Looking for a team for an EPIC RPG

[timtheenchanter]

Hello all, I am Tim, and I have been working for quite some time on a game that, for the time being, shall be known as Alterina!

Story:

[spoiler]This is essentially the prolog; I don't want to go too far into the actual story until we've got some headway into the game

-It is mine to tell the will of Fate, and so I start where I must, the beginning. This world was the creation of eight gods. Eight gods created by one almighty being. With the cost of some of his own power, the almighty god of creation, Omega, crafted Terra, goddess of earth, Typhoon, god of wind, Serge, god of energy, Celcios, goddess of ice, Inferno, god of fire, Atlantia, goddess of water, Chaos, god of shadow, and Fate, goddess of light. By giving their power they created the world, as well as everything on it.

-Unfortunately, the beings that dwell on the planet show great similarities to the ones who created them, and so, while the diverse culture of the world brought life to the planet, so to, did it bring strife. The gods themselves became entangled in this struggle for dominance, and it was that, that brought damnation to our beloved home.

-The gods had decided that the dominant race was created by the dominant god, and so the gods sent their beings to war. The first to strike were the Demons. They warred against the Wyrms, whose retaliation marred the land of the Galdurs. Before long, nearly all of the beings had joined in the battle that spanned the entirety of the planet. Only the Fairies, bound by the will of Fate, refused the war. Instead, they sought to heal the world. They would find it to be quite the difficult task, for the chaos, as well as the god of whom the word comes from, had just begun. He conjured his strength, and with the last of his power created a monster the likes the world had never before seen, the Gigass.

-The undying colossus did not eat, nor breathe, nor sleep. Its only goal was to kill all not aligned with Chaos. The only way the gods could find to combat this atrocity, was with Gigassi of their own. Thus was born the Giant Bull, Kajata, the Winged Beast, Sylphane, the Calamity Sphere, Raijin, the Glacial Colossus, Yimir, the Horned Devil, Ifreet, and the Great Serpent, Laviathan. All came to be to even the odds against the Lightless Shadow, Erebus. This imbalance began to tear the world apart, and soon, the war's energies reached the Astral Plains, where it awoke the god of creation himself.

-Omega became furious, as he had given them his power of creation, and they used it to destroy. It was Fate who calmed the great king, for he saw she had never involved herself in this war, and was the only one who had no Gigass. The other gods soon realized the err of their ways, but this alone would not solve their problems. The gods had no power to destroy the Gigassi, and no one god had the power to create anything anymore, let alone something powerful enough to stop the Gigassi. Then Serge found away to merge the gods' power, and from these pacts came a grand number of new life forms, as well as a desire for peace from the warring beings. The coming of the end of wars was symbolized by the creation of the Humans, created by both Fate and Chaos. This would unfortunately be a tainted symbol, as Chaos had never had any intention of ending the wars.

-At the last moment of the creation of Humans, Chaos forced his power into them, creating an unfillable hole within them. Because of that hole, Humans became greedy and power-hungry. They fanned the flames of war, and soon it seemed that it would never stop. Fate had one plan, one last hope to save the world. If it failed, the world would be doomed to die by the hands of the Gigassi.

-Unknown to Chaos, the other seven gods met in secret, and gave the last of their powers to create a unified race, composed of all elements, excluding darkness. From that union came the Alterinans. Created to become the saviors of the planet, it seemed as though everywhere they went, the war would dissipate, until the entire war had been driven to a complete halt. The Alterinans had saved the people of the world from each other, but there is no language a Gigass understands, and in no way can their rein of destruction be slowed.

-In the end, the Alterinans were not able to defeat the Gigassi, only to seal them away. After Erebus, the final Gigassi to be sealed, only seven Alterinans remained. Now, two thousand years after the final sealing, only the whereabouts of six are known. Xion and Xelic Xendarion, The king and queen of the now unified world of Terra, Rex the General of the Peace Keepers, Terra's unified army, Derrix and Lilax Zennix, and their newborn son, Marxus. This story begins with him, as he will become a man with many tales. This is the chronicling of the legend that is Marxus, and the tales of Alterina.
[/spoiler]
Characters:

[spoiler]Marxus Zennix is one of the last of the Alterinans, a race that once saved all of terra from a great disaster. Since his birth, he has been raised in a small village on the concepts of peace, however the stories of his ancestors have given him one goal, one dream, to become a hero! His dream however would seem to be chronologically misplaced, as the end of the Great War is still carved deep into the memories and fears of the older races, and the world has been unified to ensure war will never again happen.

