EGOPHOBIA
The universe waits and watches, helpless to alter the future.
Humanity waits and watches, awaiting the day they may soar once again.
And the demons, too, wait and watch, seeking an end to their divine curse.
And yet, neither man nor demon can hear the universe's plea, and ignore the whispers of space and time.
If they cannot help the universe, then the universe cannot help them.
Plot Summary:
In the city of Bates, a child was born with full awareness, a consciousness of his existence as a human that most do not experience until after puberty. Recieving a gift from the God of Consciousness Agni, who looked favorably upon the child, he grew healthy and strong through the years, experiencing much of life's pains and pleasures. Thanks to Agni's gift, this child was able to forge ideals and beliefs of his own, overpowering the wills of those who would attempt to sway his opinions.
As he looked upon the world, he grew curious as to what could bring a man to kill his fellow man. He viewed such an act as irrational, against all forms of logic. It was this thought that convinced him, in the end, to pursue a law enforcement career. He felt passionate about discovering motives, and with his passion came an innate talent for solving murder cases. After many successful cases and only a few failures, he used the money he had saved to start a private detective agency relatively close to his home. All of this was accomplished by when he was only 24.
His agency grows extremely slowly, yet thanks to his talent he continues to solve the vast majority of his cases. But nothing would prepare him for what would be his final case.
Blood, everywhere. On the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. No plausible, conclusive DNA evidence to suggest that the murder was performed by man or beast. The man's body lay open, the ribs still feebly protecting the shrivelled, drained organs within. And somehow, his client expected him to solve such an overdramatically gruesome and hopeless case...
It is fortunate that Agni's power rests within this man. He will need it.
Game Premise:
You play as Sam, a private detective attempting to solve the case surrounding the gruesome murder of a man in the warehouse of Kayan Industries. Your sleuthing will eventually encompass multiple planes of existence as you attempt to unravel a constant conflict echoing to the dawn of mankind. You will enlist the aid of several other characters, each with motives of their own.
The strength of your willpower grants you and your comrades an Astral Form, a second skin which invokes the powers of an demon (angel, demon, god, all are classified as simply demons), which will be necessary to traverse the hidden planes of existance, but cannot be used on the Plane of Mortality, the default plane of existance and the one most humans are familiar with. As you proceed, you may mutate your Astral Form by imbuing contracts that are formed by negotiating with demons. Learned skills will carry over, but stats (including level, you will be set at the Astral Form's level even if you've assumed the same Astral Form before) and elemental affinity will not.
While the events of EgoPhobia are not directly connected to the Shin Megami Tensei series of videogames, both take place in the Amala Universe, and hence this can be considered to be a fangame.
Initial Characters:
Sam Groswell - Investigator
Sam is a private detective who owns his own agency. He is what he likes to call an "optimistic cynic", in that he sees the truth as a cynic would but he does not allow it to weigh his life down. Strong of will and more resilient than most, Sam knows what he wants and pursues it doggedly, for better or for worse.
The stats of Sam's human form are based on decisions that are made in the beginning of the game.
Sam's default Astral Form is Melchizedek.
Captain Nero - Sharpshooter
The only witness to the crime, Nero accompanies Sam in order to make sense of what he has seen. A former naval captain, Nero is deadly with a harpoon and, as he finds out, even deadlier with a pistol. Nero is eccentric and seems to spout random gibberish now and then, but in his mind everything he says has connections to the issue at hand.
The stats of Nero's human form lean heavily towards Strength.
Nero's default Astral Form is Loki.
Katherine O'Malley- Secretary
Sam's personal secretary, Katherine knows more about him than any other woman, yet at the same time feels no attachment to him. She is a fast typer and has taken up razors as a means of self-defense after almost being assaulted during a bad date.
The stats of Katherine's human form lean heavily towards Dexterity.
Katherine's default Astral Form is Narcissus.
Dimitri Kayan - Scientist
Inheritor of Kayan Industries, Dimitri eventually joins Sam in order to avenge the murderer for destroying his company's reputation. Upright and serious, Dimitri often argues with Katherine due to their clashing personalities. Having been a chief scientist at a renowned institute, he has a firm grasp of the laws of the Plane of Mortality but finds himself out of his element in other planes.
The stats of Dimitri's human form lean heavily towards Intelligence.
Dimitri's default Astral Form is Angel.
Gameplay Systems:
Astral Forms are used when travelling through foreign planes. Your Astral Form will affect your elemental resistances, stats, and available equipment. Once an Astral Form "matures", you can shed it and obtain a new one at the Immortal Cemetary, but only if you have a trigger item and a contract.
