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The "Here's an idea" thread
True, but volunteering to make 1 dungeon over the course of a month is pretty easy going, especially if all the hard work of characters, system, etc is already out of their hands. It would be more of a chance for them to show design ideas and puzzels they like / use a lot. They could mod the difficulty of their dungeon to their taste too, meaning that some would require more effort than others to complete and maybe even re-treading of previous released missions in order to power up enough to take them on.
Essentially rather than creating a whole game, they'd be given a single dungeon to add to the release, an allotment of switches and variables, and left to their imaginations. Meanwhile we can have a stockpile of additional releases to issue monthly in case someone pulls out or misses a deadline. Essentially meaning that anyone who wants to contribute can, but it's not something they are forced to do or even have to do within a time-scale.
Would people prefer that?
Essentially rather than creating a whole game, they'd be given a single dungeon to add to the release, an allotment of switches and variables, and left to their imaginations. Meanwhile we can have a stockpile of additional releases to issue monthly in case someone pulls out or misses a deadline. Essentially meaning that anyone who wants to contribute can, but it's not something they are forced to do or even have to do within a time-scale.
Would people prefer that?
The "Here's an idea" thread
A mission based rpg where a party of the players choosing (created from scratch at the beginning of the game) embark on missions from the safety of a home-location into a series of dungeons, with new dungeons released monthly. Basically slices of dungeon-crawling action with a custom party unique to each player.
Ideally this would work through RPGMaker2000 (because I love it) and simply each release would feature the same home location and overall setup, allowing for a simple 'drag save files into new release folder' formula to import your custom party between titles. From there you would get the option to leave into a big dungeon area containing monsters, puzzels, bosses and rewards. Hundreds of items, skills, weapons and armours to equip (released by the game as you break certain counters) and possibly an in-game class advancement system in the vein of Shining Force.
It'd be cool to include the community, starting with the first few missions self-made and then featuring guest dungeons, etc. Finally ending with an overture release containing everything in one package. A true community game.
Would that interest anybody?
Ideally this would work through RPGMaker2000 (because I love it) and simply each release would feature the same home location and overall setup, allowing for a simple 'drag save files into new release folder' formula to import your custom party between titles. From there you would get the option to leave into a big dungeon area containing monsters, puzzels, bosses and rewards. Hundreds of items, skills, weapons and armours to equip (released by the game as you break certain counters) and possibly an in-game class advancement system in the vein of Shining Force.
It'd be cool to include the community, starting with the first few missions self-made and then featuring guest dungeons, etc. Finally ending with an overture release containing everything in one package. A true community game.
Would that interest anybody?
Featured Game
New Game
Planning your RPG
I start with the central character and his personal story, the work around it from there. This way I can ensure that the protagonist has a fluent experience with some kind of reprecussion from his journey. The system of the game is also a big factor for me, influencing the world setting and some of the game objectives. For example if the magic system is going to be through equipping certain weapons to use certain skills, I'd include a history of why this is and quests to find powerful artifacts. A decent villain is normally also a good place to start - who wants to save the world from somebody who was never that much of a threat to start with right?
SHADOW'S REACH - Walkthrough
And there you have it! I'd love to hear if anyone managed to complete 100% of the demos content, or how much you personally have managed to achieve :)
SHADOW'S REACH - Walkthrough
(Yes I had to spread it across 2 posts because of the length of the walkthrough!)
2.3: INTO THE WILD.
The early stages of the woodland can be tricky because they loop back on themselves if you are not careful, so head straight up off of the first screen, then up, right, down to find a chest containing a Life Tile. Head back up, left, up, right and up to get onto the next screen. Nab the chest containing 2 Healing Herbs and then head right and up. Here you will have to solve a puzzle concerning a wild Chibb. Catch it as it dives in and out of the three ponds and it will open up a hidden exit for you to continue on your way. Head right and up to find a save point, then down, down and right to find a chest with a Tent inside and then right, down, right to leave the screen. A short interlude will follow where we see a shadowy figure follow your party.
Head right, avoiding the spots where the Imp in the tree will throw a Knut at you if you can. At the far bank you will find another Chibb but it won't come close unless you deal with the Imp first. To do this you will need something to throw at it to knock it down from the tree. Head back to the last screen and go up, up, left to see a bush with a Knut of your own. Pick it and head back to give the Imp a taste of its own medicine. Now the Chibb will ferry you across the lake and you can continue on with your journey. Grab the Thunder Tile from the chest before heading down and onto the next screen. Keep moving down and then right to find a quiet spot where the party can rest the night and where you will be fully restored. When you wake up head down to the next screen and find a handy save point before following the path ahead until you change screens again. This new area if full of Imps in the trees, and the best course of action to avoid getting hit by a damage-dealing Knut is to hug the tree line across the top of the screen and make a break for the exit as soon as you can.
Things get a little tricky here, as the Imps decide they want some payback and call out their big-hitter. The Grand Imp is a powerful enemy who can take a lot of punishment, in fact almost nothing you can do will kill him initially. Luckily after 10 turns Dante will arrive to join you for the battle, which is your cue to start battering it with everything you have got. You'll find it much easier going once he gets there so best use the Defend option mixed with Flashbang to fend off the Imp's attacks till he arrives.
Grand Imp.
HP: 400 / MP: 0.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Is almost unkillable until Dante arrives.
EXP: 200 / GP: 90 / ITEMS: N/A.
Once the Grand Imp is history the others will run away, leaving you to meet Dante properly for the first time. He'll urge you to head to a Temple of Elyen on the far side of the Woodland, and join the party. Use any MP that he or Aren have left to heal and return through the previous screen to the savepoint you found earlier.
Now run back to where you had the boss encounter and exit via the left. This next screen is a bit of a maze, and it is fairly easy to get lost inside, so take a left and go straight across the crossroads. Next go down and down again until you finally reach an exit to the worldmap. If search around this area you can find a Black Mage who has lost his way. Speak to him a few times and he will let you play the next Eep Mini-game if you want. Remember that you won't find him here if you haven't completed the one in Maine yet. Your reward for the effort will be a rare Fire Blade for Dante.
