DEMO AVAILABLE!! - Rise of Aden - Tactical RPG

[livpj11]

The long wait is over! Ok so maybe you haven't been waiting and most likely you have no idea who I am. That's fine, let me introduce myself. I'm Liverachi or Livpj11 and this is the first post here for my HUGE project Rise of Aden. This will be a tactical turn based game. Keep in mind that the game is still under lots of development so many things will still change. All the screen shots are actual in game shots with many custom tilesets I designed or resized for use in VX. Also The character facesets are still under development. I will add them as soon as they become available. So let me know what you guys think!

Demo Download!

Spoiler: Story

Two millenia ago on the planet Ryvun people dotted the land. They lived in nearly every inhabitable corner of the world. The great war to end all wars had just concluded and one man arose to unite the people of Ryvun in peace as one nation. This man became known as the Savior. They lived freely and shared everything with every one. They called themselves The Covenant. There was no money, no possessions, no greed, no crime and no hate. Indeed it was a utopia.

500 years passed and the people were as happy as they had ever been. But then something terrible happened that divided the people. Wars slaughtered millions and left many more homeless and starving. The people began to divide based on different religious beliefs. This then lead to a division in nations.

Eventually the wars came to an end but the people were no longer united. Each religious group pointed their fingers at one another laying the blame for the war on the others

Now mankind lives in a way where they trust nobody of another belief. Regardless of who was at fault, the world was forever changed. Now it is the present and mankind is nearing the verge of an industrial revolution. Aden is the world power and are devout followers of the Covenant. They seek to keep their way of life by whatever means necessary. They believe it is their job to see that the world is not again corrupted by foolish inventions or Pagan beliefs. It is believed that Breka is involved in meddling with magic and Aden intends to put a stop to it. Before the world is torn once again.

This is where my story begins. This is where old lines were crossed once more. This is where Aden seeked to rise to such a power that the world hadn't seen for ages.

However by following the will of Aden, Donnan unknowingly sets in motion a string of events that leads his son Duncan to flee the land he was raised in. Duncan is forced to leave Aden in the middle of his wedding with his fiance Kaysha. Together they cross the ocean and begin a journey that takes them to many lands and meet many people of all different kinds of beliefs. Duncan begins by defending his homeland and religion. But as the story progresses he begins to question Aden's motives, his beliefs and even his father. It is this journey that leads him on a quest for the truth.

Spoiler: Characters

Duncan

Duncan is the Hero of the story. His fiance is Kaysha. Their wedding has recently been ruined because of a dispute between the Prince and Duncan's father, Donnan. Donnan has set in motion these events 20 years prior. Now Duncan is unwillingly in the middle of it. He is not your typical hero. He's never been a warrior like the rest of his family. Now he is torn between protecting the woman he loves and saving the father that raised him.

Kaysha

Kaysha is the woman of Duncan's dreams. She however does not know the truth about her past or who her real parents even are. Only her believed father, Airril, and Donnan know the truth. She also has some strange abilities that have come forth recently, many of which are out of her control.

Donnan

Donnan is the father of Duncan. He is the dragoon captain over the royal guard of Aden. He carries out the will and law of the Queen without question or hesitation, until one night. That single moment eventually changes the outcome for his entire family, for good and bad.

Airril

Airril is Kaysha's father, at least he raised her. He is Donnan's right hand man and his protege in training that will some day take his place. Many however resent that as he is not of a royal blood line.

Faitule

Faitule is the prince of Aden. He, like his mother, seeks power and glory for Aden. He also does not care for Donnan's more gracious way of handling matters and hates Airril even more.

Kendrick

Kendrick is a priest from the land of Narsell. He is a kind old man devout to help others when in need. Particularly he gives aid to Duncan and Kaysha while they flee from the prince.

Zane

Zane is one of Donnan's generals. He is the epitome of a soldier; strong, precise and obedient, though only as far as duty calls. He is also ruthless and merciless.

Elidh

Elidh is Donnan's second general. She is a formidable warrior but is also greatly loved by her troops. Because of this they will carry out any order she gives them to the end. There is also some suspected relationship between her and Donnan.

