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Valrahk

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  1. Valrahk
    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.
  2. Valrahk

    Update #23

    By Valrahk,

    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.
  3. Valrahk

    Update #22

    By Valrahk,

    Well, I said I'd update when that dungeon was in a screenshot-worthy state, and sorry it took so long, but here we go:
     

     
    That's right - you haven't found all of the secrets of the Library yet.
     
    I also have another bit of good news: Aside from some small very-end bits, whose tileset I haven't even made yet, Act III is fully mapped. All of the dungeons, islands, towns, etc. are in the game right now. Most of what's left is puzzle and story event programming, with some minor graphics (apparently "entirely custom-made chipset" now counts as "minor" ) and some programming bits on the side. Also, every weapon graphic in the game has been made (and some of them look just plain awesome) and I've been working on that still-secret battle enhancement. I'll reveal what it is soon enough, though, probably before testing begins.
     
    As a side note, I'm thinking of changing how To-hun abilities are acquired - the current system, looking back, just feels too clunky, and if I can work it into the class system, I think I'll change to a level-up method instead.
     
    So, yeah. Massive progress. Here's hoping for even more before next time. By the way, I'm hoping to get Act III ready for Beta testing sometime late March/early April. If I manage to keep to the schedule I've made, I should be able to, with a bit of luck.
  4. Valrahk

    Update #21

    By Valrahk,

    Whew... Brickshelf finally got over its server issues, so I can finally make this post properly (I was originally planning to do this on Monday, maybe Sunday).
     
    So, without further ado, the new title screen for Masks of the Elders:
     

     
    The logo will also appear in the opening cinematic. I'm also thinking of adding some animations to more clearly show transitions between acts. More on this as it develops (or doesn't, but I'm leaning toward adding them in right now).
     
    Also, the second dungeon of Act III is mapped, and it gets a bit weird - remember that little "endless staircase" effect from Piraka Mania? Well, I've been putting that effect to far better use in Elders, in multiple locations. It will also be put to a more spectacular use later on, but that involves some colossal spoilers, so I won't say any more until that point.
     
    Progress is still being made, just a bit more slowly at the moment - adjusting to my new schedule and getting distracted by Zelda: Majora's Mask have taken a bit of a toll on my gamemaking time and ability. Hopefully, though, my workload won't get too crazy this time around, and I can get more done.
     
    MICRO UPDATE 2/8/12: In a sharp change from the previous paragraph, progress has picked up tremendously. The third dungeon of Act III is being mapped (all the architecture is done, and the details need to be filled in), and I actually will reveal what that third dungeon will be... next time. I want to get it to screenshot-ready status before I go and announce what it is.
  5. Valrahk

    Update #13

    By Valrahk,

    For this update, I have a bit of a theme going: Audio/Video. What exactly do I mean by that?
     
    Well, for Audio: If anyone happened to find, in the music folder of the mp3 version of the game, the soundtrack, and listen to the music outside of RPGmaker, they might have noticed some strange things in the ID3 tags of the tracks--things like "V[number or letter]" at the end of the title, missing or inconsistent artist information, etc. Well, when the Act II mp3 version is released, I'll be recifying this, with consistent, WIP-information-free titles, and composer & context information (spoiler alerts in advance) for every track, and a bit more.
     
    Now, for video: In Demo 1, the opening cutscene was really just text against a black screen. Well, for Demo 2, and all further Demos, that sequence has, you guessed it, video:
     

     
    Now, the reason I waited until Act II to do this was that certain parts of the sequence, including the one above, hadn't yet been mapped, and I didn't want to work myself into a corner or have to re-do the opening movie because of it. Also, just to note: The second half of the opening, after the opening title appears, will be a black screen. It makes sense for that part, because it's very difficult to visualize that part of it without spoiling much of the story, including parts from beyond Act II.
     
    In terms of actual updates, the Class Switching System is coded, and partly tested. Because of my workload for this weekend, I won't be able to test it comprehensively, but since most of it is essentially identical, and since I inspected it as I was coding, there should be few, if any, glitches. As a note to Beta Testers (and I'll say this again in the PM): I will ask that you do extensive testing of the class-switch system.
     
    Other than that, there's just programming the Act II enemies and a bit of balancing out to do before being able to send the game off to the testers. Demo 2 is almost here!
  6. Valrahk

    Update #12

    By Valrahk,

    In the words of a certain aging, lunatic mad scientist from the future: Good news everyone!
     
