SAILERIUS'S PROFILE

I think you should probably tell the creator about the issues you found rather than taking it upon yourself to hack their game.

That sounds like you got the Relinquish ending, which is not one of the main endings. The other main ending is Remission. To get Remission, talk to Rayonne on a New Cycle after saving Vel.

Oh wow, you weren't kidding. I really enjoy reading your thoughts and reactions, so thanks much for posting them! Hearing what people thought of the story and characters helps me gauge how effective I was at conveying my intentions, so it helps me figure out what I need to work on. I have to say, you picked up on quite a few things that most other people missed, so kudos to you! Let me reply to a few parts-

and after Remission I got the weird meeting of judges cutscene. Still have to finish that game...are there any more after that?

Nope, in Contention, those are the only three intros. The scene with the judges is a reward for completing the two main endings and gives a tiny bit of insight into what's to come.

And oh, maybe a world map, just to visualize what Disparatus really looks like. If it feels too awkward, it doesn't need to be a gameplay mechanic. Maybe a map on a wall somewhere, or just even an artwork of it.

Duly noted. That's something I've been on the fence about, so I'll work on putting it into the Complete Edition.

I've now come to appreciate the wonders of Charges, Lavir and the wonderful feeling of a Rend to Sorrows Vital Hit[/quoteAnd oh, please, please fix the error with the last boss! I'm curious as to how I'll fare against Darxinger...again. And I wonder why Archetype Auria isn't in the Void Arena... :3

Ahahaha, yeah... that was a really embarrassing bug when I found out about it. I heard someone report it and I thought, "really?! no way!" Sure enough, when I opened up the game, it was bugged (and easy to fix >_>). Act III reached the point where the amount of optional content was so huge that it was inevitable that some things got glossed over. Archetype AURIA isn't in the Void Arena because she was added after the Void Arena was finished. >_>

On Auria-
I'm glad to hear you liked her. I knew from the start that she would be a very polarizing character, but I decided I would rather have a colorful protagonist who some people would hate than a bland one that everyone would be okay with. My intention was for you to understand and respect the choices she made, even if you didn't particularly like her.

Vel is, well, not what I hoped she would be at the start of the project. Tangent time! Originally, Contention was planned to span seven or eight acts. After Act II, Auria left the party for an act and there was an entire episode devoted to the other characters (especially Ray, Vel, Blaise, and Vanquish). On top of that, there was an entire act about learning about Ejaro's and Halo Locks's history before you ever actually encountered him. I had planned to build him up throughout the story. Then, after Act I came out, we did some talking and decided to severely slim down the game. The problem was that Act I was already out. That meant that fitting in all of the necessary plot points (the Orkans, the Virad, Zezzorah, the Blackguards, Ejaro, and so on) would require basically marginalizing everything that wasn't directly related to the core story. Vel and Vanquish got hit hard by this. They had a lot of development that unfortunately had to be cut. The biggest disappointment about Vel is that she never had a chance in the spotlight. Originally, there were extensive segments where you played as Ray, Seri, and Vel. Seri's segment got compressed into the end of Act II and Ray's sort of got woven in, but there wasn't really a fair chance to give Vel the attention she deserved. Ah well.

Fortunately, some of Vel's lost scenes will be restored in one of the new ending routes in the Complete Edition.

It's not that the Auria-Ray-Vel triangle angered me, it's just that Auria's sudden 'I want him to be happy' turn is SO sudden it's jarring.

Can you tell I had to compress a subplot? XD
What I was going for there is that after Act II, Auria (maybe subconsciously) decided that she didn't have long to live. The mood I was going for in pre-Halo Locks Act III is that Auria was tying up loose ends and mending bridges with people before she set off on her journey into hell without the intention of coming back.

Maybe because Vel and Auria didn't get much interaction by themselves.

Actually, that's not a bad idea at all.

Ray-Vel forms a large chunk of the plot and character development, but I dunno, it comes out as really...sappy and shallow...especially on Ray's part (he seems to spout off cliches).

That is intentional. Their relationship is founded entirely on a fabrication (Ejaro's coercing Vel into being infatuated with Rayonne regardless of any reason to the contrary). Rayonne, a frustrated farmboy of no real significance who just can't get the attention of the girl he likes, is totally blown off his shoes by this very pretty blonde who thinks he's the best thing in the world. Had it not been for Ejaro's intercession, they never would have ended up together - for better or for worse.

but it peeved me that Auria has to be the martyr for the two of them (yep, talking about Remission).

Concern for Ray and Vel was not the number one thing on Auria's mind, although it was a factor. In Remission, Vel starts to remind Auria of Mia; she sees the same isolation and detachment from humanity that Mia suffered from. In a way, Auria wants to save Vel to make up for failing to save Mia. She also sees that Ray might be able to help her heal and become reintegrated back into society (like she hoped to do for Mia). And there's also the fact that Auria in Act III is seeking a way to rest in peace; as long as she continues to exist, she will continue to serve as a threat to the world. She would rather be allowed to rest in peace than to have to live an unending life of isolation and vigilance.

Vanquish has always been one of my favorite characters

That was a big surprise to hear. I actually regret keeping Vanquish in the game from time to time since all of the plots he was important to were cut, making him kind of just exist (although as you mention, he does serve an important role in the team once Seri leaves -- he makes a better Seri than Seri). Act III kind of hints at his history with Frank Jones and Blaise, but it was never able to become relevant due to its being tangent to the plot.

