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Kirbopher
Animation Artist, creator of over 100 pieces of Flash animation on and offline. Graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Class of 2011.

Chris Niosi @Kirbopher

Age 35, Male

Animation Artist

School of Visual Arts

New York

Joined on 7/21/04

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What do you want to see out of a TOME game?

Posted by Kirbopher - March 21st, 2013


Got more of a particular question for you all, this time around.

TOME stuff! Episode 07 is about halfway done now. We've also got some completed scripts for a new short, as well as some upcoming Episodes as well. My goal is to finish up to Episode 10 within the end of this year. That said, onto the question...

What exactly would you like to see, if a game was made based on the world of TOME?

Now, what I mean by this is probably not what you're thinking. The most common comment I've received about people who really enjoy the show is that they wish TOME itself were a real game. Honestly; making an MMORPG/Social Networking game is NOT something I'm passionate about doing. However, I've wanted to make a game based on the -concept- of TOME since its earliest incarnation, all the way back in 2004. Even when I was conceptualizing this remake of the series only a few years ago, I originally wanted to do it as an updatable game, with each "Episode" of the show you're watching now being represented by a few levels and a couple boss fights. When I eventually realized it was more that I was trying to tell a story over trying to make a fun game, I scrapped the idea and just went with making a show instead.

So now, here we are, about a year and a half since TOME's first episode premiered. In the time I've been working since graduation, I've had the honor of being part of several video games like Skullgirls, Crisis Heart Brawlers and now Cryamore. Seeing how these large-scale projects all come together has been a great experience...and it's one that's made me become interested in wanting to REALLY try and create a TOME game. However, because the series as it stands right now is still very niche, I want to play this very carefully. I ask you, the audience, what you would like to see out of it?

To start with, I'm assuming people would still want to see/play with the characters from the show. However, another thing that ties into peoples' reasoning for wishing that TOME itself was a real virtual reality game, is that they want the ability to create their own characters. That by itself would probably be too ambitious of an undertaking, but would you be satisfied with just Alpha and the gang, or would you want there to be a customizable character to do with what you please and make your own experience? Further, what genre do you think would be the most appealing based on the concept? I've asked many friends and colleagues; the most general answer I've received overall is a side-scroller with RPG elements. Maybe something along the lines of the "Tales of" games, where the game it set up like an RPG, but Battle is done in real-time and your attacks are mapped to buttons and directions like Smash Brothers.

I have a lot of my own ideas, but I want to know what you guys and gals all think; not because I'm struggling for what to do, but because I want to do what YOU guys would be interested in and would want to have out of a game.

Leave a comment here, or on this post on the Official TOME Facebook page and share with me your thoughts!


Comments

The only thing that really bothers me about Tome is that the animated battles have no immersion or tension, because I have no idea what I'm looking at or what I'm supposed to be recognizing. There's no meaning in any of the action.

The game should be exactly what the fighting system is supposed to be in the show. By experiencing the actual game, it puts the animated fights in context; the action would have meaning.

From what it looks like, the combat is like a combination of MM Battle Network and Legend of Mana. Real time fighting, but organized in units of time and space. That is what the game should be; what the game in the show is supposed to be.

This way, by having the characters in the show featured in the game, we can understand their levels, how they compare to other "players", and recognize their struggles in the show.

I want to see NYLOCKE ! COMMENTATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE.

No seriously. It would be awesome^^

I agree with the idea of a arcade fighting style game that dragontamer44722 had, and from the Q&A you had put on Youtube some time back, a character creator and a story line for a custom pc

Maybe you can aspire to make this game like Nexon's Dungeon Fighter game. It's an rpg/brawl hybrid that could work.

making small games showing off different parts of tome would be nice. Obviously a fighter or rpg would be the best but may be too time consuming.

I would want a TOME game to work concept-wise like the upcoming South Park game. You create your own character but interact with the ones from the show. Whether it's a retelling of the TOME story but with a new member of the gang or new adventures that just have the same characters, I think that would be the best way to go. Gameplay wise, a TOME game should play like a cross between the TTA flash game that was made a while ago and an RPG along the lines of Chrono Trigger.

For the sprites, they should be designed in a similar design to the TOME characters, but animate or be colored somewhat differently so there is some distinction. maybe the same can be said for the backgrounds too. If this idea does come true, who would you go to to help you make the game? good luck making the idea become a reality.

