New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

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Dasha
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Dasha »

Oh, yeah, right. I wonder how many Volumes we'll get then. I'm thinking 2. 3 maximum.

A character with a One Sin-themed armor, looks nice.

Image

Nice drawings.

Image

I also wonder if we'll be getting 7 other characters based on the Phases, since the girl with green hair is a new conception of Skeith, basically.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Kuukai »

A world that was thought destroyed.
A resurrected, New World.

Destroyed by megiddo*,
Restored to recovery


(* Yes that's one of Cubia's attacks, but as any Persona fan knows it's just a fancy way to say Armageddon. We can't blame them for reusing their colorful terminology. Tel Megiddo - "Mount Megiddo" - is the place described in the Bible where Armageddon will take place, as Cubia is full of biblical references - Aura's Legion in Link, which are somewhat Cubia-y, are as well.)

It looks like it's a bit more of a real RPG, and I like that Sadamoto is involved, but I'm not sure the final in-game art looks that good. That said, this looks to be both more online-ish and RPG-ish than Guilty Dragon. I see what hopefully looks like a real battle system rather than screen-clicking and an "engagement cycle." People keep wanting "The World for real" and The World has been mobile since R:2. So they got what they wished for. Now they can deal with that.

The time before the dawn of the "world" is dark, bleak, impermanent
And that's why her death shines more than anything.


Thoughts:
-I think the "New World" logo itself is stylized to be reminiscent of the "The World" logo.
-Guilty Dragon is promoting via crossover card events.
-CC2's English outlets and Facebook page ignored this even more than Guilty Dragon, so I wouldn't get too excited yet.
-Where are people getting "Project N.U. is a bigger thing" from? Not seeing that anywhere. Looking for articles, because surprisingly:
-This appears to have been overlooked by Famitsu, although if this is just a drumroll for a bigger game announcement that would kinda make sense.
-Project N.U could be something greater where this is just a minor tie-in, and that would be awesome, but I'm not seeing that stated anywhere. We reserve the right to read into it gleefully, but let's just be aware what we're doing.
-N.U could stand for one way of spelling "New World" in Japanese, and I'm sure they've thought of that. Hopefully it stands for more as well.
-CC2 definitely has new original console projects they've said they're working on.
-The two offline characters are the most interesting thing about this.
-Aura saved The World in the movie, but possibly went away in Thanatos Report. If something similar happened in The World after the move, would it be destroyed? The backdrop definitely resembles Force:Era from the movie (hence the reused art from the 2011 teaser to that).
-As a mobile ftp game, "Vol. 1" probably refers to the first barrage of content, but it's nice to think of it in terms of previous games...

Trailer quotes:
-Silver one-horned beast
-DD, catalyst
-This world won't end.

It's worth reiterating that .hack Conglomerate is just the stakeholders who hold the copyright to .hack and decide what to do with it. It reformed from "Project .hack" but usually these committees don't change their names. Otherwise it's the same as Pikachu Project and a billion other production committees. It's safe to say by definition that anything they do is .hack.
Kaori wrote:I hope this is one of those "pay once, play free forever games", they tend to be okay.
This is the opposite. Freemium.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Lindz »

Kuukai wrote:-Where are people getting "Project N.U. is a bigger thing" from? Not seeing that anywhere. Looking for articles, because surprisingly:
-This appears to have been overlooked by Famitsu, although if this is just a drumroll for a bigger game announcement that would kinda make sense.
-Project N.U could be something greater where this is just a minor tie-in, and that would be awesome, but I'm not seeing that stated anywhere. We reserve the right to read into it gleefully, but let's just be aware what we're doing.
Wishful thinking on my part is saying its a prologue/introduction of sorts as SIGN/Roots were to be followed up by a console game. It'll have its own tale to tell of course an introduce the new world as the past anime did. Just not be the most major event of the "season".
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Kuukai »

I rescind my statement of caution, 4gamer reports that this is the first volley of Project N.U., "a rebuild of the world of .hack from the ground up" and New World is "nothing more than one facet" of that.

So, they got the mobile game out of the way, and they say there's more. This is basically the best possible scenario, they're confirming something they're working on for console has got to be a new .hack! Hooray! I hope it's stylistically different from this, but given Matsuyama's recent interview where he said everything they were doing was stylistically different, I have high hopes.

Some interesting art here: http://www.4gamer.net/games/317/G031776/20150916047/

With "worldwide" and "VR" as some of the keywords CC2 has put out there, they have high ambitions for this or something else in the works.