Trigger items can be obtained throughout the course of the storyline, and also within the massive optional dungeon, Pecco Mundi. Pecco Mundi is divided into four sections: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. Within these sections are 7 branching paths. Each character can only take one path, meaning that each character must brave their path alone, but may be accompanied by their spirit guide. This dungeon will allow you to uncover the characters' pasts and true motives, as well as obtain unique items, including trigger items. However, the dungeon is fairly difficult and, as saving anywhere is restricted within the dungeon, you should prepare and use caution.
Pecco Mundi can only be accessed on the Nether Plane, meaning that you must die in order to reach it. The Nether Plane itself contains fairly dangerous enemies, and should you be defeated you will return to the root of the Nether Plane and recieve a permanent penalty to your VIT, but you will keep any items, levels, etc. You should consider carefully between continuing and loading a save, as sometimes the VIT penalty is worth the items, levels, etc.
Contracts can be formed in the Immortal Cemetary. You need an enemy's remains, whether it be a bone, a skin sample, or some sludge, and you need to pay the gravedigger, Hertz, to call upon the fallen spirit of the enemy. You will then enter negotiation with the demon. It will ask for money and items, and sometimes ask you a question. As long as you keep the demon happy, it will sign a contract, allowing you to assume its form on foreign planes. (As Hertz explains, demons have something like a "physical copyright" which prevents you from assuming their form without their permission)
Some contracts cannot be obtained from demonic negotiations and must be found throughout the course of the story or within Pecco Mundi.
Screenshots so far:
Soundtrack:
This game will feature a 100% custom soundtrack composed by myself. Here's a few tracks:
Enigma
One Step
Nether Battle ~ Fetal Mentality
Kayan Industries ~ Asura Factory
Progress:
Writing:75%
Graphics:73%
Custom Systems:16%
Mapping:7%
Music:92%
Fine-Tuning:2%
Recruitment:
While I'm planning to complete this project myself, assistance would be appreciated, particularly in the graphical and scripting departments. Someone who could do custom tilesets, custom sprites, and large-scale graphics would be great, as well as someone who is skilled enough with coding to create a slightly unconventional battle system.
The universe waits and watches, helpless to alter the future.
Humanity waits and watches, awaiting the day they may soar once again.
And the demons, too, wait and watch, seeking an end to their divine curse.
And yet, neither man nor demon can hear the universe's plea, and ignore the whispers of space and time.
If they cannot help the universe, then the universe cannot help them.
Plot Summary:
In the city of Bates, a child was born with full awareness, a consciousness of his existence as a human that most do not experience until after puberty. Recieving a gift from the God of Consciousness Agni, who looked favorably upon the child, he grew healthy and strong through the years, experiencing much of life's pains and pleasures. Thanks to Agni's gift, this child was able to forge ideals and beliefs of his own, overpowering the wills of those who would attempt to sway his opinions.
As he looked upon the world, he grew curious as to what could bring a man to kill his fellow man. He viewed such an act as irrational, against all forms of logic. It was this thought that convinced him, in the end, to pursue a law enforcement career. He felt passionate about discovering motives, and with his passion came an innate talent for solving murder cases. After many successful cases and only a few failures, he used the money he had saved to start a private detective agency relatively close to his home. All of this was accomplished by when he was only 24.
His agency grows extremely slowly, yet thanks to his talent he continues to solve the vast majority of his cases. But nothing would prepare him for what would be his final case.
Blood, everywhere. On the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. No plausible, conclusive DNA evidence to suggest that the murder was performed by man or beast. The man's body lay open, the ribs still feebly protecting the shrivelled, drained organs within. And somehow, his client expected him to solve such an overdramatically gruesome and hopeless case...
It is fortunate that Agni's power rests within this man. He will need it.
Game Premise:
You play as Sam, a private detective attempting to solve the case surrounding the gruesome murder of a man in the warehouse of Kayan Industries. Your sleuthing will eventually encompass multiple planes of existence as you attempt to unravel a constant conflict echoing to the dawn of mankind. You will enlist the aid of several other characters, each with motives of their own.
The strength of your willpower grants you and your comrades an Astral Form, a second skin which invokes the powers of an demon (angel, demon, god, all are classified as simply demons), which will be necessary to traverse the hidden planes of existance, but cannot be used on the Plane of Mortality, the default plane of existance and the one most humans are familiar with. As you proceed, you may mutate your Astral Form by imbuing contracts that are formed by negotiating with demons. Learned skills will carry over, but stats (including level, you will be set at the Astral Form's level even if you've assumed the same Astral Form before) and elemental affinity will not.
While the events of EgoPhobia are not directly connected to the Shin Megami Tensei series of videogames, both take place in the Amala Universe, and hence this can be considered to be a fangame.
Initial Characters:
Sam Groswell - Investigator
Sam is a private detective who owns his own agency. He is what he likes to call an "optimistic cynic", in that he sees the truth as a cynic would but he does not allow it to weigh his life down. Strong of will and more resilient than most, Sam knows what he wants and pursues it doggedly, for better or for worse.