Wow Kirb, for the game I completely agree with some of your suggestions. If the game was made with beautiful, vibrant sprites and with side scrolling "Tales of" game style fighting it would be perfect! If you aren't thinking of making it online, I think using Alpha and the gang (or maybe a new member who's just in the game adaption, where you could only chose your name and gender) would be the best option. If you had the new member idea i posted, he could become friends with Alpha and the gang and adventure with them. It would also give the player an inside look on how it would feel to be a newcomer to TOME with this character learning as the story progresses. I really like the idea of the "Tales of" side scroller. Be sure to allow the character level up! Another game you could reference is "Summon Night Swordcraft Story" I feel like that game feel is the best for the world of TOME. I've been a fan since TTA ep 1! To think almost ten years

Sprites: For the whole custom sprite option, why don't you do what mineraft, or amazing island does? You can have a basic selection of sprite selections for people who just want too play, or have a custom sprite option so people could make their own characters, have like, base forms: is your character a humanoid, animal, mech, two feet, four feet, four arms, etc. basically, have it broken down into 'skeletal frames' that have a set animation for each one, but allow things like skin type, clothes and accessories too be chosen and/or designed by the player, and maybe go a step further and say, along with pre-set voices, allow someone too make their own voice work? That way they could have a char truly all their own.
Gameplay: This is a toughy, gameplay likes the 'tales of' series is a great idea, but keep in mind, do you want it tactical, or pure brawler? 'tales of' games are more tactical then straight brawler (bring a die hard of ToS I have almost mastered those game mechanics) Having random encounters be cool, but if your gonna have it brawler/RPG, unless your controlling a party, try too have it like an arcade brawler, you get locked in one location while enemies could either all be on at once, or come in waves, which could be great for say, like, a boss fight? If it's taken online, then here is some inspiration: on wakfu, an online MMO with time-turn based combat (each player has a time limit or they forfeit their turn) characters who enter combat on the map are faded, and the fight can be watched with no detail given from the over-world, or players can view the fight in more detail. For tome, the area itself would have too become a fighting ring, or 'battle grid' and the immediate environment can be used vs a pre-existing back drop for fight locations (minus boss fights for 'specialized' fight scenarios) players in trouble could activate an assistance beacon, sacrificing say 20% exp/loot as payment for a rescue (just an idea)

Sprites: For the whole custom sprite option, why don't you do what minecraft, or amazing island does? You can have a basic selection of sprite selections for people who just want too play, or have a custom sprite option so people could make their own characters, have like, base forms: is your character a humanoid, animal, mech, two feet, four feet, four arms, etc. basically, have it broken down into 'skeletal frames' that have a set animation for each one, but allow things like skin type, clothes and accessories too be chosen and/or designed by the player, and maybe go a step further and say, along with pre-set voices, allow someone too make their own voice work? That way they could have a char truly all their own.
Gameplay: This is a toughy, gameplay likes the 'tales of' series is a great idea, but keep in mind, do you want it tactical, or pure brawler? 'tales of' games are more tactical then straight brawler (bring a die hard of ToS I have almost mastered those game mechanics) Having random encounters be cool, but if your gonna have it brawler/RPG, unless your controlling a party, try too have it like an arcade brawler, you get locked in one location while enemies could either all be on at once, or come in waves, which could be great for say, like, a boss fight? If it's taken online, then here is some inspiration: on wakfu, an online MMO with time-turn based combat (each player has a time limit or they forfeit their turn) characters who enter combat on the map are faded, and the fight can be watched with no detail given from the over-world, or players can view the fight in more detail. For tome, the area itself would have too become a fighting ring, or 'battle grid' and the immediate environment can be used vs a pre-existing back drop for fight locations (minus boss fights for 'specialized' fight scenarios) players in trouble could activate an assistance beacon, sacrificing say 20% exp/loot as payment for a rescue (just an idea)

good graphics, new characters who will have a rol in the actual show, and a lot of fun for all the advanced gamers, and a diffculty button for people who liking realy hard games, and if you want and can, make the hackers into playable characters!
and please, if you want to answer this, please do it via this post and a pm :D
kind regards from 1 of your fans: twewy-gm-chris

