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August 2014 blog - a question for subscribers
Hello everybody! First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU to everybody who has downloaded and/or subscribed. Your support is appreciated, and your feedback is always welcome.
As we're entering mid-August, summer vacations are over and all schools and regular jobs are back in session. It follows that I will go back to the regular routines and will not have as much time to dedicate to this project. I will not take a one year hiatus again, this shall not be a summer project. But in all likelihood, progress will slow down, and blog updates will be more infrequent than once a month.
Since the current demo, I have finalized two towns and one dungeon. Lots of dialog, lots of exposition, lots of scripting to make it work. I am about to start with another town and another dungeon, both of which will require disproportionate scripting for plot reasons. I'm looking forward to it, as it will bring us into the meat of the second act.
Once this new area is completed, I may feel compelled to upload a new demo that includes it. You should be able to use your old save files and continue with the new content without having to start all over. However, I have a question: Is it enough?
Between the first demo and the current one, in terms of plot progression, two dungeons and three towns were added. Is that enough to get you playing again? If you beat the current demo, would you rather have two more dungeons every few months, or would you rather wait over half a year so that the new arc be finished?
Regardless, the cevelopment cycle would be the same and take as long. I just don't know if regularly updated demos would keep people's interest in the project alive or if it would be annoying to be teased by an incomplete story arc.
If you have any comments of suggestions, post them here.
Also, I would like to point out that there's a new page on the top bar called Music! because new MIDIs based on the SNES Breath of Fire games have been made for this project. Check them out if you like, you're free to use them in your projects.
As we're entering mid-August, summer vacations are over and all schools and regular jobs are back in session. It follows that I will go back to the regular routines and will not have as much time to dedicate to this project. I will not take a one year hiatus again, this shall not be a summer project. But in all likelihood, progress will slow down, and blog updates will be more infrequent than once a month.
Since the current demo, I have finalized two towns and one dungeon. Lots of dialog, lots of exposition, lots of scripting to make it work. I am about to start with another town and another dungeon, both of which will require disproportionate scripting for plot reasons. I'm looking forward to it, as it will bring us into the meat of the second act.
Once this new area is completed, I may feel compelled to upload a new demo that includes it. You should be able to use your old save files and continue with the new content without having to start all over. However, I have a question: Is it enough?
Between the first demo and the current one, in terms of plot progression, two dungeons and three towns were added. Is that enough to get you playing again? If you beat the current demo, would you rather have two more dungeons every few months, or would you rather wait over half a year so that the new arc be finished?
Regardless, the cevelopment cycle would be the same and take as long. I just don't know if regularly updated demos would keep people's interest in the project alive or if it would be annoying to be teased by an incomplete story arc.
If you have any comments of suggestions, post them here.
Also, I would like to point out that there's a new page on the top bar called Music! because new MIDIs based on the SNES Breath of Fire games have been made for this project. Check them out if you like, you're free to use them in your projects.
Progress Report
July 2014 update - introducing fishing!
It occured to me the other day that I was up all night looking up characteristics of various edible fish as well as a long list of French interjections. And why would anybody ever do that, if not to make a Breath of Fire game?
It's been about a month since I announced the comeback of this project. I was hoping I'd have a new, improved demo out by the end of July, but some things take a longer time than expected. I have not been outrageously lazy. Here's some of what I've been working on:
* Readjusting enemy stats - Mostly defense was too high across the board, the difficulty jump from area to area was too high, and I increased gold drops because equipment is expensive.
* Readjusting EXP curves - in the demo you level up much too quickly, even if you just fight the random encounters without seeking to grind.
* Readjusting encounter rates - it may be oldschool, it may be a BoF game, but the RNG has not smiled on us. A noticeable decrease in random encounters makes battles more welcome, I find.
* Fixing up some NPC sprites even if they were just one pixel off.
* Fixing critical hit rates because I had the wrong idea on how that stuff works.
And that's all just tinkering with the already existing material. There's more that's totally new.
* Finalized two cities immediately after the end of the demo.
* Finalized the volcano dungeon - chests, monsters, the boss, everything.
* Started and completed a really long cave tunnel with some optional block pushing puzzles.