    Act II is almost done.
     
    Once again, I have to say I'm sorry for not getting this update out sooner. My workload from school really piled up this past month, which pushed Masks of the Elders to the bottom of the priority list. Fortunately, I was able to squeeze in little pockets of time where I could work on the game, and right now the three big things left to do for Act II are the story sections of dungeon #3, battle backgrounds for a few remaining areas (there's quite a few here - three for one dungeon alone!), and programming that class-switch system, which I hope to get done sometime during Spring Break.
     
    Now, to show you all some stuff I was hoping to reveal before the whole issue with the forums happened:
     

    Yes… that's an actual sign. Lhii, however, is not in the game.
     
    I just couldn't stop myself...
     
    Now, here's a more serious screenshot -- even though there's a spoiler tag, I won't reveal where or when this scene takes place.

    » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
    I will reveal, however, that the Gold Olmak Post in the corner there is important to the scene.

    Now, as promised, the character profile for the new character, Lauenna:
     
    Lauenna (Low-wenn-uh):
    A huntress cast out from a swamp-dwelling tribe on Loro-Kava, Lauenna barely survives on her wits and prowess with the spear. She is intelligent, but ignorant of the world outside the trees, and often compares new situations with those of the jungle. Despite her Le-Matoran appearance, she is, in fact, a girl.
  7. Valrahk

    Update #11

    By Valrahk,

    First off, sorry for the long wait this time. Between school taking up far longer than I'd thought and getting sick not long after the last update, gamemaking hasn't been as big a priority. That said, this past week I've made some excellent progress, especially in the second dungeon—in fact, aside from a battle background and an overworld graphic (both of which are set to be done for all of Act II en masse), it's done. Hooray! To celebrate, here's a spoiler-censored screenshot:
     

    What's he not saying? I won't say either...
     
    I was originally planning on releasing a different screenshot, but that one had an even bigger spoiler in it, and by bigger, I mean several times the height of a Matoran. Also, in case you haven't figured out by now, I'm going to be keeping this dungeon's identity a secret until the Beta testers reach it.
     
    Now, in other news, you all may have noticed a lot of choreography in some of the game's cutscenes – everyone walking everywhere, changing places, bystanders wandering out of frame, etc. Well, there's a cutscene in Act II that takes that to an extreme: The script had the entire sequence as a single comment wedged into the script, that boiled down to: Chase scene. It's only about five or six seconds long, but it wound up incredibly complicated, with no less than six characters all moving at the same time. Now when I say moving, I mean running, jumping, changing course, panicking, and one guy that just stands there flabbergasted (he counts as moving, though, since he looks in a different direction ). The entire chase took between 45 minutes and an hour to complete, a lot of which involved re-working the characters' routes so they didn't bump into each other (which actually happened partway through the programming of it—Arikan and another character wound up shoving each other until Arikan got stuck on a fence – which, in the world of game programming, is almost a normal occurrence). Also, here's a screenshot from after that scene (since I don't want to spoil too much about it):
     

    For the record, the Matoran speaking is the Onu-Matoran.
     
    "Now hold on a minute!" You exclaim, "Who's that Le-Matoran in there (no, not the bassist, the other one)?" You'll find out more about her (yes, her) next time.
  8. Valrahk

    Update #7

    By Valrahk,

    Another week, another chunk of progress. Like I mentioned in the last update, I've completed the enemy graphics for Act II and have started programming them (I'll get to balancing them a bit later). However, I've also been doing a bit of other graphics work, and got all three of the remaining characters' battle charsets DONE! Next in that department is to finish off the weapons graphics, which have the added benefit of not having to do any more of them for the rest of the game, since all the weapons are already planned out. Also, with the battle charsets, the Class System material in the database is done, though I need to make the class-switching code, which will end up being quite the undertaking.
     
    Now, that's the good news. The bad news is that none of this progress lends itself to screenshots, so I'll just have to make an update without one. Now, that said, I've been moving closer to re-opening the topic, which means that I've been working on Act I's updated soundtrack. Here's the other good news: As of this writing, there are only four tracks left to update: "Among the Sewer Rats" (Xi-Metru Sewers theme), "Never Sway, Never Stray" (Arikan's theme), "The Epic Fight" (the Boss Battle theme), and the one that's given me the most trouble, "Theme of the Ancients" (the Overworld theme).
     