Hanging around in this last area will sometimes result in a battle with the rare SEED SHOOTER monster. Battling and defeating this woodland creature has an 80% chance of rewarding you with a rare Ashlantor Seed, which you won't be able to buy until later in the game. Growing these at the farm will result in some useful items later.
3.0: BEYOND THE WOODLAND.
Now that you have popped back onto the worldmap you will notice another Temple of Elyen directly to the right of you. Don't head there yet, instead head down to the Farm beside the lake. On the way there you will have a brief cutscene between Errol and Marcus concerning the Duellist's growing dislike for Dante. However once inside the Farm you can buy the rights to grow crops on the land there from the Farmer inside the house for the princely sum of 8000 Gold (so you may not be able to afford it just yet). After the transaction is complete you can talk to him again in order to buy seeds. Initially only a few are available but eventually you can buy up to three different varieties. Speaking to him also opens up the options to wait and to have a brief tutorial in the basics of farming.
Buy as many seeds as you like and go outside. The Ashlantor Seeds can be planted in the vertical stripes of soil to the left, whilst the two horizontal plots below can be used for Kima and Opella Seeds respectively. Plant the seeds by inspecting the area and then return to the Farmer and select ‘wait' to hang around and see how the seeds do. Each type of seed takes a different amount of time to grow, and the table is as follows:
Opella Seeds = 5 Days.
Kima Seeds = 8 Days.
Ashlantor Seeds = 3 Days.
A full crop will provide you with some serious items that cover HP and MP restoration as well as an item that recovers any status condition. So the time and money spent here is certainly worth it. You can only buy Opella Seeds to begin with, but later you can find stores with the other two available. Once you have a full harvest, head out and back towards the Temple you saw earlier to continue the story, or head down and right across the bridge to the Port Town where you can charter a ship for only 200 Gold that will take you back to the Ravensburg area you began from.
3.1: THE MYSTERY OF THE MINE.
Heading back this way, you can take a quick stroll to the Crystal Mines you saw in the area near Kainford (alternately you could travel through the Woodlands again to get there) Speak with the guards stationed at the entrance and they will deny you access. However now that you have Dante in your party, you can return to Maine and ask permission to enter. He'll gladly accept your help and remove the guards blocking your way. Return there and enter the Mines.
Inside isn't particularly hard to navigate, just keep heading up until you reach the Spirit's Sanctuary. On the way you will pass a handy chest containing a Fire Tile and encounter some relatively tough monsters that can be pumped for experience. Once you reach the sanctuary Aren and Dante will discover the ghost that lives there and it will pop out for a fight. Like the Behemoth in the Forest near the beginning of the game, this boss has a 1/10 chance of regenerating after death so remember to save some of those moves in case of a return bout. If you haven't already done so, buy and equip a Broadsword to Dante to up his physical attack power.
Angry Spirit.
HP: 300 / MP: 100.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks, Flame Lv1, Ember Lv3.
SPECIAL RULES: Can regenerate after combat.
EXP: 300 / GP: 200 / ITEMS: Fire Tile (Lv2).
Once he's been defeated you can exit the dungeon the way you came and go pick up a Fire Tile (Lv3) from Alexander in Maine. Now head back to the Temple over the lake to continue the story.
3.2: THE SECOND TEMPLE.
As soon as you enter the temple you will notice that it is on fire. Dante will leave the party and shoot off ahead, leaving you to explore the inside alone. You can't leave, so head up and through the corridors strewn with flame and dead bodies. Whatever happened here, it must have been bad. Three rooms in you'll find Dante again, leaning over the body of a dead priest. He's in shock, but manages to tell you that he has seen it all before, Aren will then make everybody leave before the ceiling collapses. You will be teleported to the worldmap in time to see the place collapse, making it impossible the enter again. After a moment's pause, Aren will suggest that you head to the local town to discover what has been going on. Head down and right to find it.
3.3: A SHORT RESPITE.
The town of Helmsford is smaller than the cities you've visited so far, so it won't take long to explore. The General Store has some pretty good items, so stock up on new equipment before heading to the Inn. A lengthy cut-scene will follow and Dante will become a permanent member of the team afterwards. There is a cards player in the area, and a lengthy subquest for a powerful weapon for Aren if you have the time to spare.
To begin your quest for the Singing Spear, first go to the little girl in town and talk with her a few times until she lets slip her secret. Then look for her brother in the house at the bottom left of town and he'll give you a clue as to where a Shiny Key can be found. Now head outside again and examine the area behind the solitary tree to find it. Now that it is in your possession, head back to Ravensburg and to the Clock Tower, which until now was locked. Using the key you can climb down into the Ravensburg sewer system. The monsters here are tougher than any you'll have come across so far, so remember to be fully rested before daring to enter.
Before entering, head to the local items shop and buy seven Tinder Boxes for later use. Then head down into the sewers and cross the bridges until you find a dead end and a switch. Trip it and head back the way you came to find a chest containing an eighth Tinder Box. You'll notice that the bridge you entered by has disappeared, so head back down and left to find a new one that will link you through to the next area.
Inside this room you'll find it darker than usual with eight unlit lamps surrounding the edge of the screen. Using your eight tinderboxes, light each one in turn and the room will gradually get brighter. Once the last one has been lit, a bridge will appear that lets you continue onwards to a new area. Here, simply follow the path around until you meet a dead end, where Errol will decide to let Eep trigger the next switch by feeding him into the air duct. So for a short while you get to play as the kitten. Walk up and trigger the switch, then head right and try to avoid the next one for ease of passage. Keep heading right until you can only travel up and you'll find another switch. Trip it then head down to the second left turn and then up through a previously sealed corridor. Trip the next switch and head down, left, down, left, up and up again. Now go right, right, down, right and then go back down to the central room containing two square segments. From here travel left and down to trip another switch, then up for the final one. Once all these switches are activated, return to the entrance and head right and down to hop out into the Sewer again and rejoin the party.
Now that the bridge is lowered, you can follow the path to the next screen and grab the Singing Spear from its podium. Head all of the way back out, making sure to trip the lever on the first screen to rebuild your bridge out of there. The spear isn't any more powerful than the Hunter's Spear, but it does have the added effect of sending the target to sleep.