* Made new monster graphics - some have been posted here.
* Cutscenes! One event is a particularly big plot device.
Right now I'm working on the last town of the starting continent, and this is where the fishing system is introduced! I won't boast about it, however I'm confident that it will be slightly more interactive than the fishing in BoF1. Here's how it works right now:
There are three tiers of rods. Each tier lets you catch three types of fish, plus the three from the previous tier at a higher capture rate. You can attempt to catch any fish with any one of three types of bait, however each fish will have a different rate of capture depending on the bait. The highest tier of fish will require higher quality, more expensive bait. Variables will keep track of how many of each fish you catch and also how many in total.
I may go totally crazy and add another one or two tiers of rods and maybe one more tier of bait, but that's for much later. I still need to build cities, dungeons and more first. And with 9 types of fish, that's more than BoF2 had.
---
Edit: The improved demo is out. It's far from the full game, but it is essentially the whole first act of three, and hopefully it has fixed most if not all issues the previous demo had.
A special shoutout to Anthony D. for making a midi of the Breath of Fire 2 fishing music!
It's been about a month since I announced the comeback of this project. I was hoping I'd have a new, improved demo out by the end of July, but some things take a longer time than expected. I have not been outrageously lazy. Here's some of what I've been working on:
* Readjusting enemy stats - Mostly defense was too high across the board, the difficulty jump from area to area was too high, and I increased gold drops because equipment is expensive.
* Readjusting EXP curves - in the demo you level up much too quickly, even if you just fight the random encounters without seeking to grind.
* Readjusting encounter rates - it may be oldschool, it may be a BoF game, but the RNG has not smiled on us. A noticeable decrease in random encounters makes battles more welcome, I find.
* Fixing up some NPC sprites even if they were just one pixel off.
* Fixing critical hit rates because I had the wrong idea on how that stuff works.
And that's all just tinkering with the already existing material. There's more that's totally new.
* Finalized two cities immediately after the end of the demo.
* Finalized the volcano dungeon - chests, monsters, the boss, everything.
* Started and completed a really long cave tunnel with some optional block pushing puzzles.
* Made new monster graphics - some have been posted here.
* Cutscenes! One event is a particularly big plot device.
Right now I'm working on the last town of the starting continent, and this is where the fishing system is introduced! I won't boast about it, however I'm confident that it will be slightly more interactive than the fishing in BoF1. Here's how it works right now:
There are three tiers of rods. Each tier lets you catch three types of fish, plus the three from the previous tier at a higher capture rate. You can attempt to catch any fish with any one of three types of bait, however each fish will have a different rate of capture depending on the bait. The highest tier of fish will require higher quality, more expensive bait. Variables will keep track of how many of each fish you catch and also how many in total.
I may go totally crazy and add another one or two tiers of rods and maybe one more tier of bait, but that's for much later. I still need to build cities, dungeons and more first. And with 9 types of fish, that's more than BoF2 had.
---
Edit: The improved demo is out. It's far from the full game, but it is essentially the whole first act of three, and hopefully it has fixed most if not all issues the previous demo had.
A special shoutout to Anthony D. for making a midi of the Breath of Fire 2 fishing music!
Progress Report
Back in business
It's been so long since I touched this project, I thought for sure I never would again. That's why I changed status from Hiatus to Cancelled. But then, just after I'd done that, I found that not only did I have time, but also inspiration to work towards this project again.
Very little has been done since the demo release last year. But the following things have been added;
* Two cities fully designed and scripted (for this part of the game at least)
* One dungeon designed and mostly scripted - still needs chests and stat balancing of random encounters and the boss
* A new feature is being tested out pertaining the inclusion of a potential romance subplot - or you could just say dating sim-esque dialog choices and variables to keep track of it
* Some new monster graphics
There are cities still to be made. There are dungeons still to be built. The world map needs a whole new continent at least. A lot of dialog needs to be written. A lot of monsters need to be designed.
And if last year is any indication, I may well run out of time and opportunity come August. Don't hold your breath for a new demo yet. But for now, things are slowly happening.
