Sin and Punishment - Tons of new screens! :o

[MukanshinBlack]

I think you may have misread something. There's more than three main characters and there is no single main villain. And the option to play several, mostly separate stories isn't a good enough hook for you?

Err, you're much right Lumi. I misread the plot horribly and half-assedly. Playing 3 different characters is a good feature, but that's not a hook (and if it is, it's not what i meant). By hook, I meant something like "The world is in danger, and only 3 heroes can save the day... With oranges!." Get it? :thumb:

and make the project thread more better looking.

i like how this doesn't mean anything at all. how does the thread not look good? I think it looks a lot better than most project threads out there. It doesn't overuse spoilers, there's plenty of info, it's easily navigable... I don't see how it doesn't look good.

Well... I think there's a bit of info overload, with things that random people (like me) wouldn't really care to know. (I don't care why someone in a game is they way they are, nor what their relationships are with the other characters. I like to find out myself.) I think that's what I was thinking before when I did sa that empty comment.

Thanks for uhh making me re-say whatever I tried to say Lumi. :specs:

 

[Luminier]

That's not a hook that's stupid. Just because it doesn't hook you doesn't mean that it isn't one.

and are you actually complaining because she included detailed character profiles?! Are you serious? If you don't care to read it, then don't. People who actually want to know what a project is about will care. I'd rather a fuckload of information(which this thread doesn't have, really), than the barebones shit that most people post

 

[MukanshinBlack]

When was I complaining? I was just giving examples of unneccessary information that's bulking up the thread, which in my opinion isn't a good thing. There are so many project threads that if all of them were as big as this one, many threads would be skipped. That isn't an excuse to be bareboned though.

And yeah, what I said IS a hook. So what if it's stupid? I made it up on the spot. My point was that with a hook, people would wonder 'how' or whatever and thus want to know more/play the game. It's not needed, but a good thing to have.

 

[Zeriab]

So what you in essence want is something like an executive summary before coming to the actual meat?

 

[MukanshinBlack]

That could be another way to say it, yes. What I really want is to give out some fresh idearrs. (yes, idearrs, not ideas)

 

[Karasawa]

Bumping for great justice. Sprites will get done. :fap:

 

[Twin Matrix]

Wow, where do the pretty graphics come from? =3

Furthermore, your mapping has good atmosphere and I like the fact that there is no one-big-evil-villain-plot a lot. It's refreshing. Amazing how long you've been working on this project, too.

 

[Dissonance]

update: boon is now making cute bunnies for us to slaughter :3

 

[Dissonance]

Wow, where do the pretty graphics come from? =3

Do you mean the artwork? That's my sister's stuff.

Do you mean the sprites? That's the work of the luvly Karasawa.

Do you mean the tilesets? Those are from a wide variety of SNES games - You can see them in all their pixelly, old school glory, or you can filter them with the HQ2X script, making them smooth and painty.

 

[whynne]

Do you mean the tilesets? Those are from a wide variety of SNES games

Am I the only one that finds this fact to be a massive turnoff? I am invariably more impressed with a game when the creator makes an effort to have everything be 100% original, whether or not they themselves are doing it, or getting a friend to do it.

Ripping stuff from other games will just make your game a completely unmemorable experience.

That aside, I see you're under the impression that your story is going to be something new and different. Unfortunately, separate but occasionally converging storylines are not new (Live A Live: SNES) nor does that give any indicator of whether or not your story will be as shitty as the rest of the RPGMaker projects I've seen in my time. I'm going to hazard a guess that you're getting ahead of yourself. I'll be the first to admit, I am not a writer, and I think it's fairly accurate to say that you are not one either. Given this, it's probably best that you stray away from parallel/intersecting stories until you can write a decent STORY to begin with.

 

[Luminier]

Am I the only one that finds this fact to be a massive turnoff? I am invariably more impressed with a game when the creator makes an effort to have everything be 100% original, whether or not they themselves are doing it, or getting a friend to do it.

Ripping stuff from other games will just make your game a completely unmemorable experience.

I disagree wholeheartedly. How can you say that rips are such a turn-off when there are hundreds of projects using nothing but the boring RTP graphics that come with the program? Please tell me what sounds like more effort on the creator's part: Using the graphics straight-out-of-the-box; or either ripping graphics themselves, or hunting down the rips? I think it's obvious. Saying that the ripped tilesets will make this game unmemorable makes absolutely no sense. How is this anymore forgettable than the sea of uninspired RTP garbage turning up everyday? Not to mention a good number of these rips are from not-so-well-known games.

