Alternian Turnabout: Aradia Megido (Phoenix Wright && Alterniabound)

[octocephalicDragon]

Ace Attorney && AlterniaBound = Alternian Turnabout: Aradia Megido

Plot
Taking place before the revenge cycle or SGRUB began, a murder that occurs during a night of FLARPing pits Team Charge and Team Scourge against each other in a competitive attempt to achieve acquittal/guilt/truth.

Screenshots

show spoiler

hide spoiler

There is also a teaser video I threw together:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

As you can see from all the Alterniabound/PW sprites, this project could use some artists.

The overview should be straightforward enough by now. It is apparently a rather popular idea to try and have the best of both worlds between Homestuck and the Ace Attorney series. However while it would seem more obvious to make Terezi the protagonist, she's the pokerfaced badass here. She is going to know more about the Alternian law than any of the other trolls, and plus she's a little too in love with the prosecution and convicting side of legal duties. Making Aradia an unlikely protagonist was the best way to bring about the traditional role. She is someone confident enough and compassionate enough to play the, er, reverse-prosecution, while not being at the top of her game like Terezi would be. Likewise Vriska isn't experienced at this sort of thing either, but she is ruthless enough to play dirty to win. IMHO this chemistry makes a good setup for this particular story, at least.

As far as this project being similar to a certain other project that appeared a month ago is concerned, well. The idea had been rolling around in my head for a long while, and back in the winter I had checked this subforum to see if anybody was doing anything like this and if so what sort of reception they might have gotten. Only after I'd started and made a fair bit of progress in it did I happen to pop back in and saw Roundy had his own version of this concept going. I didn't know PyWright even existed either, which is why Renpy was the medium I chose for this game. Just as well, I figure I'll only do the one case unless there is a huge demand for sequels.

ART DESIRED Update: Artwork all complete! Very special thank you to rainbowStitches for being a solo version of Hussie's entire MSPA art team.
Sprites:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

An "0bjecti0n!" bubble
A "h0ld it!" bubble
If someone wants to help me go all out a "take that!" bubble since Aradia doesn't like caps, but there are more important things to worry about.
An "O8jection!" bubble Done by rainbowStitches

Redrawn desks for Defense and Prosecution Complete!


Since the setting is pre-revenge, nobody should be crippled or undead yet.
On the issue of characters I am a tad unclear on what the best way to ask for art is, since for each character it would be better for the same artist to work on one character unless other artists are good at imitating the look/style of preceeding sprites. But, to put it out there:

Some nice sprites of a not-blind Judge Terezi (I think the hoodie works, what do you all think?) Update: Now this could go either ways. Unblinded Terezi in the dragon hood or a Neophyte Redglare outfit? HHT complete! More miracles from rainbowStitches.
Dramatic expressions for Vriska w/ special lenses Vriska is complete! rainbowStitches has struck again.
Some Boy Skylark Tavros sprites? I think the edited Tavros sprites submitted will suffice, unless someone really wants to redraw him facing forward.
Dramatic expressions from an Eridan facing forward
More Nepeta expressions, and perhaps a return of her cat hood? rainbowStitches MADE IT HAPPEN
A Gamzee that faces forward Complete!

Backgrounds:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

All outdoor backgrounds are set during evening/night hours.

Redrawn backgrounds for the court (such as the ones Bluddo is working on) to replace the Capcom ones, 'lest I wind up trying to Hussie-fy the originals by fading the colors. Done by octocephalicDragon and rainbowStitches with honorable mention to BluddoSW who took a stab at some early designs.
A redrawn court lobby with no security guards
A detention center equivalent. But rather than Tavros being in jail, he's really just being tied up or chained down and guarded by Terezi's plushies.
The plains outside Tavros's hive
The plains outside Tavros's hive (but closer to his barn)
(Also note that the above two backgrounds would be the crime scenes, so I'd be editing all over them.)
A beach in Alternia, with Eridan's ship docked nearby
- Optionally, a version without Eridan's ship docked Taken care of and looking good, courtesy of edpenguin
Aboard the deck of Eridan's ship OK

(optional) Nepeta's Cave - The version made from the actual Hivebent strip seems to be quite usable as it is, but if you think you can reinterpret the original I'll have a look.

