The RPG Maker Resource Kit

RMRK RPG Maker Creation => Projects => Topic started by: Sacrifyx on December 17, 2012, 02:30:07 AM

Title: [RMMV]Twin Hearts Saga Volume 1: Resurgence
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 17, 2012, 02:30:07 AM
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FgBXWkDP.png%3F1%5D&hash=5e090d396823d2a4aa24fa387b4d995ffbe2e6b0)

Now for RMMV!!


Download here:

MV Version:
http://www.nexusmods.com/rpgmakermv/mods/1/?


VXA Version (In a completed state but no longer updated):
http://www.nexusmods.com/rpgmakervxace/mods/6/?



The Game:
 Join Xarien DeMont as he travels through the world of Callusia on a quest to uncover the long lost history of its once-dead heroes, monstrous villains, fabled usurpers, reluctant deities and troubled people. The six islands of Arreh, Westrel, Kjell, Oko, Latruvium and Zaahir await, each with a different horror afflicting their citizens. The fight is already on, but the real battle won't begin until the truth of the Twin Hearts is discovered...


The Players:
Xarien DeMont, a 4th class mage of the Arcane Institute currently wrapping up summer vacation and preparing to head back to school for initiation into the 3rd class when he receives a special assignment from the head of the Institute, the Magus Primus.

Sasaki Kei, an Okona soldier who left behind his life on Oko to seek refuge on Arreh, will join Xarien and together they'll travel across the island in search of answers that lie hidden deep in their world's past.

Supporting Cast:
Verutan Descroix, a warrior priest from a time long past, will be seen here. His role is is great in the past and the present, but ancient magic prevents him from leaving his post.

Father Adan Kirio, a priest of the Church of Dreams. Kindly and wise, he will be an ally of Xarien's...if he stays on a righteous path.

Ranhath Killian, Magus Primus of the Arcane Institute. It is from him that Xarien receives his assignment, and to him that Xarien must report. As the Institute's Primus, he is the most powerful mage in the world but if the darkness prevails his powers will be as nothing.

Khalaal al-Abala, a Zaahiri nomad, bore witness to the rise of the darkness in the Dread Wastes. He'll tell his story to anyone willing to listen.

Aisri Jurulfsdottir, a Kjellite huntress. She is one of the few who have seen the troubles that plague her homeland and retained sanity.

Culea Ambrose of Westrel is looking for work. Unfortunately, Xarien isn't offering anything she's interested in.

Geminius Vitello, former Imperator of Darius' legions in Latruvium, is raising a legion of his own. The land of his birth is calling, but Geminius will only answer with violence.

And many more...

The World:
Callusia is a world comprised of six islands, each with its own distinct culture.

Arreh, the starting island, is where people from all over the world call home, even more so as a hub for refugees fleeing the troubles in their own nations. Actions here will set the stage for the rest of the game.

Westrel, the 2nd island, is where the wealthy wield their influence when they're not enjoying fun in the sun in Port Crescent or the Edgewater resort town. As the seat of power for the world's religious as well as the home of magical instruction, the capacity for corruption is almost endless. Lately though, something strange has been going on in the mountain community of Pineridge...

Kjell, the 3rd island, is where some of the greatest warriors of Callusia's history have hailed from. A hardy people forged in the frozen tundra that makes up their home, they have long prided themselves on their ability to fight. Unknown to all but a few, this icy nation hides a secret that stretches long past
Callusia's earliest recorded history.

Oko, the 4th island, feudal home of the samurai and ruled with an iron fist by Shogun Kawashi Ito. Much of Callusia's earliest history is preserved here, but
Kawashi guards it jealously. When the darkness visited the Okona, restless spirits began to assail the living, and the key to bringing peace to this land will lie in putting them, along with the dark power that raised them, to rest for good.

Latruvium, the 5th island, home to the mightiest military force in the world, ruled by Dominus Darius Lucius. Oko's closest neighbor and oldest partner, the recent troubles throughout the world and in their own lands have brought these former allies to the brink of war.

Zaahir is the final island, a desert waste populated by tribes of nomads and ruled from the great walled city of Abala by Emir Modatta al-Sayeed. It is the catalyst for the troubles and the dangers there will be the greatest Xarien will face, from the walking dead to the root of the darkness itself.
Each of these islands has a unique problem to solve, but the key to solving the troubles of today lies in uncovering a shrouded past.

FEATURES
The WHOLE island of Arreh:
12 exterior maps including 1 major town, 1 minor town, 1 small village and 1 large marketplace
43 interior maps including 3 caves, 1 old keep, many homes, shops and other buildings
Wandering enemies, no random encounters
7 side quests of varying lengths
A visit to the island of Oko:
14 maps to see while exploring Sasaki's backstory, with much more to come during the pair's inevitable visit to the island.
A basic karma system that will determine which of the final 2 side quests you'll be allowed to tackle. Will also determine the ultimate ending of the story (but that's several volumes away still)
A quest journal with step by step instructions for each quest in the game
A crafting system that enables you to make your own spells and potions
Stat point distribution on level up
Around 2-3 hours of play from start to finish including side quests and miscellaneous tidbits with the denizens of Arreh, especially if you do everything and talk to everyone, highly recommended especially if you wish to see Sasaki's story.

