The RPG Maker Resource Kit
RMRK RPG Maker Creation => Projects => Topic started by: Reives on August 09, 2011, 10:34:53 PM
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Hiya everyone! Some of you might vaguely remember me; I was active here quite a few years ago and liked to whistle that really annoying tune which made everyone want to take a leak.
Here's the thing. . . For the past year and a half, I've been working on a new project, and I wasn't planning on posting it on RM forums anywhere. The reason for that is, well, it's a commercial project -- with RMXP. I'm at the point in my life where I need to choose and start my career, and I know what I like to do. So I decided to try to make what I've been doing for the past 5 years as a hobby what I'll do for a living. The odds might be against me, but I'm going to give it a try and see how far I can go.
I wasn't planning on posting this on any RM boards, because, at least back in the days, there seemed to still linger a general sentiment against commercial RM games. But RMRK is the place I started using RMXP from all those years ago, and it's where I started my first project, Quintessence - The Blighted Venom (http://rmrk.net/index.php?topic=10424.0). So, I decided that it would be only right to post it here as well. :) I hope the folks can be understanding of it and not hang me upfront!
And so, here's to the good ol' times, all over again :D:
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freebirdgames.com%2Fimages%2FTo_the_Moon_banner_Drs.png&hash=036acedccf3b3c7cfa6154dd2cd3d29c8c56664d) (http://www.freebirdgames.com/to_the_moon/)
The game is called To the Moon (http://www.freebirdgames.com/to_the_moon/). It is an adventure game about two doctors traversing through the memories of a dying man in reverse, in order to fulfill his last wish.
Announcement Trailer:
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freebirdgames.com%2Fimages%2FTtMTrailerPoserButton.jpg&hash=87c00435539188ee79ece39992ddccfb08ba524c) (http://youtu.be/sqkJuSV-23U)
http://youtu.be/sqkJuSV-23U (http://youtu.be/sqkJuSV-23U)
In-Game Preview Trailer:
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freebirdgames.com%2Fimages%2FTtMTrailer2YTCov.jpg&hash=5f90c50c416d5b34b2265e4b2ba6649c9302684f) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aco9lvygatQ)
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2FEvanNeil.png&hash=0f8ae305bb3ad283718d3278d591b42c9e869646)
Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts have rather peculiar jobs:
They give people another chance to live. Literally.
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2FTTM6..png&hash=20eb5495153689449b71fe5c6b8ac325def435b0)
There exists a technology that allows doctors to weave artificial memories, such that a patient can request attempts to alter their mind, and wake up with memories of things that didn't actually happen.
However, since these new memories are permanent, the conflict between them and the existing authentic memories clash in such a way that it ceases the person's ability to properly function.
Thus, the operation is only done to people on their deathbeds, to fulfill what they wish they had done with their lives. . . but didn't.
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2FTTM%2520Ss3.jpg&hash=898e656111ab301616b7639ecf36371d820cfa26)
But creating a new memory is not as simple as pressing a button.
The technology allows the doctors to step into the memories of the patient, which are reconstructed as interactive scenes. The doctors then gradually traverse backwards through memories of the patient's life until they reach childhood -- at which point, the wish of the patient in present time would be transferred over.
Along with the doctors' influence, the patient (as a child) could then lead an entire different life inside their head, working toward and fulfilling their dying wish themselves. And if all goes well, they would wake up, having lived the dream life they never had, and embrace a brief moment of blissful fulfillment.
Shortly after, they'd be drawing their last breath.
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2FTTM0.png&hash=c41cadce0fdc7b5dca3e1032a2321af7369a65a3)
Every once a while, there comes a life that is rather peculiar.
This particular story follows Dr. Rosalene and Dr. Watts' attempt to fulfill the dream of the dying elderly man, Johnny. In their mission to do so, they traverse backwards through the man’s memories, unfolding his curious life story before their eyes.
With each step back in time, a new fragment of Johnny's past is revealed. And as the two doctors piece together the puzzled events that spanned a life time, they seek to find out just why the frail old man chose his dying wish to be what it is.
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2FTTM1.png&hash=6a7f2b92bfc83fbdfda9ad0d0d5b0788bf7e0265)
And Johnny's last wish is, of course. . . to go to the moon.
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebirdgames.com%2Fto_the_moon%2Fimages%2Fsgttm.png&hash=c7b591cd630e13e8a2fda9843f74e6ba28303ec0)
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
The original soundtrack of the game will also be available, of which 50% of the profit will be donated to charities for autistic spectrum disorders, something that is relevant to the game's story. It is composed by myself and the talented Laura Shigihara (http://shigi.wordpress.com/), composer/singer of Plants vs. Zombies (and her upcoming project, Melolune), who is kindly writing a special vocal song for the game. The soundtrack can be found here:
http://freebirdgames.bandcamp.com/album/to-the-moon-ost
Thank you all so much for being a great community and getting me on my way those years ago! I didn't forget it. I'll be more than happy to give free copies of the game or the soundtrack to the veterans; it's the least I can do.
