March to the rhythm in this new creation from the masterminds behind Patapon!
Please note, we are waiting to charge for shipping closer to fulfillment. After shipping fees are added in, you will be notified via email before your payment is charged.
パタポンのクリエイターによるこの新たなゲームの世界で、リズムに乗って行進しよう！
Latest Updates from Our Project:
April 2024 Update
27 days ago
– Fri, Apr 12, 2024 at 03:59:58 AM
Hello Rhythm-wizards!
It's April in Japan! Beautiful cherry blossoms, smiling "salarymen" whose cheeks are also a slight pinkish hue thanks to some delicious sake, and a huge influx of foreign guests who have come to celebrate it with us. Who knows, maybe YOU are one of them?
Campaign Update
Housekeeping
We have less and less requests for roles now that most of them have been sent out but if you still don't have yours and answered your survey, please contact us at [email protected]
Dark Ratatan Emojis Watch
Soooooooo close!!!!
Bamboo Shoot and Milk - Needs 250 more views! Let's get that by the next update!
Milk Dog - CAPTURED!!! WAN WAN!!! Great job RataTEAM!
Skunk Milk - Lovely cats, dogs, birds, even a spider. Only one rodent in the Japanese channel but no milk. Poor Skunk....
Any way you SLICE it!
March was a very important month for development! We have finally finished our vertical slice build showing off some of the core systems in the game. But the roguelike aspect is something we feel we really needed to polish more. The game already runs great on the 6 Steam decks we have in the office and we cannot wait to show more in the future!
Developer Update
Two Day Dev workshop
At the beginning of April (the start of the year in Japan), we gathered our dev team members, most of whom work remotely, in Tokyo for two days of discussions on the future of Ratatan's production. We'd like to tell you how that went!
Development is also underway in a variety of areas. We made a short video to show some of what we've made.
NOTE: if the link is not working, you can always find new videos on the official Ratatan Youtube channel
Effects
Opening Chests Effects
We're currently in the process of making treasure chests. These will have a variety of effects so you can tell how good the contents are when you open them.
Rarity Effects
We're adding effects that signify the rarity of certain items. We’re making a few different kinds of these so you can see whether you got something good at a glance.
Fire Effects
Stage gimmicks and equipment effects cause the ground to burn up in some ways.
Animation Instructions for Enemy Characters
Here are some of the animation modification instructions that we are working on to add to the enemy characters' appeal. We hope you look forward to seeing what kind of threat they'll actually pose to you on your adventure.
Animation Example
Dekadon’s Jump Attack
Updates to Dekadon continue.
In this update, we'd like to show you a storyboard for the improved jump attack which should give you a glimpse of how the animation will actually look.
February 2024 Update
3 months ago
– Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 12:59:35 AM
Hello RataTEAM!
With the cold weather still swirling around Japan, we are glad we didn't create a Groundhog Ratatan! Please stay warm until March and cherry blossom season is here!
Campaign Update
Surveys and Roles
We are a good half year into our post campaign development cycle but still only an 85% survey response rate. As always, you can find your survey here:
Many people have received their roles but if you haven't, you can send us an E-mail at [email protected] with your backer number and discord name and we'll get you sorted.
Dark Ratatan Emojis
We are so close to many of these:
Milky Turtle - Captured!
Bamboo Shoot and Milk - 18,300 views of Fan Art Reel 2 on Youtube. Only 1,700 views more!
Milk Dog - 454 votes out of 500 votes in Fan-vote channel. Only 46 more!
Skunk Milk - No photos yet in the pets channel of rodents and milk cartons. (Sad Ratatan Face)
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
Project Progress
Hello there!
I'm Tokuyama, project manager at Team Ratatan.
As always, we're going to explain Ratatan's current development phase and plans for the future. We're currently working on a vertical slice, which will continue until March 2024. The goal is to create the first world (referred to in the game as "stages").
Gearing Up for more Focus Tests in March
With more focus testing planned again for next month, the entire development team is hurriedly implementing various additions and modifications based on the results of the test we ran in December 2023. Starting with updating middleware and adding assets, we are working on further improving the game's UI. For the sake of making sure everyone is satisfied, we hope to achieve even higher scores in the March test!
In this month's update we would like to introduce some boss characters we're currently working on, as well as some technical updates to make the game look even more beautiful. I hope you can feel the same enthusiasm we do!
Development Spotlight #1: The Jolly Hermit
Boss Concept by Kotani
Pirate Ship of the Highwinds "Hermit"
The original Japanese name for this monster may seem pretty direct for something in the world of Ratatan to English speakers, as it's based on the name of the creature it's designed after: the humble hermit crab.
And as the name implies, this monster is one part Captain Barbatoid's flagship and one part giant hermit crab! The original ship the creature merged with was called "The Victory Cry".
Long ago, it is said that Captain Barbatoid fought in a fierce battle over a secret treasure attached to a huge shell in which a hermit crab dwelled. Can you wash away blood with blood? Apparently, after the battle was over, the pair somehow developed a friendship and settled into their current form, but the details of how that came to be are unknown.
Boss Behavior
This boss will target Ratatans and Cobun with a turret attached to its hull. You've gotta fight while dodging incoming shells. Be careful when it spits out billowing bubbles!
Considering this is the first world boss a player will encounter, we have structured the fight so that they can learn the basics of the game. For the first time, players will be expected to "avoid" incoming attacks by keeping a close eye on the boss's movements, learning when attacks are incoming and how to dodge them.
Development Progress #2: Background Improvements
Youtube Link:
- Updating the Unity Rendering Pipeline
We have updated our game rendering pipeline to Unity's Universal Render Pipeline (URP). This allows for faster and more efficient rendering, resulting in improved game performance.
- The Merits of Introducing URP
The greatest benefit of implementing URP is the reduction in the processing load required for images, allowing the game to run smoothly on a wide range of devices. Not only that, but the use of ShaderGraph and other collaborative tools makes it easier and more efficient to customize the visual representation than with the previous Built-in Render Pipeline (Built-in RP) we used.
- Comparison before and after URP application
The previously used Built-in RP was Unity's classic rendering pipeline, which was stable and reliable in terms of functionality, but set resources needed for rendering pretty high. The newly introduced URP enables high-quality rendering despite being overall lighter, reducing rendering processing time. At this stage we are able to achieve 60 Hz rendering on handheld gaming devices, even without optimization.
- Difficulties with Introducing URP
Migration to URP brings many benefits, but there are also unavoidable costs for updating data created in previous versions to be URP-compatible. Unity provides standard conversion tools, but fully automated conversion simply isn't possible, meaning many assets need to be updated manually. This process is time and labor intensive and is still being done in tandem with the implementation of new features.
And that's all for this month's development update.
We'll continue our development efforts next month with a similar playtest to the one we held last December!
Happy New Year! January 2024 Update
4 months ago
– Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 03:37:31 AM
Well, this is another huge update, but there is no rest for us Ratatans! We are going to finally show you some moving pictures, er... videos! Grab a seat and join us for the first update of 2024!
Campaign Updates:
Survey Says!
We are currently at 84% for survey completion. That's far off from the standard 90% that we want to be at. We know you are all busy and surveys are not the most exciting tool in the Ratatans' tool belt but it will help us calculate platforms/etc accurately.
・If you have an AppleID anonymous E-mail address (and don't receive updates) you can send us a message to [email protected] so we can manually change it to a different E-mail address for you
・We had a question about Chinese language for the physical Switch version. Choose the Japanese physical switch version in that instance
Backerkit store
Christmas may be over but you can still join the RataTEAM by backing via Backerkit. All backers (including those via Backerkit) will get access to the Closed Beta when it is available
Now that we are through the holiday season, we'll return to our regularly scheduled update time of the last Friday of the month. This will happen in February so expect the next update to be 5-6 weeks from now. Hopefully all the action you see in this update will keep you happy until then.
December 2023 Q&A Session
Thanks to all who attended and especially the developers for waking up early. If you wanna see the answers check the sub-thread "12/19/23 answered dev questions" lovingly put together by muncher. Again, a round of thanks to Nishi-san for attending as well. It's nice to see him recognize that it's all these great backers who have given Ratata Arts a chance to make their dreams come true. Hopefully Nishi-san gets the chance to do another Chibi Robo as well!
Developer Alliance
As you've seen, the Japanese gaming industry is a pretty small and tight knit community. We talk to each other and help each other. Sometimes crowdfunding is the only viable way for a developer to have a chance to make something they know the fans will love. Backers often repeatedly back new projects so it's nice to share information and support among different developers. We have created a quick logo to symbolize different campaigns that we are supporting and who are supporting us.
Partners of the Developer Alliance may have different types of games that interest you or don't interest you so don't feel the need to check them all out if it's not your cup of milk, but everyone could use some help now and then. If you have time, swing by and see if their campaigns may be a fit!
We've got Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood in the JRPG genre.
Penny Blood Hellbound is an action roguelike companion game to Penny Blood.
Guns Undarkness is a hybrid strategy shooter with JRPG elements by the Maestro himself, Shoji Meguro.
And maybe one or two new titles joining the alliance in 2024.
Dark Ratatan Milk Emojis
Nice one! You destroyed that Festive Ratatan Art Challenge so we have Milky Turtle! We need less than 5000 views to get that Bamboo Shoot and Milk emoji and about 100 votes on the latest fan-vote (original Ratatan art). Come on RataTEAM! We have almost 13,000 people in the Discord with an average of 4000 online. Go over and react emote so we can secure that Milk Dog! Finally, we have a new challenge for you:
We are bouncing off the question "Will there be Rats in Ratatan" asked during the Q&A for our next challenge. We need to see THREE photos of any Rodent (mouse, hamster, rat, squirrel, etc) with a glass or carton of milk next to them. Put this photo in the pets channel. If we get 3, you'll unlock the ever-coveted Skunk-milk emoji!
Developer Updates:
Phased and Amused
My name is Tokuyama, and I am the project manager for Team Ratatan. I'd like to explain the current development phase and future plans once more.
As we had mentioned in our December update, we made the decision to extend development of the vertical slice from January through to March this year. In this phase, we will mainly build Stage 1 based on the results of focus testing and then prepare for the next alpha.
Building Stage 1
The development team has been working on implementing the core parts of the project for the past 3 months, with the immediate goal of carrying out focus testing at the end of the year. We were able to conduct those tests as scheduled, and as for the results... Thankfully, basic controls such as rhythm actions, visuals, and background music were about as well received as expected.
On the other hand, the experience in battles with said rhythm commands was apparently lacking, with this tendency particularly noticeable among the more hard-core gamers. We want Ratatan to be well received by this demographic, so battles will be a priority for this phase of the project.
The in-game cycle for playing through the stages also needs to be cemented in this phase.
In addition to the 'instant enhancements' implemented in December, we plan to add features such as sequence control within stages and randomness that would encourage repeated play.
We continue to define this phase as the vertical slice, since the goal is to be able to implement these elements and play through the entirety of Stage 1.
Preparing for Alpha Testing
In what will next be our alpha phase, we will continue preparations to expand the development scope and include activities that would occur outside of stage selection. This requires a wide range of elements, including assets and specifications which must be planned and initiated in parallel with the development of the vertical slice.
Due to the priority given to in-game stage development, some tasks related to the development environment, such as the introduction of middleware, have also been rescheduled into this phase. This kind of preparation is included in that required before entering alpha.
...Which is to say, the development team has continued to throw all its energy so far this year into bringing Stage 1 closer to its production version. We will continue to update you all for the sake of making something everyone can enjoy, and we hope that you will continue to support us this year.
(While I'd like to hold on to some information for future updates, I'll try to show you as much as I can!)
Development Progress
Planning
The Vertical Slice
The ROM was completed with some reduced features, such as the results screen, within 2023.
Although we were able to achieve our goal of creating a complete experience of powering up before a boss with the implementation of instant power-ups, there were still many issues that needed to be addressed during the focus tests, such as several omitted features as well as leftover work that needs to be done to the boss battle.
The planning section in December included level design, setting parameters, adjusting the behavior of various Cobun, and adjusting and adding the Dekadon's AI for focus testing.
New basic features have also been implemented; the aforementioned instant power-ups, and bomb wielding Cobun.
Please take a look. (Note: videos may not display properly so we will be posting them to social media as well)
Bomb Kobun:
Instant Effect:
Instant Choice:
The production of the world itself is also in progress, and we have just finished creating settings for the world and individual characters. We were able to complete configurations that could withstand external orders for the world in particular.
We will continue to update the character settings and create elements of the overall world going forward.
Development
Development also prioritized implementations ahead of going into focus testing.
In order to actualize the core/important parts of the game that have not yet been made, certain Ratatan, Cobun, enemies being able to turn around, bombs, etc., have now been implemented. The addition of instant power-up displays, enemy effects, the presentation of acquired power-ups, and the effects that appear in the stage also now have an actual impact in the game.
Other minor implementations, such as improved movement for Dekadon, are also underway.
Art
Enemy Sketches
These are the enemies for the Alice in Wonderland stage that we revealed last month. How cute are these guys when presented in a Ratatan fashion?
Concept Art
Paper screens and torii gates? Our concept art this time is really giving us Japan vibes. The rabbits and goldfish could even be seen as enemies lurking in the bamboo grove.
Tutorial Pages for Focus Testers
For the sake of focus testing, we created an instruction manual for our focus testers. The images are for testing purposes and differ from the actual screens that will appear in the final game.
