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To Arms

[GAME] To Arms!

Recruit, equip, and control a customizable party of 15 CHARACTERS in this short but complete RPG!

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Note the First: This is neither a TRUE full length completed game nor a demo. This is a short, standalone "prototype" of a game created for a contest and well, to act as a blueprint for a longer projectr. It is self-contained and complete but very, very short. (Not too short to be posted here; I read the rules.)
Note the Second: One hopes, fondly, that one is not about to be punched directly in the face by super-harsh criticism upon reading the forum's ominous description: "A forum for serious projects in the making, from any engine, designed to be released to "the audience". Expect comments from gamers, the people who will be playing your game. This is for developers who want to tailor their project to their audience, rather than necessarily those creating a game to learn a game making engine." In other words, I may not be new to this game making gig, but I am new here, so please, please, if you can find it in your hearts: Be gentle.

Okay, onto the gaem then. (Man I haven't made a forum topic like this in a loooooonnnggg time.)

Overview

Set in an unnamed fantasy world, you control the brothers Janos and Horace Blackthorne, along with their lieutenants, Clydas Flowers, Grenn Hightower, and Taena Botley. Together, you are captains and lieutenants of Blackthorne company, a kick-ass, take no-prisoners band of unscrupulous and amoral mercenaries. Blackthorne Company conducts its business with only one rule: get the job done!

In this short adventure, Blackthorne Company is hired to rescue the helpless people of the town of Widow's Watch from an undead necromancer that has returned from beyond the grave to plague them with its army of walking corpses. This is a complete game, not a demo, but it can be completed in less than an hour and contains only one (very involved) battle.

Images (If I Really Must; Nothing Impressive Here; t'was not the focus of this game.)

KATAR.png


Relaxing_With_The_Troops.png


Preparations1.png


Preparations_2.png


Siege_Begins.png

MANUAL, THE

List of Unit Types

In "To Arms!" you will be recruiting ten units. There are nine unit types and you can recruit up to two of each type, resulting in a LOT of possible party configurations. Units have differing recruitment costs, and you must split your gold carefully between recruitment and outfitting before embarking. Besides the ten generic units you recruit, you will always have five unique and powerful units (the heroes) at the head of your party.

Units can belong to three basic classes: Frontline Combatants, Healers, and Ranged Units.

*Frontline Combatants focus on melee combat and take the most hits.

*Healers heal (but can do other things as well) and take an intermediate amount of hits.

*Ranged combatants deal the most damage and should take the least number of hits.


Without further ado, here are the nine unit types in "To Arms!":

Alchemist
Class: Healer
Concept: Great at using healing items, can provide first aid, and bring medieval molotovs to the battlefield.
Stats: Poor HP. Average in most stats. Good Dexterity. Exactly 100 PP.
Abilities:
*First Aid: Cure one ally of all PHYSICAL status effects (Bleeding, Poisoned, Blind, Paralysis, etc.)
*Alchemist's Fire: Hits 1-2 enemies for Poison/Fire damage, and can poison and blind enemies.
(Pharmacology): HP and MP recovery items used by Alchemists are twice as effective.
Equipment: Crossbows. Leather. Hats and hoods. Bucklers.
Note:
*Alchemists are somewhat resistant to poison.
Price: 600 Gold per unit.

Arcanon
Class: Ranged
Concept: Combat spellcasters specializing in destructive magic. Effectively magical artillery.
Stats: Poor Hit Points, Great Power Points, Good Intelligence.
Abilities:
*Flame Burst: A wide cone of flame that can burn multiple foes.
*Freezing Ray: Damage and slows one enemy.
Equipment: Shortblades and staves. Robes, hats, hoods, and bucklers.
Notes:
*Arcanons are somewhat resistant to fire and lightning damage.
Price: 750 Gold per unit.

