[VX] A Dust Tale (download now!)

NOW HIRING
I need somebody to co-develop the project with me, the requirements are:
1. MUST work with Photoshop (CS3 and above). I use overlays in all maps, and to be able to help me with mapping we need to be with the same tools. Help in map development is what I need the most at the moment.
2. I might need help with dialogues too, so being creative in that area and have a wide vocabulary sure helps.
3. You don't need to be a great scripter or eventer, but it would help of course.

Download link below:
Remember it is still WIP, so there might be errors despite all the beta testing, and a LOT will still change in the next releases, maybe even everything!

[size=14]Last update: December 7th, 2010[/size]

- New Screenshots

- Teaser RELEASED, check download link and don't forget to give me feedback!
- Teaser almost complete, looking for beta testers.
- New screenshots, relatively official ones finally.
- New screenshots, finished intro and starting the actual game scenes.
- A couple new screenshots, about the battle system exchange member and a test mapping one about little characters.
- New Screenshots, finishing up many menu and battle scenes.



[size=15]Upcoming Teaser[/size]

I am almost done with the Prologue of the game, containing a little of the content of game. It is short, but since it uses many of the making techniques I will be using whole game it is already a big step. Before actual release I want to "hire" 1 or 2 beta-testers, that would also help me with a little things I am still in doubt with. If one you are interested, please reply to this topic.
After beta-testing and some touches are made I will release it, maybe in about 1 week or 2. I don't like giving specific dates, *snicker*, it is a hobby, not work.



[size=15]Introduction[/size]

A Dust Tale is a project I am creating based on ideas i've had long ago. It is a little hard for me to create a short version of the story and put it here because everytime i tried it came out different than what actually will take place in the game. Anyway, I am putting a lot of work in order to make it very unique and interesting for an rpg maker game. The ideas, both for story and for gameplay are very much based in games and stories i've seen, such as Final Fantasy, Xenogears, and many more, but the mix of them and some details are my own, which create something new. I really expect people to see certain things and think "wow, just like in that game i loved" because that's exactly the feeling I get when i'm making it.
I consider myself sort of old-school when it comes to rpg maker, having used pretty much all versions of it for almost 10 years, with long hiatus of course. I am well aware there has always been preferences on people, such as the dispute VX - XP or Sideview BS - Action BS and I will always use the one that helps me best achieve what i'm looking for, don't count me into any "clubs" to worship one or the other.
The sci-fi theme is a little harder to create than the fantassy one, specially because of the availability of materials and even the game engine itself is geared towards fantasy settings, but i'm doing my best to keep it working, and whenever I need help I will ask around the forums.



Characters



Edward Mazieri



Jon Colis




Nadia Vonshraden




Leila



Centurion




Hesma




Wiegraf








Features / Scripts

[color="red"]BATTLE SYSTEM[/color]
The battle system is very much based on classic rpg elements, but more suited to a future setting. It is, although a little different from other games as I am trying to come up with solutions for why most of them come to be a little boring. I figured the first problem was that for all battles people tend to just keep pressing the confirm button for constant attacking, I figured a great fix for that was to make sure they would use skills much more often than the regular attack, but skills in games cost mp, and people don't like to waste mp on a simple random battle. So i've created 3 types of mp.
Ammo, Battery and Psi. Firearms characters use ammo, characters with sabers use Battery and psionic users have psi. Ammo is a small fixed quantity, and can be replenished instantly at any time using the Reload command in battle (replaces guard), only costing a turn. So basically it comes to figuring an attack order that uses that quantity to the best, and then reloading. Edward for example has 12 ammo capacity, his regular attack costs 1, and his skills from 3 - 8, so to maintain his best dmg output you have to figure out the best way to employ that ammo before reloading and starting over. Somethjing like that.
Battery works almost the same, and Psi is a little more like regular MP, with the exception that the Charge command (replaces reload) regains 30% of your psi and enters a Charged state, where the next psionic skill will have higher power. There are also mind drugs that restore psi to full, but it's use is not recommended.
Having easily restorable "mp" will encourage people to try out many skills in every battle, specially because of the properties of attacks that i will explain below.

Properties: The physical ones are Slashing, Piercing and Impact and then there are Flame, Explosion, Gas, Electric, Psionic and Shadow. They are used in a very clever manner i think as they fit most of the future weapon types (how funny would it be if there was wind water and holy?) and different enemies have different weaknesses. This is very amplified in the game, as every character has many weaknesses, minor weaknesses and resistances, for example robots are weak vs electric attacks, and usually are very hard, if not impossible to beat unless you use your electrical attacks, so definetely no regular attack button mashing anymore, as robots are usually very resistant vs Impact and Flame attacks and totally immune to Gas attacks for example.

I also don't want battles to be hard, except for the boss ones. As ocasionally whenever i get into a game over in an rpg maker i hit alt+f4 and i really don't want people hitting alt+f4 on my game
So usually people will not die unless fighting an intentionally hard battle.


Screenshot of character changing in battle, FFX-like so you have to use all your squad instead of just 4 to figure out which ones work best vs that specific enemy.

