Yumetou

Hey man. :) Don't you remember? You said you needed some time away so I said I'd rope you into the game when you came back and were up for it. Ready to genocide the youkai bring peace and freedom to all humans of Gensokyo?

So Zun breaks into your house at midnight and demands at gunpoint that you make a Touhou fangame. What kind of game would you make, and what would its genre be? What would the premise and story be? Which characters would you focus on, and why? You have ultimate control, and all the time in the world to make your dream game! Or Zun buries you in the back yard next to Mima and Shinki.

Sounds good! I will see if I can get an opening for you after some of the others post, or you could begin with an opening of your own. Mina waking up and starting her day or tracking the spirit's movements would all be good openings. I keep meaning to have a map, but getting one ready has been tricky since I've had so little time. More or less, the center of Gensokyo is wild country, with most of the Minor Factions and several major ones competing for the space. Its a dangerous area, but its one Mina would know somewhat well.

Hello Nyoko! Welcome to the site, and my one-woman crusade to revive Eientei. Your sheet looks good. Just to caution you, Otherworldly Ventures will appear in the story as both a vendor and an antagonist. So while they will be friendly (ish) sometimes, other times Mina may have to fight them. If you're okay with that, your app is approved.

I don't think its a secret I work too much. Its one of my biggest obstacles for getting into new hobbies. Its hard to find time to read manga or get into a series when your 9-5 goes 9-9. Half the time I don't even get breaks. On days like that, nothing lifts my heart quite like a fumo video. There's an innocence and simplicity to them I enjoy (and the comments section usually laughs at my jokes which is a plus). Not to mention you don't need to be a lore nerd to understand much of the humor which helps with getting normies to watch. 'Haha pink haired doll hungry dolls can't eat spaghetti!' That said, yeah. Its hard to find decent english fan material. The other day there was a dude in chat who wanted to know if there was any English animated Touhou series worth seeing. He'd seen Little Reimu and its sequel and didn't care for KKHTA. I happened to have stumbled on an animation weeks before of an animated Touhou picturebook for children. It was a beautiful thing. Quality art, unique style, good jokes, sentimental but not saccharine, animated and translated from Japanese. It got 25k views on Youtube. Less than a lot of videos about funny plushies, loli sex tourists or fishimg rods. This person had poured a massive amount of effort into reaching Westerners with a quality video and it got totally upstaged. They only made one other video. It got about 16k views. Meanwhile 'What if your favorite anime girl was evil and had the crazy' has dozens of references in videos with much higher viewcounts. Much less KKHTA itself. It takes a lot to make a quality product. Be that an animation, doujin or game. Finding time alone can be a challenge. But nothing burns quite as much as throwing in so much work and make something good. Only for no one to care. But trust me. Someone will. It just sometimes takes awhile.

Please do! I hope you enjoy your Hellraven companion by the by. I tried to give her a fun vibe. If you don't care for her, no worries. She may not be around for long.

