Valrahk

Chapter 2: Of the Mind It had barely been two days since the Beacon fell, and already Xi-Metru had gathered a new, terrible stench around it: a dense, pervasive odor that blended primal fear, industrial fumes, and the perpetual reek of scum that until now been trapped in the sewers. The elevators to the Upper City were smashed, their cables cut near the top of each of the pillars. Around the base of the Lower City, a few Matoran hastily and worriedly cobbled a high barrier wall, none of them venturing to the outside of it even while placing each rubble-stone. It took a long time for Yorus and Ikuria to sneak around to an unwatched point, a narrow gap near one of the northern pillars. As they pushed in a few stones to make way, a few Matoran with chipped masks and grimy armor glanced their way, then fled into nearby shadows like insects. “We’ll follow these back-roads through to the main canal,“ Yorus whispered, ”We can cross there and sneak our way to one of the old sewer grates. Ikuria’s feet shuffled along the ground as Yorus stepped silently around every piece of rubble. The buildings here, in the outlying slums, stood as ravaged, twisted pillars, with crude openings in the sides for doors and windows. Every few steps, they felt the eyes of a Matoran peeking out at them before darting back to where they were unseen, terrified that someone could walk so openly in their neighborhood. Off to the east somewhere, a loud crashing rumble, like the sound of metal falling on the street, echoed their way. Instantly, a swarm of steel limbs flew into motion, and dozens of swift, heavy footfalls sprinted toward the sound. “The Vahlkri are still here?” “Looks like it.” Yorus replied, gesturing toward an alley that two leaning buildings made into a tunnel. “They’ve never been quite that aggressive before. Looks like the new ‘mayor’ reprogrammed them.” Ikuria gulped. Since they’d arrived on Xia, he felt as though they had been watched, not by the Valkhri, or the Matoran, but by this new “mayor,” as though it lurked somewhere on the ceiling of the Lower City, perched to watch over the residents of Xi-Metru, or to hunt them. They found their way to a railing on the far side, and below them, the street dropped down several bio to a hard stone floor. “Figures,” Yorus sighed. “Can’t let anyone have the luxury of stale canal-water…” She looked over to her left, toward a bridge further down the canal. A crimson Valkhri stood guard, sweeping its head from side to side, scanning for any movement. “Okay, looks like it’s time for plan B.” * * * “Next time, Yorus, please allow me to choose plan B.” Ikuria brushed the mud off his arm, grimacing at all the gunk still left on him. “Oh, come on. That was nothing. The sewers aren’t normally that dry, especially the new sewers.” “Where are we now?” “Well, if I still have my bearings, we’re…” Yorus looked around, noting the solidified gunk formations on the walls, “in the Old sewers now, about halfway to the southeast corner of the city.” “Do we have much further to go? This is… disgusting.” Ikuria shook some more mud off his feet. “A little bit, yeah. It should be fairly straightforw-“ Heavy thuds echoed around them, growing and fading quicker than Ikuria could judge what they were. “No—not here…” Yorus quietly pressed herself against the wall. “Okay, they’ve definitely been reprogrammed. I’ve never seen them this deep in the sewer system before.” From there, they walked as silently as they could. It took time for Ikuria to figure out how to step without making a telltale squishing sound, but after a few minutes, they were able to sidle their way through to the entrance of the Temple. There, they dared to hurry, and made a lot of noise running down the stairs. Thankfully, nothing followed them. Almost immediately, they found a pile of shattered stones clogging the hallway. Yorus’ eyes went wide, and she immediately threw herself at the pile, tossing and rolling all the bricks away that she could. “Yorus, stop for a moment!” Ikuria whisper-shouted, running over. “Look closer – I think this was caved in deliberately. We need to be careful about moving these stones, or we’ll risk another cave-in,” he looked up at the ceiling, “directly on top of us. This isn’t natural – it’s a trap. Do Vahlkri have this kind of foresight?” “No,” Yorus replied, “But Xu does.” For a long while, they paused, scanned over the pile of rocks in front of them, and argued over how precarious each stone was. “It seems as though every stone left is meant to hold up another,” Ikuria finally said, “We cannot move much more without all of the others falling onto us. Perhaps this is simply a natural cave-in.” “No, the walls behind us are too clean for that… look, no cracks, no bricks out of place. You’d expect to find some damage there.” Yorus ran her hand along one of the walls, toward the pile, “Xu wouldn’t let himself get trapped this easily, he’d-“ she halted, staring at where the rubble met the wall. “Of course – that Matoran’s too clever: This isn’t a trap, it’s a riddle. Think about it – everything bad in Xi-Metru right now, the Vahlkri, the wild Rahi, that Banished One, they all have one thing in common.” Ikuria paused, suddenly puzzled. “I do not follow.” “They’re all a lot bigger than us.” She pulled a few stones out from where they leaned on the wall. “Anyone who would need his help would be a Matoran, someone who could fit in a small space, like right here.” She pulled a few loose stones from where they rested against the wall, and the larger stones above stayed in place. Ikuria stood gaping as she snuck her way into what now seemed too clearly a narrow tunnel, eventually pushing one last stone with a crackling thud into the passage beyond. He