This will be formally introduced at TGS on the 19th, there will be a livestream at 3pm Japan time, it might hint at what's to come: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv232753299

I guess my other problem with this being a large project is that the story so far seems kinda Guilty Dragon-y and hard to get behind. I just hope the trailer for the console game assuages my doubts and knocks me over like the G.U. one did.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Lindz »

lol that was a quick turnaround. Wishful thinking ftw!
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Kuukai »

Also worth mentioning they're recruiting for the beta (I signed up!), and doing a costume design contest.

Reading Japanese fan reactions and it's not clear if N.U. is a direct sequel or a reboot, or something kinda in-between like Guilty Dragon. I hope it's not a reboot, you can't just throw everything out mid-story. That said, there's not much to worry about. They didn't decide to put the ".hack//" on "G.U." until it was almost done because it was "totally new." The movie was "totally new and something new fans can enjoy" and required about 40 hours of .hack lectures at .hack university to fully understand. This is something of a pattern in .hack's long, storied history.

I'm just going to hope we see more announcements about Project N.U. as TGS begins.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Dasha »

It has to be related to the story we know of the .hack series. I'm fine with a new setting, characters and all (it's about time we got a new main character who isn't another Kite >w>), but I really don't want a reboot.

Thanks for the translation, Kuukai. :)
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Falions »

d5t wrote:
Falions wrote:
Avatar_Crim wrote:i hope not. I don't have an iphone, nor to i have the intention of getting one.
It's coming to Android too.

After further research this seems to be part of "Project N.U.," so hopefully this is only the first entry into a larger new chapter of .hack.
I hope there is still a chance that we'll see .hack on PS4.
That's my thought as well. I don't recall Guilty Dragon being under a fancy project name. We could interpret that anime, console games, and manga may be on its way if CC2 is trying to recapture what they did with the original .hack project and GU. Now wouldn't that be something. Commence wild speculation!
What worries me is that the iOS game is labeled "Vol. 1," much like the main line games of any of the seasons.

However, it seems like N.U. is going to be a complete reboot, starting from scratch, and throwing out 15 years of plot build-up so we can let .hack end on the gigantic cliffhanger that is the Thanatos Report. I hope at the very least this is just going to be the beginning of something grand. I want to see .hack on PS4 before I die.

Also, Kuukai, how do you sign up for the beta?
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Erroneous »

Falions wrote:Also, Kuukai, how do you sign up for the beta?
Go here http://newworld.bn-ent.net/entry/

Which basically takes you here https://prereg.bn-ent.net/common/serial.php?app=NW

Choose either the iOS or the Android button.

You can register either by email or Twitter; if you choose Twitter you will have to authorize an app.

In addition, you can only register either for iOS or Android for your Twitter account, you can't register for both on the same Twitter account.

Submit.

Profits.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by k-su »

I hope this game is compatible with my ipod touch. Apple dropped support of 3rd gen and on and as a result, I can't update the OS any further, which stops me from accessing newer apps. I was able to update Guilty Dragon, though. If not, guess I could always emulate.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Xu Yuan »

While this looks quite interesting and may tempt me to get a smartphone of some sort... has anyone noticed something... missing?

There looks to be next to no male main characters. Every screenshot has shown a party of 4 girls and one screenshot even shows a different party of 4 girls. Now I'm fine with that but... this isn't going to be one of those weird fetish games is it? You see them released on Steam every so often where a big selling point of the game is "girls, girls, and more girls!"

Despite that I am legitimately excited for this. Despite what they're saying of "everything is all new!" not only are monsters reused from G.U. but one of the gals are wielding the basic Chain Broadsword that Haseo had. This is the first real piece of news that we've heard for far too long... but I doubt we'll see it in English, so like //Link I'll have to play through it after that's basically affirmed and ask others here for information.

Neat design for Aura, really dark and unsettling. Even her Infinity brooch is broken, also female Skeith Epitaph User (assuming such anyhow) looks quite stylish and reserved. Very different from the last Skeith Epitaph User.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Erroneous »

Xu Yuan wrote:While this looks quite interesting and may tempt me to get a smartphone of some sort... has anyone noticed something... missing?

There looks to be next to no male main characters. Every screenshot has shown a party of 4 girls and one screenshot even shows a different party of 4 girls. Now I'm fine with that but... this isn't going to be one of those weird fetish games is it? You see them released on Steam every so often where a big selling point of the game is "girls, girls, and more girls!"