A new fight will be open in the Combat Arena now you are through the sewer quest, and you'd be wise to check it out to get a Fine Dagger for Errol's use.
Now you're done in the Tsul area, head back to the border and cross to continue your quest.
END DEMO.
2.3: INTO THE WILD.
The early stages of the woodland can be tricky because they loop back on themselves if you are not careful, so head straight up off of the first screen, then up, right, down to find a chest containing a Life Tile. Head back up, left, up, right and up to get onto the next screen. Nab the chest containing 2 Healing Herbs and then head right and up. Here you will have to solve a puzzle concerning a wild Chibb. Catch it as it dives in and out of the three ponds and it will open up a hidden exit for you to continue on your way. Head right and up to find a save point, then down, down and right to find a chest with a Tent inside and then right, down, right to leave the screen. A short interlude will follow where we see a shadowy figure follow your party.
Head right, avoiding the spots where the Imp in the tree will throw a Knut at you if you can. At the far bank you will find another Chibb but it won't come close unless you deal with the Imp first. To do this you will need something to throw at it to knock it down from the tree. Head back to the last screen and go up, up, left to see a bush with a Knut of your own. Pick it and head back to give the Imp a taste of its own medicine. Now the Chibb will ferry you across the lake and you can continue on with your journey. Grab the Thunder Tile from the chest before heading down and onto the next screen. Keep moving down and then right to find a quiet spot where the party can rest the night and where you will be fully restored. When you wake up head down to the next screen and find a handy save point before following the path ahead until you change screens again. This new area if full of Imps in the trees, and the best course of action to avoid getting hit by a damage-dealing Knut is to hug the tree line across the top of the screen and make a break for the exit as soon as you can.
Things get a little tricky here, as the Imps decide they want some payback and call out their big-hitter. The Grand Imp is a powerful enemy who can take a lot of punishment, in fact almost nothing you can do will kill him initially. Luckily after 10 turns Dante will arrive to join you for the battle, which is your cue to start battering it with everything you have got. You'll find it much easier going once he gets there so best use the Defend option mixed with Flashbang to fend off the Imp's attacks till he arrives.
Grand Imp.
HP: 400 / MP: 0.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Is almost unkillable until Dante arrives.
EXP: 200 / GP: 90 / ITEMS: N/A.
Once the Grand Imp is history the others will run away, leaving you to meet Dante properly for the first time. He'll urge you to head to a Temple of Elyen on the far side of the Woodland, and join the party. Use any MP that he or Aren have left to heal and return through the previous screen to the savepoint you found earlier.
Now run back to where you had the boss encounter and exit via the left. This next screen is a bit of a maze, and it is fairly easy to get lost inside, so take a left and go straight across the crossroads. Next go down and down again until you finally reach an exit to the worldmap. If search around this area you can find a Black Mage who has lost his way. Speak to him a few times and he will let you play the next Eep Mini-game if you want. Remember that you won't find him here if you haven't completed the one in Maine yet. Your reward for the effort will be a rare Fire Blade for Dante.
Hanging around in this last area will sometimes result in a battle with the rare SEED SHOOTER monster. Battling and defeating this woodland creature has an 80% chance of rewarding you with a rare Ashlantor Seed, which you won't be able to buy until later in the game. Growing these at the farm will result in some useful items later.
3.0: BEYOND THE WOODLAND.
Now that you have popped back onto the worldmap you will notice another Temple of Elyen directly to the right of you. Don't head there yet, instead head down to the Farm beside the lake. On the way there you will have a brief cutscene between Errol and Marcus concerning the Duellist's growing dislike for Dante. However once inside the Farm you can buy the rights to grow crops on the land there from the Farmer inside the house for the princely sum of 8000 Gold (so you may not be able to afford it just yet). After the transaction is complete you can talk to him again in order to buy seeds. Initially only a few are available but eventually you can buy up to three different varieties. Speaking to him also opens up the options to wait and to have a brief tutorial in the basics of farming.
Buy as many seeds as you like and go outside. The Ashlantor Seeds can be planted in the vertical stripes of soil to the left, whilst the two horizontal plots below can be used for Kima and Opella Seeds respectively. Plant the seeds by inspecting the area and then return to the Farmer and select ‘wait' to hang around and see how the seeds do. Each type of seed takes a different amount of time to grow, and the table is as follows:
Opella Seeds = 5 Days.
Kima Seeds = 8 Days.
Ashlantor Seeds = 3 Days.
A full crop will provide you with some serious items that cover HP and MP restoration as well as an item that recovers any status condition. So the time and money spent here is certainly worth it. You can only buy Opella Seeds to begin with, but later you can find stores with the other two available. Once you have a full harvest, head out and back towards the Temple you saw earlier to continue the story, or head down and right across the bridge to the Port Town where you can charter a ship for only 200 Gold that will take you back to the Ravensburg area you began from.
3.1: THE MYSTERY OF THE MINE.
Heading back this way, you can take a quick stroll to the Crystal Mines you saw in the area near Kainford (alternately you could travel through the Woodlands again to get there) Speak with the guards stationed at the entrance and they will deny you access. However now that you have Dante in your party, you can return to Maine and ask permission to enter. He'll gladly accept your help and remove the guards blocking your way. Return there and enter the Mines.
Inside isn't particularly hard to navigate, just keep heading up until you reach the Spirit's Sanctuary. On the way you will pass a handy chest containing a Fire Tile and encounter some relatively tough monsters that can be pumped for experience. Once you reach the sanctuary Aren and Dante will discover the ghost that lives there and it will pop out for a fight. Like the Behemoth in the Forest near the beginning of the game, this boss has a 1/10 chance of regenerating after death so remember to save some of those moves in case of a return bout. If you haven't already done so, buy and equip a Broadsword to Dante to up his physical attack power.
Angry Spirit.
HP: 300 / MP: 100.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks, Flame Lv1, Ember Lv3.
SPECIAL RULES: Can regenerate after combat.
EXP: 300 / GP: 200 / ITEMS: Fire Tile (Lv2).
