Bushido - Visual Development Document

Visual Development & Problem solving

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Center for Literature and Arts Fine Arts School Visual Communication Department - BAV Senior graduation project for Bachelor in Visual Communication Design, Fall 2014.

BUSHIDO - Visual Development & Problem Solving

by Tamires Parรก Pedroso supervisor Leonardo Ventapane

To Kurtchekov, Whose endless goodwill and companionship helped me to this point.

Rejoice, for this moment is also yours.

Thank you for everything.

To Young Mind Studio and its crew, who, unflinching, walked side by side with me towards success.

This victory is also yours.

To my mother who, despite all disagreements, stood by my side till the end.

Thank you for everything.

Summary abstract INTRODUCTION 1.PRE-PRODUCTION

1.1 THE IDEA 1.1.1 PROPOSAL 1.1.2 REFERENCES

1.2 THE CONCEPT 1.2.1 SYNTHESIS 1.2.2 SCRIPTWRITING 2. PRODUCTION

2.1 game design

1.2.1 GAME MECHANICS 2.1.1.1 MOVEMENT

2.1.1.2 Non Player Character (NPC) INTERACTION 2.1.1.3 environment INTERACTION

2.1.1.4 Quick Time Events (QTE)

2.2 VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

2.2.1 graphic style 2.2.2 CHARACTERS 2.2.3 ENVIRONMENTS

2.2.4 COLOR AND ATMOSPHERE 2.2.5 storyboard 3. BIBLIOGRAPHY 4. GLOSSARY 5. EXTRA CONTENT

5.1 SCRIPT

Abstract

This senior project will cover the pre production and concept art developed for the game Bushido, which is currently being made by a team with different fields of study. It will include style research which will base artistic decisions that will influence the player`s experience and how the story of the game will be told, among others. Besides that, it will discuss the visual solutions used to help other departments on the team during meetings, the team interactions and dynamic during the production since all members have different backgrounds.

When it comes to pre production, it was up to me to decide the reference gathering methods together with the advisor of this project, taking inspiration from similar professional multidisciplinary of the same size and noticeable commercial success.

After this semester, I realized that many decisions were taken with the technical limitations of the team in mind and our ability to communicate more with less work time. Interdepart-

mental communication also became something important, since the simple and fast visual execution by the visual team has solved a good share of production miscommunications. In a next project, the focus will be in guaranteeing clear communication between the departments of the team, to avoid wasted time and misunderstandings. Also, we will seek to assure that every coworker performs within his area of expertise because, although learning is important during any project, the additional cost for that would turn production not viable. It is advisable to point out the massive use of English terms from this point on, which happens due to many of those words being technical terms of the industry (the specific meanings of those words will be on the Glossary of this text) and other words being pre established terms for inter department communication.

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Introduction

The purpose of this text is to guide the reader about the creation process involved on the production of the game Bushido. As noted before, such project requires specific knowledge from various areas, hence the need of a full team, named Young Mind Studio, composed by four members: one programmer, Pedro Dalcin; one screenwriter, Eduardo Mello; one 3D artist, Lucas Franco; and myself as art director and 2D artist (Fig.1). It will be made available as an attachment the texts and decisions made by the other members as this book deals only about the art direction and illustrations.

The prime concept for this project born from a discipline on the UFRJ Visual Design and Communication Project course, tutored by professor advisor Leonardo Ventapane, who helped me with the more metaphysical aspects of making a project like this; after reading papers about conceptual art, installation and performance art, he suggested I look for a “purpose”, something mundane that we could base this project on. I chose my personal experience of living in Gainesville, Florida during my exchange studies funded by Science Without Borders Program. During my time under Ventapane’s guidance, I have developed several applications and installations that alluded to an “internal” navigable space – the designer’s gut instinct, that could be treated as any cyclical space. By harnessing this “purpose” in installation form, I decided to add the complexity of a user to the equation. After checking in with my supervisor and my team about this basic paradigm I had found, we decided to face the challenge of creating a game that would work as a basic proof of concept: where we designed the user experience to be unique and, at the same time, cyclical.

1.Pre-production

1.1 THE IDEA 1.1.1 PROPOSAL

Bushido is a Japanese word, meaning “path of the warrior”. It’s a Japanese code of conduct, a way of life for the Samurai; concepts like living with only a few possession, fidelity to your baron, mastery of martial arts, honor that must be achieved at any cost. Above all else, a follower of the Bushido code must preserve the honor of his ancestors; they must seek their own path to mastery, surpassing common men; and to cease the day, to live today without worry of tomorrow.

The game Bushido fits within the definition of a Visual Novel, a genre of games that is common in Japan, and focuses on the plot and story; players follow along with a myriad of text, music and images. The objective of our game is to provide a distinctive experience each time it is played. Character lines will change each time the game

is played, although the general context of in-game choices will remain the same.

To achieve this, the game’s core is shaped on a immutable path. The player must, in order to play, realize that “men must shape their own way. The moment you see the way in everything you do, you will become the way” (Musashi, “The Book of Five Rings”).

In this genre, actions are a collateral effect from the emotions that envelop the players during the experience of play.

In Bushido’s narrative, the player is a Samurai, who must choose a weapon of preference, with a mission to fulfill; as a follower of the Bushido code, your character must master all paths offered to him, be it the Way of the Sword (Katana), the Way of Balance (Bo) or the Way of the

Fig. 1: Young Mind Studio development crew

Arts (Fude). The choice of your path provides different ways of interaction with NPCs and the game’s story. Other characters that exist in this story are the Wife, the Straw Hat and the Youkai (which is a class of supernatural creatures originating from Japanese folklore, usually having some sort of spiritual or demonic power).

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There are three main events that define the three narrative arcs of this experience: the encounter between the Samurai and the Straw Hat Samurai (a wandering samurai); the kidnapping of the Samurai’s Wife by the Youkai; and the journey the Samurai will have to go through to earn the skills necessary to rescue his Wife.

Due to time constraints, I propose this document will address only the segment of the story until the Wife gets kidnapped by the Youkai, since the team has agreed to make this project an episodic release. In practical terms, this decision lowers production cost and makes the conclusion of this project viable so we can submit it to big publishers like Steam, or even publish ourselves via a crowdfunding campaign.

Fig. 3: A screenshot of the game Journey, created in 2012.

