Gaming World Forums
Creativity => Game Design & Demos => Topic started by: Ephiam on March 06, 2010, 04:58:46 am
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Check out the Game Page over at RMN!
http://rpgmaker.net/games/1914/
ETERNAL PARADISE
"High above the clouds—high above all of God's
divine creation sits a single stationary island;
Venaitura, palace of the damned. Shrine to the
ancient Goddess of Darkness: Celes.
Four youths have banded together to travel
to this cursed place—journeying forth with
one thing in mind: revenge. Their destinies
have been intertwined with that of a single
man—their ultimate goal—to which
they seek to break their bonds. Life has
given these individuals terrifying hardships
and dreadful ordeals... but what awaits
them within that dark and cursed place is something
far beyond their understanding.
Salvation...
Destruction...
The end of all things.
Or...
The beginning...?"
"Eternal Paradise," my latest project using RPG Maker 2003, chronicles the adventures of four youth who have ascended to the palace of Hell in search of one man that all of them have come to find a deep loathing for. With their pasts, presents, and futures all intertwined with one and other, the following hours could very well be Earth's final moments.
It's a dungeon-crawler of sorts with heavy focus on story. It is not going to be a very long project, because I feel that shorter projects are so much more worth it in the long-run. They're also much more enjoyable to work on, too.
CHARACTERS
Andrew
Age: 23
Andrew is a young man who, on Earth, was engaged and married to Maria, one of his travelling companions. They had a child together—a baby boy—who they named Evan. Sadly, Evan passed away due to an unknown cause, which marked the beginning for the couples descent in to hell. From that point forward, both Andrew and Maria's lives became a living nightmare to which there was no escape.
Andrew is kind-hearted and willing to listen to a friend if they are in need, but he can become very short-tempered in stressful situations and usually does not think too well under stress. Both he and Maria tend to help one and other out in next to every situation they find themselves in, be it good or bad. It is because of their close relationship and strong bond that they were able to pull themselves out of the depression of losing their son.
Andrew, like Maria, mysteriously came upon the same conclusion to the mystery of what, or rather WHO had killed their son: a man by the name of Ephiam. In pursuit of this man, the two lovers ventured to Venaitura with the aid of two close friends: Laura and Alexander.
Maria
Age: 22
She is very sweet and kind, but also very fragile. She has difficulty accepting pain and truths that she finds hard to believe believe, and sometimes allows her emotions to manipulate her in to doing or saying things that she would later regret. She has adapted some of Andrew's care-free and light-hearted spirit, but still slings to her semi-serious ways.
When faced with problems herself, she often tends to lose herself to her emotions and the swirling array of choices and decisions she has to make, or has already made. However, when confronting someone else's problems (mainly Andrew's) she is much better at voicing her true opinion and offering a helping hand.
Ever since her child died from a mysterious cause, she has been a different woman. She has since then, however, recovered a great deal from the effects of stress and depression.
Laura
Age: 29
Laura is a very strict and powerful mage. She's been studying the dark arts ever since she was a young girl (or for as long as she can remember), and has had to adapt a serious and punishing attitidue for herself in order to help her live an easier life in a world that has come to shun such magics. Out of the three other character's she spends most of her time with, she is definitly the most iron-willed of the lot and can usually keep her calm and speak her mind regardless of the situation at hand.
Laura had tried to settle down with a man every now and then in her life, but found that she could never deal with the daunting amount of tasks linked to relationships and building a strong love-life. Instead, she chooses to live freely and could never care less whether or not she finds the “perfect man” or not.
The link between Laura and the Palace of Hell also rests within Ephiam, a man whom all of the character's seem to have connections to. Again, here these connections are also grim and involve the loss of life, although Laura has never (knowingly) talked about the incident with either Andrew, Maria, or Alexander.
Alexander
Age: 23
Alexander is a “unique” case. He is a very non-serious person, and there will rarely be a moment where he does not try and change the topic at hand, if it tends to deviate off in to something serious, on to a more humorous one. Because of Alexander's uniqueness in this way, he has earned a great deal of dislike from Laura, although Maria and Andrew still tend to find a soft spot towards him and his odd ways.
For whatever reason it may be, Alexander is always allowing his mind to wander and will never truly join in on a serious discussion. He will either add something completely unrelated, or try and mix things up a little by adding his own humorous spin to whatever the the current discussion is about.
Perhaps there is a little more to Alex's tom-foolery...?
CREDITS:
Graphics: Kentona and Jaymonius. (For gathering and having the resources, not for producing them).
Story/Editing/Testing: Ephiam.
Screenshots:
(http://i49.tinypic.com/2uhbdx3.png)
(http://i45.tinypic.com/34pmiwm.png)
(http://i45.tinypic.com/xp3ktk.png)
(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/i47.tinypic.com/fkxwqr.png)
(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/i46.tinypic.com/mhefwk.png)
DOWNLOAD:
http://rpgmaker.net/games/1914/
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it looks okay I guess, I don't generally play demos but if this get's finished i'll give it a shot.