Archer
Class: Ranged
Concept: Archers are well-rounded combatants who can provide focused or area offense.
Stats: Good Strength and Dexterity. Decent everything. No Power Points. (Critical Bonus)
Abilities:
*Volley: Fill the skies with arrows, attacking all enemies (low accuracy and damage).
*Fire Arrow: Ignite your arrow with a Bitumen torch before loosing. Adds 'Fire' element to the attack.
Equipment: Bows and Crossbows. Leather and chain. Hats and light helms. Bucklers and wooden shields.
Price: 500 Gold per unit.

(Would you like some making fuck) Berserker(!!!)
Class: Front Line
Concept: Wild barbarians who don't take orders or wear armor but make up for it with power and speed.
Stats: Great Strength, Good Dexterity, Decent HP. No Power Points. (Critical Bonus)
Abilities:
None.
Equipment: Swords, Greatswords, Axes, Greataxes. No Armor, No Headware, No Shields.
Notes:
*Berserkers attack mindlessly every turn.
*Berserkers can dual wield.
*Berserkers have above average resistance to debilitating status effects.
Price: 400 Gold per unit.

Engineer
Class: Ranged
Concept: Siege technicians operate large artillery pieces to deal truly MASSIVE damage.
Stats: Poor HP, above average Strength, good Dexterity and Intelligence. Exactly 100 PP.
Abilities:
*Balista: At end of turn, a ballista fires, dealing huge Pierce damage to one character. All artillery damage is influenced somewhat by Intelligence and Dexterity.
*Catapult: At end of turn, a catapult fires, dealing massive bashing damage to a number of random targets.
Equipment: Crossbows, Firearms. Leather. Hats and light helms. Bucklers.
Price: 900 Gold per unit.

Healing Sister
Class: Healer
Concept: Sworn hospitaliers who use divine magic to heal the body and mind.
Stats: Poor HP. Good Intelligence and Power Points. Above average Dexterity.
Abilities:
*Touch of Elyria: Heals one ally for 100+ HP. Healing is based on Intelligence.
*Mend the Mind: Cures one ally of Confusion, Silence, Sleep, Hexed, and other mental status effects.
Equipment: Robes. Staves. Robes, hats, and hoods. Bucklers.
Price: 400 Gold per unit.

Knight
Class: Front Line
Concept: Skilled and horsed noblemen, knights are the best equipped and toughest units.
Stats: Great HP and Constitution. Good attack. Poor Dexterity. No Power Points.
Abilities:
*Power Attack: Weapon attack that deals double damage at the expense of accuracy.
*Armor Break: Weapon attack that can deal some damage and lower enemey defense if it hits.
Equipment: All non-unique melee weapons but staves. Leather, chain, scale and plate armor.
Hats and all helms. All shields.
Notes:
*Knights have more and better starting equipment than other unit types.
Price: 800 gold per unit.

Pikemen
Class: Front Line
Concept: Peasant foot soldiers hold the line with nothing but spears and determination.
Stats: Decent HP. Above average Strength and Constitution. No Power Points.
Abilities:
* "Bring it On": Set your spear against a charge, increasing your attack and defense briefly but significantly.
* Trip: This weapon attack deals no damage but has a chance of slowing or stunning the enemy.
Equipment: Spears. Leather and chainmail. Hats and light helms. Bucklers and wooden shields.
Price: 250 gold per unit.

War Priest
Class: Healer
Concept: Paladins of Kryllor, god of fire, war, and glory, they heal by hurting/hurt with large blunt objects.
Stats: Good HP. Above average Strength and Constitution. Decent Power Points and Intelligence. Bad Dex.
Abilities:
* Kryllor's Favor: Restores HP by condensing the pain of healing into one "Stunning" turn.
* Miracle of Kryllor: Raises an ally from near death at the cost of some of the caster's HP.
Equipment: Axes, Great Axes, and Blunt Weapons. Leather, chain, scale and plate armor.
Hats and all helms. All shields.
Price: 800 gold per unit.
Weapons and Armor

Unfortunately, one of my least favorite thing about the finished product of "To Arms!" is (going into VX jargon here) the shop "scene" which can neither show even close to all of the characters nor accurately portray most of the different ways that equipment effects a character's stats. As a result of this flaw, this semi-in-depth guide to weapons and armor is necessary.

