MILENNIN'S PROFILE

author=TheRpgmakerAddict
Yes. I admit that I got really better results with some characters, so when I for example started with the Sorcerer... well I reloaded ahah! My preference anyway.

By the Sorcerer, you mean the Warlock that can summon the Minion ally? You did mention them in the review. It's funny, because I always found him to be pretty strong, though admittedly he caters towards a slower playstyle if you want to unlock his full potential. It also does help if you have another ally with you that can inflict Bleed so he can get the bonus on his Bloodbath easier.
While every class is viable in their own way (I've tested and finished the game with plenty of different party combinations and played all the classes vs. all of the bosses), I would definitely expect different people to lean towards different characters.

For the next game that I'll release (that should still be quite a while off...) you can expect me to go back to my own style again. Now that I'm actually capable of making my own plugins using the AI, I can finally progress on my modern remake of FADE which has been at a standstill for some time now as the need for plugins to bypass some of the horrible default systems and menus, and my absolute lack of coding knowledge to fix stuff myself has been the bane of my existence since forever.
RTP was more of an experimental game for me, a means for me to learn the basics of the newer RPG Maker engines. The combat system in RTP is a smaller scale version of what I'm doing for the new FADE.

Hey, thanks for reviewing the game. Yes, I found out about this review post just now, lol.

Lol, for the clashing graphics, I wanted to use this contest as an opportunity to get some combat sprite practice in. Since it wasn't going to be judged on its visuals, I just went with what I would maybe consider using for my own games, rather than trying to make it suit the RTP or the boss graphic we were given to use.

For the difference in numbers for players vs. boss, it's all about the damage multiplier buffs that are part of the fight mechanics. There is no reason for the player to hang around with multiple thousand hitpoints when the boss isn't going to scale up its damage during the boss fight. Those extra zeroes don't add anything other than to make things look bigger.
Meanwhile, the high numbers of damage the player can manage against the boss serve their purpose, because buff stacking is meant to be the go-to strategy in this boss fight.

I find it interesting, however, that you claim Embla is all about healing and drawing aggro, when you can run her as an excellent primary boss slayer if you invest in the buffs on her. Yes, you can play her as a healer if you like, but it's definitely not the only thing she's good for.
Neyel is far from useless, and in fact is an important factor in getting to kill this boss fast and efficiently. Even outside that, she is a very flexible support unit that can alter her role on the fly depending on what the situation calls for. Yes, she can serve as a secondary healer, refill the party MP, reduce party damage taken and increase party damage output. And that's not even to mention her ability to stun the boss when it's Charging and providing constant chip damage to the boss without needing to actively strike it. It does require mastering her Gold management mechanic to make full use of her supportive abilities, but once you know how to do it, it'll change the way you play this boss fight.
If anything, this proves a single boss fight without being able to deliver any tutorial messages is too little for a combat system that rewards mastery of its mechanics. I designed this boss fight to be easy enough to get by by comprehending half or less than half of the skill descriptions, but in my opinion as the developer, it shines the most when you understand the full scope of the combat system and all of its mechanics. I'm definitely not arrogant enough to claim it's deep enough to fill hours of entertainment (lol), but it's very possible to approach this fight in a couple of different ways, depending on what you feel like doing.

All that said, thanks a lot for playing and reviewing the game. I also watched the playthrough you submitted, it was pretty entertaining as well as helpful to me because it gives me insight on how different people approach the game. (I also did leave a comment on Youtube, but I believe Youtube may have auto removed it for whatever reason... I know it sometimes does that for seemingly no reason with comments people leave on my videos too.)

author=Biggamefreak
I agree with this review. This game is like using RTP+ since you make fresh maps, fleshed out fun, and cool minigames.

Milennin, I want you to release this game in installments even.

I've considered doing that, but the limitations and issues that come with the combat system in RPG Maker 2003 ruined my motivation to finish it. Limitations, in the sense of too little I can do with skill descriptions, and so few options to fine-tune things the way I want them to work, such as damage formulas. Then the main issue of the engine skill cancelling actions when a new action is put in before the animation of the previous one has finished. I've tried a lot of things to fix it, but nothing seemed to work. All you can tell is people to not go too fast with action input for the characters, or else their skills/attacks may fail to do anything.

I've been working on an MZ version of this, though. I don't really want to go into too many details, but what I'll share for now:
-A complete overhaul of the character skill sets. MZ gives so many more options for more skills that do multiple things at once. At their core, the characters will still do what they did in RM2K3 (such as Roth being made to refill the party MP), but with more complexity and a skill branching system that will take the character into different directions each new playthrough.
So the way skill branching works is, each character has a set of base skills, which then branch out into 1 of 3 advanced versions of that skill that come with additional effects. The way each of them branch out is determined at random, so you don't know what you're going to get, but it'll make it so that replaying the game can make the way you play the characters in combat feel different.
To give an example of a branch: Rage's Axe skill (which replaces his Aura of Strength, but still grants the Attack boost for 3 turns) can branch out into a version that
1. Gains a 50% chance to inflict Burn on the enemy when Attack is used.
2. Restores some MP to Rage when Attack is used.
3. Restores 5% HP to all party members when Attack is used.
Meaning, depending on which version you get, you're going to benefit from the upgraded Axe for different purposes in combat.

-Addition of passive skills that will replace Auras. They'll no longer be chance based in their activation, and letting you go with different playstyles on a character, depending on which you do equip on them.

-I'm trying to get a paid plugin request done to emulate the way FADE in RM2K3 plays like (minus the issues, lol) and some extras to improve upon it. If I can't find nobody to do it, I'll settle for the MZ default system, which honestly is an OK compromise to me.

All in all, I'm aiming to make the combat system way more complex, with a lot more depth. Offering different ways to play each character, both through randomised skill branching and letting you choose which passives to equip on them. Making the game replay-friendly with options to skip like cutscenes and stuff, so if you want to play through it one more time, you don't have to sit through everything again.
Where I'm going to cut corners is the world and the story. And yeah, I'm not doing it because I want to, but I came to realise my scope for the original FADE was getting far too big. What I've learned with RTP (my MV game) is that I'm better off not spreading out my focus too much. I want to focus a lot on the combat, but it'll be at the cost of the game's world and story.
I really hate mapping sadly. I like how my maps turn out when I do get to finish them, but I found them taking up far too much of my time and motivation each time.

That ended up being longer than I thought... I could go on forever, lol, because game making is always on my mind somehow. But yeah, a remake of FADE is in the works, but I don't plan on releasing any demos for it. If/when it comes out, it'll come out as a finished game. And it also won't be anytime soon. I've fleshed out a lot of the combat mechanics and skill sets, but I'm still figuring out how to tackle the overworld stuff. And also still looking for a plugin creator that's willing to take up my request.

Anyway, very long time no see, BGF. I had no idea you're still hanging out around here. You have no plans on returning to game making yourself?

author=TheRpgmakerAddict
Yep. I have to try the demo of the sequel that looks even better from what I have seen!

Yeah, it plays a lot more like a traditional RPG, but with very much a similar tone as this game, the Saturday cartoon vibe, as you accurately described it, lol. If you liked this, I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you decide to give a try.

Yeah, I'm taking the things I learned from this game and use that to make my next game better. HERO will definitely be easier, at least early on, and there will be an (optional) tutorial to teach the basic mechanics of battle.
HERO is going to have the story and dialogue to give a more traditional RPG experience for people playing it the first time, but there'll be an option to auto-skip all of that if you want to replay it for the combat, since you won't get to play everything on a single playthrough.

Anyway, thanks again for the updated review, and for willing to try the game out for a good number of playthroughs.