[XP] Vacant Sky Complete Edition: Act I+ Released!

[Sailerius]

RPGMaker.net 2010 Misao award winner for:

Game of the Year

Best Storytelling and Direction

Best Setting

Best Atmosphere

Best Sound & Music

Best Gameplay Mechanics

Story
"I died once."

Vacant Sky is a modern fantasy RPG which follows the death and rebirth of Auria Edith, a small-town girl whose violent and unexpected death turns her world upside down. After her equally unexpected resurrection, Auria finds herself drawn into the heart of a mystery involving a cult of masked cultists who will stop at nothing to make her their goddess.


Characters

Auria is the story's protagonist. A passive-aggressive small town girl with a big mouth, Auria has the misfortune of being unceremoniously murdered. As the player, you will at times direct her decision-making and influence the relationship she has with her companions. Vacant Sky is ultimately about her path of self-discovery and your role is to nudge her in a certain direction. The way you direct her will control her characterization and change the outcome of the story.


Seri is a refugee from the war-torn overseas nation of Alibaas. She is currently seeking political asylum in the impoverished nation of Banivia. A kind-hearted and empathetic person, she supports Auria as she undergoes the at times grueling challenges laid out before her.


A childhood friend of Seri's, Zaqris is a quiet and polite young man who is escorting her on her exile from her homeland. He is more pragmatic than his counterpart and frequently butts heads with Auria over whether to do the easy thing or whether to do the right thing.


A self-proclaimed demon slayer in training, Rayonne encounters Auria and company on their trek through the Banivian countryside. He aspires to become a hero revered across the land and divides the world up into evil-doers and evil-fighters. His encounters with Auria and the strange events surrounding her lead him to question his convictions.


Features

• Branching story and characterization
  
• Significantly alter the course of the story with your choices - including six endings
  
• Original soundtrack composed by Tarranon, featuring vocal tracks by Melody Yoo and Melanie Ehrlich
  
• 8 playable characters (along with up to 6 guests)]
  
• Customize Auria's stats and growth
  
• Select your own progression of skills to learn
  
• Interact with your party members to strengthen your relationship with them
  
• Unlock guest art title screens through sidequests

Screenshots

Download
http://www.mediafire.com/?gdkjjtubmedd8e2

[Sophist]

:O You are a god at RPG Maker.

[magic2345]

   I second Anski's opinion.

Your maps are awesome. And I love the Dawn over Fallston screenshot.
Did you make all the pictures yourself? (I mean the portraits and sideview battlers)

[Sailerius]

  I second Anski's opinion.

Your maps are awesome. And I love the Dawn over Fallston screenshot.
Did you make all the pictures yourself? (I mean the portraits and sideview battlers)

Thanks for the comments.
The portraits were done by a friend of mine, Talon and the battlers by another, Ganonfrog.  If you go to our DA page, you can find a link to their galleries.

[Karo Rushe]

Love your mapping, and the sprites, quite Original.

And the story is interesting  I'd be keeping an Eye on this one as of now too.

[Ruzu]

I have to agree with everyone everything looks so awesome and cool.

~Goes to your DA Site~ 

Keeping my eye on this one too.

[Sailerius]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.
Recently, I was made aware of some particularly annoying bugs, so a revised demo might be coming out in the near future.  If you come across any other bugs, please let me know so I can make sure they're fixed.

[dinger5]

Wicked man... Totally wicked.

[Falcon]

Looks amazing, hope to see a demo

[Sailerius]

Umm, the demo is out. XD The download link's at the top of the thread.

[Falcon]

Heh, I'm getting blind early XD

[Sailerius]

I put up some forum userbars of the playable characters.

[modern algebra]

Wow, I can't believe I missed this. Great job.

[Karo Rushe]

Congratulations on Winning Project of The Month =X

[Code Geass]

dang, I didn't even notive this getting posted here D:

Project's still awesome XD

I'll have to pull out some more time and try to play the new demo

and grats on winning project of the month XD

[modern algebra]

Congratulations on Project of the Month. I'll send you a PM later explaining what it is.

[Reives]

Aye, congratulations. Some hard work's been noticeably put into this, as I've mentioned before.

