Angelic Oath - RPG Town Premier

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13 July 2005 - 6:12pm

CoffeeSquid

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Angelic Oath - RPG Town Premier

CONTENTS //
Welcome to Angelic Oath, an RMXP Game by the Fubar Gamedev Team.

Topic Version 1.6e
- Rebirth: It's good to be back
- Story: AO's Story Synopsis
- Screenshots: Ingame snapshots
- Cast: A look at the Characters
- Factions: How the AO world is Divided
- Artwork: Pixel Kiwi's works.
- Gameplay: Game Information
- Q&A: Your Questions, answered
- Downloads: Just music for now
- Credits: The team

New in this version:
- Features section
- Two New CMS Concept Screens
- Chef's music samples available for DL
- A sample animation
- Minotaur BIO!
- New Martyr section!

REBIRTH //

Four years ago I came to RPG Town as Luey Fubar... Fresh out of Runescape, clueless, embarrassing, Couldn't string a sentence together, I was a Class A. Noobtroop. I left, as Skrolk, educated by this website, my first Internet Community, my first home on the net. I made one promise when I left, to bring you Angelic Oath. It's nice to be back, and it's even nicer to bring the news that an AO Demo is nearing completion, and will be attached to this thread when it's ready. But for now, it's just good to be back.

STORY //

100 Years ago...
The Western Almn'eth Empire’s natural resources balanced on the edge of depletion, and all requests to construct colonies on the larger Eastern territories; denied, crisis loomed. Taking action, the West advanced onto foreign shores, in a bold attempt to take reserve settlements by force.

Beaten back by valiant Eastern defenders, the Western assault was pushed south to Galefire, a grey and baron deadland, dominated by needled mountain ridges. Here, under an arcane sky, the last stand of the marauding West entered its bloodiest hour. As a foul wind echoed down through the splintered peaks, the amethyst sky seemed to moan with howls of tainted desolation. Upon the brittle tundra below, steel clashed as the ground shook with the roar of cannon-fire.

Until suddenly, all blades were dawned. Staring to the heavens with awe, both nations froze. Alive, the tortured sky screamed in agony, as the blighted contours which once were clouds, circled a black fracture in the centre of the unhallowed atmosphere. A column of shrieking fire rained on the battlefield, consuming all within, drowning the forsaken mortal screams as the immolation spread. The mountains crumbled, the earth blackened, ashes carried by a howling wind cut through the air. A figure of a seraph stood atop a charred pyre, spread ethereal wings, banded with scars.

Clawing through the rotting soil, beasts of pulsating flesh and daggered teeth arose to consume the corpses of the fallen. A new war had begun, one that would unite the mortal races like never before.

SCREENSHOTS //
All graphics were created using iDraw and Photoshop.

Ship Interior.

Beer Time.

Bear Time.

Rika Reflects on the Voyage.

AO menu mock-up.

CAST //
Note: The only playable characters displayed here are Maia and Rika.

Maia Windurst:
Torn from a sleep that seemed like a century, Maia finds herself inside a locked room, aboard an unknown vessel. Her memory jolted, all she remembers is the blight brought upon by the rising Aruakrad, yet she finds herself drawn to them, and the dark power they hold. Maia belongs to a rare race of humanoid known as the Wyvernite, sharing characteristics with Dragons, primarily Wings and sharp Fangs, not to mention the appetite.

Maia, Geomancy Spells - Elemental
Ember: A moderately powerful Fire Attack Spell.
Chill: A moderately powerful Water Attack Spell.
Sever: A moderately powerful Nature Attack Spell.
Fire Shield: Increases Resistance to Fire.

Maia, Shaman Spells - Voodoo!
Soul Trap: Trap the opponent’s soul inside a small doll.
Dimension Door: Allows Maia to teleport the team between Visited Cities.
Blighted Slumber: Puts an enemy to sleep, damage is caused upon waking.

Rika Uveyn:
After years of traveling, 21 year old Rika Uveyn settled in the Western Empire's capitol city, Gothren. From there she enlisted in the Almn'eth armed forces, recon division. Climbing the ranks, she has made the milestone promotion to 'Second Officer'. Her first assignment of this status is fairly straight forward, she is to travel East to the Almn'eth outpost of Rel'amn and retrieve a cargo shipment.

Brawler Techniques - Maces.
Brutal Strike: High Damage Attack.
Emberstrike: Damage with the element of Fire.
Nightstrike: Damage with the element of Shadow.
Dizzy Blow: Very High Miss Date, very High Damage. Causes stun.

Sharpshooter Techniques - Bow.
Hand Shot: Lowers target's attack rating.
First Aid: Allows Rika to use Health Kits, making her a secondary healer.
Bloodwave: Through meditation, Rika releases a burst of energy, damaging all opponents.
Block: For the next turn, Rika will take Physical damage for the party.
Blink: Rika focuses the next turn on avoiding attacks, incresing dodge rate by 60%.
Freeze Vibe: Freezes enemies out of combat, eliminating encounter chance for a moment.

Sarayn:
First Officer of the Almn'eth Reconnaissance team, and Rika's supervisor. Dispite drinking often with Cauis and Dulian, neither one of them knows her well. She barely ever speaks a word unless it has something to do with duty, or the Emporer. Sarayn wields a two-handed goliath of a sword, named 'Blight'.

Dulian:
24 Year-old, Perky Dulian is a skilled marksman of the Almn'eth Militia, escorting Rika and Sarayn on their first joint mission. He's a vital asset to the team when he's not prating around, and knows a variety of Path-finding techniques. Dulian's weapon of choice is a customized bolt-lock rifle, which he operates with great precision.

Pellecia:
Captain of the Fidaelis Rose IV, a merchant vessel which operates in the Western Kingdoms. To aid Rika and Sarayn's assignment, Emperor Augurious has comandeered her ship, and the Crew's services. However Pellecia's men unsettled by this, begin acting suspicious. It's up to Pellecia to settle her men down and raise morale, before things get out of control.