Youkai Trail, an Hour Before "C'mon, we couldn't have gotten all of them..." A blue-haired figure murmured to herself, ankle deep in a running stream. Her white and blue skirt was hiked to her knees. A large knot keeping it out of the water. Nearby on the shore, a green-haired girl sat gazing at the flowers. Easing their blossoms open with a gentle touch. "We've been coming here for a week, Cirno. The rest of the frogs have probably run away by now." The face of the first fairy scrunched, as though physically rejecting the idea. Before she looked over the stream, and the patches of ice formed nearby. Her mouth had only just opened to admit defeat, when a flicker of movement caught her eye. Walking along the path was a familiar face. A girl dressed in a white shirt and brown dress. Tiny wings fluttered as she strained to pull a wagon. With sudden excitement, Cirno stood up, waving as she took flight. "OI! Mystia!" From her seat, Daiyousei smiled, following after Cirno. Mystia Lorelei raised her head wearily at the sound. Though the sight of her friends made her smile. One hand rose to wave back as she set down the wagon with a look of defeat. Daiyousei gave the Night Sparrow's expression a worried look. Cirno, in her typical fashion, failed to notice. "Heya Mystia!" "What brings you out here? Daiyousei asked, her eyes going to the cart. Mystia reached into her dress. Pulling out a kerchief she used to bat at her forehead. "Well...I'm not sure if you heard...there's a new restaurant everyone is talking about. I've been trying to compete, but this new owner seems to have everything...I've never even seen her come into the village. If this keeps up, I won't be able to sell anything in the Human Village anymore..." "What?" The Ice Fairy gasped. Anger seeped into her face. Her small hands clenching as she did. "You can't give up Mystia! Your food is the best! Everyone says! This new girl? She has to have some dark secret! Humans always do. All we have to do is find it, and you have your Izakaya back." "Its okay, really. I can just go back to blinding humans for grilled eels." "Don't worry Mystia! We will find out what this human is hiding! Lake Fairy Crew for life!" Present Alice lifted the spoonful to her mouth, and took a tender bite. Instantly, her mouth was filled with the pleasant taste of fresh fruits and savory cream. At least, at first. For the barest moment, as her hostess turned to Yuyuko, the taste shifted. The fruit grew bitter, and the texture felt rotted. Then in a moment, it was back to the familiar taste. Looking down at her plate, she would see no sign of any moldy berries. But then neither did she see any sign of cream... The window near her table suddenly gave a dull thunk as something collided into it. A flash of blue and white falling away. A moment later, a head of blue hair raised from the window's sill. Blue eyes staring intently inside, with all the subtlety of a frozen frog. Even from where she was seated, Alice could hear frantic whispers from the window. Three voices at least...

Sorry for the long wait gang. I'm sorry to say I was kept pretty busy this week, and when I did have free time, I wasn't sure how best to start things. Hopefully Saathi and Juuni enjoy their opening posts. If anyone else is still around and wants to play or is interested in joining in, just ping me and we'll dive in.