[Sailerius]

 Thanks everyone for the kind words.  Hopefully, March'll be a more eventful month for Contention than February.  Right now, we're casting for the second (and final) demo, which I *hope* to release this month. 

[Leventhan]

Good luck on that.

[Zylos]

We'll look forward to the demo.

BTW, isn't this Project of the Month? Why isn't it stickied?

[modern algebra]

Oversight of a moderator who shall remain nameless 

[Code Geass]

I just saw the fanarts, I really like that first sketch

I wish I had some too, lol

[Sailerius]

Added a few new pieces of fanart.  The second (and final) demo is in the works and might be out by the end of the month.  Expect new screenshots soon.

[Sailerius]

Hi everyone!  A couple new things to show off!  First of all, an awesome piece of new fanart by ebenaventa:


And secondly, a screenshot of the new battle system:


Expect the new demo by early to mid April!

[Code Geass]

The battle system looks great very ff x life XD except with all the better features

edit-

and that is an seriously awesome piece of fan art, love it XD

[modern algebra]

Wow, that fanart is really good and the battle system looks amazing. Andddd that reminds me that I still haven't played your demo. It's like I'm masochistic or something and refusing to do something because I am afraid it will give me pleasure. I am now compelled to rectify that.

[Sailerius]

Wow, that fanart is really good and the battle system looks amazing. Andddd that reminds me that I still haven't played your demo. It's like I'm masochistic or something and refusing to do something because I am afraid it will give me pleasure. I am now compelled to rectify that.

Then the next demo will have you shaking in your boots.

[modern algebra]

Damn. I got an error during battle



It occured after I went into my items (I had none at the time so I cancelled out of it). As I was scrolling back up to Attack the error occured. Since the error deals with scope I am guessing that the script expected me to have selected an item in the Item menu and the error occured when it tried to do something with that item (which was still nil since I did not select it). That's all just speculation though.

As you've changed the battle system, maybe this error does not occur anymore - but I thought I would point it out nonetheless

[Sailerius]

Hm, strange that no one's encountered that error before. XD Ah well, thanks for the report.  I'll make sure it doesn't happen in the new battle system.

[Sailerius]

Couple new updates.  First of all, the official site has launched at http://projectbc.wordpress.com .

Next, we've got two new pieces of fanart...


And another one, which is too big to paste directly in here.
http://www.deviantart.com/download/81161829/Auria_Edith__first_try_by_Captainalan.jpg

[modern algebra]

The website looks pretty nice. Good job on it.

[Sailerius]

The website looks pretty nice. Good job on it.

Thanks a ton.  It took a lot of messing to get it look right.

Two new screenshots to show off!  These are of May Hill, East Naven's third neighborhood.


Resting after a long day of shopping.


The fence that kept the world out.

[modern algebra]

The cliff looks great. Excellent use of panoramas there. Though the two straight edges on the left side look a little incomplete.

[Sailerius]

The cliff looks great. Excellent use of panoramas there. Though the two straight edges on the left side look a little incomplete.

The straight edges of what?  The fence or the cliff?

[modern algebra]

[agemennon]

I'm no rocket scientist...but isn't that the right side?

<Anyways great looking game!>

[modern algebra]

Yes, but I'm from Canada where left and right are reversed That might not be true, by the way.

[Sailerius]

Hm.  That's embarrassing.  How did I not notice that? >_>

[agemennon]

Modern, I'm also from Canada, so no using that excuse

I've played the demo, and given the ending, I want to play more...hurryz!

[Reives]

I might've mentioned this before, but the use of panorama like that is something I've always been fond of. :> Would be even cooler if you can walk down to that town, which I assume that you probably can.

[Sailerius]

I might've mentioned this before, but the use of panorama like that is something I've always been fond of. :> Would be even cooler if you can walk down to that town, which I assume that you probably can.

You can. The town you see off in the distance is Fallston, which is the shopping district.

[Sailerius]

The new demo is in beta testing and will hopefully be released tomorrow.

[memyselforwho]

Looks absolutely amazing. Perfection to the detail, love it.

Just out of curiosity, what scripts did you use here? Or did you make them all yourself?

[Sailerius]

Looks absolutely amazing. Perfection to the detail, love it.

Just out of curiosity, what scripts did you use here? Or did you make them all yourself?

First of all, thank you. ^^

As far as scripts go, the major ones are Synthesis's character customization, ccoa's UMS, and Charlie Lee's CBS.  All of the scripts (particularly the first and third) were modified fairly heavily, and the rest were custom done.

[sithlord999]

I downloaded this off your DA account about a month ago. I thought it was really good. Keep up the good work!

[memyselforwho]

Looks absolutely amazing. Perfection to the detail, love it.

Just out of curiosity, what scripts did you use here? Or did you make them all yourself?

First of all, thank you. ^^

As far as scripts go, the major ones are Synthesis's character customization, ccoa's UMS, and Charlie Lee's CBS.  All of the scripts (particularly the first and third) were modified fairly heavily, and the rest were custom done.

Awesome. Do you have any idea yet when a full version will be available?

[Sailerius]

Awesome. Do you have any idea yet when a full version will be available?

Hopefully Act I will see a release of early summer, if all goes well.  However, the 2nd demo will be out within a week, and it'll have an extra hour or so of playable content.

[memyselforwho]

Awesome. Do you have any idea yet when a full version will be available?

Hopefully Act I will see a release of early summer, if all goes well.  However, the 2nd demo will be out within a week, and it'll have an extra hour or so of playable content.

Awesome, looking forward to it.

[modern algebra]

Sounds great. I can't wait.

[Lord Dante]

its a great game, really, but perhaps you could offer a version without the voice acting? Its a great idea, but by the way its recorded, it doesnt sound like it really "fits", if you know what I mean.

Also, try and put names or faces on dialogue boxes, as i found myself guessing who was talking at some points.

[memyselforwho]

Is it possible for me to get these tile sets, or were they custom made for this game?

(I am creating a game for personal use, and i would mainly love the one of the town).

Finished the demo by the way, was "hella" cool.

(I heard will ferell say hella, so its cool to say it now)

[Sailerius]

Also, try and put names or faces on dialogue boxes, as i found myself guessing who was talking at some points.

There are names on the dialogue boxes.  Did you install the font that came with it?  However, faces are being added in the new demo.

Is it possible for me to get these tile sets, or were they custom made for this game?

They're mostly custom edits, but maybe a while after the full game is released, I'll release the tilesets.

And thanks for the comments. The new demo should be out this weekend; it was delayed by some pretty nasty bugs.  In the meantime, you can show your support by Digging our site:
http://digg.com/pc_games/EPIC_Contention_Official_Site

[Sailerius]

The new demo is finally released!

Additionally, as you've probably noticed, we've undergone a name change: it is now officially entitled Vacant Sky Vol. I: Contention.  The main post was updated with new images and a download link.  Enjoy!

[modern algebra]

Wicked. Downloading now. 

[Karo Rushe]

Wicked. Awesome! Downloading now. 

[Naith]

my game is nothing against this!!!!

[Tezuka]

I just finished your demo and I have to say...I loved it!

I was impressed from the very start, the music you used created the mood of the situation and the mapping was impressive. I can't wait to see more!

*Watching*

[Leventhan]

Um, can you host it in a place other than Megaupload?

[Sailerius]

I just finished your demo and I have to say...I loved it!

I was impressed from the very start, the music you used created the mood of the situation and the mapping was impressive. I can't wait to see more!

*Watching*

Thanks much. XD I really worked my ass off to get it to where it is now, and that's not even accounting for the work of everyone else on the team.

Um, can you host it in a place other than Megaupload?

Gladly.  Any preference?

[Naith]

Gladly.  Any preference?

use mediafire!
www.mediafire.com

[Sailerius]

Added a mediafire link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?hkqtzcudtxg

[Sailerius]

No comments? 
Also, so this isn't a complete waste of a post, I'm planning to have Act I released around July 1.

[Redwyn]

Even though I commented already in PM, at least the error parts, I have to say that the game is going very well right now! The new part of the demo brings in more questions about the story, and so far everything is coming nicely together!