Kiari

Kiari is from the land of Maille. She is a little small for her age but she makes up for that with her charisma and charm. She is an excellent shot with her bow. Her past and connection with the party also remains a mystery.

Spoiler: Screenshots

Aden

Aden Hill

Breka Village

Aden Church

Sewer

Battle System

Class System

Spoiler: Fighter Classes

Warrior - Warriors are hearty and versatile fighters, able to wield many different weapons and armor. This makes them one of the most adaptable classes in the game. Warriors can wield swords, daggers, blunts & axes. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor. They also can use a shield.

Paladin - Paladins are fighters who will take the brunt of an attack to save an ally. They can sustain heavy damage and also employ the art of holy magic’s. Paladins can wield swords, blunts & axes. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor. They also can use a shield. Paladins are one of the two fighter classes that can use magic. They get their energy from the Holy light to serve and protect their comrades.

Samurai - The samurai is the ancient protector of Breka. They are their strongest people that rely on strength more than protection. The one and only weapon of choice for a samurai is the 2 handed katana. They are able to wear light and medium armor only.

Ninja - Ninja's are cunning assassins. They rely on speed and deadly attacks to bring down their enemies. Ninja's can wield 2 daggers at a time. They are also able to throw certain items, like shurikens, from a distance. Because they rely on speed, Ninjas will only wear light armor.

Thief - Thieves are pickpockets and sneaks. They are able to talk their way out of just about anything and then stab you in the back. Thieves are able to equip a dagger in each hand. They make use of both light and medium armor.

Marksmen - Marksmen are the ultimate distance fighters, able to hit anything if given the opportunity. Marksmen carry guns and rifles that require two hands to be accurate. Because precision is key they only wear light armor, as not to weigh them down.

Archer - Archers are able to shoot over friends and foes alike to reach their enemies. Archers use two handed bows as their preferred weapon. They are able to wear both light and medium armor.

Berserker - Berserkers are fierce and deadly fighters that prefer to beat their foes into submission. Berserkers can use fist type weapons, or nothing but their fists. They are able to wear both light and medium armor.

Dragoon - Dragoons are the proud defenders of Aden, who in more recent years have also become the protectors of the throne. Dragoons use 2 handed spears, which are able to reach enemies within a small distance. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor.

Shadow Warrior - Shadow warriors are warriors who have become blood thirsty. They employ demonic arts to wreak havoc on their foes that weapons alone could not do. They can wield swords, blunts and axes. Shadow warriors are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor, as well as shields.

Spoiler: Mystic Classes

Sword Singer - Sword Singers are warriors that are able to call forth magic powers through song. Their one and only weapon of choice is a sword through which they channel their magic. Along with shields, they are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor.

Inquisitor - Inquisitors are priests intent on enforcing adherence to the holy faith using any means necessary, including holy magic. They prefer using blunts and axes to attack those who oppose them and defend themselves with shields. Inquisitors are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor.

Priest - Priests are devout followers of the faith whose sole purpose in life is to serve mankind. With that goal in mind, they draw their power from holy magic to protect and heal their allies. In addition, priests, who are most often seen in simple robes, are known to wield daggers and staves in battle.

Elementalist - dElementalists are powerful forces, drawing energy from the enemies they encounter for future use. Though they are partial to staves, elementalists may also use daggers.

Mage - Mages harness some of the most powerful abilities known to mankind. This, however, is offset by their fragile bodies. The one and only weapon they can wield is a staff. Mages are only able to wear robe armor. They receive their magical abilities from an unknown magical source.

Druid - Druids, the fierce protectors of nature, are known to take on the forms of animals in battle. While they are best known for their shapeshifting abilities, druids are not opposed to using blunts and daggers to win a fight. Druids are proficient in the use of robe, cloth and medium armor.

Chemist - Chemists use their vast knowledge of the world’s many substances to create helpful and harmful concoctions. When forced to fight, they prefer daggers to all other weapons.

Necromancer - Necromancers are wizards that can summon demons and beasts to fight for them. They avoid direct involvement in battle whenever possible, but if there is no way out of it, necromancers use their staves.

Sorcerer - Sorcerers are akin to mages, but they choose to focus on the dark arts and demonic worship. Their magical abilities are extremely dangerous, but sorcerers lack the training to use anything but staves in combat.

