An Introduction to 87
A Madman's RambleAcht Sieben is a story composed of numerous inspirations- from media that's forever ingrained in my head, to characters I've fleshed out over time, to things I really do just find neat. To try and point out every little thing that's contributed to it over the years would take nearly as long as it'll likely take to make it, but I can still point out the ones that stick out most to me.
First off, the biggest inspiration, and the thing I want to capture most- mecha. Mecha as a genre- hell, even anime as a whole- feels, for lack of a better descriptor, different in the modern era than it used to when I was younger. Not to say that there isn't some great stuff out there, but it definitely feels like the word "mecha" has a somewhat stricter meaning than it used to. It's not like those more common elements don't play a role in what I like- but when I think about mechs, I think about Front Mission or Hawken or even the fifth-gen Armored Core aesthetic- and yes, I do mean V/VD specifically. Because I'm a tabletop nerd, I also think Lancer, but mostly IPS-N in that context. You could call this stuff "realmech", but I don't really like that designation. It's a little too mil-sim for me, and that's closer to what I want, but not a bullseye.
"Realmech" comes with some connotation I didn't mind a decade or two ago but do think needs an update today, if only because of how bad "real" sucks now. This is a harder part of the inspiration to explain, but I liken Acht Sieben to the kind of passion projects that used to be so common, at least compared to the market and internet of today. "Real" is how we get racing games that pay for liscencing, ultra-defined car models, laser-scanned raceways, and make it back off of 37 different DLC packs. WipEout is how it used to be. It's not just sanitization- though games like Beyond Citadel prove that we're losing something significant on that front too- but a general enshittification of everything. The world needs more niche passion projects that care more about what they are than who they're for, especially now that we have datacenters producing endless slop. There's less and less of a space for the Deadly Premonitions or No More Heroes of the world, let alone the Stardew Valleys or ULTRAKILLs.
That's not to say there aren't places where that frontier spirit remains alive and well. There are countless indie devs still out there giving it their all, and there are plenty of other spaces where that passionate battle rages on. Two in particular are worth noting as inspirations- the analog horror/ARG scene, as well as the TTRPG community. I think, if nothing else, these spaces prove that "elbow grease" is a real thing in creative spaces, and that execution matters so much more than concept. A "bad" concept given genuine care, effort, and knowledge can still produce gold- a good one without those things flops more often than not. Particular shoutouts to Tom Bloom's CAIN- if I can make Acht Sieben even half as compelling as the writing I've put into characters for that game, then it's something I can take real pride in.
There's a lot more to pour into the mold here. Older anime series like Ghost in the Shell or Cowboy Bebop, newer experiences like Limbus Company, examples of wonderful worldbuilding through Splatoon's fashion or open-ended stuff like Dwarf Fortress, Rimworld, Starsector, Caves of Qud- the list goes on, and each brings something new to the table. The one real linking factor between everything is simple- it's stuff I personally like. I think it's all proof of that core ideal of mine, too- that any premise can work in the right hands. Acht Sieben is just me seeing if my hands fit the bill- and if not, at least I get to explore all that stuff I like so much in greater detail.
