If you have backed us at the Adventurer tier (£50) and above, you should have received an email with a detailed step-by-step on how to access Legrand Legacy’s Alpha demo. Please note that the Alpha is available via Steam only, but don't worry, you will still get the DRM-free copy when Legrand Legacy is officially released in September 2017.
If you missed our Kickstarter or don’t have a credit card, fret not, you can still support us via our PayPal.
What’s All the Fuss About?
The story will pick up where we left off at the end of our Pre-Alpha. Finn and Aria continue on their journey to two very different yet wildly fascinating regions, where they are met with new creatures, new characters, and possibly a few new NPCs to recruit. However, in true Legrand Legacy fashion, not everyone is who they seem to be - who are these mysterious new characters and what secrets do they hold?
Sounds Fun, What Else?
We took your feedback from the Pre-Alpha and have made improvements in several aspects, including battle system, user interface, visual effects, script, cutscenes, music, and sound effects. Here are a few screenshots taken from the Alpha to show you some of these changes.
BATTLE SYSTEM
The most important thing to note is the battle system. At the beginning of our Kickstarter, we put out two different versions of the Pre-Alpha to get an idea of which battle system everyone enjoys more. Most of you preferred B version, where the ACT appears at the beginning of each turn, so this is the battle system that we will be using going forward. Also, you can now choose WASD or ABXY, depending on whether you play with a keyboard or a controller. You also have the option to switch to one ACT position (not random) if you just want to enjoy the story and prefer an easier journey through Legrand.
Feel the wrath of Finn's Arc Slash!
BATTLE UI & STATS
In addition, you can now see a monster’s stats, including its type and weaknesses so you can plan your attacks accordingly. Did anyone notice the new character portraits?
Why so serious?
VISUAL EFFECTS
Remember Klahmaran? Well, he’s back with more fire than ever before! Finn and Aria better step up their game.
Watch out for the burning man!
MUSIC
To celebrate the Alpha release, join Finn as he literally runs through some of the regions in Legrand in the new soundtrack video below.
There are other notable changes too, but you just have to play the demo to find out more!
Help! I Spot Some Bugs!
We’ve worked very hard to iron out most of the wrinkles, however please bear in mind this is an Alpha after all - some bugs and rough spots are to be expected. Part of what makes this community unique is that you get to shape the game as it is developing. As such, we appreciate it if you can email us with any problems, issues, or concerns at support@semisoft.co or log them through the link below so we can address each and every one of them!
https://semisoft.freshdesk.com/
Click on the Freshdesk link above and open a "New Support Ticket" to log any issues with the Alpha demo
What Do You Think?
This Alpha phase marks a major milestone for all of us at Semisoft and we are thrilled to share this exciting journey with you. So what do you think? Do you like how Legrand Legacy's Alpha sounds? Please let us know if you managed to discover some of the fun Easter eggs we sneaked in there and if you have recorded a playthrough video, don't forget to share it with us!
- Revinia & Team Legrand Legacy -
Hello from Jakarta!
WE ARE HOME! After 3 weeks living out of suitcases and spending more time in airports than commonly acceptable, we are happy to announce that we have safely arrived home! However, there is no room for jet lag as things are in full swing back at the studio. The entire team is busy putting the final touches on our Alpha demo and it is currently on track to be released to our backers on March 31st.
SXSW Gaming
SXSW Gaming was considerably smaller than GDC or PAX, but what it lacked in size, it sure made up in character. We managed to squeeze in a little time to play Zelda on Nintendo Switch and other awesome indie games, including Sundered and The Pedestrian, but for the majority of our time, we were stationed at our booth to answer everyone's questions about the inspirations behind Legrand Legacy. Here are some of the pictures we took at SXSW Gaming - what do you think of those cute stickers?
Check Out Battle Princess Madelyn!
Before we go, we want to share another wonderful project that we're currently backing, Battle Princess Madelyn. This game follows the journey of a young knight in training, Madelyn, and her ghostly pet dog Fritzy. They set out on a journey to save her kingdom and her family from the clutches of an evil wizard.