Bardolf Brawn is the son of two adventurers, who ended up settling down in Marxus's village when he and Marxus were just children. The two were inseparable shortly after, and constantly challenging each other in any way they could think of. He's a bit hard-headed, as well as impatient, but he's kind at heart and can't say no to an adventure. He is both a skilled hunter and potion-maker. His parents left on one last grand adventure when he was seventeen, and it is his dream to one day see the world, and maybe see them again as well.

Sylphi Mana is a Fairy that lives in the woodlands surrounding Marxus's village. When she was still just a glint, her parents were taken by poachers, leaving her to fend for herself, and scarring her with both a fear and a hatred for all humans. She has always wanted to see what lies outside her home, but her fears of the outside world, as well as the humans who no doubt inhabit it, have kept her from leaving, and the recent stirring of the monsters within the forest have only worsened her fears.
[/spoiler]
So, what do you think? If this sounds like something you could get into, then by all means, check out the recruitment section to see if there is anything you could do to help

Recruitment

[spoiler]You need to keep just a few things in mind if you're going to join the team

1: Dedicated people only! If you join, you are expected, as a member of the team, to stay it threw till the end

2: If you give me anything that ISN'T your own creation, you MUST tell me who to give credit to

3: If you have any ideas, even if they aren't a part of your particular job in the group, I implore you to bring them up with me and the rest of the group for discussion.

4: HAVE FUN!

As for the others, In order to actually start making the game, all I really require is a scripter, however, I am a storyteller, an eventer, a beta-tester, a mapper, and a voice actor, so we still need a composer, as well as many kinds of visual artists, that vary from character, face, background, tileset, visual fx, and if we can work the concepts I'm hoping into work into the game, mugen and flash artists as well!
[/spoiler]
Cast:

[spoiler]

if I haven't put you on the list yet, don't worry, I will just as soon as you've given me your first bit of... whatever it is you do.

Tim_the_Enchanter (from rpgmakervx.net)
Group leader, storyteller, mapper, eventer, beta-tester, all around artist (noob), scripter (noob)

Nelderson (from rpgmakervx.net)
Noise Maker

HotSax (from rpgmakervx.net)
Composer

Ehras (from rpgmakervx.net)
Composer

SnowCrow (from rpgmakervx.net)
Composer

[/spoiler]
We still need:

[spoiler]Scripter(s) - I've got a lot of game mechanics and ideas to try out, and the game itself can NOT begin without you. Knowledge of the scripts that are already out there is helpful, but you will need to have decent skills as a scripter. If you want a better idea of what I will be asking, then check out the game ideas section.

Composer(s) - We have quite a few composers on the team now, but we still need someone who can do the chaotic stuff! If you're good wit Metal and Rock, we could realy use the help.

Noise Makers! - Who sais you're not important! We need sound fx as badly as we need visual fx. This can probably be done by anyone, but maybe you already have a collection of noises for just such an occasion

Visual Artists - bit, anime, backgrounds, vfx, tilesets, title, and system style artists are all going to be a big part of this game!
[spoiler]
Bit - the 32-bit chibi style of rpgmvx is great, but this game will need many more characters, as well as types of characters, than the program provides, and if possible, I'd like to see characters with a bit more body, such as the style provided by xp, as well as being able to add expressions, instead of relying solely on emotobubbles.

Anime - rpgmvx also provides great faces, but they need more emotion, as well as bodies for scenes (or animations if all goes well). Not to mention that new characters need new faces.

Tilesets - it seems that rpgmvx just falls short as to the variety needed in my game, as well as the A-tiles being quite a bit too blocky.

System - the menus need a unique look with a familiar feel to them (I think I may actually be able to do this)

Backgrounds - the lack of battle-backs was one of the much more disappointing things in rpgmvx, we would also need these for scenes (or animations if all goes well).