As a general guideline, more expensive versions of the same weapon type will be better in at least one aspect. So be sure to ignore the pluses and minuses you see when shopping for equipment, they don't tell the whole story.

WEAPONS

Melee and ranged weapons both increase a character's Strength which in turn is used to determine damage (standard functionality). Other weapon stats include damage type, accuracy, and hands required. Some weapons also modify Dexterity, Intelligence, or Constitution. When this occurs it will be outlined below. Firearms (muskets) do not take character Strength into account, rather changing it to a set value.

-Melee Weapons-

Spears
Damage: Modest (Piercing)
Base Accuracy: 95%
Price Range: Cheap to Reasonable
Notes: Most but not all spears require two hands. A barbed spear can cause bleeding wounds.

Swords (One Handed)
Damage: Average (Usually Slashing)
Base Accuracy: 90% (95% for Short Swords)
Price Range: Average
Notes: Rapiers get a critical bonus and deal piercing damage; Scimitars can cause bleeding.
Longswords provide a small bonus to Constitution (defense).

Great Swords (Two Handed)
Damage: Moderately High (Slashing)
Base Accuracy: 85% (90% for Bastard Sword)
Price Range: Moderately High
Notes: Claymore provides a bonus to Constitution (Defense). Falchions can cause bleeding.

Axes (One Handed)
Damage: High (Slashing)
Accuracy: 86%
Price Range: Moderately High

Great Axes (Two Handed)
Damage: Extreme (Slashing)
Accuracy: 80%
Price Range: High
Notes: All great-axes carry a Dexterity penalty. Battle axes attack twice.
The Skeggox receives a critical bonus.

Blunt Weapons
Damage: Average to High (Bashing and sometimes Piercing)
Accuracy: 88% (one handed) or 85% (two handed)
Price Range: Varies
Notes: Cudgel, Iron Mace, and Flail are one-handed. Warhammer and Morningstar are two-handed and carry a Dexterity penalty. Flail and Morningstar deal Bashing AND Piercing damage and have Critical Bonuses.

Staves
Damage: Poor
Accuracy: 95%
Price Range: Average
Notes: Oak Staff and Combat Staff are two handed. Sorcerer's Rod is one handed. Oak Staff and Sorcerer's Rod provide Intelligence bonuses (Sorcerer's Rod is better). Oak Staff and Combat Staff provide Constitution Bonuses (Combat Staff's is better).

-Ranged Weapons-

Musket
Damage: Good
Accuracy: 98%
Price Range: Expensive
Notes: Two-handed, critical bonus, high Dexterity penalty.

Bows (Two Handed)
Damage: Average
Accuracy: 96%
Price Range: Average
Note: Shortbow has a Dexterity bonus and does the least damage. Recurve Longbow has a Dexterity penalty and does the most damage. Longbow is in between.

Crossbows
Damage: Modest
Accuracy: 92%
Price Range: Average
Note: Only Bowgun can be used one handed. All crossbows except the Repeating Crossbow carry a Dexterity penalty.

ARMOR

Almost all armor in "To Arms!" increasing HP (except shields which increase Evasion and Constitution). Armor can have myriad other bonuses by type as explained below.

-Body Armor-

Cloth
Increases: HP Slightly, Evasion Slightly, and Power Points.
Examples: Cloth Robes, Wizard's Cloak.
Price Range: Cheap to Reasonable.

Leather Armor
Increases: HP Somewhat, Evasion
Examples: Boiled Leather, Nightstalker Leather
Price Range: Average

Chainmail
Increases: HP, rarely Constitution (Slightly).
Examples: Chain Shirt, Ringmail
Price Range: Average

Scale Mail
Increases: HP, Constitution.
Decreases: Dexterity
Examples: Iron Scale Mail, Steel Scale Mail
Price Range: High

Plate
Increases: HP Significantly, Constitution Significantly
Decreases: Dexterity, severely.
Examples: Half Plate, Full Plate.
Price Range: Exorbitant

-Shields-

All shields require a free hand to use and hence are incompatible with two-handed weapons and dual-wielding. The most important function of a Shield is to improve Evasion.

