[CC][XP-Demo]Oh, Brother

This project has played a bit of musical makers.
I've decided to move it to Construct Classic, as an Action-Adventure RPG.
There are many reasons, but the main one is a desire to give it a more unique feel and quality that I cannot seem to achieve in RPGMaker.
The genre also seems to fit the theme, story and planned gameplay elements better.
It will take a great deal of time to complete in Construct, as I'll be creating all of the graphical resources myself, not to mention the coding.
Sswave will still be handling the music, as he's agreed to continue working with me. So, all that lovely music will still be there.

I'm confident I can do this, but I cannot give a definitive time-frame.

Most of the information in this post is still relevant. The images, however, are not.
Check for new posts in this thread or here to see the new concepts, resources and likely a lot of babbling.

I'd love to continue sharing updates with all of you.
I will certainly post the game here first, when it's finished.
If you're still interested, of course. ^.-

If I should make a new topic and reserve this for the current Demo,
let me know and I will move all of the new content to a new topic.

The current XP Demo will remain up for download.
It is still a decent show of the theme, story and dialogue. Even many of the events will remain the same.
Namely, the way it progresses, the quests and even the intro. I liked most of the demo, so I'm going to try and keep it intact.
Just know that the gameplay itself will be radically different.

Thank you for looking, and I hope you enjoy what you see.

Demo
Download
Patch Files

Spoiler for What's inside:

This is more of a "proof of concept" than a demo.
A few things are missing, but the story is completed and it should play fine from start to finish.

Bugs should be minimal, but notify me of any and I'll get to fixin'.
Portraits are in, but only default expressions for main characters.
Custom Battlers for Nini and her Mother only (enemies are system default).
There are quite a few interactive background objects (bookshelves, flowers, etc.), but not as many as planned.
NPCs are going about their own business, they're not too busy early in the morning so it may seem a bit empty in the beginning.

Nini can cast a Fire spell on the field (S-key), but it doesn't do anything just now. (there is an animation, however)

I've been getting positive responses so far, so I hope you enjoy what there is. ^.^

Story
Once upon a cliche...

Behind a small cottage,
at the heart of a tiny village, a little girl is practicing her fire spells.
Her mother has told her time and again not to do so near the trees. She can never find a spot without trees, and she really needs to practice...

Her brother has been missing for some time. He was sent on some important quest long ago.
Missed her birthday this year. She's been dying to show him the new spell she learned to cast on her teddy..

But that's not important now. What's important is that everyone seems to have forgotten about her big brother.

Her father keeps teaching his magery at the local Academy.
Leaves every day, kisses her and mother goodbye and drones on about proper rune structure and how important annunciation is to spell-weaving.

The neighbors, with their strange thumbed cat that walks on two legs, have stopped coming by to offer their sympathies.
And their candied apples.

Only she and mother keep vigil every night at the gate.
They watch.
They wait.
They care.

But she's had enough watching.
Enough waiting.

If no one finds big brother, who will stop the monsters from attacking?
Who will go to the big city and ask for help? Who will pat her on the head and tell her she's a good little magical girl?
- Mother has asked she not call herself that, but "magician" just sounds so...boring. -

No. She is a Magical Girl and she will save the wo- err Village. Yes, village.

If they wont go. She will. She'll find her brother and help him get to the big city. If she can't find him, she'll go alone.
Father says no one can resist her pout. The Elite Mages are bound to give their sympathies to a sweet little girl..
if she has round enough eyes and pouts loud enough.
Right?

Right. Besides, if they don't listen she could just sic her teddy on them.
She has been getting better at getting him to attack things.
Even if it's only the cat...and he only runs after it and falls on it's tail.

She can do this.
She is a Magical Girl.

She can do anything.

Characters
Some interesting faces..

Main
though friends may come and go, in the end it's all up to you...

Nanette "Nini" Matilda Chelestra
-Magical Girl Extraordinaire-
A very young, headstrong mage-in-training.
Nini is often found roaming her hometown of Unai with her teddy Lord Flufflepuff in tow.
Whether investigating local rumors, practicing her magic or simply running errands, she makes every task into an adventure.

Supporting
everybody needs somebody...sometimes...