CREDITS

Lunarea's Furniture
Celianna's Inner Tiles
Mack's original tileset
Inquisitor's RMXP exterior tiles
Recife's bloody tiles with Rainbow Jello's recolors/additions

EB's Materials for VX: Samurai
EB's RPG XP Remastered OST

Momope's Bloody downed charsets

Soruve's facesets

Eathrock's faceset/charset recolors

Rajawali's anaconda charset

Plugins in MV:
Zalerinian/Ramiro/Hudell/Dekita's MVCommons
Terrax's Lighting System
Vlue's recipe crafting
Kino's Book plugin
Alistair's Stat Point Distribution
Victor Sant's Basic Module and Fog Overlay
Hime's Enemy Reinforcements
Gamestailer94's Quest System
Yanfly's Region Battlebacks, Main Menu Manager, Message Core, Battle Engine Core and Action Sequence packs
Galv's Event Detectors


Scripts in VXA:
Rafael Sol Maker's Ace Perfect Fog
Khas' Awesome Light Effects
Modern Algebra's Quest Journal, ATS: Special Message Codes
Enu's Sideview Battle System
Yanfly's Passive States, Item Menu, Region Battlebacks
Dekita's Perfect Stat Point Distribution System
Estriole's Advance Text Reader EX
Mr. Bubble's Tactics Ogre PSP Crafting System, Reader Functions for Features/Effects
Hime's Enemy Reinforcements
game_guy's More Self-Switches
V's Awesome Options
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: bluntsword on December 17, 2012, 02:47:04 AM
Your game sounds interesting! Ill certainly download it and give it a shot soon.

You may want to add some screen shots of your game to this thread. It'll let people see your work and give some feedback!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 17, 2012, 03:03:23 AM
Some screens added!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: hiromu656 on December 17, 2012, 04:40:08 PM
Sounds cool I think I'll download it once I get home.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: bluntsword on December 17, 2012, 10:27:18 PM
So I've downloaded your game and begun playing.

So. Much. Text.

I appreciate the about of background you've put into your world. I really think that adds to a game. But getting more than six screens of text every time I talk to a stranger is a bit much. Perhaps you could think of a way to consolidate the way the info is related? Again, I'm glad you've put so much thought into the history. It just seemed a little early in the game.

You've done a good job making sure the player knows what's going on in the beginning, but I've reached the first quest and am trying to find the Cove. I'm sure you've made it obvious and I'm just missing it. At any rate, I'll continue to play later and let you know.

One last point though: some of the shadows you've added seem a little... off. Light generally only comes from one source and in this screen:
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmixitup.us%2Fimages%2Fcove.png&hash=4c202dd9cbb5a2328021df5fbece5395e831178f)
It's coming from three different directions. Think about redoing that on your maps.

Looking forward to playing more and giving you more feedback!

Edit -
One last thing. The font you use does not show the "w" well. It's cut off on the left side in both upper and lower cases.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 18, 2012, 12:04:21 AM
@bluntsword -

Thanks very much for playing, and thanks for the feedback! The shadows are something I have a love/hate relationship with, and at times I did go overboard. Just one of many things to fix.
As for the walls of text, they're more current events than actual history which is why it's so difficult to present it differently - if I could, I'd put it in a book that you could pick up from a bookshelf and read at will, but each person telling their story from their own corner of the world makes that non-optional. I'll take another look at the dialogue and see if I can't trim it down some without hurting the presentation.
As for the Cove...my fiancee's big complaint is that it was never really clear where you were supposed to go. For your playthrough, the Cove is on the southern coast. Colossal map with lots of ridges and such - that screenshot is actually where you need to be, the ladder below the statue leads to the cave you need to go through. Now, I'm open to suggestions as to how to make it clearer to the player where they should be going. You may have noticed I put up a few roadsigns here and there, shall I put in more? Or maybe just have the questgiver provide directions? I prefer roadsigns here only because this is where your main character was born/raised so I would think it is implied that he knows where he's going, but I'm up for anything. Let me know!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: bluntsword on December 18, 2012, 01:09:29 AM
I ran into a few road signs that had nothing to tell me which was confusing. The person giving the quest doesn't have to know your character was born and raised here -

Capt - you do know its southeast from here right?
X - of course! I grew up here!

