you know, ive been thinking about this a lot lately. its hard to remember the scale of the originals because its been so long. i doubt even $4 million from the kickstarter will make a dent in the scope of the game. I think we have to set ourselves up for a very different experience. maybe a lot more linear. I just can't see how, even using a cheap engine and graphics, you could make it as open-world as the originals or more. Even the yakuza games were like $20 million+

I'm with you in thinking that we probably shouldn't start forming expectations so much on what came before. Supposedly Sony is contributing to the effort, but I don't believe any particular amount has been disclosed, and I don't anticipate that we'll find out. However, at this point, consensus of the fan-base (at least, prior to the announcement) seemed to be not in worrying whether Shenmue III was the best game in the series; in fact, it seemed that many people didn't care if Shenmue III was a game at all. That said, the fact that we're getting a playable continuation is huge. I'm with you in thinking that certain elements will be sacrificed or changed, but I'd be feeling that way even if the game had the budget of the first two games.

In one sense, including a city this time around would require much greater resources. Take people, for example. 20 or so people walking around on a city street just wouldn't cut it at this point. And adding more people, yet keeping with Shenmue's immersive nature (daily routines and dialogue) for each person would be a huge undertaking. It makes a lot more sense, then, to focus on smaller, less populated areas where focus will be given to more intimate details and objects. In that way, I agree again with you that there may be a greater sense of linearity. I don't think it will be totally linear, but it certainly won't be as open.

It's interesting the question about wildlife.

I would like to name a wolf chibi or sazuke

BTW the protector of guiling is a deer, so I think we will see some deers around.

For a new page.

I have compiled a best of list of all of Shenmue Dojo's questions and concerns throughout this entire forum. I hope I did it with accuracy and respect. Please comment on how these may be improved and do not come off as combative towards Suzuki-san. Please share it on GAF and other sites so we may have some communication and sharing of ideas between our fanbase.

1. Will Shenmue III enable PayPal or a means to donate the project when the Kickstarter ends? Projects like Star Citizen gained tens of millions in donations by allowing this.

2. In Shenmue III will Ryo's notebook and Timex watch return?

3. Why does the Kickstarter page not give a good summary of the series thus far? It makes the series not come off as friendly for newcomers. Also, the Kickstarter page does not have the sites updates on it. That could be useful information for backers, would you consider implementing it?

4. In Shenmue III, will battles return? There has been talk that you are simplifying them, does this mean we will no longer get Virtua Fighter like fights? How will fights work? Will they be entirely QTE-based as seen in modern titles like Heavy Rain or will they still have corresponding punch and kick buttons like before?

5. How accurately will Shenmue III be compared to your original vision of the game or will there be major compromises?

6. Will Shenmue III be at Tokyo Game Show, GDC, and PAX or only Monaco?

7. Many fans want the option to play the game with a Japanese voice track. Is YSnet considering implementing this?

8. Are all the towns listed in the Kickstarter stretch goals in the game already, or are the stretch goals only there as a means to help give them more features and spice?

9. Sony and other investors only funding a part of the games budget. Does this mean most of the budget will come from the Kickstarter? More importantly, how much does Suzuki-san want the Kickstater to reach in order for him to make the FULL vision for Shenmue III?

10. It would be helpful if the Kickstarter made stretch goals more straightforward. As they are now, they are quite vague and confusing, even to experienced Shenmue fans. For example, what exactly is rapport?

11. Will the gameplay in Shenmue III be more contemporary or will it be more in line with past Shenmue iterations?

12. Seeing as how the game is set in a remote forested region how sparsely populated will the game be, will there be wildlife?

13. What will the level of npc interactivity be and how detailed will their behavior be?

14. How much of an influence will fan base feedback have during the making of this game?

15. Will you try to finish the story over the course of 2-3 more games as you originally envisioned?

16. Online is a big component of modern day gaming, is there any consideration for incorporating some type of online game play? Some type of mini-games, co-op missions or fighting modes?

17. I am new to Shenmue and don't find the Kickstarter promotional video to be terribly informative. Are there plans in making a new one? I'd like to back it on Kickstarter but nothing on the page is telling me what Shenmue remotely is.