Dolls
Nini's primary companions



-Master Felkin-
Lord Flufflepuff, Ruler of the toybox and all it contains

Powerful Mage from an ancient time, Master Felkin is cold, cool and calculating.
He is also cynical and a little mean. Likely due to being thrust into the body of a stuffed bear and contracted to a rambuncious little brat.



-Mistress Lenore-
Lady Prissybottom, leader of the Fluff Elite and High Tea Maker!

An assassin witch from a time not so long ago.  Lenore hails from Tria, a swamptown inhabited primarily by witches.
She is a relative of Nini's mother and thus dotes a bit on Nini.



-Paskal the Grand-
Sir Muffiekins, knight of the Fluff Empire.

A once mighty knight of a long forgotten empire, Paskal is proud, protective, and a bit on the talkative side.



There are also hidden, optional Dolls to be found throughout the world.


Chelestra Family
While they may not be eager to venture out into the wilds with her,
Nini's family is still there if she needs them...




-Coren Vladamere-
This is Nini's father, Coren Vlademere Chelestra.
He is the Headmaster of the Mage Academy, a very busy man, he is rarely home. He is a loving and doting father, however, and Nini can ask him for just about anything at any time. Even during business hours, she is welcome in his office.



-Lyra Maleficent-
Nini's Mother, Lyra Maleficent Chelestra.
A powerful healer and witch. She was born in the swap-town of Tria, and attained the highest rank possible for her type of mage. That of "Hag". She is cold, stern and often mistaken for cruel. She adores her family, however, and does all she can to keep them safe.

When Nini misbehaves, her mother will send her to a small puzzelbox as punishment. While in this box, Nini will take the form of a mouse and have to complete a series of puzzles to escape.

She does it because she loves you...



-Mason Walker-
(The reason for her journey)
This is Nini's brother and the reason for her story.
A young but incredibly powerful mage, Mason was chosen among all the young mages of the Village Tribunal to act as liaison to the Capitol City.
Before he left, however, he was Nini's one and only true friend. He would drop everything to play with her, no matter what her game. His stories, which he often made up on the spot at bedtime, kept her dreams vivid and exciting. It is her love for her brother that keeps her strong and brave.

Screenshots
let's be honest, it's all most of us care about

=These are all from the XP Demo as the project has moved to a new engine=

Spoiler for Unai - Starting town:

Shot of some of the Intro. Nini practicing her spells. This will be preceded by a comic-styled cutscene.


Central Unai (cobbled together shot to get all of it)


Outside the Unai Petshop, located in cozy little Unai Market Street


Inside the Petshop, you will find a small variety of friendly (and not so) animals looking for a home.


Outside the Mage Academy, where Nini's father works.


(the shot is two-tone due to lighting differences when taking the screen)
Belinda's Bed and Breakfast, the gathering spot of just about everyone, travelers and natives alike.
Different people show up here at different times of the day, and Nini can find many quests here before venturing out into the wild.
(this is perhaps not the best shot of the inn, I'll replace it at a later date - when I care to shut off all the events timers so they show up ><
The inn/bar is a lively place at night and early morning, but dead most of the day)


Scenic Mystic Lake, Felkin enjoys spending his leisure time here. The day is transitioning into night, hence the eerie blue glow.
Nini can ride a little boat (patented Pocket Boat!) around the lake, useful for getting the hot springs nearby.


A Hot Spring, one of many. Those who've played Earthbound will recognize the idea, it's the same here.


Many little paths like this one separate the areas of Unai, treasures are often left in chests along the road.
One of Nini's long-standing mysteries has been who, and why. Some day she'll solve it, some day.


Part of the dreaded Puzzlebox that Nini has spent too much time in.


In her room, ready to seize the day! - after she changes out of her jammies.


A little more interior - The Chelestra household. First floor, living room, kitchen and dining area.

Features
Unique things found in the game as a whole

Original Soundtrack!
Composed by the very talented; sswave

Original Artwork!
There will be portraits for nearly every NPC, with varying expressions, as well as storypage styled cutscenes and more.
=Eventually, every graphical resource will be custom-made.

Costume changes!
Nini's armor is a one piece costume that, when equipped, changes her sprite and battler to match.

Unique Costume Abilities!
Each of Nini's costumes offer their own unique movement abilities as well as other useful on-map abilities that unlock new areas or just make things a little easier.

Trading Cards!
Throughout her journey, Nini will come across mystical cards of various colors.
Nini can collect these cards to complete sets and turn those sets in to receive prizes!
There are also mysterious runes on the cards that hold a secret all their own.

More Than Your Ordinary Items!
There may not be as many items as one might expect, but each one tries it's best to be interesting and useful enough that you wont mind.
Many have more than one use, there are also a few that spoil, grant temporary buffs, grant buffs based on how many times used, and quite a few that require reusable containers.

Hoard with Purpose!
Nini will often come across items that appear to have no use.
Do not fret! You are not wasting valuable item-space!
Someone, somewhere, will want that item. Perhaps they'll even have something to give Nini in exchange.

Story-Driven Progression!
Spells, items, special abilities, equipment, experience, all of these things are gained primarily through following story queues and completing quests.
While the bare minimum, found by only following the main path, should be enough to complete the story - many extras are hidden (and miss-able) in side stories that will make the trip much easier.

Personal Stories!
Nini's Dolls level up in a special way, by searching for and completing unique quests for each Doll.
These are referred to as "Back-stories" and not only tell the personal stories of the souls within the Dolls, but also power them up.
In order to unlock their full potential, Nini must complete their full Back-story.
She will also get something special for herself if she unlocks all of them!

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way!
While Nini will obtain money and items to assist on her journey, she may also find that asking can be just as helpful.
Some shops give discounts, or offer special items simply do to how Nini behaves in their town.
Some battles can be avoided by talking, as it is difficult to stay angry when an adorable little girl asks nicely.
There are also many hidden quests and special items that can only be obtained by taking a non-violent approach to certain situations.

Combat Optional
Enemies appear on-screen and can be largely avoided without much consequence. Some are a little more persistent than others, however..
There are also more ways to defeat some enemies than fighting.
Nini learns new spells through non-combative means, as do her Dolls.
There are a few required battles, however, so be on guard just the same!

System
A little of what to expect...

Combat


Battle is meant to reflect the fragility of Nini, and how she still manages to do amazing things. She is a very young girl and as such is easily injured, and not terribly strong (physically).

Skills will not be learned via levels but by exploring the world, using items, equipping weapons/armor, completing objectives, solving puzzles, etc.

Dolls

Nini uses dolls as her weapons. Each doll is bound with the soul of a willing warrior. Each doll lends their spells to Nini while she holds them.
The soul within the doll is wary of Nini when first acquired and as such only offers a single spell upon equip.
To strengthen her bond and thus the spells they will allow her to use, she must uncover bits of their past.
With each piece of backstory, a new ability is unlocked.
Once three stories are found, the doll is bonded with Nini and a special new ability will unlock that the Doll will perform for her, in certain situations.

If Nini discovers all the Doll's stories, something special will happen.


Limitations

Nini is far too weak for her physical attacks to hurt anything.
Thus she relies entirely on her magic. As she is still young, and strong of spirit, her energy is limitless.
-There is no Mana bar planned for the AARPG.

Nini's weakness also shows in her health, and the difficulty in obtaining more of it.
Through exploration, quests, and story progression, she will earn a larger health pool.
It wont be as easy as finding an upgrade, however. She'll have to work for it.
-The AARPG will feature an Energy Tank system for health. (for comparison, Metroid games use this system)
-It will differ in that each new tank comes in pieces that need to be collected separately. (akin to Zelda heart pieces)

Costumes

Along with her doll weapons, Nini can equip special costumes. These costumes act as her armor and offer many interesting benefits beyond simply protection. Each costume offers it's own unique properties and each will remain useful throughout the game. You cannot buy or sell any of Nini's costumes. They are earned by completing quests.

For a bit more on costumes, see the spoiler below.

Spoiler for Dress-Up:

Costumes

Nini adores dress-up, as many young girls do, but hers is not merely a game of Pretty Princess.
Her costumes are magically enhanced. She is a Magical Girl, after all.

Other than her dolls, Nini can also equip special armor in the form of two-piece costumes.
Costumes will play a large role in gameplay, with the on-map abilities acting as keys to new areas or as necessary tools to complete puzzles.

Stylish and Practical!