Very little has been done since the demo release last year. But the following things have been added;
* Two cities fully designed and scripted (for this part of the game at least)
* One dungeon designed and mostly scripted - still needs chests and stat balancing of random encounters and the boss
* A new feature is being tested out pertaining the inclusion of a potential romance subplot - or you could just say dating sim-esque dialog choices and variables to keep track of it
* Some new monster graphics
There are cities still to be made. There are dungeons still to be built. The world map needs a whole new continent at least. A lot of dialog needs to be written. A lot of monsters need to be designed.
And if last year is any indication, I may well run out of time and opportunity come August. Don't hold your breath for a new demo yet. But for now, things are slowly happening.
Announcement
August update
If you're a BoF fan, you've probably already heard that Breath of Fire 6 is coming out.
On mobile phones and tablets. And probably not outside of Japan. And it doesn't have any of the staples of the series in it.
It is insulting to gamers, devastating to fans, and sadly not out of the ordinary considering Capcom's handling of the Mega Man franchise.
I no longer feel like paying Capcom a tribute with a fan game, regardless of how important they were to my childhood. They have eviscerated my soul. And frankly, I have not worked on this game at all this summer for a multitude of reasons. So I feel it is warranted that I put this game on hiatus for now; that more accurately represents the situation surrounding the game.
I am not cancelling this game outright as that would be reactionary. Maybe I should be inspired to make a better game than Capcom ever will. Maybe I can still write a love letter to my childhood. But right now, I gotta do what I gotta do, and my heart is into it anymore.
Sorry to disappoint.
On mobile phones and tablets. And probably not outside of Japan. And it doesn't have any of the staples of the series in it.
It is insulting to gamers, devastating to fans, and sadly not out of the ordinary considering Capcom's handling of the Mega Man franchise.
I no longer feel like paying Capcom a tribute with a fan game, regardless of how important they were to my childhood. They have eviscerated my soul. And frankly, I have not worked on this game at all this summer for a multitude of reasons. So I feel it is warranted that I put this game on hiatus for now; that more accurately represents the situation surrounding the game.
I am not cancelling this game outright as that would be reactionary. Maybe I should be inspired to make a better game than Capcom ever will. Maybe I can still write a love letter to my childhood. But right now, I gotta do what I gotta do, and my heart is into it anymore.
Sorry to disappoint.
Progress Report
June 2013 progress report
Time to break the silence between me and my few, valued subscribers.
Suffice it to say, things have been going slow. After the demo's release, I've gotten feedback in waves, meaning I've been going back over it again and again to make it right. Fixing typos, adding text, adjusting enemy stats, adjusting prices on items, etc etc. But mostly, real life has stressed me out a lot and kept me from focusing.
I've been thinking I'll upload the more polished demo soon. Much sooner than a much improved version around Christmas, which was my original plan. All the areas from the first demo are done, but I want to add one more area where the last demo ended. Because that next area will provide some backstory, a major plot point, and the last playable character.
What's holding the release of the next edition back is the next dungeon. I need to make monster stats and parties, including one boss, and I need to put chests in there. The mapping is done. It's not much to do, but it's tedious.
One new feature I've been experimenting with is an affection system. Originally I had no plans of any romance in the game, but subtle implications have always lingered in the series. Especially BoF2 with the love triangle. But anyway, I'm thinking from a certain point, you'll be given dialog options that can make the ladies like Ryu more. And at some point late in the game, you'll get a scene with the one who likes you the best. Kind of like in Tales of Symphonia. I still need to work out how to handle the variables and think up viable situations where you get to make these choices, but hey, there's a long game ahead of me.
If you thinks this sounds like a dumb idea you don't want anywhere near the game, speak up.
Finally, stay cool in the summer. I've already lost one friend to the heat. http://www.azfamily.com/news/Man-21-dies-while-hiking-in-White-Tank-Mountains-209863401.html
Suffice it to say, things have been going slow. After the demo's release, I've gotten feedback in waves, meaning I've been going back over it again and again to make it right. Fixing typos, adding text, adjusting enemy stats, adjusting prices on items, etc etc. But mostly, real life has stressed me out a lot and kept me from focusing.