followed close behind, still astounded. Their footsteps echoed through the still silence as they walked into the main chamber. A few stones from the vaulted ceiling lay strewn along the floor. Ahead, the stairs rose up to the same old platform they always had, though now the doors on the far side were caved in, their arched entryways shattered, keystones laying deliberately on the ground in front of them. Yorus wandered around the room, checking every detail, poring over the ruined gateways. She tried desperately to find some clue where to go next, another hidden passage into even one of the three chambers beyond. She started slowing, at last wandering toward the center of the hall. “Where are you?” she whispered. “He most likely fled.” Ikuria replied, “The contents of this temple are valuable, and very dangerous if anything evil were to obtain them, but he most likely knew that this place would not be easy to defend if it were attacked… so he most likely sealed what he could and left it as a ruin, perhaps as a trick to make them think it has been emptied. It is a desperate ploy, but one that shows great wisdom.” Yorus shook her head. “No, no, he wouldn’t just leave. This isn’t just a storehouse. This is his home. It may not seem like it, but it is. I guess it was mine, too, in a way.” She walked over to the wall on the side, and drew her hand across the bricks as she made her way along it. “It’s kind of strange thinking that… and realizing it now, when the whole place is ruined like this.” She heard something then, something quiet, soft – a shuffling, lined up with her footsteps. She kept walking, and a few steps later, stopped just short of the ground. A clear shuffle echoed then. Yorus sighed, “Okay, take off the mask. I know it’s you.” She rolled her eyes as a Ta-Matoran holding an old, battered Huna in his hands appeared a few bio away, gently smiling. “I had wished you would realize this sooner.” Xu said, putting his old mask back on. “Unfortunately, now is not the time to discuss something so personal. Nobody seeks me without need, and from what I have seen in the city above, there is a very great need right now.” They told them what had happened at the Beacon, of the shadows that scattered as they flew away. Xu nodded at every dark detail, and Ikuria kept his gaze on the old guru, noting every minute change in his face. By the time they had finished, Ikuria’s face held a look of concern mixed with a little bit of confusion. Xu glanced his way. “You are wondering how much of this I knew before, aren’t you?” Ikuria started at the question, and Xu sighed in response. “You are known to be a master of ancient lore, one of the most knowledgeable Matoran on this entire planet, no doubt… but there are a few of us left who have one advantage over all your studies – we were there, all those eons ago. I know the name of the Banished Ones, a black stain on my heart and an old terror in my mind: Makuta. The Brotherhood of Makuta, rulers more corrupt than any have ever seen. We could not best them. We tried, but they somehow snuck away, still living, plotting, scheming despite the best efforts of all the forces of good and even a few more evil… “They were banished from the world because that was all we could manage to do. There were even those who thought that was more than the world could handle. Some said that Mata Nui would not allow it, that Destiny would keep on its course… oh, my apologies. I haven’t spoken about such things for a long, long time. Now, I suspect you came to find something that would help you defeat them, didn’t you?” “Perhaps not so bluntly, but yes.” Ikuria replied. “Then I am sorry.” They stared at Xu, shocked. “I have nothing more in this hall to give you, much less anything that could stand up to such a force as the Brotherhood.” “So that’s it?“ Yorus threw her hands up, ”All this way, and we just end up… losing the whole world?” Xu gave a knowing smile at her as she started to walk away. “After all I was trying to teach you, for all those years, and you are still so impatient, Yorus, so eager to surrender when you see something impossible. Have you learned nothing from me?” She stopped, paused for a moment, “Wait- you said, it’s been a long time, but you said to me once that there’s only one thing that’s impossible, now you’re saying something else is?” “Perhaps it has been too long, Yorus, if you have forgotten that…” “No, I didn’t forget – ‘The only thing that is truly impossible is impossibility,’ Mata Nui, even Lauenna makes more sense sometimes.” Xu stood up. “I did not say that this situation is impossible, nor did I say that fixing this broken world was… You were the one who thought that. You saw it that way.” Yorus turned back around, and took a few steps back toward him. “So tell me, what are we supposed to do? I don’t have time for any more of your riddles, Xu. None of us do. So please, just tell me – what do we do now?” Xu looked her in the eye. “The Brotherhood of Makuta is one of the oldest organizations known to us, and easily the most powerful. There are none alive today who could ever hope to face them… so you must look to those who are not among the living.” Ikuria pulled a Kanohi out of his bag, looked at it – remembered the Guardian who bore it – Gera, they called him, one of the last of the Toa. Xu eyed the mask, then glanced back at Yorus. “Look to your Guardians – find them, and they will follow you into battle, an army that can no longer die.” He rose, and started walking slowly back up his stairs. He stopped with one foot on the last step. “There are many places to start, but look first to Aigo-Kava. By now, your friend Shoriis must know that it is not quite as abandoned as you may have guessed.”

