Shadows of Adam
Shadows of Adam OST released on Band Camp
Hope everyone is enjoying Shadows of Adam. We've had a wonderful launch week and want to add one more treat for you to consume.
The Shadows of Adam OST is now released on Band Camp:
https://shadowsofadam.bandcamp.com/album/shadows-of-adam-ost
For $4.99 you can have the 43 original tracks by Tyler Mire! Also includes a bonus instrumental track by the Tyler Mire Big Band.
We will be looking to add the OST to Steam in the coming days. Stay tuned and happy adventuring!
Launch Day Events!
Hello Everybody,
It's been a long time coming (3 and a half years to be more precise), but we made it! Today at 1 pm EST, Shadows of Adam will be available for purchase with a 15% launch discount, but that's just the beginning.
We've planned out a full day of events for all of you. Below is the timeline of events for today:
Livestreams
We've coordinated a few live streams and will have a member of the team hanging out during these streams.
- Absnerdity Stream 9 am - 4 pm EST
- Kiwo Stream 1 pm EST
- Webster Stream 1 pm EST
- Azure1354 5 pm EST
<*>Kiwion Stream 1pm EST
AMA Threads
We will also be holding AMA threads on Linux Gaming and JRPG sub-reddits, so if you have any questions for us, these will be the places to go.
- /r/linux_gaming 1 pm EST
- /r/jrpg 1 pm EST
Giveaways
We've also sent some giveaway keys to our friends at Disaster Cake, Zeboyd Games and Radical Fish Games. For those of you that don't know, these developers are working on some really excellent RPGs. If you're a fan of RPGs, it's definiltey worth checking out their games.
Also, make sure you follow their Twitter for a chance to get a key!
- Disaster Cake - Disaster Cake is the developer behind upcoming JRPG, Soul Saga
Official DIsaster Cake Twitter
- Zeboyd Games - Zeboyd Games is the developer behind upcoming RPG, Cosmic Star Heroine
Official Zeboyd Games Twitter
- Radical Fish Games - Radical Fish Games is the developer behind CrossCode, which is available right now!
Official Radical Fish Games Twitter
Today is a really big day and we hope you're as excited as we are!
If you're interested in reading some reviews, some have already started coming in. Check out the reviews below:
Reviews
- OP Noobs Shadows of Adam Review Score: 9/10
- COGconnected Shadows of Adam Review Score: 80/100
- GameSpew Shadows of Adam Review Score: 8/10
Something Classic teams up with Gallant Gamers to raise money for the AFSP
Come join us, and let's raise funds for the AFSP!
https://www.twitch.tv/gallantgamerstv
https://afsp.org/
Kickstarted Indie JRPG, Shadows of Adam Set to Release on February 23
Shadows of Adam tells the story of a legendary hero named Orazio, who abruptly disappears, leaving behind his adopted daughter, son and a dark secret. With darkness looming over the village of Adam and their legendary hero being lost, it’s up to Kellan and Asrael to save their homeland and uncover the truth behind their father’s abrupt disappearance.
“It’s an honor for us to provide Shadows of Adam in its entirety to newcomers, and of course our Kickstarter supporters, followers and fans finally getting their full course meal!” said Something Classic Games Creative Director Tim Wendorf. “This game is our tribute to an industry which has consistently rewarded its followers for decades by offering classic after classic to keep even the strongest and most unique RPG urges satiated.”
Players will be able to explore diverse handcrafted environments without having to worry about random encounters. Players will also experience a completely unique AP battle system that encourages skill use and fast-paced combat.
For more information on Shadows of Adam visit http://www.shadowsofadam.com and follow @SomethingClassc on Twitter.
Release Trailer - Release Trailer]
Website - http://www.shadowsofadam.com
Press Kit - http://shadowsofadam.com/press/
WEEKLY CONTENT BLOG #55: LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
1. A little bit of reverb goes a long way
About 2 years in I discovered a small trick to make the pieces sound more coherent. I started running a small amount of reverb through an aux channel. This in turned applied the reverb equally to all instruments giving it a cohesive sound, almost as if all the instruments were being played in the same space. This may seem obvious to most, but my background was always as a composer and not necessarily a sound designer. Once learning this I promptly remixed every tune I had done to that point.
