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Miscellaneous
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: Aren
Enker
NAME: Aren
SEX: Female
AGE: 130
CLASS: Druid
In the world of Shadow's Reach older races such as the Dwarves and Elves are an uncommon sight, gone are their ancestral cities and nations and in their place we find occasional stragglers reluctanct to leave the world of man behind. Aren is one such individual, a toughened woman whose emotional ties to her younger brother lead her to formulate a rescue from an unknown assailant no matter what the cost. Employing both Errol and Marcus for this function, she is very much the one in charge of the team.
The primary healer of the game, with her powers firmly rooted in protective and restorative spells. Aren is however not the normal classification of a healer, she's more than capable of kicking ass in a one on one fight and her spears give her a number of hard attacks that will have lesser monsters destroyed in one blow. Coupled with the character-unique ability to use her pet, Cannis in battle for one of the games most expensive but powerful special moves.
For Aren the quest is as personal as can be, with the life of her brother on the line in a world where the Elven race is becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find. Understandably passionate about what she must do, she sets out to rescue him and defeat all obsticles in her way.
SEX: Female
AGE: 130
CLASS: Druid
In the world of Shadow's Reach older races such as the Dwarves and Elves are an uncommon sight, gone are their ancestral cities and nations and in their place we find occasional stragglers reluctanct to leave the world of man behind. Aren is one such individual, a toughened woman whose emotional ties to her younger brother lead her to formulate a rescue from an unknown assailant no matter what the cost. Employing both Errol and Marcus for this function, she is very much the one in charge of the team.
The primary healer of the game, with her powers firmly rooted in protective and restorative spells. Aren is however not the normal classification of a healer, she's more than capable of kicking ass in a one on one fight and her spears give her a number of hard attacks that will have lesser monsters destroyed in one blow. Coupled with the character-unique ability to use her pet, Cannis in battle for one of the games most expensive but powerful special moves.
For Aren the quest is as personal as can be, with the life of her brother on the line in a world where the Elven race is becoming increasingly rare and difficult to find. Understandably passionate about what she must do, she sets out to rescue him and defeat all obsticles in her way.
Miscellaneous
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: Marcus
NAME: Marcus
SEX: Male
AGE: 24
CLASS: Duellist
The muscle of the team, armed with years of adventuring and mercinery experience, Marcus is a money-hungry man with a flair for combat. The second half of a comedy duo with the faithful Bard Errol, the pair bicker and cheat their way through all manner of events on their way to being taken seriously in the community. A serious dislike of magic and the gods leads to clashes with the Paladin Dante within the group, as the pair justle for alpha-male like dominance of the group.
The only character not to use magic throughout the game as part of his basic skill-set, Marcus instead uses a series of unique physical attacks and skills that deal direct damage to both HP and MP. With twin swords in both hands he is capable of dealing out a lot of damage in relatively short time.
For Marcus, the adventure is a job first and an adventure second. With his eye firmly on both his employer and the mission at hand, he and Errol are launched into a quest beyond anything he signed up for.
SEX: Male
AGE: 24
CLASS: Duellist
The muscle of the team, armed with years of adventuring and mercinery experience, Marcus is a money-hungry man with a flair for combat. The second half of a comedy duo with the faithful Bard Errol, the pair bicker and cheat their way through all manner of events on their way to being taken seriously in the community. A serious dislike of magic and the gods leads to clashes with the Paladin Dante within the group, as the pair justle for alpha-male like dominance of the group.
The only character not to use magic throughout the game as part of his basic skill-set, Marcus instead uses a series of unique physical attacks and skills that deal direct damage to both HP and MP. With twin swords in both hands he is capable of dealing out a lot of damage in relatively short time.
For Marcus, the adventure is a job first and an adventure second. With his eye firmly on both his employer and the mission at hand, he and Errol are launched into a quest beyond anything he signed up for.
Miscellaneous
CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: Errol
NAME: Errol
SEX: Male
AGE: 16
CLASS: Bard
Errol is the main protagonist of Shadow's Reach and the character through which most of the game will be played (though other characters will spend time in the 'hot seat'). Considered to be somewhat mad by his friends, Errol is a Bard with an elusive past and a friendly, outgoing personality. Happy to help out strangers and tag along with the Duellist Marcus in the hopes of writing a story of his adventures that will put him in the history books. The only drawback is the presence of Kalimshan, the god of Shiny Things, who may or may not be living in his head. Narration of the game is always from Errol's view point, including item, magic and event descriptions - which can sometimes lead to you believing that he's as mad as his friends suspect.