The early morning mists crept through the lowlands. Obscuring one’s vision in a thick blanket of fog. The sun had scarcely risen, and its rays were only just beginning to warm the land. This middle land was a long way from anywhere. Resting peaceably between the settlements of Scarlet Castle Town, Genbu City, the Human Village and Misty Ice Castle. Yet despite its vast distance from these realms, the Fantasy Plains knew no peace. It had only been a year since the armies of Hakurei marched across these same fields. Moving to strike the Scarlet Empire’s armies as they contended with the Fairy Queendoms. Now, Empress Remilia’s former servant Sanguine Rose called these fields her domain. The wily warlord and her private army rode across these lands, threatening every neighboring nation. Finding her was a task beyond the ken of most, returning to tell the tale was only a grander challenge. Naturally, Shrine Maiden and President Reimu had sent Senji Yamamoto to find Sanguine Rose. The Wonderer’s knowledge of the wilds and talent with a horse made him the perfect scout to find the Scourge of Genbu. Only telling him to take four of his best riders west, and hope that Sanguine Rose did not find him… The Wonderer was crouched on the ground. One arm pulling his cape closer around him as he studied the tracks on the ground. Senji could see them as well. Engraven in the mud and on torn stems of grass were the marks of hooves and of high heeled boots. A simple hunter could have surmised the warband had passed through here. But there were further secrets in the tracks for those who dared to look. The length of the tracks showed a slow pace. Likely from exhaustion. Imperfections in the soles and horseshoes hinted at the warband’s size. The Wonderer Kenzo Sano stood. The wind tousling his wild hair beneath his sheepskin cap. His mustache and goatee swaying with the wind over a thick layer of furs and wool. “Chieftain. The Sanguine Warband passed through here, just the night before. They likely made camp upon a hill nearby. The lands here have little wood, and it is likely set in a circle to the center. In this fog, we may have the chance to sneak into the camp itself, if we can evade her patrolling guards.” Sure enough, through the fog, Senji could just make out an encampment upon a low rise ahead. Dirtied tents of striped linen sat in circles, six lanes passing through the tents towards a red pavilion in the center. Even at this hour, members of the Warband could be seen. A pair of exiled Scarlet Librarians blearily consulted their books near a fire at the center. In the distance, pairs of Blood Knights, dressed in their plate mail, rose side by side. Lances resting by their sides in the dim morning. Yet the dozens of pitch tents promised the hundreds of other soldiers remained asleep. Blissfully unaware they were being observed... --- “I bid you enter.” The voice was softly spoken, almost enough to drown it against the sound of flames nearby. The door opened, the familiar face of Orin pulling at the handle. Despite the austerity of her mistress’s voice, she could not resist giving Keiki a bright smile. The room was dim. Illuminated only by a pair of candelabras along a great table, and a massive fireplace to the side. A pair of large leather chairs sat before the roaring flame. One empty. Upon the other, was the queen of the Underworld. Satori turned her face towards Keiki. Already, the weight of her newfound position pressed upon her. Her eyes were ringed with shadows, which blinked blearily in the dim light. Still, she managed to offer Keiki a small knowing smile beneath her golden coronet. A hand rose, petting the third eye upon her lap as it gazed into the fire. A copy of the same eye carved into a ruby in the coronet’s center. “Keiki Haniyasushin. Thank you for joining me. I have a request. Please, sit down.” Her hand extended to the chair. Before her gaze drifted back to the flickering flames. For a moment, she gazed ahead. Before the will to speak returned to her. “Keiki. I have a request of you. Though Chireiden’s wealth has put an end to the starvation in Former Hell, I am unsure how long this can last. Former Hell needs new life and industry breathed into it, if our new kingdom is to sustain itself. In the chaos of the collapse of magic, the Nuclear Furnace has faded in power. If we can restore it to working order, we can insure starvation will never plague us again. But the means to repair it are outside our knowledge. Please, deliver this to Kanako Yasaka. I am certain she has the knowledge to help us.” A small, pale hand drifted inside her familiar blue blouse. Slipping between a gap in the buttons before it emerged with a letter. Upon the front in Satori’s elegant hand was ‘Kanako Yasaka’ in fine kanji. The queen raised the letter to Keiki’s hand. Her purple eyes gazing into Keiki’s as if to see her soul. An uncomfortable thought, given the third eye which gazed lazily at her. Satori’s lips moved, though the words did not match the motion of her lips, repeating her name. “Kiki...Kiki...Wake up Kiki! I have breakfast!” The world shifted as Keiki was pulled into the waking world. No longer in the Palace of the Earth Spirits, but in a tent, deep in unclaimed wilderness. Her Oni guards had thankfully gone to bed long ago, though the drunken snores of some could be heard. Even over the Hellraven sentries chatting with one another outside. They were hardly what one expected for a diplomatic mission. But in the wilderness of Gensokyo where all manner of monsters roamed, both would keep her safe. And leading her guards were… “Wow, you’re a sound sleeper! I keep cawing and you’re still down there! Guess I’ll help myself.” Crouched over the goddess was the grinning face of the captain of her guard. Senkarasu, a towering and sturdy Hellraven. Utsuho Reiuji had reassured Keiki she was one of her toughest girls, though that sadly was not the only trait they had in common. Like her mistress, Senkarasu had black hair, though hers was woven into a thick French braid that went down to her waist. The head of a large hammer hanging from the end of it. Senkarasu was dressed in a dark blue and white sailor suit and skirt. Though Keiki's view upward was thankfully blocked by the plate the excited Hellraven shoved towards Keiki’s face. “Made you breakies. Couldn’t remember what you wanted, so I made a little of everything.” She said around a mouthful of bacon. “There’s bacon, potato, grilled fish, some berries...umm, this mushroom I found, steamed rice…” The Hellraven made it sound like she had a small feast. Though looking at it, Keiki would find herself disappointed. There was only one half-slice of bacon left, the rest rapidly disappearing between Senkarasu’s teeth. ‘Potato’ on the other hand had clearly been impaled on a stick and rotated over the fire, while the grilled fish were scarcely the size of anchovies. The mushroom was enormous, but its safety far from guaranteed. Senkarasu eased back onto her butt, the hammer head slamming onto the ground in front of her crossed legs. Smiling broadly as she chewed Keiki’s bacon. Gazing expectantly at her, and probably entirely ignorant of Keiki’s impressions of her, for good or ill.