Sounds fun? We think so too!
At this time, Battle Princess Madelyn has crushed a long list of stretch goals and is well on her way to reach the PS Vita goal. The game looks amazing and the story behind it is so heart warming that we're sure you can't help but back this promising project. We hope that you'll give the Pre-Alpha a try and consider pledging for their limited edition PlayStation 4 physical copy!
That's it for this week's update, see you next week!
Oh, Stella & Hello from SXSW Gaming 2017!
The past week was probably the toughest for the entire team. Not only was our flight out of Boston canceled, we were also stuck in the midst of blizzard Stella and attacked by a flurry of vicious mini ice cubes without any proper winter gear. Oh, Stella...
However, after waiting in the airport for almost one whole day, the kind folks at Southwest Airlines managed to get us on another flight and these three musketeers finally landed in Austin just in time before SXSW Gaming began! It was our first time in Austin and we were immediately taken by how quirky and lively this city is. Musicians were performing in every corner and just strolling down the streets of Downtown Austin enveloped us with a sense of creative energy that is uniquely Austin.
As soon as our booth opened, we were swarmed by curious strangers who were first attracted by the beautiful art work printed on the t-shirts. We put a lot of heart into this art work and have prepared a few items bearing the same design especially for this trip. We're so glad that people appreciated the work that went into it.
As we have mentioned in an earlier update, Legrand Legacy was picked as a contestant in the SXSW Gaming Pitch Competition. Uwil & AJ spent days preparing for the presentation and we managed to get into the final 8! Competition was definitely fierce as all teams brought their A-game, but all in all, we learned how to further sharpen our pitch from the mentors and fellow finalists. Congratulations to Tessera Studios and Swap Bots for winning the Pitch Competition!
Post PAX East 2017 Thoughts
There is no better way to describe it, PAX East was FUN and memorable. The energy was undeniably infectious and we met with a lot of RPG fans who were excited to see such a beautiful and classic yet modern looking game. We also met with a few Kickstarter backers, whom we hope are reading this update.
In this light-hearted video, we take you along on our journey across the USA, beginning with our scenic bus ride from NYC to Boston, all the way to the show floors at PAX East. Watch what other players think about Legrand Legacy and why Uwil refuses to have his shirt shown on camera.
https://youtu.be/mDIOFqosw6U
Thank you all for reading this update. Next week we will be reporting back from our studio as we prepare to release the Alpha demo for our backers. Stay tuned!
Alpha Demo & Hello from PAX East 2017!
We packed our bags in San Francisco, took yet another long flight across USA, and unpacked our bags again in chilly Boston for PAX East. It was actually snowing this morning and it's probably fair to say that this tropical team is underdressed. However, while we are frozen cold, we are having a good time showcasing Legrand Legacy in PAX East and we also have a very important update to share with you - Legrand Legacy’s Alpha demo!
Updates on Alpha Demo
Kickstarter backers who have pledged in the Adventurer tier (£50)and above will be receiving Legrand Legacy’s Alpha demo on March 31st The feedback we received was overwhelmingly in favor of version B’s battle system, so that’s what we will be using going forward.
The Alpha demo will contain the first TWO chapters of Legrand Legacy so you will get a first look at how Finn and Aria’s adventures will unfold and an exclusive sneak peek to a whole new region to explore in Legrand, as well as updated visual effects and battle UI/UX, among others.
If you have backed at a lower tier but now want a copy of our Alpha, please consider upgrading your pledge via Legrand Legacy’s PayPal, where you can also check the current status of our project’s crowdfunding and how far we are from the next stretch goal (£47,000 with a new Mini Boss and its own unique bonus loot). If you are interested in upgrading your pledge, please email us at
slackerbacker@semisoft.co
.
PAX East 2017
Today marks the first day of PAX East in Boston and it has been fun, busy, and crowded at the same time. The highlight of the day was meeting some of our Kickstarter backers and getting the chance to chat with them about how to improve several aspects of the mini games and tactical war. Here are some pictures from our booth in PAX East:
If you are attending PAX East in Boston, please come say hi to the team at booth 23120 from March 10-12. Just tell us you’re one of our Kickstarter backers and we have a special surprise for you!