A user of Illusion Magic, Errol can cast powerful status inducing effects onto the enemy to hinder them in battle, whilst also using his knives to deal physical damage when he can.
Errol's journey is very much that of a young bard realising that whilst he may be travelling in the company of heroes, he's been a hero himself all along.
SEX: Male
AGE: 16
CLASS: Bard
Errol is the main protagonist of Shadow's Reach and the character through which most of the game will be played (though other characters will spend time in the 'hot seat'). Considered to be somewhat mad by his friends, Errol is a Bard with an elusive past and a friendly, outgoing personality. Happy to help out strangers and tag along with the Duellist Marcus in the hopes of writing a story of his adventures that will put him in the history books. The only drawback is the presence of Kalimshan, the god of Shiny Things, who may or may not be living in his head. Narration of the game is always from Errol's view point, including item, magic and event descriptions - which can sometimes lead to you believing that he's as mad as his friends suspect.
A user of Illusion Magic, Errol can cast powerful status inducing effects onto the enemy to hinder them in battle, whilst also using his knives to deal physical damage when he can.
Errol's journey is very much that of a young bard realising that whilst he may be travelling in the company of heroes, he's been a hero himself all along.
Miscellaneous
ELEMENTAL WEAPONS
Whilst characters gather abilities and skills throughout the game via levelling up as found in most traditional fantasy rpg games, the ability for them to equip special weapons that allow them access to level-dependant elemental magic whilst that weapon is equipped to the character has now been implimented into the game.
However it's not as easy as rushing out and buying one or finding one of these rare weapons inside a handy dungeon box. We've been much more sneaky than that - in order to win just one weapon you will have to first track down the current location of a travelling Black Mage, and then engage in a spot of mini-game action using the resident team cat Eep to play a game similar to Pac-Man in design. If you complete this game then one of the weapons will be given to the party, and then the mage will vanish, appearing in a totally new location in the game and offering a new level of pac-man for the next item, and so on.
Whilst equipping these weapons (1 per character) will allow access for powerful magics dependant upon the level of the character in question, they have limited use as physical attack sources as their stats are average and quickly outdistanced by the many weapons available to purchase. But they are the ONLY way in which a character can break their class stereotype and learn magical attacks outside their normal range.
But that's not all, these weapons are key instruments in one of the games biggest optional dungeons, where their powers MUST be tapped in order to solve puzzels, advance through areas and eventually gain access to the games ultimate weapon . . . details on which I shall leave till another day.
However it's not as easy as rushing out and buying one or finding one of these rare weapons inside a handy dungeon box. We've been much more sneaky than that - in order to win just one weapon you will have to first track down the current location of a travelling Black Mage, and then engage in a spot of mini-game action using the resident team cat Eep to play a game similar to Pac-Man in design. If you complete this game then one of the weapons will be given to the party, and then the mage will vanish, appearing in a totally new location in the game and offering a new level of pac-man for the next item, and so on.
Whilst equipping these weapons (1 per character) will allow access for powerful magics dependant upon the level of the character in question, they have limited use as physical attack sources as their stats are average and quickly outdistanced by the many weapons available to purchase. But they are the ONLY way in which a character can break their class stereotype and learn magical attacks outside their normal range.
But that's not all, these weapons are key instruments in one of the games biggest optional dungeons, where their powers MUST be tapped in order to solve puzzels, advance through areas and eventually gain access to the games ultimate weapon . . . details on which I shall leave till another day.
Miscellaneous
DEMO WALKTHROUGH
As promised a FULL walkthrough for the demo is now up for reading in the forums, follow the link below to read it for yourself and see if you managed to complete all of the many sub-quests and mini-games available!
http://www.rpgmaker.net/forums/index.php?topic=877.0
http://www.rpgmaker.net/forums/index.php?topic=877.0
Miscellaneous
VOCAL PERFORMANCES
Whilst the game stands at 108mb in size at this time (containing all of the demo and double that content again at this present time) the decision to include the size-swelling use of spoken dialogue in key scenes has been given the thumbs up. Soon you'll be able to not only read, but hear the dialogue of Dante, Errol, Marcus and more as their adventure soars to new heights. Additional touches such as damage and attacking sounds are also being recorded to give the characters as much expression as possible. At this time roughly 60% of the cast has been auditioned and given roles with extra characters still awaiting voice artists.
In other news the walkthrough for the demo has been put on hold for a short while whilst I wait to see if anybody else has managed to uncover all of its MANY secrets. One player has come close, but is missing two special moments. Keep trying guys!