CUTSCENE IMAGES:
I would like most cutscene images to be 800x600 and monochrome, and imitating Homestuck's hero mode art is preferrable. However, I also have a couple of images that need to be done in color.

Ah heck, I'm going to have to draw some diagrams of some of these to clarify what I mean, I think.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

100% COMPLETE

Music
I would like for the soundtrack to fit the profile of Alternia and Alterniabound, while naturally giving wide leeway for homage to Ace Attorney's soundtrack.

At the moment none of my music is official yet. The higher priority would be placed on music for the courtroom phase which would involve:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

"Suspense"
"Courtroom Prelude" Taken care of.
"Trial" (just as a note, my placeholder theme for this is Terezi's Theme, and when I hear it I think a slower version would fit better)
"Examination" (both a "moderate" and "Allegro" version)
"Objection!"
"Cornered" (with a ramped up variation like in the PW games)

Somebody please let me know if any of those links are broken, I kind of threw them in for reference.

Then with lower priority if anyone wants to make these:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

A track like Announce the Truth
A variation of Gamzee's theme (as in mIrAcLeS)
A variation of Nepeta's theme
A variation of Eridan's theme

These are for the composer that simply has the drive to make them.

It goes without saying that anyone who contributes can be credited in the staff roll and can from then on say they had a role in making a video game.

More to come, as my own developments and the contributions of others come in...

[Bluecho]

This sounds like the greatest idea I've ever heard.

[vociferocity]

I can't even deal with how much I love all these pw-style fangames popping up


oh yessss

[octocephalicDragon]

Then I'd better not disappoint. I'd say that overall I'm about 30% done, when factoring in everything I'd like to take care of. I wonder if it would be a waste of time to figure out and list percentages of what's finished.

[Bluecho]

Then I'd better not disappoint. I'd say that overall I'm about 30% done, when factoring in everything I'd like to take care of. I wonder if it would be a waste of time to figure out and list percentages of what's finished.

I too would advise against that. Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, prematurely jumped the version number of his operating system to ver .95 at one point, despite it being no where near finished at the time. The man ended up sticking increasingly esoteric extensions as time went on, just to fit it between .95 and 1.0.

[octocephalicDragon]

Is there anyone out there who knows how to or better yet wants to redraw the desks and podiums? I believe my artist is counting on a decision to be made on the desks and their height.

[octocephalicDragon]

Does anyone know what the font for the Sylladex is? I have a similar font but it does not have lowercase letters. Here we have an alternative court records menu I made:

show spoiler

hide spoiler

[hpp3]

Just popping in to say that this is awesome. What this post lacks in practical support, it hopefully makes up in moral support. Very impressive!

[Excaliburproxy]

I really truely want to play this.

[ChickenWarlord]

Do you need any musical assistance? I am prepared to try and rearrange some PW or Homestuck stuff for use in this.

[octocephalicDragon]

Do you need any musical assistance? I am prepared to try and rearrange some PW or Homestuck stuff for use in this.

Yes I would like that, and if I use your music you will be in the game's end credits.

[ChickenWarlord]

So what type of tracks would you need?
Cross-examinations, character themes, investigation/locations stuff and the like?
And we're aiming for a more lo-fi video game sort of setting right?

[tectonicRobot]

I've never played the Ace Attorney games, but this looks like pretty awesome.

[octocephalicDragon]

(D'oh, I wrote up this entire post and then it was eaten!)

I would like for the soundtrack to fit the profile of Alternia and Alterniabound, while naturally giving wide leeway for homage to Ace Attorney's soundtrack.

At the moment none of my music is official yet, but I would say my higher priority for now would be getting music for the courtroom phase. If I remember what I typed up last, tracks to be the equivalent of:

"Suspense"
"Courtroom Prelude"
"Trial" (just as a note, my placeholder theme for this is Terezi's Theme, and when I hear it I think a slower version would fit better)
"Examination" (both a "moderate" and "Allegro" version)
"Objection!"
"Cornered" (with a ramped up variation like in the PW games)

I will be updating the opening post with more details related to music soon.

[ChickenWarlord]

I definitely won't be able to do all the music you want, but I'm willing to try and help. I'll get to work on "Suspense."

