MrBekkler Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hello, OCRemix! My name is Mr Bekkler, and I am leading a team of Chrono fans in the development of a fan game called Chrono Shift. We're nearing the point where we need to get the soundtrack set in stone, and I thought it might be fun to get some original compositions for the soundtrack instead of using all remixes. Unfortunately our development is on the down-low because we're trying to avoid a cease and desist from the IP's parent company, Square Enix. Luckily, we are using Rpg Maker for the game and over 90% of the resources have been modified so we don't think it's likely. Also, we are all working for free, and the game will be free of charge (completely non-profit), so that means we won't be able to pay, but we can give credit in the game's introduction and during the end credits to all contributors. We do have some tracks from OCRemix in the demo, which we didn't expect to be very popular, but it has now received over 6200 downloads on Rpgmaker.net. Obviously this has surpassed our expectations. We're trying to figure out which remixes we want to keep in the full game so we can get the blessing of the artists who created them, but meanwhile, we are looking for more content. Links The game will be hosted on its page on Rpgmaker.net, and the demo is also available here. I have a youtube video of the demo .Our development takes place on this site in a hidden sub-forum. All contributors to the project will be asked to keep all plot developments and graphics secret and will be given access to the hidden content. There is a sub-forum for the game on the Chrono Compendium as well, though it is a little out of date. You can view it here. Art Official character art is by LadyMarle, and is hosted on her deviantart and tumblr pages, but here is the playable cast: Norstein: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/norsteinfinalweb.jpg Rush: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/rushfinal2web.jpg Taven: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/tavenfinalweb.jpg Sierra: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/sierrafinalweb.jpg Peddlar: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/peddlerfinalweb1.jpg Kiljoy: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/kiljoyfinalweb1.jpg and the Full Cast: http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b213/nereidseraphim/Artworks/Chrono%20Shift/chronoshift.jpg What we're looking for: We're trying to take full advantage of RpgMaker's abilities (while dealing with its restrictions creatively) and that means we are able to have a high quality mp3 soundtrack instead of the usual midi soundtrack required for older games. The visual style is similar to Chrono Trigger but without the color limitations of the snes. What I am looking for, then, is music similar in style to Yasunori Mitsuda, the composer of the Chrono series, in some varying genres. Genres For the regular game, we're dealing with one era, the Dark Ages of Chrono Trigger (15 years prior, making this game a prequel), and we have several continents, each with a different genre. There are two continents with magic users, Zeal and a "secret place". Zeal should have more of an eastern oriental/world music feel. The "secret" continent will have more of an ethereal feel, maybe sort of a modern orchestra mixed with electronic sounds. There are two continents with Earthbound, people who cannot use magic. One (Alghetty) should feel almost gaelic or irish, similar to Chrono Cross's soundtrack. The other (Vallis) should feel more primitive and savage, like a high quality take on Chrono Trigger's prehistory era. The battle music will be intense remixes, as long as we can get permission. Things like Nekofrog's "Fight For Our Future" and OA's "Thrash's Snakebone Pit". It doesn't have to be metal, it just has to be fast-paced and intense. The magic users in the game will have bigger techs than those of Chrono Trigger or Chrono Cross, and the music will rotate so that it's not the same one song over and over again. We might use some pieces from Mitsuda's albums Kirite and Creid, and less recognizable music from some of his other game compositions, like Shadow Hearts or the Xeno series. We might also ask permission to use some of Chrono Symphonic and others from OCRemix. So, if anyone is interested in working on an original Chrono-inspired composition for the project and joining the Day-Dream Team, feel free to reply to this thread, or PM me, or visit any of the other sites I linked (Chrono Compendium, Rpgmaker.net, Verve Fanworks, Youtube, etc) and contact me. We don't have a solid deadline but ideally we will be releasing the game before Christmas 2012. If you have any questions I haven't already answered, just ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuberz McGee Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Okay. I know that many people would be interested (Myself Included) so I was wondering about a few things. If the graphical quality is being limited to the SNES then why is the audio not being limited to it also? What would the rough estimate be for the number of themes to be composed? Is this a 'One person does the lot' type thing? If so is there an audition process? While you've done at excellent job at setting this out. There is still that information that needs to be addressed. Either way. Happy hunting. I'm definitely interested. - Callum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBekkler Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks for replying, Callum! The graphic