Showing posts with label Game Progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Progress. Show all posts
17 August 2016

Otherworld Rename and Other Tie-Ins

Otherworld's official rename is Otherworld: Origins. (The logo isn't quite right, so will change later. This is temporary only.)

Reasons for the Change

The reasons behind the title change are simple.

During the writing (or rewriting) process, it became necessary to refer to the original materials. Primarily, this reflects on playing as one of the three main characters. Hence, essentially going back to its roots, its origins, and adapting the game flow to its new course and direction.

Because the course of each character eventually converges, many parts of their storylines backtrack to the original plot concepts for previous incarnations in the planned Paranormality series. Thus:

[su_list icon="icon: book" icon_color="#800"]
  • Jack Urban's quest for finding his missing sister (from Darkling).
  • Anna Carrera's journey through the Otherworld to revisit parts of her life and decide whether to change their course or not (from Nexus, the original idea for this game).
  • Swan's past in the form of flashbacks as she travelled between worlds. (This was originally conceived for Portals, the final game in the Paranormality trilogy, conceptualized but never realised).
[/su_list]

(Although development on these titles ceased, I merged their plots and stories into Otherworld: Origins.

Smile Game Builder Tie-In

As many of you know already, I have the honour and privilege of beta-testing the Smile Game Builder. Because it's still beta until its release date on 8 September 2016, I'm unable to give too many details on its inner workings. That is, apart from what they've already shown publicly.


However, Otherworld SGB: Through the Veil (the working title for the Smile Game Builder game), is an indirect tie-in with Otherworld. It references many events occurring in Origins, as well as ideologies that won't make it into the game.

Otherworld SGB is a 3D first-person thriller. It's essentially a "dungeon romp", where the player must navigate the mazes of the Underworld. The goal is to find the portal to the Otherworld and, ultimately, freedom. Along the way, the player meets all manner of people and creatures. Some will hinder the player, some will help them.

That's the basic concept for the early beta/sample game.

Obviously, it needs a lot more work done to it, notably on fleshing out the plot more. But, in time, this will slowly take shape.

For a sample game, my aim is to create a simple version of the officially released game. And then, after beta-testing development, I'll create a new projects subdomain specifically for Otherworld SFB. Updates will primarily include progress on development. Some updates will include tutorials on how certain effects in Smile Game Builder are achieved.

These will then be placed on the main RPG Maker Times blog.
14 January 2015

Karma (Good vs Evil) Script - Game Notes

The Karma (Good vs Evil) script was created for Otherworld to present a number of moral dilemmas that Anna, the main character, faces.

Hence, because of the nature of Otherworld and ultimately its underlying moralistic theme, I decided to have some kind of system in place where actions and interactions are influenced by alignments. After searching around for a decent "good vs evil" script, however, none of them quite fit in with these requirements.

Most of them were the simple generic Good and Evil scripts that only really showed characters' alignments and that's pretty much it. There were a few "morality" systems that gave some scope for reactions from people depending on alignment, but these were still limited.

03 December 2014

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.
29 August 2014

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).

21 May 2014

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.
20 April 2014

Just A Brief Update

As regular visitors will notice, I've gone back to the original template. The other one just wasn't working! Anomalies with the style sheets will be ironed out at some point.

My RMVX project, The Gladiator Project (including TGP Arena), is on track with its (re)development. You can keep up-to-date on any or all of its pages:


Future updates will appear on these pages rather than the blogs.
11 April 2014

The Gladiator Project Official New Blogsite & Updates

The Gladiator Project blogsite is now live, having been revamped in tandem with the redevelopment of the project. The site's layout and design is still being worked on, but that will come in time.

Newly added pages:

  • Character Classes - Details about the various character classes used in the game.
  • Glossary - A complete list of the Latinesque words used in the game, as well as on the blogsite.
  • About TGP - A detailed history about The Gladiator Project and how it has evolved.

Updates will continue as the project itself evolves and will be implemented on the site.
08 April 2014

What Happened To The Paranormality Webisodes?

I was asked the other day about what happened to the "Paranormality Webisodes" I started doing. Well, several things really.

The first is that the motherboard on my previous computer started going out and, despite a lot of upgrades, it become irreparable without major additional cost. I decided that it was better in the long run to just buy a new computer. The storyboard and resources are still stuck on its hard drive without an immediate solution to transfer the files. I guess I could invest in an IDE to USB cable, but that's not top of my priority list right now.

The second thing is that since I started my new job, working nights, it gives very little time to actually focus on most of the projects I started, including the webisodes. I've not had a chance to reinstall the movie making software I'd previously installed either. This is one of the most frustrating parts of working the night shift, but as long as it pays the bills, then it balances out.

The final thing is that inspiration and motivation dried out. With several different projects on the go at once, it was difficult to maintain them all and prioritize them, so I took a major hiatus from them. Instead, the focus shifted to work and spending time with family.

The Paranormality project isn't quite dead yet, though. Since my purchase of RMVXA, I've been experimenting with it for a while and decided that Paranormality: Darkling would greatly benefit from RMVXA's additional features and functions, so work has been progressing on that slowly but surely. Be sure to subscribe to the site's feed for the updates.