The buffs and debuffs in battle are also very important, and usually essential to winning boss battles. Important enough to get you to waste turns that you could use damaging to make sure you keep your squad well buffed and the enemy debuffed.

[color="red"]MANAGEMENT[/color]
No i'm not talking about your party of 10 or so characters, im talking about an organized group. You will end up being the commander of something, that i will not spoil ;p and also of a very nice Starship. There are many decisions a leader has to make, when to repair the ship, how to stock the soldiers inventory, events that happen around the group that need your intervention, new technologies and starship upgrades and weaponry. You will be able to manage all that. And it will have effects on your missions, and the way they go.
If i can, i plan to make a group interaction system, kind of Mass Effect'ish.
I will make it in the most RPG sort i can, there will be screens and etc with information, but a lot of the decision making screens will be by talking to the people in charge of the specific things. There will be many VISUAL aspects to this, specially as you upgrade your ship and soldiers.
Anyway, i've always wanted a system like this, mix of Suikoden, Bioware games and of course... there will be Starship Battles





THE ONE EVERYBODY SCROLLS STRAIGHT TO

NEW!!










Intro and Prologue




















Battle








Menu

Credits

I am trying to keep a very nice credits screen with all names, but it's very hard since things around the net are very scattered, so if you see something that you made or know who and it is not mentioned please let me know, ok?
Also i'd like to thank very much all the people who make this things and release them for others to use, that is how the community and their games grow, and also, everything in my game is open for use, no encryption at all will be used in any part of the project.

Hope you have fun playing this when it's done as much as i did while making it. That minus the tiresome hours and hours of course ;p






Thanks for reading!

It looks pretty neat and the mapping is nice. I'm cautious about lightsabres, but to each his/her own I guess. Anyway, good luck with this project!

Great to get comments by someone whose scripts will greatly help the project ;p thanks \o

i updated a couple screenshots, btw

updated topic with some actual official screenshots and a new character revealed.

This looks really interesting can't wait for a demo.

Woah how did you recolor those bodies O_o, Like the idea

will keep a definite eye on this.

thanks for the compliments, but which bodies? *snicker*

All of them? . . . O_o

Oh I've seen this on Rpg maker vx the site, it was pretty awesome to look at. *shows support*

thanks for the support.

and well i do recolor every thing that needs recoloring lol

Nice maps and character design. As for the lightsabres I would try and alter it a little, perhaps Gunsabres or arrows; try and put your own original idea to an exisiting idea.

so taking spaceships, calling them hotdogs and making them run on space coal or something would be original? sure
would it be good? no.
it's not like im having jedis anyway, it's just a weapon.
so if an rpg uses swords is it not original cuz every damn rpg uses swords?
or elfs? u cant use elfs cuz they're everywhere?
i don't think originality for no sake at all is a good thing.



i do have some original ideas on the game, everything has probably been done in a way before, but the mix of it all creates something new. As an amateur and fan game i have no intention on blowing people off by creating something never done before, i just want a fun game, things that people can relate to, and have fun thinking "oh hey look, thats just like in xenogears" and other creations that inspired me.

the lightsaber thing is a little different from the star wars ones tho, as it's not some button u press and a laser blade shows up, it's more like a laser infused blade or whatever, as there are also scythes and axes with this aspect. i decided to call it sabers for the very reason i told u before... u cant just call it a hotdog and think ur being original. if ur inspired by something, and thats the best name for that thing. CALL IT THAT! lol
(actually they just call them sabers, no light)

also can't expect common iron weapons to damage metal robots... that would be silly ;p so they fit well.

update topic with info on the teaser to be released next week, also asking for beta tester

by the way, whats considered "substantial content" so it gets moved to another board?

Normally, it requires a demo, but yours has enough other detail to get it in I suppose. I will move it.

Thanks a lot

This looks like something that stands off. I'm actually looking forward to play it, I have a soft spot for futuristic settings.

Thanks for the compliments, I like futuristic things too ;p

...This is made in VX?

...Just.... Now I don't even want to make games because they can't be as awesome as this ;-;

Ninja: wow, the new filters/replacements are really gay

Yep!

Of course, using xp style characters.

Looks good
Keep it up bro

thanks hopefully i'll get something released soom

This project's looking awesome, I'm excited to see some gameplay because the shots are looking really good.

Well now you can, I just released a teaser version with the intro and the prologue of the game. Hope you like it!

Just finished the demo and I have to say, stellar work man, simply stellar (is that a pun?). Graphics are fantastic, love the menu and battle layouts and the gameplay thus far. My only recommendation is a little more polish on the dialogue and story blurbs, they're good, but seem a little clunky and awkward at times. There was also a small typo in the little history page about the empire and the Dust squad, though now I can't remember what it was.

Very much looking forward to this game now!

Edit:
Found the typo! Near the end of the first paragraph..."operatins" seems to have lost an o.

the dialogues are a little rushed for now... im' still not sure what im goin to keep and what i wont thats why i added that intro text with the typo lol, so people would not be lost.

thats why i said its very work in progress yet