Making Effects
We made and implemented a bunch of effect graphics for events such as status anomalies and effects associated with certain character actions. The following gif animation is what you'll seen when a character is poisoned.
Animations
Continuing on from last month, the Cobun that accompany each Ratatan are growing in number when it comes to unit variety.
In the following gifs, the Cobun originally holding a bomb is swapped for a Cobun holding a spear.
Sound
The background music for the boss battle has been further developed and included into the game, meaning players can now see how it changes during these fights. This was also confirmed to work correctly during focus testing.
Other sound effects for attacks and defenses are also being created, with more content being incorporated into the game.
Developers Corner: Lead Programmer Takahashi
Hello, I am Takahashi, the Lead Programmer. This is the first time that the Program Department is in charge of this column, but please rest assured I'm not going to go into any technical programming stuff!
"The Development Structure of the Ratatan Programming Team"
Mid-to-large game development tends to utilize a high division of labor alongside a top-down approach under time and resource constraints.
In many cases, this top-down division of labor is efficient, but it may not always be the best approach when it comes to game development. This is because a game's appeal often comes from the creativity and initiative of each individual member of the team. So our team decided to try a slightly different approach.
Specifically, each programmer selects his or her own implementation task from those listed on our schedule board. Aside from any emergency response tasks, no specific responsibility is assigned by the supervisor. Tasks are picked up on a voluntary basis, allowing us to take into account the interests and strengths of individual programmers while still paying attention to their priorities.
This method is far more flexible, encourages creativity, and allows for more efficient work than the traditional system of assignments (in the sense of doing pre-determined tasks).
This system is working very well for us so far, and combined with a review system, implementation is progressing at a furious pace while still keeping errors under control. Since the team seems to like it, we intend to continue using this system until we reach the mass production stage, and anticipate that this experimental approach will both enhance team dynamics and improve the quality of the final product.
We will continue to strive to bring you an all-the-more enjoyable game by using this method.
参加者の皆さん、特に早起きしてくれた開発者の皆さん、ありがとうございました。もし答えを見たいなら、muncherさんが愛情を込めてまとめたサブスレッド「12/19/23 answered dev questions」をチェックしてください。また、参加してくれた西さんにも感謝します。ラタータ・アーツに夢を叶えるチャンスを与えてくれたのは、素晴らしいバッカーの皆様だということを、彼が認識してくれているのを見るのは嬉しいことです。願わくば、西さんにもまたチビロボをやってほしいものです！
December 2023 Update!
5 months ago
– Fri, Dec 08, 2023 at 03:17:52 AM
Happy Holidays RataTEAM!
Things are starting to slow down as we enter the holiday season but we have lots of cool information to share with you!
Campaign Information:
End of the Year Discord Q&A featuring Special Guest Kenichi Nishi
It's the end of the year so we wanted to celebrate closing it out with our amazing backers! We'll be holding another Discord Q&A on December 19th 7PM EST/4PM PST. We'll spend 45 minutes in the English "dev-questions" channel (7PM - 7:45PM) and 15 minutes in the Japanese 「開発者質疑応答」channel (7:45PM - 8PM). We are pleased to announce we'll have a super cool creator for another adorable Japanese game - Kenichi Nishi, the creator of Chibi Robo so please swing on by if you have time.
Surveys
We have a 82% completion rate and have begun sending out Fever and Super Fever discord roles! We have handled over 1000 customer service tickets and should be fully caught up so let us know if you haven't received your survey (which could be due to the AppleID issue mentioned in previous updates). Feel free to send us a message at [email protected]
Backerkit Store
We have over 100 new orders and are steadily inching towards the Dark Ratatan Pet goal, but as always word of mouth helps, so give the gift of Ratatan this year by heading over to the Backerkit Store. Also, if you are in the mood to play something in less than a week and like roguelikes check out Penny Blood Hellbound from Yukikaze and Natsume Atari: https://penny-blood-hellbound-store.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Milk Emoji
The fan art reel #2 has reached the halfway mark but we still need 8,000 more views to secure the bamboo shoot and milk emoji for the community. Speaking of which, we'll unlock the Milk Dog emoji if we can get over 500 emojis reactions to today's favorite original Ratatan art. The team have selected 3 pieces for you to choose from so go over to the fan-vote and let us know which one you love the most. As always, thank you to the wonderful community for creating such amazing art!