and audio restrictions are set by the engine, and we're just trying to produce the highest quality game as possible with the engine that we've been using, switching engines or building one from scratch would mean more work and time than a fan project can usually survive (5-10 years). If it was practical for us to have full HD 3d textured and shaded graphics I would prefer that route, but we're taking the road that will actually get the game finished in a reasonable amount of time. The music in a game can drive the emotion and set the tone for the story better than the dialogue and visuals can, and I feel like with a straight midi soundtrack we wouldn't get nearly the same emotions or atmosphere as is possible with a wav or mp3 soundtrack. I haven't divulged much of the story because the team and I are trying to keep spoiler leaks to a bare minimum, but I can say that it's intended for a more adult audience than Chrono Trigger. While it has lighthearted moments and several homages and references to the other Chrono games, some parts of the story are fairly dark and twisted. Essentially our target audience is ourselves, twenty-somethings who grew up with the official games and are ready for something new and serious. I'd like the quality of the music to reflect that. While the game started as my little brain-child, it's evolved into a large project, and as such I've allowed a lot of creative freedom on the parts of my writing partner Boo the Gentleman Caller and the team's head character artist LadyMarle, and I plan to extend that creative freedom to musical contributors as well. Basically you can take your role and run with it, interpret it your own way and make something beautiful that combines your signature style with the much-loved rpg series, without a lot of nitpicking or micromanaging (not that I won't provide direction; I absolutely will, but it won't be overbearing or obsessive by any means.) I really want Chrono Shift to feel like it's made by fans, for fans, and not just something one guy threw together (like the demo was), so I'm prepared to have a less traditional approach to submissions than a normal audition. I'd like to talk with those involved, get them involved with the plot, and really make sure they have a feel for what we're trying to achieve, so all those involved can expect a lot of back-and-forth chat. I don't disappear from the internet, and my email goes directly to my phone so any time someone replies to this thread, PMs me on OCRemix, the Compendium, or Verve Fanworks, I receive it almost instantaneously and can usually respond quickly. The audition process can be as simple as letting me or the team know that you're interested, and providing 1-3 tracks that you have already made as a sampling of your work (these can be remixes or originals, and do not have to conform to the genres or specifications of the project, they just need to show us that you're serious as well.) Depending on the amount of people who would like to join, the number of themes needed could go a few different ways. Ideally I'd really like to have as much original music as possible, but there are always remixes and other music sources available if there isn't enough original content for the entire soundtrack. There are quite a few openings, and my team and I are easy to please. If, say, twenty people are interested, we might have each person do one to two tracks. If there are six people interested, we could use as many as five or six tracks per person. If there's only one or two people, then there is a lot more wiggle room for who wants to compose what themes and how many is the max per person. None of this is set in stone, and if anyone wants to join or submit a track but doesn't want to commit to the project, that'd be fine too. I won't be picky about how much you want to know about the project once you're on (you can know everything or you can be kept in the dark as much as possible to avoid spoilers). Hopefully that answers a few questions. I'm sorry I can't be more specific about what we need at the moment but I think specifics will depend entirely on the amount of interest generated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuberz McGee Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 It's VERY obvious that you're passionate about this. Rightly so. The Chrono Series really deserves some more releases. Expect a PM soon. - Callum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBekkler Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 I agree, the Chrono Series really needs more releases that are legitimately playable and finished. Sorry if I'm a bit wordy sometimes. Passion doth flow verily! Thank you for the PM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Eluryahn Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This does interest me as well. I haven't done much remixing, but I'll send you a couple samples of music once I have a moment to slow down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBekkler Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Excellent, Eluryahn! I can't wait to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBekkler Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Thanks for your submission Eluryahn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBekkler Posted March 6, 2012 Author Share Posted March 6, 2012 We are no longer taking submissions. If more help is needed we'll revisit this thread. Thank you, OCRemix, for your time and help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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