Once he's been defeated you can exit the dungeon the way you came and go pick up a Fire Tile (Lv3) from Alexander in Maine. Now head back to the Temple over the lake to continue the story.
3.2: THE SECOND TEMPLE.
As soon as you enter the temple you will notice that it is on fire. Dante will leave the party and shoot off ahead, leaving you to explore the inside alone. You can't leave, so head up and through the corridors strewn with flame and dead bodies. Whatever happened here, it must have been bad. Three rooms in you'll find Dante again, leaning over the body of a dead priest. He's in shock, but manages to tell you that he has seen it all before, Aren will then make everybody leave before the ceiling collapses. You will be teleported to the worldmap in time to see the place collapse, making it impossible the enter again. After a moment's pause, Aren will suggest that you head to the local town to discover what has been going on. Head down and right to find it.
3.3: A SHORT RESPITE.
The town of Helmsford is smaller than the cities you've visited so far, so it won't take long to explore. The General Store has some pretty good items, so stock up on new equipment before heading to the Inn. A lengthy cut-scene will follow and Dante will become a permanent member of the team afterwards. There is a cards player in the area, and a lengthy subquest for a powerful weapon for Aren if you have the time to spare.
To begin your quest for the Singing Spear, first go to the little girl in town and talk with her a few times until she lets slip her secret. Then look for her brother in the house at the bottom left of town and he'll give you a clue as to where a Shiny Key can be found. Now head outside again and examine the area behind the solitary tree to find it. Now that it is in your possession, head back to Ravensburg and to the Clock Tower, which until now was locked. Using the key you can climb down into the Ravensburg sewer system. The monsters here are tougher than any you'll have come across so far, so remember to be fully rested before daring to enter.
Before entering, head to the local items shop and buy seven Tinder Boxes for later use. Then head down into the sewers and cross the bridges until you find a dead end and a switch. Trip it and head back the way you came to find a chest containing an eighth Tinder Box. You'll notice that the bridge you entered by has disappeared, so head back down and left to find a new one that will link you through to the next area.
Inside this room you'll find it darker than usual with eight unlit lamps surrounding the edge of the screen. Using your eight tinderboxes, light each one in turn and the room will gradually get brighter. Once the last one has been lit, a bridge will appear that lets you continue onwards to a new area. Here, simply follow the path around until you meet a dead end, where Errol will decide to let Eep trigger the next switch by feeding him into the air duct. So for a short while you get to play as the kitten. Walk up and trigger the switch, then head right and try to avoid the next one for ease of passage. Keep heading right until you can only travel up and you'll find another switch. Trip it then head down to the second left turn and then up through a previously sealed corridor. Trip the next switch and head down, left, down, left, up and up again. Now go right, right, down, right and then go back down to the central room containing two square segments. From here travel left and down to trip another switch, then up for the final one. Once all these switches are activated, return to the entrance and head right and down to hop out into the Sewer again and rejoin the party.
Now that the bridge is lowered, you can follow the path to the next screen and grab the Singing Spear from its podium. Head all of the way back out, making sure to trip the lever on the first screen to rebuild your bridge out of there. The spear isn't any more powerful than the Hunter's Spear, but it does have the added effect of sending the target to sleep.
A new fight will be open in the Combat Arena now you are through the sewer quest, and you'd be wise to check it out to get a Fine Dagger for Errol's use.
Now you're done in the Tsul area, head back to the border and cross to continue your quest.
END DEMO.
SHADOW'S REACH - Walkthrough
Now I promised that after the demo for Shadow's Reach had been up for a while I'd post the walkthrough in my blog on the projects page so that people could see for themselves what they had found and what they had missed. However for some reason I've had trouble posting it inside the blog, so instead I've gone for the forums. For those of you who HAVE played it through (95 to date) I present the walkthrough . . .
SHADOW'S REACH WALKTHROUGH
*Warning, this walkthrough contains spoilers and should only be considered as a last resort or used the second time you play through the game to unlock things you missed the first time around. I highly recommend that you try to complete the game without using it if you can*
0.1: PRELUDE.
Before you begin you will play for a short scene as the young Paladin, Dante. This scene does not last long but will involve you having your first glimpse of the battle-screen. Don't worry, after four turns the battle ends and the scene continues, so you don't have to worry about getting killed before the game even starts. Take this opportunity to get to know the battle options and the basic flow of combat.
0.2: OPENING CREDITS.
This is a simple opening theme that can be skipped at any time by pressing the action key.
1.1: ARRIVAL IN RAVENSBURG.
After a short introduction sequence to the new characters you will be granted full control of the characters and given 100 GP spending money. Take this opportunity to check out what Errol and Marcus can do before making your way directly to the building to the base of the screen. Inside you will find Jennifer, a young lovesick girl who asks you to carry a message to her beloved Kevin for her. Agree to help and proceed to the house to the north of Ravensburg with a sleeping Adventurer outside of it and talk to the sole occupant. This is Kevin, who will give you a message to take back to Jennifer. Return to receive two Special Items and then give them to Kevin, who will run to Jennifer's place. Talk to them both there and then trek back to Kevin's house to get the WOODEN ARMLET. Equip this to Marcus or Errol and then walk out to explore the market.
Whilst you are there pick up a FISHING ROD and some SMELLING SALTS from the items shop. Using the Rod you can now go fishing in the pond beside the Magician's Guild whilst the Salts can be used to wake up that sleeping Adventurer outside Kevin's place. With a little coaxing he will teach you how to play the Cards mini-game and give you the Special item DECK OF CARDS. Checking out the shops will also provide you with one or two goodies from chests, and speaking to the Black Mage will provide you with some basic healing items.
Now go talk to the juggling Clown a few times and Errol will tick him off enough to get himself challenged to a juggling contest. The rules here are simple, pound the action key as quickly as you can to out-juggle the Clown and win a CLOWN'S BADGE, that has the secret ability to prevent the wearer from being confused in battle. Equip this to Errol and make your way across town to the entrance again and sleep there for free, this should give you a short cut-scene where we find out what Dante has been up to since the prelude. That done, go to the save point and (after a brief conversation with a god) save your game for the first time. You may also want to pick up the Character Glossary book from the top level of the First Library, this can be read downstairs at any time.