Post GDC Rants & Afterthoughts
In short, GDC was insanely hectic and memorable. We gathered even more feedback on how to improve players’ experience overall and also met a torrent of talented individuals from all aspects of the gaming industry, including publishers, musicians, artists, and of course, fellow game devs.
The highlight of our entire San Francisco trip was showcasing Legrand Legacy in the Game Jolt x Kickstarter party! It was such an honor to be showing alongside other awesome games like Moonlighter, The Adventure Pals, and Space Jammers. We also had a lot of fun playing these games and meeting Anya and Luke from Kickstarter Games!
Photos above courtesy of @AJ_theReal, @chibichibieris, @MassiveMonsters, and @_adaptiveplay.
Uwil and AJ's personal highlight, however, was meeting their idol, Daniel Floyd from Extra Credits.
In the following video, Uwil shares his thoughts on the aftermath of GDC 2017 - what we should've done better, what's up with Legrand Legacy's mini games, and why popcorn is your best friend!
https://youtu.be/kPIQNA2b-P8
We also did a live interview with Beau Gaming who was kind enough to stop by our booth and has a bunch of cool videos from GDC 2017.
2016 Giveaway Update
Towards the end of our first Kickstarter campaign in December 2016, we ran a few giveaways via Twitter and Facebook. Now that we are funded, we are able to continue with the development of Legrand Legacy and thus, honor the winners of these giveaways. If you have won, we will be contacting you soon with more information.
That’s it for this week’s update! We hope that you have enjoyed the videos and pictures included here. We will be back next week with more live updates from SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin. If you want to follow the team's journey, you can follow our personal Twitter (@uwilwinata, @aj_thereal, @chibichibieris).
See you next week!
Hello from GDC Play 2017!
Hi! After two VERY long flights totaling almost 20 hours, we arrived in San Francisco for GDC Play 2017! San Francisco is such a beautiful, laid back city, and we are so in love with the cool weather – it’s certainly a nice change from the usually hot and humid Jakarta. BUT we don't have much time to play, so let's dive straight into our live report from Semisoft Studio's first day in GDC Play 2017.
What's GDC Play?
GDC Play features emerging game studios from all corners of the world. The level of indie creativity in this building is just impossibly high! If you're coming to GDC, please don't forget to say hi to Uwil (@uwilwinata) and AJ (@aj.thereal) at GDC Play 2017 (North Hall), booth PL4030 from March 1-3. We'd love to meet and chat with our Kickstarter backers!
https://youtu.be/r_ru7PbihQE
Since our Kickstarter ended, we have been busy with development work as we prepared for our trip to the US. It's the first time we're showcasing Legrand Legacy in North America and we're so far away from home that we have to admit… we were very nervous! However, our worries were immediately dispelled as our booth was constantly packed with curious passers-by and RPG-fans alike, who were immediately taken by Legrand Legacy’s art style.
So Much Swag
Our suitcases were packed with a ton of swag - including t-shirts, fancy mints, and other cool stuff. Please come by our booth, beat our challenge, and win this limited edition t-shirt featuring some awesome new Legrand Legacy artwork!
What's New with Legrand Legacy?
As far as development is concerned, we have made significant progress in several aspects of the game, especially on tactical war and the mini games, both of which are featured in the special build we brought with us to GDC.
You might remember the earlier tactical war screenshots from Legrand Legacy's first Kickstarter at the end of 2016. So much has changed since then and this is how tactical war currently looks:
What do you think? Do you like the current look for tactical war ? This is not even its final form yet as we're still polishing and perfecting it so we can include it in an updated build.
More Good News!
We are proud to announce that Legrand Legacy has been selected as a contestant in the SXSW Gaming Pitch Competition. Uwil and AJ will be presenting to a group of gaming industry veterans, which will hopefully help to bring Legrand Legacy to the next level and beyond!
