Random JRPG News Thread

[LESS T_T]

Kowloon Highschool Chronicle, remaster of 2004 mystery roleplaying/adventure game, is coming to Steam.





https://www.gematsu.com/2022/10/kowloon-highschool-chronicle-coming-to-pc-on-november-10

 

[kaisergeddon]

Tears of Magic on Kickstarter. Seems to be selling itself as Breath of Fire spiritual successor.

I took a look at the project page and read over the description, and checked the developer Twitter for details. It's not really a BoF successor at all. Rather, it leans more towards being an open world casual sim (think of any of those farming games) with a heavy emphasis on rainbow flag dating (pronouns, etc.) and actual furrydom. The Breath of Fire aesthetic it wears isn't the cool otherworldly fantasy we enjoy about that series, but a style towards furry indulgence. Unfortunate.

 

[Duraframe300]

Tears of Magic on Kickstarter. Seems to be selling itself as Breath of Fire spiritual successor.

I took a look at the project page and read over the description, and checked the developer Twitter for details. It's not really a BoF successor at all. Rather, it leans more towards being an open world casual sim (think of any of those farming games) with a heavy emphasis on rainbow flag dating (pronouns, etc.) and actual furrydom. The Breath of Fire aesthetic it wears isn't the cool otherworldly fantasy we enjoy about that series, but an aesthetic towards furry indulgence. Unfortunate.

Looking at just the second screenshot

 

[mediocrepoet]

Tears of Magic on Kickstarter. Seems to be selling itself as Breath of Fire spiritual successor.

I took a look at the project page and read over the description, and checked the developer Twitter for details. It's not really a BoF successor at all. Rather, it leans more towards being an open world casual sim (think of any of those farming games) with a heavy emphasis on rainbow flag dating (pronouns, etc.) and actual furrydom. The Breath of Fire aesthetic it wears isn't the cool otherworldly fantasy we enjoy about that series, but an aesthetic towards furry indulgence. Unfortunate.

Looking at just the second screenshot

Morenatsu. they're making a game for you.

 

[Morenatsu.]

Tears of Magic on Kickstarter. Seems to be selling itself as Breath of Fire spiritual successor.

I took a look at the project page and read over the description, and checked the developer Twitter for details. It's not really a BoF successor at all. Rather, it leans more towards being an open world casual sim (think of any of those farming games) with a heavy emphasis on rainbow flag dating (pronouns, etc.) and actual furrydom. The Breath of Fire aesthetic it wears isn't the cool otherworldly fantasy we enjoy about that series, but an aesthetic towards furry indulgence. Unfortunate.

Looking at just the second screenshot

Morenatsu. they're making a game for you.

excuse me, ‘this game is for you’ is highly triggering to nuRPG survivors. apologize.

 

[notpl]

Tears of Magic on Kickstarter. Seems to be selling itself as Breath of Fire spiritual successor.

I took a look at the project page and read over the description, and checked the developer Twitter for details. It's not really a BoF successor at all. Rather, it leans more towards being an open world casual sim (think of any of those farming games) with a heavy emphasis on rainbow flag dating (pronouns, etc.) and actual furrydom. The Breath of Fire aesthetic it wears isn't the cool otherworldly fantasy we enjoy about that series, but an aesthetic towards furry indulgence. Unfortunate.

Looking at just the second screenshot

Based.

 

[Expon]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2192670/GMODE
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2192680/GMODE__II
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2194300/GMODE__III
First three last bible i-mode ports coming to steam.

 

[Duraframe300]

Initial reactions to the Forspoken demo is that its shit.

Quelle surprise.

 

[InD_ImaginE]

Square Enix is dead except maybe on something like FF XIV MMO team ironically

 

[mediocrepoet]

Square Enix is dead except maybe on something like FF XIV MMO team ironically

It's why they've been hitting their back catalog so hard. They're just a soulless machine now.

 

[Abu Antar]

Ys X: Nordics was announced.
https://www.gematsu.com/2022/12/ys-x-nordics-announced-for-ps5-ps4-and-switch

 

[spekkio]

The battle system used up until Ys IX: Monstrum Nox has been drastically revamped! The new “Cross Action” system allows the player to fight using two modes according the situation. In the speedy “Solo Mode,” the player controls one character with the help of automatic attacks and support from their partner. In “Combination Mode,” the player can simultaneously control a series of actions for both characters to take on formidable foes in back-and-forth combat.