When equipped, Nini will change to match the costume she wears.
She will also have a few different animations depending on the costume she's wearing.

In addition to visual flavor, each costume offers it's own benefits both in combat and con-combat situations.
Certain costumes may even enhance the abilities of her dolls when equipped together.

Concept Art
For the fun of it.

Spoiler for Portraits:

=Portraits will likely still be used for the AARPG, though the art will be different.

Concept faces for some of the important NPCs

Spoiler for Storypages:

Example of how in-game cutscenes will look.

Spoiler for Costumes:

Mock-ups for use as sprite reference. Final sprites may vary.

Support
If you like Support Bars, I have one of those! Copy the code below to use it.

Code: [Select]

[url=http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,44909.0.html][img]http://db.tt/ZKuulRkC[/img][/url]

< Looks like this. ^.-

Updates
=Update July 02, 2012=
Demo is in the final form it will be in.
There are issues with jumping during dialogue, in that you can and it's not advised.
There's just too many events with dialogue for me to go back through and add an off-switch for the jump.

The current demo should be enough to know if you'll like the finished game.
Regardless of how it plays, the dialogue and story will remain the same (probably a little shorter on the dialogue as it is a bit long-winded in spots).

=Update June 19th, 2012=
I'm done testing. If there are issues, let me know.
I need to start moving things to VXA now and I just keep fiddling with the XP Demo. ><
Everything -should- work. If something doesn't, please tell me exactly what and where and I will fix it.
But I'm calling it now. No more fiddling unless an error is reported.
I suggest downloading the "Patch Files" and starting a fresh game if you have downloaded the project.
Otherwise the project downloads themselves should be up to date.

=Update June 16th, 2012=
More things in the Demo are working, few more dialogue bits for NPCs.
I think I may have everything covered now, actually.
Everything should work.
Let me know if I'm wrong. ^.^

=Update, June 15th, 2012=
So, I did not test it nearly enough. Tried to add a thing and broke a million things.
I think it is fixed now, however, and there are more NPCs in places and doing things.
Also, unique battle music, because sswave is awesome. ^.^
Those who have already played will need to start over, however, so I apologize for that.
You can just download the Patch Files to avoid re-downloading the entire project, if it makes it any less annoying.

=Update, The Second!=
Few minor tweeks, and made sure music is playing during the ending sequence.
Download link is updated, but for those who already downloaded and do not want to do so again, I added a small patch.
This will be updated each time the main file is, as needed.
Just extract it into the project folder and replace what it asks. Saves should be fine.

This looks to be very fun. But I haven't played Earthbound, could you explain the purpose of the Hot springs? Health Regen?

This all looks great XD I'll keep an eye on this!

Hiro, Yes. It's health regen as well as a sort of checkpoint. If you've been to a hot spring and then die in battle, but opt to continue instead of quit the game, you will be transported back to that hot spring. (also, go play Earthbound, it is awesome. = ) )

Thank you both for the kind words. ^.^

I've been dedicating all of my free time to it, so hopefully I'll have something playable soon.

Bump to prove I am working on this.

I've added more sprites and a sketch of a battler in the extras section of the OP, and here are some windowskins I made just for this project.
The window skin will change depending on which town, or possibly costume, she is in. With the exception of the Diary.

Each is made to work with a cursor script, so they do not have selection boxes.

I am very excited about this project.

This kind of whimsical cuteness usually makes me puke, but as I am raising 3 daughters perhaps it hit my soft spot. I definitely like the concept of the dolls and her cute little costumes! I am definitely following the development of this project. With all the unique play components and original resources, this already has my vote for project of the season. Utterly fantastic work, so far.

EDIT: And don't feel bad about the bumps, it's nice to know what you have planned!

Heh, I actually feel the same about whimsical cuteness most of the time.

I've recently discovered that writing children is a great deal of fun, however, and they make excellent protagonists. They're tenacious, prone to flights of fancy and tossing them into any environment/story can drastically change the mood.

You don't need much of a reason for a kid to run off and play hero, either. It's just something kids do. It's all an adventure to them. I'm trying to make her a little more responsible about it and give her a genuine reason though. I always find the responsible kids to be the most entertaining. And adorable.

