Rise of the Ebonblood Empire

1. Rise of the Ebonblood Empire Video Game Design Pitch By James Reed

2. Overview • Working title: “Rise of the Ebonblood Empire” • An action RPG modeled after popular series like Breath of Fire, .hack//, and Devil May Cry. • Players are placed in the role of a half-breed Dragoner, a sorcerous human who has inherited the blood of an ancient tribe of dragons. • Estranged from his clan, this man sets out on a quest to uncover the truth behind raising unrest among the mortal kingdoms. • What he discovers Is a plot by the progenitor of his bloodline to undermine the efforts of other ancient and powerful dragons and destroy the human race from within.

3. Setting – 1 of 2 • "Rise of the Ebonblood Empire" is set in a medieval fantasy world, complete with magic, monsters, and many different races. • Magic is still uncommon, and only the oldest races embrace it over technology. • The mortal world is divided into two civilized continents and several 'savage' territories (which will not be explored in this game). • Elves and Dwarves still hold a centuries old racial grudge over a stalemated war on their continent, but they hold a begrudging peace treaty in the Human lands.

4. Setting – 2 of 2 • Different kingdoms have been set amongst these races, dividing the lands and solidifying cultural differences. • These differences have become startlingly vast in the past couple decades, and there are murmurs of war sweeping the mortal realms. • The shadow of some unnatural force has fallen across the lands from the dark coast, but with building internal strife it threatens to go unnoticed.

6. Characters – 1 of 4 • Kangetsu - Descendant of the moon dragon clan, born with the blood of dragons which gifts him with the ability to transform. A very snide, sinister individual, Kangetsu has a menacing personality which he uses to keep people from getting close to him. His years of study of dragon kind and dark magic have made him a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer, his ire is not to be trifled with.

7. Characters – 2 of 4 • Torako - A strange hybrid, this young woman meets Kangetsu as she tries to rob him of his food outside of a fishing village. The daughter of a wyldkin and sea dragon, Torako's a twist on the obligatory cat girl with pale azure leather wings. Her personality is hard to pin down, equally as standoffish as Kangetsu, yet she secretly craves warmth and affection unlike him.

8. Characters – 3 of 4 • Houri - The only person who's managed to get under Kangetsu's skin is a childhood friend from his old clan. She is honest, straight forward, crude, and downright sultry once you get past her tomboy demeanor. Houri knew Kangetsu before the tragedy that changed his life, and even the decade of separation hasn't made her forget him.

9. Characters – 4 of 4 • Negoen - Unlike the others of Kangetsu's small clique,Negoen isn't a Dragoner. He still bares the lineage of half dragons, but he's been blessed with the heart of his ancient; his breed are commonly called Dragoons. Negoen is descended from the Sun brood, and has been raised in the hidden dragon utopia until Kangetsu found it, so he's very pious and a little naive about humans.

11. Gameplay – 1 of 4(aka, the fun stuff) • Taking notes from recent Action RPGs like .hack//GU, "Rise of the Ebonblood Empire" will avoid the classic 'random battles' and instead spawn visible monsters in the map for players to choose to attack or avoid (unless they're caught with their pants down, so to speak). • Not forgetting its roots, RotEE will have a more open map, allowing freedom of movement across broad areas without loading. • Gathering information and supplies in friendly (or sometimes less than so) villages will be important as the player is set in the role of an outlaw.

12. Gameplay – 2 of 4(aka, the fun stuff) • In battle, players will control Kangetsu as he leads his team, using a menu system to arrange their strategies or perform important activities on the fly. • Skills are purchased and enhanced in a 'skill tree' system, though the other characters will have simplified skill lists compared to Kangetsu. • Players will be able to choose whether to enhance Kangetsu's melee, spell casting, or transformation skills.

14. Gameplay – 3 of 4(aka, the fun stuff) • Gaining a tactical advantage will be important in battle, as Kangetsu's skills will work on a system of 'Shadow Reaping'. • Attacking enemies in melee will build up resources necessary for him to cast potent damage spells, performing combos with allies will build higher amounts. • Finishing attacks can put a quick end to weak enemies, but require higher shadow power. • Transformations greatly increase one aspect of Kangetsu's stats, but drain shadow power over time, while performing Ascended Finishing blows completely depletes his power.

15. Gameplay – 4 of 4(aka, the fun stuff) • AI controlled Allies should perform their roles as defined by the player prior to battle; • Torako being melee support damage, • Houri providing suppressive fire from the rear, • and Negoen debuffing enemies and healing allies. • Torako and Houri have their own transformations, though they can only be activated by Negoen's "Heartbeat" ability, which forces everyone but him to transform. • This plays the role of a 'rampage' technique, and should be balanced through conditional activation or negative side effects (exhaustion or hampering Negoen's ability to heal).

16. Synopsis • Combat balanced between strategy and fast paced action is the goal, as the sweeping story motivates the player to continue the adventure. • Gaining reputation in towns and gathering important information from NPCs will tie in with beautiful cinematics and exciting combat to give "Rise of the Ebonblood Empire" a place among the greats of its genre. • The End, Thank You.