Logo - signs and symbols of all types are scattered about this world, and let's not forget about the famous "title" and "game over" screens.

Vfx - one thing FF taught me that a giant sword may get the job done, but explosions, lightning, and particle fx get the job done even better (be prepared to work with mugen and character artists, should the summoning mechanic work out)
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Depending on the mechanics we are able to work out, we may need:

[spoiler]Animators - Mugen style battles and animated cutscenes are hopefully going to be in the game!

Voice Actors - And with animation must come voices to bring the characters to life!

[/spoiler]
And if you do something that isn't on the list, but still want to help, ask anyways! Maybe I just didn't realize how much I need you too!

Game Ideas

[spoiler]
Side-View Battle System
Personally, I can't stand the standard battle system of rpgmaker vx, so a side-view battle system is almost a must in this game

Side-View + (a more realistic Side-View)
What I'd really like however, is a side-view similar to Final Fantasies VII-X. From what I've seen of the S-Vs of rpgmaker, I have a few little problems.
The character just stands there, swinging his weapon at the air, then the attack fx plays on the target, finish. I would like to see a bit more action than that! How about the character runs at the enemy, knocks him into the air with an upward slash, then, if it's a critical hit, dose a dash-through slash as the enemy lands, playing attack fx where appropriate. That I would like to see!

Side-View ++ (Action Commands)
Another idea I would love to have in my game is Quick-Time Actions, like paper Mario, or Mario RPG.
Maybe instead of criticals being random, they are triggered by the push of a button, carefully timed. Maybe instead of having a "Defend" option, you block with the press of a button. Perhaps other actions like counter-attacking or dodging could be implied as well!

Side-View +++ (MUGEN-ACTION Side-View System)
My final problem with the S-V is more of a 2 parter. First, you can't do a lot of awesome actions with the miniscule characters on the main screen. Second, the enemies always seem bigger/ have a higher quality about them.
Now, MUGEN, if you don't know about it, makes games similar to Street Fighter or Mortal Combat. I think it would be amazing to see that kind of action, those kinds of moves, and that kind of style in a Turn-Based Side-View Battle system. That being said, I wouldn't know how to trigger a switch in script, so I probably have absolutely NO IDEA how much time, energy, effort, and skill it would take to do this, so I would like to apologize in advance if my request is so ludicrous that even asking it would insult any of you scripters out there.

Outside-of-Battle Abilities
Another thing that I thought would be cool to see is abilities that are useful outside of battle, like HMs in Pokemon, but I'd like to take it a bit further. I mentioned dodging, blocking, and criticals in battle, but what if someone gets the jump on you? Maybe you should be able to block outside of battle to reduce the damage from sneak-attacks or traps. I might be able to event this one, but with the complexity I'm looking for, it would be highly conceivable that I will need a script for it.

AP Shop System
I was also thinking that each character would learn abilities by spending AP as opposed to simply learning them as they level up. This would allow the player to make a more custom fitted character to fit their own playstyle. Depending on how you build each character, you could make the style of play very different.

AP Shop + (Stat building System)
Thrown in with the random abilities you can learn, you could also buy stat boosters with your AP, HP+ 1%, Attack+ 5%, or something along those lines.

AP Shop ++ (Gameplay Altering Abilities)
Finally, what about those previous OoB Abilities? Maybe Cut lvl 1 could chop a small sapling down, while Cut lvl 10 may be able to hack through a full grown oak, or maybe you could upgrade Dodge, Block, or Critical to lengthen the amount of time you have to press the required button!

Alternate Startup and Game Over
I would also like to change the Title and Game Over Screen to a more cinematic style. Perhaps the game could start with an animated cut scene and then go to an animated title scene. Then, should you not do anything, it could show another animated cut scene, and instead of the static Game Over screen, it could be an animated one.