Sendel Augurious, High Warlord of Almn'eth:
Taking the Throne as the Emperor of the Western Kingdom, Sendel promised the people he would lead them to a new age of technology and freedom in the name of his Father, the previous Emperor. Augurious also acts as the commander of the Nations militia, aiding the Eastern Empire in their battle against the vicious Beastman Tribes of Blackmane.

BESTIARY //
Some of the enemies you may encounter, and skills they possess.

Name: Blackmane Minotaur.
Allignment: Neutral Evil.
Class: Rare.

Banished from the Immortal realm for heinous crimes, rogue minotaurs banded together and began colonizing the Eastern Lands long before Eastern settlers split off from the West. Once battling with the surrounding Kobold and Harpy Tribes, Now 300 years on, the Minotaurs have formed the alliance of Blackmane, uniting all Beastmen of the East against the rising human threat.

Name: Raynkin Kobold.
Allignment: Neutral Evil.
Class: Common.

Although not necessarily evil, the Kobold's love of eating and indeed cooking human flesh has driven them far from their once peaceful origin. Joining the Blackmane Tribe's effort to drive the humans out of the Eastern Lands (If only for a free meal), the Kobold Hordes bring sheer overwhelming numbers to the battle, throwing wave after wave of crazed jabbering regiments at the Human Defense.

Name: Heart Gazer.
Allignment: Chaotic Evil.
Class: Rare.

Disguising themselves as treasure chests or even rare artefacts is a deadly technique 'Mimics' use to lure would-be treasure hunters to an early grave. However the Heart Gazer, found in the Black Swamps, off the shores of the Deadwind Sea, can manipulate their vocals to sound like a lost child, luring likely rescuers to the scene before pulling their victim beneath the dense mud with their grappling tentacles. (Dev note: This monster was Inspired by 'Mr.Heart', a character in Christian Church Puppet Shows)

- Gaze: Target is frozen with fear.
- Obey: Target turns on own party.
- Grapple: Attempts to drag Target beneath the swamp mud. (Instant K.O)

The Martyr:
Piercing the heavens, two great stone Tablets descended onto the mortal realm, striking a rock side. Nobody was around to whiteness the gargantuan runes fall, except one man, a struggling archaeologist by the name of Devlin Graymorne. When translated, the Tablets spoke of a city far above the clouds, beyond the mortal realm, where the god, Onyxia watched the world below wage war. One man would be the savior of his race, and lead his people to the Promised Land. Where they would serve Onyxia, and live an eternal life of luxury, sheltered from the endless conflict of man. The tablets fell on the south-western coast of the Western Province, Raul'neth. Devlin lead a revolution to form his own region, devoted to Onyxia. Eventually he succeeded, and 'Blackmorne' was formed.

The right miracle, at the right time can make all the difference; as the West surely would have stepped in to stop this mutiny, but the Emperor was far too pre-occupied with the war his country was raging with the East to pay attention to yet another new religion. And so, the fate of his people was sealed, Devlin begun translating the final chapter of the runes, 'Ascension'. With the skeptics cast out, and the remaining people’s faith pure… Graymorne returned from the Tablets, with the corridor to the Promised Land in his heart. Following the will of the Tablet, Devlin gathered all of his subjects in the centre of Blackmorne and begun to chant the hallowed words of Onyxia, to summon a spirit unto himself, to open the gates of heaven.

The sky blackened, and rain began to pour down as Devlin’s chanting grew louder, not distorted by the uneasy murmurs of the crowd. Silence. Devlin had stopped chanting, eyes wide with terror, he slowly climbed to his feet and, with weak hands, the word ‘Betrayer’ hissed from his trembling lips. With two forceful jolts beyond his own will, his arms spread apart above his head. Shrieking in an impossible tone, blood ran from Devlin’s eyes as his arms dislodged out of place, with three sharp cracks. Shards of bone pierced his skin outwards, falling to his knees his screams of pain echoed into a deep cackling laugh. He was no longer Devlin. His disciples, attempting to flee in terror, slowed as their will weakened. The fortunate ones, crushed underfoot lay still, as the forsaken begun to transform as Devlin did, tearing from their skin as bone pierced flesh. Shed skin, streams of blood and the bodies of the trodden littered the streets of the abandoned city, Devlin and his ascended disciples vanished into the depths of the nearby shore, now the Deadwind Sea.

To this day, the Martyr scour the ocean surface in large numbers, laying siege to vessels, feeding on the crew and dragging any items of appeal to their colonies on the Sea bed.

ARTWORK //
Follow the thumbnails.

Features //

Original Content
Before the game is made for real, it’s all scripted and proof-read several times for quality-control, errors and plot-holes by the Beta testers. The story itself has been in development since early 2001, and is pretty much completed.

Pixel Kiwi has designed AO's graphics from scratch, with the help of various Gaming World members, Art-mod 'Corel' in particular. Using the Sprite’s large dimensions, it's possible to pull off some impressive animations and fight-scenes. Click Here for a sample animation of Rika unsheathing her wrist-blades.

Chef Boyardee has also proved himself to be a worthy asset to the team, by composing terrific MP3s for Angelic Oath's MP3 Version. (Note; There will also be a MIDI version for those with slow Internet connections.)

Optional Gameplay Extras
The world of Angelic Oath is littered with optional Quests for you to complete, from simple delivery missions, to daring search and destroy missions, to in-depth sub-plots. All recorded in a party Quest log, embedded in the Menu System.

There is also an ancient language to learn, from which you will be able to decipher ancient text documents and books found scattered around AO’s world.

Customize your characters
We originally wanted the player to select appearances for the playable characters, however the animations and poses in the game would need to be made several times, making the work-load even more straining on poor Kiwi. However, you will be able to select a class from a list of two or three for each characters.