I've been thinking I'll upload the more polished demo soon. Much sooner than a much improved version around Christmas, which was my original plan. All the areas from the first demo are done, but I want to add one more area where the last demo ended. Because that next area will provide some backstory, a major plot point, and the last playable character.
What's holding the release of the next edition back is the next dungeon. I need to make monster stats and parties, including one boss, and I need to put chests in there. The mapping is done. It's not much to do, but it's tedious.
One new feature I've been experimenting with is an affection system. Originally I had no plans of any romance in the game, but subtle implications have always lingered in the series. Especially BoF2 with the love triangle. But anyway, I'm thinking from a certain point, you'll be given dialog options that can make the ladies like Ryu more. And at some point late in the game, you'll get a scene with the one who likes you the best. Kind of like in Tales of Symphonia. I still need to work out how to handle the variables and think up viable situations where you get to make these choices, but hey, there's a long game ahead of me.
If you thinks this sounds like a dumb idea you don't want anywhere near the game, speak up.
Finally, stay cool in the summer. I've already lost one friend to the heat. http://www.azfamily.com/news/Man-21-dies-while-hiking-in-White-Tank-Mountains-209863401.html
Announcement
The first demo is released on account of RSW
LoDebar
10 post(s) 
- 05/04/2013 03:45 PM
- 2480 views
The first demo is released, and you can download and play it righ now as of this very moment!
I didn't think I'd share my work with others until it was done and I was satisfied with is, but the Release Something Weekend drive made me feel better about the idea, and having an audience and a deadline makes me put in the extra time and effort. There were several times the past week that I thought I was done with the demo, only to go back and fix it up even more.
I'd be most thankful for any feedback. There's a number of things I have in mind specifically that I'd like for you to report to me about, if you care to do so.
* BUGS - If you find anything that's wrong with the game, please let me know!
* TYPOS - English is not my first language, so there might be some bad spelling or grammar that I haven't noticed. While this doesn't break the game, it can ruin the enjoyment and immersion.
* DIFFICULTY - Is any new area too much of a spike in difficulty? Or is it too easy? Are bosses too hard, or too easily exploited due to some weakness of theirs?
* MAPPING - You will notice differences in design approach when comparing the first forest with the first cave. Which do you prefer, and is there anything blatantly wrong with any map?
* LENGTH & PACING - How long did it take you to beat the demo, or how long and far did you play before you gave up? Was there enough time between events or did you feel like you got too much exposition too quickly?
* STORYTELLING - Did you at any time feel frustrated that you didn't know what to do to progress? Or did you feel the game was babying you too much? Did you understand the characters' motivations or otherwise in any way connect with the story?
* TRIBUTE - If you're familiar with the Breath of Fire series, would you say this game feels or plays like one? If not, what could be done to make it more similar to them? Or, does it feel too much like a rehash without anything new to offer?
Anyway, regardless of whether I get any feedback, I'm very flattered for every download this demo gets.
The bad news is that with the release of this demo being upon up, it may take a very long time until the next demo or first completed version emerges. I'm aiming to have something more done before Christmas, but I make no promises.
I didn't think I'd share my work with others until it was done and I was satisfied with is, but the Release Something Weekend drive made me feel better about the idea, and having an audience and a deadline makes me put in the extra time and effort. There were several times the past week that I thought I was done with the demo, only to go back and fix it up even more.
I'd be most thankful for any feedback. There's a number of things I have in mind specifically that I'd like for you to report to me about, if you care to do so.
* BUGS - If you find anything that's wrong with the game, please let me know!
* TYPOS - English is not my first language, so there might be some bad spelling or grammar that I haven't noticed. While this doesn't break the game, it can ruin the enjoyment and immersion.
* DIFFICULTY - Is any new area too much of a spike in difficulty? Or is it too easy? Are bosses too hard, or too easily exploited due to some weakness of theirs?
* MAPPING - You will notice differences in design approach when comparing the first forest with the first cave. Which do you prefer, and is there anything blatantly wrong with any map?
* LENGTH & PACING - How long did it take you to beat the demo, or how long and far did you play before you gave up? Was there enough time between events or did you feel like you got too much exposition too quickly?
* STORYTELLING - Did you at any time feel frustrated that you didn't know what to do to progress? Or did you feel the game was babying you too much? Did you understand the characters' motivations or otherwise in any way connect with the story?
* TRIBUTE - If you're familiar with the Breath of Fire series, would you say this game feels or plays like one? If not, what could be done to make it more similar to them? Or, does it feel too much like a rehash without anything new to offer?
Anyway, regardless of whether I get any feedback, I'm very flattered for every download this demo gets.
The bad news is that with the release of this demo being upon up, it may take a very long time until the next demo or first completed version emerges. I'm aiming to have something more done before Christmas, but I make no promises.
Progress Report
First progress report
I would not have submitted this game to rpgmaker.net if I didn't think I have something to show. I believe I have the core of the game down pretty good; items, spells, hero stats and all that database jazz, at least as far as the game is currently mapped out. The first six cities and five dungeons are essentially done, and by the time you're through with that you'll probably be about level 15 with 7/8 party members added. I think this would be a good point for the first demo to end, as by this point there should've been some variety to the dungeon design, the different strengths of the party members should be apparent, and the next plot point should be established and not just hinted at. At that point, I'd estimate you're a little less than halfway through the game.
Basically, this is what still definitely needs to be done before the first demo is released;
* Contents of treasure chests in the last dungeon need to be finalized
* NPCs, shops, hidden items and such still need to be placed in the last two cities
* Three "cutscenes" need to be written and coded
* Enemies in the Forest of Despair need to be rebalanced, and chests need to be added here
That's the bare minimum that I have to do before I'm satisfied enough to let other people take a look. But of course, there are other known issues that need to be adressed before the final version is released;
* One attack animation needs to be redone (see http://rpgmaker.net/forums/topics/13133/ )
* One room in one dungeon may need to be entirely overhauled and enlargened. It became overly simplified when it had to be changed on account of my not realizing how much of the map is visible on the screen ingame at any given time.
* There's a lack of decorative tiles in my chipset, and the first city at least adheres perhaps too strongly to simple geometrical patterns. I admit that my main concern is getting together a functional game and not the minutiae of city architecture, but acknowledging a flaw doesn't make it go away. Perhaps there will be some improvement in the final version.
* Possibly need to get a more NES-like font.
* The battle vocabulary still might need some fancying up. But with the engine's limitations, I suspect the grammar will always be finnicky. Fortunately, the BOF series isn't known for its impeccable translations ;)
If you've bothered to read this far, I suppose your main concern is "when is the demo coming out?" Actually, let's try to get it out the door for Release Something Weekend. Because that's as good an excuse as any to publish it.
Basically, this is what still definitely needs to be done before the first demo is released;
* Contents of treasure chests in the last dungeon need to be finalized
* NPCs, shops, hidden items and such still need to be placed in the last two cities
* Three "cutscenes" need to be written and coded
* Enemies in the Forest of Despair need to be rebalanced, and chests need to be added here
That's the bare minimum that I have to do before I'm satisfied enough to let other people take a look. But of course, there are other known issues that need to be adressed before the final version is released;
* One attack animation needs to be redone (see http://rpgmaker.net/forums/topics/13133/ )
* One room in one dungeon may need to be entirely overhauled and enlargened. It became overly simplified when it had to be changed on account of my not realizing how much of the map is visible on the screen ingame at any given time.
* There's a lack of decorative tiles in my chipset, and the first city at least adheres perhaps too strongly to simple geometrical patterns. I admit that my main concern is getting together a functional game and not the minutiae of city architecture, but acknowledging a flaw doesn't make it go away. Perhaps there will be some improvement in the final version.
* Possibly need to get a more NES-like font.
* The battle vocabulary still might need some fancying up. But with the engine's limitations, I suspect the grammar will always be finnicky. Fortunately, the BOF series isn't known for its impeccable translations ;)
If you've bothered to read this far, I suppose your main concern is "when is the demo coming out?" Actually, let's try to get it out the door for Release Something Weekend. Because that's as good an excuse as any to publish it.
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