Mojo Game Studios redesigned their homepage to get more funding for their open world game Aderyn's Cradle:

Crowdfunding Campaign

Aderyn’s Cradle ("Cradle" for short) is the next step in fantasy first-person RPG gameplay. You are the Oracle, the last link to a long-lost god. Your adventure through the Cradle will force you to grapple the polarizing forces of the Holy Trifecta:  humanity, nature and the gods. Throughout your journey, you will uncover the history of Aderyn’s Cradle piece by piece through completing quests and puzzles, fighting anomalies, and exploring the natural world and intricate ruins of the Aderian civilization. To complete your mission, you must harness the power of the five forces through Mana, the lifeblood of Anora, in order to perform powerful magic. Along the way, you will fight the corrupted creatures who would use these same forces against you. Together with the Guides, you will ultimately bring Aderyn’s Cradle back to Anora and restore balance to the lost land.

Cradle will immerse you in smooth, realistic, intuitive combat, so that progression through our intellectually rich and emotionally resonant narrative campaign is as exciting as can be. We don’t just want you to buy our game; we want you enjoy it enough to play from start to finish, and again, and again, until you’ve experienced every piece of the lore, the environment, and their rewards.

This project is an ambitious one for an independent studio with no large backers, which can only offer royalty checks and company shares as compensation for the hard work of creating this game. In order to meet the goal of a 2017 release, we must succeed through crowdfunding alone at this early stage of production. Nonetheless, production will not halt even if our crowdfunders do not meet their bottom line. Thanks to the dedication of the core team of Mojo's leaders, and their determination to see this project through, production will continue on the face of financial setbacks. Without proper funding, however, the pace of production will be slow, and the 2017 release surely pushed back.

We won’t cut any corners, nor settle for a minimum viable product. Our goal,  In short, is to bring you the very best of everything, from visuals and mechanics to story and sound. We are a company made for gamers, by gamers. With Cradle, we aim not just to create something fun, but to drive the medium of videogames forward as an art form. We hope you’ll share our vision! [...]

Thanks Eye!

In Indiegogo update #26 we learn more about the desert of Aderyn's Cradle:

During the time of the Soulfire Crisis, the Desert was smote by the goddess Ryphae and her force of Stone. The land quaked violently with her destruction, which opened great rifts in the soil of the Desert. Many natural rock formations shifted, or crumbled away entirely against the brunt of the savage energy release. The already-arid landscape saw its remaining few water sources evaporate or be buried and filled with dirt, making long distance travel through the Desert impossible. Only the Oracle, with Aderyn’s power at their side, had a hope of successfully overcoming Ryphae’s corruption, in order to gather the power which still lurks among the ghost towns and barren dunes in the Desert of Aderyn’s Cradle.

Stay tuned for our final update coming soon!

Michael Pekala

The Indiegogo campaign for Aderyn's Cradle, shows us more about the game's Realfight combat system.

Today, we are thrilled to share our first combat showcase since transitioning to Unreal Engine 4! Here we demonstrate many of the systems we have refined to bring our revolutionary RealFight melee combat to life, including:

• Deterministic Animations: Where you aim on your opponent determines the attack you execute. If you aim at the head of an opponent with a sword, for example, you are given only the attack options that would make sense for striking at someone’s head with a sword. The same goes for arms, legs, and any other area you zero in on. Simply by aiming and clicking the left or right mouse button, you are able to choose in real time not just where, but how you will strike.

• Order Determinism: Where you last struck has an effect on how your next attack will play out. This system adds fluidity and reactivity to first-person melee. In Cradle, if you have a sword and want to do a slash right at the torso of an opponent, followed directly by a slash left, simply aim at the right torso and click the right mouse button, then aim at the left torso and click the left mouse button. The result is a continuous slash to the right and back from the left; no awkwardly returning to idle in the middle of your chained attacks. RealFight lets you lay down fast and fluid combos like never before!

• Block/Parry Weight: Not all weapons are equal, and not all attacks can be blocked. In Cradle, each weapon has a unique weight that determines its ability to withstand blows from another weapon. Because of this relativity, when to block and when to dodge becomes a strategic decision. Parries are anticipatory, and happen when two weapons collide in combat.

• Directional Blocking: Very precise blocking as you shift right, left, up and down

• Proximity determinism: When your character gets too close to an opponent to swing their weapon, it instead pushes the opponent backwards to create space. After that, you can charge right back into the fray, with the distance you need to block, attack, or dodge!

These, along with our other systems, work towards providing a realistic, fluid, and fun first person melee experience never captured before. Aderyn’s Cradle also features ranged and melee combat.

