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Basically, we're confident in the project but bricking it anyway, so if you wanna swing by our Facebook Page with a like'n'share or follow our progress on Twitter (@TheEriasLine) you'll be helping us out in a genuinely big way. Thanks!




------------------------------------------------------------------------

The World

While stars were fading from the night sky, human engineers were rapidly constructing the Artificial Sun that now warms and energises the world. Erias now drifts alone in a lifeless ocean of total darkness.

Back on the planet's surface, the power of harnessed solar energy has spurred an industrial revolution that brought startling technological advances in the space of less than a decade. A monetary economy has largely replaced the old systems of trade and bartering that were the mainstay of human societies for hundreds of years. People are quickly abandoning their nomadic existence in favour of a more stable life in the world's first cities and towns, drawn by their modern technology and supposed high standards of living.

Everything continues as though an endless future lies ahead.

But time is running out.

A deal was made in secret to extend the lifespan of the world by granting humans the capability to build their Artificial Sun. Repaying this debt will mean systematically destroying every human achievement and ambition, all to feed the investigations of a powerful and ruthlessly curious entity.

Unknown to almost all, civilisation is hurtling towards the total self-destruction that this entity demands.

And punishments far worse than death wait for those who try to resist it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brother and Sister

Orphan and Skyler have recently arrived in Verdamm searching for a place where they can settle and end their lives as vagrants.

But they found the city to be far from the utopia that stories describe and, before they can leave again, are forcefully conscripted into the 'Operatives'; a shadowy network of agents, murderers and thugs born from the city's merciless depression.

Their almost impossible first assignment sets them on a path that will force them, and their bond, into a fight against events spiraling towards chaos.

To survive, they must fight for the lesser of evils and for each other, all while enduring the ominous fascination of a strange intelligence...

...an intelligence obsessed with testing the limits of their love and proving that it can be utterly broken.

"This is why you are both invaluable to me.
Nothing would stop one from protecting the other.
Nothing and no-one too important to sacrifice.
But I will keep looking.
You're merely humans, after all."

------------------------------------------------------------------------


Play time:
approximately 2 - 3 hours.


Note:
(There are RTP inc. and no RTP inc. downloads available.)


Warning:
Contains some gore and several instances of very strong language.



Latest Blog

New design pieces. Very pleased!

New design pieces. Very pleased!

As you folks know, our Kickstarter campaign launches on Monday (August 24th, 2015).

Although I knew getting everything prepared for it would mean a lot of work (work I was enthusiastic to tackle) I learned a little lesson about underestimation.

Of course, everything's in place. It's all be proof read, polished, reorganised, rejigged and tweaked to (hopefully) as close to perfection as possible.

I'm very happy with the designs I put together for it, so I wanted to share with you guys:

First, the character bios:

One area where Omnis is a little weak in terms of content at the moment is artwork. We've got Oksana Kharitonova on-board now as our dedicated character artist, but in the interim I've done my best to make use of the sprites:





A big part of my approach to making the KS page look good was having graphics for titles instead of plain text. It's a common approach on KS, but there aren't many who make their titles animated!:

(this is a 50% resolution version)



And, finally (though there's lots more on the page itself), I decided to make pretty versions of our pledge rewards:



I realise these images a little big and unwieldy for a blog post, but I really went overboard on resolution to try and guarantee the best quality when they were uploaded to Kickstarter.

That's all from me, folks.

Hope to see you on Monday!

-S.E
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Posts

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This looks pretty promising, and also ambitious. Looking forward to trying it!

-flap
The ambition overtook my experience for a while, I'm constantly (near daily) uploading new, refined versions.
I really want this like the game. The aesthetic and setting seem cool. But the random encounter rate seems a little too high. Especially in that initial area. Plus the fights repeat often. I couldn't find a save point in that initial area so I quit.