Alternate Stats
(Sigh) I can't help but feel by now that most scripters are shouting at me to use an entirely different program, seeing how I want to change so many integral parts of the game maker, but here's what I believe is another big one...
I don't like the VX stats, how they work, as well as the lack of them saddens me. I have a pretty good idea of how I want the stats to go in my game, but it's very, VERY lengthy, so I'll leave it for later.
[/spoiler]

Songs
[spoiler]Central by Gillian Orwall: http://www.mediafire.com/?qfh06weu4dvb2c2

Dark Forest by Gillian Orwall: http://www.mediafire.com/?9p0whdds3wdns5o

Desert Deadlands by Gillian Orwall: http://www.mediafire.com/?fewzw2lbvegobea

First Dungeon by HotSax: http://www.mediafire.com/?11ddz7c0eltisc5

Forest of Beginnings by Gillian Orwall: http://www.mediafire.com/?w4qqjurkxkh7syj

Forest of Mystery by timtheenchanter: http://www.mediafire.com/?z1o6u2lvlt4emzb

Heavenly by ehras: http://www.mediafire.com/?r7qzc8ge8wyy0g4

Hometown Theme by HotSax: http://www.mediafire.com/?0rbica6d4qe5u13

Mountain theme by Gillian Orwall: http://www.mediafire.com/?p1463rhnkab5v6n
[/spoiler]


*please note that any names found to be less than desireable by the team will be subject to change.*

[timtheenchanter]

bump

[Holkeye]

People are probably ignoring this topic because it sounds like a fan game.

[timtheenchanter]

How does it sound like a fan game? The second sentence says, quite blatantly, that it isn't. What are the similarities? I never realy played any "Tales of" games, so I wouldn't know.
Also, it's not as ignored as you may think, I've gotten quite a few PMs about it, but thank you for the concern

[Holkeye]

If not a fangame, then a ripoff. Have some originality.

[timtheenchanter]

Oh, thanks, troll! I'd expect more from a moderator, how about you get a life.

[Holkeye]

I'm just trying to help you out.

[timtheenchanter]

Then how about some criticism, why does it seem like a rip off?

[Holkeye]

Uh, because its called "Tales of..." There is no way that a person could name their game that and call it coincidence. If you did, you're either lying to yourself, or an idiot. Those games have been around too long now. It would be like someone making a game called "Town of Mana" that had nothing to do with the Mana games. There are a million games made in RM, why would you not take every opportunity to set yourself apart from the rest? The title is the first thing people see of your game. Why not do something interesting?

[timtheenchanter]

So it's just the name then? First off, I get it, Tales is a very popular series, but, honestly, I decided on that name before I'd even heard of the series. It's actually more of a reference to the Canterbury tales than the Tales games, as that is the style of how the story unfolds. The reason I stuck with Tales of Alterina is the same reason they went with Tales of Symphonia, or Legend of Zelda, it just sounds better than Zelda's legend or Symphonian Tales. And honestly, if every popular title or series had the same thing going, you could also scratch off these words too: Dungeon, Dragon, Final, Fantasy, Legend, Kingdom, Hearts, Chrono, Halo, Valkiery, Chronicles, Dark, Cloud, I could go on for hours. In the end, I understand that some might see the name as similar to the Tales series, and many may frown at it for that, but really, look at the story. Don't judge a book by its cover. After all, Before Crisis may be the prequel to Crisis Core, but Crisis Core isn't the prequel to Dino Crisis.

I'm sorry to have been so quick to take offense, but mentioning my less than original title may have been a bit more called for than to say I'm ripping off another series and have no originality, just because of a title.

[Holkeye]

http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,29558.0.html

[mirdon]

Hi, I'lld like to participate as a music composer. Reply or mp me for more infos and links of my musics.

Edit: By epic you mean japanese style of role playing game, right?

[valdred]

Hey dude I can be your main scripter. I do have a project of my own, but I will have time for both. I can make you a custom battle system and whatever you need. PM me

EDIT: After seeing your attitude in earlier posts I changed my mind. You will have to keep searching. Everybody wants to make an epic game and have people do it for them. Why would anyone pick this project above others? What are you going to do yourself? The story seems very unoriginal to me. Even the names, like Terra.

[pacdiggity]

I still don't know why he didn't change the title.
And no, I'm not going to help you.

[timtheenchanter]

Hi, I'lld like to participate as a music composer. Reply or mp me for more infos and links of my musics.