Progress:
- Script: 35 Pages
- Coffee Count: 30 Cups

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS //

I'm suspicious of games with custom graphics, and the story seems fairly simplistic. How do I know this isn't just another flat RM- Graphics fest?
The story behind Angelic Oath started work around 2001, and work has been on and off over the years. I understand the Synopsis doesn't give much away, I mean *Explosion* and Monsters rise from the ground? Doesn't sound like anything special. The Synopsis is there to start the plot going in the right direction, without spoiling anything for when you play it In-game. Look at FFVII's synopsis if you still have the game Case lying around, you'll see what I mean.

How linear will the game be? Also, will there be any side-quests?
There will be Side-quests, secret areas, mini-games, simple crafting systems and hidden story backgrounds to keep you busy if you wish to take a break from storyline events. Accompanied by a WoW style quest log and 'Wanted' system. To give Side-Quests extra worth, other than gaining new equipment, the player will unlock special 'Cut Scenes' that can only be viewed upon completion of the game

The Characters are taller than what I'm used to, does everything work correctly, or can we expect collision bugs and various other problems?
Perhaps compared to traditional RPGs they seem slightly out of proportion, however before taking the leap from traditional graphics to our own, we considered every possible angle. Admittedly even I was a skeptic when Kiwi first thought of the idea of increasing the character size by . As for the collision, the bigger characters have increased RMXP playable tenfold. The RTP RMXP Characters appear to be the same size as RM2k/3 ones, but with screen dimensions double the size, revealing far too much of the map. On top of that, one tile for AO is approximately 1 foot in length. Tapping forward will send you forward in small bursts, compared to the RTP where you're sent flying forward as tiles are about 3 feet in length. There is one issue in which, a character walks under something, they will flash in front of it for a moment. I have a few possible solutions I need to try out.

DOWNLOADS //

Music
- Royal Blood
- I think it was Left
- Or... was it right?
- Wintersong
- Ashes of an Empire
- Beneath the Pipes

CREDITS //

Coffee Squid.
- Story and Dialogue
- Ingame Play
- Design

Pixel Kiwi.
- Graphics
- Animation
- Map Making
- Artwork

ccoa.
- Coder

Chef Boyardee.
- Composer

PROGRESSION //
Over time, AO's graphics have improved thanks to Constructive Criticism of the community.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

13 July 2005 - 6:23pm

zumbum

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Joined: 16 Jul 2004

This is gorgeous. The story is compelling and the promise of hidden tidbits is too great to be true.

Hurry up with the demo! This is worth the RMXP download!

13 July 2005 - 6:30pm

Magi

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Joined: 12 Jul 2004

Seen most of this already, but I love to look at the characters progression time and again. It's pretty awesome to see how greatly they have changed since starting several years back. Luey, I congratulate you with this work. You've become far greater than I!

13 July 2005 - 6:33pm

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by zumbum@Jul 13 2005, 11:23 PM
This is gorgeous. The story is compelling and the promise of hidden tidbits is too great to be true.

Hurry up with the demo! This is worth the RMXP download!

[post=178062]Quoted post[/post]

Using my freshly formatted Laptop, I've looked into getting AO to work without downloading RMXP or the RTP. Luckily, like Rm2k/3 it works perfectly, so don't worry about hunting XP down.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

13 July 2005 - 6:41pm

zumbum

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Joined: 16 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by CoffeeSquid@Jul 13 2005, 11:33 PM
Using my freshly formatted Laptop, I've looked into getting AO to work without downloading RMXP or the RTP. Luckily, like Rm2k/3 it works perfectly, so don't worry about hunting XP down.

[post=178066]Quoted post[/post]

Good man! I was going to ask but thought not.

13 July 2005 - 6:56pm

Axarle

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

It's amazing how much it's progressed

Hurry up with that demo!

13 July 2005 - 7:02pm

Don

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Joined: 12 Jun 2005

This has to be the most anticipated game of the year. This is visually beautiful, and the strength of the storyline is amazing. I sincerely look forward to playing this game.

14 July 2005 - 12:03am

Devilmaycare150

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Joined: 20 Jul 2004

I was around back when this was Seed of Seraphim and it looked good then. Now it looks gorgeous. Good luck with it. What I'm wondering is, why doesn't the mysterious guy have that effect where half his bio is pretty much covered up?

Naw, I'm just messing with ya. Hope ya finish it!

14 July 2005 - 12:47am

SickAndWretched

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

hrmm looks very nice.. though.. I noticed something thats a bit outta place. and thats Rika's legs in the screen of her lay down.. they just look really horrid.. but yeah its a minor thing.
Oh and the guy in red looks alot like Rajal's Character Zayfer.. I mean.. they hair is almost exactly the same.. its freaky..

but those to things aside.. everything seems pretty cool.

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

14 July 2005 - 3:38am

#10

holloway

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Joined: 20 Oct 2010

Christ Luey! I can't believe you didn't big up this game on IRC. Its Amazing.
I also have to say how well you set out that post and put thought into it; even the post can detract people from your game.

14 July 2005 - 9:39am

#11

Curt

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

The characters seem abnormally tall. How does the collision system work in your game?

[center][img]http://www.sonymusicstore.com/coverimages/SME_0101_C2K_065774.70Q_

14 July 2005 - 1:36pm

#12

The Jacket

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Joined: 4 Mar 2005

I almost never venture into this part of the forum. But Luey, this post is gold. Excellent, excellent work.

14 July 2005 - 3:47pm

#13

SickAndWretched

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

Ah!.. now that screen shot of Rika looks 100 times better.

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

14 July 2005 - 7:21pm

#14

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Thread has gained a level up
Angelic Oath Thread is now Version 1.2a. Questions for the Q and A are sorely needed, if you have any worries, doubts or queries, please don't hesitate to post them here.

New in this version
- Placed Curt's question in the Q&A Section.
- Added a contents section.
- Fixed the screenshot of Rika sitting.
- Resized the screenshots to stop the Page Scrolling.
- More mentions of Kiwi's spriting.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

14 July 2005 - 7:46pm

#15

SickAndWretched

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

hrmm as for questions.. Can you explain more about the Skill tress? Will they be something like Vandal Hearts, where when the player gets a certain amount of points they'll have the choice to upgrade into a better class. Is it simpled based on gaining levels or is there more to it? Like killing a certain amount of enemies or fighting for a certain amount of battles. or perhaps rewarded from that "Wanted system" you mentioned.

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

14 July 2005 - 7:49pm

#16

EightSlicesOfPie

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Joined: 15 Jul 2004

I remember playing the RM2K3 demo of this and loved it, and now the game looks 10x better. I'm really anticipating the demo of this. =)

esop

14 July 2005 - 7:50pm

#17

Kaiox

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

This is wonderful. I dardly lok here like Jacket said, but this is just wonderful. I'm looking forward to this one.

???????????

15 July 2005 - 4:07am

#18

Chickensoupcheese

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Joined: 12 Jul 2004

I've seen a fair bit of this before, although it was good to read through it all again, and see all the different bits and bobs to each character. The new screenshots are wonderful, and although I can't remember what the ship one looked like before, now it just looks sublime: the kind of screen that deserves to have the an AO game logo placed upon it; wallpaper material if there ever was any .

I must admit to loving your prose, too, both in the introduction and the bonus bit at the end. Vivid (extremely so in some parts =D), well-written and along with the whole topic demonstrating both great imagination and great dedication.

It's of course obvious and that you and Pixel Kiwi have put so much into this, and it would be criminal if something prevented you now from getting those efforts out into the form of an .exe file .

It would be nice just to see a little summary on the skill tree however, as SaW says.

16 July 2005 - 11:38am

#19

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

I had big ideas for the skill tree, but I'm now considering if they should play such a big part. I'll you about my initial plans though, although they are subject to change.

The rough plan was, every time the character gets a Level-up (I'm considering every 2), they get a Skill point. Using an ingame menu (Probably a simple CMS) they can then choose one of two Skill Trees to put their earned Point on, unlocking special skills and passive traits. Rika for example was planned to have two trees, Clarity and Fury. The more Warrior-friendly 'Fury' tree would have special moves which would cause high damage, and passive traits such as increased critical hit chance. The more tactical 'Clarity' branch would have traits increasing her dodge chance, and and perhaps some positive skills like First Aid, making her a decent Secondary healer.

It's just an idea I was toying with, but it would add to the replay value, and customization. But as for the Wanted System rewarding Skill Points, that's a good idea. Although I wanted to do 3-4 posters per town, perhaps there could be extra hard 'Warning: Dangerous!' Boss ones which reward Skill Points.

Post has gained a level up:
Angelic Oath topic is now version: 1.4a

- Got rid of the Bell tower screen.
- Deleted poem from the Synopsis.
- Sections now have a brief introductions.
- Factions section.
- Character Bio for Sendel.
- Cleaned the Progression section.
- Rika Screenshot redone.
- Question regarding Story in Q and A.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

16 July 2005 - 12:00pm

#20

Crusard

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Joined: 15 Jul 2005

Hey, awesome work there.
As for the skills, I'd love to see more different types, not just typical stat-increasing skills. I'm sure you can think of many.-

16 July 2005 - 1:10pm

#21

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Those were just a few skill examples, of course. I had a lot in my mind for each character, although I've lost the document listing them all when I formatted my computer last week. I'll try to rememeber as many as I can.

Rika, Fury Techniques - Maces.
Brutal Strike: High Damage Attack.
Ember's Lance: Damage with the element of Fire.
Tidal Lance: Damage with the element of Water.
Shifting Lance: Damage with the element of Nature.
Blighted Lance: Damage with the element of Shadow.
Dizzy Blow: Very High Miss Date, very High Damage.
Blood Aspect: Increases Critical Hit chance.
Stone Aspect: Increases Physical Defense.

Rika, Clarity Techniques - Bow, Crossbow.
Eagle Eye: Increases chance to hit in ranged combat.
Hand Shot: Lowers enemy attack rating.
Leg Shot: Lowers enemy Initiative, decreasing speed and Dodge Chance.
First Aid: Allows Rika to use Health Kits, making her a decent secondary healer.
Bloodwave: Through meditation, Rika releases a burst of energy, damaging all opponents.
Block: For the next turn, Rika will take Physical damage for the party.
Blink: Rika focuses the next turn on avoiding attacks, incresing dodge rate by 60%.
Deadly Shot: Extremely powerful ranged attack, takes two turns to Charge.
Freeze Vibe: Freezes enemies out of combat, eliminating encounter chance for a moment.

Maia, Elemental Spells - Elemental
Ember: A moderately powerful Fire Attack Spell.
Chill: A moderately powerful Water Attack Spell.
Grace: A moderately powerful Nature Attack Spell.
Fire Shield: Increases Resistance to Fire.

Maia, Mysticism Spells - Voodoo
Pulse: A moderately powerful Shadow Attack Spell.
Dimension Door: Allows Maia to teleport the team between Visisted Cities.
Blighted Slumber: Puts an enemy to sleep, extra damage is caused upon waking.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

16 July 2005 - 4:02pm

#22

Chef Boyardee

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Joined: 16 Jul 2005

Cool stuff man. When you off-handedly asked me to do the music for the game like a year ago and I off-handedly said 'yeah', I thought I'd be composing music for a half-assed game that would die in a couple months. Man, I was wrong. Although I haven't played it yet, I can tell this game is going to be the next big thing. Grats on this Luey, too bad my music doesn't live up to the standards of this awesome game.