Now that the basic exploration of the city is complete you can proceed to the large building that runs across the bottom of Ravensburg, the Combat Arena. Upon arrival you will find that you have to enrol in a training scenario before going any further. Accept and Marcus will rush off to learn the basics of combat, including a rough guide to special moves and a chance to beat upon a Combat Dummy. When you are done you'll be dropped back where you started and further investigation will lead you to the Magician's Guild, where there is a job available.
At the Guild the Mage in the white robe will employ your services to kill a monster in the Seeker's Forest to the north of Ravensburg. Have another look around the city in case you missed anything and then head out one of the exits and onto the world map for the first time.
1.2: YOUR FIRST VISIT TO THE WORLD MAP.
Before going north to Seeker's Forest, head down to the Port. It's not open for business yet, but later it will be pretty handy in getting around the world map. You can also visit the Rainbow Lake for a spot of fishing, but be careful because a powerful monster also dwells there and it can be caught my mistake. Best perhaps to leave this particular area till you have levelled up a bit and stick to fishing in the pond. When you have looked around to your hearts content and got the lay of the land, head north across the bridge and enter the Seeker's Forest.
1.3: SEEKER'S FOREST.
Beware, because as soon as you enter the forest you are in an area filled with wild monsters, meaning that at any time you may be called upon to do battle with the beasts that dwell there. Luckily they are pretty easy to beat and provide handy Experience (Exp) and Gold Pieces (GP). While you are here I suggest levelling Marcus and Errol up to level 3, giving Marcus his first Special and Errol his second.
From the start, travel up and left to meet a mysterious Elven woman before continuing north and onto the next screen. The right path only leads to an old magician's grave, so best to ignore it. From the second screen travel directly up to find a chest containing 1 Brandy, before heading back down and along right and right again to find another chest. This one contains a Dagger, which you should equip to Errol immediately to up his attack strength. Return to the intersection and travel up right to find a third chest with 2 Healing Herbs before following the path around to a save point. Here you can heal your characters and should save before travelling up to the next screen.
On this screen you will find a Behemoth chomping on the bushes you've been sent to protect. After a brief conversation, approach the beast to initiate a battle. Remember that you can run away from this beast at any time but it will fully regenerate its HP if you do. To add to the danger, there is a 1/10 chance of it completely regenerating after the battle â€" so it may take three or four tries before it dies.
Behemoth.
HP: 100 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Will attack or defend.
SPECIAL RULES: Can regenerate after combat.
EXP: 50 / GP: 5 / ITEMS: N/A.
The monster is more likely to die if you kill it using non-special attacks, so keep this in mind when fighting it, and knock it down to about half-health before switching to normal attacks. Once the beast is finally dead, return to the save point and heal/save before exiting the forest and returning to Ravensburg. Proceed directly to the Magician's Guild to collect your 100 GP reward and then leave to discover that there is a tournament being held at the arena. After some debate, Marcus will decide to enter.
1.4: THE GRAND TOURNAMENT.
Proceed directly to the tournament, unless you are injured after the journey back through Seeker's Forest, in which case make use of the Inn. Once there pay the 50 GP to enter (if you don't have it return to the forest and fight some more till you have enough). Marcus will then face his first opponent, a warrior by the name of Gildard.
Gildard.
HP: 100 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or critical hit.
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
Defeating Gildard should be easy to power-through and healing won't normally be necessary. After the fight you will be given free bed and board at the local Inn, unless you chose to run away of course, in which case you must fight him again when you are ready. Assuming you have won, return to the Arena and get ready to face your second opponent.
Ewain.
HP: 150 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or critical hit.
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
Again, this battle should be a piece of cake after the boss fight you've already endured, so polish him off like before and you'll awaken once again at the inn. Head back for your final fight of the tournament and stock up on healing items just in case, because this final combatant has some magic up his sleeve and he can deal some harsh damage with it.
Demitri.
HP: 200 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or cast Light Arrow (Light damage).
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
This battle is certainly more unpredictable than the last, and you will probably have to heal two or three times before he runs out of MP. When he does pummel him with Sword Rain and claim your reward of 1000 GP for winning the tournament. The woman behind the desk will tell you that the Arena will be closing for a little while whilst they set up for later battles, so leave and heal at the Inn before deciding where to go next.
To the left of the main entrance to the city you'll notice the Elf from the forest and her pet wolf. Speaking with them will entail a conversation that ends with her hiring your characters to help her on a quest to find her brother, and you'll be given some time to stock-up on weapons and armour before meeting her outside on the world map. At this point I strongly suggest you buy the Jitte for Marcus and a Javelin for later, anything else is just candy. When you are done, leave through any exit and you'll meet the Elven girl outside. Now you'll learn that her name is Aren, and she'll join your party, bringing with her a nice selection of defence and healing magics as well as a powerful attack that her wolf Cannis can be summoned to use. Head up and across the bridge to the right to enter the Mountain Pass and begin your journey.
2.0: THE BANDIT TRAIL.
A quick glance at the signpost near the entrance to the Mountain Pass will indicate that there are bandits on the loose in this area. To make it even more dangerous there are wild monsters too, and these ones are a lot more dangerous than those found in the Seeker's Forest. First travel up, right, up to find a handy chest containing a Small Shield and then return to travel up, up, right to enter the next screen. From here there are two paths that lead to the same location, travelling down will lead you off-screen to a save point, whilst the cave contains 500 GP for the taking. Leave the screen to the right and continue down, right, up, right to the next one. Journey along the path and your party will make camp for the night, stopping to chat before drifting off for sleep and giving us a chance to see how poor Dante is doing.
When they wake up Marcus will be in the lead and a quick check of your party will make it apparent that Errol has vanished. You'll be fully healed after a night's sleep, so travel down and right to the next screen where there will be a handy save point waiting for you. Continue to journey right and down until Marcus and Aren notice that Errol is missing and agree to search for him, then go down, down, down, right, and up to find a chest with Light Leather Armour inside. That done return to the Cave and scout around the top-right area where Cannis will uncover a secret passage. Jump on in to discover Errol's fate and arrive just in time to stop him becoming dinner.
