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Development Progress!

  • Blind
  • 07/16/2014 05:10 AM
  • 3237 views
Hey all!

I hardly ever post a game update here anymore, but I thought I'd fill you all in on what's been going on with the project! (I haven't really clarified anything about development other than posting the occasional vague screenshot.. lol). I can't thank you all enough for the continued support and interest over the years! ^_~

For those of you who haven't already heard, Beloved Rapture officially kicked back into production several months ago! Although I had abandoned the game in 2011 due to an extreme hard-drive crash (..I lost everything I'd worked on since the 2008 demo... yikes), a friend of mine helped me to salvage the files off the old laptop. I was thrilled so see the game still intact so many years later!

Considering that I'm MUCH older now than when this project began, my sentiments on game design and development had evolved considerably. Rather than reworking the project on a newer engine such as VXAce, I made the decision to fine-tune the existing project base to a much higher standard. Every line of dialogue in the game has been rewritten, all maps and dungeons reworked, etc.



This has been a tedious process, so I've been pretty quiet about the whole thing lol. But it's not just rehash. We're also looking into hiring a new artist for the game, to finish the portraits for all twelve characters (as well as promotional art.) In wanting to keep with the scope of my original vision, yet cut down on development time, the structure of the game has also been considerably changed.

The project is now divided more distinctly into "chapters" - segments of storytelling that gradually introduce the entire cast of characters. These last anywhere from 20-50 minutes each. The gameplay structure and plot tonality varies hugely depending on which party you're currently playing as. As you can guess, John (and friends) are the "main" party, but there are others variations that are emphasized just as heavily as the game continues on.

*I have not yet decided whether I will be releasing each chapter individually, or hold out for the entire game.

Likewise, the chronology of the storytelling now freely jumps around in time as one chapter proceeds to the next. This could be weeks, months, or years of the characters' lifetimes.


As such, the characters visibly age, stats change, and battle dynamics evolve. Maps are also occasionally revisited during different time periods or seasons. I think this creates a greater sense of immersion and reliability of the game world.



Many would stay I'm fighting an uphill battle in staying with Rm2k3 versus abandoning the game for a new engine, but there's something endearing for me about seeing this through to the end.

I've put together a "revamped" beta demo containing the first 3 hours of the game, more or less in its final form. If anyone on here would like to either bug-test or would be interested in writing a review, let me know! :D I can send it to you privately.

This version has come to a point I am truly happy with and is much more representative of the game's current state than the old demos floating around. Hopefully come September, I can release something with 5-7 hours of content or more.

Here are a few miscellaneous screenshots! ~^-^~







Posts

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Did you pick up lily kat again? Looking at her work then and her work now...I bet she could make her BR designs look about 1024 times better than before, heh-
Oh man, every one of those screens is beyond lovely! I love the artwork, so sharp and detailed.
I can understand that little "bond" with rm2k3, lol I feel the same with my project as well.
I hope you see everything through and good luck on this wonderful game :)
Tau
RMN sex symbol
3293
Sounds awesome man & you're like me, stubborn with sticking to Rm2k3 haha. I'd love to try it out man, find some way to play it :D
That's great news. Hope to be inspired by your maps when the demo comes out. XD
Great news! I remember playing the demo for this one and really enjoying it, and I'm sure new users to RM2K3 will want the chance to see this through as well.
This game looks too good to ever be released. It'll never be released. Ever.
Ever.





Ever.
That's what I thought about Blackmoon Prophecy for the longest time. One can hope... and dream.
Thanks for the input guys! xD Just wanted to note I uploaded a beta demo for two members who had messaged me. I'm looking for a third if there's anyone else! :)

This is the first time I've sent the game off to anyone in years, so I'm excited to see the outcome.
nhubi
Liberté, égalité, fraternité
11099
Oh I'm looking forward to this when it's done, those maps are gorgeous, and your reasoning for sticking with 2K3 for this one is perfectly valid.
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