Thanks Eye.

In a new update for the Aderyn's Cradle Indiegogo campaign we are informed about the Ice Lands.

he Icelands are one of the four open worlds to be explored in Aderyn’s Cradle. It’s a high-elevation domain of frozen, rugged mountains with a harsh climate. Despite its below-freezing temperatures, a variety of hardy vegetation and animals evolved to thrive there all the same -- including the humans! Before the Soulfire Crisis, the Icelands attracted many crafters of all sorts to its grand metropolises, particularly metalworkers seeking access to the largest forges in the Cradle. Miuyn, capital city of the Icelands, is home to the most grandiose of these epic forges, powered by the constant heat of the churning lava found beneath the crust of the active volcano on which the town is built. Miuyn was an unparalleled powerhouse city of wealth and comfortable living in such unforgiving lands. Elite Master craftsmen bore intricate metal jewelry hanging from sumptuous furs, as they walked upon geothermally-heated roads designed to melt the constantly-accumulating snow. Architects and engineers of the city even constructed systems to direct the flow of exposed lava streams running down the mountain, using them to rapidly heat water sources, among other things.

Thanks Eye.

The Indiegogo capaign for Aderyn's Cradle needs some more backers. In the newest update we hear about the Icelands:

Today we continue the environmental series with this update on the Icelands!

The Icelands are one of the four open worlds to be explored in Aderyn’s Cradle. It’s a high-elevation domain of frozen, rugged mountains with a harsh climate. Despite its below-freezing temperatures, a variety of hardy vegetation and animals evolved to thrive there all the same -- including the humans! Before the Soulfire Crisis, the Icelands attracted many crafters of all sorts to its grand metropolises, particularly metalworkers seeking access to the largest forges in the Cradle. Miuyn, capital city of the Icelands, is home to the most grandiose of these epic forges, powered by the constant heat of the churning lava found beneath the crust of the active volcano on which the town is built. Miuyn was an unparalleled powerhouse city of wealth and comfortable living in such unforgiving lands. Elite Master craftsmen bore intricate metal jewelry hanging from sumptuous furs, as they walked upon geothermally-heated roads designed to melt the constantly-accumulating snow. Architects and engineers of the city even constructed systems to direct the flow of exposed lava streams running down the mountain, using them to rapidly heat water sources, among other things.
During the Soulfire Crisis, the Icelands were smote by Nitima, Deity of Fire force. Once-dormant volcanoes scattered throughout the mountain range roared back to life, spewing forth incredible jets of lava, ash, and heat. Ever-present natural hazards, such as avalanches and blizzards increased in frequency and intensity, burying entire sections of thriving wilderness in their wake, leaving only the toughest survivors. Glaciers and rivers of lava take turns carving the landscape and crumbling proud mountain faces, forging new valleys and caves with concussive force. Human works were rapidly buried by snow or scorched by magma. Lava pits now churn with an increased ferocity; if you are wise in how you approach them you may harness their energies for your own purposes. Hot springs offer a rare reprieve. Their waters, enriched with rare minerals, make interesting solvents to be used in the medica system. The entire region has become a minefield of natural obstacles, from falling icicles to hidden pitfalls in vast underground caves.

Several updates for Aderyn's Cradle have passed since the last time we reported about the game, that has a hard time reaching it's stretch goal on Indiegogo.

The most recents ones are about the Bayou.

No environment like the Bayou’s exists on Earth. The Bayou’s wilderness is a marshy fungal forest, where mushroom stalks grow as tall as trees, and mycelial lattices grow so large and sturdy that entire villages can be built among them. Before the Soulfire Crisis, the Bayou attracted many explorers of all sorts, from the curious to the profit-seeking. Unusual species of bugs, the size of mammals on Earth, populate the Bayou as well. Some were domesticated by humans, and used as mounts, companions, or even livestock. Aderians built many villages and towns here, including Hercynia Silva, known throughout the Cradle for housing the most ethnically and economically diverse population witnessed in any of the four regions. Early in Aderian history, Hercynia, a port city, became an important center of both cultural and mercantile exchange; in no small part thanks to the incredibly versatile and valuable nature of fungal wood.

...

The wilds of the Bayou are filled with exquisitely unique and complex life forms, each containing many useful qualities. Enormous insects, used as mounts, grant a variety of useful byproducts for use in the game’s crafting systems. As everywhere in the banished Cradle, the natural world here not only presents new challenges, it becomes a living tool to overcome them.

...