That aside, I see you're under the impression that your story is going to be something new and different. Unfortunately, separate but occasionally converging storylines are not new (Live A Live: SNES) nor does that give any indicator of whether or not your story will be as shitty as the rest of the RPGMaker projects I've seen in my time. I'm going to hazard a guess that you're getting ahead of yourself. I'll be the first to admit, I am not a writer, and I think it's fairly accurate to say that you are not one either. Given this, it's probably best that you stray away from parallel/intersecting stories until you can write a decent STORY to begin with.

I don't think Dissonance said that it was an original idea? Regardless of whether something has been done before(and everything has), it's a lot more unique than something which follows a single protagonist throughout the whole story. I think it's pretty rude to say that just because she isn't an accomplished, professional author that she can't write the story that she wants.

 

[MukanshinBlack]

I was always thinking Dissonance was going to use rip but change them a bit, shading and maybe color or whatnot. I can't see how to not do that and keep the graphics from clashing.

 

[Dissonance]

Ahh..... one post, negative response. You must be from /v/.

Am I the only one that finds this fact to be a massive turnoff? I am invariably more impressed with a game when the creator makes an effort to have everything be 100% original, whether or not they themselves are doing it, or getting a friend to do it.

Using rips, RARE rips in fact, is generally better than using the RTP - which most people use anyway.

That aside, I see you're under the impression that your story is going to be something new and different. Unfortunately, separate but occasionally converging storylines are not new (Live A Live: SNES)

Also Wild Arms and Rudras use the system, too. I'm well aware of whose footsteps I'm following - the point is, it's not Final Fantasy's.

I think it's fairly accurate to say that you are not one either. Given this, it's probably best that you stray away from parallel/intersecting stories until you can write a decent STORY to begin with.

I'm not here to tell you I'm an amazing author that is crafting the best stuff to ever come forth from a human being BUT I do have several published writing pieces. Writing is my forte, and just because I'm not telling you the entire plot in the thread doesn't mean it's going to go exactly how you think it is.

 

[whynne]

Using rips, RARE rips in fact, is generally better than using the RTP - which most people use anyway.

Generally better does not make it good, or anywhere near good. Name one good RPGMaker game that the indie community recognizes which used such copious amounts of ripped graphics? And before you stop here and go "so what if the indie community doesn't recognize it?" Consider who, besides you, is going to play your game. I'd certainly hope that you would shoot a little higher than the kids on this board.

Barkley's shut up and Jam doesn't count, I think it should go without saying, the game was one massively fun parody and shouldn't be taken seriously as a game (but should be thoroughly enjoyed.)

 

[Dissonance]

Using rips, RARE rips in fact, is generally better than using the RTP - which most people use anyway.

Generally better does not make it good, or anywhere near good. Name one good RPGMaker game that the indie community recognizes which used such copious amounts of ripped graphics? And before you stop here and go "so what if the indie community doesn't recognize it?" Consider who, besides you, is going to play your game. I'd certainly hope that you would shoot a little higher than the kids on this board.

Barkley's shut up and Jam doesn't count, I think it should go without saying, the game was one massively fun parody and shouldn't be taken seriously as a game (but should be thoroughly enjoyed.)

Actually there's a good five or six rpgmaker boards where I have threads for this title and I'm sure kids at each one will throughly enjoy it.

Plus, there's always /v/ - I already have a handful of /v/irgins testplaying alpha builds and they mostly react positive.

In any case, i have no talent and I'm not spending money. So do you wanna make original tilesets for me? Cause I can't. :fap:

 

[whynne]

Using rips, RARE rips in fact, is generally better than using the RTP - which most people use anyway.

Generally better does not make it good, or anywhere near good. Name one good RPGMaker game that the indie community recognizes which used such copious amounts of ripped graphics? And before you stop here and go "so what if the indie community doesn't recognize it?" Consider who, besides you, is going to play your game. I'd certainly hope that you would shoot a little higher than the kids on this board.

Barkley's shut up and Jam doesn't count, I think it should go without saying, the game was one massively fun parody and shouldn't be taken seriously as a game (but should be thoroughly enjoyed.)

Actually there's a good five or six rpgmaker boards where I have threads for this title and I'm sure kids at each one will throughly enjoy it.

Plus, there's always /v/ - I already have a handful of /v/irgins testplaying alpha builds and they mostly react positive.

