Did you forgot why the dragons appear in the agmes at all?
Iām not going to make a rail shooter. Thatās more programming than an RPG, Iām afraid (believe it or not). We really should keep this based on events after Saga and not Orta.
What I was thinking, to save time, is use the Genos trailer as the pre-title screen movie. If we could use areas and images like that in-game, it would be less work, but mostly giving us an excuse to use such an excellent trailer, albeit with the ā2005ā stuff, et cetera, off of it.
Itās a good start with the story and should take as much time as needed. For every area of the story (places), those should be finalised and sent to me so I can work off of that and put things together. Meanwhile, you guys will be brainstorming up new ideas. Story should be going on until near the end of the production, which will make it much more fluid and understandable.
I disagree. Though the Genos trailer was ingenius, I donāt think it should be used. I think this project should be entirely different to Genos, and therefore, should not have any association with it.
And this project is going to be alot harder than most people realizeā¦weāre not in an office working together using the same computersā¦weāre going to be sharing source code and frame renders over the internet, which is not very efficient in this case.
From what Iāve read, most people were thinking āGenosā as the title anyway. It doesnāt matter to me what itās called. Itās all up to the writers.
I donāt mean to be a prat, but I have a question.
When we decided on this thing, I thought it was āPanzer Dragoon Saga 2ā as in another Panzer RPG? Is it directly related to Saga i.e. a continuation of the story line?
Best clarify why Iām asking. The idea of āletās see what happens to Azel afterwardsā has three major problems. First off, if another PD game comes out, then itās more than likely that āGenosā will be wrong in what happens storyline-wise.
Secondly, it seems a bit of a cop out, to me, to re-use the old characters. If we use them, weāll probably have āNo, (x) wouldnāt do thatā arguments, get into a fankle (nice Scots word that) and piss each other off. Yes, more than usual.
Thirdly, unless anyone has Maaya Sakamotoās home number, weāre SHOL for Azelās voice.
Iād like to see a totally seperate game to Saga, the only thing remaining the same being the general format. For fun purposes, you could even base certain events on ārealityā (e.g. we have a character called Gehn who goes berserk and mashed up a restaurant one night, now no-body talks to him (just kidding mate)).
While Iām at it, Iāll do a bit of c & p. This was in my ideas file in the first āLetās make Genosā thread, and Iām betting quite a few people decided āfuck thatā rather than read it. So, no complaints this time. Enjoy.
[quote]
- Introductory story
The year is 148 A.F. The age of the 2nd Empire has dawned. With the advent of a new Empire, new plans have been drawn up to take over the world once again, to secure it against the untold legions of monsters. For a short while after the original Empire was destroyed, the monsters had been quiet, almost dormant, giving the people the false impression that they were in decline.
This, however, was not the case. The monsters were merely regrouping. With their master injured, the monsters all pulled together in one large group, afraid that apart they would be too weak to survive an Imperial onslaught. With the Empireās main fleet destroyed, however, no such onslaught occurred. The monsters, now refreshed and empowered, spread out again, attacking colonies and villages at will. Many have risen to arms against them, utilising what little weapons they could scavenge, but the monsters have the upper hand in both numbers and firepower.
The Empire has drawn up itās plans of war. Along with scavenging more weapons from the ancient ruins, several new projects have been created, all completely autonomous from the main Imperial army. The idea is that, should the Imperial fleet again be destroyed, these secret projects will rise up, bringing a new wave of weapons and destruction to the Empireās enemies.
One such project is headed by a man named Laus. Laus is an individual with some very unusual talents; in his first visit to the Imperial palace, he was admitted without the usual clearance checks. He was allowed to walk straight to the Emperorās throne room without being stopped by any guards, and once at the chamber, he strolled right in unchallenged. A few minutes later, he emerged with orders from the Emperor himself; Laus was to be the head of the latest, top secret Imperial project.
The Genos project.
At night, above the village of Abuis, to the north of the Imperial Capital, the splinter fleet known as the Sons of Bael receive new orders. They are to attack Abuis, with full aggression, and take as many prisoners as they can back to the capital. The fleet-master, known as Bael, originally came from Abuis. He pleads with the voice on the radio to give the villagers mercy, but his pleas are met with only disdain and the threat of his fleet being destroyed along with the village.