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It all looks a little bit too custom except the nice chars. The font sucks and is overused too although it is not the standard one.
And if you use Refmap your mapping has to be more eppic.
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You'll not get any more "epic" than that out of me for maps. I was fairly certain those were actually pretty good considering it was me who made them.
Also, I love that font! It's a nice fit. That's one thing that's not going anywhere (off of my computer). Besides I didn't include the font, because when I do about 10% of the people actually use it, so I decided to leave it out.
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Is this My Paradise under a different name or a completely different game? 'cause I recognize the names from those videos on Youtube.
In anycase, I'm DLing it anyway, I'll tell my thoughts on it later.
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It looks interesting, downloading... I'll edit this or post a new comment once I finish the demo.
EDIT: 116 MB for a demo? MP3 files?
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Yes! It WAS once called My paradise. But then I decided to just change the name, and really change the story... and pretty much ended up with something entirely new! In...a sense. I guess. But either way, most of the stuff that you saw in the videos (I can't remember if I deleted those or not) is still in there, but just changed around heavily.
And yes, MP3s. One of my many loves. Sorry if it's an inconvenience, but I just had to put them in there! They help the mood and feel so much.
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Actually I'm glad it's about MP3s, the experience is much better with good quality music.
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I agree. I don't think I'd ever be able to replicate the feeling I've gotten with MIDIs.
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Just played through the demo, and I've found a rather... Persona 4-like feeling from the combo of mostly hilarious dialogue on a heavy story. As for gameplay, seems fine to me, I found myself creeping round the dungeons areas, trying to avoid the monsters strewn around as I took everything I could. So far so good, keep it up!
EDIT: I know Ephiam's seen it, but I've made a vid of the first boss just in case anyone else wants to watch it here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=637mZNLkcOo)
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Glad you liked it. I wish I could have made the demo longer, but the game is not going to be very long when it is completed, so I did not want to give too much of what was going to be in there away. This was just a little taste to let you know what the full version would/will be like when it is completed.
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Hey Ephiam, do I need RTP to play this? I've left my rpgmaker years behind me so I no longer have it or the rtp installed.
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You shouldn't, but I'm only 60~% sure. I included the RTP with it, so I'm fairly positive that it should work. You also might have a bit of font trouble (slightly hard to read), but that could be it.
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Wait- Venaitura rings a bell- wasn't there another game called Dragon Fantasy: Venaitura? And why is hell in the sky? It's usually chthonic... :hmm:
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Let me just redo this now that I don't feel like a zombie:
Yes! A lot of my games take place in the Dragon fantasy Universe, and Eternal Paradise is no exception! Besides, even if it did not take place there, I'd have to throw it in as a sort of throw-back to my more popular series.
And it's in the sky because I say it can be there!
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Ah. And if you say so...
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He ha. Well, I'd give a better reason, but it was floating in the first Dragon Fantasy game, so I can't see why it's not permitted to do so here! All falls under the explanation of "Magic did it!" pretty much. =P
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How about its being above Earth but below Heaven to isolate Celes, either as punishment for rebelling against God, or as a sort of padded room? An immortal being cut off from all social contact would surely go mad after a while if they weren't already...
*Edit* What I'm trying to say is that a structure floating above the planet makes plenty of sense as a prison...
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Neh ha ha ha ha. Like I said: I'll think about it. I'm making great progress so far, and I can safely say that the game becomes far better once you're finally able to buy a lot of the stuff that you want to. Sure, it is possible in the demo, but that would involve just walking around and killing enemies non-stop. When you're constantly progressing it's always better. Hn hn.
Anyway, the Island portion of the game is pretty much finished--everything you were going to see of the OUTER island was within the demo, and because of that there are going to be far less mist/haze overlays and overly dark areas and the like. There is still going to be one here-and-there, don't get me wrong! But they're going to be far less frequent (you'd hope so, wouldn't you? =P)
I...still don't know how long I plan to have this project turn out, though! It will definitely be a few hours, but it shouldn't go over... say... 5-6? Maybe. I'm usually wrong about this, but it's a rough estimate. It will do for now! Be happy.
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Just downloaded it and played it for a bit.
I suppose I'll start with the good:
- I get a real Lunar-ish vibe from the story, what with the way the characters really lay the unseriousness onto each other constantly yet there's obviously something urgent taking place. I didn't get far enough to figure out what that something is, though. Also saw your name in the dialogue. Are you a bad guy? :b
- You used Unlimited SaGa battle themes. I love you.
Now for the criticism:
- Maybe I'm just jaded, but I've found myself becoming more and more intolerant of graphical rips. I realize that not everyone has time to sit down and draw out every tile in the entire game, but I have serious trouble labeling Ratix, Millie, Dorn, and Marvel as anything other than...well, Ratix, Millie, Dorn, and Marvel. It was more excusable in your Dragon Fantasy titles as the generic Dragon Quest sprites were much more nondescript. Any particular reason they kept their tails?