Bucklers
Increases: Evasion
Decreases: Dexterity, very slightly.
Price Range: Cheap

Wooden Shields
Increases: Evasion slightly and Constitution slightly.
Decreases: Dexterity, slightly.
Price Range: Reasonable to Average

Metal Shields
Increases: Evasion and Constitution significantly.
Decreases: Dexterity.
Price Range: Expensive

-Headware-

Headware provides a slight increase to HP and a rise in Intelligence (representing Magic Defense) as well.

Hats/Caps
Increases: HP slightly, Intelligence slightly. In one instance, Dexterity.
Price Range: Cheap

Hoods/Cowls
Increases: HP slightly, Intelligence significantly.
Price Range: Expensive

Light Helms
Increases: HP and Intelligence modestly.
Price Range: Average

Helms
Increases: HP and Intelligence.
Price Range: Moderately High

Credits (In Order to Fully Comply with Forum Rules)

This game was created and compiled in a very short time. The full version will be a more elaborate affair with more detailed credits.

Right now, it uses very few resources that aren't RTP/mine but it does use some. Off the top of my head:
*I am obviously in debt to KGC for scripts, who isn't.
*Woratana was the author of a caterpillar script I used.
*GreatRedSpirit helped fix a save bug caused by said script.
*I took some monsters from Hot Toke.
*I am mortified to admit I do not know where my music came from.

Other than that...RTP and the VX character maker created all of these resources, I think.

DOWNLOAD LINK: HERE

Notification: This project indubitably requires the RPG Maker VX RTP to play at the present time!
 

Fen

Member

Looks good, downloading now. I'll give you some feedback once I've played.
Mind if I ask where you got the facesets from?
 
Finally, a player, lol.

I believe they are from Fire Emblem 9 and 10 -- I haven't played either game. I believe I may have downloaded them from this very site/forum. : )
 

Fen

Member

Kay, played it.
I really like the concept and the effort and thought that it looks like you've put into this, with the class characteristics and stuff. I died at the end, and the dark resurrection that Alastair kept using was frankly a bit annoying. Some of the classes, like the pikemen, seem incredibly useless. If you can afford two knights, why buy two pikemen, y'know?
I like Clydas though. His personality really comes out.
I'm a bit lazy when it comes to equipping a whole bunch of characters, so I pretty much just equipped my two knights with really strong weapons and charged into battle - which came back to bite me later. However, if you have a player who puts time and effort into making a great force, then you've got an epic battle on your hands.
Oh, and when you first talk to Clydas, he repeats himself everytime about "not having touched her"
If you're gonna take the concept and apply it to a larger game, I guess I would have to suggest starting out with smaller parties and battles so the equipping and stuff can take place gradually :)

All in all, though, short as it was, I liked it.
 
You should try different combos of equipment/units until you win. That's kind of the point of the game at this stage. (You save money for equipment by buying Pikemen instead of knights. So if you're not buying equipment, pikemen are rather worthless compared to knights. But if you ARE buying equipment...)

If you're gonna take the concept and apply it to a larger game, I guess I would have to suggest starting out with smaller parties and battles so the equipping and stuff can take place gradually :)

That is exactly the plan; also incorporating a Final Fantasy Tacticsesque JP/class-changing system for the generic units.

Anyway, thank you for the feedback.
 

Fen

Member

I guess I'm not a patient person when it comes to spending time organizing troops.
But I'll probably give it another try sometime soon - it was pretty fun - and I'll let you know how I do ^_^
It seems really well-done with the strategy bit.
 
While I'm wary of sounding bitter, I do wonder if there is something in particular about this that makes it less worthy of interest than other completed games. : )
 

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