Rance Series

[Jacob]

Wait, Miki-chan already exists in Rance 01?

 

[thesecret1]

Wait, Miki-chan already exists in Rance 01?

She predates the Rance series, actually. She made her debut in the game Little Princess from 1987

 

[InD_ImaginE]

I think this only leaves 4 without official release sooner or later because it is the only one without remake.

If this do well they will certainly translate 03

 

[KingDoofus]

I have a feeling Maria is working on 03 right now. It's large enough that they can release it as a standalone, expect an announcement about it next year.

Minor spoilers about Miki in 01:

Spoiler

She just makes a cameo, she doesn't really do anything.

 

[KingDoofus]

Sengoku has been out of beta for a while, but Quest is still finishing up. I suspect that means the games will be bundled. Expect to see Sengoku when you see Quest. Maybe near Christmas? That's around the time they released Rance 6.

 

[Jaedar]

Sengoku has been out of beta for a while, but Quest is still finishing up. I suspect that means the games will be bundled. Expect to see Sengoku when you see Quest. Maybe near Christmas? That's around the time they released Rance 6.

Iirc there was some leak that said quest was aiming for early autumn release.

 

[Haba]

Sengoku has been out of beta for a while, but Quest is still finishing up. I suspect that means the games will be bundled. Expect to see Sengoku when you see Quest. Maybe near Christmas? That's around the time they released Rance 6.

Iirc there was some leak that said quest was aiming for early autumn release.

Highly unlikely.

 

[CyberModuled]

Rip the bundle but at least we got a date

 

[abnaxus]

I can play it for the eighth time.

 

[Jaedar]

I can play it for the eighth time.

I wonder if I can move my achievement list. I'll never get 100% clear if I have to start over!

Spoiler

I'll never get full clear anyway cause some of the events required are too horrible

 

[TheEntitledOne]

eighth

Fucking casual.

 

[Bishamonten]

I can't wait for Rance Quest now.

 

[Jason Liang]

I'm waiting for the Rance Quest remake

 

[thesecret1]

I wonder whether Rance series is the longest running video game series with absolute continuity out there. Sure, there are series that have ran on for longer, but they aren't continuous - they have reboots strewn all throughout or make every installment completely separate, etc., but with Rance, you are kind of expected to know what happened in the installment from 20 years ago, otherwise nothing will make sense. Alicesoft actually tried to reboot the series with Rance 5D... only it didn't work since they included Bird anyway, and Rance 6 again required nowing about a dozen characters from old Rance games. Then you go Sengoku Rance which tries again... but there are many points that make little sense unless you know what happened in games prior.

 

[adrix89]

I wonder whether Rance series is the longest running video game series with absolute continuity out there. Sure, there are series that have ran on for longer, but they aren't continuous - they have reboots strewn all throughout or make every installment completely separate, etc., but with Rance, you are kind of expected to know what happened in the installment from 20 years ago, otherwise nothing will make sense. Alicesoft actually tried to reboot the series with Rance 5D... only it didn't work since they included Bird anyway, and Rance 6 again required nowing about a dozen characters from old Rance games. Then you go Sengoku Rance which tries again... but there are many points that make little sense unless you know what happened in games prior.

It's funny because now that I think about it Rance really does have a strong character to drive the series, strong supporting cast and pretty decent worldbuilding as well as sequel potential.
It's more akin to a long running Manga or Novel.

 

[thesecret1]

Pretty much. The very first game can be sorta inferred from the many refferences, but you absolutely need to play the second game to even begin to understand what the hell is going on with Maria or Shizuka, for example. They also sort of gradually build Rance's power level. I remember the first time I played Sengoku Rance (without knowledge of prior games), I was turned off because it seemed to make zero sense. Why is some random asshole walking about with a talking legendary sword? Why does he have a slave magician? Why is some nobody just taking control over a country like nobody's bussiness? How the hell come he can call for help from distant countries? Then I played the old games and seen how he got the sword, how he worked his way from an absolute nobody to hentai Conan the barbarian, the relationship between him and Sill, etc. and it all made perfect sense.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

How the hell come he can call for help from distant countries?

Among things you mentioned I think this is the only think that needs explanation, but if you know you play a game which is a part of series, then you really have all explanation you need. It's easy to deduce that those people are friends Rance had made in previous titles. More information is just other stories/lore.

 

[thesecret1]

How the hell come he can call for help from distant countries?

Among things you mentioned I think this is the only think that needs explanation, but if you know you play a game which is a part of series, then you really have all explanation you need. It's easy to deduce that those people are friends Rance had made in previous titles. More information is just other stories/lore.

You can deduce lots of things, but unless it's said, you don't really know how exactly. I absolutely do need to know all the "lore" to enjoy the story without it shattering my suspesion of disbelief, and "it's probably covered by previous installments" is simply not sufficient. Which is why I went and played all the previous installments.

 

[adrix89]

Rance 6 should give a good understanding on most of the characters, which is probably why it was one of the first official english release.

 

[Jaedar]

How the hell come he can call for help from distant countries?

Among things you mentioned I think this is the only think that needs explanation, but if you know you play a game which is a part of series, then you really have all explanation you need. It's easy to deduce that those people are friends Rance had made in previous titles. More information is just other stories/lore.

When I played sengoku the first time, this is the one thing that made me feel like I didn't know what was going on "what's a zeth?"

 

[thesecret1]

Another thing that's curious about Rance is that I don't think there's another series that just switches genres like nobody's bussiness. First two games resembled a text adventure more than an RPG, then there were some regular JRPG entries, then suddenly grand strategy with Kichikuou, then RNG cancer with 5D (seriously, what the hell was that), then a blobber... A pretty unique approach to an IP, I think.

 

[adrix89]

Maybe Rance will finally answer the age old question:
"What is the nature of the RPG?"
Rance: Boobs and bitches!

 

[thesecret1]

Maybe Rance will finally answer the age old question:
"What is the nature of the RPG?"
Rance: Boobs and bitches!

I mean, Rance definitely is a by the book RPG. Consider choice and consequence ("do I look at the diviner girl's panties, or rape her?"), player freedom ("see that waifu? You can fuck her"), stats and levelling, many NPCs to interact with... Some might argue that the lack of character creation disqualifies it, but, see, this is not actually true – character creation system would be purely redundant in this game, as every (sane) person would just create Rance every single time anyway. Indeed, Rance games should be what every RPG is compared to. PS:T? Can you fuck the Lady of Pain? No? Clearly not as much of an RPG as Rance.

 

[Jason Liang]

Another thing that's curious about Rance is that I don't think there's another series that just switches genres like nobody's bussiness. First two games resembled a text adventure more than an RPG, then there were some regular JRPG entries, then suddenly grand strategy with Kichikuou, then RNG cancer with 5D (seriously, what the hell was that), then a blobber... A pretty unique approach to an IP, I think.

That's TADA. Rance games are rpgs produced by a team of hardcore rpg fans, so they wanted to try their hand at every genre within the genre even if some of them don't quite succeed (like RQ and Rance IX).

As for character creation, the oddest is 5D where you can choose to level up Rance as a mage.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

A pretty unique approach to an IP, I think.

This is only possible because Rance is an Eroge I think? No mainstream series would survive genre hoping (in the main series, spin offs are OK) due to backlash from fan. But being an eroge people are playing it for the Rance antics first and foremost so gameplay come 2nd?