Vacant Sky Complete Edition: Act I+ Released!

[leppy]

Hmm not sure what would make Vel much better, but I'd like to see her point-of-view more often? Or at least what it is about her that makes Ray love her so much? I get why she loves him, but his love for her seemed really random.

I also need some help finding the sigils!

Spoiler

I have one from Raphael's Garden, and another one... the problem is that I don't know where the other one is from?? It's the lower left on the columns. I either have to go to Halo Locks or Bellemont to get another (but I couldn't find any unopened treasure chests in the beginning of Halo Locks, and I can't find any in Bellemont either?) Where are the Bellemont and Halo Locks sigils?

 

[Sailerius]

Hmm not sure what would make Vel much better, but I'd like to see her point-of-view more often? Or at least what it is about her that makes Ray love her so much? I get why she loves him, but his love for her seemed really random.

I also need some help finding the sigils!

Spoiler

I have one from Raphael's Garden, and another one... the problem is that I don't know where the other one is from?? It's the lower left on the columns. I either have to go to Halo Locks or Bellemont to get another (but I couldn't find any unopened treasure chests in the beginning of Halo Locks, and I can't find any in Bellemont either?) Where are the Bellemont and Halo Locks sigils?

Spoiler

Rayonne isn't desperately in love with Vel as she is with him. It's simply his first time feeling romantic fondness for another person and she's the only person in the group who can stand his being around.

There's a treasure chest in Bellemont's exterior. I believe it's near the southern gate under a tree. The one in Halo Locks is in the Contention Core, in the segment with the rows of statues right before you get to the deepest level.

 

[leppy]

I got all the endings! Thanks for the help!! :D

Spoiler

Oh, about Zaqris dying, yeah I didn't realize it at the end of Act II, but once Act III started it made me realize that it had actually happened at the end of Act II. I was like "oh wait, now that makes a lot of sense!" I don't think that was an issue of your storytelling, but it was so subtle that it was just difficult for me to detect! But I kind of like it like that.

I think seeing Vel from Ray's point of view would help a ton, too. I feel like there's something interesting about her, but I want to get deeper into her personality. We've gotten deeper into her background, but I want to see her personality more in scenes, aside from her 'bubbly bimbo' facade.

Poor Auria. Things don't end up good for her either way. It makes a lot of sense given the story, since I had a feeling she was screwed either way, but it still makes me sad.

I hope future installments/updates elaborate more on Zaqris, and Rien in particular. There were some extra scenes with hooded figures... are they going to be involved in the future installments somehow? I'm looking forward to it so much!!

 

[Sailerius]

I got all the endings! Thanks for the help!! :D

Spoiler

Oh, about Zaqris dying, yeah I didn't realize it at the end of Act II, but once Act III started it made me realize that it had actually happened at the end of Act II. I was like "oh wait, now that makes a lot of sense!" I don't think that was an issue of your storytelling, but it was so subtle that it was just difficult for me to detect! But I kind of like it like that.

I think seeing Vel from Ray's point of view would help a ton, too. I feel like there's something interesting about her, but I want to get deeper into her personality. We've gotten deeper into her background, but I want to see her personality more in scenes, aside from her 'bubbly bimbo' facade.

Poor Auria. Things don't end up good for her either way. It makes a lot of sense given the story, since I had a feeling she was screwed either way, but it still makes me sad.

I hope future installments/updates elaborate more on Zaqris, and Rien in particular. There were some extra scenes with hooded figures... are they going to be involved in the future installments somehow? I'm looking forward to it so much!!

Spoiler

I'll probably make it a bit more obvious in Act II in the Complete Edition (it'll probably just amount to Seri saying something when it happens--not in-your-face blatant).

That might be a good idea, although I'm not sure when it would happen. With Act II, it's hard since you might recruit Vel immediately before the party fractures. I tried showing more in Act III, but because of how early her arc starts, there's not a lot of time to cover her character.