No prob.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 18, 2012, 01:17:00 AM
You mean the roadsigns didn't tell you what you needed to know, or literally didn't say anything? I'm re-working the dialogue in the inn right now, I'll add directions to the quest dialogue as well.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: bluntsword on December 18, 2012, 03:28:53 AM
Just one didn't have anything on it. Ill try to find it so you can know which it is.

Annnnnd, one suggestion: I'd consider having a "Is this your first time playing?" Question at the beginning. That way someone playing your game a second time could skip all the instruction text in X's house. Just a thought.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 18, 2012, 03:37:39 AM
Just one didn't have anything on it. Ill try to find it so you can know which it is.
I found a few and updated them - had the priority set wrong.

Quote
Annnnnd, one suggestion: I'd consider having a "Is this your first time playing?" Question at the beginning. That way someone playing your game a second time could skip all the instruction text in X's house. Just a thought.
I like that idea, I'll see what I can do - if I do, I'll likely skip the entire tutorial and just jump to the meeting with Ranhath.

Will hopefully be able to post an updated version very shortly. I shortened the dialogues with all but two of the inn characters - one, because you can skip it by not buying her a beer, the other because the information there is (at least if read) pretty integral to the story as a whole. Going forward, I'll try to keep the conversations short and sweet, or at least keep the long ones few and far between.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: bluntsword on December 18, 2012, 03:46:40 AM
Ill give it another download shortly :-)
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 18, 2012, 03:54:22 AM
Much appreciated! I'll update the OP when the new file is ready to roll.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: hiromu656 on December 18, 2012, 11:35:33 PM
I just started playing the game, I've noticed a bug just downstairs of Xarien's room. If you approach the paper sitting on the table near the bookshelves, the paper will transform into a stuffed animal; make sure the event is set to "Direction Fix" so something like that can't happen.
Also, on the final bookshelf to the right, the left side event for that shelf has an error in which you can repeatedly take the "Psychological Controls" book an infinite amount of times. By the way, the book system is an awesome addition.
When crafting potions/spellstones (which is another awesome feature) would there be a way for you to have it play a different sound after they've been created, for potions at least I wouldn't think you'd be using a hammer.

I got killed in my very first fight against three rats, just me testing his basic attack strength. But, I feel like it might get pretty annoying if you get killed while casting heal (which happened to me).

I tested out your option of saying that you are not new to game, if you go upstairs you cannot search any of the places that held your armor/staff. I'm guessing you meant for the player to start with these items but he does not, and upon going upstairs, the starting scene will play. And when you go downstairs the other event will play which are obvious bugs.

That's all I caught for the bit of playing I did, I'll finish the demo some time later, but the concepts you use for the game and very cool, I can't wait to see more.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 19, 2012, 04:16:34 AM
Thanks for the feedback! When you select the option of already having played, you were supposed to be able to start with all the stuff you would normally collect during the tutorial - equipment, spells, etc. I'll look into that.
I'll get that book fixed ASAP, and look into the stuffed animal as well...that one's weird, I've playtested that section millions of times and never caught that.

The SE for crafting the spells should be different - that hammer sound is the default one for the crafting script, I guess I forgot to change it. I'll make sure that one gets taken care of as well.

I'll also see about balancing the rat's attack power as well. It never occurred to me, but once you mentioned it I can see how getting that particular troop while you're still solo could be an annoyance.

I'll update the OP when I have a new version up, if you come across any more issues between now and then be sure and let me know!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 19, 2012, 05:47:44 AM
A new version is up which should take care of the issues you've noted. I'm using the generic item SE for the cooking/alchemy/spellmaking recipes for now unless and until I can find one more suitable to each particular aspect of the crafting system.

I adjusted the rat's attack somewhat. Also adjusted the troops to include a 1 and 2 rat attack group and removed the 3 rat group as long as you take the most direct path to the marketplace. Stray from that and you'll be in for a fight. Also, the 2 rat group has a lower setting so it shouldn't pop up as often as the single rat.

When selecting the option that you've played before, you should now start with all equipment, and the intro sequence will no longer play when going upstairs afterwards.

You will no longer be able to get unlimited copies of the Psych book.

The note on the table has direction fix now applied - again, I've never seen that issue pop up personally but I hope this fixes it for you!

Thanks again for the feedback, I really feel like I'm moving towards making the playthrough experience as flawless as possible and this is all stuff I can apply to the later areas of the game going forward.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: hiromu656 on December 19, 2012, 04:35:49 PM
The stuffed animal problem only occurred when you activate the event before you're supposed to. When I get out of school I'll get the updated version and continue playing.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: hiromu656 on December 20, 2012, 11:08:42 PM
More Feedback:

The bushes in front of the Magic Shop (at the Marketplace) is set to below player. So I can walk on them. Also when you talk to the man at the Inn (who's at the bar) you shouldn't be forced to buy a beer, it's pretty much losing 10 gold just for speaking to him.
I love how the owner of the weapon/armor store runs across the room to sell you things, it's great!
I was kind of surprised that Sasaki didn't start with a sword of his own, since he starts with a sword skill.