Cheers RMRK,
Kan/Reives
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*falls in love again* <3
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Wow.. This is just amazing. I love the atmoshpere, sprites, setting and story. This is probably one commercial RPG Maker game I would actually buy.
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You've always been one of the very best, Reives! It is good to see you and I will gladly buy this game once it is released. It sounds like a very artistic and intriguing storyline and the graphics and music are wonderful. I've preordered the OST already and can't wait for the game.
Really though, I am very much looking forward to it.
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this story sounds legitimately amazing.
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Wow, I'm actually impressed by an RM game. I've always liked your work, Reives.
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Amazing visuals. Can't say much else that hasn't already been said. Looking forward to this!
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Thanks for the warm reception, everyone. :D And it's nice to see some familiar faces too! Hope you've all been doing well.
Today was the first day after the press release, and wow, I'm pleasantly surprised. It got seriously fortunate and went on places like GameTrailers, IGN, TigSource, ShackNews and even GameSpot (what the heck); so far reception is decent for the most part, and the trailer racked up over 10k views now. There still seems to be a bit of a illogically distorted image of "RPG Maker can't make anything new or decent" among some of the folks (though surprisingly few), and I hope to be able to break that a bit both for my sake and for the sake of the RM community. Gonna be some busy couple of months ahead, though!
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This lives up to the sexy-ness of Quintessence. Incredibly well done.
I will not oppose to you going commercial, you can manage it. I really look forward to seeing this done.
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Not a plug or anything, but I thought I'd mention that your story, while awesome, sounds somewhat familiar to my project. :O Quite strange, yes...
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Your graphics look incredible, it seems you've broken the stigma with rmxp and lame maps :3 I would probably buy this
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The plot sounds a lot like Big Fish, which happens to be among my favorite movies. I will most definitely be buying this along with the soundtrack.
Amazing work as always, Reives.
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Thanks so much for the support, you guys. I shall keep it in mind as I get through this last crunch period! :D And Bunny, what's your project like? It'd be cool to see it. c:
The official release date is set to November 1st. In the mean time, here's the 2nd and last trailer before launch -- it's less, uh. . . formal, and shows a different side of the game:
*Click*:
(https://rmrk.net/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freebirdgames.com%2Fimages%2FTtMTrailer2YTCov.jpg&hash=5f90c50c416d5b34b2265e4b2ba6649c9302684f) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aco9lvygatQ)
Hope you guys enjoy it! :)
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Said it before, I'll say it again: perhaps the most hilarious yet epic trailer for an RPG Maker project. <3
PLUS IT COMES OUT IN TIME FOR MY BIRTHDAY. Yay.
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Tell me its under $5 and you have yourself a sale :P Thats going on the fact its only 5 hours though. However, I am greatly impressed :3
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Oh god that's beautiful.
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I'm giving the option for anyone who been involved/contributed to the RMRK community for a while now to get the game free anyways, since if it weren't for this place I wouldn't be here making these things today anyway. :P So aye, no worries about the wallet for you guys here.
As for the normal price, after looking into pricing in games and its effects, I decided to not set it to <$5. o: And I'll probably rely lazily on this article (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/29598/Analysis_Limbos_Completion_Time__Whats_in_a_Length.php) when it comes to justifying it vs. the length and the like.
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Was this officially released today?
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Sort of. It went live, but I haven't done the press release yet. Working on that now! I've been getting sleep in 2-hour sessions every 10 hours or so these couple of days, hahah. . .
P.S. I can suddenly see better for some reason. Did the colour scheme here change or something?
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I keep seeing this on Tigsource and Indiegames.com and I'm like "hey I know that guy"
Keep it up, man.
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Holy cow this looks really amazing. I love the aesthetics, atmosphere, and plot. The graphical presentation is familiar, but something about it is so charming and endearing. I can't put my finger on it, but it's really lovely. Strike succinctly expressed the plot's quality, which is better than a lot of books I've read.
This of course is no surprise because you're pretty much the best user of RPG Maker of whom I know. Good luck, man! I look forward to playing this.
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You never cease to amaze. I will gladly put forth monies for this. At under $5 there's no reason not to.
I can't count how many times I have replayed Quintessence, I'm certain this will be worth every penny.
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It's not under $5, but it's more than worth its price. (http://If only I had the money for it. ;-;)
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Ah, I missed the "not" before the "<$5". You're right that it's still worth the price.
