Vampire RPG

[AdolfSatan]

Yeah, given what you said on that other thread, I can’t but agree with your reluctance to throw more money at it. tbh if you grabbed a font (you can even use two) you liked and wrote it as

Vampire Syndicate
Gangs of Moonfall
​

it would already be an improvement.

fwiw, if you are still iterating a bit on the design, you don’t need to check all the variables I mentioned for accessibility, there’s an easier, hack-y way to get it done. Get the banner of a game you know uses top-tier talent (stuff published by Valve or Annapurna, for example) and steal its proportions. A lot of them don’t even use an illustration. Do you even need one, showing a vampire, when your game’s name has the word Vampire in it already?

But I digress, can’t help ranting whenever there’s design somewhere. Looking forward to the game anyway, there’s a dearth of decent vampire rpgs, and if the game’s good, then that’s all that matters.

 

[cdx]

The current logo is difficult to read in a thumbnail and in general. The texture on it makes it worse. Imo, the font itself should be read instantly, solid color, bold, no italics/transformations, fancy styling should go to decoration around it, e.g. a red or metal line under the title from which is dripping blood, or a couple of bright neon "cyber-lines" around it, etc. "Gangs of Moonfall" is too small.

I like the image in general but there are some things that could be better. The cyber hand isn't readable as a shape, as it's quite similar value and detail level as the hair. Could fix by making the fingers more solid shapes/less detail, or making the top of the palm from simlar patterns as the fingers to give the shape visual consistency. Or make a slight hue shift to the metal plates to differentiate it.

The white dot in the eye doesn't really convey "cyber". Could do some partial circles and lines instead, as if something is being projected in front of the eye.

I personally dislike the way the teeth are in the image. Fangs should be behind the lips, so they should be fully visible only if the mouth is open enough to show them. It's a nitpick though, it's good to see them for the vamp effect.

 

[S.torch]

How is that sexy vampire game coming along, bro? You doin' good?

 

[Zombra]

I have a few things to say but for now I'll simply agree that Vampire Syndicate should have one font.

 

[Tyranicon]

How is that sexy vampire game coming along, bro? You doin' good?

Thanks, yeah it's coming along, I'll probably launch a second kickstarter sometime this summer or fall.

I'm currently doing a combat balance test under the cover of my BG3 parody. By the time that games finished (july?) the mechanics should be pretty fleshed out.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

While fresh is best sometimes you just want that high percentile rush on the go.

soooooo...?

 

[Herumor]

I forget if I asked this before, but can you go full borg in the game? And would this actually have an impact on how the world / NPCs interact with you.

 

[Tyranicon]

If you're saying "holy shit" I'm right there with you.

 

[Harthwain]

If you're saying "holy shit" I'm right there with you.

Is this April Fools? This is quite a drastic change from isometric view to FPP with a strong cyberpunky feel. Wouldn't the latter mean more work? What's going on? Why the sudden change?

 

[Tyranicon]

If you're saying "holy shit" I'm right there with you.

Is this April Fools? This is quite a drastic change from isometric view to FPP with a strong cyberpunky feel. Wouldn't the latter mean more work? What's going on? Why the sudden change?

I'm not ready to fully announce/commit on it, but the honest answer is that the deeper I try to break the RPGmaker engine to do what I need to do, the more frustrated I am with it. And the version of the engine I'm using is basically impossible for anyone else to understand but me, with a thousand different bandaid solutions.

So I am contemplating switching engines.

There will still be isometric (well, overhead free camera) perspectives, especially during combat.

Yes, it's a lot of work.

Yes, it's insane.

I'm not in this line of work because it's easy or because I'm altogether sane.

And this will bring the game much more in line with my vision than RPGmaker ever will.

 

[Zombra]

Wh

whaaaa
whaaaaaat

 

[Rahdulan]

I would just like to remind you to remember Mechajammer, formerly known as Copper Dreams.

 

[Tyranicon]

I would just like to remind you to remember Mechajammer, formerly known as Copper Dreams.

Oh yeah, and plenty of other problems too. I have no illusions. I know migrating engines is basically a project killer, but since I'm still at the very beginning of development, this is the best time to do it. All my work so far is writing, building the combat system and porn, all of which can be migrated super easy.