16 July 2005 - 4:57pm

#23

holloway

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Joined: 20 Oct 2010

Quote:

Originally posted by Chef Boyardee@Jul 16 2005, 10:02 PM
Cool stuff man. When you off-handedly asked me to do the music for the game like a year ago and I off-handedly said 'yeah', I thought I'd be composing music for a half-assed game that would die in a couple months. Man, I was wrong. Although I haven't played it yet, I can tell this game is going to be the next big thing. Grats on this Luey, too bad my music doesn't live up to the standards of this awesome game.

[post=178518]Quoted post[/post]

Biggin yourself up by any chance?

16 July 2005 - 5:13pm

#24

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by nanotechmonkey@Jul 16 2005, 09:57 PM
Biggin yourself up by any chance?

[post=178521]Quoted post[/post]

Like he needs to.

EDIT: Oh no, the Direct Link Police. My bad.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

16 July 2005 - 9:56pm

#25

Crusard

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Joined: 15 Jul 2005

Here's some more skills examples that you should be able to include even with your engine.
I took the ones that might fit into your game from my own project.

Ambidexterity: Allows the use of Dual Weapons (Offhand weapon can't be too heavy)

Animal Empathy: After a battle, you have certain chance that an enemy (If it was an animal) will join your party. If the party is full, then it just goes away. When the friendly animal character dies it is removed from party permanently.

Persuassion: You get better rewards in gold and special items for solving quests (That pay). Also, you get to pay less in some shops and Inns (This would be hard if the shops are already scripted within the engine I think)

Diehard: There is a certain % that the character will instantly revive after it's KO'd (Assuming you can do this...)

Summon Shop: Immediately call a general Item shop

Master Healer: Automatically heal all party members after combat if the character is alive

ps: See? Why does it always have to be Battle Skills...

17 July 2005 - 12:19am

#26

SickAndWretched

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

hrmm I thought the skill tree would look more like this:

the red and yellow mean different classes and the black boxes are like skills. the ones on the side would the stronger ones and the ones in the middle would be the weaker ones.. and like when you use "SP" you have to pick which skill you want.. but!.. if you pick on of the stronger ones you can only pick one of the same class next time you use sp.. and of course if you pick a weaker skill next level you'll be able to pick one of 3 skils next.. a weaker one of the other class or one of the same class... err at least thats what I thought when you said "skill tree"

OH! and I messed up a bit on the top one in the diagram

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

17 July 2005 - 10:54am

#27

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

However good, that system seems a bit complex for what I'm after, SAW. I just want a 2-Sided, balanced choice of what you'd prefer the characters to be. I suppose it's not really a Skill Tree as you said, I really should research the terminology before I start devloping these things. Let's call them 'Skill Ladders' (One way up, right?)

Thread is now version 1.5a:
- Added some Skill samples to Cast section.
- Character Bio for Sendel.
- Screenshots tagged and outlined.
- Re-phrased a lot of text for the better.
- New Dungeon Screenshot.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

17 July 2005 - 2:31pm

#28

Porkchop Express

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Joined: 17 Jul 2004

Quote:

too bad my music doesn't live up to the standards of this awesome game.

Quote:

Biggin yourself up by any chance?

What ?
Looks like modesty to me Nano.

17 July 2005 - 2:45pm

#29

Goodbye

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

Nano, he is new here. Quit being a nuisance and cut your fingers off or something.

And people wonder why we don't get many new members.

This menace must be stopped! Defend the Core at all costs!

17 July 2005 - 4:44pm

#30

zumbum

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Joined: 16 Jul 2004

Okay, Luey. You have cockteased for long enough.

STAND AND DELIVER, YOUR DEMO OR YOUR LOINS.

18 July 2005 - 12:29am

#31

Magi

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Joined: 12 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by Crusard@Jul 16 2005, 06:56 PM
Here's some more skills examples that you should be able to include even with your engine.
I took the ones that might fit into your game from my own project.
[b]Ambidexterity: Allows the use of Dual Weapons (Offhand weapon can't be too heavy)

Diehard: There is a certain % that the character will instantly revive after it's KO'd (Assuming you can do this...)

Summon Shop: Immediately call a general Item shop

Master Healer: Automatically heal all party members after combat if the character is alive
ps: See? Why does it always have to be Battle Skills...

[post=178557]Quoted post[/post]

[/b]

I'm not exactly sure if those types of things are what Luey is aiming for, but some neat skills like that certainly would add variety. However, I don't think it wise to simply take something like that from another project, even if the author would allow such a thing.

18 July 2005 - 6:59am

#32

Crusard

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Joined: 15 Jul 2005

Quote:

Originally posted by Magi@Jul 18 2005, 02:29 AM
I'm not exactly sure if those types of things are what Luey is aiming for, but some neat skills like that certainly would add variety. However, I don't think it wise to simply take something like that from another project, even if the author would allow such a thing.

[post=179083]Quoted post[/post]

Just take those as examples, then. Original ideas are harder to find nowadays, there's just too many games around :wtf:

18 July 2005 - 12:00pm

#33

Link

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

Man, this game looks great. I can't wait to try it.

18 July 2005 - 12:05pm

#34

Plissken

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Joined: 12 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by Crusard@Jul 18 2005, 12:59 PM
Just take those as examples, then. Original ideas are harder to find nowadays, there's just too many games around :wtf:

[post=179139]Quoted post[/post]

Original ideas may be harder to come by now because everything easy has been thought of, but it's just laziness that stops new ideas surfacing. There's an infinite array of possibilities and very little has been touched upon in RMXP yet, with its new scripting system offering significant improvements over RM2k/3. We should hope to see a new wave of inspiration coming from the maker. However, of course, it's not the program's limitations that prevent originality, as we've seen time and time again Final Fantasy fangames and the like.

