Balmung Cycle Part I: The Messenger and the Heretic

Recently GLYPH150 brought up some points about Balmung that I had made a habit to keep people aware of since the beginning in this thread: http://www.gamingw.net/forums/index.php?topic=72903.80

While it was never my original intention to create one aspect of the game to be any stronger than the other, it's clear that with a new story arc I can correct some of the issues that caused part I to be lacking, particularly in the strength of the story. I asked people in the GW thread to give me their thoughts on what could be changed or added to part 2 as well as suggestions for how to treat the development of the new story arc for part 2. This will indeed be a new storyline, however it will have tie-ins to The Messenger and the Heretic and will also bring to the front some of the back story that was talked about in part 1.

Here are some ideas to think about:
* What worked for you in terms of story and what didn't?
* Was the overall difficulty level just right, too easy, or too hard? Would the difficulty level be acceptable if there were less random battles?
* Which characters were most interesting, which were least interesting? Who would you like to see more of in part 2?
* Were there any features that you felt could have been more developed? Can they be expanded with the restraints of the engine kept in mind?
* What is the overall opinion of adding a single unified gameplay gimmick to dungeons and field areas? Would this help establish an identity for them that sets the regions apart from generic dungeons?

Finding new directions to take Balmung Cycle while still maintaining the feeling that it is indeed the same game is a major challenge posed for part 2. Regardless, I think a little change for the better can help keep this project fresh and extend it to people who would normally not take interest in an RPG Maker game.

Finally, the last development patch is indeed coming! Just give me a bit more time, I'll have it ready eventually...

The game is up for download, completion time should take between 6-8 hours. Take note of several things beforehand:

-Difficulty has been tweaked, the game is not easy. If you play it smart and utilize all your options however, it isn't overly difficult, even the final boss.

-Though I have fixed literally hundreds of bugs and errors, some still do persist. You may come across some, but none are game breaking. Please report any bug you come across regardless!

Known bugs:
*The "void" dialogue in the final battle repeats itself once
*The Kune Stash divine favor condition is known to randomly not work. It may never be fixed...
*If Alrick uses the search skill and an enemy runs from battle, that enemy will still be targeted and killed if it has the lowest HP.
*A very rare bug causes players to use special skills several times in a row before deducting adrenaline.

At the end of the game, many questions are still left unanswered. Feel free to speculate on whether it was intentional or a plot hole, but I'm not going to say which of the two it happens to be!

-Magi

As mentioned in the 04/27/08 update, special skills require adrenaline to execute. Fortunately this feature has been substantially revised and now there are no skills that cost more than four adrenaline. Not only has this made executing them more practical, but each character's skillset has been vastly revised to make them more useful. Below is a listing of a few of the special skills of the first four party members and their function.

Blitz:
A. Study Foe (0Ad): Studies the target enemy to determine its HP/MP, and weaknesses/strengths.
B. Signet of Force (2Ad): Increases the force resistance for one party member.
C. Final Blitz (4Ad): A strong non-elemental attack that damages one enemy.

Elm
A. Ethos Shock (1Ad): Causes health degeneration to a foe while absorbing its HP.
B. Inspiring Speech (1Ad): "Let's do it!" Increases party attack and defense.
C. Ethereal Matriarch (3Ad): A powerful astral attack that inflicts weakness on any survivors.

Alrick
A. Search (1Ad): Automatically strikes the target with the least amount of HP.
B. Gravity Well (2Ad): Slows the reaction of one target.
C. Sharpshooter (???Ad): Uses all adrenaline to determine damage dealt to the target enemy.

Skuld
A. Discourage (2Ad): Lowers the level of the target monster.
B. Ice Breaker (1Ad): Decreases enemy resistance to cold.
C. Frailty is Power (3Ad): Lose all conditions, gain 50HP for each lost.

Common Skills (Gained by equipping an item):
A. First Aid (1Ad): Restore a little HP to self.
B. Resist Sanctity (1Ad): Causes target enemy to benefit less from healing logia.
C. Help me, Eitriiiiii! (3Ad): Call Eitri to battle!

Note: Ad = Adrenaline

But that won't stop the June 20th release date!

What lies beyond? Well, probably not much. I put Balmung on hold periodically when I lose interest so there is a chance it will come back yet again! By that time however the last 20 people who enjoy RPG Maker will probably be gone however, so if you enjoy part I, I'm sorry to say that the future isn't certain...

I can say however that Part I is about five hours long if you do everything, a decent length for an RPG Maker game and more than an adequate summer distraction for all you unfortunate bubs who couldn't land a job. (blame the economy if you live in the US, but otherwise blame yourself)

On an unrelated note who remembers FFIX? I had a pretty good run with that game and recently picked it up again. For those of you who don't know, Zidane dies in the end...

What is the world of Balmung Cycle like? Well, it's a rather cozy one in terms of size. There is still much to be seen and do however! Some of the locations listed are completely optional and up to the player to visit.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6125/midgardmapgd4.png
Key:
01. Midland Yggdrasil Cave
02. Sersul Heights
03. Anath Village
04. Borea Village
05. Port of Borea
06. Yggdrasil Spring
07. Midland-Idrika Checkpoint
08. Arvak Town
09. Verdandi Ruins
10. Mirkwood Forest
11. Ruins of Lif
12. Island Shrine
13. Hati Shrine
14. Visgott Village
15. Noatun River Checkpoint
16. Highlands Villa
17. Mountains of Marmenill
18. Forest of Noatun
19. Phantasmagician Manor
20. Endane Grave
21. Balder's Solace
22. Tornica Plains Cave
23. Skadie's Underpass
24. (Not shown on map) Ginnungagap
25. Ironfall Prison