1.1.2 REFERENCES Every successful graphic project, regardless of its final medium of resolution, is the result of a deep, extensive research process. Developing a game is no different. Thus, before committing fully to an idea, it was extremely important to expand my visual lexicon so that the brainstorm phase of this project would flow constantly, uninterrupted. The analysis of different art forms, like installation, print art, movies and graphic novels, instigates me to push the project further and remove myself from my own thoughts, gaining some perspective. When I find something I want to add, I try to put myself on the position of the user and think about their experience, and how I can design it to better deliver my message.

It’s worth noting that the points I make below are just my personal opinion, and they provide a fast, deep decoding of personal codes laid out in some of those references.

These allowed me to observe big relationships between different things instantly, and allowed me to provide the team with more specific, structured ideas on our group meetings.

“Melancholia”, Lars von Trier, 2008, movie: what really hit home for me was the determinism, the idea that things are unchangeable and we have no agency, our actions have no meaning or weight. In this movie, the world is about to end, no matter what happens, its inhibitors are left waiting for the final moment. In

Bushido, like this movie, the player cannot escape the game’s own limitations and interaction modes. It is a mediated experience, after all, and the players is always bound to his mission, his destiny.

“Dogville”, Lars von Trier, 2003, movie: this movie explicits the dichotomy between the perceived (lived) space and designed space, the plot happens in between a theatre set (without furniture or background) and “where the story should be happening”. There is a constant interplay between reality and fantasy, which confuses the viewer when we try to learn which is which.

“Pina”, Wim Wenders, 2011, 3D documentary: this movie is packed with visual and conceptual metaphors, some which I would like to translate to the game. One of them is the piece Cafe Mueller: the dancers move in a tiresome, repetitive pattern, and they also have one of their senses blocked out. The segment when the dancers are blind resonated with me and it spoke as if humanity also wandered, blind, through their lives without any perspective (Fig. 2). In Bushido, the actions generated by the player will influence their own awareness of the game, such as: whenever the Samurai, at a key point of the story, finds out his Wife has been kidnapped, the screen blanks out, the camera shakes, all silhouettes

blur out, designing a disorienting experience for the user.

“Black Swan”, Darren Aronofsky, 2010, movie: the confusion between reality and a dream-like space, experienced by the main character, really caught my eye. There are three elements that are part of the main character, and at the end, become one: the “white swan” (child-like personality), the “black swan” (her repressed sexuality) and the masterpiece itself, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, where both personalities merge and become

Fig 2: the movie Pina explores, using synesthesias and compositions, human “blindness”.

something unique.

“Journey”, Thatgamecompany, 2012, video game: the idea of playing a multiplayer online game without having any way to communicate with the people you’re playing with, in game or else, blew my mind and made me question exactly how did people get around this or just surrendered to it. Each journey (Fig. 3) the player goes through has the same goal

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Fig. 4: Musashi, the main character in Vagabond.

(crossing the desert to reach a beam of light), however what (or, even better, who) the player encounters during their journey is what really makes that path unique and characteristic.

Each player has a unique perspective of their interaction; and the anonymity of it all is surprising. To me, it is the perfect embodiment of the concept of “we are all one”, having the same goal and existing in the same truth.

“Vagabond”, Takehiko Inoue, 1998-2010, manga: Vagabond tells the story of legendary swordsman Musashi (Fig. 4), his internal struggles (specifically with trying to figure out what “strength” is) and his duels with other legendary swordsmen of his time. This manga introduces the concept of a “Spiral of Hate and Killing”, which Musashi embodies in his trajectory; it is all he knows, it is what his primordial senses tell him to conquer, achieving the title of “strongest swordsman”. During the span of this story, he meets so many amazing men that he feels pressured to expand

his horizons and question where he belongs in the world (how can he be one with all? How can all be one?). In Bushido, the player is introduced to several plot lines he can choose, all of them seeking to balance the user’s choices. The Samurai, in this case, is able to choose the Katana as his starting item, but he is still able to choose a peaceful path in his journey. In addition to that, Vagabond has inspired the introspective feel of Bushido, as the Samurai’s thoughts are narrated during the adventure.

not, the player is able to connect with it in an almost platonic way, without physical contact, just through the players’ empathy.

“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood”, Hiromu Arakawa, 2001-2010, manga: this manga was, undoubtedly, the main inspiration for Bushido.

In the manga (and TV adaptation), It tells the story of Ed and Al, alchemist brothers that, after performing a taboo human transmutation, they gain access to what the author calls the “Gate of Truth”. It contains all the knowledge of the world, but it can only be accessed by alchemists who pay a toll. In the case of Ed and Al, they paid with their own bodies. To me, the series ending is very cathartic as it expresses very poignantly the importance of accepting one’s human limitations (we will never be able to escape our own frail, limited senses). Ed, to save his brother Al, performs a human transmutation on himself and, when facing the “Gate of Truth”, he sacrifices his ability to perform Alchemy (i.e., the only tool he could use to get closer to the “Truth”). He recognizes his role as a simple human, vulnerable and flawed. This understanding is crucial for survival, and this reasoning will serve me well for my project.

“Tekken Torture Tournament”, Eddo Stern, 2007, installation art: In this instalation, Eddo Stern attached an electric shock-emitting sensor to Tekken 3 console controllers. He also gathered a group of people to run a “tournament” where people would play the hacked game.

Every time the game’s avatar receives damage, the player experiences an electric shock (Fig. 5). The genius of this work, to me, is how Stern uses virtual space to trick the players’ senses (the avatar is not real, but the player develops a cathartic link with it because both are “feeling” the same pain). It doesn’t matter if the avatar is real or

Fig. 5: Eddo Stern’s installation set up for Tekken Torture Tournament

“Is your red the same as my red?”, Michael Stevens, 2013, video: this video offered me relevant points to question what we understand as our senses, and just how personal they are instead of universal (Fig. 6). It is also valid to point out the importance of communication in enabling designers like me to create catharsis/ empathy in other people. Here is an example: I cannot sympathize with somebody that says they are “sad” if I do not know what that word means. Body language, among other things, would help me figure it out, but for the purpose of this project I would like think of it through a lens of a designed virtual space, commanded by interfaces. The easiest way to not fall on what I consider an unsolvable puzzle would be to, at least, utilize text as a means for communication (it is also a very well tested option to solve this problem). However, you would still need to understand the code to decipher the message being communicated. If we perceive things differently as humans (as in the color red example) and we can’t really exchange information about those experiences without said code, how is it even possible to solve this matter?

Possibly the most important aesthetic reference present in this project. This publication explains all the stylistic choices Hans Bacher used when art directing the movie “Mulan”. He based most of his choices in Chinese art history and ancient legends. It became clear to me that, as the art director for Bushido, I would have to go as deep into my research, as well as be mindful of aspects I wanted to exaggerate or tone down, and its effects on the final product. Having such a valuable document gave me a point of reference when comparing the planning for the movie and the actual experience of it.

