[VX] Prophecy : The Demon Kingdom

Welcome to the project thread for Prophecy : The Demon Kingdom! Thanks for taking the time to read about my game 

I’ve been unraveling Prophecy’s story for years now in my head, and so while this is my first RPG Maker project, the game itself is sound in terms of plot and planning. Any feedback (including criticism) anyone can give is much appreciated; I can only hope everyone enjoys playing the game as much as I enjoy working on it every day. Roughly four hours of gameplay – the complete “Chapter One” – was successfully released on December 28, 2008, over at RMVX.net.

Official Website
waywardprophet.com/ptdk


Plot

Spoiler for Plot:

The story, roughly set in medieval times in the mythical kingdom of Rhylore, opens with a young peasant named Juno Crescent doing what he does best: getting into trouble with his roguish friend Motley. Together they live in a quiet backwater farming town called Stonemill, located in an obscure corner of the realm and separated from the bustling mainland by the great Rhylorean seas.

Stonemill is run by an oppressive tyrant, who has pushed and taxed the peasants of the small village to the point of rebellion. Juno's older brother Jack is the leader of the Black Roses, a small but formidable group of freedom fighters to which most of Stonemill's youth belong. The plot opens just as the tension begins to boil, erupting into a bloody struggle between the Black Roses and Lord Daradrik's corrupt soldiers.

Juno is soon forced to leave his home and venture out into the wild Rhylorean landscape. He and a growing number of companions discover lurking evil as well as ancient beauty in the enchanted world around them. When they stumble across dark secrets and corruption hidden deep within the noble workings of the realm, Juno's journey becomes one of moral questioning and self-discovery, of friendship and fortitude. And what begins as a simple quest transforms into an epic war between heavenly forces, with the very fate of the kingdom at stake.

Characters

Spoiler for Characters:

A humble nineteen-year-old peasant from the backwater hamlet of Stonemill, Juno's soft eyes and messy brown hair do little to set him apart from the average farmer. Along with his brother Jack and best friend Motley, he has spent his entire life sweating and straining in the village crop fields under the unforgiving Rhylorean sun. However, once fate and prophecy rip him from his mundane life and hurl him into a timeless adventure, Juno's bold, heroic nature begins to shine through.



Juno's older brother Jack has always offered a shining example of friendship, loyalty, and fortitude for the younger Crescent to look up to. His crimson hair is a genetic tribute to their deceased mother, and his dark eyes burn with the fiery passion of a born warrior. Jack founded the hardy Black Rose resistance to protect his fellow peasants from the crushing taxes and tyranny of Lord Daradrik, and when tension begins to escalate, he bravely takes his place on the front lines defending the innocent.



Along with her brother Motley, Bri lost both her parents at a young age, and was raised as a beloved daughter in the Crescent family. Although holding a meager eighteen years under her belt, she performs nearly all of the matronly duties at the Crescent Homestead. She maintains a faithful and friendly attitude despite the enormous amount of responsibility piled atop her slender shoulders; her soft blond hair, sparkling eyes, and lively smile do a great deal to make life in Stonemill livable.



Bri's brother and Juno's mischievous best friend, Motley provides the oppressed population of Stonemill with a bit of much-needed lightheartedness. His spiky green hair and broad smile contrast greatly with the majority of his fellow villagers, and he stubbornly remains a source of jokes and playful banter throughout the most dire of situations. Unknown to Juno and Bri, Motley is a respected member of the Black Rose resistance, and opposes Lord Daradrik’s tyranny with all his heart.



Klotho is a friendly minstrel from the Rhylorean mainland who seems to harbor more wisdom than he regularly lets on. Known simply as “Bard” in many places throughout the realm, he maintains an eloquent dialect and a mysterious aura that suggests an almost ethereal nature, and his one pale blue eye appears to gaze beyond the boundaries of normal sight. Despite all his enigmatic quirks, however, the Bard remains a fountain of companionable support and pleasantry.

Screenshots

Spoiler for Screenshots:

An engaging storyline, full of dark fantasy and lore.


Colorful and mystical settings provide a visually appealing backdrop for the plot.


A sideview battle system implementing tons of powerful skills.


Several subplots and side-quests offer depth to NPCs and party members.


Special tactical battles require careful strategy and coordination.


A detailed Quest Log keeps track of storyline objectives.


"Mixology" is just one of the many unique event systems utilized.


Collectible maps depict the world of Rhylore from a bird's eye view.


Multiple towns play home to lifelike bustle and distinctive personalities.