Orphan's knife combo was pretty fun. I did appreciate the added interactivity. I might attempt it again in the future but was really getting frustrated getting the same encounter over and over and being unable to run from it.
author=ArtBane
I really want this like the game. The aesthetic and setting seem cool. But the random encounter rate seems a little too high. Especially in that initial area. Plus the fights repeat often. I couldn't find a save point in that initial area so I quit.

Orphan's knife combo was pretty fun. I did appreciate the added interactivity. I might attempt it again in the future but was really getting frustrated getting the same encounter over and over and being unable to run from it.


I'll have a look at changing up the variety of encounters in the initial area and taking the encounter rate down a touch. I'll also add a SP to the Loading Bay, so players can have a checkpoint right after the opening credits. Version 15 is coming later today, so hopefully these points will have been fixed.
Thanks for the prompt response. I'll be sure to take a look at it again in the future.

Also my last comment makes it sound like I got frustrated in the first map but I actually wondered around that entire first section and was unable to find a way to progress. I did find stairs but there was a gap. Then I returned to the start point and kept getting that repeat encounter which wore my patience down.
author=ArtBane
Thanks for the prompt response. I'll be sure to take a look at it again in the future.

Also my last comment makes it sound like I got frustrated in the first map but I actually wondered around that entire first section and was unable to find a way to progress. I did find stairs but there was a gap. Then I returned to the start point and kept getting that repeat encounter which wore my patience down.


There's a path to take to the left of the top of the stairs. Maybe it needs to be a bit clearer.
Ah I probably just missed it. I wasn't checking my mini map as often early on. Also I was playing in window mode which made it a bit harder to see since the game has a lot going on visually.
author=ArtBane
Ah I probably just missed it. I wasn't checking my mini map as often early on. Also I was playing in window mode which made it a bit harder to see since the game has a lot going on visually.


It's probably a slight oversight on my part, but the thing was designed from top to bottom to be played full screen. I made the text larger to try and help the 'window play' experience, but everything that I tested by eye I tested in full screen :S So yeah, I know things look at bit busy in normal res. It's something I'll factor in when we get round to making new content.
I really enjoyed the demo and wish I had the money to get the complete version. Oh well I'll put it on the of rpg maker games I will get when I have money to spare.
author=KingSilverwolf
I really enjoyed the demo and wish I had the money to get the complete version. Oh well I'll put it on the of rpg maker games I will get when I have money to spare.


The complete version hasn't been made yet, we're heading to Kickstarter soon to get funding. Really glad you enjoyed it though, there'll be updates as things move along!
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
I was pushing through all hunky-dory, then the game glitches on me and I can't battle to save my life. Sometimes my character doesn't even act, and other times, the two of them try to act at the same time and God only knows what happens (this was after Grunt died). I was kind of on the fence about this game, but after something like that happening, it's like my immersion is completely blown and I can't bring myself to go back.

EDIT: I forgot last night to add that sometimes the first key of the up-right-right (IIRC, it might be more) knife combo wouldn't appear.
author=Corfaisus
I was pushing through all hunky-dory, then the game glitches on me and I can't battle to save my life. Sometimes my character doesn't even act, and other times, the two of them try to act at the same time and God only knows what happens (this was after Grunt died). I was kind of on the fence about this game, but after something like that happening, it's like my immersion is completely blown and I can't bring myself to go back.

Sorry about that, I've never heard of these glitches happening before.

Do you have Windows 8 by any chance?

Anyway, thanks for letting me know.
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
The game crashed on me when I tried to go HERE.

THIS is the error I got. You should probably put Map 71 in the game.


