ENKER'S PROFILE

An English Graphic Designer and Illustrator with a passion for gaming!

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Dragon Quest: Swords

I've just started playing through 'Dragon Quest: Swords' on the Wii, and so far I'm enjoying the light-hearted approach and decent voice-acting quality that you rarely see outside of the DQ games these days. That said the play does sometimes feel slightly repetative and less thought-out than I had hoped (one town, repeating the same dungeons, etc). Still, it's a fine little adventure - what do other people think of this first forray into new RPG territory?

Back at last!

Hey everyone! Sorry that I've been away from the site so long. For those who don't know me, my name is Ben Warren - also known as Enker online. I'm working on my longstanding game SHADOW'S REACH, which is fast becoming a labour of love, but for which I thank everyone who has downloaded a demo of helped to host it here this past year or so. I've been working hard at a new job this past few months and am getting ready to be married, so I haven't had time for anything fun, but now I'm back and will be making a concious effort to keep up to date with this wonderful site. :)

Final Fantasy IV DS Edition

I've just completed the remade edition of Final Fantasy IV (II when I first encountered it on the SNES!) and have to admit that I LOVED every second of it, from start to finish. The addition of new cutscenes and voice acting to the already strong plot of the game gives it the cinematic feel it always implied through its 2D sprites, and the small additions to the gameplay and battle system made it a cracking treat to grind. It may be the first time I've had level 99 characters in a game before the final dungeon! Does anybody else think that this is the best remake they've ever seen?

PIES - Which is best?

An age old question for you today, and one that normally causes fighting in the STREETS. What kind of pie is best? It can be sweet or savory, but must be a pie (pastry on all sides, not a flan, quiche or tarte) . . . . ok . . . GO!!

Mission-Based RPG

Ok, my little comment on potential mission-based community goodness seems to have gotten a few interested parties.

In a nutshell we're looking at creating a solid home-area containing all of the basics of play and a large amount of space for subsequent material to be added. Within this area the player will begin, and be able to take both his/her self and a custom team of some (potential) 65 class types into battle across a series of dungeons that are accessable from this central hub.

With each new release the home area would remain the same, and being the only true save-point in the game, the players would be able to export their parties and items/stats/money/etc directly into the updated version each month, containing new missions and a chance to further the story.

With character classes released as the game progresses and purchasable through the use of victory points, you could potentially be running around with a whole army of characters - selected each time for the mission at hand - not to mention customised with a huge variety of weapons, gear and special abilities to teach them in addition to their class-ability.

FORMAT: RPG Maker 2000
GENRE: Dungeon Crawler
PREMISE: Monthly slices of dungeon-crawling action with dungeons submitted by the community.

I'm thinking a Steampunk setting will be best as it allows for fans of heavy fantasy and sci-fi to vent their own dungeon ideas without having to ret-con the world setting.

Ok guys - step 1: Let's have a list of character classes, what they are good/bad at and what their one special talent will be. (I say one talent, figuring that a no-cost ability comes with each class and then additional abilities are purchased or won in-game and taught to characters, adding to the team building side of the game).

And . . . go!

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.

RPG MAKER 2000 - Still Kicking

A little thread for those of us who still enjoy using RPG MAKER 2000, even in the face of the new versions. Those solid few who soldier on in the face of dwindelling numbers, and perhaps a fond look back for those who have made the change. Let's hear it for a classic maker!

Shadow's Reach

I figure that since I'm going to be dropping in and out of this site a lot over the next few months I'd better make myself and my current project better known to the forum-using public. My name is Ben Warren, and this is my game . . .

SHADOW'S REACH

GENRE: Fantasy
MAKER: RPG Maker 2000
STATUS: Demo Version 1.0
PAGE: http://www.rpgmaker.net/games/239/

ABOUT: Shadow's Reach is an RPG in the traditional sense, I've done relatively little to modify the basic workings of RPG Maker 2000, but have been able to push those systems into new and interesting dimensions. At heart it's a game about character, mixing a strong plot-driven story and collection of interesting characters with a multitude of mini-games, subquests and missions that should help to waylay the linier qualities of the main adventure. Effort has been made to turn the world into a rich and interesting world-setting with sub-stories and a history to explore. Whilst the demo only contains a few books that can be brought and read in the Libraries, the full version will contain almost a hundred tomes that contain everything from Enemy stats to short stories and poetry. The characters themselves each have scripted personalities that vary from the comical to the heart-felt.

DEMO: The demo is uploaded onto Megauploads and will be linked through the page here exclusively. Contained within the demo is the first map area that can be explored in-game, containing multiple side-quests, minigames, and secrets to explore. This portion represents essentially the opening of the game and first few set pieces before embarking onto a bigger adventure. To download visit the game page.

SCREENSHOTS: I'm having some trouble uploading screenshots to this site at the moment so please find a small selection here: http://www.sheezyart.com/view/1483601/

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Any questions or comment on content at any point in production are most welcome. With any luck the demo version 1.0 will be available for download within the next two hours.

For the sake of Art

A link to one of my online galleries, this is where I upload all of my little doodles, etc. Professional quality work and designs are not uploaded here so think of it as a bit of fun.

http://enker.sheezyart.com/

Final Fantasy XII

Is it just me or does Final Fantasy 12 just plain suck? I mean I KNOW it's pretty to look at, but the combat system was dull, the plot uninspiring and the game as a whole made up of waaaay to many fetch and carry quests? What happened to the games that would grip you from the second you saw the opening sequence and not let go till the credits rolled? What happened to character interaction so deep you cried when one died? In short - what happened to the series and where did FFXII go wrong?