Fig. 6: Color relativeness in different brains, as supposed by Michael Stevens.

Mulan Style Guide, Hans Bacher, 1995, book:

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1.2 THE CONCEPT During the exchange of the Science Without Borders Program that I participated in, I was exposed to a variety of different experiences and cultures, of which installation and experience design were extremely relevant parts.

As designers, we deal with space all the time, whether it’s two-dimensional or three-dimensional, but we rarely deal with our own space, internal and external. We are one type of interface, in fact, the greatest one. There are aspects, variables that change from human being to human being, that affect our goals as designers. Being open to questioning this impulse, this aspect that is neither aesthetic or functional, is what underlies my quest to first understand this feeling and, subsequently, apply it in my creations as a designer. We work often in a Manichean view of design as a tool of control, of manipulation when often its true power seems to reside in its questioning and revolutionary attribute. This approach focuses on the translation perspective of the personal and human experience of the designer to a multifaceted audience who is in search of new experiences.

1.2.1 SYNTHESIS

The story of the game is set in pre-Meiji Revolution Japan, when the samurai still wandered the country in the name of the Way of the Sword and the bearing of white arms was not against the law. However, it happens in a historical-fantastic universe, in which historical reality is magnified by the addition of supernatural elements, such as traditional Japanese demons.

In this story, the Samurai, married to the Wife, is returning home after a visit to a Buddhist temple to ask his ancestors for luck.

He follows a muddy road to a nearby bridge, which crosses the Kohaku River, and which he needs to cross to approach his property.

On the bridge, he meets the Straw Hat, a ronin (errant samurai who failed to follow the

Bushido code) from the north of the country. The player then has a range of choices to determine the type and level of interaction it will have with the Straw Hat, and whether it is positive or negative.

After the meeting, the Samurai follows the same road until arriving at his property, reflecting on the meeting he just had. In a clearing, hidden in the high woods, is the Youkai, who had observed everything. It soon disappears, and the Samurai gets more and more confused. When he finally arrives at his destination, he interacts with its Wife. These interactions will vary according to the choices made at the meeting with the Straw Hat. Suddenly, coming from a cloud of smoke, the Youkai invades the Samurai’s property and abducts his wife, leaving him in despair as he watches the love of his life being carried on a black cloud across the sky. Your only choice? Go after the Youkai and rescue your Wife.

The story will be continued in subsequent episodes.

1.2.2 SCENE AND SCRIPT DIAGRAM The script, developed by Eduardo Mello, had an explanatory flowchart (Fig. 7) so that the rest of the team could visually understand all the narrative lines in the project. This was of paramount importance to the programmer, for example, who could sort all Quick Time Events sequentially and categorize them by scene. When it comes to a narrative with three great story arcs and several micro-choices, Eduardo was responsible for predicting and designing what these micro-choices are and how the team can take advantage of all its resources to increase the immersion in the game. The full script is in the appendix to this project.

Fig. 7: Main scene and events diagram for Bushido.

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2.Production 2.1 game design 2.1.1 game mechanics

2.1.1.1 movement

The game mechanic was designed by programmer Pedro Dalcin in conjunction with screenwriter Eduardo Mello. It has been decided that the player can control the character as it moves through the scenario.

The camera will be partially fixed and scene dependent, and the movement will take place through conventional directional keys (keyboard, d-pad and sticks). The Samurai will have a medium to low speed mobility, to provide greater appreciation of scenery and experience. (Fig. 8)

2.1.1.2 non player character interaction The player can initialize conversations with characters that he encounters during his journey, being able to select between options of dialogues to better understand the narrative. (Fig. 9)

2.1.1.3 environment interaction`

The player can interact with some objects in the scenario. Not necessarily these add to the story, but they help in the creation of climate and add to the reality of the experience (Fig. 10).

2.2 arte

2.1.1.4 Quick time events (Qte) Fig. 8: Diagram of Samurai’s movement options, designed to clarify the team.

During cinematic scenes or even in conversations, “quick time event” (QTE) options may appear so that the player changes the course of the scene or advances through the scene. (Fig. 11)

2.2.1 graphic style

To decide the style of the game, a stylistic mood board was set up general with references ranging from traditional Japanese paintings (sumi-e) to modern Japanese animations and fan art. (Fig. 12) In all of it, the simplicity of the use of the lines and masses of tones was an aspect that will be adopted in the art of the game, along with monochromatic tones (at first).

Fig. 11: QTEs and player’s reaction possibilities.

Fig. 12: inspirational moodboard for the art team, developed by the art director.

Fig. 10: Interactivity between the Samurai and the environment around.

Fig. 9: Interactivity between the Samurai and other NPCs.

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Then, I decided to interpolate two different styles: the first one, which will be present in the initial phase of the game, will be formed of simple outlines, in gray tones. (Fig. 13)

Fig. 13: First style choice in flat gray tones. Main concern was readability.

As the player explores the world and history, colors will begin to appear and the silhouettes containing the shapes in the black and white version would “open” with light. (Fig. 14) After some thinking (Fig. 15), I chose to use only the flat sumi-e style with punctual additions of color in a more graphic style, almost Sin City-like, in which the interactivity and proportion of existing colors would be directly linked to the player’s behavior and choices during the game. The player would never have the opportunity to return to the map to see the “colorization” happen and the team agreed to add an additional emotional feature to the color. (Figs 16, 18) Fig. 14: visual styles that were not used due to production complexity.

It was decided that some elements of the game, like the characters, would be worked in 3D and would interact with the 2D scenario. The textures of the models in question will have the

responsibility of integrating them into the 2D environment, in both styles previously described.

Moving from the preliminary phase of pre-production, in which we seek to discover how the visual language of the game would be, we enter the production phase; at this moment, I would stop my visual conceptualization work and would work side-by-side with the 3D modeler, generating visual guides to assist in the construction of three-dimensional elements.

We dedicated some art team meetings to adjust the “language” we would use with each other: it is a different stage of conceptual art work, in which the professional needs to create a vocabulary of signs to communicate with the team quickly and effectively (Figures 26 and 27). I found, after going through this process, three different stakeholders that I need to take into account:

terpret reality around us and try to recreate the sense of ” truth “that it passes us under a new, exciting and very own logic” . All my visual research in this way must support a new created universe, which must be “logical” enough to sustain the illusion of reality. As a conceptual artist, I had in mind exactly the aesthetics I wanted; I knew it was a bold style and would probably generate some discomfort in space ¹ HUSTON, STEVE. “An introduction to Art Philosophy by Steve Huston”. New Master’s Academy.