Very well done, this game is looking SEXI~!

[Karo Rushe]

No comments? 
Also, so this isn't a complete waste of a post, I'm planning to have Act I released around July 1.

I ca't believe people haven't commented yet 

Finally got to play it & I luv it, specially Vastares & Weapon are Kweel!!! <3

=< But that's because I got stuck with the Key in the beginning, *Searching, searching to find the way to turn off their electricity*


>F I approve of this Game as Awesome too!

[Sailerius]

=< But that's because I got stuck with the Key in the beginning, *Searching, searching to find the way to turn off their electricity*

The key is actually only necessary for a sidequest in the intro. XP  Your final goal is the Staff Lounge.  To get there, you need access to the right-hand elevator shaft.

[modern algebra]

Alright, this game is really good. The custom scripts give this game a really unique feeling, and the custom artwork and the mapping are also excellent and mark this game as being certainly one of the most original and probably one of the best RM games I've played in terms of graphics and gameplay. The story so far is also intriguing, but I have only gotten to the groceries (and I can't remember the other thing her mother asked her to do ), so I can't make too much of a statement about that. In any case, great work so far and I hope to see this game finished. Good luck with this project.

[Sailerius]

Alright, this game is really good. The custom scripts give this game a really unique feeling, and the custom artwork and the mapping are also excellent and mark this game as being certainly one of the most original and probably one of the best RM games I've played in terms of graphics and gameplay. The story so far is also intriguing, but I have only gotten to the groceries (and I can't remember the other thing her mother asked her to do Sad), so I can't make too much of a statement about that. In any case, great work so far and I hope to see this game finished. Good luck with this project.

Thank you for the comments.
Forgetting what to do in East Naven is actually something I hear a lot, so in the final version, I think I'll put in a checklist of some sort.
Places you need to go:
1) Bellsong Cellphone Emporium
2) Groceries
3) Clothing store
4) South Thanes cafe (in the afternoon)

[DeathLock~]

Impressive looking game, I'll download the demo and give a full feedback.

From the screenshots, this game looks truly unique.

[Sailerius]

A couple new tracks from the original soundtrack:

http://www.mediafire.com/?mpjmk0e0mia
Act I Overture - "To Banivia"

http://www.mediafire.com/?mdtx39dzkty
Theme of Meraiden - "Into Memory"

[Sailerius]

An absolutely beautiful new piece of fanart:



Also, Act I is coming along beautifully and should be done within the next few weeks.

[modern algebra]

That looks great. Who is the artist?

[Leventhan]

Kaze wing chan, it said on the image.

[modern algebra]

That doesn't really sound like a real name though I guess it doesn't have to be.

[Sailerius]

It was someone on DeviantArt.  I don't know her real name, unfortunately. XD

[modern algebra]

 

Well, that's alright - it was just my curiosity. The game is great - keep up the good work.

[SirJackRex]

Wow, this looks extremely impressive. I'll dl the demo sometime later, kinda busy atm.
For some reason, this reminds me of Chrono Trigger.....

[Sailerius]

At long last, it's finally here!!! 

First post updated, lots of new pretties, holy God I just spent an all but sleepless week testing and testing and testing this game to death.  Ganonfrog and I stayed up until 7 every morning during out spring break working on this.  I hope you all enjoy!!

Download links:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BYMILSM7
http://rapidshare.com/files/210166152/Vacant_Sky_Vol_1_Contention.zip

[modern algebra]

Awesome. I've been waiting for this, I can't wait to download.

[tSwitch]

downloading now.

[Sailerius]

The ending theme, "Lie Your Way" has been posted to the Project BC Youtube account.  Take a listen if you haven't beaten the game yet, featuring the lovely vocals of Melanie Ehrlich:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6V4ZBvi-WI

[modern algebra]

Alright, it is officially downloaded. I am now going to start playing.

[Tarranon]

 Hello everyone! I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone who has played the game, and to encourage those who haven't to give it a try! Who knows? You may just like it!