Bael caves in and gives the order; the Sons of Bael land nearby the village, and invade. 126 people are captured, and hauled on board the carrier-ship Argo. The cries of protest from the villagers resemble only the cries of daemons, as the Argo takes off, taking them to a fate unknown to them and, indeed, the Sons of Bael.
Only one member is left in the entire village; the boy Asch (pronounced As-keh), who is only 15 years old, with no experience outside of the village at all, not even any hunting trips. Picking up a needle pistol he finds nearby, and the only Coolia remaining who isnāt mortally wounded, he heads east, to the town of Chari (pronounced āChar-eyeā), where he hopes to find help.
As the people are lead off the Argo, Bael bows his head in shame at what he has just done, angry at the Empire. Many on board his flagship, Emperorās Vengeance, share his sentiments, as do many of the fleet. Around 10 minutes after landing, votes are cast. 5 minutes later, the results are in.
The Sons of Bael launch an unprecidented attack on the Imperial Capital, ripping many buildings to shreds. Using their knowledge of the city, they destroy only buildings which are empty at night, as to only inflict capital damage. The damage done, the Sons of Bael depart, their reputation as saviours of the Empire in tatters. With fire in his eyes, Bael gives a speech over the radio, damning the Empire and itās policies.
āWe are now on our own. After that attack, the Empire will not forgive us, nor forget us. The culling of the herd will soon begin, and we must be ready. Although we have nowhere near the firepower to bring them down, we will strike them a blow that cannot be blocked by armour. We will strike them with a force more powerful than the most powerful bomb. We shall strike them in their heads, and in their hearts, as we fight the good fight. Follow me in this cause, and you will truly be my Sons of Bael!ā
And so it begins. With Asch riding for help, and Bael taking the fight to his enemies, the pieces are moving and the game has begun (LOTR poke there). Can Asch and Bael truly make a difference? What is the Genos Project? What happened to the people of Abuis?
Only time will tell.
- Characters
There are three main characters in (this version of) Panzer Dragoon Genos. Of course, there are other characters in it who show up (Paet makes a small guest appearance, for example), but these three are the Edge, Azel and Craymen of Genos.
Asch
Age: 15
Height: 5ā8"
Asch is the main hero of Genos. After his village was ransacked and almost destroyed by the Sons of Bael, he takes a coolia to ride to the village of Chari, where his adventures begin. Unlike the other dragon riders, Asch does not begin the adventure with the dragon on his side. Instead, the Heresy spirit shows up right before he gets to Chari, possessing the coolia he is riding, causing it to sprout wings, before destroying the monsters that would otherwise have killed Asch.
Asch differs from the previous dragon riders in a number of ways. Unlike Kyle, Lundi and Edge, he is not a hunter. His role in the village was one of organising supplies, and he has only held a gun in his hand once or twice before beginning this game. This is indicated by the fact that he doesnāt always hit with the gun when he fires it; heāll only hit around 50% of the time at the start of the game (unless the target is huge), but as he picks up more experience through the game his accuracy will increase, eventually reaching 100%. Also, he only gets the āancient gunā about a third of the way through the game, and uses a needle pistol until then (the ones in the intro to Zwei).
As far as personality goes, Asch is very reserved. Although not nieve to the world, he tries desperately hard not to show any signs of weakness, lest someone feel they can take advantage of him. When he or someone else is threatened, however, his courage shines through and he proves himself to be an honourable soul, worthy of being a Dragon Rider.
Bael
Age: 37
Height: 6ā 0"
Bael is the Fleetmaster of the Sons of Bael, a splinter fleet of the Empire. He rose to this position through 20 years of Imperial service, coming from a lowly guard to becoming one of the most respected figures in the Imperial army. Had he not been from a lowly birth in Abuis, he would have easily risen even further up, perhaps even becoming Warmaster. All this was before the Empire ordered him to attack his own village, and convinced that he could capture them then and rescue them later, he agreed under serious pressure.