Additionally, Ys X: Nordics allows you to control a ship for the first time in the series. Explore vast oceans using sea maps as your guide and engage in naval battles against enemy ships in this new feature that adds to “the joy of adventure” that the series is known for. Other new systems include the special ability “Mana Action,” which significantly expands the degree of freedom on fields and in dungeons.

RIP in peace, red-headed aryan warrior.

 

[Duraframe300]

So, turns out the Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth *port* for the PS4/PS5 is just the PSP version emulated.

Which is disappointing (Portraits are really blurry, still cropped like the PSP), but fine I guess, but WTF? was this delayed.

 

[ChaDargo]

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/disgaea-7-wey-yasu-trailer

Wish I could try the demo -.-

 

[Rahdulan]

Madness of Sting Entertainment comes to PC with Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone.
https://www.gematsu.com/2023/01/ygg...to-pc-in-early-access-on-february-6-worldwide

Sting will release Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone in Early Access for PC via Steam on February 6 worldwide with English, Japanese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese language support, the developer announced.

About

Yggdra Union: We’ll Never Fight Alone released in 2006. It has evolved with each release on various platforms, and finally appears on PC (Steam)!

Adjust the operation method and functions according to the PC! Added new features for the PC version! !

Story

The Kingdom of Fantasinia is ruled by a royal family that inherited the blood of the gods who built up a stable era.

However, the Kingdom of Fantasinia fell under the attack of the Empire of Bronquia.

Meanwhile, Yggdra, a lone girl who escaped.

With her kingdom’s last hope in hand, head to the remotest land on the southern tip of the continent.

She arrives and meets a boy, the king of thieves, Milanor.

The battle to liberate Yggdra’s homeland begins with that encounter…

Collaborate with Allies: Union System

A battle system that allows up to five people to participate in battle at once depending on the character’s position! Let’s fight together with allies to defeat the powerful enemy!

One-Shot Reversal Tactics Card

Use the power of cards with special moves to defeat your enemies! Skillfully use various effects and face difficulties! !

Additional Content in the Ported Version

• Port Additional Features
  • Added a rewind function. (You can undo your actions as much as you like.)
  • Added auto save function. (Even if you quit midway, you can start from your favorite turn.)
  • Added conversation log function.
  • Added item hints to EXTRA content. (Hints are given on which stage the item is on.)
  • Addition of battle speed adjustment function. (You can play at up to five times speed from the beginning.)
  • The unit “Flunky” will participate under certain conditions! (What if Flunky achieved results in the first stage…?)
  • Sound set function! (You can play by choosing from three types of sound sources.)
• Trick Features
  • A function that makes Milanor look like Cruz. (Milanor will play an active role as a hunter.)
  • Enemy / Allies no critical function.
  • Skill gauge MAX at the start of battle (skill gauge starts at MAX state only for own army).
  • Formation type reversal function. (Male and female formation types are reversed.)
  • The trick function is to press a specific button appear. The appearance method is described in the manual.

PC Version New Features

• Japanese voice / English voice can be switched. (Easy to switch at any time during the event.)
• Addition of free save. (You can now save freely during battle.)
• Infinite use of items in EASY mode. (Items can now be used indefinitely only in EASY mode.)
• Equipment removal (equipment can now be removed in the middle)
• Adjustment of Itembreak. (Weapon does not break with Itembreak and is unusable.)
• Completely compatible with in-game mouse / keyboard / controller.
• You can adjust the layout of the keyboard buttons.

 

[Abu Antar]

Different sites say the game are based on different versions.

 

[Arthandas]

Looks like a blurry shit on the screenshots.

 

[Ravielsk]

Looks like a blurry shit on the screenshots.

Its a GBA(with a PSP port but that is like maybe 20% higher res) game so that is expected. Without redooing all the assets in HD there is no way to make it look sharp.
I am surprised they even bothered porting it over. Not only is it old but also rather obscure. Most of the time its just a mention on top 10 obscure lists of JRPGs as far as I know.

 

[Arthandas]

Its a GBA(with a PSP port but that is like maybe 20% higher res) game so that is expected. Without redooing all the assets in HD there is no way to make it look sharp.