You know exactly what we want Kirbopher

just remember guns, swords, science, magic

Hey kirbopher i see your having trouble deciding so my suggestion is too release a demo of the game and see how fans react to it and by demo i mean more along the lines of just gameplay/fighting mechanics and if it isnt good then you can akways build off that demo into something else

I like the "Tales of" idea. Use that with creating your own customizable character and I think it would be a pretty solid game. But I think us die hard fans would be pretty stoked with anything you make XD

Oculus Rift support :3

Well. To be honest I don't know exactly what to say to this. I love the series whether it is a game or not. So if it would be an alternative instead of the show, I'm not interested. But like many, I think that TOME as a game it would be great. The problem is that making a complete MMORPG/social networking game exactly (or even close to) as it is betrayed in the show is not only extremely difficult and resource draining, but something you just said you aren't passionate about. It probably isn't realistic at this point anyway considering the amount of time, money, and people that would be needed to do it properly. Plus it would take too much time away from the rest of the series. Again, the show is the best asset right now for the TOME franchise.

So where does that leave us? Well, you could still make a game based around the story. And the grid system idea could work and be easier to program then something else. So long as you kept it to essential characters it wouldn't be too hard to program. You could make it more of a text based adventure without much free roaming for the in between battle scenes. As for custom characters, that is also easy. You could give us a few extra customizable parts for the look, and then let us mix and match parts from the other character included in the game. Like for example, I could combine Rockoon's tail with Alpha's legs and Kirb's hat, along with a few customizable parts. Then let us choose abilities based on characters that would be in the game anyway. This wouldn't be as awesome as a completely customizable character, but it should be manageable while still giving the option.

It's not the TOME game as portrayed in the show, but it is still a game that could help enhance the series while being much more manageable to do without having to sacrifice the show. And you could still get a good story out of it.

well, if it were a game, i think it would be best as a story-driven rpg with a battle system kind of like either Final Fantasy or Fire Emblem, with the ability to level up and alocate skill points to change your abilities.

I'd love to be able to create my own TOME character, though including a creator within a TOME game would prove difficult to stay true to its purpose. Watching the show makes it look as if you could look like anything you wanted, so I doubt that kind of freedom would be available without having us literally draw our own parts and clothing over the bones.

I know this is asking a lot but I'd like to see something with a similar concept to Cathode Robots. TOME (for me anyway) is mostly about the interesting and varied character designs as well as the dueling.

You could have a character design system similar to Thing Thing Arena 3 where you can customize the head, torso, hands and feet. In conjunction with a pixel tool similar to that in Cathode Raybots there would be endless possibilities for customization. But the obvious problem is file size and how you'd have to animate body part movements differently for each character to get that varied TOME vibe (assuming we're talking about a flash game here for NG)

This could be worked around by holding a contest/ forum game?/collab where everyone submits a very small pixel sprite to be included in TOME. Just string up the non shitty ones and you've got a whole lot of option for customization.

As for the battle system itself I like how the series pays homage *coughs* plagiarizes *coughs* to the megaman battle network series with all the little spinning logos in the background of fights. A battle system like that (without all the chips) would be entertaining. Add in some platforms to jump around on and you've got a pretty nifty game.

Story wise? Eh I'd leave that to the animations. Fighting games never have much of a story really.

Just throwing out some most likely highly impractical ideas.

Love the series. Exactly what NG has been in need of for some time. Really feel like you've lifted your game since the remake of the series. Keep it up, mate

A customizable character seems to be a good idea these days. Mass Effect, Halo 4, Fire Emblem Awakening all feature customizable character elements, and then maybe looking towards Dragon Age for character decision making. Although, at the same time, the more you change how the character you can go, the more work you have to do.

In terms of genre, I like what you're saying with the "Tales of" of RPG. If you can make that work, then that's a good way to go I think. Or perhaps something like Castle Crashers or Turtles in Time with the beat-em-up gameplay but with the leveling up of skills and unlocking attacks or weapons.

As for content, Alpha and the gang would help along people's liking of the game I think. The only reason I played Tales of Symphonia 2 was to see what the characters from Symphonia 1 were doing (I went in to it with better intentions with that, but that game was weeeeeak). In terms of what they might be doing, I could see them popping in for assisting in certain battles, kind of like what the main characters from the Lord of the Rings books/movies popping in at parts in LotR The Third Age.

No matter what, I think this game would do well. You've got the right mind for making it great, whatever it winds up being. Good luck!

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