Where Are All The Updates?

That's a good question, since this blog has been sadly neglected! This does not, however, mean that RPG Maker Times has been abandoned, nor has my interest in RPG Maker diminished. Most of the updates now occur on the new RPG Maker Times & Companion blogsite.

Those who follow me on Google+, Twitter and Facebook will already know what I've been up to. So, for the latest updates, why not follow me at one - or all - of them? Each one usually has unique content!

Otherworld (Paranormality) - RMVXA Project

Otherworld is a paranormal-themed RMVXA project I'm working on. Development will continue on it until its completion, on my days off or when I have some spare time in between work and time off.

All updates, including game pages, will be on the Otherworld (Paranormality) official blogsite.

Without giving too much of the plot away yet, the game is single-player, focusing around Anna Carrera. She's an ordinary but introverted girl with nothing extraordinary about her. She leads a normal life, studies diligently, works hard, yet she doesn't really socialize much, so she has very few people she calls "friends".

One fateful day, however, on her way back from school, something happened to her that changed her life and her perspective on things in general. And she embarked on a journey to the "other side" and back to change the course of history and save Mankind from a deadly fate.

This supersedes my other projects, Paranormality: Portals and The Gladiator Project.

Update: Q-Engine v4.0 Release Notes

The Q-Engine v4.0 is being restructured and rewritten with newer cleaner code before its final release. I'd like it to be perfect first and thoroughly tested before uploading it to the blogsite. This also includes the add-ons:

• Animated Title Screen Add-On
• Equipment Add-On
• Status Screen Add-On
• Game Over Add-On
• Combat Add-On

And also eventually:

• Animated Game Over Add-On
• Character Add-On
• Map Add-On

If you'd like to be a pre-release beta tester, write "BETA TEST" in the comments below. Nearer the time, you'll have exclusive access to the script right before its release to test for errors and/or incompatibilities.

Map/Compass HUD Script (RMXP) - New Script

The Map/Compass HUD script is available. It places a window on the map displaying the current map location and the party's compass direction (the direction in which it's moving), as well as the XY coordinates.

Originally written specifically for my upcoming RMXP project Paranormality: Portals, but I decided to release it as a standalone plug-and-play script.

"Fortune's Tavern" - The Fantasy Tavern Simulator

Fortune's Tavern is a real-time fantasy tavern-simulator, where you assume the role of Mathias Gambridge, owner of this notorious tavern. Your job is to rebuild and renovate the ailing tavern amid a turbulent world at war.

Making a profit is made difficult with infestations, hauntings and zombies, and guests bent on killing one another. There is a plethora of unique features to boost your income and make life reasonably pleasant for your guests.

There is a Kickstarter fund set up for this interesting game, so please consider contributing towards its development and you'll receive some unique items when the game is released. Come pay day I will be making a payment towards it.

I also have the opportunity and pleasure to be one of the winners of their recent competition, earning me the right to be immortalized as a unique NPC in the game.

The Paranormality Trilogy

The Paranormality trilogy is a series of games for RPG Maker, loosely based on a set of unpublished short stories and novellas I wrote, actually inspired by some of my own experiences.

The entire trilogy focuses around paranormal investigator Jack Urban. Alyssa, his sister, disappeared under mysterious circumstances, so his mission has become to find out exactly what happened to her. His quest for the truth will take him to the Other Side and back, pitting him against some of the most nefarious daemons in the Seven Realms.

Portals revolves around the events leading up to her disappearance and is the prequel to Darkling for RMVX and Nexus for RMVXA (planned as future projects).

"To The Moon" by Freebird Games - Highly Recommended Game

Freebird Games' To the Moon is an award-winning indie adventure RPG about two doctors who travel through a dying man's memories to fulfill his last wish: To go to the moon.



I've just finished playing it and it's one of the best RPG Maker indie games I've played in quite some time. I would highly recommend it to those seeking an evocative, very touching and enjoyable love-story game that is quite different from the "norm".

To The Moon is evocative, intriguing and compelling. It's heart-warming in places, tearful in others, but with just the right amount of humour injected in it to balance it out. The plot kind of unravels bit by bit to keep you going until the end, just to find out the reasons behind the request and what ultimately happens at the end.

The music is awesome, especially the piano theme music, and the customised graphics add an extra dimension to the game! It also has the game Whack-A-Mole, which I used to be good at (my record is 95%!).

This is why To The Moon has been pre-selected for my upcoming Wulf's Choice Award.

You can buy To The Moon on Steam or visit Freebird Games' Products Store for additional add-on products.

Tweaks & Add-Ons Script RMXP (TWAXP)

The Tweaks & Add-Ons script is available. It adds several tweaks to RMXP, including for layout. It also adds some unavailable features and functions and other enhancements.

Read more about it on the Tweaks & Add-Ons page.

Blog NOT Abandoned, But Here's Why No Updates

This blog has not been abandoned. Most of the content and updates have now migrated to RPG Maker Times & Companion. To keep up-to-date with the latest news and script updates, as well as resources, be sure to visit the site.

While this site will still not be abandoned, it will be used for updates to RPG Maker Times & Companion, as well as other general updates and fun RPG Maker related things. You can still follow me at Facebook.

For the most part, I've been dividing my time between work and writing, and trying to establish an online business. This means that the time I'd like to devote to RPG Maker and the various projects is limited, so when I am able to it's like tasting candy again after a long absence!

Developer's Mode Script

It can be tedious when developing games to go through the Title Screen each time when playtesting them. Developer's Mode enables you to bypass the Title Screen completely and go directly into the game, without having to select "New Game". Hence, the Developer's Mode Script.

During development (unless you're modifying the Title screen itself), you can turn "Developer's Mode" on and then switch it off to playtest the game all the way through. Then, when the game is finished, the script can be deleted. Or it can be kept in if players want to skip past the title and any beginning cutscenes.

I originally created this during the development of The Gladiator Project, where it became necessary to playtest frequently to fine-tune the layouts and positions of items.

Windowskins & The Gladiator Project Demo

Windowskins

The windowskins are almost completely ported over. All that's left is the finishing touches and making sure all the links work properly. And then I'll be able to create some more.

Coliseum Header Image - From the MMORPG I play, Aion - © NCSOFT

The Gladiator Project Demo

A small demo will be available for The Gladiator Project (TGP) game soon (I'm hoping for the weekend), so you can play at least up to the Training Arena. And then, as progress continues, I'll continue to release further demos or playable areas. Further updates on TGP are on the official site or you can subscribe to its Facebook page.