The Magical Girl thing is due to her being a little girl, with magical powers, who decides to be the hero. Seemed to fit. The aesthetic is fun to play with as well. Designing cute outfits is far more entertaining than I expected. >< The dolls are because I seem to be opposed to conventional weaponry. I also love possessed dolls.

Trying to keep a cute aesthetic throughout is helping me art-wise, too. I'm learning more about cartoony, simple styles and it is a lot of fun.

I wish you luck with the daughters, we're not easy. My dad had two of us. ^.-

As an actual update to this topic -

I have only a screenshot to show (attached). I've been working in the database and that doesn't offer much to really "show".
I have finished my Earthbound-styled Game Over system though. I added an item that will cancel Game Over for lore reasons (with limited uses, because I like those for some reason), but there's nothing to "show" for that.

The screen is a spotlight on Nini, in default costume, eyes closed. When the spotlight brightens fully, a textbox will pop-up asking the player if they wish to continue. If they choose "Yes", Nini will look around and hop excitedly before she is transported to the nearest Hot Spring.

It took me a while to get everything working correctly, but it works, so it's progress and I'm sharing.

Next I'll be working on battlers to take a break from the database and editing scripts. Those will, hopefully, be more interesting updates.

Very interested in this project. Check your inbox for a gift! :O

Very cute project. I am looking forward to seeing a demo!

Thank you both for the interest (and the gift ^.^). 

I've been working in the database and trying to write out everything so I don't get ahead of myself. My focus is completing the first town, so I can release it as a demo(it is fairly large and has enough to do that I can showcase almost everything).

Excellent. I dig the possessed doll idea, too. It's creepy but somehow inviting! Ah, Dollmages...

I am still working! I've been terribly ill but I'll be updating soon with finished battlers (I'm going to try and ink/color most of them tonight). The demo is still a ways off, however, as it seems my ideas for combat may require a script that I cannot find. I'm not sure if it's a big change or not, but I'm going to do my best to figure out how to do it myself if I can't find anyone who has already.

I'll have something to actually share soon. ^.^

What were you after?

A mana pool/bar that recharges each turn (for enemies as well as heroes) as opposed to the default sp system. So far I've only found edited slip damage states that add an sp regen, which is neat, but not what I needed.

As an example, the RMXP game Outlay City has basically what I'm looking for. Theirs is a stamina bar that recharges every turn, and I can't remember if the maximum amount ever changes, but it's still the best I've seen.

I only know enough scripting to make small edits, and have a half-finished CMS. This is beyond my capabilities, but I'd be willing to learn if I can't find anything.

So it totally restores itself at the beginning of each turn, eh? Hm. I do VX, so I can't tell you a whole lot. I DO know that there is some scripting that does exactly as you want in VX, and I'm sure something must exist for XP. If not, you could modify the XP script to slip for the entire amount of SP each turn. You know who might be able to help is Pacman, and if not him the great Modern Algebra. Their DNA is actually in RGSS format, if anyone can do it, they can.

PM me exactly what you want and I'll see what I can do.

Found an sp recovery script for battle, plus found some that cover almost all of my item related common events (woo, freed up switches and variables). Now I'm getting all of the little quests and NPCs fleshed out for the first town (they all have names, and personalities - sounded like a great idea at the time, not so sure now ><), a few more indoor maps put together, figuring out a better way to work the Diary system (it's a little awkward) and hammering out values as combat is a bit too easy at current and I seem to have more items than actually needed (I got a little carried away with town-specific food items ><).

I am on it though. Every free moment I have is spent on this (when I'm not distracted by new ideas and the sudden desire to try and implement them. My husband is helping with that, keeps yelling at me to get my demo done before I add new things.)

I do have a problem I would love input on, however. That is message style. I have Ccoa's UMS, which is great, but it has so many options that I've become a little conflicted on which to go with.

I have been playing with the comic bubbles so far, but they do not transition well with each windowskin, and my idea to have emotes for the sprites (to make things more interesting) has proven far more time consuming than I expected (thanks to the costumes).

The other option is showing a portrait with emotes (example), but I'm not sure how well that would work with the changing skins either and I'd have to decide if I want the image to change to reflect her costume or not.

Those are my options. I'm fine with either one (they will likely end up taking the same amount of time to implement), but can't make up my mind.