At the start of the game I'm sure the man Primus man tells you to recruit someone in town, then go to Lake Arreh, but recruiting him seems like a pretty bad idea. It costs 500 coins which is what you start with, so you have nothing to use on potions (getting poisoned pretty much screws you over), a weapon for Sasaki, or to use the Bar. It makes it almost a must to grind heavily, since monsters only drop around 10-20 coins at the beginning.
Actually I take much of that back, because the Medic woman doesn't seem to work. She doesn't say anything to you so I couldn't buy potions anyway.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 20, 2012, 11:18:06 PM
I'm working on the maps for the next island. I don't foresee any major changes to the first island, I'll probably expand some of the story behind the forest cave treasure and of course fix any other bugs that are found but other than that it's basically done the way I want it. For those that are graciously donating their time to play this through and offer their feedback, I have a question:
Should these islands be released in an episodic fashion where each one is a separate game?
This would allow for smaller downloads (I do plan on removing the RTP requirement at some point in the future as well), but it presents another problem. Are there any scripts available for importing characters/saves from the prior area? I know there was one for XP or VX - that or any other method to do that would work.
Otherwise, I'll be sending an updated EXE as new areas and other content are added which means increasingly large download sizes. I know that's not a problem for most people, but others are stuck with bandwidth caps that might think twice before grabbing such a monster.

Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 21, 2012, 02:02:26 AM
Missed your post, guess I was in the middle of typing my last one when yours went up! Anyhow, I've made some changes to address the issues you found.
The bushes in front of the Magic Shop (at the Marketplace) is set to below player. So I can walk on them. Also when you talk to the man at the Inn (who's at the bar) you shouldn't be forced to buy a beer, it's pretty much losing 10 gold just for speaking to him.
Done and done. Bushes are fixed, beer is now a choice and not a requirement!
Quote
I love how the owner of the weapon/armor store runs across the room to sell you things, it's great!
Glad you like it! I thought it was kind of a neat, silly thing to do. My fiancee thinks it's dumb, so I'll be sure to show her that others appreciate it!
Quote
I was kind of surprised that Sasaki didn't start with a sword of his own, since he starts with a sword skill.
Yep. When you say it out loud, it does seem kind of silly, but I'm working it into Sasaki's backstory as we speak, so it will remain as it is for now.
Quote
At the start of the game I'm sure the man Primus man tells you to recruit someone in town, then go to Lake Arreh, but recruiting him seems like a pretty bad idea. It costs 500 coins which is what you start with, so you have nothing to use on potions (getting poisoned pretty much screws you over), a weapon for Sasaki, or to use the Bar. It makes it almost a must to grind heavily, since monsters only drop around 10-20 coins at the beginning.
Hearthold Keep is where you need to go after you get Sasaki. Also, I lowered Sasaki's price to 400 coins, so you can buy his sword as well if you choose to, and by the time you make it to him hopefully you'll have enough extra coins for a potion or two. Magic potions and antidote potions are available at the general store (above the medic) for 25 and 20 coins respectively. Poison wears off in 100 steps as well, so it isn't a permanent affliction but can be a pain in the butt without those antidotes.
Quote
Actually I take much of that back, because the Medic woman doesn't seem to work. She doesn't say anything to you so I couldn't buy potions anyway.
Fixed her as well. She doesn't sell anything, but will provide a full recovery free of charge! The reason I'm doing that is because eventually I'll figure out a way that resting in the inn (also provides full recovery) will grant some temporary bonus stats(ala fallout 3/new vegas/skyrim) and therefore be worth the cost of resting there. The new version is up, feel free to download, thanks again for your time and attention!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: hiromu656 on December 22, 2012, 10:09:42 PM
I'm downloading the updated version now. I'll probably play it later tonight and get back to you. :)
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on December 30, 2012, 01:49:01 AM
Just a quick update, exterior maps on the second island are about 75% complete. Once that's done, I'll move to interiors (a MUCH faster process) and then on to eventing, which I'm looking forward to most of all.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: D&P3 on January 14, 2013, 12:15:38 AM
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy5dJ7lqQMw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy5dJ7lqQMw</a>
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on January 18, 2013, 02:07:33 AM
That brought a tear to my eye.

Anyhoo, nice vid! A bit much text, you say? I'm open to suggestions on what text should be shortened up some or eliminated altogether! In the meantime, I'll take another crack at tightening up the dialogue a bit and providing better direction during the quest.

In general update news, I have one remaining exterior map on the 2nd island. The completed maps still need some prettying up, as do some on the first island apparently, so I'll probably do that all at once before I release the next version.