This is the review topic for Fate of the Elders Epic topic here: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/13407-fate-of-the-elders/ Please share your thoughts here. I will be updating this post in the near future with a link to the game that forms the first part of this story.

Preface This story is meant to continue and conclude the storyline from my last RPG, Bionicle: Masks of the Elders. I'll post a link to the old topic for the game, or create a new one, soon. This story begins from the exact time the game's most recent version ended: Arikan and company have fled from the underwater Beacon, where Arkhus had created a portal to bring the Banished Ones back into the world. Arikan's company barely managed to escape in Arkhus' old airship, the Dark, as the Beacon flooded and collapsed around them. Chapter 1: Homecoming The Dark burst through the waves converging around the vortex where the Beacon once stood, now a collapsing tangle of metal at the ocean’s floor. For a second, Arikan thought they may have made it, just barely, as he clung with all his strength to the ship’s wheel. As much as Arkhus had schemed, as much as it appeared he’d brought back every evil thing once banished from the world, he hoped it would all have drowned with the wretched Matoran who brought them back. Then, over his head, dark shapes swept, screaming under the darkening clouds, their shrill voices almost laughing as they flew past. Raika, Yorus, and Ikuria, still clutching whatever part of the ship their hands could reach, cowered, shaking on the deck of their commandeered airship. It seemed like hours, or perhaps only a few horrible seconds, but the screaming faded, and only the sound of the vortex below remained. They all took a few breaths, relaxing as they flew straight and level for a moment. But Raika looked straight at Arikan, and they both had a sudden, terrible thought. Arikan’s hands fumbled around the instruments and controls as he tried to point the prow toward the northwest, toward Cho-Koro. Toward home. * * * Arikan watched The Dark soar past overhead as he surfaced just a few bio from shore. It was crazy, trying to dive out of an airship like that, but it was the fastest way, and nobody wanted to try and land the massive craft on such a small island. As soon as his eyes began to clear, his hope faded. It had only been a few minutes since they left the Beacon, but already his village burned. He crawled ashore, and found massive, clawed footprints sprinting in every direction, and Matoran lying wherever they landed, none of them moving. For a moment, he froze, his mind desperately trying to convince itself that this couldn’t possibly be happening. A pained scream from uphill snapped him into focus – he knew that voice: Kohlni. He sprinted toward the Turaga’s hut, ignoring the crumbling, burning walls and roof as he dashed past the threshold. Inside, he found a tall, dark-armored figure, its mask contorted into a hideous smile, with pale, sickly-green wings folded behind its back. It held a clawed hand outstretched, and Kohlni floated in the air just past it, shadows crackling around his entire body. “I knew you’d be here.” The creature said, its voice at once shrill and thundering. “Even before we’d returned, He told me about you – the naïve one, boldly dashing into whatever doom happened to stand in front of him. He told me to come here, to this rocky little sandbar hiding near Zakaz. He said it would destroy you even if He couldn’t.” “You’d destroy an entire village just to hurt… me?” Arikan barely heard his own voice. “Ha! HA!” The creature laughed, throwing its wings out to the sides. “I would wreck this place out of boredom. I was just trying to attract your attention. You, you look young, too young to understand what pain really is. “It’s time you learned. Care to say anything to him, my wrinkled old friend?” Even through the pain that covered Kohlni’s face, he still managed to turn and scowl at the creature, silent as he glared. “I didn’t think so.” He lifted Kohlni up with the shadows, bringing him up to the top of the domed center of the hut. Then he turned, staring straight at Arikan. He clenched his hand, and the shadows retracted into Kohlni’s body. For a brief instant, the Turaga jolted from the pain, before falling onto the sand below. The creature turned, stretching its wings. “This was never your world, Matoran. It was ours. Even