    Also, as a side note, whenever I mention specific music tracks from the game in this blog, I'll refer to them by their in-program titles, in quotes, with parentheses explaining their context, as I just did up there.
     
    EDIT: 11/19: Just one more track to enhance... the boss theme... and it's putting up quite a fight. Hopefully soon I'll be able to re-start the topic.
  9. Valrahk

    Update #6

    By Valrahk,

    I was going to post an update on Friday, but I'm glad I waited--I've gotten some really good stuff done in the past hour or so with graphics, and ALL of the enemies for Loro-Kava and the last island of Act II, Icosa Nui, are sprited. and they are looking great (some of them ugly--the good, mutant-monster kind of ugly). I should probably mention that, just in terms of regular, non-boss enemies, Act II will have considerably more varieties than Act I, almost twice as many, in fact. There will also be enemies that you probably wouldn't expect (and that I won't spoil here). There will be some more familiar Rahi, though, particularly when you reach the Northern Continent... and I'm just giving out the information freely here, aren't I?
     
    Now, that's not all I've done. I've also done a bit of re-mapping of Na-koro to make it more Bionicle-y, and it's turned out great. Have a look:
     

     
    That screenshot was taken about one screen to the left of the last one, and is the transition point for the town's differing areas.
     
    I also started working on one of the sub-dungeon areas, the Ice Forest area (because this is an RPG; it must have an Ice Forest) of Icosa Nui. I'd post a screenshot, but it's just a couple of trees, a rock formation with a hole in it, and a random rockface sitting on the ground for no reason. In other words, I haven't yet gone beyond the test map on that.
     
    And as an unrelated aside, this weekend I went through my CD collection, and found something I'm a bit surprised I hadn't put on my mp3 player yet: The old Bionicle Power Pack, all the way back from 2001. Now, you young 'uns today may think "Bionicle Music" and hear Cryoshell in your head, but in my day (because apparently 19 is the new 70...), Bionicle Music meant three awesome techno tracks, by Lewa and Gali themselves (or some obscure, uncredited, probably Danish techno artist), and the granddaddy of them all, "The Bionicle Music." I remember my mind being blown to smithereens when I heard that track remixed for the Rama Hive fight in MNOLG, and how awesome it was when all the Vahki animations featured that track, in its finest form, driving their dark, mechanical personas home as they policed/oppressed the Matoran of Metru Nui. Good times.
     
    Okay, enough old-man ranting. Time to get back to work!
     
    Mini-Update (11/10): And just like that, all the enemy graphics are DONE! Nineteen of some of the ugliest Rahi, etc. you'll ever meet. Now to program them...
  10. Valrahk

    Update #4

    By Valrahk,

    Sorry about all the slow updating. Things are just moving that slow on my end here. Unfortunately, as I predicted, the death of the game's topic really dealt a blow to my motivation, so I'm still on the same dungeon I was last time. Thankfully, I did manage to force myself to design the dungeon's sub-basements, one of the big roadblocks keeping me from completing it. I've also come up with some interesting puzzles to accompany this mysterious dungeon, but I won't spoil those either. One thing I will say for sure is that there are going to be some cool lighting effects going on here, something a bit more sophisticated than "Walk down a flight of stairs and things are suddenly darker." There will actually be spots where the lighting changes as you walk through the room. I've programmed and tested this little bit already, and it really adds to the atmosphere. I still have to add furniture, though.
     
    Also, I've got a lovely screenshot of this strange place right here:
     

     
    Note that this doesn't include much in the way of furniture (intentionally to avoid spoilers), but it does include a stained-glass window, complete with transparency to the outside—see those clouds? Those were moving when I took the screenshot.
     
    Depending on how ambitious (or OCD) I get, I may make the non-transparent parts of the window translucent… Actually, I probably should…
     
    Just for the record, the next dungeon (and town areas in between) won't take nearly this long, because I can modify some graphics I made for Piraka Mania and they'll work fine. For the second dungeon, though, I really had to make my own chipset because of the sheer scale of it (as you can see). Next time, I'll post a picture of the stair design I came up with. It's brilliant!
     
