Touhou 14 Predictions

[cuc]

Heh, the explanation for EoSD to IN's seasons is rather easy. At the start, ZUN only had the plan to make 3 games (source: 4Gamer interview). The 3 games are literally a trilogy, so they alone covers all 4 seasons (PCB is winter and spring).

Though it can be said that IaMP, PoFV and MoF covered the seasons more properly... speaking of which, we still lack a proper winter game, because SA is not. I don't mean TH 14 would be it.

[Tengukami]

Touhou 14 will have no seasons. Why? Because it will be in space.

As the religious war in Gensokyo builds to a climax, the Lunarians will decide to wage war on Gensokyo. A secret emissary from the moon will warn Kaguya, who will alert the others. Patchy, as she did in SSiB, will be commissioned to build spacecraft. Only this time, it'll be a whole fleet of spaceships, as they plan a secret attack against the Lunarians. Somehow, the Lunarians will learn of the multiple launches from Gensokyo, and decide to meet them halfway.

The game will be one pair per spaceship, or individual players, like IN. Spaceships will be able to collect not only points and power-ups but also items for armor and the ability to go into warp drive. Fairies will be moon rabbits in little UFOs and wearing tiny space helmets.

Stage 6 will take place in the Moon's orbit, and Extra will be on the moon.

[haoreos2]

Indisputable proof to the previous completely serious post: SELENE, the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft, was nicknamed Kaguya, and was launched on September 14.
This was "the largest lunar mission since the Apollo program", an already-established bit of Touhou canon known to get all up in the Lunarians' collective grills.
Incidentally, Eirin claims the failure of Apollo was due to the sun being incompatible with the dark side of the moon, hence the obviously intentional significance of choosing Selene, being Apollo's lunar counterpart, for the leitmotif of a game based on invading the moon. Additionally, SELENE had 13 scientific instruments "to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for the future lunar exploration". This doesn't seem that significant until you remember that one snippet of Eirin's wiki page mentions the Lunarians know why 13 is cursed. Considering her status of "the brain of the moon", it stands to reason this is foreshadowing a prepared sabotage to prevent Gensokyo's attack from being overly successful.
Also, space is often allegorically linked to the sea, so it could arguably fill the water theme. Or, as a more salient point (which receives a x2 believability modifier for being pointed out directly after a particularly tenuous point, naturally), it has a strong "void" (or "heaven") theme, which is also one of the Japanese elements.


Now, this is if anything too believable to the point of coming off as an obvious red herring, so to bring it back down to merely "compelling", I shall tie it into a "Mima for Touhou 14 phantasm stage" prediction by pointing out how she has a bunch of moon/space motifs and her name is kinda like moon if you don't look at it too hard and it would explain her longtime absence.

[Raikaria]

There seems to be indeed an arc build up if you tie all games together starting from MoF. The new fighting game dropped something regarding this religious war didn't it?

That's the whole idea of what 13.5 is, the religions are fighting over the faith of the human village, who have lost hope due to the incidents.

Which seems like a fitting end to this whole 'religion' arc.

Hell, you could call this arc the 'Kanako is behind it all' arc, considering everything except SWR and GFW [Which also has nothing to do with 13.5], is, at root, Kanako's fault.

MoF, Obvious
SA, Kanako tricked Utusho into eating Yatagarasu, wouldn't have happened if not for Kanako being in Gensokyo
UFO; Rin's gysers she started due to Utusho released the Myouren Crew, would not have happened if not for Kanako tricking Utusho
TD; The whole awakening of Miko was catalyzed by the faith of the Myouren Temple right on top of their burial site... which wouldn't be there if not for the events releasing the Myouren crew... you get the picture.

Everything in the main games since MoF has been tied to Kanako's doing. It's a stronger theme than the religion <_<

The ironic thing is Kanako's whole SA plan of 'Get nuclear fusion get awe get faith' backfired horribly and gave her two new groups of competitors.

So, if Touhou 14 is part of this arc, and it dosen't end with 13.5, it's ultimately going to be Kanako's fault.

[Sparen]

You say Kanako's fault, but I think it'll be Miko doing something (therefore, as a result of Byakuren-Okuu-Kanako)

[Tengukami]

Well, whoever's "fault" it is or isn't, they'll all be in space to sort this out.

[Goldom]

So, we've got nuclear power in the hands of a birdbrain, and basically no one in the world but one young girl who has the slightest clue how it works. Clearly, nuclear disaster will occur > zombies take over > Touhou: OF THE END.

[Sparen]

I'm making a Danmakufu game where Utsuho comes out and decides to beat everyone up (and almost turns Gensokyo into a flaming wasteland in the process).
Hopefully ZUN doesn't decide something like that.

[Clarste]

I'm making a Danmakufu game where Utsuho comes out and decides to beat everyone up (and almost turns Gensokyo into a flaming wasteland in the process).
Hopefully ZUN doesn't decide something like that.

Of course he wouldn't do anything like that, because it's both out of character and kind of silly. Not the good kind of silly. I doubt we'll ever see Utsuho again, except maybe in a fighting game or other multiplayer side story. She's simply not important to the story he's trying to tell. Even in her own game she was overshadowed by Kanako plot-wise, and pretty much every else setting-wise.

[Sparen]

Of course he wouldn't do anything like that, because it's both out of character and kind of silly. Not the good kind of silly. I doubt we'll ever see Utsuho again, except maybe in a fighting game or other multiplayer side story. She's simply not important to the story he's trying to tell. Even in her own game she was overshadowed by Kanako plot-wise, and pretty much every else setting-wise.

Such is the fate of almost every Touhou character...

We need a PoFV with all of the new characters. (TH15?)