Bandit.
HP: 60 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or cast Cheer (Raise Attack).
SPECIAL RULES: There are three of them.
EXP: 50 / GP: 10 / ITEMS: N/A.
Bandit Chief.
HP: 100 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Will occasionally throw a Cooking Pot at you.
EXP: 100 / GP: 50 / ITEMS: Rare Herb.
This fight is pretty hard without the Jitte equipped to Marcus, so keep that in mind. Use him to attack whilst Aren heals the damage you'll take in the first few turns. Once the two of you see the Bandits off, Errol will rejoin your party along with his newly discovered pet cat ‘Eep' who can be used in a similar way to Cannis. Together journey back to the screen where you found the Light Leather Armour and exit from to bottom to return to the world map.
2.1: CITY-WIDE SEARCH.
Directly to your right upon exiting the Mountain Pass is a Hamlet with an Inn. It's not open for business yet, but outside you'll find a chest containing 1 Smelling Salts. Once you've looked here you can check out the Temple of Elyen to the south, nabbing a free Shiney Ring by searching behind the first flower on the left of the door. That done proceed to the city of Maine to the East.
As soon as you enter Aren will suggest that the party split up and search for information about her brother. As Errol, wonder around the place and talk to everybody, your team-mates will also be looking so you can talk them when you see them too. You can purchase the Monster Listing book from the items shop for later reading in Ravensburgs Library now. The house at the bottom left of the city has a chest containing 2 Antidotes inside it, so grab this first before checking out the house in the alley between the weapons shop and another building. Another chest here contains 1 Smelling Salts for the taking. When that is done, and you have spoken to everyone else in the city, go to the house next-door and speak to the Old Man there, he will give you your first clue as to where Aren's brother is heading. However a quick inspection of the Gate House to the north on the world map will confirm that you need a pass to continue onward. Return to the city and head to the large building on the right (the one that was blocked by two guards) to ask the Commander for one.
Now that you have Eep in your party, speaking to any Black Mages you find will allow you to play the Eeps Treasure minigame. To play the first of these games head to the right of the Military Outpost and speak with the one you find there. Your reward for completion is an Ice Dagger for Errol to use.
Upon entering you will witness a scene where Alexander, the commander of the local guards, is bickering with a Mage. It turns out that he wants an escort back to the Guild in Ravensburg, but the commander doesn't have the men to spare. Angry, he tells you that you must deliver him there in exchange for a pass. Speak to the Mage to get him to join your party as an N.P.C character and check out his selection of Lightening Magic in the menu before heading out and all of the way back across the Mountain Pass. Although he will occasionally make snide comments on the way, the Mage is pretty useful as an extra fighter and you shouldn't have any trouble. At this point you should pay a visit to Rainbow Lake and do a little fishing, confident that with four party members you can defeat the Lake Serpent that lives there.
Lake Serpent.
HP: 500 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Will occasionally create a Tidal Wave.
EXP: 100 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: Medium Fish.
This of course is entirely optional. Regardless of if you decide to do this or not, your next stop will be Ravensburg inn, followed quickly by the Magician's Guild. Upon arrival the Mage will leave your party, and by way of reward you can now access up to the second level of the Guild.
Before returning to Maine for your pass, check out the Combat Arena. You can now fight a selection of monsters from each area you have visited with your whole party. This is a good way to gain Exp quickly, but does cost a small amount of GP each time you enter. On the plus side, the Behemoth here can't regenerate like the one you met earlier in the forest. When you are done, go back to visit Commander Alexander in his office and he'll present you with the pass he promised.
2.2: THE HAPPY COUPLE.
Now that you have a pass, you can enter the Gate House and cross into the area formerly blocked to you. If you successfully completed the Jennifer/Kevin sub-quest earlier then you'll meet them again here on the far right and speaking to Jennifer will get you an invite to their wedding. Agree to go and backtrack to the Temple of Elyen to witness the ceremony. Afterwards you will be presented with a Large Jewel as a token of their thanks. This item has no use at all, but can be sold for 1000 GP at any shop, and the cash will come in handy. I suggest picking up some armour and healing items from ???? before heading through the Gate House again.
On this side of the world map you can travel along west to find Kainford, a city which Errol strongly suggests you avoid, and an abandoned Jewel Mine. You can't enter either of these locations yet, so head back right and into the Woodland area.
SHADOW'S REACH WALKTHROUGH
*Warning, this walkthrough contains spoilers and should only be considered as a last resort or used the second time you play through the game to unlock things you missed the first time around. I highly recommend that you try to complete the game without using it if you can*
0.1: PRELUDE.
Before you begin you will play for a short scene as the young Paladin, Dante. This scene does not last long but will involve you having your first glimpse of the battle-screen. Don't worry, after four turns the battle ends and the scene continues, so you don't have to worry about getting killed before the game even starts. Take this opportunity to get to know the battle options and the basic flow of combat.
0.2: OPENING CREDITS.
This is a simple opening theme that can be skipped at any time by pressing the action key.
1.1: ARRIVAL IN RAVENSBURG.
After a short introduction sequence to the new characters you will be granted full control of the characters and given 100 GP spending money. Take this opportunity to check out what Errol and Marcus can do before making your way directly to the building to the base of the screen. Inside you will find Jennifer, a young lovesick girl who asks you to carry a message to her beloved Kevin for her. Agree to help and proceed to the house to the north of Ravensburg with a sleeping Adventurer outside of it and talk to the sole occupant. This is Kevin, who will give you a message to take back to Jennifer. Return to receive two Special Items and then give them to Kevin, who will run to Jennifer's place. Talk to them both there and then trek back to Kevin's house to get the WOODEN ARMLET. Equip this to Marcus or Errol and then walk out to explore the market.
Whilst you are there pick up a FISHING ROD and some SMELLING SALTS from the items shop. Using the Rod you can now go fishing in the pond beside the Magician's Guild whilst the Salts can be used to wake up that sleeping Adventurer outside Kevin's place. With a little coaxing he will teach you how to play the Cards mini-game and give you the Special item DECK OF CARDS. Checking out the shops will also provide you with one or two goodies from chests, and speaking to the Black Mage will provide you with some basic healing items.