In other news the walkthrough for the demo has been put on hold for a short while whilst I wait to see if anybody else has managed to uncover all of its MANY secrets. One player has come close, but is missing two special moments. Keep trying guys!
Miscellaneous
BREAK LIMIT
When deciding the skill-sets for the various characters in the game I wanted to ensure that Marcus had a very distinct feel when compaired to those around him. Out of everybody who joins the party throughout the plot, he is the only one who does not use magic, and as such should have a different set of actions. To this effect Marcus' moves all revolve around the use of his weapons and his full list of abilities is quite small but very powerful. As a particular trait of his class he uses two swords, which in itself sets him apart when it comes to equipment choosing, most moves make use of this two-sword style to rain down many light blows onto one enemy for cumulative effect.
One aspect of his character that I am particularly proud of is that when he reaches level 25 (halfway through his max), Marcus learns the Break Limit ability. Unlike any other move in the game this is a static skill that does not appear in the 'Special' box during combat unless his HP is below 25% its max. When he reaches this status however, the Break Limit skill appears for no MP cost and can be selected to trigger an explosive special move of mixed physical and fire elements. Upon healing or resting in any way the ability vanishes again.
Marcus' use of the Break Limit ability, coupled with his smaller but more powerful skill-set and double-sword style manages to make him feel and play much differently to the other 'front row' fighters in the game, in particular Dante, whose skills largely revolve around Light/Healing magics and prayers to his goddess to dramatically boost his own stats each turn. It's important to ensure that each character has a different feel when developing a game, especially when their in-game personalities need to portray them as dramatically different to each other.
One aspect of his character that I am particularly proud of is that when he reaches level 25 (halfway through his max), Marcus learns the Break Limit ability. Unlike any other move in the game this is a static skill that does not appear in the 'Special' box during combat unless his HP is below 25% its max. When he reaches this status however, the Break Limit skill appears for no MP cost and can be selected to trigger an explosive special move of mixed physical and fire elements. Upon healing or resting in any way the ability vanishes again.
Marcus' use of the Break Limit ability, coupled with his smaller but more powerful skill-set and double-sword style manages to make him feel and play much differently to the other 'front row' fighters in the game, in particular Dante, whose skills largely revolve around Light/Healing magics and prayers to his goddess to dramatically boost his own stats each turn. It's important to ensure that each character has a different feel when developing a game, especially when their in-game personalities need to portray them as dramatically different to each other.
Miscellaneous
THE WORLDMAP
Because the poor worldmap in most RPGs is renegated to being nothing more than a way of getting from A to B, and because Shadow's Reach does not feature random encounters outside of dungeons, the following features are included only in this particular area of the game:
CONVERSATIONS:
At some points as you travel through the game an icon in the bottom right of the screen reading 'conversation' will appear. When this happens pressing the ok key will activate a short scripted sequence that features two or more of the characters in your party at that time having a conversation. This is used to explain the history of an area, flesh out character background and interaction, as well as provide comedy interludes. These conversations appear all over the world map throughout play (even in areas that you have already visited) and are not essential to completion of the main story. Fans of the Gamecube game 'Tales of Symphonia' will already have a rough idea of how this system works.
HUNTING:
After having joined the Hunter's Guild you will be able to partake in the biggest mini-game that Shadow's Reach has to offer. Spread out across the whole of the worldmap is a series of heafty boss encounters that become ever more challanging as you complete each one. In much same way as the conversation system, the text 'Mark' will appear in an icon at the bottom left hand side of the screen and pressing the ok button will automatically throw you into the battle. Once found, these battles can be fled from and returned to at a later date for completion, but only one mark can be inlocked at a time. Upon winning a battle the next mark will be set loose and will have to be tracked down.
TREASURE HUNT:
Later in the game you will be given a special mission to track down and dig up an ancient artifact that is hidden somewhere on the world map. In order to do this you will have to have a THIEF class character in your party, and when you walk across a spot where treasure has been buried a low sound will indicate that there is something in the area. After that it's up to you to dig down and see what that item is. It could be anything from the humble 1 GP piece to a special item. This minigame becomes available as soon as the character of Athena is unlocked.
CONVERSATIONS:
At some points as you travel through the game an icon in the bottom right of the screen reading 'conversation' will appear. When this happens pressing the ok key will activate a short scripted sequence that features two or more of the characters in your party at that time having a conversation. This is used to explain the history of an area, flesh out character background and interaction, as well as provide comedy interludes. These conversations appear all over the world map throughout play (even in areas that you have already visited) and are not essential to completion of the main story. Fans of the Gamecube game 'Tales of Symphonia' will already have a rough idea of how this system works.