when we were banished, it was still ours. Remember that. I would find a good place to hide if I were you. It might give my Brothers some sport before they destroy you.” It crouched, and leapt through the burning roof, screaming again as it flew away. Kohlni let out a gasping breath, wheezing and sputtering. Arikan ran towards him, and knelt as close as he could. The Turaga’s eyes seemed hollow as they looked up at him. “Arikan…” he whispered, pausing to take a tortured breath. “This… shouldn’t have… happened… “ “We failed, didn’t we? All that, and we failed…” “No…” he coughed, “You haven’t… Your… destiny… just got more complicated…” He coughed again, and gasped for breath. “There is… so much… so much you need… to know…” “About what? What do I need to know?” Arikan’s eyes widened and blurred. “You…” Kohlni drew in a few more breaths, each one more and more painful. “Don’t… stop… Never… stop. They… fear you, Arikan. Arkhus… knew… Ah… hrrrnh…” His body curled in on itself, slowly. “Take it, Arikan… Take… my mask.” Arikan froze for a moment. “What? Why? Don’t say that—I…” “Listen, Arikan… This… mask… you will… need… it. I… don’t…” Trembling, he lifted the Kanohi from the Turaga’s face, then looked back at that face. He smiled, even through the pain. “Thank… you…” he whispered. “May… the Great… Spirit… guide you… “ * * * Arikan said nothing as all his companions around him put food on their plates. The bleak, meager provisions from the Za-koro inn seemed to fit somehow, and all of them could feel it. “We cannot simply hide forever.” Ikuria broke the silence. “All those… things… that Arkhus released will chase after us before long.” “Okay, so we go out there, start running around, and then what?” Shoriis dropped a lump of stale bread back onto his plate. “We won’t last a day.” Yorus looked at him, half scowling, unable to disagree. “If we stay here much longer, though, we’ll be found anyway. Nobody seems to care about Zakaz anymore, but that just makes it a obvious place to look.” Lauenna leaned forward. “The Ruki that school as one will meet the Takea’s teeth,” she looked around at the rest of the Matoran, “but the Ruki that school apart will swim away from it.” “What are you talking about now?” Yorus asked, exasperation filling her voice. “Huh,” Shoriis said, rubbing his chin. “That’s not a bad plan. We’re probably a lot harder to find if we don’t stick together.” “Indeed,” Ikuria added, “Six Matoran, from all the old tribes, will always attract attention, but one or two Matoran travelling… that will keep us hidden very well.” Raika stood up, leaned his hands on the table. “Okay, so… we split up. What are we doing after that?” We can’t just go around fighting these things. We don’t even know how many there are, or how strong.” “We need to search for answers before we can make any move.” Ikuria replied. “I will return to Xia and find out what I can from Xu. He knows far more than he has told any of you. Perhaps he knows more even than I do.” “I’ll go with you,” Yorus chimed in. “If Xu’s going to say anything, I need to be there to hear it.” Shoriis sighed, “I never thought I’d say this, but I think some of those old legends from Aigo-Kava might help us. You know? The ruined city, the caves that never end? We saw the Hives for ourselves. Anything could be down there.” Raika nodded. “You can’t go there alone. It took four of us just to survive under that island last time. Mata Nui knows what you’ll find if you go deeper.” Lauenna rose. “Kane-Ra and Muaka shall hunt together.” Shoriis smiled at her. “Okay, that’s settled. But…” Raika looked at Arikan, who hadn’t looked up for a long while. “I’m not sure what we can do. Hiding here won’t help, but… I think there’s a couple of old Guardians on the Northern Continent. I remember seeing some temples there. If nothing else, they should be able to help us.” “We should all be looking for Guardians while we’re away.” Yorus replied. “Any of them will help. They’re the closest we can get to backup.” Raika nodded. “Okay, rest tonight, then tomorrow, we split up. Remember what you’re supposed to be doing, and get back here as quickly as you can.” As the others left, Raika looked back at Arikan, his hand resting sullenly on his pack. He hadn’t told Raika about the mask, but he didn’t even have to tell him that Kohlni was gone. They both knew already. Raika walked away in silence, leaving Arikan alone with his thoughts.

