[Full] Balmung Cycle Part I: The Messenger and the Heretic

[Magi]

I've made a mistake! There are several problems which needed to be fixed. I've included the corrected files in a patch here. If you haven't downloaded the game yet don't worry about applying this.

Hi y'all, you probably don't know who I am, but that's okay! I'm simply here to post my project for everybody to enjoy and/or criticize. Its name is Balmung Cycle, a game created with RPG Maker 2003 complete with a corny RPG plot and silly dialogue. Playing through the entire game takes around 6-8 hours to complete fully. As always, many resources included are previously unreleased, but they're free for anybody to take and use without giving any credit.

So what makes this game special? Over the months of development I've strived and collaborated with different people to create a classic SNES RPG feel. Unlike many RPG Maker games, it has a high level of graphical consistency that binds everything together into a complete package.  It's for this reason that I've often jokingly called my game "Treasure of the Rudras 2", and I'm sure if Square actually cared it'd be a lawsuit waiting to happen!

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Story
An outcast god consumed by despair threatens to bring the world of Midgard to its knees. Aided by a ragtag group of volunteer soldiers-of-fortune and a small loyal following, he aims to establish his kingdom once more. When reason and diplomacy with the outcast deity fail, the Aesir god Loki prepares to make a final bid to halt the ambitions of the heretic. What will become of the world should he be unable to succeed?

You are Blitz Ymir, a disconnected servant to the Aesir. The god Loki has offered you a limited freedom if only you were to complete a simple task in his name. When past obligations become personal choice, will you choose to live a menial life or continue to take up the sword in the name of the gods?

Key Features
-Modified DBS, third place winner of the GW 2005 code-off battle system division
-Single consistent graphical style that always feels like you are playing the same game
-An original score not composed of commercial game music
-RPG fare gameplay reminiscent of the classic SNES era: Secrets, mini games, dungeons, puzzles, and more!
-Duel system radically unlike any you've seen before! (A reaction skill based system instead of the standard rock/paper/scissor)
-Utilizes weapon attributes to expand battle strategies.

Download Here (14MB)
Download Mirror (Truthabout521.org)
Patch Mirror (Truthabout521.org)
Project Page

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Screenshots:





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If you happen to have any questions about the features of the game and how to play it, there is a thread with a more complete explanation on the gameplay mechanics and what they mean here.
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For those that still cling to RPG Maker 2000/2003, I hope to motivate and inspire with this game, as previous games and people in the community have inspired me (Velsarbor, Barkley: Shut up and Jam, Freedom Fries, Forgotten Origin, Legion Saga). For those who like the face sets and music used in Balmung Cycle, you can find find them here:

TKOOL-KOOL (Face sets)
Cyber Rainforce (Music) - Please be conservative with what you download. It is a Geocities site and has low bandwidth.

Enjoy, I'll be updating this entry with more information as it comes to mind. If you find something you suspect to be a bug, don't hesitate to PM me about it.

Patch fixes:
-Minor glitches during the Rasvelga battle
-Transparent textbox error encountered after choosing to view the tutorial battle
-Several face set inaccuracies
-Attack frequency of cut skill is lessened/Attack power reduced in the first area
-Issues with Mirkwood cobweb sidequest

[tSwitch]

this game looks amazing.
I'm downloading right now.

[Esmeralda]

Treasure of the Rudras 2? You got my attention~

I'll give this thing a go !_!

[modern algebra]

It looks cool. Nice mapping.

[Leventhan]

*faints*
Treasure of Rudras is great!
And this game seems really great!

Tileset looks nice.

[Esmeralda]

This game is mindblowing, haha ;-; It's awesome

[Code Geass]

wow, that looks amazing, and I don't even play 2k3 games!

I'll download this, definetly have to get 2k3 working, this really looks very neat, the battles very much, and the mapping is great

[Magi]

I've made some pretty embarrassing mistakes in things I've overlooked, but if anybody is having issues with the game then use this patch:
http://www.rpgmaker.net/~magi/archives/database_fixes.rar
Just apply it over the current files and it should work. Sorry for the inconvenience. If you haven't downloaded the game yet then don't worry about this patch.

[Ruzu]

I've made some pretty embarrassing mistakes in things I've overlooked, but if anybody is having issues with the game then use this patch:
http://www.rpgmaker.net/~magi/archives/database_fixes.rar
Just apply it over the current files and it should work. Sorry for the inconvenience. If you haven't downloaded the game yet then don't worry about this patch.

Well glad I haven't downloaded earlier, but I am now as I agree with everyone else this looks great.

[Esmeralda]

Patch download link isn't working for me

[Magi]

My host bandwidth was killed, so I've provided a mirror link for the patch and game until it is back up.

Download Mirror (Truthabout521.org)
Patch Mirror (Truthabout521.org)

Sorry again for the inconvenience.

[Esmeralda]

Alright, replaying :3

[Sophist]

I was playing this all night last night o: