Ultima update:
Dear backers,
I hope this update finds everyone well. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for the very infrequent updates and give you a overview of how Project Phoenix is going.
1. Project Phoenix is alive and kicking
Although not exactly the way I wanted to run this project, our project is alive and it is under development.
2. What is different then?
Well, the project has had some few setbacks and suffers delay from our initial estimate. This been said, our scope hasn't changed, and with the time I have, I am investing more of my own funds into the project to raise the quality of the project and maybe if we're lucky, slightly increase the content.
DISCLAIMER: The logic would be... why are we increasing the quality and the content of the game when we're suffering delays? Well... you'll find out below.
3. So what specifically are the setbacks and achievements?
Programming
The unannounced programmer that was supposed to help us since 2013, was David Clark. He is the main programmer for Ori and the Blind Forrest for XBOX 360, brilliant programmer and an amazing guy. However, not under his control, the game was delayed by 14+ months and that originally delayed Project Phoenix. I had personally seen Ori's build as early as mid-late December 2013.
Since I didn't want to delay the project, and not knowing when David would get off Ori, we hired a talented gentleman called Pascal Krabbe from Germany, graciously introduced to us via Steffen Unger (who is in charge of our 3D models). Although this incurred costs since David was going to program Phoenix under a royalty agreement, Pascal did a great job on the Vertical Cut which was finished in December 2014 with many of the basic assets.
After a brief discussion with the result of the Vertical Cut w/ Pascal and David, we decided to move into UNREAL ENGINE 4 from Unity since we figured it'd save us a lot of time and resources. So from January 2015, we started working on the UE4 build of the game.
The great thing is we got to build a clean code for UE4, working carefully with all the possibilities in mind for the future. By April we achieved the following:
1) Simple to use terrain creation with a great navmesh
2) Stealth & detection
3) Special function buildings and areas (like towers and concealable brush)
4) Traps (Skills and natural environment)
5) Skill assignment tool
6) Squads and character selection
7) Mounts (Mounting/dismounting & travel)
8) Item customization (Visual/stat changes and slots)
In April, we had an unfortunate news from David Clark that he will not be joining us at Project Phoenix despite Ori and the Blind Forrest been released successfully. This was a huge setback since Pascal had to go back to his studies for his post graduate and we were left with no programmers!
This left us reeling for a few weeks but we finally found some friends at a development studio who were willing to help us. We cannot announce them yet since our final contract hasn't been written up, but they have the experience and the chops to get this done. Hopefully we can announce them soon. We are hoping to shoot for an announcement in September and with a better outlook and expectation towards the programming part of the project.
And not to worry, Pascal will help with the transition of programmers and David will help us with all the files everything so our new programmers can feel straight at home.
All other... stuff
We've completed almost all assets required for Act 1. Character models, scenario, art, music, animation etc. We've even got many of the art and scenario completed for other Acts as far as Act 5
All we need is to implement and make the Alpha work. Once this is successful, and proven these assets work well together, then it's a matter of mass production which is almost the easiest part of the game development process.
Our main challenge is continuous testing of our game design and creating challenging yet balanced game level in the Beta.
PR team
We've had a major setback with our main staff leaving our project due to a security breach he committed willingly earlier this year. He has not taught us how to use the system he setup for our website and we are looking into solutions to solve this. Rest assured, it will be solved, but it will take our time as most of our resources are committed int he development of the game.
So our community management isn't in best of shape, but I did call in reinforcement as we will hopefully be welcoming Stuart Massie, an ex-Blizzard Producer to help us with our community and PR very soon and hopefully things will run a lot smoother with his great skills!
4. You owe us Project Phoenix like four months ago! What are you going to do about it!? Where are my rewards
I'd like to apologise for the delay in Project Phoenix. The delay is entirely my fault for not preparing for accidents and planning ahead. We've also increased the scope of the project due to the fact that we received ten times the funding and that was totally not within our expectations...
Here's what we're going to do, as a way to apologise for our bad judgement.
1. Offer you part of the 1.65m stretch goal.
We will increase the original content of the game by two zones, effectively increasing the game from THREE ACTS to FIVE ACTS.
We may still not be able to do the Uematsu x Eminence x Kurlander collaboration but I promise I'll give it my best shot though.
2. Add Japanese voice acting
Although mostly efforts and short phrases, we'll add Japanese voice acting done and directed by one of the best Audio Directors in Japan.
3. Add at least one cinematic
We are already working on a cinematic with one very prestigious animator from Japan. We'd be shooting to add more hopefully!
And your rewards will be met as promised, nothing will be left out.
5. Where does all these extra money come from? What do you do? Why do you do this?
I am a Producer for films (mostly anime) and video games. I also help projects with Audio Directions for their video game or anime.
Most of my week is spent helping other projects and working on projects that is run by my company.
Many of my current work are unannounced but this is what my "day" job look like.
Working as a Producer for a large unannounced video game project
Working as an Audio Director for a certain JRPG
Working on a mobile game as Producer/Director for my own company
Working as a Producer on two separate Japanese animation projects
This helps pay for my family of my wife and three sons and saving up on extra contents and unexpected expenditure on Project Phoenix. In the evening and weekends, it helps me work on Project Phoenix and sometimes take my kids out to play.
Why do I do this? It's because I love this project, and I want to see this happen. My favourite genre of RTS and JRPG coming together is like shortfalls of both genres complimenting each other to make it "just right".
6. So what now?
So it'd be great if you can continue to still believe in this project. We are making progress and I've sacrificed so much of my life into what I love and believe in, along with all our staff who is working on this project. We've just got through a huge problem of sourcing great programmers and we're almost back on track.
I will continue to communicate as much as possible here, if you have questions, or opinions I'll be very happy to address it personally to the best of my ability.
We really appreciate all of you who stuck out with us thus far, we really want to make the game the best we possibly can.
We will be announcing a revised schedule around September.
7. What can we do to help?
Continue to believe in us, that we will deliver in the end. I really hope to make this all worth it, for those who feel negatively about our project, it is my fervent wish to exceed your original expectations.
For those people who are in trouble, please contact us so you won't have to bottle up your frustrations.
Thank you for reading this update, and from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate your love and patience for this project!
Hiroaki Yura
Director / Producer of Project Phoenix
![[buuuaaaa]](/images/smilies/nuevos/triste_ani3.gif "a lágrima viva")
![[sonrisa]](/images/smilies/nuevos/risa_ani1.gif "sonrisa")
![[360º]](/images/smilies/nuevos/vueltas.gif "como la niña del exorcista")
