Another bi-monthly post from your not-so-active blue-haired gam-makker. I still have a hill to climb, trying to push this boulder of a project to the top, and even though I'm straining with all my might to get her there, it's working. Slow but steady.

So, what have I been doing?

Plot


War. Total war.

Writing, mostly. The prologue section of the game is a bit longer now, but different from the last build that was released, and goes into more detail why Tristian and her companions are holding off their aggressors at Castle Liguria ( formerly Castle Genoa ). Though the term 'aggressor' is a very vague term when used in this game. After all, there are no real 'good' or 'evil' characters populating the Kingdom of Liguria. Yes, some of the 'bad guys' may act like jerks towards our heroines, but at least they are acting upon a wish and a desire, rather than twirling their moustaches, cackling like evil gits while their black robes billow in the wind.

A desire so strong they are willing to go to great lengths to capture, and kill, Princess Ianna. And as we know, Tristian can't allow that. At all. And it is up to the player to decide whether Tristian's actions to protect her future Queen are as a result of her duty... or something else. After all, not everyone is into yuri. XD

To really sum up Tristian's plot, it goes like this:
Invaders want to capture and kill the Princess -> Titular heroine protects her at all costs -> War ensues -> Heroines may/may not have feelings for each other -> ???

You know, writing it out like that now makes it a lot easier to follow a proper plot structure. ><



Even our titular heroine will become conflicted over what she needs to do. The Genoese Civil war, detailed within the game, had an adverse effect on where Tristian needed to step over the 'moral event horizon' and though it happened four years before the events of LoTL, the event left the lady knight with profound, knife-sharp memories. Moreso, it affects her outlook not only towards her pedigree ( being the descendant of a powerful swordswoman who has protected the Ligurian royal family for the past 300 hundred or so years ), but the very Order of knights she's been serving since the age of 17 ( she's 22 at the start of LoTL ). Tristian actually starts to doubt her actions as a knight, but knowing that Ianna is now all alone in the world... well, you can only imagine how her morality and her duty starts to collide...

So, expect quite a bit of drama later down the road. Who knows, it might ignite some... fiery, if not downright passionate, confrontations.

The next build of the game also introduces a brand new playable character.

Gameplay



Yes, some of you may recall that I introduced him a while back. Sir Edmund Bolingbroke from the Duchy of Caliburn. He is, in Final Fantasy terms, a Dragoon, or in Fire Emblem terms, a Sentinel. Regardless of naming, he packs a mean spear and wears some of the coolest ( if not the coolest ) looking-armour in the game. That makes him legit, right?

The only stumbling block I've come across now is how to differentiate him from Tristian, who is already a competent physical fighter in her own right. Having too many of the same units does make for boring gameplay, after all. Edmund stat-wise, is like a general: High HP, Strength and Defence, but very low Magic, MP with a rather atrocious Speed stat.

I'd imagine he could serve as a tank with a 'reverse' spell ( more on healing below ) with only one real powerful physical attack and status-debuffs that double as crowd-control moves. Another thing Edmund has going for him is that all his spears can counter-attack, being 1-2 ranged weapons, but with low Attack power. Another thing I've been thinking about to spice up battles in the game is the incorporation of row formations. I.o.w, enemies in the back row can only be hit with either a 1-2 ranged weapon or magic. Or that playable characters in the 'Back' row will only be able to use ranged-weapons or magic.

Only thing is, I have no idea how to do that, so I would appreciate some help. ><


A medical cabin.

I've ditched healing spells in the game. Unless your PC happens to be trained white mage, they won't be able to use white magic. Period. Medical cabins, tents or hospitals/clinics found in the larger cities will charge the player a fee of:

1 Diadon coin for every Hit Point/Life Point lost.
3 Diadon coins for every Magic Point lost.

Thankfully, your party members maintain Fire-Emblem like HP/MP stats throughout the entire game. So a character having just 80HP is considered an 'HP-tank'.

It may seem a little restrictive now, but it also forces players to conserve what little medical supplies they may have ( it is in a war-torn environment, after all. Sanctions are placed on everyone, even Tristy and co ). The player can also forage healing herbs from specially designated shrubs, marked by a little sparkle on the map. I think it makes oodles more sense than getting it out of a wooden chest. XD

So, that's what I've been up to for the last fortnight. Until my birthday update ( so it's my last Tristy blog as a 27-year old ), this is Luchi signing out. ^^