Other than that, I'm liking the game so far! I'll give you some more feedback after I play more.
shayoko
We do not condone harassing other members by PM.
515
as the developer hasn't got back to me yet i need help. if someone could hit me with a pm for the answer id be thankful

what is the passcode for the train?
the car which has a bunch of people in it after the battle with the conductor.
i really don't get it and what does #ns mean?

i really hate to ask but i seem to be lacking knowledge in something to solve this.
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
Wow. This is a really good demo! The characters feel diverse in their gameplay styles, and the battles were challenging, but fun. I did have to stop, though, as I got stuck trying to figure out the two fuses puzzle. It was fighting those enemies that constantly put my party to sleep over and over again that bogged me down. Although I wouldn't knock off points for it since I could avoid them.

The visuals are striking. Have you ever played Metro 2033 or Metro: Last Light? I'm getting some serious vibes from this game, which is a very good thing!

This gets all the little things right, and has restored my faith in commercial games. I'll certainly come back to this later to finish it!
shayoko>
1024 for the passenger cars, the other codes you find by asking people.


I have finished the demo and I thought about writing a review, might do it later.
For now, random comments (and a disclaimer: I played version 13):

- Overall, I was extremely impressed by the presentation. Incredible graphics and atmosphere! This is something you can take to KS and commercialize, no doubt.

- The slowness. For the love of Dogg, please make everything faster and more responsive, especially in battle (waiting for 5 seconds between each action is painful, a fortiori when a counter is ticking down). But cutscenes and interactive displays are also guilty of this. It seems like you're already working on changing this, which is good.

- The writing was generally good, though it broke down in a few places and especially at the very end where it feels rushed
Obvious setup is obvious, yet Dillon reacts to it in the cliche way, then is instantly convinced, then angry people suddenly appear, and all this five minutes after we get to know Aunty. Judging from the rest, I'm quite sure you can do much better ;)


- I liked the train personel caring more about their salary and their job than about what's going on. Having a neutral third party and more involved conflict dynamics made a nice change from constant opposition.

- Speaking of which, why do I have to fight so much wildlife? :P

Finally, a non-constructive opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it without hesitation, but I am sorry to say it feels somewhat derivative. Like a very nice jigsaw puzzle made out of well-worn RPG mechanics and tropes given a paint job.
(sure the Resistance seems as bad as the Evil Empire, but you have the mysterious omnipotent badguy who experiments on the heroes, the mines of Dug-Too-Deep - which somehow connect to a train station, and so on)

Most of your players probably won't care, and this feeling wasn't that strong in the first part of the demo, but still. Rather than a criticism, I invite you to take this as a plea: you are doing something extraordinary on the aesthetic front, please do consider putting the same degree of creativity and effort on gameplay and plot and you will have a fantastic game.
author=Red_Nova
The game crashed on me when I tried to go HERE.

THIS is the error I got. You should probably put Map 71 in the game.


Other than that, I'm liking the game so far! I'll give you some more feedback after I play more.

Damn, I was hoping nobody would notice :(
I've already fixed it for the next version, sorry you had to encounter that mistake.
@Hasvers: (I've put some things in bold to make this beefy response easier to navigate).

A lot of the points you mention were overhauled in Version 15 (I think), issues such as the pacing and the brevity of the section with Aunt Neeve. Though I absolutely take your suggestion that these things needed working on, I've since had a go at addressing them in later updates.

There are also no more random encounters in the newest version and enemies appear on-screen before you fight them. I've also improved the usefulness of the minimap by marking enemies and entrances/exits on it.

As for the mechanics-
I haven't had any budget for custom mechanics scripts, but there are several planned for the finished game. I want each character's 'unique mechanic' refined as well as a 'formation' system included that will add an extra dimension of strategy. I'd also like to have a function that allows enemies and characters to attack at the same time if their turns coincide, hammering out some of the 'slowness' of waiting for each combatant to act. The present battle system is really a placeholder, though I know that doesn't excuse its current flaws.

As for story-
I can't say I'm not disappointed that you use the word 'tropes', but I'm not going to avoid the issue or deny your point at all (I don't do "buttsore"). It's probably a miscalculation on my part, but the demo doesn't show most of the originality of the game's world and story. There is a list of rpg cliches that I used as a guideline when putting the story together. I've often considered writing a point-by-point answer to that list to demonstrate how OMNIS is different - but, in the end, if originality doesn't shine through on its own merits, I'm happy to concede that there are things to work on.