Which would you guys like to see?

I would go with the portrait idea... probably only because of Fortune Summoners, so i might be a little biased.

I really like this project. The mapping for RTP ??is very nice and varied, and even the artwork is not bad.
Congratulations also to the original gameplay, I like the system of the dolls, the costumes are nice, you've designed yourself?

Perhaps the project will not comment much, but know that I follow.

EDIT: Ah, I do not understand a thing, why did you put the fog in the outdoors?

I really like this, like most who posted here. I wish I could have some of your art in my game, haha. I support this and hope to see more!

Hiromu, Fortune Summoners is an adorable game ^.^ I will probably end up going with portraits then. It will let me use a larger size for the pictures too, so I can take more time with them and not use that horrible pillow-looking shading like the battler has (which was just so it'd show up at the small size =/).

Saul, Thank you for the compliments. = ) The use of the RTP is honestly due to time concerns. This is more practice at seeing if I can finish a game then anything, and I'd rather focus on the gameplay and story than the tilesets. If I can finish this, then I'll be moving on to a more complicated game (in a different engine) with completely original resources. T

he artwork is experimental. I'm not used to the style yet, so it's still a work in progress. The art posted for this game will likely change a bit as I finish the battlers and start on the cutscenes. All that's here now are quick sketches. I did design the costumes myself, I'm glad you like them. They're fairly simple and hopefully girly enough to make sense for the character.

Oh, the fog. The pink colored swirling fog on all of the outdoor maps is representative of a magical barrier around the town. It's for story purposes and will come up frequently throughout the game. The water fog looked the best for what I wanted, so I colored it pink. Nothing too complicated. It wont be on -every- outdoor map, just in a few of the towns and in one special instance outside of them.

Yellowpepper, Thank you! Also, saying you'd like my art in your game is an incredible compliment. ^.- Maybe if I had more time and more confidence in the style, I'd offer my services.

-
Still not much to show for updates. All database and dialogue stuff right now. Making events, making sure scripts work together, grumbling when they do not. The tedious stuff. I have the intro cutscenes to draw out, as well as a map to paint, so I may have more art stuff to share soon (not all of it, of course - want some surprise for the demo -, but I'll share the map).

It´s good to see that you are actively working on this game. While updates without art or something else to show can be boring, knowing that you are working on databases, dialoge and other stuff is also good to know. Also, have some confidence. Yes, I have seen better artists. Yet, I see no reason for not being confident.

I'm not confident enough in my ability to follow art direction or draw for others. I know I'm an okay artist, and there are many far better than I. There are also many who can draw for others without constantly second guessing their every move. Those are the people you'd want as game artists for a project. I'm honestly shocked I managed to get anything art-related for my own finished. ><

----
As another update, I added a few more random tidbits to the "etc." section in the main post. (Elements and Doll babbling)
Database stuff, while tedious, can result in fun ideas. I need to stop getting lost in them, however, so I'm posting what little I feel is safe to share without giving too much away. Hopefully this will force me back on track.

I want to jump ahead and set up the doll events for finding empty dolls, then finding the spirit to bind to them...and writing their backstory quests.
Getting the demo out is more important though. So, I'll stop at the little bit I added and end my database adventures there.

All the database stuff needed for the demo is already finished, so I shouldn't get lost in there again anytime soon.

Hopefully I'll have something to actually -show- next time I decide to check this topic.

Hope it's not too soon to post again. I actually had time to draw and managed some rough portraits. Added these to the main post also.

They are just roughs, so any feedback is appreciated. I'm trying to make them a little nicer than the battlers (as they'll be seen more often and are larger) while keeping to the style. It's a new style for me still, and I'm not the best at expressions, so hopefully these are decent. ><

Spoiler for Portraits!:

These are in-game tests of the rough sketches, I thought it would be a better way to present them.
Gives an idea of what they might look like. Ignore the text, it's just to do what it says (I had issues with the text, it's fine now though).
The map is my testing zone, not an indicator of in-game maps by any means.


Nini's Mom - she is intense, and this will be a frequent face for her.


Nini - No matter how things get, Nini tries to stay positive. This will be a frequent face for her.

Wow. Again, looks great! Outstanding look to it.