Summary
The Bastard King: A Grim Dark Saga is a gangster-fantasy JRPG mashup with a Chronotrigger like battle system. The story centers around a banished prince turned master thief; who seeks to take back the crown from his tyrant father.
Our Franchise is built on the idea that an independently developed fantasy jrpg can employ great writing, believable characters, diversity, existentialism, etc. and still be extremely entertaining for kids/tweens.
Chapter1: Chiba City Blues
Chapter 1 of our Bastard King video game series, Chiba City Blues, delivers a colorful crime thriller experience that draws from inspirational games developed by our heroes at Square Enix, Atlus, and Bethesda. Using every great role-playing game known to man as a template for The Bastard King, this Franchise will not only have American appeal, but worldwide appeal as well. The demo was developed on RPG Maker and we will be developing The Bastard King using RPG Maker yet again.
You can download the game here:
https://pixelated-trees.itch.io/chiba-city-blues
You can check for updates and secure your copy of The Bastard King here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chibacityblues/the-bastard-king-franchise
The Fundamentals of The Bastard King Franchise
The world of TBK is constantly in crisis, leaving the gamer in a perpetual state of suspense. Furthermore, the series is an epic struggle for power, inspired by both Gangster and Fantasy films alike.
With The Bastard King Franchise, we take the idea that the traditional fantasy jrpg, with its boring silent protagonist, genre trope dominated cast, and linear story structure has run its course and a new approach is essential for its survival. This approach, the presentation of a heightened-reality in non-naturalistic terms, will permeate every aspect of our Franchise.
To that end, TBK's story will employ a three-tiered structure which will allow us to keep the pressure on our gamers through the use of a long-term continuing storyline while at the same time, allowing for short-term, stand-alone quests to hook in new players who have never experienced a JRPG before.
Each character-based side quest will reveal more about the characters and the situations they have had to overcome in the past and how it relates to their present situation.
The main focus for the Franchise, which is the key element to it's future success, is to never EVER let the cat out of the bag, we want our gamers to stay on the edge of their seats all the way up until the final moments of gameplay.
Character Biographies
The Bastard King - A banished prince turned master thief and leader of the Dragoons, The Bastard has finally returned home, after years of training, to take back his kingdom.
The Dragoons - A traveling theater troupe by day, A rebellious collective of thieves and spies by night; players will have to scout, plot, and execute heists in the timeframe they are allotted per city while maintaining their cover identity as Theater Performers. Rehearse for gigs, recruit new members, and perform live while taking part in the heists simultaneously; just a normal day for these legendary master thieves.
Valerie Lebeau - The Barddess Hippy-Lady of the Dragoons, and the orphaned daughter of Caesar and Queen Valeria.
Mr. Chips - The possibly last surviving member of the intelligent canine race, believed to be originally bred by the Chronos Engineers thousands of years ago.
Dwayne Curtis - A low-level, street thug from Chiba City; who may or may not be "The Rat". As one of the main playable characters, you get to experience a ride along with The Bastard King from a totally different point of view while maintaining your cover.
Louise Sabouret - A famous journalist, known throughout the lands. Louise is a strong-willed woman skilled in the arts of magic, specifically wind and healing. Adding a touch of mystery and supernatural to the video game, Louise Sabouret offers you detective-style side quests.
Aiden Dupontel - He is an adventurous gentleman thief-in-training who aims to become a noble and courageous Dragoon.
Captain Lino Ventura - The hardboiled Captain of the Nidavellir Royal Guard, and the tritagonist of Chiba City Blues. Lino has dedicated his life to capturing The Bastard King and his infamous Dragoons.
Kafka - The leader of the Dragoon's rivals, the brilliant and enigmatic Kafka Troupe. Kafka has a dangerous obsession for Chronos Technology, somehow able to translate the ancient text.
Creatures of the Mist - They are mutated organisms created by the military laboratories of Nidavellir. Their minds and bodies twisted by the mist; the shroud is both the Creatures prisons and their salvation.