    Now, I do plan on restarting the topic before Demo II is released, but it won't be just yet. I've decided to go with an idea I had initially been hesitant about: I'm making an updated, mp3 version of the soundtrack for the game. I'll also be making the enhancements myself, so it'll take some time. I'm actually about halfway done with the Demo I soundtrack, though some tracks are a bit trickier to work with (the overworld theme for one). The ones I have now sound really good; the opening story theme now blends much better with the title theme, with some slightly different instrumentation. The game over theme sounds better too. I'll try to release the updated version of the Demo once the soundtrack for it is completely updated, unless I finish Demo II first (not likely).
     
    Once again, sorry about taking so long to post this. Midterms were this week, and between that and a gaming tournament today, I've been rather busy studying and preparing.
  11. Valrahk

    Update #1

    By Valrahk,

    Well, I'm back from a brief vacation, and managed to get some work done on the game. As far as definite progress goes, I've finished mapping the first Act II dungeon and am about 1/4 of the way through programming it. I'm not quite ready to show a screenshot yet, though maybe next time would be good. There are a few things that have to happen before I'll be ready, but they should happens soon.
     
    Also, I've finished spriting all of the Act II bosses, with the last one sprited being the first one encountered. Once again, I can't show too much of it, but I can say it's the ugliest creature I've ever conceived, and considering my self-proclaimed best sketch is of a decomposing zombie dragon, that's saying quite a bit.
     
    As far as the rest of Act II, there's quite a bit to be done. There are once again three dungeons (by sheer coincidence—the act after will have more than that), each requiring a unique tileset, and one of them being so big you won't even see all of it on your first visit; there's also quite a bit of non-dungeon gameplay here, so there's definitely a lot left to do yet before the next Demo arrives. Actually, truth be told, the next thing I'll probably do is make a list of the things that need to be done so I can start working on them instead of sitting here overwhelmed.
     
    I'll try to get in some more teasers next time, and also I'll try to take less time making the next part of the game.
  12. Valrahk
    This is the last entry in the Project Terra Updates under that name, since the game is now in testing, and should have its own topic by the end of next month, I'm hoping before Brickworld. Now, there is still stuff to do for the game yet, since some non-critical items were withheld from the first round of testing in order to keep things going on schedule. I'll be getting to those within the week, if my new schedule pulls through. Then, I'll be sending the game off to Neya for the second round of testing (with all of the material in the Demo). After that, it's just a matter of making the topic.
     
    Now, for the next round of teasers:
     
    Here's images of the Overworld tiles for two of the first three towns (the second and third, to be exact).

    Note the sheer size of the city (relative to the town).
     
    I'll be making a unique overworld tile for each town and standalone dungeon in the game, and many (most) of them will be at least two or three charset-tiles across. Some, like the city here, will be simply huge.
     
     
    Also, here's a screenshot inside the second town, Za-koro:

    That mask on a stick in the corner is actually a save point.
     
    This second town, in case you hadn't guessed by now, is located on the eastern half of a rather familiar place in the Matoran Universe: Zakaz. It isn't quite the Zakaz you remember, though. There are still plenty of Skakdi roaming around, but there's been a bit of a truce made since the Matoran began migrating there. Still, the quality of life isn't much better than it was in the olden days...
     
    And, as a bonus, here's a profile of one particular Skakdi who resides (part-time) in this town:
     
    Varr:
    Varr has only ever known the world from the vantage of port towns and the deck of his ship, the Takea. He claims to know all the wisdom the world has cast to the seas, but maintains the front of a war-hardened Skakdi when on shore. Unlike his fellow Zakaz-dwellers, he maintains a strong, impenetrable moral core that he claims weighs so heavily on him that it makes the Takea tilt when he walks around on deck.
     
    It's only a matter of time now...
     
    EDIT: There have been a couple of setbacks, so it'll probably not get released before Brickworld, but the Demo should definitely be out by the end of June.
     
    EDIT 2:Well, I should probably note that the setbacks I mentioned earlier are that my non-BZP tester has mysteriously disappeared... I've still managed to get the stuff I need to done with this, and only 3 things remain (on my list) for it to be released to the Beta Testing (for real this time): 2 of them are graphics, and the third is to go through the files and remove any spoiler content so the game isn't completely ruined. Hopefully, I'll have it in a fully test-ready state by the end of the weekend.
     