Anything that would go wrong with corrupted files (at least in regard to the problem at hand) would be at installation, so if you can play the game, you're good.As for fixing the problem, I have a clue as to what might be going wrong, but it'll take at least until the weekend to fix.On an unrelated note, I found a tool that will help improve color quality on some of the monster graphics. It's a little thing, but on some graphics, like battle animations and elemental monsters (e.g. the Vahlkri) it'll save me a lot of future headaches.EDIT: The idea I had for fixing the installation issues didn't pan out, so I've PMed everyone who's reported their installation results, successful or not. Hopefully I can get a better picture of what's going on.UPDATE: Sorry for taking so long with this. I've been extremely busy lately. Anyway, I think I may have a fix for the installation issues: First, uninstall (or, if that's not possible, delete the files for) Elders Demo 3, then download and install an earlier version. Then, try installing the Demo 3 again, and see if it works this time.

After. I hiked back to the closest Olmak Post, saved, closed the game, opened it, and the same glitch. Actually, I did that several times. My characters are rather high levels by now... and I'm filthy rich....The weird thing is, Ice moved the first time I did the puzzle. I think I got the blocks on the wrong squares however, so I left that room, went back in, and Ice has been stuck since.That's it - I know what went wrong now, and I know how to fix that. You must've pushed Ice into the right spot, but none of the others, so that's why it's stuck. I forgot to put code in to reset the puzzle if you leave partway through. Sorry about that.I'll do my best to get an update soon, once I figure out what's going wrong with the installation.EDIT: Life's been insanely busy, so fixing these issues has taken a back seat for now. I'll see if I can figure things out this weekend, though.

Huh... I just looked through the code for that part, and did a search for the switches and variables that might affect it, but there doesn't appear to be anything wrong. I can't explain it. The ice block code is exactly the same as the other blocks' code, and I managed to get through that part on my continuity test. Did you hear any sounds when you walked in the room or when all the other blocks were placed (namely the "switch pressed" or "puzzle completed" sounds)?As a possible (and completely untested) solution, try moving the Ice block second (after Water, so you can actually move Ice around), and, while it's on my mind, did you save after finding this glitch, or before?As for the installation issues, I'm investigating, but things will go slowly. I'm really, really busy right now, for pretty much the whole week.Also, since apparently I'm in a spoilery mood lately,

Windows 7The Folder is RPGfcfN[f<2003The folder is contains is something similarThe file is named BIONICLE. Windows 7The Folder is RPGfcfN[f<2003The folder is contains is something similarThe file is named BIONICLE.I have the same problemOkay, I just checked up on this, here's hoping it helps:When you go to open the game, right click, and click Properties.Actually, never mind that.Um, actually, I just looked at my own file, and something's wrong with it. Apparently the file that's supposed to be the game is somehow corrupted. I'll investigate this, and get back to you soon. I'll also have to hold off on the Enhanced Soundtrack version to make sure that's compatible.

What's the name of the file? Does it look like it's the game's name, or something else? Also, just out of curiosity, what operating system are you running?

Okay - are you opening the Setup file, or the game after it's finished setting up?

I'm sure I missed a few little typos here and there - with a script as long as the one in the game, and especially with one that has so many different versions implemented, I doubt there's any realistic way to remove all of them.As far as the Guide goes - good to see he had the intended effect.And, at this point, I may as well just come out and say it - There are going to be no less than five acts to this game, but the third Demo is the last one before the final release: because of the way Acts IV and V transition into each other, there's no real way to break them into separate Demo's. You'll see once I finally get the game finished. Hm... could you post a screenshot of the window you're getting?

If you'd like, go ahead. I might have part of one lying around somewhere, but I don't have time to finish it, realistically. I've got multiple game projects that I really need to get working on.

The trick with the installer is this: When you reach the window full of ? marks, check both boxes (I'm not entirely sure what either one does, really...), and click the bold button (the one that should probably say "OK" or "Start." If you start seeing a whole lot of progress bars in succession, that means you're installing. Once it's done, try looking in your Start menu, under Programs. You should see a new folder with RPG and some gibberish in the name. The game should be in there.

Unfortunately, you'll have to start again from the beginning - the Crafting system required that I change around quite a few items, and it was just far too much of a hassle to work around all of that to include backwards compatibility*. The good news in all of this is that there's a lot more items, particularly weapons, available, some of which should make the tougher parts of Acts I and II easier.*-In addition to having to write a script to replace all of the affected items (which could easily have resulted in some annoying glitches), there's also the bosses to take into account - each of them now drops a rare crafting item in addition to its Artifact (check your items after the battle), and the fact that you'd enter the game with two acts' worth of missing resources. It all adds up to a picture that isn't very pretty for anyone involved... It was just easier to not even try.

