Bushido - Frequently Asked Questions feature

That's why we've decided to create a FAQ, which should help answer most of these questions and give people a better idea of what Bushido is all about.

[note: the answers below relate to the Alpha build of Bushido and may be subject to change as the project develops]

If you've got a question- why not leave a comment? If we think its something we’ve omitted, then we’ll add it to the list!

1. What is Bushido?
   Bushido is a ‘First-Person-Slasher’ set in the feudal period of medieval Japan and features the iconic Samurai.
   
2. What makes it unique?
   Bushido is currently the ONLY game within the growing genre of First Person Slashers (Mount & Blade, War of the Roses, Chivalry) that's set in medieval Japan. As well as featuring a host of unique environments, weapons and armours, the combat mechanic from Bushido is also based on the real martial art of Kenjutsu (Japanese Swordsmanship) injecting a level of realism into the game.
3. How does the ‘Honour Mechanic’ work?
   Progression in Bushido is based on two elements, gaining honour and gold. Gold is gained by getting kills or completing objectives. Honour is based on your conduct throughout matches. Depending on whether you act honourably or dishonourably, the weapons or armour available to you will change based on your ‘honour level’. The levels range from -10 to +10, with -10 being the most dishonourable and +10 being the most honourable.
4. Is Bushido going to be historically accurate?
   Bushido is not based on any specific period of Japanese history, which allows us to have greater flexibility in terms of including different weapons or armours. However, weapons and armours and environments are all historically accurate, many of which have been based on real locations in Japan.
5. Will combat be realistic?
   Our combat mechanic is based on a real martial art called Kenjutsu. Its lighting fast, tactical and has been developed with hardcore gamers in mind. It also features a complex combo system that allows you to chain different attacks together for a flurry of attacks- leading to a more realistic and somewhat cinematic experience.
6. What weapons will you be able to use?
   The weapons in Bushido are all historically accurate and have been taken from the full range of Samurai history. This includes the iconic Katana, Yumi, Yuri, Tamegeshima, farming weapons such as the Kama, Flail, or Sasumata, as well as weapons that ninja from this period would have used (e.g. Ninjato and Kunai).
7. What classes will there be?
   Bushido does not have classes per-se, instead the player will select what type of armour and weapons they wish to use and create their own class based on their preferences. You may want to wear heavy armour and use a short/fast weapon such as the Wakazashi. Perhaps you don’t want to wear any armour (retaining your speed but vulnerable to damage) and wield a huge No-Datchi.
8. Is it just first-person?
   Bushido is being developed as a first-person game, but we will be including a third-person view.
9. Is it like Bushido Blade?
   No- its a completely different genre although it is set in feudal Japan.
10. Will there be female characters?
    Female Samurai, called Onna-bugeisha, were a real part of Feudal Japan. We would love to include them but have marked them as ‘future development’ or possible stretch goal for our Kickstarter.
11. Will it run on my PC?
    At the moment, no technical specifications can be confirmed as we’re still at a very early stage of development.
12. What platforms will it be released on?
    Our currently aim is to release on PC and Linux, however as we are using Unity we have the scope to develop to other platforms.
13. Will you distribute the game on Steam?
    We would love to distribute on Steam, and are planning to launch a Greenlight campaign once the game has been successfully Kickstarted.
14. How much will it cost?
    No more than any other game in the genre (between £15-£20).
15. When will it be released?
    We’re aiming to release Bushido in Q4 2014. However, as we’re still at quite an early stage of development this might change.
16. When will you be launching the Kickstarter campaign?
    We’re hoping to launch or KS campaign in March/April 2014, but again this date might shift as we get closer to completing our prototype.
17. Can I be a alpha/beta tester?
    We would love to say yes to everyone, but will likely invite some of the more active users from our community first. The best way to ensure that you get a spot on our beta-trials will be to help us promote the game and engage with the rest of the community.
18. Can I help with [X] on the project?
    We get quite a few requests to help out with modelling, audio work, etc… on the game. At the moment, we are not looking to expand the team but if any spots do open up then we’ll be sure to put a communication out on IndieDB and our other community hubs (Steam, Facebook, etc…).