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[seltaire]

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWPIbLWWKyY&feature=player_embedded
KICKSTARTER: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seltaire/americana-dawn
HOMEPAGE: americanadawn.bitbonton.com

Hi! My name is Max and I was a bored lass who has an obsession with the 18th Century. So I started a joke project set during the era and it gradually evolved in an epic Japanese-style RPG done in a semi-retro style … set during 18th Century Colonial American during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

The game was heavily inspired by older JRPGs like Genso Suikoden I&II, Final Fantasy III, though it tries to take a "edutainment" aspect by keeping the game as historically accurate as possible. It include your "standard" RPG battle system, but also duels and large scale war systems. There is also an extensive journal with hundreds of pages filled with the main character's reactions, clarifications or explanations for concepts and historical events in greater detail.

I recently set up a Kickstarter page for it, and there is thirteen days left to reach the target goal ... It is very difficult because the game is freeware, yet I want to compensate the artists, composers and programmer who helped me. It is very important that the game remains free because it started when I lost my seat to study abroad at Cambridge because of financial difficulties ... So I wanted to create a game that was not only fun for me to make, and fun for people to play - and just as important, encourage me and others to learn more about history!


And to me, I just wanted as many people to experience and learn as much as possible - which is why I am not going to charge for me no matter what it takes. I have two odd jobs to pay it off, but ontop of my triple major, the hours I clock in is not enough, so if anyone would like to support this project, I would be very happy! I feel very embarassed it has to come to this because I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible, but I wanted to ask for the bare minimum and hopefully fund the rest myself ...





A new chapter of history has begun with the age of discovery, the age of empires and the birth of the spirit Rarascau in the land Tsenacommacah. He is among the last of his kind, a dying race of beings who borrow their likeness from humans. Cursed with immortality that can only be undone by despair, they lend their power to the numerous civilizations of the world. Through spear, sword, and gun; their presence is timeless, they are the Keepers.

After being spirited away by one such being, Rarascau was renamed “Alfred” and was left in the care of the English colonists at Roanoke, only to watch the inhabitants vanish, then to Jamestown, to witness the Massacre of 1622 and, finally, to Plymouth. However, with the death of the settlers’ mediator, Squanto, nowhere was safe from the tumultuous skirmishes of the New World.

As a result, Alfred was hidden deep within Shenandoah Valley. One mishap after another, he found himself alone in the wilderness … for 133 years.

With the Keepers of the British Empire away in Europe, Alfred was asked to fight on under the colonists’ banner after the eruption of the French and Indian War. However, nearly a century of isolation had preserved his childlike innocence. Through twenty-eight years of countless trials, Alfred would transform from an innocent, gentle lamb, into a Tyger who would bear his fangs at the world’s greatest power.



Genre: Japanese-Style RPG, Strategy, Historical FictionLength: 30 HR
Demo Release: July 4th, 2012
Full Release: Winter 2012
Rating Recommendation: T. Strong language and violence
Price: Freeware  /  Platform: PC


Battle System: a dynamic system that utilizes classes based on historical unit. Unlike most Japanese-styled RPGs, this game does not utilize magic (George Washington summoned LEVIATHAN ... yeah, no). The classes totes a concise range of skill sets, but strategic.

Dueling: a throwback to Genso Suikoden I-II and Secret of Monkey Island.

Large-Scale War System: In progress

Journal: discusses the historical facts in greater detail or clarifies any errors or inaccuracies within the game

[justinlee999]

I would like to ask why are there Japanese characters when you're in fact an American and this is a game about America, not Japan.

Also I'd bet that this was made in one of the RPG Makers.

[seltaire]

It's a tribute to old Super Nintendo Japanese-style RPGs and their logos like Final Fantasy.

[G-Flex]

I would like to ask why are there Japanese characters when you're in fact an American and this is a game about America, not Japan.

Also I'd bet that this was made in one of the RPG Makers.

I am in fact getting a very strong RPG Maker vibe from this. Not like that's illegal or anything; I've known people to sell RPG Maker games commercially, and it at least can be legal.

[MrWiggles]

Does the Bay12 forum have a rep for Indy games? This seems to getting more and more frequent.

Also that house interior doesn't strike as 17th century colonial American in style, it seems rather generic jrpg-ish, which from what little been given about the game contradicts its relying on the history of the era's it's sit in.