Also, we are giving you a chance to unlock Milky Turtle by creating 25 pieces of Holiday Ratatan art. This can be a cobun, Kro, Ratatan, original Ratatan or Dark Ratatan decked up in any sort of holiday gear/costume you can imagine. So there you have it... TWO chances to officially unlock new emotes!
Backer Roles
As we promised, first came the surveys, then the backerkit store, and then we turned our focus to the backer specific roles: Fever Backer and Super Fever Backer. We'll created two different channels to coincide with these roles as well. One is the ratatan-backer channel that any one with the backer role can access. The other is the Super-secret-super-fever channel that is specifically for premium backers. These channels will be live as of this update so stop by and show your backer pride! They each come with an exclusive emoji as well. If you feel you should have received a role but haven't yet these are the top 3 things that are issues:
If you did not fill out your survey, we cannot provide you with a role. Please fill out your survey. You can get that HERE:https://ratatan.backerkit.com/
If you incorrectly filled out the survey. This could be because you didn’t provide your “Unique Discord ID” (This is the name located directly under your public-facing Discord display name). This could also be because you capitalized your survey answer where your Unique Discord ID is lower-case. You need to make sure this is an exact match. If you feel you incorrectly filled in this answer, you can re-input the answer HERE:https://ratatan.backerkit.com/
You changed your Unique Discord ID after we pulled data from the surveys a week ago.
We will be updating roles once a week to add new folks that have filled out their survey or adjusted their Unique Discord ID.
Got Plush?
After several passes between Nelnal and Red-art we finally have the plush sample. Here's a quick video of what it looks like. If this is up your alley or seems like a good Christmas present you can swing by and secure one from the Backerkit Store.
It's already December and even the world of Ratatan is celebrating Christmas! The Ratatans are enjoying the holidays in their own way too, it seems.
PRODUCER'S COMMENT
Hey everyone. Producer Sakajiri here.
With the Kickstarter over, there's just one month left in the Vertical Slice phase we began in October.
Development is still progressing at a rapid pace.
Let me take a moment to explain how everything's looking.
Phase Progression
We are currently in a situation where we would like to focus a little more on the in-game content itself. To that end, we have made the decision to continue working on the vertical slice for another 3 months rather than progressing on to an alpha stage that would expand the scope of development. There is no overall delay in Ratatan's development as a result of this change at this time.
Focus Testing
Our policy is to make decisions on the completion of a phase based on objective data. Specifically, data will be collected through play tests by testers selected in certain segments that will be used to guide development in the next phase.
We hope you will all be patient with us for a while, as we want to bring you the best Ratatan, even in the beta test stage.
IP Development
We are progressing with IP development, etc. for Ratatan. We have been preparing Kickstarter specific rewards as thanks for your support in the campaign and would like to consider more opportunities to make Ratatan available to as many people as possible in the future.
We will inform you of these developments first and foremost and consult with you before making any decisions.
Secondary Works
We have received a lot of fan art from everyone and our team enjoys looking at it every day, so much so that we would like to actively support these types of work. We have prepared a brief guideline for such secondary works, and if you have any requests or comments then please feel free to contact us via the official Discord server.
Production is continuing with the vertical slice goal and finalizing core parts.
We have been working on improving feedback and development workflow maintenance to increase team communication, and as a result, implementation and development speed for the ROMs have greatly improved.
We are also making a number of preparations for a focus test scheduled to be held at the end of December.
Please refer to each of the following sections for details.
Planning
Continuing from the previous month, the planning section is progressing with the production of the vertical slice. The most important part of the game itself, the implementation of the core section, has been given the highest priority, meaning that the implementation of the rest of the game cycle is proceeding with a lower priority.
Various specifications were created and adjusted to make the most of Ratatan's basic operations such as freedom of movement and rhythm commands--the most important within the core section--while also making the battles against enemies and bosses in each stage more interesting.
Our major goals for December are to create the basic structure of the boss battles, implement instant enhancements and Super Fever (which has changed from before), and we are progressing as fast as we can to make the game more enjoyable during the focus test phase.
Work is also in progress regarding Ratatan's worldbuilding, with themes and gimmicks of each world decided in order to create background concepts, while concept art is steadily being drawn that will help share the world's atmosphere with the entire development team. Aside from that, details on where the Ratatans come from and how their dwelling 'Ratatan Land' came to be, as well as the problems and drama faced by the NPCs are being put together. In today's Developer's Corner, you will find an interview with the people in charge of world building and concept art.
Development
Various items are being implemented for the VS version and improvements are being made based on feedback received from the team through actual gameplay data.