The enemies you’ll encounter in the Bayou have all become victims of the altered evolutionary processes caused by Ostia. They’ll be seen in varying states of mutation from Life force, whether that has caused them to accelerate in growth, or cling to a haunting existence in the face of decay. Each humanoid monster represents a warped version of their own greed and insatiable appetite for natural resources to harvest and export for profit. Meanwhile, other native species will have adapted independently of Ostia’s direct touch, each one developing new features to fit among the new niches left by their smote cohabitants.

Thanks Eye.

Eye noticed that 80 Level talked to Hank Zwally from Mojo Games Studio about Aderyn's Cradle, which is currently trying to get sufficient funds on Indiegogo.

To build the environments of Aderyn’s Cradle and keep them as beautiful as we want them to be, we do a number of different passes over the level and use heuristics to make that happen. When you look at an environment, you can separate its components into two categories: the pieces that affect a player’s motion, and the pieces that don’t.

For example, a lot of smaller plants will not really affect the way a player moves but will add beauty to the scene. So the first thing that we do is build all of our levels for functionality and we block them out and make sure they play just right. After that, we go back and think about the natural world. When we’re actually building these to be pl ayable we also think about real-world geology; how rocks would form, how elements would exist in the environment that we’re creating.
Given that information, we then build a playable version of the game with these rocks and rock formations and a myriad of other details in mind so we produce the right feeling of what we’re trying to build. Following that, once we know it’s playable and it feels good, then we go back and add the secondary elements that don’t guide the player’s ability to move. We continue that back and forth between the artist(s) and the level designer until we create a world that really matches our vision.

Another update for Aderyn's Cradle has been made available at Indiegogo (which currently has reached 11% of it's funding goal). The update is about the Quarry, the first area in the game.

Before the Soulfire Crisis, the Quarry was the industrial heartland of Aderyn’s Cradle. It contained several great cities and towns, chief among them Chairéil Baile, Gelf, and Afongur.

The Quarry had many mines. Aderians built intricate machinery and labor systems to extract every pound of the precious riches hidden high in the reaches of the Quarry’s two mountain ranges.

The Quarry was a land overflowing with natural resources in all respects. The valley between the two rivers was employed for fishing and herding, enabling the Quarry to have only a small demand for imported food and leather. In addition to the large towns where crafters gathered en masse to build formidable works, there were many smaller villages, and a large number of Druidic tribes living side-by-side in the mountains.

Afongur (pictured below) is the most ancient of the Quarry’s towns. The stunning urban location quickly became the first major seat of political power for the region. In the times just before the Soulfire Crisis, Afongur drew many immigrants and refugees from Ostia’s lands, as there were many opportunities for the newcomers to find employment in either production or craftsmanship. Afongur is a significant cultural center, and an even greater exchange center. Faithful Aderians make pilgrimage here for the opportunity to see a wonder of craftsmanship renowned throughout Aderyn’s Cradle: the Grand Cathedral of Afongur.

Thanks Eye.

Hank Zwally of the Mojo Game Studios tells us exactly for what the $40,000 of Aderyn's Cradle funding goal are needed:

Good evening, Oracles! 

Having received a couple of comments on our campaign so far regarding this topic, we want to take a moment and make clear where exactly the $40,000 we’re asking for would go and why it is small relative to the cost of producing this game. Our team believes that in order to have a successful crowdfunding campaign for the full cost of production it is important to be able to present a comprehensive picture of the vision of Cradle. In other words, we want to present a polished, vertical slice of the game which will illustrate how immersive and fun Cradle will be. We will use the slice to showcase several fully-implemented gameplay features:

• the Icelands open world environment

• world boss fight

• weapon augment: demonstrate process of augmentation

• mana collection and usage

• soulfire lighting

• Medica

• jumping puzzle

• journal

• melee and ranged combat in action

• dynamic weather and atmosphere

Most of the money will be going towards compensating freelance artists, who cannot work exclusively for royalties, as all of our current team members do. All of the design work for this vertical slice is already done, and the systems to be showcased are approximately 80% complete. After we complete this vertical slice, we will conduct a second crowdfunding campaign (on Kickstarter or Fig) in order to raise the rest of the funds needed to complete the project.

Regardless of whether we meet our $40k goal, we will still be producing this vertical slice and moving forward with the game’s completion! However, if we do not make the goal on this Indiegogo campaign, we will still be moving forward with the vertical slice and the rest of the game’s completion, but it will take much longer. The reason we are doing flexible funding is that, in this early stage of development, every amount donated helps accelerate production.