In the Matoran Universe, peace has long since taken hold. Evil has been banished from the world, and the guardians of the Matoran saw fit to leave them to their lives unaided. The Toa, once great heroes and defenders of right and good, are now a faded memory. Even the Great Spirit, once ever-present, now seems but a distant shadow, a mythical being from a bygone age.Few alive even remember the times when these figures roamed the land, and even they are fading into history.But there are those who remember all too clearly, and now see fit to destroy this peace. With the world complacent, they have begun to move what little forces they have left, and plunge an unsuspecting planet into a greater darkness than it has ever known. The only beings who could have stopped them are now but lifeless relics in shrines, a mere facade, an image of what they once were. This is a world on the edge.This is the world of... Bionicle: Masks of the Elders News:8-21-2012: The final preparations for Act III's Enhanced Soundtrack Version are underway. I should be able to release it soon, either tomorrow or Thursday.8-3-2012: Act III Released!It's been far too long, but it's finally here! Meet friends and foes old and new as Arikan and company continue their journey and gear up for a dramatic confrontation with Arkhus. The crafting system has been added, and the once top-secret combat enhancement, the ability to summon the Toa of old, is now available. The stakes have been raised. The fate of the world now rests in your hands.Beta Testing Positions:-Jowm-Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons-ZerotheMaster-Voxumo The Frozen One-Downloads:Demo 1.1, Standard VersionDemo 1.1, Enhanced Soundtrack VersionDemo 2, Standard VersionDemo 2, Enhanced Soundtrack VersionVersion 3 (Standard Version): http://www.mediafire...z7ky12204as444zVersion 3 (Enhanced Soundtrack Version): COMING SOONDemo 2 WalkthroughBoss Guide for Demo 2Element Chart(Excel Spreadsheet)Screenshots:Act I:http://www.brickshel...tletutorial.pngThe First Battlehttp://www.brickshel...akoroteaser.pngZa-Koro, wasteland townhttp://www.brickshel...ragameeting.pngA Meeting With the Turagahttp://www.brickshel...ase/ximetru.pngXi-Metru's streetshttp://www.brickshel...se/mountain.pngScaling The Mountainhttp://www.brickshel...peningmovie.pngThe Opening cinematic, circa Demo 2Act II:http://www.brickshel...brarystairs.pngHow will you get past this little obstacle?http://www.brickshel...arybasement.pngIn the Basement of the Libraryhttp://www.brickshel...orodirector.pngAn Incident in Na-korohttp://www.brickshel.../ikuriatent.pngSearching for Ikuriahttp://www.brickshel...a/iceforest.pngExploring the Ice ForestAct III: Coming Soon.Features:-All-New, Original Story-An enormous overworld to explore-A cast of rich, unique characters-Elemental Class System - choose your classes to fit your combat style-Summoning System - Summon the Toa of old to fight with your party-Challenging Combat-Item and Weapon Crafting-And Much, Much MoreTeaser Stories:Click here. - will fix link soon.Production Blog Link: Click here. - will fix link soon.Credits:Graphics: Bonesiii/Ojhilom, InnerRayg, ValrahkMusic: a site I can't mention in the forum because the site has forums.Sound Effects: Runtime Package, ValrahkComing Soon: Blog Updates, Act III screenshots

Up until now, he had been in silence, a deafening silence interrupted only by the sound of his own footsteps on the rocks. There was no breeze here - the air was still and lifeless. The faint huff of his breath was the only motion that air saw, and its steady rhythm was almost reassuring. Then he heard something slip against the dust on the floor, quickly, as though it were running, or sliding, away. Or toward him. But he only heard that once. He sighed, and continued onward, fully expecting to bump into a wall at any moment, except he didn't. He just kept walking, and lost track of how long he had been. Even though the tunnel felt straight, when he turned around, he didn't even see a point of light where the shaft branched off, just more darkness. Still, he continued forward. There had to be something here, maybe even, he dared to hope, a way out. Then he heard that noise again, that unsettling slip against the dust, moving toward him now. Then he heard a faint hiss. He heard it scream, and he screamed. Then he stopped. And Everything was dark, and silent again.

Eventually, he reached the horizontal shafts of a mine he swore must have been in the Old World, the place nobody was supposed to go. The tunnels snaked around him, meandering along the now-extracted ore veins. He wandered through it for only a few minutes and found himself lost. Even tracing his path back to where he started, he couldn't find the ladder. So, half out of desperation, he kept going deeper into the tunnels. Everywhere around him, he found lightstones. Nobody who had mined on Stelt before had ever left lightstones in their tunnels, or even kept them open after they had finished. Even the dead ends had lightstones. He could see every crack in the walls, every hole where a Rahi could jump out, every tool mark dug into the stone. Almost every part of the mine was bathed in light, except for one narrow shaft. That one had no lightstones in it, and he didn't know how far it went. So he walked into it. Into the darkness. Until the lightstones didn't shine any light at all.

He had been wandering through the abandoned obsidian mines north of the village - nobody had even bothered to visit them since the Awa-kava crews stripped the whole range bare. They had left the temples there, though, so at least the island wasn't completely useless. Still, he felt uneasy exploring the temple in the valley - the miners had dug so much of it out that the pillars that held the temple aloft were now themselves standing on pillars of mountain stone. But that wasn't what made him nervous. As he wandered into the empty hall, he found a shaft dug into the peak sticking out of the center of the room, and an old ladder going down, down to... somewhere. He had to know. He wasn't sure why, but he had to know. So he climbed down. Down. Further down. Until only lightstones shone in the darkness.

Sorry I've been so silent lately - between life, new projects, and a whole lot of complications with the Beta Testing process, I haven't gotten much done with the game in the past... well, it's been a long time. Anyway, there is good news: Act III will be released, and soon. Very soon. The plan is to have it out next week. Until then, stay tuned!

