WEBVTT -- English 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.451 Hi there, my name's Joshua Meadows and I'm the lead writer and developer of Alcyone: The Last City 00:00:04.453 --> 00:00:08.233 Alcyone is an interactive fiction video game set in the near future 00:00:08.233 --> 00:00:14.439 after attempts at faster than light space travel destabilised the universe as we know it. 00:00:14.441 --> 00:00:19.560 Although most of existence was destroyed in this catastrophe, known in the game as The Event, a small 00:00:19.562 --> 00:00:24.211 enclave of humanity managed to survive in a place known now 00:00:24.213 --> 00:00:29.394 as the City. Alcyone is a science fiction game at its heart, but more than that 00:00:29.396 --> 00:00:32.962 it's a place where politics and intrigue really have a focus. 00:00:32.963 --> 00:00:38.481 The City has a very rigid class and caste system forced on the population 00:00:38.481 --> 00:00:44.036 and it's run by six very powerful Houses known as 00:00:44.037 --> 00:00:46.037 the Six Ruling Houses. 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:49.264 Alcyone has a huge emphasis on choice and consequence. 00:00:49.265 --> 00:00:52.225 The player can align themselves with various factions 00:00:52.226 --> 00:00:55.429 and in doing so really influence how the rest of the game plays out. 00:00:55.430 --> 00:00:59.457 Information and knowledge are the City's real currency 00:00:59.459 --> 00:01:02.281 and having the right bits of it will open certain doors 00:01:02.283 --> 00:01:04.283 or lock you out of various pathways. 00:01:04.284 --> 00:01:07.281 The actions that you choose within the game 00:01:07.281 --> 00:01:10.620 itself heavily influence the direction that your experience goes 00:01:10.621 --> 00:01:14.177 and very much locks you out of certain parts of content 00:01:14.177 --> 00:01:17.358 if you align yourself with certain factions. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:20.344 This means that there's a huge opportunity for replayability, 00:01:20.346 --> 00:01:22.790 and experiencing the game from different viewpoints 00:01:22.790 --> 00:01:24.790 or different aspects of the plot. 00:01:24.792 --> 00:01:27.870 Alcyone straddles the line between video game and novel. 00:01:27.871 --> 00:01:31.569 It includes a fully featured soundtrack, 00:01:31.569 --> 00:01:34.638 as well as gorgeous hand-painted digital artwork. 00:01:34.638 --> 00:01:36.780 I've been writing for over fifteen years, and I've been lucky 00:01:36.781 --> 00:01:39.379 enough to experience writing both as a video games journalist 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:42.617 as well as writing for video games themselves. 00:01:42.617 --> 00:01:47.483 This is the first game that I've created myself, although I've worked on many projects in the past. 00:01:47.989 --> 00:01:51.784 I also publish a science fiction novella series, 00:01:51.787 --> 00:01:54.783 called Iyetra, which was a 00:01:54.784 --> 00:01:57.555 quarterfinalist in the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest 00:01:57.555 --> 00:01:59.706 sponsored by Penguin Books. 00:01:59.706 --> 00:02:01.706 When I'm not writing, I help run GX Australia 00:02:01.858 --> 00:02:04.358 Australia's most inclusive convention 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:06.418 for video gamers, geeks, and all of their friends. 00:02:06.420 --> 00:02:08.419 I'm looking for $5000 Australian Dollars 00:02:08.420 --> 00:02:10.420 to help bring this project to life. 00:02:10.421 --> 00:02:12.421 The amount that I'm asking for will 00:02:12.423 --> 00:02:14.423 help me offset costs that I've already incurred 00:02:14.424 --> 00:02:16.424 in the course of developing the game 00:02:16.425 --> 00:02:18.425 so far and also take care of 00:02:18.425 --> 00:02:21.036 expenses like more music, sound effects, and artwork. 00:02:21.037 --> 00:02:23.037 If the campaign raises over 00:02:23.038 --> 00:02:25.038 $5000, I've got a number of stretch goals 00:02:25.038 --> 00:02:27.038 all focused on bringing additional guest writers 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:29.098 on board, including some names 00:02:29.098 --> 00:02:31.098 that you probably have heard of 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:33.099 like game design veteran David Gaider 00:02:33.100 --> 00:02:35.100 who was the lead writer and world designer for 00:02:35.102 --> 00:02:37.102 the Dragon Age series among other things, 00:02:37.103 --> 00:02:39.103 and Alexis Kennedy, who was one of the 00:02:39.104 --> 00:02:41.104 founders of Failbetter Games 00:02:41.104 --> 00:02:43.104 and one of the developers behind 00:02:43.105 --> 00:02:45.105 Fallen London and Sunless Sea. 00:02:45.106 --> 00:02:47.122 I also have a number of other writers who 00:02:47.122 --> 00:02:49.122 have thrown their names in and are excited 00:02:49.123 --> 00:02:51.123 to get involved so if we raise additional 00:02:51.125 --> 00:02:53.721 funds over the $5000 you'll be able to see 00:02:53.722 --> 00:02:55.722 their work in the game as well. 00:02:55.723 --> 00:02:58.423 Backers can pledge for DRM free copies of 00:02:58.424 --> 00:03:00.424 the game in their choice of platform 00:03:00.425 --> 00:03:02.425 as well as awesome extras like 00:03:02.425 --> 00:03:05.143 digital artbooks, the complete soundtrack, or 00:03:05.144 --> 00:03:07.144 really cool things like seeing the House sigils 00:03:07.145 --> 00:03:09.320 printed out physically 00:03:09.322 --> 00:03:11.322 on canvas. 00:03:11.323 --> 00:03:13.323 I'm really thrilled to be able to bring this project to 00:03:13.324 --> 00:03:15.324 you all and I hope that you're all as excited to play it 00:03:15.324 --> 00:03:17.324 as I am in writing it. 00:03:17.325 --> 00:03:19.325 With your help I'll be able to make this game a reality 00:03:19.326 --> 00:03:21.326 so thank you so much for your pledge!