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

[Anonymous Wife Scholar]

Weeb quarantine: https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...nk-srpg-now-available-on-early-access.130459/

Thank you anon! You are a good anon!

 

[ChildInTime]

It's set in the same universe as Battle Brothel?

 

[Rahdulan]

A note about time:

Dev is currently in [Conceptual Phase]. I'm very quick and I'm very experienced with small-team dev, but a game of this size will take time. Even if this game gets funded and goes on full dev track, it will take years to build. Fortunately, I do not have a history of spending 8+ years on a game.

My previously published games:

1+ hr long "RPG" - took two months to make
10+ hr long linear RPG with limited C&C and environment - took one year to make
50++ hr non-linear RPG with lots of content - will probably be 2.5 years in total dev time when finished

This is my biggest project. Adjust your expectations appropriately.

Speaking of which have you seen any correlation between making Memoirs of a Battle Brothel an Adult Only title and sales compared to your previous game? Or would you chalk it more to it being a grander project in realization? I would assume the rating would also get in the way of you ever putting Memoirs of a Battle Brothel on Humble Choice or something, for example.

 

[lightbane]

This sounds like a game taken straight out of the 90s. Amazing.

 

[V_K]

I don't really consider the Masquerade itself unique at all in vampire/supernatural media. It's a well-codified trope by now.

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

 

[Anonymous Wife Scholar]

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

What!

 

[Harthwain]

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

Vampire franchise perhaps not, but it's common sense for vampires to not make their presence known to the public and there are other franchises in which the world isn't as it seems to be on the surfice. Such as Matrix or Men in Black. Hell, even Star Trek: The New Generation had a bunch of episodes in which the whole goal was to maintain the collective plausible deniability for one reason or another.

Edit: Honestly, I think a setting with vampires could make for a great stealth action game. Especially if you set it in modern era, because there is a whole lot of tech you have to keep an eye out for. Ideally you could link it with some sort of heist theme, which could be the way how vampires keep their presence unknown (they know how to make evidence disappear/not appear at all) and pay off for blood at the same time.

 

[Tyranicon]

Speaking of which have you seen any correlation between making Memoirs of a Battle Brothel an Adult Only title and sales compared to your previous game? Or would you chalk it more to it being a grander project in realization? I would assume the rating would also get in the way of you ever putting Memoirs of a Battle Brothel on Humble Choice or something, for example.

Oh yes, the difference is noticeable and large. Even without getting into sales, the kickstarter for Memoirs raised over 1000% more funds than my previous one (Singularity: Tactics Arena). Sales-wise, Memoirs has outsold Tactics Arena like 8:1.

There's a lot of factors. The adult content certainly helps, but I also got a dedicated marketing guy (on the Steam page it says publisher, but our relationship is more dev-marketer), a small but enthusiastic fanbase (people actually like my stupid lore fore some reason), and Memoirs is simply a much bigger, better game.

I expect the same jump will happen with Vampire Gangs. Maybe I'll finally stop being poverty-level dev.

It does put restrictions on where I sell the game and what coverage I get for it, but it's not a huge deal... yet.

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

Basically every vampire franchise has it, whether they give a name to it or not (Buffy, Blade, disgusting teen girl fantasy novels, etc). Besides, the Partition isn't the main focus of the game at all, due to the ease with which memetic technology works to brainwash humans. Stare at some strange yellow runes graffitied on a wall, and you forgot all about vampires or things that go bump in the night.

Players will only really run up against the limits of vampire laws (and the Mandate's Special Task Force death squads) if they do something really drastic.

 

[Tyranicon]

Some more concept/alpha screenshots.

Spoiler

Another outside street view

Dialogue screen (colors and formatting will likely change)

Indoor garage (vehicles change travel speed and provide bonuses in overworld map)

 

[GentlemanCthulhu]

Speaking of which have you seen any correlation between making Memoirs of a Battle Brothel an Adult Only title and sales compared to your previous game? Or would you chalk it more to it being a grander project in realization? I would assume the rating would also get in the way of you ever putting Memoirs of a Battle Brothel on Humble Choice or something, for example.