Edit: By epic you mean japanese style of role playing game, right?

While I appreciate everyone keeping me on the front page, it's nice to know that some people around here aren't so offended by something that can be so very easily changed.

It is going to be a jrpg style, but what I meant by epic was exactly that, epic. An epic is a grand story spanning across many tales, not unlike the Iliad or the odyssey.

[valdred]

Yeah everybody says that but only a few ever complete them. Please tell me how long have you been developing games? What knowledge do you have? Sorry to be so harsh but this is how it works

[timtheenchanter]

Yeah everybody says that but only a few ever complete them. Please tell me how long have you been developing games? What knowledge do you have? Sorry to be so harsh but this is how it works

Completely understandable. I'll admit that, disregarding my couple of years on rpg maker xp and vx, I have little to no experience in the game making world, but skill is the only thing holding me back with this game. I'm a mediocre-at best artist/composer and I can barely understand code, but making games is something I've wanted to do my entire life, and this is where I'd like to start. I plan on picking up coding and honing my skills as an artist in college, but my main reason for this game is that I'm hoping to meet other people to learn from and share ideas and experiences with, since no one, and I mean NO ONE where I live seems to be even slightly interested in actually making games. You caught me on experience. I'm fresh out of high-school, but I'm dedicated, and I WILL finish this game!

[valdred]

This is what you do. You post a new thread saying that you want to join a team and list those reasons you put up. It will be better for everyone

[FrankStallone]

Hi i would like to try out for your "team" as an eventer.. I can give you a demo of some of my work if you would like.. Please PM me if i am accepted
I promise to uphold all the rules..

[Kotone123]

I was going to serve to you as a scripter and composer, but seeing the early comments, you have quiet a bad attitude kid.

[hiromu656]

Then how about some criticism, why does it seem like a rip off?

Tales of Alterina


I'm not really sure if the topic creator is still actually working on this, but I think the story needs more structure.

[timtheenchanter]

... Sigh...

Look, I get it, the name is similar, and I didn't realize that was such a big deal, but the name wasn't just my Idea, everyone on the team likes the name. I can easily see how my defending the team decision can come up as me being an ass, but I assure you, there was no rage towards the mod for what he said, with the exception of saying I have no originality just for a name, which was a group decision. As I may have said at one point, if the group doesn't like it, we'll change it, so if you wanted to join up till you read my posts, know that I'm merely standing up for the fact that a title does not make a game. Is Legend of the Drunken Paladin a ripoff of Legend of Zelda? No, and if you didn't play it for only that reason, then you're missing out. It's one of the most original rpg maker games I've ever seen. The same can be said for Epic Battle Fantasy (or at least the 3rd one). if you just can't get around the name, and it's the only thing stopping you, then join the team and voice your opinions to the others, because even if you convince me to change it, I have 4 others who like it as is, so I won't change it until they think it should be changed.

Again, I apologize for my, "bad attitude," though I assure you I'm merely voicing my opinion, as I believe all should be able to do.

[Acolyte]

Well, do you have a project thread? Examples of your own work? Screenshots? Where's all this effort going that you keep talking about?

[timtheenchanter]

Well, do you have a project thread? Examples of your own work? Screenshots? Where's all this effort going that you keep talking about?

I'm not good enough at visual art to make my own... well, anything, and I've yet to acquire the help of any artists, so no screenshots. And my co-story teller/editor didn't think we should make a public thread until we're a little farther along in the making of the game, and I agree with him. I'd have a demo made to show people, but without a scripter, I don't know what we can and can't do mechanically, and that will have an intense effect on how the game actually turns out.

It's quite the vicious cycle, I need demos and screenshots to attract people to my game, but I need people to make those demos and screenshots. The only thing I have that I can show you is music the composers have made.

[Acolyte]

Well uh, nobody's going to make your game for you. :/
Seriously, you don't map, script, compose, draw, and you need a co-story teller? What on earth are you doing?
You have to show that you can do a lot of heavy lifting on your own.
If you don't know how to map well, look at some examples and practice. You don't have to be a phenomenal artist to make something that looks decent. Don't be afraid to use preexisting resources. There's a lot out there. Just make sure you give credit.