This also means Semisoft Studio will be attending SXSW Gaming Expo in Austin from Mar 16-18! Where are our Texan backers? Please come by our booth to collect your Legrand Legacy swag.
That was a long update! We hope you enjoyed the many pictures included here. We will also be going live from all three events on Twitter and Facebook so don't forget to follow us and like our page! We will also have an update about Legrand Legacy’s Alpha build very soon.
And now, before we go we wanted to talk about a project we're currently backing. Valthirian Arc: Red Covenant - Academy for Heroes from Agate Studio, as its name suggests, is a game where you are put in charge of managing your very own Academy of Heroes! You can try a demo for the game at their Kickstarter page, so be sure to check that out and support their cause!
Check Your Pledge!
Hi everyone! After hibernating for a bit in order to recover from our Kickstarter campaign, we're back and working hard on Legrand Legacy! We'll have an update for you next week to talk about the game, as right now we're focusing on the development side of things so that we can be ready for our trip to GDC next week!
We do want to quickly talk about an issue with the pledges of some backers since Kickstarter has not been able to collect them. This usually happens because Kickstarter tries to charge the card attached to your Kickstarter account but your bank puts a block on the transaction. Other times your card might have expired.
You should have gotten an email from Kickstarter for Legrand Legacy telling you either that your pledge has been collected or that there's a problem with your pledge. If you got the second type of email, you need to call your bank to lift the block on the transaction, or else your pledge will not be collected and you won't be able to receive your rewards. You have until Friday morning to call your bank!
We also wanted to talk today about a couple of indie projects we're supporting and which we hope you can support as well! Kickstarter is a community, and us indies have to help each other.
https://youtu.be/kQejZmOlIDI
A friend of Semisoft has launched their Greenlight campaign for a beautiful pixel Ghost N Goblins inspired title called Battle Princess Madelyn . It also draws some inspiration from Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon's Trap, as you can see from the game's trailer below! Click right here to vote for it to be approved for a Steam release!
The Final Journey Begins
Friends of Legrand Legacy.
Together we have crossed the finish line in the most spectacular fashion! The final 48 hours were so intense and exhilarating – you raised your pledges, retweeted like there was no tomorrow, and an incredible surge of new backers joined us in the last few hours. And it’s because of all of your relentless support, we managed to reach over 110% funded and achieved two stretch goals along the way!
So… what’s next?
We have been contacted by many people who don’t have a credit card and couldn’t pledge to our Kickstarter. As such, we have worked on a PayPal option so that anyone who missed our Kickstarter campaign can also pledge and help us reach additional stretch goals. This will be an extension of the Kickstarter crowdfunding run and will only be available for a limited time.
Those of you who have already pledged to Legrand Legacy can also use PayPal to increase your pledge to a higher reward tier to get more rewards while also helping us to reach our pending stretch goals! If you'd like to do this, please contact us by clicking in our profile in the upper left corner and using the "Contact Me" button. That way we'll be able to work with you on upgrading your pledge tier!
But that’s not all!
Thanks to YOU making this Kickstarter campaign a success, our generous benefactors have agreed to sponsor Legrand Legacy to attend GDC Play (San Francisco, Mar 1-3) and PAX East (Boston, Mar 10-12). If you happen to be around the area, please come by our humble little booth and say hi!
We would love to meet and chat with our Kickstarter backers. PLUS, we’ll have Legrand Legacy goodies and fun giveaways for players who manage to beat Klahmaran, right there and then. We know all of our backers have had a good trial run and will have no problem beating this epic boss!
Uwil and AJ will be manning the booth in both GDC and Pax East, so please keep an eye out for these guys.
Now that Legrand Legacy is fully funded, we will continue working on the development of the game. We will take a few days to rest and get some sleep, and will be back on Kickstarter to keep all our backers informed on the current status of Legrand Legacy, as we share new info on how the final version of the game is shaping up! We also hope that you will stay in touch! Please sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and do like our Facebook page.
We also have to thank the fine folk at PR Hound! They have worked with many Kickstarter campaigns you've probably seen such as Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem, Woven, Buck, InSomnia, War of Rights, and plenty more! If you're thinking about taking a project to Kickstarter, we highly recommend their services!