Well, we're still in testing. Apparently there were a few little coordination issues to sort out, but hopefully that's all worked out by now. Anyway, I mentioned that next game update in a post in the topic, and I've decided to reveal another little feature that'll appear there, one that I've been working on for the past few days: A minimap for the overworld, to make sure that you don't get lost while exploring. If you've played Final Fantasy VI, you know the kind of minimap I'm talking about, since it's modelled closely on that design. For those who haven't played that game, it's a small map in the lower-right corner of the screen that shows the islands you've visited, where you are, and where towns and other points of civilization are. I am adding one extra element to it, though: New islands, other than the ones the characters would already know about from the start, will be added only when you reach them or learn about them. For instance, the first time you enter the overworld, you'll only see Zakaz, Xia, and maybe another major island or two. You won't see Loro-kava, or Aigo-kava, Icosa Nui, etc. and these islands will appear on the map as you learn about them. As a side note, I decided to make the minimap because I was a bit too lazy to add actual game content this week. Ironically, it's taken about six hours to get the 50x50 pixel minimap this far, about the same amount of time it took to make Piraka Mania's final map screen, which was 320x240 pixels... so deciding to be lazy made me work more to get less... oh well. Oh, and a note to the Beta Testers: Even if you're not through with the game, could you please check in with me, if only to tell me how far you've gotten thus far? The sooner I know about any glitches or issues you've encountered, the quicker the game can get released.

First off, the Beta has been in testing for a little bit now, and that's all good news, although I think this may take longer than I had anticipated, since we've been running into some technical hiccups getting the program to even install or run on some of the computers involved. As for what I've been doing since, I can't say everything, but I have been working on things like the mp3 version of Act III's music, including the theme for a really epic piece of music, among other themes here and there. Now, as for the update I mentioned in the topic, the one that will be after Act III, there are a few adjustments to make (like encounter rates), as well as a few more things that I have left to flesh out before I can call the game finished, like a quick overhaul of the system for learning To-hun moves, as well as re-working how Kanohi work so that you have more entries in that battle menu than "Vitality" and whatever Toa you're summoning. There will be a bit of additional content added here and there, but I don't want to spoil anything, especially since I've already spoiled so much a couple of paragraphs ago. Also, a note to the Beta Testers: Please don't spoil anything you might find while testing.

Well, the storyline is going to go in some... interesting directions with Act III. You'll see plenty of new and old characters appearing throughout the Act.Oh, and by the way, the Beta has been sent out, but I still have Beta Tester spots open in case anyone else wants to join the testing crew.Awesome, can't wait to see which people. And sure! I'll join the Beta Testing! ^_^WEEGEEAll right. I'll add your name to the list and send out the Beta.As far as the characters... well, I guess some of them could be considered "people." Others... not so much. You'll see... Yeah. I'll be working on that. When doing a continuity test on the latest Beta, I had to go back and severely lower the encounter rate for the Sewers in particular, though I suspect I should adjust it for the rest of the dungeons as well now. Also, as I discovered, having bosses be vulnerable to status effects is a very bad idea - Burning and Stunning just plain wrecked most of the bosses I encountered during the test.I may as well say that even after Act III is released, I still have one more update planned. There are a few things that are incomplete, and some systems that still need to be overhauled. I'll put up a blog post about it soon.

Well, the storyline is going to go in some... interesting directions with Act III. You'll see plenty of new and old characters appearing throughout the Act.Oh, and by the way, the Beta has been sent out, but I still have Beta Tester spots open in case anyone else wants to join the testing crew.