[octocephalicDragon]

Cool, I look forward to hearing what you come up with.

[ChickenWarlord]

http://soundcloud.com/tdwyer10/creeping-suspicion
Here is the first WIP. Feel free to criticize and try and direct this.

[octocephalicDragon]

http://soundcloud.com/tdwyer10/creeping-suspicion
Here is the first WIP. Feel free to criticize and try and direct this.

Thank you ChickenWarlord, this can be used at the crime scene. Also, by the time you see this, there should be a PM waiting for you.

[BluddoSW]

Welp, I took that other background and made it lighter.

I know you said you want some desks and things done, and they shall be, but I'll be using this wide establishing shot as a base for the colors of all those, so if there's anything you think is off let me know so I can get it now, I also lightened the outlines on it to try to make it look more like a Phoenix Wright background, just blah blah blah...

Also, I think there should be some sort of image in that circle up at the top but I just can't think of anything good...

[octocephalicDragon]

Hi Bluddo, a wise move to start there, because to be honest I'm a little confused with regards to colors. I think I may need artists for more than just people who can draw. The trolls' hives, and even the color scheme of the meteor lab was largely dark and filled with ashen colors or greys, and yet with the trolls being grey skinned and dressed in all black I always "fear" that the colors won't mesh so well.
For example:



On one hand this is a very dark contrast to the PW games, but then again I guess Hivebent itself was a dark contrast to how Homestuck began or even the Ace Attorney games themselves. With the exception of Tavros who will be wearing green, everyone will be wearing black. The contrast seems so dark to me, but... that's how Alternia is supposed to be I guess? What do you think?

Edit: Oh, and I almost forgot. My first thought for the blank circle? A chalk scribbling of His Honorable Tyranny. Which runs across and over the circle into the Libra symbol. Or that can be placed closer to the space behind the judge's desk and you could put a scribbling. Although the 2-headed troll coin design would fit into the circle okay, Terezi didn't use that before she went blind, did she? This takes place pre-vengeance.

[Roundy210]

Welp, I took that other background and made it lighter.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

I know you said you want some desks and things done, and they shall be, but I'll be using this wide establishing shot as a base for the colors of all those, so if there's anything you think is off let me know so I can get it now, I also lightened the outlines on it to try to make it look more like a Phoenix Wright background, just blah blah blah...

Also, I think there should be some sort of image in that circle up at the top but I just can't think of anything good...

I kind of want to steal this for my own project now...Perhaps we could share resources?

[octocephalicDragon]

I kind of want to steal this for my own project now...Perhaps we could share resources?

Awww you're kidding me man, welcome to my world. Your project is the one that gets all the support. If you could point some of your sprite artists my way to help with my graphical drought then sure we can share the backgrounds.

[BluddoSW]

WOOP HERE'S ANOTHER ONE

also Roundy, i think you can go for it i made it for yours originally anyway so you know whatever

I'll see if I can knock out the rest of the court shots this weekend...

AS FAR AS DARKNESS GOES, I'll admit they're a lot darker than the PW backgrounds, but they are about as Alternian as the PW backgrounds can get.

Besides, the '90s Batman cartoon had RIDICULOUSLY DARK backgrounds and it was AWESOME so you know whatever

[octocephalicDragon]

AS FAR AS DARKNESS GOES, I'll admit they're a lot darker than the PW backgrounds, but they are about as Alternian as the PW backgrounds can get.

Besides, the '90s Batman cartoon had RIDICULOUSLY DARK backgrounds and it was AWESOME so you know whatever

Don't say 'whatever' Bluddo, I want to hear your creative input!

For reference, if it will help you with drawing furniture or other details, here is what the new bg looks like:



...looks like the desk needed adjusting by a pixel or three...

And this is what it looks like without Capcom's desk:




If the sprites seem a little small compared to the OG characters of the actual Ace Attorney game, I will preemptively mention that keeping them smaller is a conscious decision due to the fact that the kids and trolls are kind of small with their guardians and ancestors towering far and wide over them. So it is safe to say that they should be a little bit shorter.

[octocephalicDragon]

Updated the opening post with more information on the art checklists. As for me, I have been working on the pseudo-investigation phase. There is nothing I want to say about it right now that can't be summed up in the second sample image.