Disponível em:<http://www.newmastersacademy.org/ introduction-art-philosophy/>.Acesso em: 9 fev. 2015.

1.The creation of images that guide the artist himself (Fig. 12, 15); 2. The creation of images that guides the team (Fig. 26, 27); and 3. The creation of images that denotes the final appearance of the game for the public (Fig. 13, 16).

However, after all this planning, you need to test the newly created visual language within the virtual environment. Steve Huston, painter and founder of New Masters Academy, says that “as image thinkers, we inFig. 16: Example of how color would be used in the game with flat tone style (black-white-gray).

Fig. 15: Studies of visual styles that were discarded during a team meeting.

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navigation, since the style relies heavily on a few shades of gray, and its blending to me is the most special thing about my research.

I was willing to sacrifice the gameplay for aesthetics. My team werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. After a heated meeting, we analyzed the latest game compilation the programmer had generated with the files I had sent him. While for me it was perfect (the tree planes were merging with each other organically, the parallax effect reinforced the third dimension of the scene while the artistic style flattened it again), there were strong disagreements with the rest of the team. For them, confusing the elements of the scenario would create a sense of confusion in the player, which would be amplified when we introduced the character (and he would be merging with the background as well). The programmer then did one more test with another shader for the 3D objects (Fig. 17)

Fig. 17: shader test done by the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmer with textures hand-painted by myself.

1. There would not be enough manpower to finish the game being fully 2D. The launch would be in January / 2015 and it had taken me a week to complete a background design. I still had at least 30.

That made production unfeasible.

2. We entered into an agreement regarding the 3D shader that would be used: no contours, only shades. If it did not work, I would look for a solution with the textures for 3D models, which I was also responsible for

2.2.2 CHARACTERs This satisfied the rest of the team, but it was all I did not want to do, and suddenly I began to see the project go out of my control. It took me some time after the meeting to reflect and think that maybe that was really a big problem, but that it needed another solution.

After that meeting, it had become clear to me that Bushido would no longer be a 2D game with 3D elements; instead it would be a 3D game with 2D elements.

At first, as outlined in part 2.3 of this document, the story consists of four characters: the Samurai, who is the avatar of the player; the Straw Hat, a ronin (wandering samurai who has lost his honor); a Woman, wife of the Samurai; and the Youkai, archenemy of the Samurai and a distinct being.

Feeling the tension in the team, the programmer proposed at the next meeting a group dynamic in which each member would talk uninterruptedly about what they thought the project was currently, and their opinion of the course it was taking.

When we did, some aspects were clarified:

Before starting to draw, we made this board (Fig. 19) which contains relevant information about the four characters in terms of design, personality and story arc.

Fig. 18: possible in-game color use, discarded by the team.

I had to take into account several aspects for each character: the basic shapes that would compose their silhouettes, how the silhouette chosen would interact with that of the other

Fig. 19: reference and characteristics board of all the main characters in Bushido.

characters and how much the references would influence the design for each one of them.

After several team evaluations and iterations of each character, we came to a consensus of what they would be. The following pages show the research and visual development of each character.

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Fig. 20: Imagens que mostram o progresso do desenvolvimento dos personagens durante as reuniþes, começando com pequenas silhuetas e evoluindo para forma, cor e design.

These images (Fig. 20) were presented weekly in meetings with the team, where changes were suggested until a final design could be reached. (Fig. 21) Once this initial character development phase was “finished” (it would only be so if the design was tested by the 3D modeler, before that there was room for change), I did model sheets (Fig. 22) to guide the 3D modeler in proportions of the characters so he could give his views on the design.

After this test, the designs were approved and it was possible to start exploring the game’s scenarios and establishing interdependence between these and the characters.

Fig. 21: Final designs of the main characters of Bushido. First, in line art (top), then in full color (middle) that were discarded as a style and finally in black-whitegray (bottom).

Fig. 22: Model sheets of all characters, made specifically for the team’s 3D modeller

2.2.3 environments The planning and production of the environments happened in conjunction with the production of the characters and while still choosing the graphic style of the game. In terms of production effectiveness and timing, this may be considered an error because several assets designed for the backgrounds were not used simply because they did not have the correct design language or were still in the old visual style.

However, we had never have produced a project of this scale, and these mistakes served as tests and inspired the team to shape in an increasingly specific way their own vision of the game. Thus, even though an image made in the old style can not be used in terms of production (Fig. 23), if it has the right atmosphere, it can be

Fig. 23: style test placing Bushido characters on a painted background from game Muramasa: Demon Blade as proof of concept.

reused by the team as part of a moodboard. The development of the backgrounds in the black-white-gray style became a challenge, since we wished that the aesthetics of the scenarios counterbalanced the Samurai’s presence in them during the player’s journey. Since I had a few shades to accentuate the differences in layout, lighting, and material characteristics, several attempts and mistakes were necessary (Fig. 24) for us to arrive at a small enough number of tones to keep the language visual simple but versatile enough to support the visual elements that would be represented.

There is also a desire, shared by myself and the team, to use the backgrounds as a surreal element that would express to the Fig. 24: Trial and errors to find the perfect balance for the number of tones in the background. Animation tests are here, here and here.

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Samurai what would be happening to him, according to his choices during the game.

In this sense, the use of color in the game and the design of the scenario are closely linked - these are ways we can “shape” this Samurai story in different ways and thus generate different experiences in the game (that way, generating a consequent increase in the game’s replayability). ` Widely, the pre-production of the environments began by establishing the existing sites during the first story arc: the Bridge, where the Samurai finds the Straw Hat; the Cherry Forest, where the Youkai appears for the first time; the Bamboo Forest, whose insertion in history is still being discussed; and the outer and inner parts of the House of the Samurai, where he meets the Wife. Instead of producing a moodbo-

ard, I decided to start with a floor plan map (Fig. 25), where I could think in general of the positioning of each instance and at the same time gather visual references for each ecosystem that would be represented - explanation of what I was thinking for the other team members.

Another issue that became apparent after the first meeting was the need to determine the camera angles in which the scenes would be painted, both for the concept art phase and for the production of the background itself (in order to calculate the size of the layers for parallax and the amount of 3D assets to be built later on).

As the team does not have physical space for face-to-face meetings, the distance caused a problem when describing camera movements in the x, y, and z axes. To

solve this problem, I compiled a heights map (Fig. 26) from the floor plan along with some camera-moving frames and separated some parts of that zoom (Fig. 27) into different vegetation niches within each event, to facilitate the investigation of the elements later in production. The positioning of the cameras was also key to locating larger scale elements to the map (the mountains to the north, the city to the south) in the deeper planes of the maps.

