NeoTokyo

NeoTokyo is a first person shooter that aims to provide a visceral combat experience in a rich futuristic setting. The setting emulates combat in a Japanese-inspired cyber-police thriller, introducing augmentations such as active camouflage and networked IFF systems to the urban combat genre. Players take the roles of two opposing forces, the Jinrai and the NSF.

Current status
"NT:S" is currently under development and closed testing and is planned for release Q1 2009.

Edward Harrison, aka Logic, has also announced an official soundtrack to be released in the future. This 2-CD set will include all the Neotokyo music, as well as revamped songs from the Unreal Tournament version and extra mood tracks.

Planned features
- 3 Player Classes: Recon, Assault, Support

- Thermal-Optic Camouflage

- Specialized Vision Modes: Night Vision, Thermal Imaging, Motion Detection

- Weapons and Armaments based on near-near future aesthetics

- Multiple Game Modes: TDM, Capture the Ghost

- Shader Effects specifically developed for Neotokyo Source, blurring the lines between visibility and invisibility

- Fan Acclaimed Musical Score by Edward Harrison (aka Logic)

Plot synopsis
Neotokyo takes place in and around a fictionalized Tokyo approximately 30 years in the future. Mankind has begun to fuse with technology. Government and corporate corruption have transformed Tokyo into a deadly dystopian nightmare. After a near-successful military coup by ranking members of Jinrai, the National Security Force (NSF) is formed - answering directly to the Prime Minister, it's mission is to investigate and eliminate all threats to Japan, both abroad and at home. The initial core of the NSF is made from an exodus from within the intelligence branch of the military.

With this betrayal begins the war in the shadows between the NSF and Jinrai.

Opposing forces
'''

NSF
''' {| GROUP 6 of the IMNSF answers directly to the Prime Minister of Japan. They are called upon to do the dirty work that needs doing by the government from time to time, and are sworn to protect the constitution of Japan. They feel Japan is better served by remaining civilian controlled, and occasionally doing "grey area" operations to assist the government in achieving its aims for a future Japan based on democracy.
 * [[Image:NsfSymbol.png|left|NSF]]The NSF (IMNSF Interior Ministry : National Security Forces) are an elite civilian controlled special operations group. They are well funded and have access to the latest tech. Their armor, weapons, and equipment is the best that money can buy and sourced from both Japan and abroad.
 * [[Image:NsfSymbol.png|left|NSF]]The NSF (IMNSF Interior Ministry : National Security Forces) are an elite civilian controlled special operations group. They are well funded and have access to the latest tech. Their armor, weapons, and equipment is the best that money can buy and sourced from both Japan and abroad.

'''

Jinrai
''' The Jinrai unit in our story is SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP 43, with a reputation for brutal efficiency and a no-nonsense operational manner. They are extremely tough and disciplined. They are dedicated to the ideal of a strong, proud, and prosperous Japan that exerts influence through military will.
 * [[Image:Jinrai.png|right|Jinrai]] The Jinrai have a military look and feel. Their armor and technology is top of the line, but developed for both special operations and regular combat roles, which gives it a more multi-purpose form factor.
 * [[Image:Jinrai.png|right|Jinrai]] The Jinrai have a military look and feel. Their armor and technology is top of the line, but developed for both special operations and regular combat roles, which gives it a more multi-purpose form factor.
 * }

Armor classes
Fast and agile operative with a lightweight cyborg combat chassis, primary responsibilities include: Recon, harassment and interdiction, sabotage/ambush, and sniping.

Multi-role assault operative with strong cyborg combat chassis, primary responsibilities include: Close with and engage enemy, stay in tactical groups and concentrate firepower, all-around combat workhorse.

Shock troop armored class with reinforced heavy combat chassis, primary responsibilities include: Move into chokepoints utilizing heavy combat chassis to soak damage and break through the enemy. Also responsible for laying down suppressive fire using squad support weapons.

Extended backstory
Our story begins in the year 2012. In a twist of extreme and cruel irony, Japan, the only nation to feel the wrath of the bomb, falls victim again. This time at the hands of the rogue nation North Korea in a desperate and insane act by a dying dictator. The bomb, while a relatively small one, destroys nearly a quarter of Tokyo and renders over half completely uninhabitable.

At first the people of Japan are stunned, but this quickly fades. A massive wave of right-wing nationalism takes the country by storm. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, the "no war" clause, is struck from the constitution letting the military off its leash almost completely.

The Jinrai is formed as an elite wing within the military, a nationalistic special ops unit comprised of men and women whose loyalty to country is beyond question. It quickly grows in power to become the leading policy shaper for Japan's Self Defense Forces.

