TOFU21'S PROFILE

The game is okay but it has a lot to work on. Mapping, dialogue, writing, combat, etc.

For example: I spent nearly 30 mins running from shop to shop in Gardiner and even running to that shop in the Swamps before I gave up. And what was I trying to buy? A frigging pickaxe!

The other thing is about the priest: who was somewhat offensive and crass. However, whether his character was meant to pick fun at such people, i wouldn't know. Nowhere in the game so far, does the writing or dialogue actually hint at his character. Neither do his actions tell you what kind of person he really is. Actually, the same thing applies to all the characters so far.

Combat is bland btw: it's quite easy but there's little to do.

K, that sounds good. :) You're right that being too extreme is no good. I mean: there are a lot of radical peace groups on both right and left, now classified as "terror groups".

Yeah, I'm not of the stand that being "conservative/liberal/moderate/whatever" means they're wrong. Besides the ideology, the consequences and impact of their actions and decisions are important too. And then there's the character of the person too. And even then, people who once espoused liberal views could turn into conservatives 'cos they're unable to change and stuck in some long-gone past or 'cos the world has moved on and perhaps even developed their own ideologies.

I see the slavery issue as one which mirrors human egoism, apathy, extreme conformity and many other dislikable traits. I know that people dislike to change but not so sure if I'd ever list it as under "being conservative". Still, it depends on how you guys define liberalism and the other stands, in terms of the different cultures present in the game.

Btw, I wonder how you all intend to present the issue of extreme reforms. *grins* From personal observations, such measures tend to be catastrophic if applied wrongly and without taking all the factors into consideration. Will the game take place 5 to 10 to 20 years after some of the reforms have been implemented, in order to show the long-term effects? I know that extremity breeds radicalism and uprooting people from their own values, culture, etc. can create generation gaps, massive economic problems, etc. in the long run.

So, what does Granada intend to do with poor Arian's body when he's not busy? Party out all day, in his spare time? Then will Arian turn slightly demonic or something, even after Granada has left? Wait, don't tell me! =) I'd rather wait for the game.

Sorry, this reply is turning out too lengthy. :)

This is kinda cool. I haven't got to the story part yet, still stuck in the damn dungeon.

Btw, for the final game version, you guys might want to add in some sort of in-game manual or menu that'll add in all these explanations for all the stats/classes and also, introduce some of the classes/specialties slowly. Of course, I'm familiar with most stats but the amount of data = holy crap and uhm yeah, boggles my mind totally.

And outside of the combat screen, you might want to show the players which Artifacts add what spells/features.

Also, is it possible to allow people to redo any screw-ups they've made(like choosing the wrong class) by say... trading in XP or a significant amount of money or trading in an item of value? 'Cos I for one, like to experiment a lot and sometimes, I don't recall some of those RPG mechanics. Or I'm in a rush and make a poor decision. And sometime down the road, if I find out I screwed up majorly in some of the stats/class build, I wouldn't want to redo a huge section of the game but instead, I'd be willing to take a penalty.

And yes, can you all indicate on the combat screen who is up next, in order of turns? And also, indicate when "buffed tokens" are "overwritten" by other buffed tokens?

Finally, why do some of the newer games only have 4 save slots? Please give it more slots? =)

Sorry, I sound really demanding. ^^;;

Well, there's the customisation issue and then, the size of the gameworld. Well, I don't mind "epic" but why don't you try starting with a smaller gameworld next time, so that you can concentrate more on customisation and plot writing? A long-ass development cycle is killer.

Look, just remember you're creating the game not just for yourself but also for others. Ooh you signed up for a class?! Best of luck! :)

Try also Gamasutra for articles and stuff.

If you want to take a good look at customisation, try comparing Last Scenario and Exit Fate. There're many other games that did heavy customisation, for sure. There's also Three the hard way where I really liked the idea of your stats levelling up with almost every battle.

As for Fire Sage:
Well, the plot doesn't have to be like Asian dramas where everyone ends up emotionally blackmailing or killing one another. ^^;; However, you could've used a bit of drama to create excitement and so on. I mean like "so and so discovers a letter to a certain someone", "so and so uncovers a hidden cellar which contains secrets that cast dubious light on their family's past(doesn't have to be murder but other things)", and not "let's just murder everyone in the name of justice or insanity".

There were a ton of battles and so much fighting, I kinda forgot what the plot was.
The game could've put in a lot more plot encounters and events to keep the audience connected, to the writing.

Also, the thing is that many of the characters had insufficient development and so on. Apart from a bit of basic things, the writing didn't really cement them as humans.

I wished more games included things(I think they're called "plot/writing devices") like literary symbolism and used 1 to 2 characters to represent an ongoing event/plot, but ah well.

And I liked the "no random encounters" thing and you can do tactical retreat most of the time to buff yourself up, instead of enduring some painful battle where it's obvious the outcome is death for the entire party. However, I wish the amount of battles was much more reduced and there was a lot more tactical challenges that're fun but not tedious.

It was also quite easy to escape most of the battles and to exit into the worldmap or to reach the save spots. I wished I could save anywhere as PCs are much buggier than consoles and even RPGmaker games can crash 'cos of factors the developer can't control.

Kentona: guess we have different tolerances and aversions to different things. I, for one, gave up on TTHW after encountering some issues and got tired of replaying hours of gameplay. Was too tedious and boring and having to redo a truckload of puzzles, combat and so on? Forget it.

At least TTHW eliminated the endless battles.

I also gave up on Ara Fell 'cos of game-stopping bugs.

some_person:

Then I hope you learned to keep your cool, in the future. I'm sorry you feel hurt but criticism can be quite damaging. Yet, it's necessary.

Hmmm, I do have certain thoughts about your game.