A lot of people put countless hours into this project- a true labor of love for everyone involved; and although I am only a recent member of the team, I'm very proud of the part I had to play in seeing this game to its completion. With that said, I would now like to ask for your feedback about the soundtrack: what were the things you liked? I imagine there were also some things that you didn't like! Which song/s were your favorite? What kinds of songs would you like to see in later releases?

All of these things help me (and the team) to produce a game that I can be truly proud of, and that fans all over enjoy playing and always want to come back to for more! Help me realize this goal by requesting you take a moment of your time to give me your thoughts!
Again, thanks to everyone who made this possible: the producers, the fans, and everyone in between!

[Sailerius]

Someone pointed out that the download link to the dll was broken, so I reuploaded it.  Sorry!

[Rune]

*downloads and fidgets impatiently*

I'm looking forward to playing this, it looks awesome.

[Sailerius]

Just a heads up.  I'm working on a rerelease of Act I that'll include the new dll file out of the box as well as a few graphical and music fixes.  Not much in the area of new content, but there might be one or two new sidequests.

[Sailerius]

It's been a while since I've posted!  Act II is still due out January 1st.  Here's the first new song from the soundtrack, "City of Faith."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vcYXYA_VU

[Sailerius]

Next of the Act II updates!  This is a screenshot from one of the new cities accessible in Act II, Viadahn.

[Smooth]

WeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEeeE!! 

Craps in pants*
Downloading Right now..

[Sailerius]

Happy Halloween!  I'm back with this week's Act II update!  This time, I've got another song.  Here is "Vagrant (II)", a remix of Weapon's theme that accompanies a boss battle in Act II.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfu4Zfhigs[/yt]

[Smooth]

Cool!! its like a fussion of F-Zero soundtrack and Dj Tiesto 

[Arky]

This game is some kind of wonderful, I'm really excited about part 2 :X

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

This looks very good. I like the custom graphics you are using. The story is great. The Virad is one cool cult. One of the best games I have seen.

[modern algebra]

That sounds awesome Sailerius - your composer is really good!

[Sailerius]

This looks very good. I like the custom graphics you are using. The story is great. The Virad is one cool cult. One of the best games I have seen.

Thanks much!  I hope you stick around for Act II.  I'm about halfway done with the mapping and dungeon-making and I can say it blows Act I out of the water.

[Sailerius]

This week's update features Vanquish, a Banivian knight that joins your party in Act II.

[DestinZ]

Wooooooooow!!!! Damn, this is seriously the best RMXP Game ever! You even could make money with this

[Sailerius]

Quick question for anyone that's beaten Act I: How many credits did you have toward the end of the game?

[Sailerius]

Hi everyone and welcome to December! Everything's still on track for a January 1 release. smile.gif Here's this week's Act II update, a new track called "Nightlife."
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bABeWW3yh5M[/yt]

[Sailerius]

Whoo! After a 20 hour train ride, I'm finally home for the holidays. Though this week's Act II update is still forthcoming, I've got something else in the meantime. I'm starting up an Act I character poll, where you vote for your favorite male and female characters.

Once Act II has been out, a follow-up poll will be held and it should be fun to see if certain characters go up or down in the rankings. Without further adieu, here's the character list:

Male
Rayonne de Bellemont
Zaqris jaGrane
Vastale/Michael Ranksmith
Weapon
Blaise Tearson

Female
Auria Edith
Serijala Racorie
Sandarga
Auria's Mom
Fiora

Submit your vote either by response by IM, PM, email, or whatever method of communication you feel like and I'll add it to the tally. I'll post again next Saturday with the results.

[Sailerius]

Today's Act II update is a screenshot that shows what the streamlined battle UI looks like.



Some new face portraits by Salice are shown, as well as Ganonfrog's beautiful new battlers for the new party members.  A different font was chosen which is crisper and easier to read.  Also, the addition of the Ascensions option in the battle command menu.

[Sailerius]

Merry Christmas from everyone at Project BC!  This week's Act II update doubles as our Christmas gift.  Check out "When I Die", the Act II opening song!  Vocals performed by Melanie Ehrlich.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvLCYPxUJ2M[/yt]

[Sailerius]

Heads up, everyone.  Although Act II is technically done, it's still going through beta testing.  I hate to go back on my word, but I think I'm going to hold onto it for another couple days to make sure it doesn't have as many bugs as Act I did.  Sorry to disappoint, guys.