    EDIT 3: I just tested out the last major graphic to be added to the Demo, and realized that I forgot to program the last cutscene, so apparently I have a bit more work left before I can send the game off to the second round of testing. By the way, Neya, if you're reading this, that means you'll be getting the link to the tester's package soon--very soon.
     
    EDIT 4: Testing is taking longer than anticipated, but the Demo will be released soon. I've already started working on Demo 2, by the way, so the Demo 1 release delay won't affect the rest of the game.
  13. Valrahk
    Project Terra Update #11
     
    As far as progress goes, the third dungeon is fully mapped, and all of the puzzle/item finding elements have been added in. There's still a bit of story programming left to do, and a charset to be made for the dungeon's boss, but there isn't much left after that before the game can go into testing. I have to admit that the dungeons, with the exception of the second one, are going to be very same-y in the Demo, but given the locations I've chosen, there wasn't much room for a drastic variation. At least with the last cliff-looking one, you'll get a real sense that you're in a different sort of place, especially by the time you approach the end.
     
    Also, as I said in the Piraka Mania topic, there isn't going to be much emphasis on puzzles in Project Terra. There will be a couple of rudimentary puzzles in the Demo, but nothing terribly complex: you'll have to be dealing with enemies the entire time, so brainwork will be kept to a minimum. Besides, you don't see very many opportunities for block-pushing or switch-pressing when you're climbing mountains or wading through sewers (not that I haven't tried that, but this game's supposed to be more serious, so random things like that are a bit out of the question).
     
    Now, on to the screenshots (like I promised)!
     
    Dungeon #2: The Sewer System

     
    Dungeon #3: The Mountain

     
    If you're wondering what dungeon #1's big fancy title is, it's The Cliffs. It's not really that big (or spectacular) a dungeon. Also, as I said earlier (somewhere), the main reason I even include it as a dungeon is because it has a boss at the end.
     
    And... I just spotted a graphical flaw in the second screenshot... fixing...
     
    Seeing as you've seen two screenshots already, I think another character bio would be overkill at this point, so… that's it for this update. For the next update, I'll try to wait until the stuff for the alpha-beta (as Neya put it) is done and sent out. I also think I'll reveal some more substantial information, like the location of the first island in the Demo, and maybe a screenshot of the second town. We'll see.
     
    EDIT: It turns out there was a bit more left to do than I initially thought, mostly in little graphical bits that were too small and isolated to make their way onto the official checklist (like a Matoran sprite that needs an injured leg and a boss charset that I'm not too happy with). Still, the Demo should be done and sent out to the alpha-beta testing sometime this week, and the Demo (and topic) will be released sometime before Brickworld.
     
    EDIT 2: I may just add in a screenshot of a sprite for the city region (namely the overworld sprite for it). It's looking really good, and will help give a sense of scale for the game, since I may as well include the graphic for the second town for comparison.
  14. Valrahk
    All right, it's been WAY too long since I've posted an update here, which is both good and bad. The good news is that the battle system I've been talking about is programmed, and most of the stuff left to do is in those two dungeons I haven't yet gotten around to. The bad news is that progress has been slower than I'd like, because of schoolwork escalating and the remarkably addictive phenomenon known as Pokemon Soul Silver… so I guess I'll say I've switched from "Development" to "Research" modes, which is a bit fitting in this case, since I have a rather pokemon-esque element chart printed out for use in making this game… and no, it's not a Pokemon clone.
     
    Now, as for the Demo's release date… I'm not entirely sure at this point, but it is coming, and sometime hopefully within the next couple of months. School 's only going to get more intense for the next few weeks, but once June hits, I'll have a lot more free time. I may send a Beta of the Demo out to BZPers, but we'll see how things go between now and then.
     
    In light of the delay, I won't release another character profile until next time. I will, however, say one thing that is perhaps more revealing: The status screen is to the game as Buffalo were to Native Americans: Nothing will go unused.
     
  15. Valrahk

    Project Terra Update #4

    By Valrahk,

    This is an unexpected turn of events: things are getting done, at a very good pace no less!
     
    Anyway, the battle charsets for the first two playable characters (the ones in the screenshot from earlier) are done, quite a bit sooner than I anticipated, and I even finished an entire SET of weapon graphics, so all the disk-based weapons are essentially done for the rest of the game. That means that as far as battle charsets and weapons go, I'm halfway done for the content of the Demo!--Wait, I just remembered that some status ailments need custom graphics... those won't be in the Demo, though, so it's not really an issue right now.
     