I'm really glad you liked Seri! Of the characters in Contention, she and Auria were my favorites to write. She's meant to be a foil to Auria, with Act III showing how the two of them react differently to personal loss. (Un)fortunately for her, there's a long road ahead of her before she'll be able to rest...

My first reaction was 'why is he married?!'

So was Rayonne's mom's. =P

Fangirling and fan-preferred couple aside

Wait, what couple?! XD

Then again, this is Vacant Sky, and I doubt there's anyone among the cast who is, or who will be, left unscarred.

What about Frank Jones?

He gets better once I equipped the phase rifle (wait, did I get that correctly?)

Yes. Entertain the thought, if you will, of someone dual-wielding a greatsword and beam rifle in combat.

Interestingly enough, Laaik was not originally going to be a party member (well, he was, and then he wasn't). He was always intended to be a part of the story, but his subplot (like everyone's) was cut out. Since I thought it was a travesty to cut him entirely, I decided after Act II to work him back in as a party member. You can still see shards of his and Meridian's subplot, which will hopefully be expanded upon at a later date.

I mean, isn't Sandarga aware of Wep's grudge against Rayonne and if so, why did she let Wep join instead of, I dunno, herself?

Sandarga doesn't like to get her hands dirty. She knew she could count on him not screwing up if it meant he got to chase around a group of girls and kill things.

On Ejaro-
That was the biggest tragedy of compressing the plot; there was basically NOWHERE for me to put in the Viridian/Halo Locks build up. I will be addressing this in the Complete Edition.

Besides, how the heck did Ejaro manage to survive the Viridian genocide anyway?

Good question. Stay tuned for the Complete Edition.

On Darxinger-
He was also meant to have a more prominent role originally. Originally, there was a whole side story where you controlled Meridian, Laaik, and another character who was cut entirely in a conflict against Darxinger that expanded upon the Blackguards. He's such a fun character that I couldn't cut him out entirely, so I worked him into Act III.

The Maladorr story is begging for a prequel. XD The infodump is rather...tedious to remember; maybe a more interactive way of revealing it would be okay? Even a short game/segment would do, I guess?

Duly noted! Thanks for the suggestion.

You mentioned in a previous post that Kasch's coming back. One of the questions I have about his character is this: how did he got those demons back in Act I?

You mean Act II? It's a mystery! ...Since I'm not just telling you, you can probably guess that means it'll be important later on, huh?

What's up with Blaise asking about the Burandas in Act III? Am I missing out something?

Man, you're good at this...

How many sigils are there and what are they for? I've seen two, somewhere I've read there were three or four (can't remember), and that there's one in Bellemont. But I can't find the Bellemont sigil...D:

There are four and they unlock a new ability for Auria. One is in Halo Locks, one is in Maladorr Manor, one is on Raphael's Garden, and one is in Bellemont (south of the main gate and...to the east, I believe).

Rayonne's 'high school dream sequence' is good AU stuff (although the highschool AU is overdone to death, I just can't help but muse). Maybe a (relatively more) lighthearted parallel universe. Just for kicks. XD

That sounds like something the fandom would cook up. XD

*Do the cutscenes/intro/credits change with every ending? For some reason, I'm really averse with bad endings, but if if acquiring them will make me understand the plot more, then I'll grit my teeth and let my party kiss badassery goodbye. XD

They only change as you finish the main endings. There is one bad ending I recommend that you get, though: turning down Ray when he asks for your help saving Vel.

*When the complete edition comes out, do I have to replay the whole game? Is there a way that a save from the previous standalone release games would be carried over? (looks at her party XP)

You will have to replay the whole game, (un)fortunately. The game is so different that there's no way that saves will carry over. Also, you will want to replay it--a lot of new things are being explained and Act I has been completely redone. On top of that, Act II now has two alternate endings that unlock new scenarios in Act III.

Since there's a volume 1, I guess there's a volume 2? Are you going to continue Cadenza and Vagrant Blood?

I'd certainly like to see volume 2 to made. As long as I have awesome teammates (especially artists) who want to help out, I'll continue pushing to continue the story. Vagrant Blood is probably never going to be finished (seriously, it sucks), but I do plan to resurrect Cadenza.

All in all, what I say is: this is an awesome series, and thank you for spending time and effort in creating it! Keep on it! This fan is sure to be around!

Thanks so much for the kind words! Hearing how much people enjoy it is really inspiring!

PS. I registered here just to comment/gush/review. Erm, am I in the wrong venue? :|

No, go right ahead. XD This game profile's here for public discussion of the game.

PS spore. And oh, my friends and I have fanfics. Maybe a fanart or two later. XD EDIT of spore: I have a fanart. XD

Oh dear. Please share! XD

I don't have a preference for battle system, but I personally would like not to use Melody since it runs at a snail's pace for me.

author=Kaliesto
http://rpgmaker.net/games/2132/reviews/1262/?p=2#postsI thought games like this was judged based on it's content, story, and gameplay, but not based on how many hours it is and whether the beginning is any good, that's not what a review is all about. The only good thing this review pointed out was several things that has to be worked out in general.

Personally this isn't the only time I've seen a long game like this take the heat, it doesn't make sense to me with this crowd. Are most you all casual gamers(I'm not insulting, it's just a category).

I don't know what, but long games are hated on here.

If the game is appallingly bad after two hours of playing, how can you expect players to keep playing? It's only to be expected that they would give up and dislike the game. If any of the reviews for that game are potentially biased, it's the other one.

EDIT: If you've actually played the game, then you'd see that 2* is a lot higher a score than the game deserves for its content, story, and gameplay.