While all (two) of you are waiting patiently for the latest and greatest, thoughts on it so far aside from the text? Any features (like cooking) that I should just do away with? Any I should add for the next playthru? I've been considering MA's quest journal - that might enable me to provide that direction that's lacking (like how to get into the basement when you don't read everything), as well as eliminate those tutorial screens that pop up in the beginning. What say you folks?

P.S. The difference between a regular room and a suite at the inn? About 150 coins I think. Other than that, not much yet. Would like to figure out how to work it so a stay in the suite will give you some temporary bonus stats like how Fallout 3 gives you 10% more exp, and Skyrim gives you something as well I believe.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on January 31, 2013, 12:15:31 AM
There's a new version up, using MA's quest journal script. Fixed a couple other minor annoyances as well. The quest journal at this point will be your most valuable asset in completing the quests in the game. It still doesn't flow quite as naturally as I'd like, so there's still work to be done for sure. Anyhoo, if anyone is interested, please do give it a try! I'd like as much feedback as I can get.

Quick edit: The filesize has been reduced pretty dramatically - it's about 40ish mb now. This is due to me removing a bunch of audio files. I'm pretty sure I have everything in there that is in use at the moment, but if you happen to find one missing please let me know.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: D&P3 on February 01, 2013, 12:10:06 PM
Your new version has you start in the Magic Shop of Arreh Marketplace, not in the original place and no indication of what I should be doing.
Luckily I remembered the way home and got it back on track.


Also Error: Unable to find Audio/BGM/Dungeon4
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on February 01, 2013, 04:00:11 PM
New version fixed. Thanks for the quick reply!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Milennin on February 01, 2013, 06:41:25 PM
Playing the demo right now.

-The intro is pretty long, with the cutscene, alchemy tutorial and the mage's dialogue before I could get on my way. It's not too bad, just something I thought that was worth noting.
-On the first forest map after leaving home, the bunnies are able to walk over the edges of the forest. Nothing game-breaking, but it looks a bit silly.
-The spiders that appear in random battles from the start are huge. Not something that looks like a newbie adventurer at level 1 could ever take on. I'd replace them with something... smaller, and keep these for higher levels. They do look pretty cool.
-In Arreh Marketplace map, the basket with tomatoes shows up over the hero character.
-Having the hero's faceset appear on every object examine makes it look as if he's describing the things to himself. I'd think it'd look more natural with plain text.
-On the subject of examining, some places have most objects examinable (for example, the weapon store), while others have none or very few (like the smithing place outside the weapon store).
-The woman at the fruit stall in Arreh Marketplace doesn't open a trade window.
-I can just walk into any guest room in the inn. You'd think they would lock these to keep random people out. The storage room is locked, though.
-Some NPC's have long stories to tell, it would be nice to give the player the choice to continue the conversation after the first few lines. For example with the black guy in the inn, give the player the choice to ask for more information from the NPC or to just leave him. Other NPC's also usually start out with a short intro, with the main character following up with a question for more information. Turn that question into a player choice.
-I can walk on part of the table in the magic store.

-A black woman NPC in Northbridge has part of her dialogue cut off by the edge of the chat window.
-The man in Willett Mansion is without any dialogue.
-A building in Northbridge is missing Town 4 song, crashing the game.
-A building in Northbridge is missing Town 6 song, crashing the game.
-The Guard Tower has an NPC without any dialogue.
-The entrance to the Guard Tower from the wall is invisible.
-Cancelling the travel options in Northbridge stables brings me to some place outside the town...

-Hiring Sasaki in Arreh's inn. He claims he's an experienced soldier, yet he comes without any equipment whatsoever. Surely he should be having at least basic armour and a weapon?
-Sasaki got hit by some status condition (it has a staff icon in his status screen), but I have no idea what it is. Checking on his status screen I have no way to see what it is? Cause it's killing him and I have no way to remove it?
-Sasaki doesn't show a proper dead graphic in combat.
-A rat just used Bodyslam on me? Surely this isn't Pokémon I'm playing?=P But seriously, it seems a rather odd skill for a rat to use.
-A guard in Hearthold Keep blocks my way and asks if I have spoken to Kirio yet. I don't know who this guard is. I don't know who Kirio is.
-Not going to continue playing for now.