Shit man. I would love to see a fucking area in Baisha village or something which has an area to train against other NPCs so that we could fight as freely as we want whenever we want. I think Shenmue 1 and 2 kind of lacked this. Shenmue 2 was close with its mini games in Kowloon however that got boring quick.

For a new page.

I have compiled a best of list of all of Shenmue Dojo's questions and concerns throughout this entire forum. I hope I did it with accuracy and respect. Please comment on how these may be improved and do not come off as combative towards Suzuki-san. Please share it on GAF and other sites so we may have some communication and sharing of ideas between our fanbase.

1. Will Shenmue III enable PayPal or a means to donate the project when the Kickstarter ends? Projects like Star Citizen gained tens of millions in donations by allowing this.

2. In Shenmue III will Ryo's notebook and Timex watch return?

3. The Kickstarter page isn't helpful for newcomers to Shenmue as it could be. For example, it doesn't accurately show what Shenmue is or why it's special to people. However, the website does. There feels like there's a lack of communication between the Kickstarter and the official site. For example, there is a Shenmue history video on the website that isn't on the Kickstarter. There's also an interview with Tak Hirai that isn't on the Kickstarter. Could you possibly make the Kickstarter page more accurately convey what Shenmue is and why it matters to people who have never heard of it by communicating more between the Kickstarter and the official website?

4. In Shenmue III, will battles return? There has been talk that you are simplifying them, does this mean we will no longer get Virtua Fighter like fights? How will fights work? Will they be entirely QTE-based as seen in modern titles like Heavy Rain or will they still have corresponding punch and kick buttons like before?

5. How accurately will Shenmue III be compared to your original vision of the game or will there be major compromises?

6. Will Shenmue III be at Tokyo Game Show, GDC, and PAX or only Monaco?

7. Many fans want the option to play the game with a Japanese voice track. Is YSnet considering implementing this?

8. Are all the towns listed in the Kickstarter stretch goals in the game already, or are the stretch goals only there as a means to help give them more features and spice?

9. Sony and other investors only funding a part of the games budget. Does this mean most of the budget will come from the Kickstarter? More importantly, how much does Suzuki-san want the Kickstater to reach in order for him to make the FULL vision for Shenmue III?

10. It would be helpful if the Kickstarter made stretch goals more straightforward. As they are now, they are quite vague and confusing, even to experienced Shenmue fans. For example, what exactly is rapport?

11. Will the gameplay in Shenmue III be more contemporary or will it be more in line with past Shenmue iterations?

12. Seeing as how the game is set in a remote forested region how sparsely populated will the game be, will there be wildlife?

13. What will the level of npc interactivity be and how detailed will their behavior be?

14. How much of an influence will fan base feedback have during the making of this game?

15. Will you try to finish the story over the course of 2-3 more games as you originally envisioned?

16. Online is a big component of modern day gaming, is there any consideration for incorporating some type of online game play? Some type of mini-games, co-op missions or fighting modes?

17. I am new to Shenmue and don't find the Kickstarter promotional video to be terribly informative. Are there plans in making a new one? I'd like to back it on Kickstarter but nothing on the page is telling me what Shenmue remotely is.

It's a great list and between this and gavinGT's list I think all bases are pretty well covered, but to be honest I think some of the questions involving kickstarter are a bit harsh. If you were to ask a question about kickstarter I wouldn't start out by criticizing what you think is wrong with it, I'd simply ask, "Why doesn't kickstarter feature ______? or "Will the Kickstarter page include ________ "?

So for example for question 3 instead of starting out by saying "the kickstarter page isn't helpful" you could say "Will you be updating the kickstarter page to make it more informative for newcomers to the series?" Or you could go the q #17 route and make it sound like more of a personal complaint as opposed to an outright criticism.

It's unlikely that anyone will get more than one question in at a time so hopefully people will review both lists and if they see a question hasn't been asked yet they will try to do so.

At the very least someone should tell Yu Suzuki they love him..

Great feedback.

Jack, I have rephrased the question.

How is this?

3. Why does the Kickstarter page not give a good summary of the series thus far? It makes the series not come off as friendly for newcomers. Also, the Kickstarter page does not have the sites updates on it. That could be useful information for backers, would you consider implementing it?

I think another way of phrasing 18 would be "How will all the backers be contributing to Shenmue 3 though kickstarter polls and surveys? What will we be able to decide?" Or maybe just add this as another question?