HUNTING:
After having joined the Hunter's Guild you will be able to partake in the biggest mini-game that Shadow's Reach has to offer. Spread out across the whole of the worldmap is a series of heafty boss encounters that become ever more challanging as you complete each one. In much same way as the conversation system, the text 'Mark' will appear in an icon at the bottom left hand side of the screen and pressing the ok button will automatically throw you into the battle. Once found, these battles can be fled from and returned to at a later date for completion, but only one mark can be inlocked at a time. Upon winning a battle the next mark will be set loose and will have to be tracked down.
TREASURE HUNT:
Later in the game you will be given a special mission to track down and dig up an ancient artifact that is hidden somewhere on the world map. In order to do this you will have to have a THIEF class character in your party, and when you walk across a spot where treasure has been buried a low sound will indicate that there is something in the area. After that it's up to you to dig down and see what that item is. It could be anything from the humble 1 GP piece to a special item. This minigame becomes available as soon as the character of Athena is unlocked.
Miscellaneous
DEMO VERSION 1.0 NOW AVAILABLE
After a lot of time debating if I should release a demo, and if so where to make the break between demo and full game (always a hard place to find, somewhere between just enough to get a feel but not enough to spoil the full game) the first demo version of SHADOW'S REACH is finally available for download and play.
Coming to a (surprising) 108MB in size, I've made the decision to host it on MEGAUPLOADS rather then annoy the poor admin staff on RM Network, so be warned that you'll be in for a large RAR file, and that the WinRAR program will be required to unzip and play. Megauploads offers a limited amount of downloads a day but is free to use, so if you don't manage to get the demo on your first try remember to call back later.
CONTAINED WITHIN THE DEMO IS:
- The full opening of the game and initial worldmap area.
- Three plot-relevant bosses.
- Two optional dungeons and two optional bosses.
- Mini-games including CARDS and Eep's Adventures.
- The first four characters to join the party.
- An original opening song.
The demo should take the experienced gamer somewhere in the region of two to three hours to play through, but I've seen less experienced players take up to six.
I'll be releasing a walkthrough for the demo through the 'Game Log' next week to fully reveal the wealth of extras on offer in the Demo, it will be interesting to see if anybody has managed to discover them all before then.
Coming to a (surprising) 108MB in size, I've made the decision to host it on MEGAUPLOADS rather then annoy the poor admin staff on RM Network, so be warned that you'll be in for a large RAR file, and that the WinRAR program will be required to unzip and play. Megauploads offers a limited amount of downloads a day but is free to use, so if you don't manage to get the demo on your first try remember to call back later.
CONTAINED WITHIN THE DEMO IS:
- The full opening of the game and initial worldmap area.
- Three plot-relevant bosses.
- Two optional dungeons and two optional bosses.
- Mini-games including CARDS and Eep's Adventures.
- The first four characters to join the party.
- An original opening song.
The demo should take the experienced gamer somewhere in the region of two to three hours to play through, but I've seen less experienced players take up to six.
I'll be releasing a walkthrough for the demo through the 'Game Log' next week to fully reveal the wealth of extras on offer in the Demo, it will be interesting to see if anybody has managed to discover them all before then.
Miscellaneous
MINI-GAMES AND SUB-QUESTS
Because every good game has a wealth of things to be doing when not following the major story, Shadow's Reach presents a wealth of distractions that can keep the typical player occupied for any length of time. Ranging from long ongoing side-stories to single-play games, there is already a huge list of things to see and do around the world. Below I have outlined a few of those currently installed into the game.
1. CARDS
Card games are a staple of RPG mini-games and Shadows Reach has gone for the classic rendition of 21s. Everybody is familure with the basic concept of getting as close to the number 21 without going over it in order to beat their opponent, and with the added bonus of winning in-game money and taking part in a national tournament, you'll be keeping your eyes peeled for likely challangers.
2. FISHING
Fishing is a great passtime, simply buy yourself a rod and head out into the wide blue yonder. Wherever you see a likely fishing point, you can whip out your rod and try your luck at catching one of fifty different water-dwellers. Ranging from catches that can be used as items, to dangerous foes who will cause you serious grief.
3. HUNTING
Once you've reached a certain point in the game you can get yourself a Hunter's License and join the biggest quest in the game. Spread out across the overworld map are literally hundreds of 'Marks' that when found will throw you into a series of boss-level battles to test your party to its limit. Defeating them will not only give you cash and experience, but provide rare items and raise your 'Hunter Level' to unlock even tougher foes.