The last two updates for Aderyn's Cradle explain what the three things are that sets Cradle apart from current open world RPGs and provide some examples of how this is accomplished.

Integration

Integration is the idea that everything in a game or in a world is related, and, ideally, fits together to create a single cohesive vision of the universe that you exist in. From gameplay to story, these elements should not just make sense together, but act to build upon each other.

Agency

In philosophy, “agency” is the capacity to make meaningful choices and act upon them independently.  Agency is enhanced by observing the results of one’s actions in the virtual world.

Immersion

Immersion is measured by the ability of a medium to captivate you. The most successful immersive virtual realities can even make you forget that other worlds exist beyond the one you’re present in. As you’re playing an immersive game, you’ll surely lose track of time -- because the world has its own way of marking time’s passage.

Thanks Eye.

Farflame spotted this combat trailer for Aderyn's Cradle - currently on Indiegogo.

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Mojo Game Studios is proud to present the RealFight combat system (TM), developed especially for our debut release, Aderyn's Cradle!
RealFight rewards players with skillful aiming, providing different, realistic animations based on where you aim. Damage is increased based on where the enemy is hit.
The system even allows players to throw blocks and parries like true fighters, RealFight brings you into the adventure in Aderyn's Cradle!

In Indiegogo update #4 we can see a new pledge video for Aderyn's Cradle:

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Hello, Oracles!

We have heard the fan feedback on our visuals, and in response have updated our in-game Titanwood shots. The changes are reflected in both the campaign video and the screenshots featured on the page.

We apologize for the poorer quality of our initial imagery. The error occurred due to a version control issue wherein atmospheric settings failed to transfer properly from one version to the other. The individual responsible is currently fending off the Swamp Stalker with a broomhandle.

Thanks for your continued support! Keep up the shares!

In Indiegogo update #3 for Aderyn's Cradle we learn about the timeline and the player's mission:

Where in the timeline does our character/player enter the story? What will their ‘mission’ be? Thanks!

Thanks for your question, vanderky!

Timeline
Your character, the Oracle, enters the timeline approximately one thousand years after the Soulfire Crisis, when Aderyn’s lands are corrupted and banished.At first, the character’s only mission is to escape their own wrathful deity (Ostia) by fleeing their home village. However, once Aderyn saves them, and their destiny as the next Oracle to Aderyn’s people is revealed, the mission changes entirely. They become the savior Aderyn has promised to his surviving followers. They are unwittingly pulled into a journey when Aderyn recognizes them as the next Oracle and saves them from the wrath of Ostia, guiding them to the lost Cradle in the process.

Mission

The Oracle is tasked with pushing back against the corruption that’s taken over the ruined Cradle. This means fighting the corrupted monsters which now inhabit the place, of course--but it also means returning Aderyn’s Light and influence to the Cradle, so that through Their divine power, the land will be cleansed. How does Aderyn’s Light manifest? Through the lighting of soulfires (you get to see an example of one in the video -- it’s the orb statue which, when activated, turns its etched shadows to light and stone into empty space). There are several soulfires located throughout each of the four open worlds. Most of these are what we call “small soulfires”, which serve as teleportation/save points.

In addition, there are “large soulfires”. Large soulfires only total 4 in the whole game, one for each open world. By lighting these, you essentially signify that you’ve beaten the area. If you choose to return to the area later for more exploration, you will find that its enemies have decreased in difficulty. By the lighting of the large soulfire, you have restored a significant measure of Aderyn’s Light to that environment, thus weakening the influence of the corrupting deity over that domain (for example, if you light the large soulfire of the Bayou, you have weakened Ostia’s Life corruption on that domain). Lighting all four large soulfires unlocks the endgame mission.

I hope you found this informative. On behalf of myself and the whole Mojo team, thanks for your support and interest! :) 

- Bri Stovall, Lead Story Writer

After a failed Kickstarter campaign, Aderyn's Cradle is back into crowdsourcing, but this time via Indiegogo as we reported last week.
They are aiming for $40K and still have 35 days left to reach it, with currently having raised $2660.

There is an update out where they challenge you to ask them about the game, by commenting on their campaign, which they will repsond to.

There are also quite some screenshots to be found in the gallery and for completeness, here is the video again.

Thanks Eye.

Mojo Game Studios started a crowdfunding campaign for Aderyn's Cradle on Indiegogo:

Aderyn’s Cradle ("Cradle" for short) is the next step in fantasy first-person RPG gameplay.