[Tengukami]

So I was on Skype with ZUN, talking about our favorite 1970s action movies, when he at one point decided to share with me the roster for Touhou 14. Keep in mind he said this was just "a rough draft", although it gives you a general idea.

Players:
Reimu/Aya - Homing/forward-focus
Marisa/Nitori - Lasers/fanning turtle-shaped bullets
Yuyuko/Youmu - Cherry blossom petals/tiny little Myons (ZUN admitted he felt the bullet sprites for Youmu had a "problematic" appearance)
Kaguya/Eirin - Rainbow-colored moonbeams/Pills & Molecules bullets
Kanako/Sanae - Snakes/even bigger snakes
Flandre/Patchy  - Multi-colored diamond bullets/tiny flying books

Stage 1 Boss: A Lunarian scout
Stage 2 Boss: That scout's lieutenant
Stage 3 Boss: Lunarian capital's mayor
Stage 4 Boss: Chief of the Lunarian star fleet
Stage 5 Boss: High Priestess of the Lunarians
Stage 6 Boss: Moon Goddess (this ZUN described as in charge of protecting the Moon itself from harm)
Extra Bosses: The -hime Sisters, simultaneously

There are two working titles for the game: Eastern Moonlight Serenade and Oh Shit, Moon All Up In Yo Grill!. At this point, ZUN is leaning towards the former.

[Delfigamer]

Kaguya/Eirin - Rainbow-colored moonbeams/Pills & Molecules bullets

Want to believe.

[cuc]

With Touhou 14 to be release in August, one thing's become certain: HM takes place in 2013 spring. Tasofro had better put their game out before June, otherwise chronologically HM will get overtaken by the manga.

[Tengukami]

Or the game could still take place in spring, but be released later.

[Drake]

I think it'd be interesting if the manga skipped past the events of HM completely, showed bits that introduce HM and then bits that show that HM has concluded, before the game itself is released.

[cuc]

It's the kind of things a storyteller has to make a commitment about: either ensure the chronological order, or withhold vital information (and possibly using the chronologically later stories for teasers). This was not a problem before, as the POVs of Rinnosuke and three fairies are never near the center of events, and the recent games are not considered severe incidents, but both WaHH and FS have POVs very close to the human village, making the effects of a human village incident harder to avoid.

[Tengukami]

Storytellers can and often do play with in what order to show events that happened chronologically. But more importantly, I don't think it's vital that the manga story line and the date of the game's release align perfectly.

[Vincent_Prismriver]

Just read the annonucement and...awesome! Can't wait *___*

However, I've read on 4chan that Futo will probably be a playable character (and I hope so)
(...She could throw her boat as a bomb X?D)

...Though she has nothing to do with the previous rumor (the one about the Moon)

[Clarste]

It's the kind of things a storyteller has to make a commitment about: either ensure the chronological order, or withhold vital information (and possibly using the chronologically later stories for teasers). This was not a problem before, as the POVs of Rinnosuke and three fairies are never near the center of events, and the recent games are not considered severe incidents, but both WaHH and FS have POVs very close to the human village, making the effects of a human village incident harder to avoid.

Am I the only person who doesn't really think 13.5 will end up being very important? I can easily imagine the manga just ignoring it entirely.

[Drake]

Am I the only person who doesn't really think 13.5 will end up being very important? I can easily imagine the manga just ignoring it entirely.

Here. The minute the plot was revealed to be "the humans in the human village became pessimistic and fell into disorder" it was like "wow, it's fucking nothing". SoPM was an excellent sort of wrap-up to the arc, even if it didn't really "end" anything.

[game2011]

With 14 on the horizon, I wouldn't mind much if 13.5 doesn't introduce any new characters, though I still think it will.

[Seppo Hovi]

I've read on 4chan that Futo will probably be a playable character

Some anon said it, it's official now.

-

I'd like to do some early-on-scoring with the game, so my hopes go for a system that pleases me. I'd also like to return to Spell Card value dancing, but it seems like ZUN has abandoned it, so the changes are it won't happen.

My main hopes would, as always, be for canon yuri content. Wouldn't complain about new story arc either.

[cuc]

>canon yuri content

In WaHH Chapter 15, one panel shows a typical Hakurei Shrine party, and in it Keine had a really sweet smile towards Mokou. I suppose that has slightly increased the Keine x Mokou ship's chance to be canon.

[Neal Kawashiro]

I think that it will be about fairies. and they will cause a flood. and cirno will be the stage 4 boss.

[Shin Rokuren]

....More glasses girls.

[Kosachi]

If th14 continues this religious war, it would be pretty interesting if they decided to implement multiple paths like CTC and GFW did. Each religion could potentially have their own storyline, leading to their own endings. This may not be material to conclude the arc, but it would be an interesting way to continue it.

[Desu_Cake]

Just read the annonucement and...awesome! Can't wait *___*

However, I've read on 4chan that Futo will probably be a playable character (and I hope so)
(...She could throw her boat as a bomb X?D)

...Though she has nothing to do with the previous rumor (the one about the Moon)

I think you need to learn the difference between stuff people say at random, and genuine theories.

Speaking of which, 14 is totally going to be about Minoriko taking over the world, calling it now.

[Delfigamer]

...Remind me, how many deeds Hercules had done? Can it be that ZUN links to them?

[Kaze_Senshi]

However, I've read on 4chan that Futo will probably be a playable character (and I hope so)

Her boat should have a big hitbox

[Yatakarasu]

However, I've read on 4chan that Futo will probably be a playable character (and I hope so)
(...She could throw her boat as a bomb X?D)

So is the new trend to make stage 5 bosses playable characters...oh wait...
Needs more Shou if that's the case.