I mean...she is a god. Joking aside, as one of the feral fans of this evil spirit, there are a couple reasons I choose to die on her hill. The first, yes, is its 'le funni me me' for the fans. But there's more than that. She is often the first nugget of obscure lore a fan wanting to get into the franchise comes upon. And with her unique design and placement in the series, she makes a strong impression on someone who sucks at bullethells but wants to hang out with the cool kids. Speaking of, her design. Despite its many elements, its very appealing while not being overly complex, very easy to update. She is very self-assured and confident, as well as magically potent. As I mentioned in Yumeko's persona thread, confidence is a great trait in a villain. It makes them endearing, while also priming us for excitement when she is defeated. And yeah, she is sadistic and even petty compared to other characters, and that does make her stand out compared to other villains in the series. Her good endings also offer some potential for growth which would have been interesting to see. Either coming to accept her place in the world alongside the heroines, or deciding to pursue godhood. A big reason why I want her back however, is...she fits so closely in the lore and the characters I care about. She is imprisoned on the Hakurei grounds, and has been for years. To the point she knows more of the Hakurei Shrine, its god and the orb than Reimu does. She taught Marisa how to use magic as her mentor. She appeared in every PC-98 game but one. Thousands of people saw Mima as the first alternative character in the series. In any other franchise, she would be a staple, closely tied to three of the main heroines, and a consistent figure in the background. But she isn't. And there isn't really an explanation why. Her only canonical mention since the switch to Windows, was her appearing on the cover of a manga she wasn't in. That's it. Of the many early characters, only four made the cut to Windows, even if elements of others were recycled. There are plenty of PC-98 characters I would like to see reappear. Gengetsu and Mugetsu, Yumeko, Shinki. So while Mima is the most prominent 98 character to be ignored, its not like she's the exception to the rule. Still, none fit so deep in the lore as Mima. Despite being perhaps the most significant figure in the backstory of the two main heroines, and with plenty of potential for growth, she has almost no legacy in modern Touhou. Some Mima fans seem convinced that we just have to hold onto hope. That if the memes and fan theories and false 'Mima is appearing in 2hu 69 guys!' continue, then eventually Zun will give in. They point to Flandre reappearing in the series after 17 years, or Ran coming back into the limelight. Ignoring the fact Flan is consistently one of the most popular characters in the series, and Ran was a personal request by Toby Fox whom Zun did a collab with. They hold up oblique references made by Akyuu and Reimu in manga to a past 'evil spirit' as a sign she is coming back, despite these being years old at this point. Others think Mima is the key to getting other PC-98 characters in. They think because Mima is more popular and prominent, she will be a perfect Trojan horse to get Elly, Shinki or Yumemi into the series again. I don't need to tell you how that's worked out. I think its been so long Mima would not fit in modern Touhou. Not without a whole other game to reintroduce her. There's been 27 mainline Touhou games since her last appearance. There are fans today who weren't born when Mima was around. Personally, I have made peace with the fact Zun buried Mima in the backyard. My personal coda for Mima is after her last adventure she found peace. She reconciled with Reimu, embraced a crying Marisa and left for the afterlife. Because its a better sendoff than 'And she was never heard from again', regardless of how in-character that is for Reimu... You do fan works @Eulogous? I've been thinking of making a game series partly inspired by Touhou someday, when I'm less chewed up by life. Would you recommend making fangames as a buildup for that? Hearing Juuni and you talk about your favorite characters has been an energizing experience.

Hello again one and all! I have good news and bad news. The bad news is I was injured last week on the job. Not enough to go home, but enough to make working more of a pain, and had to take the weekend to recover. The good news is I am hoping to have a starting post up tomorrow! Be there, or be a square!

Thank you for the information, that solved the last of my confusion perfectly. :) Big thanks to Junni and Eulogous as well.

Welcome to the world of Play-by-Post! Its a dying RP style which was really big back in the 90s and 2000s. It may seem odd or hard at times. But its a lot of fun. I'm happy to have you in the group, though I do have a favor to ask. Going by your app, you're new to writing for fun. While that's not a problem for me, it might make reading what you want to happen a little harder. Its nothing to be upset over though. Like riding a bike, you get better the more you do it. The favor is just that you do your best, and that'll be enough for me. If you can do that, you're welcome to join. :)

Hello there Hades! I see you're a newby to the forum. Is this your first pbp game? Sweet. Now just to have time to write.