When he arrived at the capital, however, it became apparent that the Empire were not planning to keep the citizens of Abuis locked up. Rather, they were being led to almost certain slaughter, guinea pigs for one of the secret projects that the Empire kept running. Outraged at both the Empire and himself, Bael made an ultimatium to his fleet: join me in rebellion or leave now. All of them picked to rebel, and the strike began.
With the initial surprise eliminated, Bael and his fleet now await more chances to strike. Slowing the Empireās progress by stopping resource deliveries and saving villages takes up most of their time. Now, however, Bael has heard of the near-conclusion of Project Genos, and itās results. Determined to save the world from a danger which has not drawn breath, he decides to take re-newed action against his former masters.
Laus Antanora
Age: Unknown
Height: 5ā5"
Every story which has a hero has a villain, and PDG is no different. This time around, itās Laus Antanora, the man strolled through all of Imperial security to get approval for the most deadly project the Empire has ever given the go-ahead for. Project Genos. The Genos are Lausā vision of the ultimate monsters.
For years, the Empire had been using weapons such as guns and cannons to make itās mark on the world. Laus persuaded the Emperor that to continue using guns would be madness; bio-weapons such as the monsters manufactured their own ammo, plus their autonomy left soldiers open to do other things on the battlefield. Foolishly, the Emperor agreed, and project Genos was granted the go-ahead.
Lausā origins are shrouded in mystery. Many among the Empireās soldiers wonder why he seems to know how to construct the monsters in the first place. Some suggest that his knowledge of the ancient age is so wide he must have been there, although these people are usually drunk. But the biggest concern with Laus is his amazing charisma, which lets him do pretty much what he wants. And what he wants is simple. He wants the Genos project to be a success, and with the outcome, he wants to take over the worldā¦
- The game of Bokh (Baw-kha)
What is Bokh?
Bokh is a card game played amongst the people of the extreme north of the continent. Based on a game played millenia ago by the Ancients, itās often used to settle disputes, as a game in casinos and even as a way of electing officials!
How do you play Bokh?
Once you reach the town of Chari, you receive a small deck free of charge from one of the shop-keepers. All he takes is an āunsellableā item that has no other use. Once done, you can, if you wish, boost your deck by buying cards from the shop. No booster packs here; you buy the individual cards to avoid problems with randomisation.
Why the hell should I bother?
Because, throughout the game, people are not always going to be helpful. Some people may have items, information or money that you need to progress, and theyāll usually only hand it over if you do them a favour or if you beat them in a game of Bokh. The favours, however, will usually cause something bad to happen (the inner stories between characters are more complex this time around) so itās best that you play Bokh with them instead.
How does Bokh work?
Bokh is a relatively simple game. At itās simplest level, each card represents a monster. This monster will have attacks that can be used against your opponentās monsters. However, the monsters move about in a similar way to the battle system. Clever positioning and attacking will win the game, along with strategic use of the event cards.
Event cards?
These do things like return a monster to your hand, restore some of your monsters hp, enhance your monsterās toughness, and so on. Rarer cards (more expensive and/or can only be found by doing side-quests) will do things like switch you and your opponentās monsters around. So general chaos can happen in the middle of the game.
Do you HAVE to play this thing to win the game?
No. But if you do play it, youāll find it easier, plus youāll find out a lot more information about the general plot, and have access to more items.[/quote]
[quote=āArcieā]I donāt mean to be a prat, but I have a question.
When we decided on this thing, I thought it was āPanzer Dragoon Saga 2ā as in another Panzer RPG? Is it directly related to Saga i.e. a continuation of the story line?[/quote]
Calling it Panzer Dragoon Saga II would be extremely stupidā¦especially if Sega decides to later release the sequel we are all begging for. Since this is a fan project, it is absolutely necessary that we are a little creative and original.
Look, itās just a fan project. Pure facts donāt make that much of a difference. Weāre not even likely to see another Panzer Dragoon ever again anyway.
Weāre not having voices for this game anyway, so Azel would just be textified.
'uh?
[quote=āKadamoseā]
I disagree. Though the Genos trailer was ingenius, I donāt think it should be used. I think this project should be entirely different to Genos, and therefore, should not have any association with it.