After this stage, I deepened the visual research of some different areas of the high relief map (Fig.28), such as Tall Grass and Deep Forest using a moodboard with references of Chinese and Japanese trees and gardens (Fig. 29).

Fig. 25: relief map diagram and visual inspiration for backgrounds.

Fig. 26: height map for the world of Bushido; red means high, yellow means sea level and blue means below sea level. To see a diagram that explains this further, click here.

2.2.4 ATMOSPHERE & COLOR One of the most important aspects to consider during the visual concept step is the “tone” the images would have on different moments. This was a concern since the beginning of character concepts. To do that, during one of the reunions, the team decided some essential events that need to be planned in terms of atmosphere, with or without color.

Those were: the Samurai meeting Straw Hat and the first encounter between the Samurai Fig. 27: Zoom from the scene the Samurai finds Straw Hat Samurai at the bridge. This image lays out 3 different cameras (animated here), generating 3 perspectives of said background for storytelling purposes.

Fig. 28: plant designs for environment, divided by plant niche (Tall Grass and Deep Forest).

Fig. 29: Environment inspiration moodboard.

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and the Youkai. (Fig.30) To this point, it was decided that the scenarios of the game would be dynamically builded, through code and programming. However, as we gave up the more detailed style, and thinking about the manipulation of the tones of the layers that would form the scenario, it became clear that its assembly should be manual, for a better control of the sensations that it would impose on the player. Speaking with the team programmer, we decided to use dynamical building only on elements that would repeat itself on some patterns at precise places, like vegetation. Elements that extend throughout the scene, like roads, the river, the floor and the sky will be painted by hand and all the other elements will have their tone modified according to these elements.

After all these visual explorations, and based on the script described in the annex to this text, the first scenario was set up in separate layers. It was agreed among the team members that each scene would have the length of 4.5 screens of the highest resolution medium we would use, in this case, iPad Retina, totaling a resolution of 9216x1536 pixels per scene. After this definition, I began to work on the layers of the scene corresponding to the first camera of Figure 27 (Fig. 31), using six shades of gray:

R 255 R 217 R 153 R 128 G 255 G 217 G 153 G 128 B 255 B 217 B 153 B 128

R 51 G 51 B 51

R0 G0 B0

Fig. 30: thumbnail paintings done to explore color palettes and lighting choices that I thought translated the feel of the game early on. To the right, the moment when the Samurai and the Straw Hat Samurai meet. To the left, the encounter between Samurai and Youkai.

Fig. 31: Studies in 6 tones of gray, alternating the tones of each layer to experiment with the atmosphere and readability of the main character in this environment.

2.2.5 storyboard

The storyboard is not yet complete since the game is still in production.

To produce this visual scheme, in one of the team’s face-to-face meetings, we discussed all camera angulations and scene sequences for dramatic input.

Fig. 32: possíveis loading screens para serem ativadas assim que o aplicativo do jogo é iniciado.

Fig. 33: sequência da logo e tela inicial do jogo, junto da tela de opções.

In figure 32, there are some drafts of the possible loading screens that will appear when the player opens the game application. These screens will offer different suggestions on how to play the game in terms of external environment (“enjoy the sunshine by playing Bushido near a window”) and with each application launch, there is a chance of loading screen to be different.

In Figure 33, after the loading screen, there will be a fade effect that will cover the black screen and then reveal the company logo.

After another fade, the name “Bushido” will appear with a Japanese door closed in the background, which may have texture depending on whether it is the first time the game is opened or if there is any new game saved in the application. Then there will be the game options selection screen, which can lead the player to start a new game, continue a saved game, configure the game options or exit the application. In Figure 34 there is the game options screen, which has some controls:

Fig. 34: camera movements and interactivity on the splash screen and cut scene.

Fig. 35: camera movement layout for initial cut scenes in the game.

narrator voice and ambient music volumes, subtitle activation, type of screen mode, an option to ignore the cutscenes already watched, and a customization option of the game’s navigation controls. If the “Continue” or “New Game” options are selected in the options screen, the camera zooms in toward the screen and the Japanese door opens, revealing the game itself (which may be the last point of a saved game or the initial screen of a journey being started now). If you select the “Quit” option, a confirmation screen appears and, by clicking positively, the application closes.

Finally, in Figure 35, there is a beginning of camera movement to give the tone of how the story will be told. This way, in the first scene, there is a zoom in on the Samurai observing the three weapons that can be chosen at the beginning of the game. Once chosen, the camera moves away from the Samurai so that the player can see more of the comodo where he is and can go to the exit. In addition, it shows the type of graphical interface that will exist when interactive objects appear.

31

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BACHER, HANS. Mulan Style Guide. 1a. Edição.

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CUTSCENE. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014. Disponível em: <http://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index. php?title=Cutscene&oldid=39974832>. Acesso em: 8 fev. 2015.

DETERMINISMO. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014.

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DOGVILLE. Direção: Lars von Trier. Roteiro: Lars von Trier. Intérpretes: Nicole Kidman; Paul Bettany; Lauren Bacall. Dinamarca; Suécia; França; Alemanha; Países Baixos; Noruega; Finlândia; Itália: Zentropa Entertainments; Isabella Films B.V., 2003. 178 min, Dolby Digital, Color, 35 mm.

EXPERIENCE DESIGN. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014. Disponível em: <http://en.wikipedia. org/w/index.php?title=Experience_design&oldid=621471431>. Acesso em: 5 dez. 2014.

EXPERIÊNCIA DO USUÁRIO. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2013. Disponível em: <http://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Experi%C3%AAncia_do_usu%C3%A1rio&oldid=36923321>.

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FANART. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre.

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FLANAGAN, Mary. “Critical Play: Radical Game Design”. MIT Press, 2009.

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FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD. Intérpretes: Romi Park; Rie Kugimiya. Japão: Bones; Square Enix Company, 2009-.

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HANSEN, MARK N. B. New Philosophy for New Media. The MIT Press. 15 p.

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INOUE, TAKEHIKO. Vagabond. Coleção 1 ao 44. Editora Conrad.

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MELANCHOLIA. Direção: Lars von Trier. Roteiro: Lars von Trier. Intérpretes: Kirsten Dunst; Charlotte Gainsbourg; Kiefer Sutherland.

Dinamarca; Suécia; França; Alemanha: Zentropa Entertainments; Memfis Film, 2011. 130 min, Dolby Digital, Color, 35 mm.