Blade Whisperer - Blade Whisperers are Sword Singers who, unlike their more vocal counterparts, wish to do harm to others with their musical magic. They are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor, but the swords they carry are their only weapons.

Spoiler: Features

1. Tactical based battle system developed by GubiD. Each character and enemy takes turns to move across the board and perform actions.

2. 20 unique classes divided into 2 trees to choose from. All warrior classes are bound to one tree and all magic classes to another. Each characters place on the tree is uniquely based on their starting class.

3. Huge worlds to explore with tons of never before seen custom tiles.

4. Compelling story driven by realistic yet humorous dialogue.

5. End project will have over 30 hours of gameplay which includes side quests and characters.

6. End game will have a total of 3 possible endings, all with very different outcomes; one happy, one sad and one that's just the way it is.

7. 15 playable characters in development, with the possibility of more later on.

8. Over 1000 maps with many many different tilesets. This will be spread over 3 chapters.

9. Multiple party support. When the story splits you decide which path you want to follow first.

10. entirely original music score made by DrDisastro.

Spoiler: Credits

Tilesets

Mack
Malexos
Grafiikal009
Sith Jester
Liverachi
One Knight Stand

Graphics

Aquarius92
Meisl
PainHurt
Scorpius
Wildcard
Lord Phoenix
Fbu
Commodore Whynot
Kiwibug
One Knight Stand
Liverachi
Coyotecraft
Weem
Kaduki
Mack
Enterbrain
Insanitysorrow
Flyboyunder
From_Ariel
Zandalar
YanXia
Potatoman4
adke5000
emrik
onidsouza
rgangsta
recoon1986
Sevreichi
Vibrato
PinedaVX
First Seed Material
Zanyzora
Mime Song
Erk
Blackmask
Holder
Mudducky
Despite

Scripts

GubiD
Onidsouza
Storymasterq
Omegazion
Zeriab
Blackmorning
Dragor
Wortana
Kylock
Fomar0153
Miget man12
BigEd781
Khev
Dark Gaia
Reijubv
One Knight Stand
Liverachi
Yanfly
KGC
cmpsr2000
The Law G14
Syvkal
Lockheart

Writing & Editing
goingfishing11
Ereth

Music & Sound Effects
kiwibug
DrDisastro
One Knight Stand
Liverachi
nippa77
Dynamedion
Blastwave FX
Bupaproducer
Sakari

 

[Daxis]

Seems nice. Story is cliched in a nice way, utilizing a variety of allusions and religious things while making it seemingly still rpg-ish. The maps, mainly the 2nd and 3rd maps, are pretty well done. The character portraits seem a bit off, too realistic or whatever, while the two that are on there didn't seem like they are of the same source. That's only what I see, though.

Hope you can finish it.

 

[astrin24]

This looks like it has lots of potential. The plot isn't depressingly dark yet at the same time it isn't too bright and fuzzy. You've definitely got the right balance in that regard. Certainly, the Tactical Battle system you're using seems interesting and the mapping is of a high standard. Please keep going! I trust a demo will be available for download soon enough?

 

[Ganstaquay5000]

This games looks good. I think your story line is good too and original. I loved how you kept it simple such as using words like savior instead of coming up with some unpronounceable name like other people do.

 

[livpj11]

Seems nice. Story is cliched in a nice way, utilizing a variety of allusions and religious things while making it seemingly still rpg-ish. The maps, mainly the 2nd and 3rd maps, are pretty well done. The character portraits seem a bit off, too realistic or whatever, while the two that are on there didn't seem like they are of the same source. That's only what I see, though.

Hope you can finish it.

Glad you like what you've seen so far. I mentioned this in the opening paragraph but the facesets are not complete. The only one that is so far is of Duncan. The one for Kaysha will be available very soon. And yes I do plan on finishing this.

This looks like it has lots of potential. The plot isn't depressingly dark yet at the same time it isn't too bright and fuzzy. You've definitely got the right balance in that regard. Certainly, the Tactical Battle system you're using seems interesting and the mapping is of a high standard. Please keep going! I trust a demo will be available for download soon enough?