    As for everything else, the enemy graphics are done, and the enemies for the second region need to be programmed. The mapping, which I'm waiting until later to do, is still very much incomplete, especially for that second region (though the elevator in the screenshot is done and works perfectly). The biggest thing standing in the way of that part is that I need to make one chipset from scratch and modify at least four others, a part of the process I'm not looking forward to, in all honesty. It'll be worth it, though. The world presented in this game is going to be... just epic. I'm not sure I can quite describe what I have in store yet. All I can say right now is that the later parts of the game will completely blow away anything I've done before on BZPower.
     
    On a mechanical note, The first battle system just got a hitch, but I think it can work to my advantage, because while it means I have to program each character's attributes for this system separately, it allows for some continuity. I can't explain right now, but you'll get it once you see the game yourselves.
     
    By the way, I'm really hoping for a March/April release date for the first Demo. It might have to get pushed back until May, but I'm really hoping for sooner than later, but there's too many factors at play right now to accurately say when it'll get finished.
  16. Valrahk

    What Came Before

    By Valrahk,

    Just a note: This entry isn't going to be a very fun one. It's more of a history lesson. Also, there will be some bad news, but also some good news, toward the end of this post.
     
    Now, to all those aspiring gamemakers out there who haven't been on the forums very long (if Piraka Mania was the first game of mine you noticed, listen up): Good gamemaking takes lots and lots of practice. It may not seem like I've had much at a casual glance, but go a bit deeper, and you'll realize just how much I've had over the past five years (yes, I've been gamemaking that long). Here's a brief list of those games of mine that made it to completion:
     
    Taluka: A Ta-Matoran's Tale (2005): Yes, there was a Taluka game before the current iteration, meaning that Gold is a remake of a remake (more on that later). This one was fairly simple, though it was just starting to get interesting when my hard drive got wiped in the spring of that year.
     
    The Taluka Chronicles: Book 1 (2006): I got right back on the horse, though, and with a new plan, a new set of programming skills, and a bold new vision, The Taluka Chronicles began its epic journey.
     
    The Taluka Chronicles: Book 2 (2007): Immediately after completing the first, I began on the second, an even more ambitious game that, unfortunately suffered from overzealous design and generally being too big for its own good (500 maps and fields that frequently went over 300x300 units each).
     
    The Taluka Chronicles: Book 1 Silver Edition: Not a real remake, just a re-skin and some extra challenges added and some revamped dungeons. This is a lesson to everyone: NEVER RUSH A GAME PROJECT! This was rushed, and it shows. It's also half the reason I'm going with the total remake approach with Gold.
     
    Piraka Mania (2009): Two years in the making (read: delay), this is my most recent game, and the design clearly has improved across the length of the game, as the early challenges are far less interesting, in my opinion, than the later ones. It was also my first time in a long while that I attempted to use the classic-style RPG battle system.
     
     
    Now, that may seem like a lot, but there's more. The games I'm about to speak of have never been fully released. For one reason or another, they just didn't make it. This is the hall of the Canned Games.
     
    Taluka: A Ta-Matoran's Tale (2004): My first real attempt at RPGmaking, it started with RTP tilesets and crude charsets based on the Rayge Kit 2.0 masks. It never got very far, because a virus found its way onto the computer, and the hard drive had to be wiped. It managed to escape, though, on a CD with the compressed .lzh file from saving the gamedisk.
     
    Unnamed Takanuva RPG (2005): This was a direct precursor to the second version of Taluka, and it was set in a post-Mask of Light Mata Nui, where Takanuva went around the island performing various quests. It didn't get very far, since I realized the things I was having Takanuva do were better fit for a Matoran than a Toa, so I re-worked the setting and character and Taluka rose again.
     
    Taluka: A Ta-Matoran's Tale Part 2(2005/6): I originally planned a sequel to the first released Taluka game, which went along with the flashback story of the time, telling Taluka's story from the beginning. That aspect was revamped and started as Book 0
     
    Taluka: A Ta-Matoran's Tale Part 3(2005/6): I just couldn't stop... This one was barely formed, and was supposed to put Taluka and co. on Voya Nui, where they would somehow have adventures and become Toa. It progressed to a point where you could walk up to a crude map of the island in the middle of a cave, and that's it.
     