Oh yes, the difference is noticeable and large. Even without getting into sales, the kickstarter for Memoirs raised over 1000% more funds than my previous one (Singularity: Tactics Arena). Sales-wise, Memoirs has outsold Tactics Arena like 8:1.

There's a lot of factors. The adult content certainly helps, but I also got a dedicated marketing guy (on the Steam page it says publisher, but our relationship is more dev-marketer), a small but enthusiastic fanbase (people actually like my stupid lore fore some reason), and Memoirs is simply a much bigger, better game.

I expect the same jump will happen with Vampire Gangs. Maybe I'll finally stop being poverty-level dev.

It does put restrictions on where I sell the game and what coverage I get for it, but it's not a huge deal... yet.

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

Basically every vampire franchise has it, whether they give a name to it or not (Buffy, Blade, disgusting teen girl fantasy novels, etc). Besides, the Partition isn't the main focus of the game at all, due to the ease with which memetic technology works to brainwash humans. Stare at some strange yellow runes graffitied on a wall, and you forgot all about vampires or things that go bump in the night.

Players will only really run up against the limits of vampire laws (and the Mandate's Special Task Force death squads) if they do something really drastic.

Wait is this also a porno game?

 

[V_K]

Basically every vampire franchise has it, whether they give a name to it or not

That's a pretty important distinction though. Vampires keeping in the shadows simply out of common sense or because it's their nature as ambush predators is one thing, but having a codified, universally agreed upon and named set of laws exlicitly prohibiting exposure - that's a lot more specific to WoD.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Basically every vampire franchise has it, whether they give a name to it or not

That's a pretty important distinction though. Vampires keeping in the shadows simply out of common sense or because it's their nature as ambush predators is one thing, but having a codified, universally agreed upon and named set of laws exlicitly prohibiting exposure - that's a lot more specific to WoD.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CouncilOfVampires

 

[Storyfag]

but having a codified, universally agreed upon and named set of laws exlicitly prohibiting exposure - that's a lot more specific to WoD.

Except it isn't exactly codified in WoD. One line of text does not a set of laws make.

 

[Harthwain]

but having a codified, universally agreed upon and named set of laws exlicitly prohibiting exposure - that's a lot more specific to WoD.

Except it isn't exactly codified in WoD. One line of text does not a set of laws make.

I would argue that having a codified, universally agreed upon set of laws isn't that unique. I mean, humans to do it because that's the way of keeping the society organized, so it is natural for organized vampires to have them also, especially when said vampires descend from humans and as such borrow some behaviour patterns. This is different for settings in which vampires are largely solitary for various reasons, but even these could develop their own rules and make sure that potential trespassers aren't deviating from it (assuming they wouldn't just try to kill them on sight).

Seriously, it's going a bit too much into "vampires drinking blood is copyright infringement" territory, which is ridiculous.

 

[jungl]

A vampire porn game. A game where you can be a predator with a immortal dick? interesting

 

[Tao]

In general yes, but specifically with regard to vampires? I can't off the top of my head think of another vampire franchise where Masquerade would be that important.

What!

 

[jackofshadows]

How tame NSFW stuff is going to be? A set of tags or something would be welcome.

I'm also curious about the classes and well, the progression system itself as well as the combat etc but that can be left for later.

Not sure that I like the combination of vampires and cyberpunk to begin with but that's alright.

 

[Tyranicon]

How tame NSFW stuff is going to be? A set of tags or something would be welcome.

It's porn. Expect explicit visual depictions of sex and nudity. As a rule, the adult content in my games is optional and not the main attraction. Additionally, expect it to be pretty vanilla and the game is designed for a straight male audience in mind. So hot ladies are the priority.

No NTR or more controversial stuff like that, I don't care about that shit.

Currently not sure if we are keeping it to detailed still images (CGs are always classy) or will upgrade to animations (harder, more time consuming).

I also curious about the classes and well, the progression system itself as well as the combat etc but that can be left for later.

Yeah surprised nobody asked about the game systems, or maybe I missed it in the first few pages.

The game will run off the same systems from my previous games, which are almost entirely made by me from scratch (re: they're kind of shit). In Memoirs, I had four classes with three specializations each. For this game I think I'm going to do something different and separate player classes from companion classes.