The battle system, combined with the class system, is definitely at the heart of this game. I feel it will be the major thing to set it apart from other games seen more recently. Glad you like the mapping. They've really come a long way since I started back in July. Our team is shooting to have a demo done by Christmas, though the voice acting part may have to come after that.

This games looks good. I think your story line is good too and original. I loved how you kept it simple such as using words like savior instead of coming up with some unpronounceable name like other people do.

I want to use something other than Christians but the idea will still be to keep everything simple. I think the most unusual names are going to be the locations. I am trying to throw those at people slowly as I go so as not to confuse anyone.

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

This looks great. I love the custom graphics. They look extremely good and original! The story is great and original. Good luck with your project.

 

[Mega Flare]

This looks great. I love the custom graphics. They look extremely good and original! The story is great and original. Good luck with your project.

you say that in every game topic

 

[WeaponOD]

I have to say I don't

-Love your Titlescreen(?)
-Love your Faces
-Love Some tileset pieces.

But I do:

-Love your sprites
-Love your Project Name
-Love your battle system
-Love Voice acting
-Love Different endings.

Either way it seems not bad. :biggrin:

 

[Flickayy]

This is a really nice project, i really like the story line, and your original character designs. Really love the custom graphics, and your battle system reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics :thumb:

Keep up the good work :biggrin:

 

[livpj11]

This looks great. I love the custom graphics. They look extremely good and original! The story is great and original. Good luck with your project.

Thank you.

you say that in every game topic

That's alright I don't mind. :D

I have to say I don't

-Love your Titlescreen(?)
-Love your Faces
-Love Some tileset pieces.

But I do:

-Love your sprites
-Love your Project Name
-Love your battle system
-Love Voice acting
-Love Different endings.

Either way it seems not bad. :biggrin:

-You must be referring to the banner. Lucky for you that is not my title screen
-I stated above, though it seems to have been missed, only 1 of those faces are what I plan to use. The rest, like the red head, are concept art
-I agree I have a lot of tiles that don't mesh great together. Are there any in particular you noticed that I could work on?

As for the rest that you do love thank you. The battle system is what I think will make or break this game.

This is a really nice project, i really like the story line, and your original character designs. Really love the custom graphics, and your battle system reminds me of Final Fantasy Tactics :thumb:

Keep up the good work :biggrin:

Thanks for the comments. I really am going for a FFT feel as far as the battle and class system is concerned. You can have both a main class and a subclass but unlike FFT actors will be restricted to one of 2 class trees. Either the fighter or the mystic tree. Within each tree they will have the choice between 10 classes as they are unlocked.

 

[MaRkNemesis]

I love Tactical RPG's. Gonna give it a look for sure when I have the time

Cheers

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

This looks great. I love the custom graphics. They look extremely good and original! The story is great and original. Good luck with your project.

you say that in every game topic

It really looks great. The story is original. :biggrin:

 

[moxie]

Religious (Christian in particular.) allegories in fiction are all well and good if you can pull it off, but if you're going to go down that road make sure you're atleast somewhat subtle about it. In other words, don't take the Xenosaga route of "HEY LOOK GUYS ITS A CROSS!!! THAT THING IS NAMED AFTER AN ANGEL OF SOME KIND!! ISNT THAT STUFF SIGNIFICANT AND INTELLECTUAL!!??"

I like Duncan's portrait and the character sets are very cute (Though the cape you use on a few characters looks like it use more colors.), but some of the screenshots look rather inconsistent with the detailed trees placed on the blocky, cartoony VX tiles.

If you're going to do the voice thing, make sure you have the means to do it well. Consistency and quality. Nothing takes me out of a game faster than terrible voice actors or when one actor's lines sound crisp and clear and as they're supposed to, another's has staticky badness going on.

The idea of multiple endings is cool, not enough people do that because they're so afraid of deviating from their "planned outcome". Is the ending you're going to get fairly obvious by the end (I.E. You act a fool in Bioshock, you get the evil ending, you act good you get cookies and milk and halos, etc, etc.), or is it based on a series of vague decisions or actions that the player isn't really aware of?