One major addition, we are working on the Super Fever system that occurs when all Ratatans meet certain conditions during battle. Implementation of this system is in progress and improvements are being made based on feedback shared within the development team.
Regarding rhythm commands, a "leap" command was implemented to avoid attacks from enemies and bosses in time with the rhythm.
Not only that, but NPCs such as COM-tan and friends will now be able to travel with you if you're short of four players.
Other changes include new implementation and adjustment of the UI, smoother transitioning of the background music, extra motion for Dekadon when they're weakened, and more bow and spear versions of the hedgehog-shaped Cobun to add to their variety. You will be able to see these animations later in the art segment.
Art
As the world of Ratatan becomes more concrete, the design of world-specific enemy characters and their movements are being created. Today, we'd like to share the character animation instructions and the animations we are working on.
(All images are in development, and could change in the final version)
World 4 Concept Art
You can see the Cobun surrounded by giant things. What’s going on, I wonder?
World 5 Concept Art
A world of silver. You can see the Cobun here trying to keep warm and enemies lying in wait.
Enemy Animation Instructions
Instructions on how the enemies that appear in the world should move.
Additional Animation: Dekadon
This is how Dekadon moves once their HP has been whittled down to almost nothing. Dekadon looks pretty exhausted, huh?
Additional Animation: Hedgehog Cobun
Harigittan’s Cobun has only been shown with a shield until now, but we’ve added a spear and an archery set to the repertoire. We plan on giving the Cobun all kinds of equipment going forward.
Sound
The boss battle music creation is well underway.
Sound effects are being considered mainly for ingame battles, such as the various movements and reactions made by the Cobun, sounds related to the Dekadon boss, and system sound effects for the game's start menu.
DEVELOPER’S CORNER
In this issue of Developer's Corner, we interviewed three members of the Worldbuilding Team from the Planning Section to learn more about how Ratatan's fascinating world is created.
Q1:
I believe that you are working on worldbuilding to an extent that it goes beyond the game itself. I would like to know how you go about building a world like this, and what do you try to keep in mind with your approach?
Nakasha: Well, first the team examines the process that led to this work (i.e. Ratatan), and then creates a setting based on a fictitious anime and the real world within this worldview. We're especially conscious of how much of that fictional anime should be brought into the game, and how much of the game’s settings should match up with that of the anime’s.
Kotani: Since the game has a very quirky world from an outside perspective, we initially focus on getting Nasu-san's input on how the world came to be and the tone he wants the story to have. Basically, we are taking the stance that we want the Ratatan world to be Nasu-san's.
Nasu: I am thinking about the extent to which the settings in the game and outside the game should match, and if they don't, how to make them so that the person engaging with the content doesn't feel inconsistency or discomfort.
Q2:
I think the appeal of this work is its unique and distinctive world and characters. What do you consider important in building these things?
Nakasha: We believe that the clash of each character's principles in response to a particular event adds depth to their characterization, so we try to make each character's beliefs clear from the start.
Kotani: We want to emphasize the importance of allowing the player to get a feel for the world without the need for detailed explanations, so that they can feel that the characters drawn by Nelnal were not only their avatars, but also lovable characters with unique backgrounds.
Nasu: I find the visuals very appealing and I absolutely do not want the game's setting to detract from that. I want to think art comes before the setting, so if I can create a more attractive visual expression then I want to be flexible and adjust the setting to match. I want to produce something that I feel is interesting once they've been connected.
Q3:
Can you say a few words about the other worldbuilding team members?
Nakasha: I try not to interfere with Kotani-san and Nasu-san's world building while at the same time making sure that progress is steady, like going up a flight of stairs. I'd like to do a good job of mixing, matching and summarizing in order to keep the thoughts flowing.
Kotani: Nakasha-san is a pretty reliable translator and researcher who digs out the important elements of my unspoken words. Please keep up the good work. I'd like Nasu-san to capture my taste while at the same time pushing his own ideas that he thinks are interesting. I look forward to that.
Nasu: I'm new to the team, but I hope to continue working on this project without holding you both back.
Q4:
Finally, Kotani-san, can you give us a few words on overseeing the game’s worldbuilding?
Kotani: We believe that Ratatan, which was launched through this Kickstarter, is a world that you will nurture together with us. It isn't a fixed "this is how it's gonna be!" kind of world, but one that will continue to grow with everyone's imagination. We would like to make it a place where your rich imagination can be nourished and deepened, so we hope that you will add depth to the Ratatans with your various expressions. We look forward to peeking at your expressions from time to time, so please share your various output with us.