Despite that I am legitimately excited for this. Despite what they're saying of "everything is all new!" not only are monsters reused from G.U. but one of the gals are wielding the basic Chain Broadsword that Haseo had. This is the first real piece of news that we've heard for far too long... but I doubt we'll see it in English, so like //Link I'll have to play through it after that's basically affirmed and ask others here for information.

Neat design for Aura, really dark and unsettling. Even her Infinity brooch is broken, also female Skeith Epitaph User (assuming such anyhow) looks quite stylish and reserved. Very different from the last Skeith Epitaph User.
There was the one data drain scene that had a male character. From a different perspective seeing how some of the clothing aren't sanctity clad (most these characters) this time around, maybe it's their way of acknowledging female gamers and wanting to create characters that are relate-able and role models for female characters. Having a game with a strong male lead character can enforce girls to think they always need a strong man in their life. Though I've always liked .hack's ideas of putting women and sexual preference in the front-lines i.e. Tsukasa actually being a women (much to the effect Samus being a girl) and the fact because Tsukasa and Suburu both being females that it's perfectly natural that they can pursuit a relationship just like a mixed gender relationship.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Dasha »

The Skeith girl with green hair has a gorgeous design, in my opinion. I wouldn't mind if she's the main character of this game or a game on consoles.

One of the characters is also using a Magic Staff themed after Atoli's Phase in G.U., that's nice.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Xu Yuan »

Erroneous wrote:
There was the one data drain scene that had a male character. From a different perspective seeing how some of the clothing aren't sanctity clad (most these characters) this time around, maybe it's their way of acknowledging female gamers and wanting to create characters that are relate-able and role models for female characters. Having a game with a strong male lead character can enforce girls to think they always need a strong man in their life. Though I've always liked .hack's ideas of putting women and sexual preference in the front-lines i.e. Tsukasa actually being a women (much to the effect Samus being a girl) and the fact because Tsukasa and Suburu both being females that it's perfectly natural that they can pursuit a relationship just like a mixed gender relationship.
That is a very good point, none of these ladies look... well like Pi so that's already a plus. CCCorp has always had women in strong roles and that may reflect their gender diverse staff with Miu Kawasaki as a large part of their creative process and the genius Chikayo Fukuda as their music leader. I think having a strong female character in the lead will be a nice change of pace (from the games, two of the three anime have had women (albeit one being fooled into thinking she was a boy) .hack// has always handled matters of romance rather well (except for some bits with Haseo but aside from that every relationship they've established has been believable).

I was being too shortsighted, this could be a good thing.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Lindz »

Kinda hope this "Skeith girl" stuff isn't a thing. Specifically the Skeith part. Rather not see avatars/morganna phases stuff brought to the forefront again. Would be neat if a still-active Epitaph User joined the party though. Pi or Endrance still playing would likely bets of those still playing.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Falions »

Erroneous wrote:
Xu Yuan wrote:While this looks quite interesting and may tempt me to get a smartphone of some sort... has anyone noticed something... missing?

There looks to be next to no male main characters. Every screenshot has shown a party of 4 girls and one screenshot even shows a different party of 4 girls. Now I'm fine with that but... this isn't going to be one of those weird fetish games is it? You see them released on Steam every so often where a big selling point of the game is "girls, girls, and more girls!"

Despite that I am legitimately excited for this. Despite what they're saying of "everything is all new!" not only are monsters reused from G.U. but one of the gals are wielding the basic Chain Broadsword that Haseo had. This is the first real piece of news that we've heard for far too long... but I doubt we'll see it in English, so like //Link I'll have to play through it after that's basically affirmed and ask others here for information.

Neat design for Aura, really dark and unsettling. Even her Infinity brooch is broken, also female Skeith Epitaph User (assuming such anyhow) looks quite stylish and reserved. Very different from the last Skeith Epitaph User.
There was the one data drain scene that had a male character. From a different perspective seeing how some of the clothing aren't sanctity clad (most these characters) this time around, maybe it's their way of acknowledging female gamers and wanting to create characters that are relate-able and role models for female characters. Having a game with a strong male lead character can enforce girls to think they always need a strong man in their life. Though I've always liked .hack's ideas of putting women and sexual preference in the front-lines i.e. Tsukasa actually being a women (much to the effect Samus being a girl) and the fact because Tsukasa and Suburu both being females that it's perfectly natural that they can pursuit a relationship just like a mixed gender relationship.
While it's nice and all, I just don't want it to turn into one of those harem fantasies, like in SAO (i.e., the only real male character is the protagonist and all his party members are girls who flock to him like mosquitos on a summer night)