I can see what you're trying to do with this game, and I know it's still in a beta stage, but I'll summarise my opinions on it so far:

-Graphically it looks fairly bland, the mapping isn't very spectacular (although it's not bad either), and there's tons of unused space everywhere. Buildings are huge, but the immense space isn't put to use very well. From the places I've visited, I haven't come accross any unique buildings or locations, that stand out from the other things. I know you're trying to build a world with this game, so I feel it's important to give each location its special places. Make a town be (in)famous for something, an unique building, or a gang that rules the streets or whatever.
-Choice of music is okay, but there wasn't anything outstanding.
-I like the way you put detail to your world by giving NPC's meaningful conversations, but like I mentioned above it would be nice to have a choice to continue the conversation after the first few lines.
-On the other hand, I feel especially the main character is lacking personality. He comes over flat, not like a real person. He doesn't show much feelings or share opinions. He's mostly just listening, and asking for more information. You did better with the NPC's I think, and that's a shame. My character feels much less interesting than the people I'm meeting in the world.
-The combat system wasn't really interesting to me at all. The enemies were all dead in 1 fire spell, while taking a few hits from my regular attack. They did little damage back, which makes it just not feel very exciting. Sasaki got downed pretty quickly after I went out of town and he got hit by a status condition after his first fight. I hadn't come across potions that could cure him, so hiring him felt like a waste of money.
-Final note, I really liked the NPC that set itself on fire. That was a huge contrast to your other stuff. It was something unique, and it contained a nice touch of personality. I'd like to see more encounters like that (doesn't necessarily have to involve the NPC killing itself, lol :lol:)

All in all, it's hard to judge the game in its current state. You've got the maps, and some of the dialogue in place, but there's a lot of work to be done to make it really come alive.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: D&P3 on February 01, 2013, 06:59:33 PM
-The intro is pretty long, with the cutscene, alchemy tutorial and the mage's dialogue before I could get on my way. It's not too bad, just something I thought that was worth noting.
-Cancelling the travel options in Northbridge stables brings me to some place outside the town...
-Hiring Sasaki in Arreh's inn. He claims he's an experienced soldier, yet he comes without any equipment whatsoever. Surely he should be having at least basic armour and a weapon?
-Sasaki got hit by some status condition (it has a staff icon in his status screen), but I have no idea what it is. Checking on his status screen I have no way to see what it is? Cause it's killing him and I have no way to remove it?
Have to agree on the lengthy intro, I can normally keep going through long dialogues just fine, but this learning curve is very steep and it makes me bored pretty quickly, especially with the way it's worded.
Second Issue was encountered in my first video, that really annoyed me. I went from having no clue where I am to having no clue where I am and no clue on how to backtrack.
Same for Sasaki in this version, I'm pretty sure that guy was equipped in the previous demo I got him.
Definitely need to agree with the icon stuff, that's kinda getting on my nerves a little bit not knowing what a staff has to do with poison, or why a crossbow represents death.

There were some others you mentioned that I agree with, but these are probably the main ones I think this game needs to fix.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Milennin on February 01, 2013, 07:24:03 PM
-The intro is pretty long, with the cutscene, alchemy tutorial and the mage's dialogue before I could get on my way. It's not too bad, just something I thought that was worth noting.
-Cancelling the travel options in Northbridge stables brings me to some place outside the town...
-Hiring Sasaki in Arreh's inn. He claims he's an experienced soldier, yet he comes without any equipment whatsoever. Surely he should be having at least basic armour and a weapon?
-Sasaki got hit by some status condition (it has a staff icon in his status screen), but I have no idea what it is. Checking on his status screen I have no way to see what it is? Cause it's killing him and I have no way to remove it?
Have to agree on the lengthy intro, I can normally keep going through long dialogues just fine, but this learning curve is very steep and it makes me bored pretty quickly, especially with the way it's worded.
Second Issue was encountered in my first video, that really annoyed me. I went from having no clue where I am to having no clue where I am and no clue on how to backtrack.

I watched the first video, the one you posted on here. I noticed some of the tutorial stuff, like cooking has been removed in the demo that I played. That's a good thing, because what I saw in your video was just information overload right at the start. In the new version it's much more do-able.
On the second issue, I don't think he had added the journal back in your version yet. In the demo I played there was a journal that told me what I had to do next, so that's pretty nice. As for finding directions, I think it's important that a map is added to the game, so a player can check where places are located at.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on February 02, 2013, 01:36:35 AM
-On the first forest map after leaving home, the bunnies are able to walk over the edges of the forest. Nothing game-breaking, but it looks a bit silly.
Fixed.
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-The spiders that appear in random battles from the start are huge. Not something that looks like a newbie adventurer at level 1 could ever take on. I'd replace them with something... smaller, and keep these for higher levels. They do look pretty cool.
They should only appear in caves and the forest - both places that, if following the questline noted in the journal, you won't be in until you've had a chance to gain a couple levels. The caves are specifically off limits until certain conditions are met, and the forest isn't a place for low level characters anyway.
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-In Arreh Marketplace map, the basket with tomatoes shows up over the hero character.
Fixed.
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-Having the hero's faceset appear on every object examine makes it look as if he's describing the things to himself. I'd think it'd look more natural with plain text.
Glad you noted that - I've been curious about that myself. I guess I'll go the other route in one of the next updates.
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-On the subject of examining, some places have most objects examinable (for example, the weapon store), while others have none or very few (like the smithing place outside the weapon store).
Yeah, just one of many things that I need to get around to.
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-The woman at the fruit stall in Arreh Marketplace doesn't open a trade window.
She has nothing to trade at the moment.
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-I can just walk into any guest room in the inn. You'd think they would lock these to keep random people out. The storage room is locked, though.
I'll need to retool the upstairs I suppose.
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-Some NPC's have long stories to tell, it would be nice to give the player the choice to continue the conversation after the first few lines. For example with the black guy in the inn, give the player the choice to ask for more information from the NPC or to just leave him. Other NPC's also usually start out with a short intro, with the main character following up with a question for more information. Turn that question into a player choice.
The NPC's with the longer stories are to become main characters later in the game. I find it important that you hear what they have to say for that reason. I'll further revise their dialogue to shorten it up a bit, but there will be no skipping of it other than ignoring them altogether.