Ah, I forgot to mention. I'll probably start the opening 'in media res' sometime this weekend. That's pretentious talk for 'in the middle of the action'. Since @Maniac Privateer and @Saathi are both Hakurei, I thought you two might be in a battle where you became separated from the rest of the Hakurei army. Probably with the Sanguine Warband, Pit of Sin or Wild Fairies. Which is where you would encounter @Juunimeta. Juuni, how would you feel about Keiki being sent as a diplomatic envoy to Youkai Mountain to ask for their help with getting their reactor working at full capacity. Your escort could be ambushed by one of the minor factions, giving you a chance to show off and Keiki to bump into Rikako and Senji.

That all sounds good. I'm cool with ypu having a steampunk style tank, or even like an actual tank that's been heavily modified. Imagine a Panzer with a cannon modified to shoot pumpkins for instance. Just as long as you aren't completely invincible or are pumping these things out by the dozen. Suika sounds like a good fit. Approved. Sounds good. That depends on when I have time. You don't want a boring opening, and I've been overworked for days. If you get bored waiting, feel free to post in Dreamy! Its been quiet for about a week, and I planned for my next post there to give us our first Incident.

Just going to leave this here bros.

Sounds good. Just don't have her followed by a squad of idols equipped for war and it should be good. You're a sensible boy, I trust your judgment. Haa, I did not expect to see Rika showing up. Since the Flower and Shrine tanks are kind of minimally depicted, did you envision them as 'real' tanks or more primitive tanks? Are you sure you don't want a personal power or friend? These could be plot-hooks in the future. We have our first OC and Genghis Khan decides to join us. Jokes aside, looks good. Do you see his knowledge of guns being exclusive to muskets, or extending to modern firearms, Kappa tech or Lunarian sci-fi tech? Being knowledgeable in muskets will help him with all firearms to a certain extent either way. Can't wait to get Senji and Rika alone in a room with Reimu eventually.

Hey @_.Mevs. You won’t recognize me, even if I’ve seen your name now and then here. You left a couple months before I came onto the scene, and seem like a fun guy. I’m glad things have gotten better for you. Everyone has had their moments of weakness, but that is scant comfort when you are living through them in the moment. If you come back, I hope to get to know you. If you don't, I hope life is kind to you. Take it easy king.

I'll be honest, not what I expected as the first Player Character for the game. Approved! I will caution you her idols have probably been growing weaker due to her declining faith and the loss of magic in Gensokyo, but that is normal for ever character. Even Reimu has lost her ability to fly for instance. For now, characters like Keiki and Alice are still able to construct things like idols and dolls. But they aren't quite like they used to be. How, is up to you to decide. They might be weaker, they might be more willful and independent, they may be slower, need much more work to build or they may simply not animate sometimes. Which Keiki is more likely to experience is up to you.

Lunarian technology will be present, but unless you have ties to Eientei it won't be available, and most of their advanced tech will be saved for their elites. Same with Kappa technology. There is also Outsider technology, though most won't know how it works. You would have to scavenge that yourself, or purchase it from an Otherworldly Ventures vendor later in the story. Both modern and historical firearms exist, but they normally won't be that effective against Youkai, Demons or Ghosts without some preparation, and most natives have no idea how this technology works.

Yeah that would place your character in opposition to the other players. Not to mention the minor factions are going to be stirring trouble with everyone, so its kind of a bad time. I am guessing you want to play your Nopperabu? His best shot into fitting in the game is probably with Hakurei or Myouren. Hakurei, though human-centric, is open to Youkai, so he could fit in there. Myouren on the other hand, while more friendly to Youkai, also is Buddhist-oriented, so he might be frowned upon there. Alternatively, you could make your character unaligned. Unaligned characters are either travelers, or live in small communities. This helps your character fit in if they are an awkward fit, but it also means you won't have any connections or allies in bigger factions.

Sweet. :) Like I said with Dreamy Cafe, you should only post when you feel you have time. No rush. Minor factions are inherently hostile. They may have their own goals, but they're meant as a threat. What did you have in mind? Maybe one of the other factions will be a good fit.