And the perspective looks really fucked. What perspective is that?

I would like to ask why are there Japanese characters when you're in fact an American and this is a game about America, not Japan.

Also I'd bet that this was made in one of the RPG Makers.

Teen Titans was made in America, and it has an anime style, Totally Spy has an anime style and it was made in England.
The fact of where you live doesn't prevent you from using any particular art style and nothing stopping you, from using any particular art style for any era or culture.

[Kusgnos]

I would like to ask why are there Japanese characters when you're in fact an American and this is a game about America, not Japan.

Also I'd bet that this was made in one of the RPG Makers.

It doesn't look like there are any Japanese characters. It looks more like he created a JRPG set in historical America, which is exactly what he said he did. I think it's actually kind of cute. I don't think I've seen anything quite like that before. And besides, don't you think it's terribly silly to say that one's nationality should define one's creative boundaries?

If it was made in one of the RPG Makers, then the author's put enough time into it to make it look significantly different from most RPG Maker games. The art is utterly different from the default that I remember.

I'm interested to see what direction this will go.

[Enzo]

(gah ninja'd x3)

First post asking for money is kind of bad form, but I'll let it slide as the game looks cool.

I would like to ask why are there Japanese characters when you're in fact an American and this is a game about America, not Japan.

I don't see any Japanese people. I see white people in the style of SNES JRPGs.

This game looks great, actually, but... isn't Kickstarter for getting big projects off the ground? This game sounds like it's mostly complete. If the kickstarter doesn't reach it's goal, what are the consequences? Looks like it's getting released, freeware, regardless. I'm all for donating for a freeware game that I've played and know to be great, so please don't assume I'm just being cheap, but I'm always hesitant to throw money at prospective entertainment. Basically I just want to know what the point of running a Kickstarter is for a game like this. Are you just broke? It's OK to say you're broke.

[justinlee999]

It's a tribute to old Super Nintendo Japanese-style RPGs and their logos like Final Fantasy.

Well I guess you have a reason there, but it's a pet peeve of mine when plenty of RPG Maker projects have Japanese characters stuck in there for no reason, makes it look very amateur-ish, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

G-Flex: I didn't say it's illegal, it is perfectly legal provided you paid for RPG Maker. Also this game is free, so...

Also uh, I didn't mean "characters" as in people, I meant word characters, to clear up any confusion there guys.

[Enzo]

Also uh, I didn't mean "characters" as in people, I meant word characters, to clear up any confusion there guys.

Heh, my bad. I missed the tiny text on the logo.

[Knight of Fools]

This actually looks pretty sweet.

Color me interested.

[Muz]

Does the Bay12 forum have a rep for Indy games? This seems to getting more and more frequent.

Bay12 does pop up very high on google as a forum for games. I noticed that when you post a link to a game from here, the site's owners themselves will come to visit the forum. And IMO, I prefer B12 forums as a source of game info over SA or Tigsource. But maybe it's just me, because a forum based on a game I like is going to have the same tastes in games as me.

But anyway, yeah, the game in OP looks like it's made in the new RPGMakers. Not that it's really a bad thing, looks like quite a lot of effort's been put into the game lore and the graphics.

[Haschel]

It says the game is meant to be freeware, so it's not like he's trying to sell it to anyone... Well, with the exception of looking for donations via Kickstarter. It looks like quite a bit of effort has gone into the game though, and it does look pretty neat. Hopefully it actually gets fleshed out into something we can get our hands on.

[Hanzoku]

This looks like an interesting idea - I'm going to keep an eye out for it when you're ready with a playable version. In the meantime, good luck with kickstarter!

[lordcooper]

I was gonna chew you out for signing up to advertise, but this game actually looks pretty cool.  I'm gonna donate a few quid if you can tell us why you need the money and what it'll be going towards.  I don't really have any preference on what it goes towards, just kinda curious.

Also, have you considered implementing some form of guild bank?

[Neonivek]

I was gonna chew you out for signing up to advertise, but this game actually looks pretty cool.  I'm gonna donate a few quid if you can tell us why you need the money and what it'll be going towards.  I don't really have any preference on what it goes towards, just kinda curious.

Also, have you considered implementing some form of guild bank?

It is possible that the kickstarter is just to earn money

The concequence being that he doesn't release it because he earned no money or releasing it and charging people.