At this point, I don't know if I will be continuing with the webisodes; it's been left open at the moment.
03 April 2014

Paranormality: Darkling (RMVXA)

The project, Paranormality: Darkling, has been restarted. Since I bought RMVXA, I've been experimenting with it quite extensively and decided to use it for this project to take advantage of many of its additional features and functions.

The primary resource used is the Mythos Horror Resource Pack and I'll be purchasing several other resource packs as the project progresses as well.

I've also designed two windowskins specifically for the project and will be (attempting on) creating some customized graphics, including icons, of my own.

The game is entirely mouse-driven, using Amaranth's Super Simple Mouse System for Ace, replete with customized icons.

To keep up-to-date with its progress, be sure to subscribe to its official site, Paranormality: Darkling. Right now, I'm developing the overall theme, and will probably be adjusting the style sheets over the next week or so.
06 May 2013

Blog Entries Migration

A number of posts on this blog are being migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion. That way, they can be kept up-to-date and any missing links can also be updated.

All resources will also be transferred, including templates and windowskins.

All of the projects and projects news (past, present and future) now each have their own separate subdomains, so they'll be easier to update as and when necessary. This may eventually include the Q-Engine, depending on how it progresses.

By consolidating certain sections in this way, not only will it be convenient for all, but it'll also be much easier to update. And, of course, the updates will also appear here, on RPG Maker Times.
15 March 2013

Paranormality RMVX / Q-Engine Features

Paranormality RMVX Project

I've started working on a new RMVX project, entitled Paranormality: Darkling, which are loosely based on my Jack Urban Chronicles novels (in progress) and will showcase what the Q-Engine is capable of. The project has just entered its embryonic stages, but regular updates will appear on its official website.



Q-Engine Features List

Now that the Q-Engine is at version 1.17.26.3 (cited as Release Candidate 2.0), it's time to showcase some of its major features. All of these are customisable from the Configurations Settings.

  • Animated Title Screen - Animated title and author/subtitle graphics, as well as moving layers.
  • Menu Information Windows - Provides additional information about each menu command (main menus).
  • Game Over Menu - A menu on the Game Over screen to provide options to restart, continue or terminate.
  • Actor Ranks/Titles - A feature where a title is given depending on the actors' levels.
  • Alternative Layout - An alternative Status Screen layout, replete with titles. This feature has recently undergone a rewrite for improvements and compatibility issues.
  • Extra Character Info - A feature to provide extra bio information on the Status Screen, such as gender and age.
  • Pretitles/Last Names - Gives options to include a pretitle and last name (surname).
  • Actor Options - Displays additional bonuses derived from objects and actor options (set in the Database.)
  • Battle Start/End Images - Displays an announcer image at the beginning and end of battles.
  • Critical Flash - The screen flashes a certain colour when a critical hit has been struck (actors and monsters).
  • Turn Counter - A window is displayed during battle counting the number of combat rounds.
  • Extra Stats Window - Shows a window displaying additional stats, such as the number of combats won/lost, the amount of gold collected, etc. This can also be summoned from the map by pressing a (predefined) key.
11 January 2012

The Gladiator Project Is Back On Track

New day, new hard drive, new installation, so that means that TGP is once again back on track. Thankfully, there wasn't as great a hiatus between redevelopment as the last time. Thanks to my friends for helping me out.

I've learned a lot during the process, and learned a lot more by studying the RGSS3 in RMVXA. So, since TGP is being rewritten virtually from scratch, the system is a lot cleaner and the scripts are less bulky. That means that it's easier to integrate some of the other scripts into the system. I'll be focusing exclusively on TGP over the next few weeks so that finally there will be something substantial to the project, perhaps also including an attempt at my own graphics for it.

I'm looking far into the future here, but I will eventually be buying RMVXA after all. It's just too cool not to. That means that I might port TGP to the new RPG Maker (not really as simple as that, but doable nevertheless), but not until after the RMVX version of TGP is complete.

I'll be updating this blog as soon as there's something of substance and uploading a video shortly thereafter.
06 December 2011

Map Location/Game Progress Script (RMXP)

This is a combination update of my Basic Map Location (this doesn't actually work properly in RMXP) and Game Progress scriptlets.

Map Location/Game Progress RMXP ScriptletIt's nothing fancy, just a simple, basic script because I'm not a scripter. I like to dabble and experiment, and often improve upon existing knowledge to slowly learn. If someone can find a use for it then they can use it or share it as they deem fit (observing copyrights) and feel free to drop a comment as to where and how it's used/shared.
21 December 2009

Game Progress Script

I originally wrote this script for RMXP, although adapted to RMVX (both scripts are available below).

Sometimes it's useful to know how far into a game you are. This script measures your progress in the form of a percentage (click on the screenshot to see what I mean). When you have completed certain tasks, you can add to the progress percentage.

The inspiration for this particular script came when I was reviewing the Status for my game, The Gladiator Project (TGP), thinking that something was missing, though I just didn't know what.

But then it came to me that, since some Roman Gladiators fought their way to the top, I figured why not have some kind of measurement on how close to "freedom" you are. So here's the script.

To install:

  • Copy and paste the appropriate script above Main.


  • When you want to update the "progress percentage", place the following in an event:

    $game_variables[1] += 5

    This will add 5 to the percentage.
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