 

[livpj11]

Religious (Christian in particular.) allegories in fiction are all well and good if you can pull it off, but if you're going to go down that road make sure you're atleast somewhat subtle about it. In other words, don't take the Xenosaga route of "HEY LOOK GUYS ITS A CROSS!!! THAT THING IS NAMED AFTER AN ANGEL OF SOME KIND!! ISNT THAT STUFF SIGNIFICANT AND INTELLECTUAL!!??"

I like Duncan's portrait and the character sets are very cute (Though the cape you use on a few characters looks like it use more colors.), but some of the screenshots look rather inconsistent with the detailed trees placed on the blocky, cartoony VX tiles.

If you're going to do the voice thing, make sure you have the means to do it well. Consistency and quality. Nothing takes me out of a game faster than terrible voice actors or when one actor's lines sound crisp and clear and as they're supposed to, another's has staticky badness going on.

The idea of multiple endings is cool, not enough people do that because they're so afraid of deviating from their "planned outcome". Is the ending you're going to get fairly obvious by the end (I.E. You act a fool in Bioshock, you get the evil ending, you act good you get cookies and milk and halos, etc, etc.), or is it based on a series of vague decisions or actions that the player isn't really aware of?

Sorry if I disappoint but this game will be heavily based on many religions as well as atheism. The overlying theme is about people with different beliefs and ways of life interacting together. However the purpose of the game will not be to preach or teach any particular religion or view on life.

As for voice I totally agree. This is something that if it doesn't work right it won't be in the game. It definitely will not be ready for the demo this Christmas. And in the end I plan to have 2 downloads. One with and one without the voice acting.

Regarding multiple endings there are 3 in the plans. It likely will not be obvious which ending you will get until it gets close to the end game. The first 2 will be the result of several decisions throughout the course of the game. If you score enough points on one side you get that ending. If you somehow manage to avoid scoring enough points to justify either of those endings then you get the 3rd ending. This one will be the most difficult to obtain and will have the ultimate ending that everyone likely will want.

And now, here is this weeks update. These are the 10 classes available to characters within the Fighter tree.

Spoiler: Fighter Classes

Warrior - Warriors are hearty and versatile fighters, able to wield many different weapons and armor. This makes them one of the most adaptable classes in the game. Warriors can wield swords, daggers, blunts & axes. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor. They also can use a shield.

Paladin - Paladins are fighters who will take the brunt of an attack to save an ally. They can sustain heavy damage and also employ the art of holy magic’s. Paladins can wield swords, blunts & axes. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor. They also can use a shield. Paladins are one of the two fighter classes that can use magic. They get their energy from the Holy light to serve and protect their comrades.

Samurai - The samurai is the ancient protector of Breka. They are their strongest people that rely on strength more than protection. The one and only weapon of choice for a samurai is the 2 handed katana. They are able to wear light and medium armor only.

Ninja - Ninja's are cunning assassins. They rely on speed and deadly attacks to bring down their enemies. Ninja's can wield 2 daggers at a time. They are also able to throw certain items, like shurikens, from a distance. Because they rely on speed, Ninjas will only wear light armor.

Thief - Thieves are pickpockets and sneaks. They are able to talk their way out of just about anything and then stab you in the back. Thieves are able to equip a dagger in each hand. They make use of both light and medium armor.

Marksmen - Marksmen are the ultimate distance fighters, able to hit anything if given the opportunity. Marksmen carry guns and rifles that require two hands to be accurate. Because precision is key they only wear light armor, as not to weigh them down.

Archer - Archers are able to shoot over friends and foes alike to reach their enemies. Archers use two handed bows as their preferred weapon. They are able to wear both light and medium armor.

Berserker - Berserkers are fierce and deadly fighters that prefer to beat their foes into submission. Berserkers can use fist type weapons, or nothing but their fists. They are able to wear both light and medium armor.

Dragoon - Dragoons are the proud defenders of Aden, who in more recent years have also become the protectors of the throne. Dragoons use 2 handed spears, which are able to reach enemies within a small distance. They are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor.

Shadow Warrior - Shadow warriors are warriors who have become blood thirsty. They employ demonic arts to wreak havoc on their foes that weapons alone could not do. They can wield swords, blunts and axes. Shadow warriors are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor, as well as shields.