2. Make the most out of your themes (aka Melody is King)
When writing some of the first pieces for SoA I knew I would want to come up with a handful of themes that could be re-used throughout. I ended up developing two main themes:
–Main Theme
–Curtis’s Theme
From a pragmatic point of view, it made sense to re-use these because it saved me work, however I also felt it helped bring a cohesive story-centric perspective to the game. For instance, the main theme is reworked in a more minor key in a scene to show Asrael’s distress while Curtis’ theme was re-orchestrated to work for Orazio. At times, both themes have been used in counterpoint to help highlight specific story elements.
3. Panning and Sonic Space
When mixing your tunes it’s important to give some space in the panning to help instruments come out. If two instruments complement each other or occupy the same register, sometimes panning them straight across from each other can prevent it from sounding muddy. I also learned this trick from listening to old SNES tunes. A lot of times, harmony in the same instrument patch woudl be split into two tracks and panned on opposite sides. This is another way to create a more linear sounds with your instruments as opposed to blocks of sound where each note is hard to distinguish.
4. Go with your gut
I am a studied musician. In addition to my 6 years of higher ed (Bachelors and Masters in Music Composition) I have composed over 200 pieces of music for games, jazz ensembles, pop bands, and various other groups. However, I still firmly believe that the best music comes from instinct and imagination. I always try to write things that I can sing because they seem to flow naturally and feel the most musical. The craft I’ve developed is merely a tool I employ to help articulate my musical ideas. That is not to say that I am not challenging myself to learn new harmonies, melodic constructions, or ways to phrase, but that it is ok being comfortable with my instincts. They’ve served me well.
5. Sleep on it
Sometimes this is the most important thing to do when composing a new piece. Frequently at the start of a new tune I would write as much down as I could come up with. Things would write itself for a bit, then I would inevidently hit a wall. At this point, I would begin to feel that my ideas were becoming forced and that I needed to take a break. I always found a long walk or a day off helped me recharge and come back with more creative juices. Occasionally, on walks with my dog I would replay the song in my head over and over, and imagine all the possibilities for it. This would help me get a good big picture concept and fine tune the ideas I already had. The most extreme example of this was the final boss theme. I started it in Jan of 2014 and finished it in the fall of 2016!
Looking back I am very grateful for the three plus years of writing I’ve done for Shadows of Adam. I’ve grown a lot as a musician and I am very proud of what we all have achieved.
Stay tuned for updates on the official Shadows of Adam release date! If you haven’t done so you can pre-order Shadows of Adam or contact us on our may social media outlets:
www.shadowsofadam.com
www.somethingclassic.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomethingClassicGames
Twitter: https://twitter.com/somethingclassc/
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/somethingclassic
All the best!
-Tyler
Weekly Content Blog #54: Looking Back
Some three years since it all began, here I sit, looking back on the journey that has been Shadows of Adam. So it seems appropriate to look back at some of the important lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Good dialogue doesn’t just write itself, except when it does.
An example of some particularly stellar writing…
2. You really need a team you can trust. And I do trust in my team. All zero of them I have met in real life.
You know you’re an alcoholic when…
3. You can’t be good at everything, but you can try. And fail. Thank god for the wonders of the division of labor.
Kellan is NOT a good pirate
4. Always be closing. Sure you can make a game, but can you sell it? If you want to quit your day job and make more games, you’ll probably have to. Definitely not the fun part of making a game, but you should have your sales pitch in hand early on.
The catchy slogan sell! Always be closing!
The super hard you’ll-die-without-this-product sell. Always be closing!
The hahaha-there-are-no-slimes-in-the-Misty-Woods-I’m-a-freakin’-liar sell! Always be closing!
The drunk-frat-boy-pickup-line sell? Always be… yeah, not happening.
5. Number three again. You can’t be good at everything, so get help with marketing.
I hope this has been as eye-opening and insightful as my two minutes of deep reflection led me to believe. Until next time.