4. COMPETITIONS
Errol is an incredably vain Bard, and when he encounters a Clown he's bound to put his entertainment skills to the test by challinging them to a contest. Ranging from juggling to balloon animal making, it's a test of speed and skill that will unlock special items that only Errol can use.
5. THE COMBAT ARENA
The arena is located in the very first town you visit and initially serves simply as a tutorial on combat. But come back later any you'll be able to take part in a one on one competition, as well as battling the toughest monsters from each new area you unlock with your full party. Later in the game new modes are added, including a boss-bash that sees you taking all of the bosses from the game on one after another with only one character, and a special tournament to win one of the two most valuble items in the game (the other is a prize for winning the cards tournament - and together they unlock an amazing set of new moves).
6. MATCH MAKING
Getting two lovers together may seem like a trial at first, but it kicks into action a series of events that runs throughout the whole game. Get them together, attend their wedding, find them a home, and help raise their children. Every action you take with these two young lovers will directly influence the way their lives turn out.
7. EEP'S ADVENTURES
Even Eep, Errol's kitten companion, gets his own mini adventure in this game, as finding the reclusive travelling Black Mage will encourage him to test Eep's skills through a series of pac-man like levels that must be beaten in order to unlock elemental weapons for the main party. Once a level is cleared the mage will vanish to another location and must be found again before the next level can be played. Hours of classic arcade fun packed into one tiny mini-game!
8. BUY A FARM
Why waste time buying items when you can grow your own? Shadow's Reach has a whole farm that can be brought and and used to grow seeds that you find scattered throughout the land. Plant the crops, wait and see them grow, then harvest the fruit for a whole wealth of items.
The above doesn't even begin to cover the full depth of optional play, not when there are secret dungeons, puzzles, quizes and even a music hall where you can hear the full original opening song sung by the composer herself. All this and much more yet to be added to the full game.
1. CARDS
Card games are a staple of RPG mini-games and Shadows Reach has gone for the classic rendition of 21s. Everybody is familure with the basic concept of getting as close to the number 21 without going over it in order to beat their opponent, and with the added bonus of winning in-game money and taking part in a national tournament, you'll be keeping your eyes peeled for likely challangers.
2. FISHING
Fishing is a great passtime, simply buy yourself a rod and head out into the wide blue yonder. Wherever you see a likely fishing point, you can whip out your rod and try your luck at catching one of fifty different water-dwellers. Ranging from catches that can be used as items, to dangerous foes who will cause you serious grief.
3. HUNTING
Once you've reached a certain point in the game you can get yourself a Hunter's License and join the biggest quest in the game. Spread out across the overworld map are literally hundreds of 'Marks' that when found will throw you into a series of boss-level battles to test your party to its limit. Defeating them will not only give you cash and experience, but provide rare items and raise your 'Hunter Level' to unlock even tougher foes.
4. COMPETITIONS
Errol is an incredably vain Bard, and when he encounters a Clown he's bound to put his entertainment skills to the test by challinging them to a contest. Ranging from juggling to balloon animal making, it's a test of speed and skill that will unlock special items that only Errol can use.
5. THE COMBAT ARENA
The arena is located in the very first town you visit and initially serves simply as a tutorial on combat. But come back later any you'll be able to take part in a one on one competition, as well as battling the toughest monsters from each new area you unlock with your full party. Later in the game new modes are added, including a boss-bash that sees you taking all of the bosses from the game on one after another with only one character, and a special tournament to win one of the two most valuble items in the game (the other is a prize for winning the cards tournament - and together they unlock an amazing set of new moves).
6. MATCH MAKING
Getting two lovers together may seem like a trial at first, but it kicks into action a series of events that runs throughout the whole game. Get them together, attend their wedding, find them a home, and help raise their children. Every action you take with these two young lovers will directly influence the way their lives turn out.
7. EEP'S ADVENTURES
Even Eep, Errol's kitten companion, gets his own mini adventure in this game, as finding the reclusive travelling Black Mage will encourage him to test Eep's skills through a series of pac-man like levels that must be beaten in order to unlock elemental weapons for the main party. Once a level is cleared the mage will vanish to another location and must be found again before the next level can be played. Hours of classic arcade fun packed into one tiny mini-game!
8. BUY A FARM
Why waste time buying items when you can grow your own? Shadow's Reach has a whole farm that can be brought and and used to grow seeds that you find scattered throughout the land. Plant the crops, wait and see them grow, then harvest the fruit for a whole wealth of items.
The above doesn't even begin to cover the full depth of optional play, not when there are secret dungeons, puzzles, quizes and even a music hall where you can hear the full original opening song sung by the composer herself. All this and much more yet to be added to the full game.