Also, doing something like manual frame by frame animation rendering and exporting for RPGmaker (which I did for the demo) gives me nightmares.

 

[Habichtswalder]

For the first part of the video I thought it was a troll post and these scenes are from a different game. But this is crazy.

I already thought that the last screenshots of the "old" version were pretty good for RPG Maker but this is definitely at least one tier better from a visual standpoint. Never played a porn game in my life but I think there is definitely demand for a game that looks like this (besides the explicit scenes).

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Man I just hope you got your eyes on some cyberpunk environment assets already.
RPGmaker must be a real pain in the posterior if you're willing to ditch it for a new engine altogether which you have to learn up all over again.

 

[Tyranicon]

Man I just hope you got your eyes on some cyberpunk environment assets already.
RPGmaker must be a real pain in the posterior if you're willing to ditch it for a new engine altogether which you have to learn up all over again.

I always planned on switching engines eventually, if not for this game then it would be the next.

Don't get me wrong, RPGM is a great engine (for what it is), but I knew its limitations from day 1. And sure, I'm like one of 14 super experts or whatever in the engine, but that doesn't make it less frustrating.

More importantly, I've learned a set of skills over the past 10+ years that enables me to efficiently make games. More than just coding, writing, art or any one specific discipline in general.

I think I'm a good bet.

I think this is one of the most ambitious solo RPG projects I know of.

I think when I said I'm going to fuck the bloated, incompetent, craven gaming industry in the ass, those weren't just empty words.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I think when I said I'm going to fuck the bloated, incompetent, craven gaming industry in the ass, those weren't just empty words.

Oh yeah, I believe you'll try alright.

 

[santino27]

Looks fantastic. A move away from RPGMaker is a good thing imo.

 

[The Wall]

WTF My Dude? Which engine and programming language is this?

Don't go full first person. Mix perspectives like Archaelund does or Might&Magic: Some Number did. First person for exploration, fighting is isometric. That should be done because I think we're 5-10 years not yet at AI models who can allow single Devs to make their Cyberpunk 2069

Music & Art are killers. Hope you'll be full bloodied RPG. Also: no longer living in gheto of JRPG subforum must feel nice

 

[The Wall]

This will be your Skyrim Stardew Valley Manor Lords moment. This will put you on map of BigDick Game Devs. If it succeeds...

I wanna help you with your second Kickstarter. I helped AtomTeam with Swordhaven. Kickstarter campaign managment and money going up / stretch goals getting checked is one of my many fetishes. It would be an honor

 

[The Wall]

I would just like to remind you to remember Mechajammer, formerly known as Copper Dreams.

Aaaand THIS! No more drastic changes to engines, artstyles, whole RPG mechanics systems, porn styles etc. Ok, maybe few more, but not more then that

Most games go through dozens of iterations of various aspects of them. That usually kills project. Mechajammer went through 20+ artstyle changes. That's...never good. Commit. At some point you gotta commit to design decisions for that game. I know you know, but I gotta remind you

 

[Yaar Podshipnik]

So what engine are you switching to? The stuff you presented looks good, though I would really prefer game to be fully overhead camera ala Stasis. Still very interested in the game!

 

[Spectral Pontifex]

One of the upsisdes is that the first-person view has a much broader appeal. I am sure a kickstarter campaign for a first-person game would be much more successful. I believe you can pull this off.

The 3D artist side of me has to marvel at how good the environment looks, though it's largely the lightning.

 

[RaggleFraggle]

FPP has much broader appeal? That’s sad.

 

[The Wall]

FPP has much broader appeal? That’s sad.

It gives thread about said game +100 pages automatically on RPG Codex alone. Majority of normies and normie in all of us like First Person experience and simulation of acthually beeeeing there. Or close up Third Person Perspective. Blame Humanity, but Humanity is your only customer

Kinda funny how people are shocked by pretty obvious things: girls like bad boys, boys like girls with nice ass, Western devs suck as programmers and that's why games take 7+ years, if you import Somalia you'll become Somalia, people are eating too much sugar and stressing over BS while eating shit - that's why there's Dentist at every corner and so many young people with grey hair, people prefer First Person perspective compared to more abstract isometric in video games

Nigga! I can't stop laughing. Your "bewilderment" that people actually prefer FPP when most played games are either FPP or close up TPP is so funny