Download

First released on December 28, 2008, "Chapter One" contains around four hours of gameplay :
http://www.2shared.com/file/4536649/f49cae99/Demon_Kingdom.html

Just click "Save file to your PC" near the bottom of the page (RTP data is NOT included).


Features

-    Over four hours of immersive gameplay in Chapter One, including action-packed battles, gripping cutscenes, realistic character development, and engaging side-quests.
-    Two interwoven battle systems that offer both fast-paced thrills and thoughtful strategizing.
-    Several customized event systems (such as the original “Mixology” feature) that allow for various in-game activities.
-    Tons of scripts from the good people in the community such as Kylock’s Light Effects, KGC’s Overdrive and Skill Slots, modern algebra’s Quest Journal, DerVVulfman’s Battlebacks, woratana’s Multiple Fogs, and many, many more.
-    Alternate cutscenes and dialogue based on players' choices.
-    An entire custom soundtrack (in the works), written and composed by RMVX.net's wayofthemusic.


Credits

All credits are contained within the game itself (in traditional fashion), as well as in a plain text file in the download folder. PM me if you find any sort of crediting problem and I will happily resolve it for you. Believe me, the last thing I want if for anyone’s hard work to go uncredited!


Support

Show your support for this project by displaying my userbar in your signature! Any help spreading the word around is appreciated 

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Please let me know what you think!! I hope you enjoy the game!!

It seems interesting. One comment I'd like to make is that your maps could use just a tad bit of work. The grass looks a bit off in some of those. Although, for your first game it looks pretty decent. I figure I'll give it a try once another download of mine finishes, then I'll be able to comment more.

I actually like the maps in this, especially since it's for VX. Anyway, it looks pretty good. I will try to find the time to try it out soon.

Glad to see another good looking project in the VX section. Although some tilesets seem like they're being used incorrectly (ie: tall grass and rocky ground floors on the worldmap, next to world map grass. Just doesn't blend well).
Anyways, looks good so far, I'll give it a download sometime.

Thank you for the quick feedback, everyone!

@Revo :
I hope you get a chance to download the game, and enjoy it when you do. I'll admit, mapping isn't what I'm best at... It's strange though, while some people think the different types of grass look strange, others seem to like it. Personally, I like the variation it gives the overworld. But! Enough rambling... I hope the mapping oddities don't detract from your playthrough, and I hope to hear from you again once you give it a shot  Thanks for the comments!

@Modern Algebra:
Hah, see, you're an example of someone who likes the mapping style! Dunno what it is... Anyway, I hope you manage to find the time to play through Prophecy (and thanks for the great scripts)!

@MrMoo :
Like I told Revo, opinions seem to be split down the middle: some people think the different grass tiles in the maps make them look "off", some people think it adds to the world. Thanks for the feedback, good luck with the game if/when you decide to download it!

Sorry to bump the topic so soon, but I've got a fairly large update here... I've finished Prophecy's official website!!
Check it out at: http://www.ProphecyDemonKingdom.net (link has been added to the top post as well).

I'd really love some feedback on the site (or dare I suggest... participation in the forum...? ), as well as any opinions on the game itself, so If you get a chance, please let me know what you think.

Thanks for your time!

I'm personally curious as to why you alternate between sideview battles and tactical battles.

same, are you doing Suikoden style where important battles are tactics?

Hey Sagitar, sorry maybe i'm too late to asking...
Since i download the game i never understand about the story. but the game is awesome.
Can u tell me about the story?

Thanks before...

Sorry my english is bad

Wow, tactical and normal battles. This is pretty cool. I'm going to download the game now and probably tomorrow post a huge block of text telling you what I think about it.

I hope you like reading.

Merry 2009 everyone!

Cynicism aside, I would like to say that this was one of my favourite games. I'm forever envious of Sagitar's awesome, and maybe one day I'll play through this again. I remember it was a good story with interesting mechanics and some very intricate eventing.

Link needs updating... and I believe this is very very dead now.

True, link doesn't work.

What a blast to the past this is.

http://waywardprophet.com/ is the new site I believe.

How funny that this thread is revived just as I'm launching a whole bunch of new stuff! I'm not even going to bother updating the top post, but check out the Games section at http://waywardprophet.com if you're interested in more accurate info. The new site includes final screenshots, a working download (edit: or WILL as soon as I get home today and re-upload), and reviews of the game from back in the day.

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone! The fact that you have such fond memories of Prophecy makes me extremely proud and I hope you'll support my new projects just as strongly.