[Sailerius]

The final beta is now going through testing, so I'm hoping to release Act II sometime today.

[Sailerius]

It's finally here!

Grab Act II here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VD2VJDNO
2shared: http://www.2shared.com/file/10476465/b0b3b8e4/Vacant_Sky_Vol_1_Contention_Ac.html
WPI GDC: http://gdc.wpi.edu/Vacant_Sky_Vol_1_Contention_Act_II.zip

Thanks to my college's Game Development Club for hosting a direct link.

[stripe103]

Only get this message; The file that you are trying to open is temporary unaccessable.

[Sailerius]

Megaupload randomly does that.  I'm working on mirroring it as we speak.  Try again in 5 minutes and it should be working.

[Sailerius]

Added a couple new mirrors, including a direct download thanks to WPI's Game Development Club.

[skaraflame]

Sorry for my language but this game is fucking incredible, I cant findbthe lounge at the beginning though lol
Sailerius I might need your help

[Sailerius]

Thanks for checking the game out!
The lounge is located in the middle of floor B3.  You can't get there from the left side due to the barrels blocking your way, so you need to get into the right elevator shaft.  On floor B1, you can switch over to the right elevator.

[skaraflame]

oooooooooooooooooooohh cheers
I love the violence too, im gonna need you help

[Sailerius]

oooooooooooooooooooohh cheers
I love the violence too, im gonna need you help

I have to be honest, I have no idea what you're asking me to help you with. XD

[skaraflame]

oooooooooooooooooooohh cheers
I love the violence too, im gonna need you help

I have to be honest, I have no idea what you're asking me to help you with. XD

The violence, blood, tilesets, scripts and other stuff

[Sailerius]

Working hard on Act III!  I've got a new song from the soundtrack to show off, too:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1yRsrBz64[/yt]

[skaraflame]

erm.... sailerius, I kinda asked for help in my previous post

[Sailerius]

I'm sorry if this comes across the wrong way, but I honestly have no idea what it is you need help with.

[skaraflame]

Like the scripts you used, where to find them and the tilesets

yours sincerely
dufflecocklebeut

[Sailerius]

Good news!  Act III will finally be out on the 18th.  Sorry for all the delays!  I updated the main post with new materials.

[modern algebra]

Cool! I can't wait to see it.

[Sailerius]

Sorry for the long delay, everyone!  Act III is now available: http://www.flameupload.com/files/9M4OXZRD/Vacant_Sky_Vol_1_Contention__Act_III_.rar

[modern algebra]

awesome! Downloading now

[dewm3734]

WOW!! the graphics in this are amazing, im still using Aluxes

[nekollx]

the Act 3 dowload link is 404ing (broken) also are these 3 seperate games or does act 3 include 1 and 2

[Sailerius]

Thanks for the heads up.  I'll update the link.  Try this for Act III: http://www.flameupload.com/files/9M4OXZRD/Vacant_Sky_Vol_1_Contention__Act_III_.rar

Vacant Sky vol.1: Contention is one game divided up into three episodes.  Act III does not include I & II, so make sure to play them first.

[nekollx]

still got a 404 but reallied it was for the add page, once i clicked Skip Ad it worked

[modern algebra]

Vacant Sky has been nominated for Project of the Season for Winter 2011. Vote here if you wish to support this project: http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,41338.0.html

[Sailerius]

An honor!  Thanks for the nomination.

In related news, Vacant Sky had phenomenal performance at the RMN Misao awards this year, cleaning house with the following awards:

Best Storytelling & Direction
Best Character Design
Best Setting
Best Atmosphere
Best Graphics & Artwork
Best Sound & Music
Most Technical Prowess
Best Level Design
Best Gameplay Mechanics
Best Interface Design
and lastly, Game of the Year!

Thanks to everyone who's supported Vacant Sky over the course of these past six years.  I'm sorry the Complete Edition is taking so long, but I'm making sure it's perfect before pushing it out the door (so we don't get a repeat of Act I).

[Sailerius]

Save the date.

