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Freewill: Book of Prophecy

http://home.comcast.net/~smurf85/online ... banner.png[/IMG]

In a world that lives its life by the stars, a book was written at the dawn of time. This book prophesied the future of the world, in explicit detail. The book, as it is told, was released with three edicts concerning it. One, that the book will name twelve individuals to inherit the powers of the Guardians when it is opened. Two, that thrice would evil bent on obtaining this book threaten it. Three, that upon the arrival of the third evil, the book shall be opened and the names of the twelve read.

The third evil has begun to blossom itself into existence. People want to know their future, rather than waiting for it to happen. No one is satisfied with living their own lives and finding out what happens, they all want it to be given to them. As our story begins, two friends are kidnapped for an unknown reason. When they escape, they are secretly summoned to a meeting. Unsure of what to make of all this, their only choice is to look to the stars.


The world our characters live in is one based on astrology. Lives are lived and choices are made based on horoscopes, relationships and marriages are based on signs, and medicine and fortune-telling are based on the position of the stars. Stereotypes are cast on those with different signs, and people are judged based on the Guardian they were born under. Can our heroes change this blind way of life? Or is it impossible for a few people to change the world?

NOTE: FaceMaker faces are not used in game
http://home.comcast.net/~smurf85/onlinestorage/laef.bmp[/IMG]
Laef Albright
Laef is your average townsperson who lives with his grandmother. He's always been rather quiet and he tends to brood somewhat, but he's always cheery around his friends. He always looks out for everyone's interests, often putting others before himself. He'd rather compromise and avoid confrontation if he can, and he generally prefers to acquiesce to others. Some may believe him to be easily manipulated.
Weapon: Sword
Birthdate: August 17
Sign: Leo
Age: 19

http://home.comcast.net/~smurf85/onlinestorage/kat.bmp[/IMG]
Kat Turner
Kat is the younger sister of Tom Turner, Laef's best friend. She's a young, energetic girl whose sole mission is to live her life to the fullest. While she fights with her brother on a constant basis, deep down she really cares for him and knows he'll protect her. She cares deeply for all her friends and always puts on a happy face, even if she's down. She's always willing to cooperate and enjoys working with people. She puts her trust in everybody, which might be a slight downfall.
Weapon: Rod
Birthdate: April 30
Sign: Taurus
Age: 15

http://home.comcast.net/~smurf85/online ... autumn.bmp[/IMG]
Autumn Camden
Autumn has lived with her younger sister for five years since her mother died of an unknown illness. The medication a doctor gave to her mother failed, and thus she's passionately resented doctors. She's become rather aloof since the incident, and feels that the only person she can talk to is her sister. She tends to walk away from situations and abandon childhood passions due to lack of interest. She seems to have given up in her life, and her pessimistic outlook on life tends to hold her back.
Weapon: Dagger
Birthdate: June 3
Sign: Gemini
Age: 22

http://home.comcast.net/~smurf85/online ... /celyn.bmp[/IMG]
Celyn Fable
Celyn has grown up in a rich family and lives in the Fable Manor. He's never seen the dark side of life, and as a result he takes things for granted. While he's been hit on by many women since he was a teenager, he's developed a strange fear of them and finds it very difficult to chat one up. He's very self-conscious, but enjoys life all the same. He's always willing to give, and everyone always knows what he's thinking...unfortunately that's not always a good thing.
Weapon: Spear
Birthdate: November 13
Sign: Scorpio
Age: 20

Chain Techs
Chain techs are the most common, and they consist of two parts: Bases and Branches. The Base Tech is the first ability of the chain, and it is the first one learned. As the character progresses, he/she will learn Branch Techs that are stronger versions of the Base Tech. A chain will normally have a Base Tech and two Branch Techs.

Synth Techs
A Synth Tech is learned later than Chain Base Techs, and it is a synthesis of two Base Techs. Eventually, you may even have a Synth Tech that is a combination of Synth Techs.

Personal Techs
A Personal Tech is a tech that only one character in the game can ever know. It is oftentimes his/her strongest attack and will be learned late in the game.

Elemental System
Each astrological sign has an element that corresponds to it.

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius - Fire
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn - Earth
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius - Wind
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces - Water

As for what element beats what, Fire is dampened by Water and smothered by Earth, Earth is dried out by Wind and parched by Fire, Wind is obscured by Water and suffocated by Earth, and Water is boiled by Fire and evaporated by Wind.

More features to come when there are more to add.