In any case, i have no talent and I'm not spending money. So do you wanna make original tilesets for me? Cause I can't. :fap:

Believe it or not, presentation is an important part of a game. Forget what your mother told you about not judging books by their cover, because games are not books, and while graphics are no more important than any other part of the game, they most definitely are important. One of the greatest assets to making a game look good is to simply have it look original.

Here's the kicker in all this: You're using a program that handles essentially ALL of the hard work for you (no, the scripting language is not hard). To use RPGMaker and skimp out on graphics is a telling statement, it says "I'm lazy." Good games are, and should be, a lot of work.

So you're good at writing? You know what, I'm glad for you, and I really do hope that skill gets you somewhere, but that's not an excuse for dropping the ball elsewhere, and your fantastic writing isn't going to turn any heads when the words are coming from a generic looking rpg sprite set in that swamp from final fantasy.

Turn your lack of ability in art into a drive to learn how to make some palatable tilesets for your own use. It's a rewarding experience and a great opportunity to pick up some skills. Even if your sprites and backgrounds end up looking generic, at the very least, they ARE yours, and nobody will ever make a comment about it.

 

[Dissonance]

Posted a bunch of new screens and redid the LOCATIONS section - all of the screens were taken twice, once with the filters on and once with the filters off, so you can see the difference for yourselves.

enjoy~

 

[tofurkey]

After looking at the comparison screenshots I don't know why people are knocking on the filters so hard. They look better to me, a lot smoother as a whole. Obviously this isn't for every project, but in the case of these tilesets and charsets, etc., I think it's an appropriate usage.

You seem to have all your stuff in order, which is a good thing, but I would like to know at least a little more about what exactly is going on with the characters, how they'll be more related down the road, etc., but I'm assuming if you haven't said anything about that by now, you're probably not going to be willing to shell out that information. I suppose that'll have to wait for the demo

Just a question about the battlers, I'm under the impression that they're not going to be the same size as the placeholders you have in that screenshot, are they? If so, I think that might be a bit on the small side. I'd also like to see some better textures for those HP/MP bars (the current ones are a little MS Paint-y). The system itself looks interesting and fresh; I haven't played any of these games that people are comparing it to, so it'll be new and exciting for me. Is the green bar an AT bar?

Other than that, I'd say you're looking good right now and I'm looking forward to playing this demo.

 

[shadow]

Looks pretty good, didn't know you were such an artist d

 

[Perihelion]

I don't like the art at all. Your game sounds cool and original, and then the art makes it look like some kind of generic japfag fantasy crap. Like it's awesome that you have characters who are 30-something and aren't LOL ARCHETYPES, but then you have some generic anime picture of a 12-year-old (they all look 12) to represent them, and it really undermines the originality present elsewhere.

http://xs135.xs.to/xs135/09024/status_art_-_1866.png
He's pretty weird-looking, although I like the shield. His skin makes him look like a vamp, though.

http://xs135.xs.to/xs135/09024/status_art_-_3343.png
Blue emo hair? What? This guy looks like some kind of faux badass prettyboy who's about 15. I don't like his outfit, either.

http://xs135.xs.to/xs135/09024/jesca3derp170.jpg
This one is not older than 14. She looks even younger in the pic at the top.

Etc.

I think anime is ill-suited to serious or dark work, or at least brightly colored amateurish anime is. I think a more realistic style would suit your game much better--hell, even getting rid of anime hair colors would help. Granted, I'm prone to recommending that people stop drawing/using/etc. anime in general, but I find its inclusion especially disorienting here. It's incredibly overused and just so hard to take seriously.

Uh, anyway, onto other things. Not really fond of the filter, but it's interesting from a novelty standpoint. I like the screenshots on the whole, but there are some graphical inconsistencies, such as the hard black outlines around the sprites when the tilesets have much lower contrast. In this screenshot, one of the cliff sections to the right of the tree doesn't match up with the adjacent ones, and in this one, the style (most notably the level of contrast) is wildly inconsistent between the trees and the wooden platform. In this one, the cliffs are much softer-looking and shaded differently than the walls, and the transition between shadow and light on the cliffs is too sharp (the line between tiles is really visible). The only tile in this screenshot with hard black outlines is the gate, which is also brighter than the stuff around it, and it looks weird. The other ones mostly look fine except for the screens in general not being incredibly consistent with each other (not glaringly so, though), but yeah, you should work on that.

I haven't actually read much of the stuff you've written here, but what I have read looks good. You just might want to work on the graphics. :3