The Inspirations Behind The White Raven
Gather ‘Round Everyone!
Today I’ll be sharing with you a little bit about the
inspirations behind
The White Raven: why we’ve decided to do what we’re doing, what were the things that pushed us in this direction, etc.
I think that throughout my years of gaming, there were always 2 things that stuck with me when it came to assessing my enjoyment of the games I played:
Storytelling and
freedom of choice.
“Could I do this if I wanted to?”,
“What if I were to…”,
“oh my god what's happening now!?”
If a game had a compelling story and I (as the main character) could on a whim, try out any actions swimming around in my head, that would check a bunch of boxes for me.
The oldest game that I remembered having even a semblance of any of these elements was probably the
fire emblem series (any
blazing blade fans?), with the addition of support conversations really adding to the enjoyment of the game.
The awesome pixel animations didn’t hurt either.
(above, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, 2003 by Intelligent Systems)
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The awesome pixel animations didn’t hurt either.
(above, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, 2003 by Intelligent Systems)
Of course more modern games are a real treat too!
As I (and my game library) grew older (and larger), I started delving into western RPGs and realized the merits of CRPGs and what they did really well (western RPGs in my very personal opinion place a larger emphasis on freedom of choice in picking how and when you’d like to tackle quests; JRPGs are a little more on-rails).
A masterclass in this would be
Divinity: Original Sin II by
Larian Studios (if you haven’t played this game yet...block out a week of free time). I could gush about them for HOURS: how the level design serves to empower their players’ imaginations, the number of ways you can approach quests, the intrigue behind each and every origin character GAHHHHH)
(above, Divinity: Original Sin II, 2017, by Larian Studios)
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(above, Divinity: Original Sin II, 2017, by Larian Studios)
TLDR: play this game if you’re a fan of anything RPG
And finally how can anyone talk about video game characters and forming these
bonds (iykyk) without mentioning the JRPG tour de force that is
Persona 5.
The
Persona series just works.
You spend in-game (and real-life let’s be honest) days balancing spending time with your allies (and thus getting to know them more) and fighting / levelling up in dungeons.
The more time you spend with your allies, the more buffs you receive when the fighting starts (not to mention that you’d also get invested in their stories as well).
As a bonus, their soundtracks are a real banger too.
(above, Persona 5, 2016, by Atlus, P Studios)
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As a bonus, their soundtracks are a real banger too.
(above, Persona 5, 2016, by Atlus, P Studios)
This worked so well even
Fire Emblem (looking at you
3 Houses) decided to get in on the action! (and to great effect I might add).
Now, why am I telling you all this? Well that’s because these games
lay the foundation for
The White Raven.
We’re looking to create an RPG that seeks to synergize the strengths that emerge from both Western and Eastern roots/routes; An RPG that allows you to have
meaningful decisions that
impact your standing amongst your allies, that brings you
consequences both long and short term that impact not only your strategies, but also
your story.
From left to right: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019), Divinity: Original Sin II (2017), Persona 5 (2016)
I hope that with this short little entry, I was able to give you a bit of an insight when it comes to how we’re approaching (big picture-wise); the overall type of game that we’re making- where our focus is and what we view as important within
The White Raven.
Next time I’ll be introducing you to the
world of Greater Balhaea, the setting that the game takes place in- its inhabitants, existing politics, and a hint of the dangers (and secrets) found within the
Aurorean Steppes.
Hope you look forward to it!
P.S.: Happy Thanksgiving everyone
- August from GatherRound Studios