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Boston, Thomson: pp. xvii-xvix.

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PINA. Direção: Wim Wenders. Roteiro: Wim Wenders. Intérpretes: Pina Bausch; Regina Advento; Malou Airaudo. Alemanha; França; Reino Unido: Neue Road Movies; Eurowide Film Production; Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, 2011.

103 min, Dolby Digital, Color, 35 mm.

PRANCHA DE TEMPERAMENTO. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014. Disponível em: <http://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index. php?title=Prancha_de_temperamento&oldid=39288567>. Acesso em: 5 dez. 2014.

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WILLIAMS, RICHARD “The Animator’s Survival Kit--Revised Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion”. Faber & Faber; Second Edition (2012).

REJOGABILIDADE. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014. Disponível em: <http://pt.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rejogabilidade&oldid=39974885>. Acesso em: 9 fev. 2015.

RYAN, MARIE-LAURIE. “Immersion Vs. Interactivity: Virtual Reality and Literary Theory”. Postmodern Culture 5, No. 1 (1994).

ZIMMERMAN, Eric; “The Immersive Fallacy.

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STAKEHOLDER. In: WIKIPÉDIA, a enciclopédia livre. Flórida: Wikimedia Foundation, 2014. Disponível em: <http://pt.wikipedia. org/w/index.php?title=Stakeholder&oldid=40176844>. Acesso em: 5 dez. 2014.

STEVENS, MICHAEL. “Is my red the same as your red?”. Disponível em: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evQsOFQju08>. Acesso em: 4 dec. 2014.

3 3

4.Glossário avatar: Body manifestation of an immortal being according to the Hindu religion, sometimes even the Supreme Being. This word Avatar became popular among the media and computer science due to the figures that are created in the image and likeness of the user, allowing their “personalization” inside the machines and computer screens. Such a creation resembles an avatar because it is a transcendence of the person’s image, which gains a virtual body, since the 80’s when the name was first used in a computer game. brainstorming: More than a group dynamics technique, it is an activity developed to explore the creative potentiality of an individual or a group creativity as a team - putting it at the service of predetermined goals. cutscene: is a sequel to an electronic game about which the player has no or little control, interrupting the gameplay and being used to advance the plot, reinforce the main character’s development, introduce enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, or clues.

The cutscenes can be animated or by live-action. crowdfunding: consists in obtaining capital for initiatives of collective interest through the aggregation of multiple financing sources, usually individuals interested in the initiative. The term is often used to describe specific actions on the internet with the objective of raising money for artists, citizen journalism, small business and start-ups, political campaigns, free software initiatives, philanthropy and aid to regions affected by disasters, among others . determinism: it is the philosophical theory that every event (including the mental) is explained by determination, that is, by causal relations. quick time event: is a method used in video games. It allows limited control of the character during the cutscenes of the game, and usually the player must follow instructions on the screen to press buttons or perform

other actions (such as shaking the control). In case of failure of one of these commands, the scene is taken to a different direction, often to the death of the character. experience design: is the practice of designing products, processes, services, events and environments focused on the quality of user experience and culturally relevant solutions. fan art: is a work of art based on a character, fantasy, item or story that was created by fans.

The term can be applied both to the art made by fans of characters in a particular book, as well as art derived from visual media such as comics, movies and / or video games. Usually refers to works of art by amateur artists or artists not paid for their work. loading screen: common screen in video games that can serve both to enlighten the player about what is to come and to offer useful gameplay tips to the player. In the case of the Bushido game, it offers a series of suggestions to the player about the configurations that it can adopt or not. model sheet: usually accompanied by a character sheet, which contains the body expressions and characteristics of a character, this sheet presents the basic proportions of a character or architecture to be modeled; have front views,

3/4 and some rotations depending on the complexity of the model being created.

be in accordance with the corporate governance practices performed by the company.

mood board: mood board or semantic panel is a type of design poster that can be composed of images, text and samples of objects in a composition of choice of the mood frame creator. Designers and other professionals use mood boards to develop their design concepts and communicate with other members of the design team.

storyboard: are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images arranged in sequence for the purpose of previewing animated film, animation or graphics, including interactive elements on websites.

parallax: is a computer graphics technique in which background images move at a slower speed than images in the foreground, creating an illusion of depth in 2D games.

user experience: involves the feelings of a person in relation to the use of a particular product, system or service. User experience highlights the affective, experiential, meaningful, and valuable aspects of human-computer interaction and product ownership. In addition, it includes a person’s perceptions of the practicalities, such as the usefulness, ease of use and effectiveness of the system. The user’s experience is of a subjective nature, since it is about individual perception and thinking in regard to the system. The user experience is also dynamic, as it is constantly modified over time, due to the evolution of the project’s circumstances and innovations.

render: is the process by which the final product of any digital processing can be obtained. This process essentially applies to 2D and 3D modeling programs (3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, etc.) as well as audio (Cubase, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, etc.) and video (Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, Pinnacle Studio, etc.). replay value: is a term found in combination with electronic games. Console and computer games use the term to describe the entertainment value that causes a game to be played more than once. In some cases, factors that influence replayability are a result of game programming (extra characters, alternate endings, etc.). In other cases, replayability is based entirely on personal tastes, a player who appreciates a game due to music or graphics, who finds the game interesting or, in the case of licensed products, due to loyalty to the product line. shader: software instructions used in graphics processors to render graphic effects. stakeholder: is a term used in several areas such as project management, administration and software architecture related to stakeholders that must

35

5.Extras

5.1 script

Formatting: 0X. = Alphanumeric register of a cell. As a general rule, the number determines its ordinal position in relation to the game.

Name. Name of a cell. Only real importance of the name of the cell is to have an aid when trying to remember which cell you want to discuss. (******) = Description of the cell. It has a slight description of the events inside that cell. Besides events, there may be other details such as explanation of conditional markers, etc. “******” = Possible phrase. Throughout the game, the character is telling a story so practically every cell has a snippet of what it says. [******] = Other phrase options. Alternative versions of sentences for that cell.

1A. Initial Scene (character seated in front of the 3 original choices) “Let me tell you my story.” [“My story started a long time ago.”] [“This is my story.”]

----------------------------------------------------------2A. Choice of Katana. (player selects katana) “The blood road was no stranger to me: cutting or being cut off, any other thought was lost ...” [“The path of the sword. To protect one, there is the need to hurt another.”] [“Cut and be cut, this is the price that must be paid to tread the path of the sword ...”]