In the Matoran Universe, peace has long since taken hold. Evil has been banished from the world, and the guardians of the Matoran saw fit to leave them to their lives unaided. The Toa, once great heroes and defenders of right and good, are now a faded memory. Even the Great Spirit, once ever-present, now seems but a distant shadow, a mythical being from a bygone age.Few alive even remember the times when these figures roamed the land, and even they are fading into history.But there are those who remember all too clearly, and now see fit to destroy this peace. With the world complacent, they have begun to move what little forces they have left, and plunge an unsuspecting planet into a greater darkness than it has ever known. The only beings who could have stopped them are now but lifeless relics in shrines, a mere facade, an image of what they once were. This is a world on the edge.This is the world of... Bionicle: Masks of the Elders News: 10/22/2011: Topic Reopened again.-New Combat Subsystem Revealed: The super-secret combat system I've been keeping hidden for so long has finally been revealed: You will have the ability, as of Act III, to summon Toa from all reaches of the Bionicle universe to fight alongside you in battle! See this blog post for more details, including a partial roster and bonus screenshot.-Beta Tester positions for Act III are open! PM me if you want to become a Beta Tester.Beta Testing Positions:-Jowm-Burnmad: Toa of Emoticons-ZerotheMaster-Voxumo The Frozen One-Downloads:Demo 1.1, Standard VersionDemo 1.1, Enhanced Soundtrack VersionDemo 2, Standard VersionDemo 2, Enhanced Soundtrack VersionDemo 2 WalkthroughBoss Guide for Demo 2Element Chart(Excel Spreadsheet)Please use spoiler tags for spoilers only. -B6Screenshots:Act I:http://www.brickshel...tletutorial.pngThe First Battlehttp://www.brickshel...akoroteaser.pngZa-Koro, wasteland townhttp://www.brickshel...ragameeting.pngA Meeting With the Turagahttp://www.brickshel...ase/ximetru.pngXi-Metru's streetshttp://www.brickshel...se/mountain.pngScaling The Mountainhttp://www.brickshel...peningmovie.pngThe Opening cinematic, circa Demo 2Act II:http://www.brickshel...brarystairs.pngHow will you get past this little obstacle?http://www.brickshel...arybasement.pngIn the Basement of the Libraryhttp://www.brickshel...orodirector.pngAn Incident in Na-korohttp://www.brickshel.../ikuriatent.pngSearching for Ikuriahttp://www.brickshel...a/iceforest.pngExploring the Ice ForestAct III: Coming Soon.Features:-All-New, Original Story-An enormous overworld to explore-A cast of rich, unique characters-Elemental Class System - choose your classes to fit your combat style-Summoning System - Summon the Toa of old to fight with your party (coming soon)-Challenging Combat-Item and Weapon Crafting (coming soon)-And Much, Much MoreTeaser Stories:Click here.Production Blog Link: Click here.Credits:Graphics: Bonesiii/Ojhilom, InnerRayg, ValrahkMusic: a site I can't mention in the forum because the site has forums.Sound Effects: Runtime Package, ValrahkComing Soon: Blog Updates, Act III screenshots, Act III

All right! I've been keeping this system secret for so long, but It's finally time to reveal what it is: You will, as of Act III, be able to summon the Toa, Guardians of old, to aid you in battle. During your quest, you will find Great Kanohi, which belonged to various Toa. Each of these, when equipped, will teach a Kanohi skill (something I'm revamping for Act III) and a Summon skill, which allows you to use that Toa's signature ability. These powerful attacks will use a lot of Stamina with each usage (often a third to half of the character's maximum), and its cost will increase as your maximum SP does. However, their attacks will increase in power as well. Gather more and more Kanohi to find more Toa and Toa skills - you never know what powerful combinations you might find. Summonable Toa (NOTE: this list is intentionally left incomplete) -The Guardians of Peace (Dua): Gera*, Riila*, and Ikuru* -The Guardians of Life (Mata): Tahu, Onua, Pohatu, Lewa, Gali, and Kopaka -The Guardians of Virtue (Metru): Vakama, Whenua, Onewa, Matau, Nokama, and Nuju -Other Guardians: Lhikan, Nidhiki, Karii* Pohatu's attack: Meteor Shower *-New Toa that had been created during Elders' history. MINOR EDIT: I know I said last time that I'd restart the topic on Monday... but it looks like that will have to wait a bit. I overestimated what I'd be able to do over Spring Break, so it'll take through next week (hopefully less than that) to get the game to testing condition - but the Beta won't go out until I give it a once-over to make sure the game is continuously playable (i.e. no bugs that prevent normal progress). So, in the mean time, I should have the topic up next Tuesday. MINI-UPDATE: Getting closer now... Only three things left on the list before that first test. One of them, programming the Crafting Centers, might take a while though... Just getting the elemental weapons and armor programmed is already starting to get remarkably tedious... 30 different crafting stations to edit... still, this isn't nearly as tedious as programming the summons system, and hopefully won't take as long. So anyway, progress is being made! Now, to go back to work. MINI-UPDATE 2: I've started the first test a bit earlier than expected - I figure it's best to get at least up to Act III again (conveniently [/sarcasm], my save files were wiped recently...) before I start doing the final balancing for Act III's enemies and bosses. So far, I'm right near the sewer in Xi-Metru. This part may take longer than expected.

Alright! We have more progress going on. As of now, the only puzzle-type gameplay left to do is a little bit in the Library. Other than that, there's a bit of story work left to be done at the very end, the tileset I mentioned earlier, and a few other little bits to round up here and there. As far as teasers and things to show, I don't have anything at the moment, what with half of Act III being top-secret, but there is one bit of good news: I've decided to re-open the topic a week from Monday, to make sure I can get some more Beta testers before that phase begins. I've also decided I'll be revealing that whole battle system enhancement at around the same time, both in blog post form (the full announcement with details of how it works) and in the topic's first post. Now I just hope I can keep up with my schedule next week - with a whole bunch of major tests/projects all due around the same time, free time will probably get a bit less frequent.