Trailer:

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Aderyn’s Cradle ("Cradle" for short) is the next step in fantasy first-person RPG gameplay. You are the Oracle, the last link to a long-lost god. Your adventure through the Cradle will force you to grapple the polarizing forces of the Holy Trifecta:  humanity, nature and the gods. Throughout your journey, you will uncover the history of Aderyn’s Cradle piece by piece through completing quests and puzzles, fighting anomalies, and exploring the natural world and intricate ruins of the Aderian civilization. To complete your mission, you must harness the power of the five forces through Mana, the lifeblood of Anora, in order to perform powerful magic. Along the way, you will fight the corrupted creatures who would use these same forces against you. Together with the Guides, you will ultimately bring Aderyn’s Cradle back to Anora and restore balance to the lost land.
Cradle will immerse you in smooth, realistic, intuitive combat, so that progression through our intellectually rich and emotionally resonant narrative campaign is as exciting as can be. We don’t just want you to buy our game; we want you enjoy it enough to play from start to finish, and again, and again, until you’ve experienced every piece of the lore, the environment, and their rewards.

This project is an ambitious one for an independent studio with no large backers. Despite that, we won’t cut any corners, nor settle for a minimum viable product. Our goal,  In short, is to bring you the very best of everything, from visuals and mechanics to story and sound. We are a company made for gamers, by gamers. With Cradle, we aim not just to create something fun, but to drive the medium of videogames forward as an art form. We hope you’ll share our vision!

Basics:

• Planned platforms: PC
• Release date: Fall 2017 on all platforms
• Approximate campaign runthrough time: 15-25 hours (speed run), 30-60 hours (average run)
• Available modes: Single-player campaign, two-player co-op campaign, multiplayer arena

Aderyn’s Cradle is a first-person action/adventure role playing game (RPG) with a unique combat system. There will be six weapons available for each of the five character classes, and each weapon has a unique set of attacks. This grants each class a well-rounded strategic toolbox to set up a multitude of combos and fighting styles suited for the player’s chosen character class. A large variety of possible battlefield scenarios exist in Cradle. An intuitive, yet intricate aiming/blocking/parrying system prevents fighting from becoming monotonous and repetitive, even allowing the player to throw fakes like a true duelist.

Mojo Game Studios has posted a new post-funding update for Aderyn's Cradle after going silent for a few months after the game failed to get funded.

Post Kickstarter:

While our Kickstarter was unsuccessful, we learned a lot from all the feedback we received from you, our backers. There’s also much to be said for the experience of running a Kickstarter, from this, our newly-reformed PR Team is ready to show you everything you wanted to see the last time around. Development We have begun development of our next area of the game, the Iceland! We think that this new part of the game will do a great job to display some of our systems we didn’t show last time, such as mana, weapon augments, and ranged combat! As the Iceland starts coming together, we will be posting updates about it across our Facebook, Twitter, Indie DB, and Tumblr! Sneak peeks and preview to follow; stay tuned!

GDC :

Hank Zwally, our President and Lead designer, as well as myself were fortunate enough to attend this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Fransisco. Although it wasn’t Mojo’s first year at GDC, it was mine, and I found it a great learning experience. The conference was exciting for Hank and I on several fronts, such as finding potential sponsorships for our development. We spoke with several companies, such as AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, and are now fortunate enough to be in contact with several pillars of the Indie industry. Overall, we were really pleased with the way GDC went for us as a business experience, as well as overjoyed by the recognition that Indie game publishers received!

Building towards the Future:

In the next month we plan to expand the size of the team and amp up production on the Iceland for another go at Kickstarter later this year! Please keep up on all the latest Mojo news by leaving your email at our email listing on Mojo Game Studio’s home page or by following our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Indie DB.

Perhaps not a surprise given how far away they were from the desired 350K, but Aderyn's Cradle did not reach that goal and got stuk around 129K. From the comments we learn however that they will be back:

Thank you all so much! You guys are the best and we will be back. We've learned a lot from this Kickstarter, and when we go for round 2 the Kickstarter will much better communicate the vision of Aderyn's Cradle, and why we can accomplish this ambitious project.

Leviathyn had the chance to interview Mojo Game Studios about Cradle, and talked about gameplay, story, and progression.

We know that the current gods of Anora aren’t your greatest friends; the player starts off being hunted by a god of hunger. But how big of a role will the Five Gods of Anora play in the plot? Are they some nebulous bad guys or tangible enemies players will eventually have to defeat?