19 July 2005 - 11:44am

#35

Lord Typhoon

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Joined: 22 Jul 2004

Awesome looking, sounding, everything. You win an intarweb, Luey.

I'm the Mystery Man, hoo, hoo hoo hoo hoo.

20 July 2005 - 4:24am

#36

Chef Boyardee

Offline

Joined: 16 Jul 2005

LT!!! Hey man.

Man, it's supposed to come out today. I'm so excited. I've been really amped for this and I'm actually really apathetic towards games.

20 July 2005 - 8:41am

#37

CoffeeSquid

Offline

Joined: 24 Jul 2004

I hinted to some people on my contact list that a demo might be ready for the 20th July, although I've already explained that it has to be pushed back due to Kiwi (The graphics guy) suddenly leaving the country for 2 weeks. Family matters.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

20 July 2005 - 10:19am

#38

Chef Boyardee

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Joined: 16 Jul 2005

Well Luey, if you're looking for my heart, check under your shoe because you stepped all over it.

20 July 2005 - 1:24pm

#39

Kefka

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

Wow Luey, this is awesome. Inspiring, really -- I should finish AA:TN, if not to exercise creative license in a parody, then to start a second, serious project -- and I look forward to the day I can play the demo.

<div align="center">[/CENTER]
<div align="center">[img]http://img316.imageshack.us/img316/7302/tfaymwos1ud.jpg[/img

20 July 2005 - 7:13pm

#40

CoffeeSquid

Offline

Joined: 24 Jul 2004

That day's not too far away.

PixelKiwi's back from France, and I'm whipping him harder than ever. I've also had an idea about sprite actions. With the sprite sizes, we can pull off some really detailed poses and gestures.

Should really bring dialogue to life.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

20 July 2005 - 8:58pm

#41

SickAndWretched

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Joined: 14 Jul 2004

hehe.. that would be just focus on getting a playable demo out 1st.

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

21 July 2005 - 6:54am

#42

Nuno27

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Joined: 15 Jul 2004

GOD DAMNIT WHEN IS IT COMING OUT?

21 July 2005 - 7:37pm

#43

Devilmaycare150

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Joined: 20 Jul 2004

Patience is a virtue.

..That one sentence usually pisses most of my friends off.

22 July 2005 - 12:36pm

#44

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

This just in: Quest log version 4.

Demo expected for the 4th of April.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

22 July 2005 - 12:59pm

#45

SickAndWretched

Offline

Joined: 14 Jul 2004

Quote:

Originally posted by CoffeeSquid@Jul 22 2005, 01:36 PM
Demo expected for the 4th of April.

[post=179956]Quoted post[/post]

....of 2006?! *tear*..

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

22 July 2005 - 1:00pm

#46

CoffeeSquid

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Joined: 24 Jul 2004

August, sorry. Not sure how that happened.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

22 July 2005 - 1:12pm

#47

TheInquisitor

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Joined: 15 Jul 2004

Looking no less than excellent, Luey. It is certainly a vast improvement upon the last veraion of the game I saw. (The intro competition and the town creation competition). The game at that point looked average, but one that could easily become popular within the RM community. Currently is looks like it will be one of those that everyone will remember, even if it has poor gameplay (Though I'm sure it doesn't). The original graphics almost ensure that this project will be highly popular, especially amongst the graphics whores.

Quote:

It's nice to be back, and it's even nicer to bring the news that an AO Demo is nearing completion, and will be attatched to this thread when it's ready. But for now, it's just good to be back.

It's nice for us to have you back as well, especially when you bring a project of this quality. Hopefully this will encourage other members to make projects and bring in a larger crowd. Why, we've had at least six or seven people flock to the forum to view this very topic.

The storyline does seem to hint at being fairly uninspired to me, but your creative writting told it in a way that encouraged me to keep reading, so hopefully the plot will unfold with a certain level of quality instead of the usual "Zombies! Oh no! Get that shotgun!". Hopefully it will be better than what I generally expect when I hear the concept of the living dead as a significant part of the plot.

Out of curiosity, what type of leadership is there in the East? You say that the West is an empire, suggesting that there is some sort of order and government. Since they lost to those in the East, would the Easterners also be as powerful, or do they just have ridiculously superior numbers?
If those in the East were equally powerful, surely the first option for improving the resource situation would be to trade with the neighbouring countries instead of invading their borders? I suspect that there will be some sort of towns in the East, otherwise it wouldn't make for the most interesting place to explore, so why would the Empire jump to an assault on their borders if they knew they had little chance to win if they were equal or weaker in millitary expertise or technology. On the other hand, if the other countries were weaker, why would they be unwilling to trade for better technology and such?

These questions would have to be answered before jumping into having a huge war for the reason of resources. I hope you have the answers.

Time to judge these screenshots, I guess. I doubt I will find much to moan about, unfortunately. The graphics look quite airtight for the style and they seem to detract from any minor map problems.

Ship Room - Doesn't seem to like this image, this post.

Your artist, and a fine artist he is, has done some lovely work here, but he might want to touch up on the beds a bit. They seem to stand out as being undershaded (White with a black outline) and awfully bright compared to the rest of the chipset. This is a boat and it doesn't exactly look like the Captain's cabin, so it wouldn't be out of the question to have perfectly white sheets with low shading.
Another option open to your artist is having the portholes made of glass where they are transparent (With the obvious glass effects) and show sea as a panorama in the background. Of course, you can then add grub onto them and make them look dirty that way. To make a great glass effect, I'd put money on the translucency colour option being a sure way to making it work. It doesn't look like you have used it on this particular chipset. The current version isn't bad at all, but this may might provide overall better results.
The rest of this map looks pretty great. As I said, it could be a rather simple map, but since the graphics are so wildly different, I'd hardly notice and I doubt anyone else would...but the carpet seems to get darker in the middle; should it?
Nice shadows around the room coming off the chests and side tables.

