Title: Arc Arcana.
Genre: J-RPG.

Overview
Arc Arcana is a commercial 2D RPG set to be released for the iOS (iPhone / iPad), Android and Handheld markets (currently the Nintendo DS). We are exploring the possibility of releasing a PC port at a later stage with HD graphics, but that's a discussion for another time (release would be roughly 2/3 months after the mobile release).

With this title, we're attempting to recreate the feel of the old form of so called J-RPG's. Titles such as Star Ocean and Tales of Phantasia had large amounts of playability and the sheer expanse of these games kept people playing. Detailed storylines, mini-quests and other great features made these games to play again and again. There's a reason why Tales of Phantasia has been re-mastered yet again, titles such as this will always have a home with fans of the RPG genre.

We're aiming for this title to become the most expansive RPG game available on mobile devices.

On the mobile platforms, the game is built on top of the Corona SDK framework which is extremely similar to the engine we've built for the prototype PC version, which allowed us to port what we had in an extremely short space of time. When we were looking for what framework or library to develop on top of for iOS (as opposed to pure objective C), we decided on Corona due to the cross-platform build support for both iOS and Android; along with the extensive api support that Corona offers.

Story
The background story to the game will be released on our blog on Jan 13th, 2011.

Features
Cooking system.
Eight playable characters.
In-depth plot.
Item synthesis.
Numerous minigames.
Over 80 hours of gameplay.
Save transfers (copy your saves to another device or platform).
Side scrolling battle system, with advanced particle effects, combination attacks and limit overdrives.
Summoning system.
Two worlds.

Characters
- Kazuki
A former Special Forces Knight of Luciana, his memories are a blur.

- Lilica
A mysterious girl brought up by the keepers of Arcana, a forgotten order.

- Ilya
A mysterious girl linked to another world.

There are numerous other characters, but at this stage, we're not looking to spoil too much.

Screenshots

Beta Testing
We're currently looking to bring some testers on board who want to help us look for bugs, along with letting us know what they think of the game. The first testing phase is due to start on the 21st of January, so email ryan@udesign.me if you're interested in taking part.

Blog
http://udesign.me/blog/

Here's a screenshot from a very early version of the battle system.

Looks great!!

I would love to beta!
Sending you a email!!

I'll be replying to test applicants over the next few days.

We've implemented overdrive attacks now, as seen below!

Wow. I've been looking for an RPG like this in the app store, now there's gonna be one... made with Corona. Great job so far!! Will look forward to seeing it when it's finished :-)

Thanks Jon, want to be included in the beta :)?

@udesignme: I'd love to play the game, however, I'm afraid I'd be a lousy beta tester as I'm pretty low on time lately with all kinds of projects stacked back to back lol.

I will definitely be tracking your progress on this one though :-)

Looks nice! Making a 80+ hour JRPG sounds like quite a huge project!

It's indeed quite a big project, but things are going along smoothly :).

We've put a couple of questions up on the blog, it'd be great if members of the community could head over and leave some feedback.

http://udesign.me/blog/

There's some screenshots from the opening scene now up on our blog.

http://udesign.me/blog/?p=32

So, as we get closer to the testing phase (and thusly the release phase) for our upcoming RPG title (initial launch on iOS and android platforms; subsequent PC (HD) launch 2- 3 months later, subsequent Nintendo DS (we’re licensed) extended release later in the year); we thought about ways we could further involve the community in the development process.

Then it came to us, we could give the community a chance to feature in the game; and even a chance to earn some money from it as a bonus. To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment here with why you should win; and what prize you’d ideally like. Remember to put a valid email address when leaving a comment; otherwise you can’t win! The competition is not limited to a single country and is open to all ages, though if a minor; you’ll need the permission of your parent or guardian to take part.

More details can be found in the following post.

http://udesign.me/blog/?p=38

If you're still looking for testers I'd be glad to help :)

// Ed.