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-I can walk on part of the table in the magic store.
Fixed.
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-A black woman NPC in Northbridge has part of her dialogue cut off by the edge of the chat window.
Fixed.

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-The man in Willett Mansion is without any dialogue.
Fixed.
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-A building in Northbridge is missing Town 4 song, crashing the game.
-A building in Northbridge is missing Town 6 song, crashing the game.
Fixed.
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-The Guard Tower has an NPC without any dialogue.
Fixed/
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-The entrance to the Guard Tower from the wall is invisible.
How so? Follow the path.
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-Cancelling the travel options in Northbridge stables brings me to some place outside the town...
Fixed.

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-Hiring Sasaki in Arreh's inn. He claims he's an experienced soldier, yet he comes without any equipment whatsoever. Surely he should be having at least basic armour and a weapon?
Part of his backstory that he doesn't want to talk about. There is a reason behind it. I'll update his dialogue to note that he needs a weapon, but don't expect him to come equipped any time soon.
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-Sasaki got hit by some status condition (it has a staff icon in his status screen), but I have no idea what it is. Checking on his status screen I have no way to see what it is? Cause it's killing him and I have no way to remove it?
That would be poison...I REALLY need to update a lot of the icons. The general store in the marketplace sells antidotes, otherwise poison goes away after 100 steps.
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-Sasaki doesn't show a proper dead graphic in combat.
Yeah...don't have one, and I'm not an artist. If you are or happen to know one who isn't busy and wouldn't mind making a downed Sasaki...
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-A rat just used Bodyslam on me? Surely this isn't Pokémon I'm playing?=P But seriously, it seems a rather odd skill for a rat to use.
Agreed. That's an RTP creature, I haven't really made any changes to default skill sets and such but I'll definitely look into that.
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-A guard in Hearthold Keep blocks my way and asks if I have spoken to Kirio yet. I don't know who this guard is. I don't know who Kirio is.
Can't duplicate this issue. The only thing I can think of is someone maybe used the debug menu to get into the keep before they were supposed to...that would cause that dialogue to happen. Follow the questline properly and you won't have that issue.
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-Not going to continue playing for now.
I hope you'll reconsider after I get a new version up with some of these larger issues taken care of. I'll let you know when that is. Thanks for the feedback, it's a great help!



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-Graphically it looks fairly bland, the mapping isn't very spectacular (although it's not bad either), and there's tons of unused space everywhere. Buildings are huge, but the immense space isn't put to use very well. From the places I've visited, I haven't come accross any unique buildings or locations, that stand out from the other things. I know you're trying to build a world with this game, so I feel it's important to give each location its special places. Make a town be (in)famous for something, an unique building, or a gang that rules the streets or whatever.
That 'unique' thing will really come into play as you make your way into the wider world - not in this demo, unfortunately, but I do have plans for each island to have its own set of afflictions - zombies, ghosts, cannibals, children of the corn type thing...just have to wait for it.
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-Choice of music is okay, but there wasn't anything outstanding.
It's all RTP, from XP and VXA. I tried to pick stuff that fit the moment it'd be playing.
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-I like the way you put detail to your world by giving NPC's meaningful conversations, but like I mentioned above it would be nice to have a choice to continue the conversation after the first few lines.
-On the other hand, I feel especially the main character is lacking personality. He comes over flat, not like a real person. He doesn't show much feelings or share opinions. He's mostly just listening, and asking for more information. You did better with the NPC's I think, and that's a shame. My character feels much less interesting than the people I'm meeting in the world.
I can agree, to an extent. He hasn't had a lot of opportunity to talk anyways, I'm hoping that I can rectify that soon.
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-The combat system wasn't really interesting to me at all. The enemies were all dead in 1 fire spell, while taking a few hits from my regular attack. They did little damage back, which makes it just not feel very exciting. Sasaki got downed pretty quickly after I went out of town and he got hit by a status condition after his first fight. I hadn't come across potions that could cure him, so hiring him felt like a waste of money.
As noted above, potions are in the general store in the marketplace. enemies and such are all garden variety RTP with default stats/skills, etc., and pretty much the same with the actors. That was something I didn't want to mess with too much in the beginning because I know it's so easy to go very wrong with it.
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-Final note, I really liked the NPC that set itself on fire. That was a huge contrast to your other stuff. It was something unique, and it contained a nice touch of personality. I'd like to see more encounters like that (doesn't necessarily have to involve the NPC killing itself, lol :lol:)
Probably my favorite event, personally - both in the making and the playing. Glad you enjoy it, and count on more humorous encounters going forward.