The stats of Sam's human form are based on decisions that are made in the beginning of the game.
Sam's default Astral Form is Melchizedek.
Captain Nero - Sharpshooter
The only witness to the crime, Nero accompanies Sam in order to make sense of what he has seen. A former naval captain, Nero is deadly with a harpoon and, as he finds out, even deadlier with a pistol. Nero is eccentric and seems to spout random gibberish now and then, but in his mind everything he says has connections to the issue at hand.
The stats of Nero's human form lean heavily towards Strength.
Nero's default Astral Form is Loki.
Katherine O'Malley- Secretary
Sam's personal secretary, Katherine knows more about him than any other woman, yet at the same time feels no attachment to him. She is a fast typer and has taken up razors as a means of self-defense after almost being assaulted during a bad date.
The stats of Katherine's human form lean heavily towards Dexterity.
Katherine's default Astral Form is Narcissus.
Dimitri Kayan - Scientist
Inheritor of Kayan Industries, Dimitri eventually joins Sam in order to avenge the murderer for destroying his company's reputation. Upright and serious, Dimitri often argues with Katherine due to their clashing personalities. Having been a chief scientist at a renowned institute, he has a firm grasp of the laws of the Plane of Mortality but finds himself out of his element in other planes.
The stats of Dimitri's human form lean heavily towards Intelligence.
Dimitri's default Astral Form is Angel.
Gameplay Systems:
Astral Forms are used when travelling through foreign planes. Your Astral Form will affect your elemental resistances, stats, and available equipment. Once an Astral Form "matures", you can shed it and obtain a new one at the Immortal Cemetary, but only if you have a trigger item and a contract.
Trigger items can be obtained throughout the course of the storyline, and also within the massive optional dungeon, Pecco Mundi. Pecco Mundi is divided into four sections: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, and Magga. Within these sections are 7 branching paths. Each character can only take one path, meaning that each character must brave their path alone, but may be accompanied by their spirit guide. This dungeon will allow you to uncover the characters' pasts and true motives, as well as obtain unique items, including trigger items. However, the dungeon is fairly difficult and, as saving anywhere is restricted within the dungeon, you should prepare and use caution.
Pecco Mundi can only be accessed on the Nether Plane, meaning that you must die in order to reach it. The Nether Plane itself contains fairly dangerous enemies, and should you be defeated you will return to the root of the Nether Plane and recieve a permanent penalty to your VIT, but you will keep any items, levels, etc. You should consider carefully between continuing and loading a save, as sometimes the VIT penalty is worth the items, levels, etc.
Contracts can be formed in the Immortal Cemetary. You need an enemy's remains, whether it be a bone, a skin sample, or some sludge, and you need to pay the gravedigger, Hertz, to call upon the fallen spirit of the enemy. You will then enter negotiation with the demon. It will ask for money and items, and sometimes ask you a question. As long as you keep the demon happy, it will sign a contract, allowing you to assume its form on foreign planes. (As Hertz explains, demons have something like a "physical copyright" which prevents you from assuming their form without their permission)
Some contracts cannot be obtained from demonic negotiations and must be found throughout the course of the story or within Pecco Mundi.
Screenshots so far:
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49/darkclownnizzo/applesaucefetus.png[/img]
Title screen.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... efetus.png[/img]
Agni speaking.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... efetus.png[/img]
Just a demonstration of the heavily modified "The Sword of Emperor III" CMS by nankongx. Still a few modifications to make but I think it looks pretty good so far.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... sement.png[/img]
A screenshot within The Basement, within which Sam's consciousness is trapped at the beginning of the game before his parents name him.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... licker.png[/img]
At the center of the Basement lies this fellow. What is his purpose and intention in being there?
Title screen.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... efetus.png[/img]
Agni speaking.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... efetus.png[/img]
Just a demonstration of the heavily modified "The Sword of Emperor III" CMS by nankongx. Still a few modifications to make but I think it looks pretty good so far.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... sement.png[/img]
A screenshot within The Basement, within which Sam's consciousness is trapped at the beginning of the game before his parents name him.
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb49 ... licker.png[/img]
At the center of the Basement lies this fellow. What is his purpose and intention in being there?
Soundtrack:
This game will feature a 100% custom soundtrack composed by myself. Here's a few tracks:
Enigma
One Step
Nether Battle ~ Fetal Mentality
Kayan Industries ~ Asura Factory
Progress:
Writing:75%
Graphics:73%
Custom Systems:16%
Mapping:7%
Music:92%
Fine-Tuning:2%
Recruitment:
While I'm planning to complete this project myself, assistance would be appreciated, particularly in the graphical and scripting departments. Someone who could do custom tilesets, custom sprites, and large-scale graphics would be great, as well as someone who is skilled enough with coding to create a slightly unconventional battle system.