DEVELOPER’S CORNER EXTRAS: Concept art and Worldbuilding Materials
(Everything shown is in development, and could change in the final version)
World 1 Concept Plan
This is a shot of the proposed concept art layout to help cement our image of the world.
World 1 Concept Art
The rough sketch from earlier has been painted. You can still see the other worlds off in the distance.
World 4 Concept Art
Designs for the Queen of Hearts and her devoted knights. You can see the Ratatans hiding from a giant Queen.
Rataport Concept Materials
This document examines the layout and image of the Rataport, which will be the base of operations for the Ratatans.
November 2023 Update
6 months ago
– Fri, Nov 03, 2023 at 03:58:45 AM
Hello RataTEAM!
We are getting closer and closer to the end of the year. While Ratatan is still quite a way away, come chat with us in the Discord and let us know what games you'll be picking up before the year is out!
Campaign Updates:
Surveys are OUT!
They have been sent to every Kickstarter registered address we had and 68% of all backers have filled out their survey! You'll have the option to purchase add-ons via Backerkit as well in case you missed something during the campaign. As stated before, premium rewards and signed rewards are not available anymore.
Our fantastic moderation team can help you with your survey questions but in the interim we are also creating a "survey-support" channel for any burning questions you may have about the survey. Or you can E-mail us at [email protected]. We spent several weeks trying to get it right but we are not perfect so please let us know if you see something that seems like a mistake.
For now here are the current issues:
- A few Kickstarter add-ons required additional payment when they should not have. This is mostly affecting the Cobun plush. It looks like some tricksters wired them wrong during the transfer from Kickstarter to Backerkit! The team is currently correcting the issue.
If you have not added anything to your Kickstarter pledge and find an outstanding balance at the end of your survey, please refrain from adding your PayPal details as you may be charged. Backers who have already paid via PayPal will be refunded individually sometime next week.
- Some people have also identified an issue with the PayPal button not working correctly. Our friends at Backerkit are working on the issue, but this might not be solved quickly as it is a technical problem. If you encounter the problem, please just go ahead with your survey until the payment stage. As you would have to go back in and pay for shipping later, this just means you will pay for any additional add-ons at that later stage.
Backerkit Store is LIVE!
Yep, due to the week delay with the surveys, it allowed us to sync up with the Backerkit store! It's live so you have another chance to pick up additional merchandise via the Backerkit store until it closes which should be 4-6 months before launch. As an indie team, getting in new orders is essential for us to make the game the best it can be. We'll be adding in new merchandise from time to time and inform people of that in the red-art discord section as well as through updates. Also, let's not forget the sacred words of Sakajiri-san: "If the Backerkit raises enough money, we can still get those Dark Ratatan pets!" DO WANT!!!
We have a plush prototype soon to be revealed! Additionally, we are talking about the best way to create figures and acrylic standees at a reasonable cost, so expect some additional merch in the Backerkit store in the future.
Although this isn't public knowledge, here's the top 5 most popular add-ons:
・Special Thanks!
・Artbook
・Digital Soundtrack
・T-shirt
・Plush
Looks like the core offerings are pretty popular! Thank you amazing backers!!!
Discord hits 12,000 Ratataners!
We are super happy to see so many people on the discord server. And what a nice server it is. Full of passion, kindness, and amazing fan art! We'll continue to create new content for the discord server so please stop by! Speaking of which…
Get Milked!
Ok, ok. We asked you for your favorite emojis and it's clear you really love calcium! Starting today we are adding in the remaining core Ratatan milk emojis so you can give the gift of milk and do it via your favorite Ratatan! But not so fast, the playable Dark Ratatans surely love Milk too. They do and these highly sought out official Dark Ratatan emojis do exist. You'll have to level-up, clear challenges, and win giveaways to secure these highly coveted emojis!
For now: Reach 20,000 views of the new fan-art reel featuring new art and a new song by Adachi-san! This will unlock the Bamboo Shoot & Milk emoji for official use!
Fan Art Reel
We sure do know how to reel you in - (sorry/not sorry) and this is our first post campaign fan art reel. It's a great way to show your continued love for the project and of course great to hear a new tune by the maestro himself, Adachi-san. As long as there is new art to show, we will continue to create these fan art reels!
There is so much good art so we will continue to create these every 3-4 months. Here are some quick tips:
・We cannot use other company's IP (cough cough)
・Since these will be used to introduce new music from Adachi-san, it's best if there isn't music in a video clip
・Please, please, please put your name somewhere on the art if you want proper credit. We cannot individually label these as much as we love each and every one
・Don't give up! Just because you didn't make this reel doesn't mean you won't make another one
・We love seeing art with Ratatan and Dark Ratatan pairings!