[Sailerius]

Two years ago today, Act I of Vacant Sky was released after sitting around for nearly four years in development.  In the time since then, Project BC, the team formed to build the game, has grown in size, skill, and scope.  Two more episodes have been released since then, bringing the story of Auria to a close.  In celebration of today, I'd like to comment briefly on the projects we're working on at the moment as well as to unveil some of the new things to expect in the future.

The World Is Made of Paper Demo
Before I start on the Vacant Sky-related announcements, I'd like to mention a non-Vacant Sky-related project.  Isabel (aka Ganonfrog, mysterialize) recently released the demo for The World Is Made of Paper, a "modern fantasy, psychological whosawhatsit" visual novel written and illustrated entirely by her.  You can grab it on RMN right here: http://rpgmaker.net/games/2954/

Vacant Sky Complete Edition
The big project currently being undertaken is the Complete Edition, a compilation of all three acts of Auria's story with updated mechanics, overhauled gameplay, updated story, new artwork, and more new optional content than the first three games combined.


One example of the updated areas in the game is the Hall of Legends, which now features cosmetic lighting to add to the atmosphere.

On top of that, two new story routes are being introduced in the Complete Edition of Vacant Sky which open up in Act II and unlock completely new scenarios for Act III.  Essentially, there are three completely different Acts III depending on the choices you make throughout the rest of the game.  The Complete Edition, currently in early beta, was selected to appear at this year's Made in MA pre-PAX party where attendees were able to try out the game in its current state.


The battle system has come a long way from Act I, including revised mechanics, a streamlined interface, and many new customization options.

Complete Edition Soundtrack
One of the most-praised aspects of Vacant Sky has always been its music.  Now totaling more than 70 songs, the soundtrack will soon be available in high quality for digital download for a small price.  By purchasing the soundtrack and supporting all of our hard work, you'll also receive several unreleased tracks which didn't make it into the game.  Enjoy the music and help us keep our games free in the future!

Watch this space for more details on when the soundtrack will be available.

Vacant Sky C3
The second new commercial piece of Vacant Sky merchandise I'd like to announce is the Vacant Sky Contention Complete Collection (C3), a making of artbook which will include concept art, development notes, a complete walkthrough, a behind the scenes look at the development of the world and characters, and tons of other extras. 

Illustration by Lauren Pehnke ( http://flitephoto.deviantart.com )

There's currently no estimate regarding when C3 or the Complete Edition will be released.  Considering every past attempt to make a release date has resulted in a delay, I'm planning to hold off on making a guess until they're nearly complete.

And lastly, there's one more new project I'd like to announce in collaboration with Ereth from RRR.

Illustrations by Lauren Pehnke ( http://flitephoto.deviantart.com )

Vacant Sky Origins is a prequel novel, set two years before the start of Contention.  It follows the story of veteran cop Blaise Tearson and fledgling detective Matthew Rhode as they attempt to uncover the mystery behind a string of disappearances related to consumer electronics giant Lykken Corporation.  The story introduces several of the key players from Contention and explores their backstory and motivation, both of which were originally intended to be part of the game but hit the cutting room floor.  The story of Origins will shed light on some of the mysteries of the world of Vacant Sky, answering some questions and raising many more.

With that, I'll bring this post to a close.  It's been an amazing few years working with great people to build this world and it's been a great pleasure to share it with all of you.  I hope you continue to stick around and check out what we have to offer.  Hopefully, I've been able to show that the future holds some really exciting things.

Thanks for making this an exciting two years and here's to many more!

[panic]

I'm so excited for the complete version!
GOD!

[Sailerius]

http://vacantsky.bandcamp.com/

The complete Vacant Sky soundtrack, Sounds of Contention, is now available for digital download on Bandcamp.com.  The soundtrack contains comes packaged with 70 songs plus another 10 previously-unheard tracks as a special bonus.

Support Vacant Sky and get great music while you're at it!

[Taylor]

Oh maaaaaan, I completley forgot about this game! I remember playing the first (or maybe second?) version of a demo of Act I...

I'll do my best to wait on the complete edition, because I am suddenly tempted to download this game. (There's only gonna be three arcs right, making that the last version?)