- The dialogue's a little overbearing. Perhaps you should make it brief or tone down the jokes? I'm not against humor in RPGs, but I think it should be saved for less-stressed moments in the game...particularly not the intro, as you'll want it to be short, sweet, and straight to the point so that you don't lose the crowd in drabble.
- Perhaps you should lay off of the overlays a bit. While they do add atmosphere, I found it really hard to see anything half the time, and the "lantern effect" in the cave just made it worse. I know the fog is part of the story, but even games where the characters are thrown into pitch-blackness tend to be mindful of the player, even if the characters themselves can't see jack.
Well, that's all I've really got to say so far... Keep at it.
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Excellent! Another player steps forth and offers their opinion! Thank you very much, Mineyl. Though I wish that you'd gone and completed the demo--it's not very long (about a half an hour or so), and offers some of that "serious" storytelling that you've mentioned.
I can see where you're getting this "Lunar-esque" feeling. I'm trying to balance out the seriousness with a bit of humor here-and-there, because the further you I in to the story, the harder it is going to be for me to insert humor and related events that just feel "right." As of now I think I've struck a decent balance between the two, but I can tell that it is going to fall in to more serious territory once I near the end. That's a given, though.
And about the graphics... and more specifically the character's tails.
Well... there is no DEFINITE reason , and I suppose you could pin it on me being lazy or something similar... but I think that a little event that I'm going to have unfold later in to the game may give some insight in to their different appearance. I SHOULD address that if I'm not going to change it, right? He ha. I think it'd work well with what I have, too! So who knows.
Also, don't worry about the overlays, and I don't plan on using them NEAR as much for the rest of the game as I did in the beginning. That was more-or-less me trying to establish a certain atmosphere that I thought would be difficult to acquire... but it wasn't THAT hard! I have gone back and toned down a great deal of things, though, as mentioned above (I think).
Anyway, thank you for playing and I hope that you'll be back again when it's finished. =)
ALSO: Yes! The main villain is Ephiam (he was always my villain's name before I made it my forum username. =P)
Mwa ha.
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Hello everyone! I am coming to deliver a slew of juicy updates for Eternal Paradise your way!
UPDATES FROM DEMO TO NOW:
+Fog overlay is toned down.
+Inside of caves is much easier to navigate and see though.
+Small edits to character dialogue.
+Edits to monster stats.
+Edits to monster sprites.
+HP for the four main characters was adjusted ever-so-slightly.
+Adjusted EXP gained and some items earned from early enemy encounters.
+Roughly 15-20 maps more than before. I'm on a roll!
+Renamed some of the spells, and changed one of Laura's spell scrolls so that you learn Omega Ice instead of Omega Fire (again).
+Edited out and replaced some enemy actions.
+In terms of story, it has taken a very quick dive in to a much more serious mood, generating a much more haunting atmosphere.
+Very fast-paced story (this game is going to be short, after all).
+Changed a lot of the music around. Added some, removed some, and just reduced their size overall.
And here are a few new screenshots for the lot of you:
(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/i40.tinypic.com/2iiwsib.png)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/vo9ahv.png)
(https://legacy.gamingw.net/etc/i39.tinypic.com/123miqd.png)
(http://i41.tinypic.com/20kx0m1.png)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/np3y8y.png)
And two new videos! These are simply battle-oriented videos for entertainment purposes only, and to show off a few of the songs and character abilities.
Video One ^ (Early game)
Video Two ^ (Midpoint game)
I've recently finished eventing the turning-point of the game. From the boss that separates the beginning portions from the end, everything takes drastic turn. This ranges from the story and characters to the music its self. It is turning out to be a much more dark and serious tale than what was shown in the demo, and is definitely much funner, too (thanks to the variety of equipment and abilities you'll have by then!)
I've entered the final stretch, and hope to possibly get this game out by the end of this Month, or at least the beginning of the next! There will be no rushing things though, so don't worry about that,
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So I went ahead and made a little seven minute video of Eternal Paradise today. I wanted to show something a little more than just boss fights, so I simply opened FRAPS and hit the record button while I wandered aimlessly for a while.
As said in the video description, the music on the field is subject to change, as I'm experimenting around a bit at the moment.
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(http://i49.tinypic.com/2uhbdx3.png)
Ill be honest with you dude, I know that making custom graphics isn't for everyone especially since sometimes they end up looking so terrible they really weren't worth the effort. If you are going to use borrowed resources though, at least spend some time looking for something less common. Nothing about those screens makes your game stand out, just the opposite.
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Okay. But I'm not making this game in a way that will make it stand out. I'm just making it... for the enjoyment of making it! If it looks like a hundred other games, then that is all good, but somewhere along the line it will drag someone in to play it, so eh.
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If the font I see int the videos is the one you'd been using earlier,, please DO include it in the packet! It's quite readable and that's always useful in any game! You could always put it in using the fontswap patch anyway...
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Ohhhh don't worry, I'll definitely include the font in the final game! But I've done that a lot in the past and people just ignored it, so I decided against it when I released the demo.