The bar looks smashing, especially the bottles. The gun (Blunderbus is it?) on the wall is also a nice touch. There is a mistake on this map at the counter where a bucket is cut off by the wood. You might want to fix that insignificant problem up. The little objects do look great on this chipsets, especially the way they have been shaded. The stools, however, look to me as if they are the same size as the tables when they should be a bit shorter. Because they are so huge, it also looks like one of the stools is sitting on the wall rather than disappearing behind the table because it is shorter.

Can't complain.
Looks great, especially the shadow from the character pose! The pose itself looks great as well. It's a brilliant looking boat and background. Also, the dialogue there about the days on the ship impresses me. I like the idea of there being a long voyage and how it is affecting the crew. Will it have a temporary effect on the characters as well, or just the NPCs?

DUNGEON MAP - Doesn't want to show this image either

This is the weakest screenshot. The map seems very empty compared to that of the others. It is a sewer, but there seems to be no sources of light, so wouldn't she take a torch down there with her (providing one of those common RPG circular light version map specials), or otherwise
having torches lighting these sewers? I can't really think of anything else that could be added, so a torch effect might be the best route as it avoids showing too much of a bland map (As all sewers would be, so don't let me beat you up) and keeps the game a little interesting. Also, adding a timer on the torch could be a fun little minigame.

The separate hand-drawn artwork is also good. There is little more I can say about that.

Quote:

Torn from a sleep that seemed like a century, Maia finds herself inside a locked room, aboard an unknown vessel. Her memory jolted, all she remembers is the blight brought upon by the rising Aruakrad

Hmmmm, kind of uninspired here. Hopefully I won't come to the impression that this game's greatest asset is the original graphics. What she remembers, I don't understand. What is the rising Aruakrad?

Quote:

Make sure you involve dolls. Pins and dolls, those are great. It would certainly be far more interesting than earth, fire...water...ic......

Quote:

Climbing the ranks, she has made the milestone promotion to 'Second Officer'. Her first assignment of this status is fairly straight forward, she is to travel East to the Almn'eth outpost of Rel'amn and retrieve a cargo shipment.

Would they really put a Second Officer in charge some something like getting a Cargo shipment? It seems rather easy, especially for a "warrior" like her (It doesn't look like she'd be good for the job to me ) . Wouldn't it be more of a job for a grunt?

Quote:

However if you follow the more tactical ‘Clarity’ branch, she becomes more of a strategic rogue than a brawling warrior. Perhaps the most useful talent in the Clarity tree is the ‘Pathfinding’ trait, which increases your ability to avoid Random Encounter Battles.

This one sounds a lot more interesting than Fury. But won't you start encountering difficulties without any levelling up (Assuming levelling is part of the game) when you get to boss battles? This is where the largest problems would appear, I'd think. Status effects are much better than slightly harder attacks, so hopefully there will be a good balance for status effects, as they are usually completely worthless. Perhaps some NPCs (Warrior ones) can give tips on the weaknesses of certain enemies, including bosses? Also allows for a nice "sense" skill, another one which would fit into the "Clarity" branch.

Sarayn seems to be the worst character graphically. Her weapon seems to be in a different style that reminds me of Sunset Over Imdahl/Will The Hero. It doesn't seem to go with the rest of the graphics you have used. This character seems to be quite boring again, unlike Dulian who seems to be a character who would entertain me. I personally don't like quite heroes/enemies, I like them to be chatty.
Will this character become more interesting later on during the game, or will she always be a miserable cow with poor development (Think Squall).

Quote:

Pellecia:
Captain of the Fidaelis Rose IV, a merchant vessel which operates in the Western Kingdoms. To aid Rika and Sarayn's assignment, Emporer Augurious has comandeered her ship, and the Crew's services. However Pellecia's men unsettled by this, begin acting suspicious. It's up to Pellecia to settle her men down and raise morale, before things get out of control.

Wow, this is a woman? I thought it was a guy with a breast plate from first impressions. With the men being torn away from women for long periods of times on a ship, I wonder how well a woman would maintain control...

Quote:

The Minotaurs, The harpies and the Kobolds

I'm curious to know how you have designed the Kobolds. I'd like to see how a Legion Saga fan (As he joined the boards) would picture this creature type. They aren't really wolf-men, so I'd certainly be interested in seeing what you have created or what you are intending to be made. The minotaurs and harpies aren't likely to be any different from the common design.
Is there any particular reason why these races joined together? I can assume that the minotaurs would be the strength of the alliance, but what would the others contribute with?

Quote:

Finally the Aruakrad are hunched Undead beasts made up of a thick acidic substance. It's not known if the Aruakrad and the Martyr are linked. Below is the Legend of the Martyr creation.

I guess swords are out of the question when fighting these acidic creatures. It makes for interesting battles, that's for sure.

I do like the way you've given some of your monsters a backstory. Does this mean that they will be important when it comes to the actual game? Since Minotaurs, Harpies and Kobolds are also a big part, perhaps giving them a backstory about why they are problematic or why there is an alliance would enrich the world with detail and make it more interesting for the gamers that don't mind a bit of light reading.

That's a nice list of features you have made. Have you made any of those FMVs yet? With a game looking like this, I wouldn't expect it to be an unreliable promise, but I've yet to see any worthwhile ones. Are they 2D or 3D?

Most of your features aren't really features, but necessities that are now being demanded, like a plot. The 100% original graphics and musics is certainly a booster though. For a team project, it is sure working out well, which is definately a suprise.

Yeah, I guess that's my post about done. I might resume with the rest of the things to comment on in another post, but I've been writing this for quite a while now. I guess it can be a two-parter.

http://rjanes.co.uk

22 July 2005 - 2:15pm

#48

CoffeeSquid

Offline

Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Bravo, Inq.