[Neko Hibiki]

In act ii I keep getting an error when trying to access the ascensions menu.

Here.

http://home.comcast.net/~nekohibiki/error.png

[Sailerius]

That's strange; I've never heard of that happening before.  Did you start a new game in Act II or import an Act I save?

[Neko Hibiki]

That's strange; I've never heard of that happening before.  Did you start a new game in Act II or import an Act I save?

Started new game.

I'll download it again soon.

Maybe I got a bad download or something there.

[Sailerius]

I was recently interviewed for AX's Indie Insider column on Vacant Sky and the RPG Maker scene.  Check it out here: http://inside.anime-expo.org/ax-scoop/2011-04/indie-insider-interview-with-vacant-sky-creator-bishop-myers/

[Sailerius]

The Complete Edition is coming along nicely. At the moment, the finishing touches are being put on Act II. I've been holding off on putting out new screenshots for a while since the game is getting some heavy graphical updates and most of them aren't in place yet.

However, here's a look at the new Hall of Legends:

The static effect looks no good on a still image, but otherwise you can see some of the new visual effects: cosmetic lighting has been added to certain areas and a new scrolling backdrop has been added to enhance the feel of the Void.

Stay tuned next week, hopefully with some new features!

[modern algebra]

That looks gorgeous! Great stuff Sailerius

[Sailerius]

This week's screenshot is from Act I+ and shows off one of the new areas.

The beginning of Act I has been completely overhauled and a couple new areas have been added to explore in Act I+, including this mountain pass north of Ciel. You'll be able to return here in Act II and Act III for an optional dungeon and some sidequests.

[Sailerius]

This week's update is from the new ending of Act I. The Mortagne and Kinthrope segments have been streamlined into one scene which combines the events of both.

[Sailerius]

This week, let's take a look at a new feature to the Complete Edition: Exceptions.

Exceptions in the Complete Edition work similarly to how Charges worked in the original version. In the original version of Vacant Sky, Auria could store up Charges to perform special attacks. That system has been expanded.

Now, every party member has the "Charge" command, which increases the party's stock of EP (Exception Points), which is indicated by the glowing lights beneath the turn gauge. Furthermore, each party member has a number of "Exceptions," or special attacks which consume EP to use. Auria's special abilities, such as Rend to Sorrows, are now examples of Exceptions.

Because every party member has the ability to pull from the stock of EP, the amount that you can have is now easier to increase. Through sidequests, you gain the ability to store more EP. Similarly, most Exceptions must be unlocked through sidequests, although some are given to you through plot advancement.

[hiromu656]

This just gets better and better. I still can't get over how awesome those faces look.

[Sailerius]

This just gets better and better. I still can't get over how awesome those faces look.

Haha, thank you. I'll send your compliments to Salice.

This week's screenshot is from early into one of the new Act III scenarios, an ending route called Reprieve.



I'm also happy to report that Act II has now gone into full beta, so all that's left is to finish touching up Act III. Most of the work to be done with Act III involves adding new content, which is a lot easier than revising old content! Look forward to more updates in the near future.

[modern algebra]

It looks so good Sailerius! Keep up the awesome work!

[Sailerius]

New wallpaper to celebrate a year since Act III's release!

[skaraflame]

I've never had any luck with laptops, so while I have a new one I'm playing from Act I and may I say Saileirus, bravo.

[Sailerius]

I hope you('re) enjoy(ing) it!

[skaraflame]

I really am! Currently I'm tied for my favourite RM games between this and Witchtooth XD

[Sailerius]

Great to hear!

For those of you who enjoyed Vacant Sky, consider checking out Ars Harmonia, a new web original set in the same universe.

[Sailerius]

http://www.mediafire.com/?gdkjjtubmedd8e2
http://projectbc.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/vacant-sky-complete-edition-act-i-released/

It's finally here.

For those who have been holding off on starting the series, this is a perfect place to start! Act I+ is a fresh start and expects no past knowledge of the series. It brings in significant improvements to the story, graphics, and gameplay.

I hope you guys enjoy playing it!

[skaraflame]

I will download this immediately.