Now go talk to the juggling Clown a few times and Errol will tick him off enough to get himself challenged to a juggling contest. The rules here are simple, pound the action key as quickly as you can to out-juggle the Clown and win a CLOWN'S BADGE, that has the secret ability to prevent the wearer from being confused in battle. Equip this to Errol and make your way across town to the entrance again and sleep there for free, this should give you a short cut-scene where we find out what Dante has been up to since the prelude. That done, go to the save point and (after a brief conversation with a god) save your game for the first time. You may also want to pick up the Character Glossary book from the top level of the First Library, this can be read downstairs at any time.
Now that the basic exploration of the city is complete you can proceed to the large building that runs across the bottom of Ravensburg, the Combat Arena. Upon arrival you will find that you have to enrol in a training scenario before going any further. Accept and Marcus will rush off to learn the basics of combat, including a rough guide to special moves and a chance to beat upon a Combat Dummy. When you are done you'll be dropped back where you started and further investigation will lead you to the Magician's Guild, where there is a job available.
At the Guild the Mage in the white robe will employ your services to kill a monster in the Seeker's Forest to the north of Ravensburg. Have another look around the city in case you missed anything and then head out one of the exits and onto the world map for the first time.
1.2: YOUR FIRST VISIT TO THE WORLD MAP.
Before going north to Seeker's Forest, head down to the Port. It's not open for business yet, but later it will be pretty handy in getting around the world map. You can also visit the Rainbow Lake for a spot of fishing, but be careful because a powerful monster also dwells there and it can be caught my mistake. Best perhaps to leave this particular area till you have levelled up a bit and stick to fishing in the pond. When you have looked around to your hearts content and got the lay of the land, head north across the bridge and enter the Seeker's Forest.
1.3: SEEKER'S FOREST.
Beware, because as soon as you enter the forest you are in an area filled with wild monsters, meaning that at any time you may be called upon to do battle with the beasts that dwell there. Luckily they are pretty easy to beat and provide handy Experience (Exp) and Gold Pieces (GP). While you are here I suggest levelling Marcus and Errol up to level 3, giving Marcus his first Special and Errol his second.
From the start, travel up and left to meet a mysterious Elven woman before continuing north and onto the next screen. The right path only leads to an old magician's grave, so best to ignore it. From the second screen travel directly up to find a chest containing 1 Brandy, before heading back down and along right and right again to find another chest. This one contains a Dagger, which you should equip to Errol immediately to up his attack strength. Return to the intersection and travel up right to find a third chest with 2 Healing Herbs before following the path around to a save point. Here you can heal your characters and should save before travelling up to the next screen.
On this screen you will find a Behemoth chomping on the bushes you've been sent to protect. After a brief conversation, approach the beast to initiate a battle. Remember that you can run away from this beast at any time but it will fully regenerate its HP if you do. To add to the danger, there is a 1/10 chance of it completely regenerating after the battle â€" so it may take three or four tries before it dies.
Behemoth.
HP: 100 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Will attack or defend.
SPECIAL RULES: Can regenerate after combat.
EXP: 50 / GP: 5 / ITEMS: N/A.
The monster is more likely to die if you kill it using non-special attacks, so keep this in mind when fighting it, and knock it down to about half-health before switching to normal attacks. Once the beast is finally dead, return to the save point and heal/save before exiting the forest and returning to Ravensburg. Proceed directly to the Magician's Guild to collect your 100 GP reward and then leave to discover that there is a tournament being held at the arena. After some debate, Marcus will decide to enter.
1.4: THE GRAND TOURNAMENT.
Proceed directly to the tournament, unless you are injured after the journey back through Seeker's Forest, in which case make use of the Inn. Once there pay the 50 GP to enter (if you don't have it return to the forest and fight some more till you have enough). Marcus will then face his first opponent, a warrior by the name of Gildard.
Gildard.
HP: 100 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or critical hit.
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
Defeating Gildard should be easy to power-through and healing won't normally be necessary. After the fight you will be given free bed and board at the local Inn, unless you chose to run away of course, in which case you must fight him again when you are ready. Assuming you have won, return to the Arena and get ready to face your second opponent.
Ewain.
HP: 150 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or critical hit.
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
Again, this battle should be a piece of cake after the boss fight you've already endured, so polish him off like before and you'll awaken once again at the inn. Head back for your final fight of the tournament and stock up on healing items just in case, because this final combatant has some magic up his sleeve and he can deal some harsh damage with it.
Demitri.
HP: 200 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or cast Light Arrow (Light damage).
SPECIAL RULES: N/A.
EXP: 20 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: N/A.
This battle is certainly more unpredictable than the last, and you will probably have to heal two or three times before he runs out of MP. When he does pummel him with Sword Rain and claim your reward of 1000 GP for winning the tournament. The woman behind the desk will tell you that the Arena will be closing for a little while whilst they set up for later battles, so leave and heal at the Inn before deciding where to go next.
To the left of the main entrance to the city you'll notice the Elf from the forest and her pet wolf. Speaking with them will entail a conversation that ends with her hiring your characters to help her on a quest to find her brother, and you'll be given some time to stock-up on weapons and armour before meeting her outside on the world map. At this point I strongly suggest you buy the Jitte for Marcus and a Javelin for later, anything else is just candy. When you are done, leave through any exit and you'll meet the Elven girl outside. Now you'll learn that her name is Aren, and she'll join your party, bringing with her a nice selection of defence and healing magics as well as a powerful attack that her wolf Cannis can be summoned to use. Head up and across the bridge to the right to enter the Mountain Pass and begin your journey.
2.0: THE BANDIT TRAIL.
A quick glance at the signpost near the entrance to the Mountain Pass will indicate that there are bandits on the loose in this area. To make it even more dangerous there are wild monsters too, and these ones are a lot more dangerous than those found in the Seeker's Forest. First travel up, right, up to find a handy chest containing a Small Shield and then return to travel up, up, right to enter the next screen. From here there are two paths that lead to the same location, travelling down will lead you off-screen to a save point, whilst the cave contains 500 GP for the taking. Leave the screen to the right and continue down, right, up, right to the next one. Journey along the path and your party will make camp for the night, stopping to chat before drifting off for sleep and giving us a chance to see how poor Dante is doing.