There won't be a whole lot more with Zaqris (although his personality will shine through more in the Complete Edition), but Rien is a character too encircled in mystery to not appear in future works. The new characters who appear in your third cycle are also people who will become important as the story unfolds.

 

[Tylinos]

I found some pictures from beta testing, and figured I may as well post them. The first two were sent to me by other people, and the last two were ones I found in testing. All but the first have some spoilers in them, so I spoiler tagged them.

Spoiler

Also, a glitch I don't think was ever fixed before release that I'm surprised no one has reported yet:

Strength of the Ogre II increases ACC by 15 instead of ATK, Eyes of the Hawk II increases SPD by 15 instead of ACC, and Speed Demon II increases ATK by 15 instead of SPD.

 

[Sailerius]

I'm looking for someone who hasn't played Act I before to test the new version of Act I+. The way the story is told has been heavily modified, so I want someone who doesn't already know the story to play and report how well they're able to follow it. Please reply here or PM me if interested.

 

[MagitekElite]

( I know, the thread hasn't been posted in for a month now, but I really felt I needed to. )

I've been meaning to try the game, but my PC needed to be cleaned to run the engine so it didn't shut off on me.

The art, the story and the screenshots look very lovely, and the story is the kind of story I adore. I will download tonight. I saw this on another forum and decided I wanted to play. It stood out among the other games and I usually don't say that xD

Anyway, just wanted to say that you are making a very interesting game that has captivated my attention. So by tonight, if my internet connection isn't terrible, I will try and download the first Act.

(haven't play it before )

P.S
The art is simply stunning! Tell your artist he/she is a beautiful artist!

 

[Sailerius]

Holy cow. Vacant Sky had phenomenal performance at the RMN Misao awards this year, cleaning house with the following awards:

Best Storytelling & Direction
Best Character Design
Best Setting
Best Atmosphere
Best Graphics & Artwork
Best Sound & Music
Most Technical Prowess
Best Level Design
Best Gameplay Mechanics
Best Interface Design
and lastly, Game of the Year!

Thanks to everyone who's supported Vacant Sky over the course of these past six years. I'm sorry the Complete Edition is taking so long, but I'm making sure it's perfect before pushing it out the door (so we don't get a repeat of Act I).

 

[Pokémaniac]

I still don't get how after everything Alter Aila: Genesis didn't sweep the lot(and instead got second in like every category), but congratulations, I suppose.

 

[bacon]

dude like super congrats to you
this game has always looked interesting and I dont really play RM games but I might make an exception
Im waiting for the completed version and then I might give this a whirl and then nitpick every single thing c:

 

[Eventing_Guy]

I'm looking for someone who hasn't played Act I before to test the new version of Act I+.

I'll do it... :lol:



I played (I think it was part 3 or something) So I had no idea what was going on.

I like this music and custom made art...
Better mapping then I have...

I went exploring for fun, took a boat to some island, went into this gate thing, got captured, and got a game over after playing for like 10 mins... LOL

:lol:

 

[Juan J. Sánchez]

Congratulation, Salerius, to you and your entire team (specially, the musician and artist). You really deserve these awards.

 

[action]

Grats,
especially to rayner and salice
also congrats to you sailerius to keep up such a great team, and make such a great game

 

[Sailerius]

Haha, thanks, guys. I'll definitely pass on your congratulations. For now, back to work on the Complete Edition~

 

[Sailerius]

Save the date.

 

[Juan J. Sánchez]

Can you be more elaborative?

 

[gRaViJa]

This surely triggered my interest! (but yes, a little more info would be nice)

 

[Sailerius]

Good news!

I'll be presenting Vacant Sky at PAX East's "Made in Massachusetts" party on Thursday. If you're planning to attend, stop by and say hello!