Rungdahl – The Troubled One
As part of our Kickstarter Social Media Bonus Goals, we promised to include a new recruitable NPC to help you rebuild Dumville Castle. Today, we thought we'd let you have a sneak peek at Rungdahl!
Originally a priestess from the Maeshapolis Monastery, Rungdahl has an uncanny ability to discover many valuable things. From precious rare gems to powerful potions and exotic spices from faraway land, she always seems to know exactly what everyone needs and precisely where to find them.
Some say she is blessed with the "gift of sight" enabling her to track down any uncommon items in Legrand. Some some chalk it up to her tenacious attitude and charming ability to extract the necessary information out of practically anyone.
However, Rungdahl has broken a sacred law by having an intimate relationship which is strictly forbidden and resulted in her banishment from the Monastery. With nothing else to fall back on, she travels to Dunabad with her lover to start a new life together. Since then, she has felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction and unhappiness as her lover's true malicious intents finally come to the surface.
What do you think about Rungdahl? Are you looking forward to rebuilding Dumville Castle with her? Please don't forget to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter as we still have more Social Media Bonus Goals to reach!
Stuff Of Nightmares
Hello everyone! It's time for a new Kickstarter update. Before we get right to it, we wanted to mention that thanks to your support and all the Facebook likes you've given us and by following us on Twitter, you've managed to reach two new Social Media Bonus Goals!
Monsters, lovely and dangerous monsters. There’s plenty of them in Legrand Legacy, and the team has been busy working on the design, look and lore for each one of them. Today we want to give you a glimpse of what makes two monsters in particular tick. As you’re about to see, some monsters have a truly gruesome and disturbing history – the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of.
Matakar - Incarnation of Begrudged Souls
Back in the old days, there lived a tribe that performed baby burying ritual as a sacrificial token to bring rain and prosperity. They used to bury young babies inside a cluster of sacred trees, thus trapping their innocent souls inside.
Centuries later, the tribe had gone and people forgot about their forsaken burial site. However, these trapped begrudged souls, who never got to taste life, evolved into sentient trees with multiple eyes and a thorny arm… and they seek to kill all adults, and eat human babies to keep themselves alive.
Ablumors – Not Part of This World Or The Afterlife
Legend has it that spirits of the dead and tortured Norns never quite left their homeland of Finias. Instead, black magic and ancient rituals have trapped these poor souls in the body of blood-thirsty beasts that are not part of this world or of the afterlife. When you think about it, if you end up killing them you are actually doing them a favor.
What do you think of today’s pair of monsters? Let us know in the comments below!
Stretch Goals!
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Thanks to your relentless support, many Retweets, Facebook shares, Let’s Play videos, pledges and becoming part of the Fallen Gladiators of Legrand, we are thrilled to announce that Legrand Legacy is 100% funded!
It took a lot of sleepless nights to get here, and the journey was definitely an uphill battle, but all of you have been cheering us from the very beginning. Along the way we have met new friends who have become an important part of the Legrand Legacy family, and no words can truly express how grateful we are for every single one of you.
As we reach this pivotal moment in our Kickstarter campaign, it’s time to announce what is next: Stretch Goals! We plan to use the funding we receive above our base goal to enhance the overall content of the game to make sure that Legrand Legacy is a solid and polished experience for everyone to enjoy. The higher we can go for this Kickstarter campaign, the more and more content we’ll be able to add to Legrand Legacy!
There is a lot you can do to help us reach our Stretch Goals! You can raise your current pledge by £5 and join the Fallen Gladiators of Legrand (without changing your current reward tier). And if you like the art direction of Legrand Legacy or appreciate the beautifully crafted limited edition items, then please consider pledging at a tier that includes the Art Book or Collector’s Edition Box.
Also, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and to follow us on Twitter to help us reach some new Social Media Bonus Goals!
And above all, please continue to spread the word about Legrand Legacy in any way that you can! Shout from the mountain top if need be… onwards to Stretch Goals and BEYOND!