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Sorry for not being very responsive lately guys! Just getting buried right now on barely any sleep, heheh. Aye, the price is $12 -- though as I promised, I'd be happy to give free codes to anyone who's rooted to RMRK. c: Just send me a PM if you'd like.
Also, just published the launch "trailer": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Vo4m2yiIo
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Finished the game, and I'm @#$%ing satisfied. May I have some more? :3
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I'm only half way through and I must admit I'm really liking it so far. I had to force myself to stop because it was getting late.
It's interesting watching the story unfold backwards too. Some things seem pretty uninteresting when you first come across it - usually the subtle things that have little meaning at the time - then suddenly you realise its purpose.
Like Zylos said, it's very satisfying. Even if the initial concept starts off a little gloomy - no matter what happens it involves an inevitable death. Nevertheless, it's a rewarding experience that is on a completely different level to a lot of games out there. I also find Dr Neil to be pretty humorous, and I'm glad there is an element of humour in the game. Comic relief is needed in an emotion-inducing story.
The only negative things I have to say about it is that there seems to be a fair bit of lag that detracts from the overall experience, and that every time you go up some stairs having clicked a location to head to, the move route is interrupted and I have to click again.
Oh, and there's this one time where I had a sideways hourglass icon over the stairs instead of feet. I can't remember which area that was in, though.
This is definitely one game I'm glad I got. Very nice work.
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Swedens biggest Newspaper has reviewed the game:(Link is on Swedish)
http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/spela/recensioner/article13912428.ab
It gave it 4/5. They described it as one of the most memorable games in a long time. I was shocked when I saw the review this morning when I read the newspaper. Great work Reives :)
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I just saw an article of this game on Gameinformer, you must have done an amazing job on this!
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/11/25/to-the-moon-may-be-the-best-story-i-39-ve-played-all-year.aspx
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Sadly, due to financial constraints, I was unable to buy the game as originally intended. I did however watch a play through.
Oh.
My.
God.
Reives, you are an artist.
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Just wanted to post here to congratulate you on your Steam launch. If anyone's game deserves to be on there, it's yours.
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I have one of the original copies, but I definitely plan to grab a Steam version too as a gift for a friend to support this amazing game. I'm not sure how often Reives checks in here, so I'll ask everyone in general: anyone know if there'll be steam achievements for the game?
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I know that there are currently not steam achievements, and unless someone (could be me >_>) figure out how to implement them I doubt they will come.
Technical issues aside, I don't feel achievements fits too well with the flow of the game, apart from the puzzles that is.
I admit I am against the 'You opened the game!' 'You pressed Start!' type of achievements. Achievements should imo feel like an achievement.
*hugs*
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If anyone has not played this game yet, Steam has it on sale for $4.99 (50% off) until January 5th. I'm not sure if it'll go up on any of their flash sales for something even cheaper, but it's definitely the best time to grab it if you still have not played the game yet.
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OMG, YOU (Reives) made this game? No wonder the style felt familiar xD. GREAT JOB!!!
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I'm bumping this one more time to let you guys know that it's once again on sale! You can get it for $3.39 for the next 17 hours, the lowest I've ever seen it. If you somehow have not played it yet, GO GET IT. NOW. Otherwise Irock will make me drink bleach. ;-;
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I'm bumping this one more time to let you guys know that it's once again on sale! You can get it for $3.39 for the next 17 hours, the lowest I've ever seen it. If you somehow have not played it yet, GO GET IT. NOW. Otherwise Irock will make me drink bleach. ;-;
That's awesome! But I already got it, and I agree! GO GET IT! You wont regret it for one second! This game was on my mind for weeks after I finished it.. and I'm gonna replay it again soon, cause this game is a GEM!
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I'm bumping this one more time to let you guys know that it's once again on sale! You can get it for $3.39 for the next 17 hours, the lowest I've ever seen it. If you somehow have not played it yet, GO GET IT. NOW. Otherwise Irock will make me drink bleach. ;-;
Awesome, gonna go play it this weekend thanks to that ;D
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I just bought and finished the game tonight, and I just wanted to thank you. I don't know if you really check out these boards anymore, but you still deserve this thanks haha. To the Moon was truly a beautiful experience, I absolutely loved it. And I cried a lot. Violently.
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Reives (very) occassionally lurks the forums here.
I can also forward your thanks next time I talk to him ^_^
*hugs*
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After seeing something like this I'm embarrassed to show anything I've ever made. This is as pro as I've ever seen.
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After seeing something like this I'm embarrassed to show anything I've ever made. This is as pro as I've ever seen.
What the Moo-Moo's said ^