Also, why would you want to teach girls they need a man in their life? I feel like that contradicts and defeats the purpose of creating role models for women.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Xu Yuan »

That's what I believe Erroneous is saying, that by Always having a strong male lead character in media it could trick girls into thinking that they always need a strong man in their life. Though I think Kite was probably the best of the protagonists due to his strengths and the assertiveness of BlackRose really at times made it seem like she was the main character. Kite was portrayed as quiet but intelligent with a strong drive. BlackRose was portrayed as a bit loud, with a good head on her shoulders (throughout Infection she's the one gathering just as much, if not more information as Kite) but was always shown as the equal to Kite, hence her continual involvement.

G.U... doesn't do this. Atoli is a fine character, very well developed I find and fits with G.U.'s darker themes. Alkaid falls into too much of a stereotype persona I felt (though I did appreciate her favorite book series was Romance of the Three Kingdoms). Pi/Reiko is an incredible character, but she fades in and out of focus and Shino was a bit manipulative from the start (a neat subversion though, I will say). G.U. really lacks that "equal", that Kite had in BlackRose.

//Link actually restores this with Saika being a very strong character, manipulative, but also driven leading around what is essentially a silly kid and for the first part of //Link she seems more like the main character before Tokio develops a bit more.

So the main games have always done interesting things with the gender roles, so I hope it's not as you say Falions. I really hope not.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Falions »

Xu Yuan wrote:That's what I believe Erroneous is saying, that by Always having a strong male lead character in media it could trick girls into thinking that they always need a strong man in their life. Though I think Kite was probably the best of the protagonists due to his strengths and the assertiveness of BlackRose really at times made it seem like she was the main character. Kite was portrayed as quiet but intelligent with a strong drive. BlackRose was portrayed as a bit loud, with a good head on her shoulders (throughout Infection she's the one gathering just as much, if not more information as Kite) but was always shown as the equal to Kite, hence her continual involvement.

G.U... doesn't do this. Atoli is a fine character, very well developed I find and fits with G.U.'s darker themes. Alkaid falls into too much of a stereotype persona I felt (though I did appreciate her favorite book series was Romance of the Three Kingdoms). Pi/Reiko is an incredible character, but she fades in and out of focus and Shino was a bit manipulative from the start (a neat subversion though, I will say). G.U. really lacks that "equal", that Kite had in BlackRose.

//Link actually restores this with Saika being a very strong character, manipulative, but also driven leading around what is essentially a silly kid and for the first part of //Link she seems more like the main character before Tokio develops a bit more.

So the main games have always done interesting things with the gender roles, so I hope it's not as you say Falions. I really hope not.
We have to stay strong. Another thing that makes me worry is that Skeith girl. Bringing back the phases as women is so unnecessary and just adds to the whole creepy harem feeling.

But it's interesting to think that Haseo never did have a 2nd in command! I've never really thought about it. I guess that role is just always changing for him, whether it be Silabus, Kuhn, or even Yata.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Kuukai »

BlackRose was the main character. Another Birth.
Falions wrote:While it's nice and all, I just don't want it to turn into one of those harem fantasies, like in SAO
Not a danger. .hack installments typically have good writing.
Xu Yuan wrote:G.U... doesn't do this. Atoli is a fine character, very well developed I find and fits with G.U.'s darker themes. Alkaid falls into too much of a stereotype persona I felt (though I did appreciate her favorite book series was Romance of the Three Kingdoms).
Alkaid wasn't meant to be a main character, it was a major change in plans that there was more to her than Sirius. Atoli actually has a strength that Haseo doesn't have, and vice versa. As the games progress, they rub off on each other and each become much more like the other, finding a happy medium. Power isn't all there is to someone, in fact that's what Haseo had to learn.
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Re: New World Vol. 1 - A CC2-developed RPG

Post by Xu Yuan »

Really? Sirius was supposed to be more important than Alkaid? After he's defeated he more or less is out of the picture until about the end of the third game. I guess that actually explains why most of her scenes were in in-game cutscenes rather than FMV's. Was he originally meant to join the team instead of her or something?

Atoli influencing Haseo and vice-versa is a fair point to make and it's an angle I hadn't considered. Subtlety is sometimes just as important as proven deeds
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