 

[Sailerius]

Two years ago today, Act I of Vacant Sky was released after sitting around for nearly four years in development. In the time since then, Project BC, the team formed to build the game, has grown in size, skill, and scope. Two more episodes have been released since then, bringing the story of Auria to a close. In celebration of today, I'd like to comment briefly on the projects we're working on at the moment as well as to unveil some of the new things to expect in the future.

The World Is Made of Paper Demo
Before I start on the Vacant Sky-related announcements, I'd like to mention a non-Vacant Sky-related project. Isabel (aka Ganonfrog, mysterialize) recently released the demo for The World Is Made of Paper, a "modern fantasy, psychological whosawhatsit" visual novel written and illustrated entirely by her. You can grab it on RMN right here: http://rpgmaker.net/games/2954/

Vacant Sky Complete Edition
The big project currently being undertaken is the Complete Edition, a compilation of all three acts of Auria's story with updated mechanics, overhauled gameplay, updated story, new artwork, and more new optional content than the first three games combined.

One example of the updated areas in the game is the Hall of Legends, which now features cosmetic lighting to add to the atmosphere.

On top of that, two new story routes are being introduced in the Complete Edition of Vacant Sky which open up in Act II and unlock completely new scenarios for Act III. Essentially, there are three completely different Acts III depending on the choices you make throughout the rest of the game. The Complete Edition, currently in early beta, was selected to appear at this year's Made in MA pre-PAX party where attendees were able to try out the game in its current state.

The battle system has come a long way from Act I, including revised mechanics, a streamlined interface, and many new customization options.

Complete Edition Soundtrack
One of the most-praised aspects of Vacant Sky has always been its music. Now totaling more than 70 songs, the soundtrack will soon be available in high quality for digital download for a small price. By purchasing the soundtrack and supporting all of our hard work, you'll also receive several unreleased tracks which didn't make it into the game. Enjoy the music and help us keep our games free in the future!

Watch this space for more details on when the soundtrack will be available.

Vacant Sky C3
The second new commercial piece of Vacant Sky merchandise I'd like to announce is the Vacant Sky Contention Complete Collection (C3), a making of artbook which will include concept art, development notes, a complete walkthrough, a behind the scenes look at the development of the world and characters, and tons of other extras.

Illustration by Lauren Pehnke ( http://flitephoto.deviantart.com )

There's currently no estimate regarding when C3 or the Complete Edition will be released. Considering every past attempt to make a release date has resulted in a delay, I'm planning to hold off on making a guess until they're nearly complete.

And lastly, there's one more new project I'd like to announce in collaboration with Ereth from RRR.

Illustrations by Lauren Pehnke ( http://flitephoto.deviantart.com )

Vacant Sky Origins is a prequel novel, set two years before the start of Contention. It follows the story of veteran cop Blaise Tearson and fledgling detective Matthew Rhode as they attempt to uncover the mystery behind a string of disappearances related to consumer electronics giant Lykken Corporation. The story introduces several of the key players from Contention and explores their backstory and motivation, both of which were originally intended to be part of the game but hit the cutting room floor. The story of Origins will shed light on some of the mysteries of the world of Vacant Sky, answering some questions and raising many more.

With that, I'll bring this post to a close. It's been an amazing few years working with great people to build this world and it's been a great pleasure to share it with all of you. I hope you continue to stick around and check out what we have to offer. Hopefully, I've been able to show that the future holds some really exciting things.

Thanks for making this an exciting two years and here's to many more!

 

[gRaViJa]

Amazing. With both the complete version of Vacant Sky, Vacant Sky Origins and the commercial products (OST and artbook) you have all the tools to introduce your project to a large crowd and make a nice prodit out of it. I'll definitly play the complete version of the game and i'll also have a look at the originas novel (it's a visual novel, right?)

Also, what software/service do you use to print the artbooks? Professional printing is probaply too expensive (and they don't even bother too pint less than 500 copies mostly) and services that will print just 1-500 copies instead of bulk-amounts ussualy tend to have lesser quality.