 

[bacon]

Story: Your story so far sounds somewhat cliche. You have a nice start, but it sort of gets torn up towards the end. You talk about religions and blaming and stuff like that when it seems it is irrelevent to the main story. Honestly, the third paragraph to me seems unneeded and I could just delete it and it would not flaw the story. You dont explain why war was caused and why the 500 years of peace was disrupted. The 500 years of peace is a cliche itself. Again, if you integrated religion more, then yes, you would have a better if you deelply analyzed each religion and showed the faults for each. Though, to me, religion has absolutely nothing to do with the story, at least from reading that. You might as well say, darkness swept over the land and now the main character has to defend his homeland. Thats the vibe I get, only you relaced darkness with religion and that somehow makes it ten times more original. Also, why does the character run away with his fiance during the wedding. You dont explain that. I understand you are trying to keep some things hidden, but you are cutting out important sections that are needed. You cant skip around like that. You need one continual section of event because your story sections looks novice.

Graphics: These need tons of work. First off, you have tons of inconsistancies. Your characters sprite do not match your tilesets. The doors seem small and the sprites look oversized compared to the maps. Your graphics in general have a lot of inconsistancies. You have to many styles and different tilesets going on. You cant have a 3-d rendered looking tree then have a 2-d grass tile. It does not work and makes your game look tacky. Your mapping isnt very good either. Interiors are too big, your maps are boring, your cliffs need more detailing, you use tiles wrong, ect. Its not great mapping overall. And that Breka Village fog is atrocious and honestly looks totally amature and appalling. Also, your battle system screen is a cherry on top of a tedious game. You misuse tons of tiles and the cliffs themselves look awful. I honestly do not know what the hell is going on in that screenshot. I wouldnt know where to go and where I could move. Also, for a tactical system, that map is too small. Your facesets are inconsitent as well. You cant use famous facesets, it looks bad and break the connection between player and game.

Other: First off, your text is hard to read. I suggest changing it to a simplier, less complicated font, so I can actual read it without secong glancing it. Half of your features are not even features, they are to be expected. Also, this looks like your first project. You are way in over your head. 1000+ maps, no. I dont believe that one bit, especailly since this is a tactical game. Your music looks tedious. Dont edit famous songs from other games and make it your own, as people can clearly recognize what it is from.

Conclusion: Your story is cliche, and the whole religion this is just a mawk-up of darkness. Its doesnt look needed and you are not integrating it, therefore, your story isnt original and sounds like a typical, boring, cliche story. You dont expand on your characters, which means you havent developed them. Therefore, I have a hypothesis that your characters will become cliche as well. Also, 15 characters is hard to manage and I bet all the characters will be dragged down because of this. Your graphics are inconsistent and you misuse a lot of tiles. Your overall maping skills needs work. Your text is somewhat hard to read. Half of your features arent features and the other half are fallacies that will not happen. Overall, your game needs work in every direction. You need to fix your graphics and tidy up your story. Also, think realistic.

 

[livpj11]

Story: Your story so far sounds somewhat cliche. You have a nice start, but it sort of gets torn up towards the end. You talk about religions and blaming and stuff like that when it seems it is irrelevent to the main story. Honestly, the third paragraph to me seems unneeded and I could just delete it and it would not flaw the story. You dont explain why war was caused and why the 500 years of peace was disrupted. The 500 years of peace is a cliche itself. Again, if you integrated religion more, then yes, you would have a better if you deelply analyzed each religion and showed the faults for each. Though, to me, religion has absolutely nothing to do with the story, at least from reading that. You might as well say, darkness swept over the land and now the main character has to defend his homeland. Thats the vibe I get, only you relaced darkness with religion and that somehow makes it ten times more original. Also, why does the character run away with his fiance during the wedding. You dont explain that. I understand you are trying to keep some things hidden, but you are cutting out important sections that are needed. You cant skip around like that. You need one continual section of event because your story sections looks novice.

