AMERK'S PROFILE

author=Travio

author=Selius
i hope this turns out more like LS2 than 1 or 3

What was it that you liked/didn't like about it and the others that you would rather a game turn out like it instead of the others?

author=Enker
Legion Saga III was my favourite RPGMaker 2000 game and really got me into making my own RPGs. If you want any art assets doing or help let me know I'd gladly chip in on a project like this.

We'll see how it turns out. I want to get systems etc. coded, in place, and working, along with a large portion of the game, before I get too overly concerned about art assets.

I have to agree, part 2 was the best. Since you asked:

Part 1 started an interesting trend of game play, and for that reason alone I stuck with it. However, the story was poorly written, not to mention confusing and didn't make a lot of sense, and the characters reaction to some situations appeared comical, when it should have been more serious. A lot of this resulted in the story being rushed and not panned out very well. Game play was interesting, but far from the improved mechanics of part 2. Case in point, the banking system didn't allow you to deposit or withdraw a portion of your money like in part 2. Instead, it was all or nothing. And when trying to decide which characters to put into your party, you couldn't see their current level until after they were in your party; so if your goal was to take your weakest characters and level them up, it was a chore to do. Then you have your villain, who was quite interesting, but took a back seat somewhere in the story. She wasn't written in very well. In fact, had I not chatted with her in the beginning (which I believe is optional), I wouldn't have recognized her late in the game. Better story (and better character development for all your recruits), better mechanics, and the lore behind LS is much needed (more information and foreshadowing about the story behind the gods).

Part 2: Much better story, improved game mechanics, better map design. This had the best duels and war tactics of all 3 games. The recruits felt alive here, even if some of the things you had to do to get them didn't make sense. Seeing the return of past characters, and seeing the story unravel, it really made the series well worth the effort. The overall battle system (not to mention the introduction of Orbs) could have been better refined, but overall this was a decent game, outside of some instances of awkward story telling.

Part 3: This is where the game sort of fell apart for me. Part 1 was understandable as it was primarily game play focused and all RTP. However, Part 2 showed us Kamau had what it takes to take it to the next level, and initially I was excited for Part 3. The problem is, it's practically incomplete. Version 2 was so bug-riddled, it made me cringe. To get the good ending, you were required to get all 40 Legionaires, which I did, but still got the bad ending. Version 3 was supposed to fix all of this, and complete some of the missing features that were left out in Version 2, however, Kamau also decided to change the war tactics from the second version, which created a game breaking bug in which the system kept looping and would never end; so Version 3 of Part 3 was practically impossible to finish, even though it was supposed to be better than Version 2. The war system in part 3 was horrid (unlike Legion Saga 2), and a lot of the features he added just bogged down the game. The story is even more improved, until you get to the last area, and then it begins to feel rushed and unresolved again. The old adage proves true here: If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Unfortunately, so many things were changed and fixed from Part 2 that Part 3 just felt exhausting to play.

None of the games had very good battle systems, though, except for the war tactics in Part 2. The traditional battles were too easy and boring, for the most part. More interesting types of skills would have definitely helped.

Edit: I'm currently playing Legion Saga R (the incomplete remake for Part 1), and so far I'm loving it. This is how the first game should have been done to begin with, and for the time being the story has been well laid out. I'd say use this as a sort of model for developing your own remake.

Just an FYI, but Cornflake is credited as Conrflake in the txt track listing.

With the amount of resources available these days, it's easy to grab hold of new content and not stick with just the RTP. However, unless most of the resources coming out now:

1. Clash with the RTP.
2. Not a complete set.
3. Made primarily for Ace.
4. Being sold (not free).

If you are using Ace, and have money to spare, you're all set. Everybody else either has to learn to create their own, stick with the RTP, or grab resources that will clash.

But even so, using the RTP doesn't have to hinder your creativity. There's all sort of creative ways you can use the RTP and make it stand out, and most of it just requires a bit of effort versus any professional skill or talent. Parallaxing, mastering the shift-click, and using events as an added layer go a long ways. There are easy to follow guides on recoloring, editing, and clumping to create the illusion of newer/edited resources. And of course, making sure your maps are proportioned just right (not too large to appear empty nor too small to appear cluttered). And don't forget, even if you tile map, you can always use background images as well.

I'm glad to hear this is at least being considered for Ace. I just completed one of the very old demos for this yesterday, somehow under the false knowledge that it was complete, only to realize the only reason I thought this was because there were more maps than what the demo covered. It's a great game so far, and I echo all of the comments I've read in the reviews.

Excellent job with your use of the RTP, by the way.

I remember when this was first started, when it was under a Final Fantasy title. I finally got around to play testing one of the more recent demos, and I like the improvement for it. Others complained about the writing style, and while I admit it's a tad stale in areas, it's reminiscent of the old SNES games. There's a lot involved with the game play, which is a definite plus, and the overall feel of the battles was pretty well balanced. The mapping isn't bad. In some places it's better than others. Towns and interiors could use a bit of work, though.

Now for some gripes and minor nitpicking:

* In the prologue, I'd eliminate the random encounters, since they serve no point. Your heroes are leveled up to the max as it is, and the encounters here just slow the prologue down. Instead, maybe add some evented troop battles blocking your progress.

2. EXP drops seem low in comparison to the amount of Level Requirements needed. I get that you start off at Level 3 in the Forest, but fighting enemies when they drop so little rewards makes the game tedious. For example, we begin at Level 3. To get the next Level we need 800 more EXP (for a total of 1800). When troops tend to drop around 50 in total, I'd have to fight about 16 different battles on average to get to Level 4, and that's assuming I get a troop of 3. If I get a troop of 1 or 2, I'd have to fight even more battles.

I very much enjoy a game that requires a bit of level grinding, but I'd like to know I'm going somewhere with my levels after fighting for awhile. My suggestion would be to up the drops in the early areas of the game (at least up to and maybe including the cave where you have to help Jesse).

Anyways, good luck with the project, and hopefully we'll see a finale at some point.