And this project is going to be alot harder than most people realizeā¦weāre not in an office working together using the same computersā¦weāre going to be sharing source code and frame renders over the internet, which is not very efficient in this case.[/quote]
Ditto.Plus, this was KFCās and SKās project.We canāt just use their material just like that.
I know you are not but I donāt mind ā¦
ā¦anymore.
Gehn, if youāre going to be like that mate, donāt come to Scotland. Our culture of bonding by minor insults would probably kill you.
Believe me : we are much worse here in Portugal XD
Iām just talking about SOME(bodyās) insults.
[quote=āArcieā]
'uh?[/quote]
Feveth is right: the chances of Sega funding the development of another Panzer Dragoon game are less than Sega suddenly deciding to develop Shenmue 3. Sega will not focus its resources on projects that arenāt guaranteed to generate instant profits. Whether or not Segaās penchant for experimenting with new ideas will be sacrificed as a result of this prudence remains to be seen.
The title of an unofficial game is irrelevant because it is exactly that: unofficial.
If another PD game ever does come out - which is looking unlikely - it seems that it will be firmly focused on future events; that is, those following PDO. The actual story of Saga was more or less laid to rest during the course of PDO; even if another game is produced, it is doubtful that Azel will play any part in it, as it would more than likely build upon the better known events of PDO.
A lot of outlined but ultimately unexplained events are left between PDS and PDO. It seems like a very good opportunity for fan speculation, as whatever we decide on will almost certainly not be contradicted by future games. (As interesting as a fan game set after PDO might be, its storyline would be instantly negated as soon as the next PD game was released.)
We are avoiding continuity errors firmly in not featuring the Heresy Dragon in this game, though. (At present, anyway.)
The thing is, fan projects such as this need to be both original and recognisably tied in to the existing narrative. We donāt have the official seal of approval to make this Panzer, so we need to identify it with Panzer manually. Simply putting a Panzer name tag on a more or less completely original game would be of much less immediate interest to fans. That would be a cop-out at the other end of the spectrum.
(Thatās not a comment on your Genos game ideas by the way, Arc. I think what youāve come up with is extremely well thought-out.)
More importantly, though, it will be hard to develop a completely new character from scratch up to a reasonable level in the course of a relatively short game. Thatās why the idea of building upon Azelās existing character has been suggested. The other characters in the game would be almost all original creations, with maybe just a couple of cameos from familiar faces.
To be honest, any fan fiction such as this faces issues of disagreement between what characters and cultures would and would not do. The task of making it convincing is down to the fans and the writers involved.
Iād be all for dropping a few sly real-world references into the game; PDS itself was quite full of them, after all. These will be things to consider further down the line, though. (Also, weād better check that theyāre OK with the relevant people first, so as not to piss anyone off!)
I havenāt had a chance to read through this thread yet, so please excuse if my idea sounds similar to anyone elseās (I promise to go through and read it later).
Hereās just an idea I had been bouncing around in my head for a "fan"fic:
Center the story around a Drone who later becomes the voice of Sestren (you know how Azelās voice became the voice of Sestren in PDO?). Sort of the precursor Drone to the Azel model. Perhaps the rebels in the Ancient Age have stolen him and thought they reprogrammed him, but in the end, when they sneak into Sestren and hook him up, everything goes wrong, thus wiping out everything on the planet (except for the monsters). Or something. Sort of the reverse of Panzer Saga.
Sounds very cool even tho Iām not sure what u mean with the āVoice of Sestrenā stuffā¦ But I donāt own an X-box and have played through Orta only once so itās propably just me.
Very cool idea 
In all the Panzers up until Orta, Sestren has always had this deep voice. I thought, āWouldnāt it be cool if Sestren acquired its voice in the same way it acquired Azelās voice?ā
Basically, the story of the fall of the Ancients.
Ahh, I get it now, awesome idea
[quote=āAbaddā]In all the Panzers up until Orta, Sestren has always had this deep voice. I thought, āWouldnāt it be cool if Sestren acquired its voice in the same way it acquired Azelās voice?ā
Basically, the story of the fall of the Ancients.[/quote]
Whatās the connection with the fall of the Ancients?
Iām gonna repeat it to see if I get an answer this time 