Graphics: These need tons of work. First off, you have tons of inconsistancies. Your characters sprite do not match your tilesets. The doors seem small and the sprites look oversized compared to the maps. Your graphics in general have a lot of inconsistancies. You have to many styles and different tilesets going on. You cant have a 3-d rendered looking tree then have a 2-d grass tile. It does not work and makes your game look tacky. Your mapping isnt very good either. Interiors are too big, your maps are boring, your cliffs need more detailing, you use tiles wrong, ect. Its not great mapping overall. And that Breka Village fog is atrocious and honestly looks totally amature and appalling. Also, your battle system screen is a cherry on top of a tedious game. You misuse tons of tiles and the cliffs themselves look awful. I honestly do not know what the hell is going on in that screenshot. I wouldnt know where to go and where I could move. Also, for a tactical system, that map is too small. Your facesets are inconsitent as well. You cant use famous facesets, it looks bad and break the connection between player and game.

Other: First off, your text is hard to read. I suggest changing it to a simplier, less complicated font, so I can actual read it without secong glancing it. Half of your features are not even features, they are to be expected. Also, this looks like your first project. You are way in over your head. 1000+ maps, no. I dont believe that one bit, especailly since this is a tactical game. Your music looks tedious. Dont edit famous songs from other games and make it your own, as people can clearly recognize what it is from.

Conclusion: Your story is cliche, and the whole religion this is just a mawk-up of darkness. Its doesnt look needed and you are not integrating it, therefore, your story isnt original and sounds like a typical, boring, cliche story. You dont expand on your characters, which means you havent developed them. Therefore, I have a hypothesis that your characters will become cliche as well. Also, 15 characters is hard to manage and I bet all the characters will be dragged down because of this. Your graphics are inconsistent and you misuse a lot of tiles. Your overall maping skills needs work. Your text is somewhat hard to read. Half of your features arent features and the other half are fallacies that will not happen. Overall, your game needs work in every direction. You need to fix your graphics and tidy up your story. Also, think realistic.

Bacon thanks for the feedback. Hmm where to begin. First of all please read my entire post before you make so many assumptions. Some you hit spot on, while others you clearly missed.

For example I posted that the faceset for Kaysha was merely concept art. This is of course a work in progress and the images will be changed. Also I have no idea why the doors seem the wrong size for the characters? If we are talking pixel sizes here the doors are larger than they are in XP. As for my story it is novice but it is meant not to give too much away. If I told you everything you wanted to know about why Duncan is escaping it would defeat the 45 minute intro to the game. (Yes tactical battles take a lot longer than ones most are use to) And over 1000 maps is no joke. This type of battle system, combined with the world exploration, requires a lot of maps. Currently I have 100 available for the demo and will likely still have to create 30 or so more. Current game play is around 5 hours. And that will cover the first quarter of this chapter. So if we go with that math over 3 chapters it comes out to roughly 1300 maps, give or take a few hundred. And who said anything about editing famous songs? All I said was that some music would be edited and you may or may not recognize it. Likely you won't recognize anything unless it's the default music. Oh and I don't plan on doing the voice acting until the game is complete. At that point I will have 2 versions available, one with and one without the voice overs.

Now let's talk about things I do agree with you on. Yes the font needs some work. You aren't the first to say it's hard to read. I am currently looking to change that. The tiles graphics are for sure inconsistent and I am constantly working to update them. This is of course not a finished game. My mapping is also not great. I can always use pointers there. The trouble I find with doing desert maps and canyons like the one you mentioned is how do you make it so detailed when it's supposed to be a dry and barren place. So far I've relied heavily on dried up vines, cactus's, small shrubs, different sand tiles, sand dunes, and cracks in the cliffs. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have though to make it better.

All in all Bacon I appreciate your hypothesis on this experiment you were conducting here. I really will take your well merited suggestions to heart. However I'd appreciate it if you didn't assume as much as you do without either asking questions or waiting until a demo is available.

 

[bacon]

For example I posted that the faceset for Kaysha was merely concept art. This is of course a work in progress and the images will be changed.

totally my bad, I did not see the upper top part.

Also I have no idea why the doors seem the wrong size for the characters? If we are talking pixel sizes here the doors are larger than they are in XP.

To me, the arch seems extrely small and would cut it close. While XP does this, your buildings overall look undersized compared to your sprites. Plus anyways, I would imagine an arch to a church or grand builing to be grand or elegant, not small and tiny.

If I told you everything you wanted to know about why Duncan is escaping it would defeat the 45 minute intro to the game.