As far as the role the Five play in the plot, you could either say they play an extensive role, or a minimized one. The Gods don’t have physical manifestations to be conquered; so in this way, their role is small. On the other hand, the threat of living outside of their favor is tangible, real, and omnipresent. After all, we see what Ostia does to an entire forest in the pursuit of you, a single heretic! There are many ways you will fight the power of the Gods, and their influence over the world is felt even though you never confront the Gods directly.

While more difficult to judge without a leveling system as a ruler, how quickly would you say that players progress to new weapons? And how does that transfer to where a player is able to go once he/she starts Aderyn’s Cradle?

Character progression is heavily linked to exploration, so players who prefer not to explore will end up weaker. However, your progression through the game occurs independently of your character progression, and we do not use a leveling system. In short, no, it is not possible to advance your character without exploration; but you do not need to progress your character to complete the story.

Let’s say, for example, there is a powerful enemy to conquer in order to reach a new area in the story. You can confront your enemy right then, compensating for your weaknesses with skill and some very well-planned moves. On the other hand, you can choose to back off, exploring the land and harnessing its resources. The more of the world you exploit, the more powerful you will become. The same enemy you would have had to gruel through a punishing battle (and a few rounds of trial and error) with before, will be more easily overpowered. The choice is with the player.

To be clear, players also receive upgrades and rewards for progressing through the story alone, with no exploration. However, these yield only a bare-minimum power increase compared with what can be harnessed through exploration and side quests.

Worlds Factory interviews Mojo Game Studios about their CryEngine RPG Cradle. In case your not familiar with the game it has one day left on kickstarter, and needs help.

The premise of your game sounds quite intriguing. Can you tell us some of the inspirations for the storyline and lore of Cradle?

We drew a great deal of influence from ancient Celtic and Norse mythology when creating the culture and lore of Anora. Additionally, much of the combat culture portrayed in Aderyn’s Cradle is modeled after the melee weapon techniques of these two cultures; particularly the Druid’s staff fighting.

Our narrative is heavily influenced by the films of Hayao Miyazaki, specifically Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away for the way they deal with clashing human, natural, and mystic/spiritual forces.

What’s your stance in regards to modding? It seems to me like this game could benefit a lot from it; Bethesda’s RPGs are virtually infinite due to player created mods.

Definitely! We’re not going go out of our way to make support for modding, but we will be sure to release a game that is moddable.

What happens if you are ultimately unable to reach the minimum funding goal on this Kickstarter campaign?

We produce more content, revise our approach, and launch again!

The Kickstarter campaign for Cradle is in it's final moments. With just 34 hours to go and not even half of the requested amount of money (350K) has been pledged, things look grim. In this update they talk about how good they feel about the support and about mana.

Your support for our campaign has more than shown that the game is more than capable of attracting a following. This means a lot to us as indie developers. It not only proves the viability of our project for the gaming market, it also shows that the vision we have for Aderyn’s Cradle is recognized and appreciated by the community we’re making it for. As we continue to learn from this Kickstarter experience, we are more even more determined to stop at nothing to make Aderyn's Cradle a reality.

So even if they do not reach their goals the game will still be made in some fashion.

Mojo Game Studios has posted a new kickstarter update for Cradle.

Over $100,000!

Mojo Games Studio is proud to share the milestone we have just passed: over $100,000 have been pledged towards bringing Cradle off the drawing board and onto your screens. Thanks to all of you who have been with us from the beginning or are just joining us now.

As of February 8th we still have 12 days to reach our goal of $350,000, and everything you do to see us through to the end matters. For this purpose, we have revamped our Kickstarter page to more accurately portray our vision, and clear up a few points of confusion. Be sure to check out the new section on augments, which features some gorgeous never-before-seen concept art by our Lead Concept Artist Josh Eiten.

Many of you have asked us about the previously-released Cradle by Flying Cafe. Out of respect for our fellow indie developers, and to avoid confusion, we have changed the name of our game to Aderyn's Cradle. To help spread the word, we have registered the domains AderynsCradle.com and CradleRPG.com, which for the time being link directly to the Kickstarter page. We ask that you share these far and wide!

Help us make it the rest of the way by spreading the word about Aderyn’s Cradle and showing off our new page! Share our new domain names on social media and let people know what has you most excited about our game. Here’s to one hundred fifty thousand more!

Mojo Game Studios shared a link for a new interview on Jump Start.

A world reclaimed by nature that's just as beautiful as it is deadly. This is the world of Cradle, a massive Open World with varying environments ripe for exploring. Pick your class and face the nightmares that now live in this godless land. Defeat your enemies with in depth, realistic, combat. Creating this world is the dream of Mojo Game Studios, but they need your help.