The storyline does seem to hint at being fairly uninspired to me, but your creative writting told it in a way that encouraged me to keep reading, so hopefully the plot will unfold with a certain level of quality instead of the usual "Zombies! Oh no! Get that shotgun!". Hopefully it will be better than what I generally expect when I hear the concept of the living dead as a significant part of the plot.

I've wracked my brains over this problem for a while, I'm very happy with the way AO's plot has shaped up over the years I've spent on it. Unfortunately, it's a very fragile plot, and I can't think of a way to build up the synopsis without spoilers. Have faith in me, and when the game's done, judge for yourself.

Out of curiosity, what type of leadership is there in the East? You say that the West is an empire, suggesting that there is some sort of order and government. Since they lost to those in the East, would the Easterners also be as powerful, or do they just have ridiculously superior numbers?

If those in the East were equally powerful, surely the first option for improving the resource situation would be to trade with the neighbouring countries instead of invading their borders? I suspect that there will be some sort of towns in the East, otherwise it wouldn't make for the most interesting place to explore, so why would the Empire jump to an assault on their borders if they knew they had little chance to win if they were equal or weaker in millitary expertise or technology. On the other hand, if the other countries were weaker, why would they be unwilling to trade for better technology and such?

The relationship between the East and the West was majorly played up in the Synopsis, as the base for the story. They split off from each other roughly 200 to 300 years before the game was set, (100-200 before the synopsis, remember it's 100 years ago), so the east have had time to build up a nice, strong basis of cities, towns and strongholds. It's a much larger area than the West, and the distance between towns is sometimes lengthy, but we won't fall into the trap of making large, dull landscapes between them.

As for the matter of West vs East in combat, the East at the time of the short human war were currently struggling to defend against the Beastmen Alliance, when the West tried to seize resource colonies, they had to spare troops from other areas, pulling some away from the Beastman assault. This was enough to drive off the invaders, and attempt to finish them off once and for all in Galefire. I'm not sure about the trading options the West would of had at the time, and it's a little out of my experience to make one up on the spot, but I will look into it. (Rather glad you brought it to my attention, too)

Also, the Rising Aruakrad are the Undead presance on Galefire, this will be cleared up once I add an Aruakrad back-story to the post, and build up a stronger synopsis.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor+Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheInquisitor @ Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM)[/CENTER]

Quote:

That's what Rika wonders. <8}

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
This character seems to be quite boring again, unlike Dulian who seems to be a character who would entertain me. I personally don't like quite heroes/enemies, I like them to be chatty.

Sarayn, along with Dulian and Cauis are only in the game for a rather short time, much like Biggs, Wedge and Jessie in FFVII. So her development and personality aren't that relevant. I thought it was best to have her as an outsider, than a blank and happy officer, though.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
Wow, this is a woman? I thought it was a guy with a breast plate from first impressions. With the men being torn away from women for long periods of times on a ship, I wonder how well a woman would maintain control...

Perhaps we need to sex her appearance up a little. The ship usually runs short voyages between the Western Islands, so the men don't spend [i]that

long out at sea.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
I'm curious to know how you have designed the Kobolds. I'd like to see how a Legion Saga fan (As he joined the boards) would picture this creature type. They aren't really wolf-men, so I'd certainly be interested in seeing what you have created or what you are intending to be made.

I like my Kobolds small, impish and nasty. Here's a mock-up of the Rainkin Kobold Tribe.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
The minotaurs and harpies aren't likely to be any different from the common design.
Is there any particular reason why these races joined together? I can assume that the minotaurs would be the strength of the alliance, but what would the others contribute with?

The Minotaurs, as you say are the muscle of the Alliance. The Harpies, are blessed with superior magic abilities, and are the brains behind the opperation. Kobolds provide sheer overwhelming numbers, despite their strength.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
I do like the way you've given some of your monsters a backstory. Does this mean that they will be important when it comes to the actual game? Since Minotaurs, Harpies and Kobolds are also a big part, perhaps giving them a backstory about why they are problematic or why there is an alliance would enrich the world with detail and make it more interesting for the gamers that don't mind a bit of light reading.

I plan to write histories for the East, West, North, Blackmane and Aruakrad factions. I just need to overcome this damn writers block I've been suffering for the past day or two.

The Martyr will pop up now and again in the complete game, but they don't come into the grand scale of things.

Quote:

Originally posted by TheInquisitor@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
That's a nice list of features you have made. Have you made any of those FMVs yet? With a game looking like this, I wouldn't expect it to be an unreliable promise, but I've yet to see any worthwhile ones. Are they 2D or 3D?

2D. This is something else you will have to wait for a release to see.
<!--QuoteBegin-TheInquisitor[/i]@Jul 22 2005, 06:12 PM
Most of your features aren't really features, but necessities that are now being demanded, like a plot. The 100% original graphics and musics is certainly a booster though. For a team project, it is sure working out well, which is definately a suprise.

I'm lucky to be blessed with such a reliable team, who've put faith in this project. Of course, being real-life buddies with Kiwi, I can litterally whip him until he starts working.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

28 July 2005 - 3:26pm

#49

NunoLac

Offline

Joined: 12 Jul 2004

Not bad...not bad at all.
Nice Graphics, nice story, can't say much about gameplay, but from what I can say, this will be an amazing game.
Now I want to work even harder in my Youma...hehehehe

You're my Hero Luey

http://nunolac.deviantart.com

29 July 2005 - 5:37pm

#50

CoffeeSquid

Offline

Joined: 24 Jul 2004

Thanks Nuno. Sorry for the image downtime.

And now, a sample animation.

Angelic Oath, RMXP.

29 July 2005 - 5:47pm

#51

SickAndWretched

Offline

Joined: 14 Jul 2004

thats awesome.. but I think her eyes should like change.. y'know.

Descartes is sitting in a bar, having a drink. The bartender asks him if he would like another. "I think not," he says, and vanishes in a puff of logic.

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