Well then, you are not explaining your story correctly on this thread. You cannot skip around, you have to be conituous. You basically expand on a topic, then when it comes to the next topic, totally skip it and jump to the next section of the story. No, thats bad. You explain things in order and expand on every topic you put on this thread. You cannot expand on one and overshadow the next.

This type of battle system, combined with the world exploration, requires a lot of maps. Currently I have 100 available for the demo and will likely still have to create 30 or so more

A map is a map that is playable. The map you have shown are not maps, they are bad mapping. I do not count bad mapping maps as maps. I can live with deent mapping, but bad mapping is, well bad. You may have 100 maps, but how many maps ore actually good. Not only that, how long does it take for you to make a map. Honestly, a good 15x20 map takes around 30 to 45 minutes. Thats a super small map.

All I said was that some music would be edited and you may or may not recognize it. Likely you won't recognize anything unless it's the default music.

You did not say this so I assumed that this was the case. You need to say that. IT is my job to assume what you are doing. Ad honestly, the more someone assumes, the more the project thread needs work.

Oh and I don't plan on doing the voice acting until the game is complete. At that point I will have 2 versions available, one with and one without the voice overs.

I never siad anything about VA but may I ask, who is doing this voice acting?

However I'd appreciate it if you didn't assume as much as you do without either asking questions or waiting until a demo is available.

Assuming is what I do. Sice you did not expand on certain things, I assumed thats what you were doing. Thats my job. Maybe you should clarify certain points better so that no one else has to assume.

 

[livpj11]

For voice actors so far I have a pretty big cast consisting of myself, Ereth, Kiwibug, OneKnightStand, Turbo23 and goingfishing11. We will need more eventually But I'm not going to worry about that until later.

Bacon, as for my mapping do you have any examples of projects in VX you personally are working on or that are finished that you could refer me towards so I can see what you call good mapping and possibly learn from?

 

[livpj11]

I guess Bacon doesn't have any examples to enlighten me with.

Anyway, on to this weeks update. Mystic classes!

Spoiler: Mystic Classes

Sword Singer - Sword Singers are warriors that are able to call forth magic powers through song. Their one and only weapon of choice is a sword through which they channel their magic. Along with shields, they are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor.

Inquisitor - Inquisitors are priests intent on enforcing adherence to the holy faith using any means necessary, including holy magic. They prefer using blunts and axes to attack those who oppose them and defend themselves with shields. Inquisitors are able to wear light, medium and heavy armor.

Priest - Priests are devout followers of the faith whose sole purpose in life is to serve mankind. With that goal in mind, they draw their power from holy magic to protect and heal their allies. In addition, priests, who are most often seen in simple robes, are known to wield daggers and staves in battle.

Elementalist - dElementalists are powerful forces, drawing energy from the enemies they encounter for future use. Though they are partial to staves, elementalists may also use daggers.

Mage - Mages harness some of the most powerful abilities known to mankind. This, however, is offset by their fragile bodies. The one and only weapon they can wield is a staff. Mages are only able to wear robe armor. They receive their magical abilities from an unknown magical source.

Druid - Druids, the fierce protectors of nature, are known to take on the forms of animals in battle. While they are best known for their shapeshifting abilities, druids are not opposed to using blunts and daggers to win a fight. Druids are proficient in the use of robe, cloth and medium armor.

Chemist - Chemists use their vast knowledge of the world’s many substances to create helpful and harmful concoctions. When forced to fight, they prefer daggers to all other weapons.

Necromancer - Necromancers are wizards that can summon demons and beasts to fight for them. They avoid direct involvement in battle whenever possible, but if there is no way out of it, necromancers use their staves.

Sorcerer - Sorcerers are akin to mages, but they choose to focus on the dark arts and demonic worship. Their magical abilities are extremely dangerous, but sorcerers lack the training to use anything but staves in combat.

Blade Whisperer - Blade Whisperers are Sword Singers who, unlike their more vocal counterparts, wish to do harm to others with their musical magic. They are able to equip light, medium and heavy armor, but the swords they carry are their only weapons.

 

[moxie]

My main concern with the mapping is how those trees and the tiles clash. It's quite jarring.

Looking at the "Features" section, you've got some big expectations for your game. Which is fine, just don't get burnt out before you've released a decent demo. I just want to play a tactical RPG.