I admit that this probably comes over as a flimsy excuse, but the demo is just a 'proof of concept', essentially, rather than being a completely accurate representation of what I have in mind for the finished deal. There are lots of ideas, but I didn't want to make the demo too crowded or overfull, so the narrative in its current form is fairly straightforward. Also, I was a one-man team for a huge chunk of the dev time, so I had to find ways of keeping the workload at a sane level. I read once that if you catch yourself making excuses for your game then it isn't finished, but that's exactly why I need KS's help.

(The ending (of the demo) is an area that sits in my mind as incomplete somehow, so thanks for the pointers, I'll be taking another look at it for the next update.)

In conclusion, I'm really glad you liked it; after so much work it always feels amazing to get positive feedback. I'm so, so impatient to get onto KS and start making the full game, precisely because I know that the demo, though I'm proud of it, only shows a slither of the project's ambitions. RPG Maker is a fantastic tool and I'm grateful to the makers of every free custom script I use, but at the same time the project very definitely needs a scripter all of its own (something I hope to get with KS funding).

If it's not too cheeky, I'd like to ask if you could try the latest version before writing a review because there's a huge difference between it and version 13 that I hope will answer several of your critiques.

Anyhow, sincere thanks for the thoughtful feedback. Hopefully we'll talk again soon :)

Your plea is taken on board with heart.
shayoko
We do not condone harassing other members by PM.
515
random thoughts- Based off demo
Normal text-thoughts
Bold-what id consider a improvement

cool custom sprites

starts of with a bitchy character (god i hate when these types are in games...)

outside the intro the games great so far

leading edge skill is underpowered,costs double the Ap blade combo does and does less dmg then even a single use.

its so frustrating when escape fails and it seems it always does...or has a high chance of doing so :/ personally escape should only fail vs bosses/special battles

i have limited uses of her skills!? no love : O

there seriously needs to be a save right after you get off the train near the tracks...that was ridiculous!


Overall
A balance issue or so and some miner complaints aside this was a entertaining experience.
having choices,emotion,action,horror,pity,mystery,friendship and well written characters
being a demo naturally the bigger details of who these characters are and what they fight for is vague (outside the obvious)

the creator and his/her staff has the talent to make amazing games
i highly recommend checking this out and considering obtaining the full game when available.
author=shayoko
random thoughts- Based off demoNormal text-thoughts
Bold-what id consider a improvement

cool custom sprites

starts of with a bitchy character (god i hate when these types are in games...)

outside the intro the games great so far

leading edge skill is underpowered,costs double the Ap blade combo does and does less dmg then even a single use.

its so frustrating when escape fails and it seems it always does...or has a high chance of doing so :/ personally escape should only fail vs bosses/special battles

i have limited uses of her skills!? no love : O

there seriously needs to be a save right after you get off the train near the tracks...that was ridiculous!


Overall
A balance issue or so and some miner complaints aside this was a entertaining experience.
having choices,emotion,action,horror,pity,mystery,friendship and well written characters
being a demo naturally the bigger details of who these characters are and what they fight for is vague (outside the obvious)

the creator and his/her staff has the talent to make amazing games
i highly recommend checking this out and considering obtaining the full game when available.



great that you enjoyed the demo :)

To your points of improvement:

- Leading Edge does variable damage, so it may be way more powerful than Blade Combo, or weaker. I'll look into narrowing the variance, though.

- I never use Escape, so I've failed to test it properly. That's my mistake. I'll definitely get that sorted.

- There's a chance to save right after jumping off the train roof once the screen has faded out. Do you mean after the next cutscene?

Thanks for the feedback, anyhow. Feels great to have new points to work on.
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