Players classes (Familiar or Vampire) are supposed to be much stronger compared to their companions. Much more build options than companions too.

Companions/minions will have classes due to their function (i.e Enforcer as a frontline melee, Shaper as a backline caster, etc). Think Battle Brothers mercs with expanded skill trees.

Probably will have a fair amount of companion classes.

Stats are pretty basic. You have relatively standard combat stats (Melee, Ranged, Defense, Reaction, Evasion, Spirit) which determine damage scaling, initiative, defense modifiers, chance to evade, etc.

Non-combat stats (which will come into play for skill checks, overworld mission success probability and more) are Vigor (non-combat athletic and constitution), Charisma, Perception, and Technology. Combat max party at 5, pretty standard turn-based grid battle system. I would compare it to dnd 5e but with way more bonus actions.

Players gain experience through combat and maybe some non-combat events. New combat skills/features at different levels. Level softcap at 20 and hardcap at 99 (only stat increases past 20).

 

[Anonymous Wife Scholar]

Thank you Tao anon! Good strong man of culture friend anon! I do love you anon! I do! You are a good strong friend anon!

 

[Anonymous Wife Scholar]

It's porn. Expect explicit visual depictions of sex and nudity. As a rule, the adult content in my games is optional and not the main attraction. Additionally, expect it to be pretty vanilla and the game is designed for a straight male audience in mind. So hot ladies are the priority.

No NTR or more controversial stuff like that, I don't care about that shit.

Thank you Tyranicon anon! Good strong wifes game developer friend anon! I do love cute wifes game anon! I do! Do not worry anon it is okay anon because I do hate American California brain disease Obsidian Sawyer NTR cuckold nonsense anon so I do love cute One Scholar One Penis vanilla wifes game anon! I do! You are a good strong friend anon!

 

[havox]

Oh man, men of culture posting Tsukuyomi Moon Phase and a new, NSFW Shadowrun-like game focused on vamps, can one thread get any better.
With that said, I hate to rain on this parade, but uhh... current wives are not cute enough. Also environments, they need to be like 20% cooler. I don't expect a masterpiece like NaissanceE from a small indie project, but, I don't know.. can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with those screenshots. Maybe not enough gloss to reflect the neon lights? Not sure.

 

[Tyranicon]

Obsidian Sawyer NTR cuckold nonsense

Normally, I'd say this is probably one of those rare sentences that have never been uttered before, but this being the codex, I have reservations.


Also, just got a new title cover. When I started this project I really didn't mean for it to be so Howardian, but seeing as how my notes for one of the characters is "badass Cimmerian, last of his type kind of deal" I guess it really shouldn't be a surprise. I might even have an opening exposition crawl.

Is this new title better than the old one?

New:

Spoiler

Old:

Spoiler

 

[EvilWolf]

Obsidian Sawyer NTR cuckold nonsense

Normally, I'd say this is probably one of those rare sentences that have never been uttered before, but this being the codex, I have reservations.


Also, just got a new title cover. When I started this project I really didn't mean for it to be so Howardian, but seeing as how my notes for one of the characters is "badass Cimmerian, last of his type kind of deal" I guess it really shouldn't be a surprise. I might even have an opening exposition crawl.

Is this new title better than the old one?

New:

Spoiler

Old:

Spoiler

I like the new title. I feel like the reference would piss off the right people.

 

[BruceVC]

Obsidian Sawyer NTR cuckold nonsense

Normally, I'd say this is probably one of those rare sentences that have never been uttered before, but this being the codex, I have reservations.


Also, just got a new title cover. When I started this project I really didn't mean for it to be so Howardian, but seeing as how my notes for one of the characters is "badass Cimmerian, last of his type kind of deal" I guess it really shouldn't be a surprise. I might even have an opening exposition crawl.

Is this new title better than the old one?

New:

Spoiler

Old:

Spoiler

First one for me is better because it shows us a variety of characters and you know what they say " variety is the spice of life "

Who does your art, sorry if you have answered this question. Its excellent and covers the aesthetics nicely

 

[Storyfag]

I like the new title. I feel like the reference would piss off the right people.

^