Firstly, this is more of an experiment than anything else. Secondly, I probably will not be able to even consider selling this port. If I talked to DMM/Kadokawa and introduce myself as a foreign non-Japanese developer and show them a working prototype, I might have a chance. I doubt I’d get a C&D from this as I’m not selling anything – it’s more a experiment to see how the game would operate on the 3DS.
As a game developer, one of the many things I see with other games is what areas they fall down in and how they could improve it. In this case, I’ve decided as a side-project to port Kantai Collection to the Nintendo 3DS platform. This also serves a worthy challenge – I know the limitations of the Nintendo 3DS and what I can do and cannot do.
My primary objective is take the core mechanics and simplify them. Annoying things in the browser and Vita versions include that an unfairly biased RNG and battle formulas are overly complex. In my version, damage the fleet girls do with guns would be attack value – enemy defense value = damage dealt. Simple but easier to guess how much damage you’re going to output.
I have to figure out how docking and construction will work, because I want to use a real-world clock (think Browser version) instead of a day/turn system. That means you can put in a construction for an aircraft carrier, suspend the game and go to bed. Wake up in the morning, resume the game and presto. As well as that, I’d need to figure out how the “pool” of possible ships that you’ll get works.
Again, this is a lot of effort on my behalf since I’m the one who has to “reimagine” the whole setup. I’m not sure if I’ll fully go through with it all, but I can at least give it my best shot.
I’ll have some mockup screenshots to follow in the near future once I actually have things implemented. Right now it’s just an outer shell of such a game.