Meanwhile mankind fuses more and more with technology. Social, political, and economic turmoil pushes Japan into chaos and uncertainty. End of days cults rise in popularity - the end is always nigh. Japanese society has lost its once treasured cohesion and finds itself a fractured and disrupted nation.

The Ultra Nationalists feel that Japan can only be restored through military order and discipline, growing increasingly frustrated with civilian rules and governance. After a particularly bitter election between the right, left, and center, a popular moderate prime minister takes office. The Jinrai, feeling more insulted than threatened, ignore this new player. That is, until they can't.

After an unsuccessful military coup by ranking members of Jinrai, the National Security Force (NSF) is formed - answering directly to the Prime Minister, it's mission is to investigate and eliminate all threats to Japan, both abroad and at home.

The initial core of the NSF is made from a small exodus from within the intelligence branch of the Jinrai. With this betrayal begins the war in the shadows between the NSF and Jinrai.

It is now 2035, choose your side and save Japan from those that would cause its downfall.



Changes from the Unreal engine version


- Further division of specializations among the 3 classes

- Increased attention to the behavior of light sources

- Assets redesigned from the ground up

- Notably readjusted gameplay dynamics

Dropped features
- Vehicles

- Iron Sights

These planned features have been dropped because of lack of time to implement the ideas within a reasonable time frame.

Vehicles have been explicitly canceled due to Source's inefficiencies with creating detailed and open spaces required for such gameplay. A mapper who could develop the expanded spaces needed for vehicular play was not found.

Iron sights also will not make the Source version despite their inclusion in NT:UT. This feature was deemed a hindrance to gameplay when poorly implemented. The time needed to properly simulate iron sights while integrating the feature seamlessly into gameplay was not worthwhile due to limited gameplay improvement versus the time unavailable due to real life. In order to simulate the benefits of proper stance and weapon control, NT:S will utilize a zoom system similar to that of Far Cry's.

Team experience


''"We can't seem to keep the talented people hanging around after they get a real job.. CAUSE WE SUCK" -Leri Greer''

-Justin Harvey, lead designer and programmer known as Grey, was one of the programmers for Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. He is now currently working at Destineer (Raleigh) as a programmer. 

-Leri Greer, aka pushBAK, is the lead asset artist. He has worked as a web designer for SEGA He was also on the media team that produced the Halo 3 teaser, "Arms Race" during his current employment at WETA Workshop.

-Sam Greer (aka Gato) is Leri's brother. Jack of many trades. Versatile skillset includes animation, asset creation, and level design. Sam Greer currently has a job at Shaba Games.

-Jason Woronicz, aka DJBourgeoisie - Lead level designer. Is now employed at Destineer (Raleigh) as a level designer. 

-Edward Harrison, aka Logic - Musician

-Jeff Storm - CoffeeFilterDecay - Sound Design -Finn Allen - Ivy - Texture Artist

Retired

-Matthew Copeland, aka FRACTUR3, is known most for his track "Reviver" in the Unreal version. 

-Cole Eggen, aka Konstruct, left the team to work at Net Devil -Ben Eoff, aka Retleks, left the Radi-8 team to join 3D Realms. 

-Dark00 - Three Wave Software -Oski - GRIN Studios Neotokyo: Unreal Roster

History
The idea for Neotokyo started when Grey (Justin Harvey) decided he wanted develop a game from scratch. Due to his experience in coding graphics engines, Grey set off on coding a game engine, dubbed "Radi-8 engine". Realizing that coding his own engine from scratch would take a very long time, Grey decided to make a total conversion after he saw the early tech demos of Valve's Source Engine. Rounding up a team of relatively inexperienced modders, Grey founded Studio Radi-8, where he took the helm as lead designer and programmer.

Although always intended to be a Source mod, Neotokyo went into prototype development as a modification for Unreal Tournament 2004 when Valve delayed the release of Half Life 2 due to the pre-release source code leak. It was during the development of this version of Neotokyo that the gameplay details were fleshed out.

Neotokyo was one of the entrants in the Make Something Unreal contest, as a challenge to quickly develop the mod. This proved to be a colossal task for the relatively inexperienced team, and competition in the contest dropped as a result. 

Eventually the UT project reached the point where "NT:UT" was generally finished, and development was abandoned in favor of developing in the Source environment.

Interesting to note is that the makeup of the team has changed since the Unreal Engine version. With Pushbak now replacing Retleks as the lead concept artist, the art style has changed a little. This difference can be best seen comparing the new character models from the earlier Unreal versions. And while Grey maintains the most artistic control over weapon design, Pushbak has had the opportunity to realize some of his old sketches. In the level design department, DJBourgeoisie has taken the helm as lead level designer, and his background in Hammer will differentiate his maps from the Unreal version.