2B. Bo’s Choice. (player selects bo) “The world is cruel, but bathing it in blood will not make it a better place. One must learn to defend oneself without taking the life of a brother.” [“To defend yourself and everything you love, strength is necessary, but killing is an option ... which I avoid taking.”] [“The peaceful fist breaks, but it does not destroy; it hurts, but it does not kill; it defends without stealing from someone the chance to repent.”]

---------------------------------------------------------2C. Brush selection. (player selects the brush) “Raise a weapon and weapons will be raised against you.

Raise a smile and smiles will be lifted around you.” [“Peace is a dream that can be achieved when peace of mind is found. Peace of mind is found when love is spread”] [“To say that pacifism is a “dream of fools” with weapons in hand is like saying that “swimming is impossible” when you have rocks stuck in your neck.”]

---------------------------------------------------------Result 2 #.

Getting up. (character ends picking selected object and starts walking) ---------------------------------------------------------Post-Results 2A. (character walking with the chosen item, reflecting about it) “The sword never becomes truly lighter. The lighter it becomes in the hand, the heavier it becomes in the heart.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Post-Results 2B. (character walking with the chosen item, reflecting about it) “Some would take me like a coward because they do not carry a real weapon, but they never figure out how easy it is to kill and how hard it is not to do it. For those I ask, is it cowardice to stand firm in your beliefs?” [“Violence and peace have a balance of their own To protect peace, one must sometimes walk with violence, but not embrace it. This is Bo’s spirit, a weapon of balance. “] ----------------------------------------------------------Post-Results 2C. (character walking with the chosen item, reflecting about it) “There is sadness and loss in this world, but there is also happiness and love. Learning to find beauty in nature, these are my goals.”

-----------------------------------------------------------3A. The bridge. (character spots an arched bridge and begins to reflect on it.

Choices appear) “One more step...”

-----------------------------------------------------------4A. Getting to the bridge with confidence (player selects certainty and character begins to walk on the bridge) “Just like the steps before this, it’s just a small part of my journey!”

-----------------------------------------------------------4B. Arriving at the bridge with curiosity (player selects curiosity and character begins to walk on the bridge) “I wonder where this road will take me. Has anyone ever asked himself the same thing when passing by?”

------------------------------------------------------------

4C. Arriving at the bridge with tension (player selects tension and character begins to walk on the bridge) “Crossing a bridge, whether it’s ten meters or ten kilometers, is always a bet on fate. You never really know what she’s crossing and what awaits you on the other side ...”

-----------------------------------------------------------5A. The Straw Hat Samurai (steps of the Straw hat are heard and character and player sighting it for the first time.

“I wondered who that was ...”

-----------------------------------------------------------6A. First impression of aggression (player chooses an aggressive stance when watching the Straw Hat as they walk) “An unknown swordsman is never a good thing to meet.”

-----------------------------------------------------------6B. First impression of tension (player chooses a tense posture while watching the Straw Hat as they walk) “An armed traveler crosses my path ... What evil omens Heaven has sent.”

-----------------------------------------------------------6C. First impression of curiosity (player chooses a curious stance when watching the Straw Hat as they walk) “Another traveler, on what roads has he stepped?”

-----------------------------------------------------------6D. First impression of calm (player chooses a serene posture while watching the Straw Hat as they walk) “A road brother, the first one I’ve encountered for so long.”

-----------------------------------------------------------7A. Second impression of aggression (player aggressively examines the Straw Hat as they approach) “Even with his face partially covered, I knew he was analy-

zing me, perhaps looking for weaknesses.”

-----------------------------------------------------------7B. Second impression of tension (player analyzes with some tension the Straw Hat as they approach) “Cut or be cut, that is the mind of one accompanied by a blade and I could bet that with him it would not be different.”

-----------------------------------------------------------7C. Second impression of curiosity (player curiously examines the Straw Hat as they approach) “By the clothes and the way he walks, he’s not from here.

From the northern mountains maybe ...”

-----------------------------------------------------------7D. Second impression of calm (player calmly examines the Straw Hat as they approach) “Though armed, I did not feel any evil intent from him.”

------------------------------------------------------------8A. Fist Closed (player chooses to close the fist around the weapon, if it has one, or close the fist when passing through the Straw Hat) -----------------------------------------------------------8B. Defiant Look (player chooses to stare straight into Straw Hat’s eyes as he passes by) ------------------------------------------------------------8C. Ignore and pass straight (player chooses to ignore the Straw Hat and continue on his way) ------------------------------------------------------------8D. Smile (player chooses to smile at Straw Hat when they cross) ------------------------------------------------------------9A. Fight begins (for this event to occur, the player must have reached the negative threshold of animosity and have made the initial choice of

Bo or Katana) ------------------------------------------------------------9B. Both pass straight (for this event occurs, the player can not reach either the negative or positive threshold of animosity) ------------------------------------------------------------9C. Birth of a friendship Both greet each other (for this event, the player must reach the positive threshold of animosity) (if the character has selected the brush, possible extra scene?)

------------------------------------------------------------9A1.

First round (Block attack / hit. Set result based on quicktime event) ------------------------------------------------------------9A2.

Second round (Dodge and hit / Get hit and hit back. Set result based on a quicktime event).

------------------------------------------------------------9A3.

Third round (Disarm) ------------------------------------------------------------9A4.

Final Round (Trip) ------------------------------------------------------------10A. The choice (player chooses whether he kills, knocks or lets the Straw Hat go away) -----------------------------------------------------------11A. Fury (player chooses to kill Straw Hat, option available only if player is chosen to katana) “It ends here!” [“And then, it’s over!”]

----------------------------------------------------------11B. Resolution (player chooses to knock out Straw Hat) “Bye!”

37

11C. Restraint (player chooses to let Straw Hat go) “Enough!”

----------------------------------------------------------Outcome 11A. Blood in the water (character holster his weapon, turns his back to the body and continues his journey) “The moment he decided to draw his sword was the moment he decided to die. Cut or be cut, that’s the way of the swordsman.” [“His life is over, no learning, no reason. That’s the curse that a sword plays on those who carry it.”] [“The lightest the sword is to the hands, the heavier it is to the heart. The feather of a dove is heavier to my hands than my sword is.”] [“He died, alone on the bridge, will his death haunt me in the future? I always asked myself this after a fight, but no enemy ever made me lose my sleep ...”]

----------------------------------------------------------Outcome 11B. Sleep of the dogs (character holster his weapon, turns away from the unconscious man and continues his journey) “Killing him was not my right, nor worrying about his life was my duty. Let fate decide what will become of him.” [“Here our paths diverge. When he wakes up, he’ll be free to choose a new path and I’ll be too far away to care.”]

