Armed Fantasia – May 2024 Kickstarter Update Description

It’s a new month, so we have a new update for you Armed Fantasy. As with the recent updates over the last few months, this one focuses on a general theme. So for this update they wanted to focus on in-game gadgets. After a short welcome from CEO Ishii, we get a step-by-step description of how gadgets are implemented in the game. So let’s get to it.

Armed Fantasia project update

In a brief update on the project, Ishii talks about the general concepts Armed Fantasy update. Here’s what Ishii’s CEO said:

This is the CEO of Ishii.

May has come. We have just finished Golden Week, one of the longer holiday periods in Japan. How do you all spend your days? It’s time for us to get back into focus mode and work hard at school and at work. (what an ideal student would say) Our topic this month is gadgets. However, I don’t want to reveal too much information in advance and deprive me of the pleasure of playing, so I will keep the details about each gadget a secret. Instead, I’ll explain how we implement each gadget Armed Fantasy.

Step 1: Start thinking about gadgets

In this first step, we begin the process of figuring out how many gadgets we will have and the initial thought processes that go along with them. That was step one Armed Fantasy gadgets:

The first thing we had to consider was: How many gadgets will we have from a framework perspective? Will this number be excessive or insufficient for a spiritual successor? Will each character have the same number of gadgets? Then there is the “mature” topic of the number of man-hours needed to perform a given job. (Which actually is the most important part…)

We considered different points of view and discussed various issues among ourselves. Since it was already decided that there would be six characters in the party for this game, we decided to have each character have the same number of gadgets, thus increasing the number of gadgets to six.

Step 2: How gadgets work

In the second step, the team had to decide how the gadgets would work in the game. Ishii explains the thought process behind how gadgets work Armed Fantasy: :

Once the total number was determined, the next step was to consider how the gadgets would work. At this point, we stopped thinking about the total number of gadgets and collected as many interesting ideas as possible, while trying to connect them to all the objects that could be placed on the field. Based on the principle that gadgets do not interfere with each other, we have prepared three or more ways to use one gadget: normal use, practical use and clever use.

The “gadgets don’t interfere with each other” rule means that using one gadget on top of another will have no effect. For example, if you throw a “Slow Knife” at a “Set Bomb”, the knife will simply pass through it. If we allowed the gadgets to interfere with each other, we could do much more, but it would also complicate puzzle-solving and require quick control reflexes, making the game feel more like an action game than an RPG. But we made this rule because we prioritize the fact that this is an RPG and a spiritual successor above all else.

At this point, we came up with as many ideas as we could to create merch items full of surprise and fun that would be directly related to puzzle solving, while also providing some fun for players.

Step 3: Gadget contents and gameplay

Step 3 provides a brief explanation of the framework for how they interact with content and gameplay. Here’s what Ishii explained:

Once we have collected enough ideas, we compare and consider the gameplay content and fit it into the framework described above. The truth is that before we started the Kickstarter campaign, we only planned to implement one gadget per character. But thanks to the support of our sponsors, we achieved an expanded goal that allowed us to implement three gadgets per character, just as we had originally imagined. We would like to thank you again for your support.

If you’ve ever participated in this type of idea sharing, you may know what I’m talking about here. If you try to combine them in a stoic way, the ideas often overlap and are not enough to fill the framework. This forces you to spend more time coming up with and considering ideas, even if you are already exhausted from coming up with ideas. This is where planners have to work hard.

It is worth noting that from time to time a wonderful idea appears during the “dry” period. Speaking of cool ideas, some of the team members who had worked on Wild Arms in the past had assumed that the gadgets would only be usable in dungeons and towns… but then someone from the BEE tribe suggested making it so that they could also be used on world map, and their eyes widened as they finally saw the light. So w Armed FantasyGadgets can also be used on the world map. One of the great things about this project is that there are these unexpected chemical reactions constantly happening.

Step 4: Which character gets what?

Step 4 tells you a bit about which characters will get which gadget Armed Fantasy. Ishii said this:

Now that we have the originally planned number of gadgets, the next step is to decide which character will use each gadget. Gadgets will be assigned according to the character’s image and plot progression, how to use them on objects in the dungeon (new ideas may be introduced here), and so on. All this will help us arrange the image of each gadget in even more detail.

Step 5: Save the gadget

This step provides insight into the gadgets’ behaviors and how they determine how they operate. Here’s what he said:

To visualize the actual behavior, we temporarily deploy white models. We size the gadget to be as close to itself as possible, but we use temporary assets here to try to get an idea of ​​the atmosphere without thinking too much about the actual shape. Since this allows us to actually touch and understand the movements of the characters and gadgets, we can use this to analyze how it actually feels and then make recommendations, such as speeding up the process of setting up a “Laying Bomb” or creating a “Slow Knives” “Fly faster.”

Step 6: Gadget design work

In step 6, they come back to talk about their gadget design work and provide us with an image. Ishii wanted to share this:

At this stage, we return to design work on each gadget. Since when we think about gameplay we usually think about shape, this doesn’t usually become a bottleneck. Once we have determined the shape, we send the necessary text documents to the artistic team along with the design order. The team then creates a stunning design image, as seen below.

This is the Aqua Rod, one of Euclid’s gadgets. It can send water balls into the air and cause them to explode, store water in a container and wash the surrounding area. It seems like it would be a convenient gadget to use in the bathtub or for washing the car.

Step 7: 3D model

Step 7 is a short step to create a 3D model of the weapon in the format Armed Fantasy world. Here’s what was said:

At this stage, we use the design image to create an actual 3D model. We also create character animations and sound effects when using the gadget at this stage. Once all the resources are in place, we finally assemble and deploy them.

Step 8: Final adjustments

The final step of this update is to apply the final touches to gadgets Armed Fantasy. Ishii’s CEO explained it this way:

At this stage we make final adjustments. We adjust the behavior created in the white model stage to match the graphics, we adjust the moment at which the gadget effect is activated to make the use even better. We continue this step until the end, as long as the schedule allows.

This concludes this rough overview of how to implement gadgets. And that’s it for this month’s update.

See you next month!

End

Now I know this is a different kind of update than the band. It’s not very often that we get detailed information about the process of creating something for a game. I think the Aqua Rod looks cool, especially in the photo with the “water ball” in the weapon. It will be interesting to see what they focus on in future updates. More updates for Armed Fantasy these can be found in the future on their Kickstarter page.