What are you talking about? The sprites are passed through bilinear filtering, all they have to do to not sabotage their own pixel art is not to filter them.

 

[Ravielsk]

What are you talking about? The sprites are passed through bilinear filtering, all they have to do to not sabotage their own pixel art is not to filter them.

I am talking about the fact that these games were made to be played on screens with dimension of 480x272 at most. Filtering or not when you blow that out to a 1080p or 4k screen you will always loose some definition by virtue of the base assets not being made for it.

 

[Arthandas]

I am talking about the fact that these games were made to be played on screens with dimension of 480x272 at most. Filtering or not when you blow that out to a 1080p or 4k screen you will always loose some definition by virtue of the base assets not being made for it.

You have literally no idea what you're talking about. This is pixel art, as long as you're using integer or nearest-neighbor scaling resolution doesn't matter.

 

[Nazrim Eldrak]

What are you talking about? The sprites are passed through bilinear filtering, all they have to do to not sabotage their own pixel art is not to filter them.

I am talking about the fact that these games were made to be played on screens with dimension of 480x272 at most. Filtering or not when you blow that out to a 1080p or 4k screen you will always loose some definition by virtue of the base assets not being made for it.

What do you think?

 

[Ravielsk]

What are you talking about? The sprites are passed through bilinear filtering, all they have to do to not sabotage their own pixel art is not to filter them.

I am talking about the fact that these games were made to be played on screens with dimension of 480x272 at most. Filtering or not when you blow that out to a 1080p or 4k screen you will always loose some definition by virtue of the base assets not being made for it.

What do you think?

That this is exactly my point. The original sprite when simply upscaled with nearest neighbor shows way more aliasing than the original and if you pushed it past 2x it would get even uglier. The interpolation algorithm mitigates that but since the source sprite is so small even a 2x upscale is giving it a "airbrushed" look, especially the sheen on the screen is showing signs of this. Both methods produce a look that is ultimately "blurry" in comparison with the original. One is just adding noise with aliasing, the other with by smearing vaseline.
The pixel count of a sprite is not just a limitation but a deliberate choice and when you start pushing it artificially up you start exposing details that were never meant to be clearly seen and that alone makes a previously sharp sprite look "off".

I worked long enough with RPG maker to know that there is no silver bullet solution for low resolution sprites. If the sprite was made for 640x480 no method of upscaling is going to turn it into a asset usable in 720p or 1080p. Hence why most games on that engine do not even attempt to do HD resolutions because to make that look good they would have to redo their sprite work. Here is a example from RPGmaker XP. Notice how the original looks like he is wearing an ornate garb of some sort but that impression turns into some kind of unfinished apron mess at 4x upscale.

Spoiler

Being able to tell the position of each pixel constitutes a sharp picture only on a technical level but practically its a mess and usually makes the game look noisier than it really does.

 

[Arthandas]

Wow, you're really not sparing all those additional chromosomes.

So a pixel art sprite is getting blurry and aliased because it was pushed beyond its pixel count by scaling, which also gives it an airbrushed look and exposes details that were never meant to be seen... seems like you're having a stroke.

 

[Ravielsk]

Wow, you're really not sparing all those additional chromosomes.

So a pixel art sprite is getting blurry and aliased because it was pushed beyond its pixel count by scaling, which also gives it an airbrushed look and exposes details that were never meant to be seen... seems like you're having a stroke.

What exactly is confusing you here? One up-scaling method introduces jaggies that at the original resolution were invisible or nearly invisible another is trying to cover it up but in the process over-corrects and adds pixels in places where they should not be producing that airbrushed look. Its one or the other not both at them same time regardless of scaling method.

And yes upscaling exposes the divisions between pixels that were previously(intentionally) hidden by the lower resolution. It exposes the lack of smooth gradients and sharp contrasts that on lower resolutions look smooth and gradual. Lower resolution pixel art deliberately relied on your inability to pinpoint the location of each individual pixel which is a skirt they can no longer hide behind after being upscaled since those division are too clearly visible.

Which in case you cared is the exact reason why bilinear filtering is so often used by default with these 2D remakes. Because to the non-connoisseur it legitimately makes the image look better by removing all of that "jitter" that was not supposed to be visible in the first place.