Aries: assertive, individualistic, enthusiasm, pioneering, leader, competitive, action-oriented, defensive, aggressive, intemperate, violent, fiery, powerful, extreme, arrogant, uncontrolled and unrestrained, quick, passionate, determined, fresh, head/skull

-in general, an Aries is an arrogant leader who acts without thinking

"I am"

Taurus: sensual, affectionate, possessive, cautious, acquisitive, musical, artistic, stubborn, solid, earthly, strong, patient, sturdy, slow, kind, just, throat/neck

-in general, a Taurus is stubborn and will patiently and passively fight to the death over being right

"I have"

Gemini: curious, multi-tasking, talkative, sociable, duality, mercurial, whimsical, intelligent, restless, quick, informed, hands/lungs

-in general, a Gemini is really smart but never knows when to shut up, often getting himself into trouble

"I think"

Cancer: sensitive, tenacious, family and home oriented, helpful, nurturing, moody, watery, protective, emotional, crabby, moody, loving, stomach/breasts

-in general, a Cancer is never in a good mood and is sensitive to any sort of criticism, making him somewhat anti-social

"I feel"

Leo: passionate, bossy, loves attention, dramatic, independent, noble, creative, leader, egotistic, sunny, bright, kingly, powerful, heart/back

-in general, a Leo is a strong leader who basks in the limelight, but prefers to work alone

"I rule"

Virgo: practical, work and service oriented, critical, common sense, modest, intelligent, health conscious, fussy, helpful, loving, flexible, intestines/digestion

-in general, a Virgo always knows how to get out of situations and are logical, but he tends to be pushy and wants everyone to listen to him

"I analyze"

Libra: partnerships, balance, grace, charm, debative, open-minded, cooperative, social, ideas, lazy, kidneys/lumbar

-in general, a Libra is social but likes to debate over anything...they are also ridiculously lazy

"We are"

Scorpio: intense, controlling, sexual, confrontative, deep, skeptical, mysterious, obsessive, death, transformation, genitals/reproductive organs

-in general, a Scorpio tends to lean toward the "gothic" side, not to mention tends to have an out of control sex drive

"I desire"

Sagittarius: philosophic, fun-loving, arrogant, adventurous, expansive, optimistic, blundering, believer, scattered, hips/thighs

-in general, a Sagittarius always looks on the bright side, while he literally looks to the sky and thinks all the time

"I seek"

Capricorn: ambitious, cautious, rigid, authoritative, cunning, competent, saturnine, inclined to politics/business, knees/skeleton

-in general, a Capricorn wants it all, but doesn't want to take any risks to get it

"I use"

Aquarius: friendships, humanitarian, cause-oriented, the group, society, progressive, eccentric, elitist, sophisticated, objective, nervous system/ankles

-in general, an Aquarius is always the best at everything, and always wants to be your friend...almost to a fault

"I know"

Pisces: feeling, duality, idealistic, spirituality, acceptance, undiscriminating, soul growth, martyrdom, artistic, neglectful, surrender, compassionate, feet/immune system

-in general, a Pisces is so religious he would sacrifice himself in a Holy crusade...he'll fight for what he believes in

"I believe"

*all info courtesy of wikipedia*


Currently the music being used in-game is ripped from Tales of Symphonia. Eventually I plan to have all custom music. Here's where I'll store the custom tunes from the game. I'd prefer for them not to be used, at least for now. They will be included in the next demo.

Quiescent Sunrise - The BGM for the town of Arcul.

Journey of Faith - The BGM for the paths between specific maps.

River of Time - The BGM for the woods outside of Arcul.

Winds of Freedom - The BGM for the town of Landover.

Download Here
This is the newly updated demo of the game. It contains the first demo, plus two new regions, a new town, the above custom music, and new events. There shouldn't be any bugs other than the skill animations, which still have yet to be finished (not really a bug, but still). Enjoy.

Tana - Custom Sprites
Ccoa - UMS, Tileset
RPGAdvocate - Side-view CBS
Euphony - Tilesets
Cos - Autotile
And myself, of course, for the rest

For further detail of this project, go here. Meanwhile, I will try to get as much information on my site as I can, when I can. I haven't gotten around to it yet, but hopefully in the near future I'll have something substantial to link to. Until then, I'd be glad to hear what you guys think of this project. My background with the series is from the console games, and this is my first real attempt at a full game on XP.

Thank you for your time. :thumb:


-the smurf
 
Well it's been four days with no replies, so I figure now's as good a time as any to add that I've added a web page for the game on my site. It contains everything stated here in this topic, along with extra characters, feature plans, and plans for the next demo. Here's a direct link to the page.


-the smurf
 
Well i think this look's really good. The story is really original and i love how the life style that they live in really reflects the story hugely. I also like how the star sign you are reflects your strength's and weaknesses. I will download the demo at some point and play it, i will be looking for updates here and i will post back feedback after i have played the demo.
 
Okay, I played through it. On the good side, the story is pretty original and your grammar is quite good too (often that's a problem with RMXP games and I get really turned off when there are grammar and spelling errors everywhere).