Fan Votes
The recent fan vote on discord didn't get a lot of love which makes Pyokorappa sad. You are backers! Your voice counts! Let it be heard! This fan vote for today is which of these 3 selected emojis should make the cut for the official emoji list! The selected emoji will be added in one week so that everyone can use it.
Discord Server Partner - Penny Blood!
We have partnered with another great Kickstarter team - Penny Blood. They provided great advice and even gave us a call-out so if you are into JRPGs, go check out their server and if new folks from their server join us here, say "Hello!"
Development Updates:
Development Progress
We aim to prioritize improvements to the game's core elements, such as basic player behavior, rhythm command input, and battles by mid-November.
In addition to that, we are also making corrections and improvements to items that were tentatively specified and implemented into the game ahead of the Kickstarter campaign.
Please take a look at each section for details.
PLANNING
The planning section focused on creating specifications and implementing each element for the vertical slice.
We achieved all of our goals for this month, which were to organize and create new specifications for the basic rhythm-action system, modify the in-game UI for the production version of the game, and make any necessary adjustments when implementing those new specifications. Of course, we are also working on other specifications for the final version.
As for elements for the vertical slice version by the end of this year, these will include behavior modifications to the shield soldier Cobun, a modified version of the basic rhythm action system, and accompanying in-game UI.
We are also focused on the process of building out the game's world. We hope to have new information for you in the not-too-distant future.
DEVELOPMENT
The development section focused mainly on implementation work, maintenance of the development environment, and tool validation.
All of the development staff are working to update and check the builds daily for implementation, and we expect to achieve about 90% of October's planned implementation.
As part of the development environment, the team is currently discussing mechanisms to assist working with the art staff. Some of these are introduced in the upcoming Art section.
ART
– UI Currently Under Consideration
This is the proposed layout of the in-game UI. We are considering how it should be arranged, which we didn't show during the closing stream.
There are still a ton of things under consideration in Ratatan's development, but if you have any questions or thoughts then we’d love to hear them in the #dev-questions channel of the official Ratatan Discord server.
– World 2 Concept Art
This is a rough design for World 2 in the game.
This concept art shows friendly Cobun fighting from inside a minecart that's running through a mineshaft. We'd love for you to imagine what kind of events or gimmicks could be happening in this scenario!
– Map Procedure Creation Ideas
Currently, we say “worlds” to refer to each game stage.
This document describes the concept of how worlds can be divided into blocks or layers to display graphics in the game and create worlds.
This arrangement allows for the smooth creation of various worlds.
– Animation Method Study
Here's some material regarding the graphic and animation specifications for the equipment in Ratatan.
This is just a proposal document in the early stages of development, not a definitive draft, that will be used to formulate a consensus with the staff involved. By using these formulations, we can consider and implement rules for in-game animations and customizable dress-up elements.
Adachi-san has created a new song in response to the October next fan vote! For now, it's called "Halloween Theme (prototype)." Since this song is still in production, Adachi-san himself is singing in it tentatively, but once it's completed then we'll ask the voice actors to record it again for the final version.
As for the rest of the sound section, not just music but sound effects are also being produced and sequentially incorporated into the game data.
Lastly, we received some comments from Adachi-san regarding the music.
Comments from Adachi-san
This first demo was created at the very start, when I first received the order and tried to figure out the right sound in a period in which the title and specifications still haven’t been decided, among other things.
I created this song through singing the call and response myself, then mixed in the voices of the Ratatan and Cobun to create the final version.
Developer Corner: Environment Artist adultseat
This time we've received some concept art for World 3 from background artist, adultseat, alongside some comments on their creation.
World 3 Concept Art
-- The Imagination Behind the World 3 Concept Art
Being set in the jungle, this stage will probably have the most life in it, so I was careful to incorporate the strong energy of nature into the cutesy world of Ratatan without losing any elements of either.
We want the ruins to appear as organic within the design and as in harmony with nature as possible.
-- What We Want You to See in the World 3 Concept Art
Regarding the art's expression, I painted it using vigorous touches over and over, to make it look more naturalistic. If you look at it closely then you'll notice the details are all very rough.
As for the content, we sprinkled in some details that could end up being gimmicks for the game, so please look forward to seeing what the stage will look like. (I don't know if these will be used, though...)
Lastly, I am planning to include a Cobun in every concept art. It's pretty whimsical, deciding what character should be in what piece, so I hope you enjoy those extra touches!
Boss Concept by Kotani