------------------------------------------------------------Outcome 11C. Pious (character moves away from Straw Hat, still facing him. After a distance, he guards his weapon, turns around and continues his journey) “We crossed our weapons and our skills were tested.

There is no need for bloodshed.” [“Fighting is enough, killing is an excess. We are both alive to learn more and fight again one day, if fate so desires.”] [“Grow stronger and then meet me again ... or not, do

as you wish. Live as you see fit, this is the gift I give you today. Use it wisely.”

------------------------------------------------------------Result 9B. Great Tension (character finishes crossing bridge without any event) “The air was heavy, but no step was altered because of it.”

------------------------------------------------------------Result 9C. Hi and Hello (character and Straw hat talk for a while before they split one to each side. If the player has the brush, before leaving, character and Straw Hat exchange gifts) “It was an incredible story he told me.He was from an order of the northern mountains and came south in the name of his duty.I told him that I lived in the area and was going home after solving some personal matters. He told me that if I go north one day to visit his province and taste his food, I in turn invited him to come by my house when he is free and taste my wife’s tea. “ ------------------------------------------------------------Post-Result 9C. Gift Exchange (this scene happens only if the player has chosen the brush) “Before I left, I gave him one of my works, a little painting, as a gift. In return, he gave me a small flag with the symbol of his order. He told me it would bring me good luck.”

------------------------------------------------------------12A. The Youkai (on leaving the bridge, character encounters the Youkai sitting on the stone watching him) “And then something strange appeared in front of me.”

------------------------------------------------------------13A. Facing evil (player chooses to face Youkai) “I looked straight into those eyes and found ... malice.”

-------------------------------------------------------------

13B. Avoiding evil (player chooses to ignore Youkai) “Every instinct within me whispered so I would not test luck against him and so I did.”

----------------------------------------------------------Outcome 13A. Facing smoke (Youkai dissipates in smoke) “Before I could decide what to do, he disappeared.”

---------------------------------------------------------Post-Outcome 13A. Were it really there? (character keeps walking away from the stone that is now empty) “Was that real?” I wonder as I continued walking ... “ [“Was that an evil of the dark corners of the world, or an evil of my mind only?”]

----------------------------------------------------------Result 13B. Strange (character keeps walking away from the stone while Youkai continues to watch him) “...”

----------------------------------------------------------14A. The tree (when going through a tree, character reflects on his actions, choices appear) “Coming close to home, I made a quick stop ...”

----------------------------------------------------------15A. Pride (character reflects on himself and his day so far with pride) “And I reflected on how well I’ve been in everything I’ve done so far.”

----------------------------------------------------------15B. Guilt (character reflects on himself and his day so far with guilt) “And I realized how many risks I took today.”

-----------------------------------------------------------15C. Nothing (character pass by the tree without thinking about the things that happened today)

“And I exhaled my worries away.”

------------------------------------------------------------16A. The entrance (character comes home and decides whether to look at the lake, the sand garden or passes straight) “...”X ------------------------------------------------------------17A. The lake (character admires the lake, choice appears) “At that time, the sight of running water and koi fish used to calm me down.”

------------------------------------------------------------17B. Straight home (character passes straight home) “I could not wait to see you.”

------------------------------------------------------------17C. The sand garden (character admires the sand garden) “Sand and stones were an invitation to meditation for me at that time.”

------------------------------------------------------------18A. Feeding (character takes the time to feed the fish and then go home) “Everything needs food sometimes.”

------------------------------------------------------------18B. Going home (after admiring the lake, character goes home) “After having my problems carried by the current.”

------------------------------------------------------------18C. Going home too (after admiring the sand garden, character goes home) “Time to continue.”

------------------------------------------------------------18D. Belo Design (character takes advantage to make a new image in the sand garden and then go home) “Heh.” [“Inspiration exploded in me at that moment.”]

19A. House (character approaches the house, where his Wife awaits him) “And there she was, my flower, my love.”

------------------------------------------------------------20A. Meeting (wife runs to the character and hugs him) “A world away would not keep us apart.”

------------------------------------------------------------21A. Wounds (if the character has been hit at least once in the fight against the Straw Hat, this cell happens, otherwise she and her results are skipped. Wife notices the wounds of the character, choices appear) “She always cared about me.”

----------------------------------------------------------22A. Firmness (character tells Wife that it is nothing) “Some of the cuts were deep, but not deep enough to worry her, so I said it was nothing.”

----------------------------------------------------------22B. Caring (character accepts the care of his Wife) “None of the wounds were serious, but to calm her heart, I accepted her treatment.”

----------------------------------------------------------Result 22 #.

Entering (character follows the Wife into the house) “...”

---------------------------------------------------------Result 20A. Tea time (character follows Wife into the house, where she serves tea) “Ahhh, the incredible taste of your tea.” [“Your tea preparation easily surpassed any of my abilities.”]

----------------------------------------------------------Post-Outcome 22B. Healing (Wife begins to take care of the wounds of the character) “...”

23A. End of the day (character and Wife hug each other in their bedroom and get ready to sleep) “It was a long day and although it was over, it was just the first of a long nightmare ...”

------------------------------------------------------------24A. Dream interrupted (character and Wife wake up in the middle of the night because of a noise in the ceiling) “...”

------------------------------------------------------------25A. Youkai returns (Youkai appears inside the couple’s room, choices appear) “...”

------------------------------------------------------------26A. Fighting against shadows (player chooses to attack Youkai. This is only possible if the player has chosen a weapon) “Even with my mind wrapped in fear, my hand was steady and resolute.”

------------------------------------------------------------26B. Defense against shadows (player chooses to interpose between Youkai and Wife) “I tried to protect her as best I could.”

-----------------------------------------------------------Result 26A. Supernatural dodge (character hits only shadows and smoke as he tries to hit the Youkai who moves to his wife) “None of my blows hit him as he moved around the room.”

-----------------------------------------------------------Result 26B. Unstoppable shadow (character is flung to the side while trying to stop Youkai from approaching his Wife) “With a claw of shadows and eyes of sheer evil, that thing threw me across the room.”

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3 9

27A. Suffocating Shadows (Youkai surrounds the Wife in shadows and begins to carry her out of the room) “My effort in trying to stop him was in vain.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------28A. Shadows of despair (character tries to follow Youkai, but as soon as they reach the door of the house, Youkai flies away in the middle of the night carrying the Wife) “In that brief moment, my heart almost broke from sheer desperation ... almost.”

To be Continued...