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All in all, it's hard to judge the game in its current state. You've got the maps, and some of the dialogue in place, but there's a lot of work to be done to make it really come alive.
Thanks again! If you have any specific suggestions on what's missing, keeping it from coming alive, post here or PM me - always open to new ideas!
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Milennin on February 02, 2013, 08:01:26 AM
Thanks for the response, glad to hear you've been fixing some of the things I listed.:lol: And yes, I will play the game again in a future demo version.

About the quest to Hearthold Keep. I recruited a soldier (Sasaki), as it told me to in my journal. Then I headed to the keep. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a step I was missing? Even so, consider placing that guard that blocks the way at the entrance of the dungeon, so a player who doesn't follow all the steps doesn't waste his time going through the long corridor before running into the guard.

Anyway, good luck with your game. 8)

edit: Forgot to mention in my previous post, but I did like the song that's playing in the Arreh Marketplace map. It's quite catchy.=P
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on February 05, 2013, 06:42:55 PM
OK -  a new version is up. This one won't address anything not noted in the previous version but I did fix a couple things D&P3 found in his most recent video.

He was able to get into Hearthold Keep during that video and complete that area with no problem as did I on several test playthroughs, so I'm not really sure what issue you ran into. Rest assured the guard is where he is for a reason and moving him elsewhere at this point in the game is not an option - you'll gain access to the rest of the keep in a later segment of the game.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga (Demo)
Post by: Sacrifyx on April 13, 2013, 05:59:27 AM
So...no updates for a while. The project isn't dead, isn't even on hiatus. I'm taking a slightly different path with it. In listening to the criticisms, I've had to take a step back and really look at the demo thus far and I realized that they're all really valid. I've spent so much time on the story and none at all in pacing it properly so everything just seems to get dumped on the character all at once. I've revamped the intro a little bit to stretch out the tutorial parts and give the player a short tour of the island. Now I need to work the story into that and kind of keep the new flow going. That said, someone suggested I actually 'write' the story. Like novel-style. So I am. It's my hope that in actually fleshing out the characters and pacing the plot (much easier to do when I write like that), I can translate that into a better gaming experience. Once I have it done to the point that the demo is, I'll begin the process of straightening out the game and hopefully have a new, functional and fun release out before too long. Oh, and don't bother with the download link in the original post - my webserver got jacked up and it's dead now. If for some reason anyone wants the demo in its current form, PM me here and I'll find a way to get it to you.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga Volume 1: Resurgence
Post by: Sacrifyx on October 19, 2014, 03:46:01 PM
Volume 1 is complete and ready for release. Current download and all details are in the OP. Any further updates will be minimal.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga Volume 1: Resurgence
Post by: Linkis on October 23, 2014, 05:01:35 AM
Not sure if anyone else came across this problem.
When told to go back to town and recruit someone to help me in that broken palace, there is a room at the Inn, first floor, and right of the hallway that if you to into the room and then try to leave......game says the door is locked and you can't get out :(
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga Volume 1: Resurgence
Post by: Sacrifyx on October 23, 2014, 03:02:16 PM
Not sure if anyone else came across this problem.
When told to go back to town and recruit someone to help me in that broken palace, there is a room at the Inn, first floor, and right of the hallway that if you to into the room and then try to leave......game says the door is locked and you can't get out :(
I'll check that out real quick.

Edit: I found the issue you're referring to, and I've attached some updated mapxxx.rvdata2 files that you can drop in the data folder to correct it. Just as an FYI, the place you're in isn't the inn - you need to go back to the inn in the marketplace (southwest of the big city) to find the soldier, same place you were in during the intro spell/potion making quest.

Edit Edit: The maps I included will work if you saved while stuck in that room. The fix will enable you to leave, but you won't be able to enter it again, which as what I originally intended.
Title: Re: [VXA]Twin Hearts Saga Volume 1: Resurgence
Post by: Sacrifyx on October 15, 2016, 03:51:47 PM
Been almost two years since the last big update. Between a full time job, a wife and two kids, time is scarce but work has continued slowly but surely. Check the first post for download links to the all new MV version - updated, expanded, embiggened, beautified, and other words too.
As always, I'm open to any and all criticism, feedback, reviews, etc.