When they wake up Marcus will be in the lead and a quick check of your party will make it apparent that Errol has vanished. You'll be fully healed after a night's sleep, so travel down and right to the next screen where there will be a handy save point waiting for you. Continue to journey right and down until Marcus and Aren notice that Errol is missing and agree to search for him, then go down, down, down, right, and up to find a chest with Light Leather Armour inside. That done return to the Cave and scout around the top-right area where Cannis will uncover a secret passage. Jump on in to discover Errol's fate and arrive just in time to stop him becoming dinner.
Bandit.
HP: 60 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Can attack or cast Cheer (Raise Attack).
SPECIAL RULES: There are three of them.
EXP: 50 / GP: 10 / ITEMS: N/A.
Bandit Chief.
HP: 100 / MP: 20.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Will occasionally throw a Cooking Pot at you.
EXP: 100 / GP: 50 / ITEMS: Rare Herb.
This fight is pretty hard without the Jitte equipped to Marcus, so keep that in mind. Use him to attack whilst Aren heals the damage you'll take in the first few turns. Once the two of you see the Bandits off, Errol will rejoin your party along with his newly discovered pet cat ‘Eep' who can be used in a similar way to Cannis. Together journey back to the screen where you found the Light Leather Armour and exit from to bottom to return to the world map.
2.1: CITY-WIDE SEARCH.
Directly to your right upon exiting the Mountain Pass is a Hamlet with an Inn. It's not open for business yet, but outside you'll find a chest containing 1 Smelling Salts. Once you've looked here you can check out the Temple of Elyen to the south, nabbing a free Shiney Ring by searching behind the first flower on the left of the door. That done proceed to the city of Maine to the East.
As soon as you enter Aren will suggest that the party split up and search for information about her brother. As Errol, wonder around the place and talk to everybody, your team-mates will also be looking so you can talk them when you see them too. You can purchase the Monster Listing book from the items shop for later reading in Ravensburgs Library now. The house at the bottom left of the city has a chest containing 2 Antidotes inside it, so grab this first before checking out the house in the alley between the weapons shop and another building. Another chest here contains 1 Smelling Salts for the taking. When that is done, and you have spoken to everyone else in the city, go to the house next-door and speak to the Old Man there, he will give you your first clue as to where Aren's brother is heading. However a quick inspection of the Gate House to the north on the world map will confirm that you need a pass to continue onward. Return to the city and head to the large building on the right (the one that was blocked by two guards) to ask the Commander for one.
Now that you have Eep in your party, speaking to any Black Mages you find will allow you to play the Eeps Treasure minigame. To play the first of these games head to the right of the Military Outpost and speak with the one you find there. Your reward for completion is an Ice Dagger for Errol to use.
Upon entering you will witness a scene where Alexander, the commander of the local guards, is bickering with a Mage. It turns out that he wants an escort back to the Guild in Ravensburg, but the commander doesn't have the men to spare. Angry, he tells you that you must deliver him there in exchange for a pass. Speak to the Mage to get him to join your party as an N.P.C character and check out his selection of Lightening Magic in the menu before heading out and all of the way back across the Mountain Pass. Although he will occasionally make snide comments on the way, the Mage is pretty useful as an extra fighter and you shouldn't have any trouble. At this point you should pay a visit to Rainbow Lake and do a little fishing, confident that with four party members you can defeat the Lake Serpent that lives there.
Lake Serpent.
HP: 500 / MP: 10.
BEHAVIOUR: Normal attacks.
SPECIAL RULES: Will occasionally create a Tidal Wave.
EXP: 100 / GP: N/A / ITEMS: Medium Fish.
This of course is entirely optional. Regardless of if you decide to do this or not, your next stop will be Ravensburg inn, followed quickly by the Magician's Guild. Upon arrival the Mage will leave your party, and by way of reward you can now access up to the second level of the Guild.
Before returning to Maine for your pass, check out the Combat Arena. You can now fight a selection of monsters from each area you have visited with your whole party. This is a good way to gain Exp quickly, but does cost a small amount of GP each time you enter. On the plus side, the Behemoth here can't regenerate like the one you met earlier in the forest. When you are done, go back to visit Commander Alexander in his office and he'll present you with the pass he promised.
2.2: THE HAPPY COUPLE.
Now that you have a pass, you can enter the Gate House and cross into the area formerly blocked to you. If you successfully completed the Jennifer/Kevin sub-quest earlier then you'll meet them again here on the far right and speaking to Jennifer will get you an invite to their wedding. Agree to go and backtrack to the Temple of Elyen to witness the ceremony. Afterwards you will be presented with a Large Jewel as a token of their thanks. This item has no use at all, but can be sold for 1000 GP at any shop, and the cash will come in handy. I suggest picking up some armour and healing items from ???? before heading through the Gate House again.
On this side of the world map you can travel along west to find Kainford, a city which Errol strongly suggests you avoid, and an abandoned Jewel Mine. You can't enter either of these locations yet, so head back right and into the Woodland area.
RPG MAKER 2000 - Still Kicking
I actually had to CHECK what the cap was when I was planning my game - I had a panic that it would be somewhere in the region of 500 late one evening. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised with what I found.
RPG MAKER 2000 - Still Kicking
I found that use of animations tagged to weapons and abilities could provide a visual representation of the characters that is just as handy as that found in 2003 - and wasn't personally so keen on the layout of XP's battle screen (which I know can be worked around). There's a beautiful simplicity in 2000, if it only had a positive-status effects function and the ability to break the 50 level cap it would be perfect.
Out of interest, has anyone ever used all 5000 switches/ enemies/ variables/ items/ etc, slots when making a game? I've just capped 300 and am about half way through Shadow's Reach now.
Out of interest, has anyone ever used all 5000 switches/ enemies/ variables/ items/ etc, slots when making a game? I've just capped 300 and am about half way through Shadow's Reach now.
Games - Tester
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