Mojo Game Studios has posted two more updates for Cradle. The project still has 19 days to go, and has only earned $72,238 of $350,000 goal.

Update #9 - "Forging the Path"

Cradle fans are supporting the dream and refuse to let Mojo's Kickstarter perish. Supporters are backing Cradle on forums and helping to spread the word. To help others believe and to better explain Cradle, the team is introducing new segments to the KS video. Some of the material is shown below. It's time for the media to spread the word and let gamers decide for themselves if they believe that ingenuity and determination to succeed can persevere, while rising to meet the challenges of today's gaming industry. Give a shout out to the media giants and convince them to give Cradle the same chance that they have given to others.

Please note: these clips lack properly mastered audio and music, and still need to be tweaked to fit into the main Kickstarter video, but we wanted to give you all a taste of what’s coming.

Update #10 -"Marcus Zuhr Interview"

What is your role in the production of Cradle?

I'm composing, orchestrating, arranging, and engineering the musical score for Cradle.  

How long have you been doing what you do?

Since I was 22, so about 6 years?

What's the best part about working with music? What’s the worst?

Aha, loaded question! I think the best thing of what I do is finding that "moment" when composing. That moment when the mountains shake, the stars align, and the gods smile. It's a rare moment when I actually like what I'm composing. It's hard to find, but when I do, it's incredibly fulfilling. Music is an incredible teacher - there is a never ending wealth of wisdom to be learned. You can never learn it all – that’s probably why most composers never really seem to retire.

The worst is that moment in between gigs when you are unsure of your next paycheck. A composer’s lifestyle is unsteady, and not many get to do it professionally, let alone full time. Even at this point I'll book up a year of work in advance, and then have several projects get cancelled, investors pull out, production delays, etc.

Still, I'm incredibly fortunate that I can consider myself "fulltime.” I'll never forget yearning for that time when I could compose as a professional.

Mojo Game Studios has posted the eight update for their Open World RPG Cradle.

While you listen to the full OST for Cradle composed by Marcus Zuhr, check out the latest from within the team, a note from our business manager Jay.

Mojo Game Studios has posted the seventh kickstarter update for Cradle.

Cradle Update #7

Almost $60K! Thank you all so much for your continued support.

You asked us, and we're happy to confirm that yes, our game will include female playable characters! Here's a quick sketch concept of the female Ranger class. Keep an eye out for more updates on our characters. There's much more to come!

Mojo Game Studios has posted another kickstarter update today for Cradle.

Cradle AMA

Nearly $55K! Thank you for your enduring support! We are doing an AMA with our development team today on Reddit subreddit PCMasterRace! Please join us and ask any questions you have about our game or team!  

Link- http://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/1watr6/ama_with_lead_designer_and_founder_of_cradle/

Mojo Game Studios has posted a new kickstarter update for Cradle.

Crystals, Forces, and a New Rewards Table

Over 14% funded, thanks to everyone we are on our way achieving our goals!

We updated our page with a more in-depth description of our mana system:

In Cradle, Mana is not just a bar that refills over time or when you chug a potion. It’s a direct connection between you and the environment. As the physical manifestation of the damage done to Aderyn’s realm because of its removal from Annora, mana is a powerful resource. Harnessing this energy can greatly enhance your defensive and offensive capabilities, but only if you can tap into the magical corruption of the world around you.

Mana is the fuel used to power your weapons and take your fighting to the next level. Collected in crystalline form as it bleeds from the land, the player frequently will use the power of the 5 forces of the world harnessed through the mana they collect to bring them new and mystical effects. Mana is stored in sacred crystals that can be upgraded in capacity the more that mana is used. Whether used to imbue your weapon with a mighty augment, or as the fuel to power these upgrades, managing your mana is critical to success.

Mojo Game Studios has posted two new kickstarter updates for Cradle .

Cradle: Update #3

Thank you all so much for the support so far! Here is a sneak peek into Cradle's OST composed by our very own Marcus Zuhr. In the coming days, we will post the whole track, but for now, enjoy this short audio clip!

Cradle: Update #4

Thank you all so much for your continued support! We've received many excellent questions and comments, and we are excited to see such community interaction. Check out the recently updated FAQ's to see some of the answers to these questions and comments.

After having received many requests for clarification, we have released a new video demonstrating a couple systems key to our Realfight Combat System. Accompanying this video on the main page is a full text description of the key innovations behind our proprietary combat.

Mojo Game Studios has posted the second kickstarter update for Cradle with news of the games first stretch goal.

