LORDBLUEROUGE'S PROFILE

In fact, I was planning on releasing something more recent. But unfortunately with the game in it’s current unfinished state. I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’ve already posted this video on Meridian Dance and to a couple of other regulars. So you’re probably already familiar with what I’ve been working on. If not then here it is.

To get straight to the point, I’ve never played a decent Final Fantasy fan game, in rpgmaker2003 where the characters actually move like Final Fantasy characters. There’s always something off about them, something that isn’t quite “right” and I wanted to figure out why that is. So, similar to Chrono Uncanny, I thought I’d take a shot at this by recreating a particular scene from Final Fantasy V in rpgmaker2003.

But rather than simply recreate that particular scene, I wanted to expand upon it, as this is what initially made rpgmaker so appealing to so many of us; this idea that you can actually create your own final fantasy game in rpgmaker2003. But can you actually do that?

The short answer is - as many of you already know – “no, you can’t.” and that’s sort of the purpose behind, “Final Fantasy Uncanny: Battle at Big Bridge”, to create a relatively short rpgmaker game that analyzes the limitations of the initial, default resources available in rpgmaker2003.

Already in the video you’ll notice a couple things. Like how the ability “Jump” doesn’t behave like “Jump” normally should or how the battle animation “Fire Scroll” is missing 2 frames of animations. Or like how there isn’t an appropriate water tileset surrounding the bridge during the opening cut scene.

Some of these problems can already be fixed with patches and the like. But what I’m hoping for players and fellow makers to take away from this project is to ask themselves, what type of game was originally intended to be created with rpgmaker2003. Because if we can’t faithfully recreate a final fantasy game, the series that introduced side-view battles, than what type of game are you suppose to make with rpgmaker2003?

I just finished playing the latest demo for Phantom Legacy.

I haven't been following the forums. So I'm not quite sure what else there is to say about this demo that hasn't already been said.

Except for the fact that, this version of Phantom Legacy in a sense, is the game I've always wanted to see made in rpgmaker 2003. A game that faithfully utilizes the aesthetics of SNES RPGs. A game which rejects the tropes and archetypes of JRPGs and approaches the story with a writers sensibility. A game which works within the limitations of the Default Battle System and utilizes it to the best of it's ability; the battles never feels cumbersome or obtuse, it's always very clear and concise.

I would go so far as to say that every game made in rpgmaker 2003 should play like Phantom Legacy. Simply because even if it wasn't called Phantom Legacy the principals of an "indie SNES RPG" are still there. It demonstrates that the medium as a whole is actually worth revisiting and expanding upon.

The only minor issue I have with this iteration of Phantom Legacy is that - and this is something that I also found in Demon Legacy as well - but there are moments where the characters, Nero in particular, have this tendency to bounce between speaking in a highly sophisticated manner to an everyday working joe using slang within a medieval setting.

…But for some reason, I felt that this works. It works with Nero, because there are moments where he's not quite sure of himself, which only adds to his character and It works in general because even in Demon Legacy, there were numerous occasions where the cast would exhibit this behaviour, interspersed with the occasional bit of comic relief. This all but, only helps reinforce the unique voice that has already establish itself within the series. Because if nothing else, the snide remarks these characters make to their otherwise dysfunctional cohorts, as they struggle to halt the machinations of one man's desire to change the world, is essentially what Demon/Phantom Legacy is.

Games like Phantom Legacy are the sole reason why I continue to play rpgmaker games: I believed at one point that if rpgmaker2003 had obtained the level of success that it had, we would eventually see games similar to Dave Gilbert's The Shivah. We would eventually achieve a market similar to the adventure game genre where the only difference between two games would be in the story that was being told.

It would be similar to walking into a bookstore offering a wide selection of books to choose from; it didn't matter which book you eventually picked up off from the shelf, there would always be a certain level of consistent quality which lead to it's eventual publications.

In that sense, games would no longer be solely for entertainment purposes, but would provide unique insight into what the creator values most and perhaps attempt to impart this value to the audience either through story or what they choose to have the player interact with.

Unfortunately this isn't the case with rpgmaker as our community has a long way to go before ever obtaining that of level of sophistication, if ever.

But Phantom Legacy is a step in the right direction.

Now of course, it's not spectacular (I don't think any rpgmaker game is). But what it does, it does extremely well and it does so earnestly.

I would really like to see more games like this.