There are a few minor things that I think need improvement, though. If you start fixing these now, early in your project, it will prevent you from having to go back and make lots of changes later.

-Try to make your dialogue a little more interesting. Try having characters face different ways or move different ways when it would be appropriate, rather than just standing in the same spot the entire time.

-Try to spread dialogue out a little more. I found myself skipping through the conversation with the grandma about halfway through because it was getting a bit long. Maybe provide some of that information in another scene.

-I'd recommend making the doors only open when you press the action button, and put a "wait 1 frame" between the individual frames of the door opening; I think it would look better. But this is up to you.

-Try to find clever ways to block the sides of a transfer event. For example, at the top of the first section of your town, you have a path that leads up into the next section, but you have to step on the exact tile to transfer. So, you could be going to the transfer event from the side and then transfer up; it's illogical. Try maybe putting trees, flowers, rocks, or a fence on the sides.

-You need to have the smoke coming out of the chineys animated. Edit the event and check "stop animation". (This is a bit ambiguous, but it means the animation will play even when the event is stopped.)

There was also some sort of glitch when I transfered to another section of the town and it looked like I transfered twice, then some event occurred with the three "Thief" characters, and then I couldn't figure out what to do because it wouldn't let me leave the town.

I know that seems like a lot, but it's really just little things that you can work on as you go long. Little things like that make a big difference. Overall, it is quite good for your first attempt at RMXP. Keep it up. I'm working on my first RMXP game too :)
 
ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
-Try to make your dialogue a little more interesting. Try having characters face different ways or move different ways when it would be appropriate, rather than just standing in the same spot the entire time.

Yeah, I know what you mean. That's something I'm trying to work on.

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
-Try to spread dialogue out a little more. I found myself skipping through the conversation with the grandma about halfway through because it was getting a bit long. Maybe provide some of that information in another scene.

Well, I'll see what I can do. I may be able to fit some of that information into another scene in the demo.

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
-I'd recommend making the doors only open when you press the action button, and put a "wait 1 frame" between the individual frames of the door opening; I think it would look better. But this is up to you.

I'll give that a try and see what I like better.

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
-Try to find clever ways to block the sides of a transfer event. For example, at the top of the first section of your town, you have a path that leads up into the next section, but you have to step on the exact tile to transfer. So, you could be going to the transfer event from the side and then transfer up; it's illogical. Try maybe putting trees, flowers, rocks, or a fence on the sides.

That makes sense. I can probably just extend the fencing around the town to take care of that.

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
-You need to have the smoke coming out of the chineys animated. Edit the event and check "stop animation". (This is a bit ambiguous, but it means the animation will play even when the event is stopped.)

Thank you. I was having trouble figuring out how to go about doing that. I never even thought to use the "stop animation"...:-/

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
There was also some sort of glitch when I transfered to another section of the town and it looked like I transfered twice, then some event occurred with the three "Thief" characters, and then I couldn't figure out what to do because it wouldn't let me leave the town.

Actually, this is part of a cutscene. You witness the thieves entering the town, they say where they're going, it shows them leaving through the south exit, and then your friends agree to pursue them. The north exit leads to the mountains, which at the time had not yet been made. All you need to do is go to the southeast corner of town and leave through the south exit. I will, however, look into this scene and attempt to make it clearer.

ImmuneEntity;147648 said:
I know that seems like a lot, but it's really just little things that you can work on as you go long. Little things like that make a big difference. Overall, it is quite good for your first attempt at RMXP. Keep it up. I'm working on my first RMXP game too :)

Thank you for your input. I will address each of these comments and attempt to remedy them for the next demo.


-the smurf
 
I've updated the screenshots with four new ones (replacing for old ones). I will probably have a second demo out by the weekend's termination, so keep an eye out for it if you're interested.


-the smurf
 
The new demo has been posted. Please give it a try if you have the time, as I would really like to hear feedback on my progress.


-the smurf
 
Better. I played it for about 15 minutes or so. Some things that need improvement:

-In the beginning when the two boys walk off to the right outside the house and the player has to wait for them to go off the screen, I would instead recommend having the screen fade for a second when they walk off, and then fade back in so that they're gone, rather than having the player wait.

-It seems that in the top map, where you have the smoke coming out of the chimney, you need to put "through" on for the smoke event. The player can't walk behind it.

-I got confused again then the "thieves" came. I'm not sure what's really wrong. I just get lost but I finally figured out where to go this time. I'd consider making modifications to this scene somehow to make it less confusing.

-Mapping in general could use some improvement. You really need to put borders on the maps. This can be done in creative ways, but it's probably easiest to use trees, frences, flowers, water, and hills to serve as boundaries to your maps. If you don't, you essentially have an invisible wall for the player, which many players consider annoying.

Good work, keep pluggin' away.
 

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