The Cradle Kickstarter has been live for just over 24 hours and we’re doing good! We have received a ton of questions, excitement, and even a little help in that time! Your confidence has convinced us to start showing off some of our bigger dreams. Without further to ado, we are proud to present our first stretch goal!

A larger budget means a bigger and better performance. There will be more voiced content throughout the game - with more lines from all of Cradle's central characters.

Mojo Game Studios has posted the first update for Cradle with news of a slight change to the projects reward tiers.

We're up and running!

It's only been a day but the team is incredibly excited by all of the interest shown and support provided. We have set up an FAQ to answer some of your questions, and please do not hesitate to ask us anything! If you want to know about it, we want to tell you about it.

To celebrate, have a piece of concept art straight from the art team's sketchbook. They're all looking forward to creating more pieces for you to enjoy, and can't wait to let you experience them in the game itself.

Also, please note that we have made a slight change to our reward tiers, and a few supporters are getting even more than they expected - one of our reward descriptions wasn't specific enough. Please see the FAQ if you backed at the $25 tier for two beta keys, or are wondering where the $23 tier came from.

Mojo Game Studios has launched the Kickstarter for their open-world RPG Cradle. The game has a goal of $350,000 with 29 days left to go..

Here is the pitch video and a few more details about the game.

Named one of the top five upcoming games of the year by the Indie DBcommunity, Cradle is an open-world RPG in development by Mojo Game Studios. Currently, the team is completing the pre-development phase and is headed to Kickstarter to fund the next stage of development.

In Cradle players will assume the role of an exiled traveler thrust into the center of a thousand year old conflict between gods. While struggling to restore order in the forsaken lands of Anora, the player will explore rich environments created with CryEngine.

Hank Zwally, President and Founder of Mojo has made immersion a priority in design. The art team has meticulously crafted Cradle’s four open worlds: Bayou, Icelands, Howling Cliffs, and Quarry. These environments illustrate the beautiful relationship between natural and man made artifacts, overlaid with divine influence in subtle and overt ways. These key components will create the immersive gameplay that Mojo seeks to deliver.

Skill based combat, using deterministic animations that harness our RealFight CombatTM system's comprehensive approach on fluid gameplay. Attacks in Cradle are not a stand-in for random number generators, the actual strike of your weapon will determine damage.

Five player classes in combination with an upgrade structure built around the deep backstory of the world provides both replayability and a custom fit to any play style.

In order to replenish health and mana, players will need to understand the intricacies of the flora and fauna of four expansive and distinct environments. Nobody is going to brew your potions for you.

In the tradition of the finest adventure and role playing games, Cradle will reward players for venturing off the beaten path with the discovery of many hidden items, locations, and stories all throughout the game world.

Mojo Game Studios has another post on the games Moddb page were we get a chance to meet the games Lead Programmer Ben Chung.

As Cradle's Lead Programmer, Ben Chung, has numerous competing responsibilities. He is drawn to Cradle because of the technical challenge that is working with CryEngine and his love for programming.

With so much on his plate, Ben explains his diverse workload, and the drive it takes to manage the programming team, "I serve 3 main roles. The first is that I'm the programmer of first resort, if anyone on the art side finds a bug or needs a change. Secondly, I work on the movement and combat systems and making our unique design come to life. Thirdly, I manage the programming team, and help us get the game out on time."

Ben is Mojo's programming and coding guru. If something needs an answer, he'll figure it out, if somebody doesn't understand something, he'll explain it. He's a huge asset to the team and his unique approach to programming and coding is an irreplaceable foundation. Because Mojo's developing a combat system that has never existed, there's a constant learning curve, a curve that only a leader could step up to. In Ben, we find that leader, and if the programming team needs any assistance, he's there with open ears and the knowledge to move development forward without pause.

Mojo Game Studios has a new post on the games Moddb page were we get a chance to meet the games Lead Environment Artist Tim Braslavsky.

As Cradle's Lead Environment Artist, Tim Braslavsky has lots of different roles. Because there are so many factors in building an immersive environment, it gives Tim an opportunity to create with the end goal of making it come alive.

"My duties entail creating high and low poly 3D models, plus textures. My next responsibility is to get them in the engine, set the materials for them, and build the environments within the game world," explained Tim.

Because Tim leads the design of these complicated environments, it's his goal to accurately portray assets that reflect the vision of Cradle within each open-world. Each grid is manipulated until it breathes. He works with a small team of environmental artists to do this. If his team needs assistance, he works with them directly to solve the problem, or gives them the resources they need to solve it themselves.

They also include two new ice environment Pictures. You can view them here.