    TOA (Unknown): This was actually two games. One was in Gamemaker, and barely worked (you had to jump in order to move, and the best you could do was run around and try not to die). The other was in RPGmaker, and was set to feature linear levels, each one contained on a different map. Level 1, Tahu on a beach, wasn't even completed.
     
    TOA 64 (2006): So I tried again, modelling the quest of the Toa off Mario 64. I had just gotten into the swing of production when the hard drive crashed, wiping the computer. I tried again using the coding techniques I had learned from Taluka Book 1, but projectile code was still new to me, and it didn't really work right. The structure of gameplay may yet... maybe... come to fruition. I shouldn't say anything more on it, though.
     
    INIKA (2007): This project was one that only two people on BZPower knew about: Me and co-conspirator 401K. The plan was to make a hybrid RPG/Shooter in either RPGmaker (what it was decided to be on) or Gamemaker. It was set to be dark, gritty, and generally an awesome game. It even had a moral choice system planned that yielded both different endings and different semifinal bosses. It got to the point of making a basis map from which the maps with enemies would be copied and modified, and some graphics were made, but the tech demo part of it didn't quite materialize, and when 401K disappeared, the project quickly faded.
     
    Unnamed RPG with Moral Choice System (2007/8): This was another ambitious project, recycling the moral choices from INIKA. It faded primarily due to lack of interest on my part and the imposing force that was Piraka Mania. Certain aspects of it, though, including a world-spanning quest, a global disaster and a late-game tragedy among the heroes, are still in the mix for another project, which I won't name right now.
     
    The Taluka Chronicles: Book 2 Silver/Gold(2008): I had originally planned to remake both Books 1 and 2, but neither materialized. It's a shame, too, because there was an awesome idea for an arena-esque minigame planned for the remake.
     
    The Taluka Chronicles: Book 3 (2007): Yup. Here's the bad news. I've decided not to make Book 3--as a game. The reason is that the gameplay structure felt too stretched and stale to be worth making in that way, and didn't allow for nearly enough story. I may decide to make the game in a radically different form, or write it as an epic, but the version which was teased back in 2007 (before Piraka Mania caught the delay bug) will not be finished.
     
    Look back at that there: Counting all of the iterations, that's twelve games cancelled: That means that those games I've made are a pretty exclusive club. Now look at the number of iterations of Taluka: Not counting Silver, Gold is a fourth-generation remake. I think I can call myself a perfectionist now...
     
    Now for the good news I mentioned in the beginning: Part of the reason for Book 3's canning was another project, one that is still very early on and very secretive, but already, it shows remarkable promise. It has so much potential that I'm afraid it will eclipse Taluka in its epicness. All I can reveal right now is its codename: Project Terra, and it's one of four codenamed projects, each one at various stages of production. One of them isn't likely to come to fruition, but the other three... oh, it's going to be epic. BZPower had better last long enough to release these games. They are too amazing to be left by the wayside of the internet.
  17. Valrahk

    Meet The Boss(es)

    By Valrahk,

    Okay, it's time for some major spoilers! In this entry, I'll be revealing the name of each Chapter boss in the game, and provide some details on their appearance and/or strategy.
     
    Prologue: Granja (Ta)
    If you've played the Demo, you'll realize that this isn't really a spoiler. Anyway, on to some tips: If he stops for a second, run away from him; he's about to do a jump attack. Also note that he does a second, smaller jump attack soon after.
     
    Chapter 1: None (Onu)
    Yup... there's no boss for Chapter 1. It's mostly story events that take place. There is a mandatory ambush fight, but it's a cutscene, and you don't do any real fighting.
     
    Chapter 2: Lokanna - Mutant Aquatic (Ga)
    I actually drew up some concept art for this thing, but have lost it since then (it was a while ago). Anyway, it's a combination of a sand shark and a squid--the tentacles replace the tailfin, and it uses those to attack from a distance. I'll try to find the artwork for it, but it's not that high on the priority list.
     
    Chapter 3: Kraatoka - Consumed Parasitic Host (Po)
    This is set to be in two stages, and will probably take longer due to the fact that you have to defeat the Kraata that accompany it separately. I can't be any more specific than that, since it'll spoil just a bit too much for my liking.
     
    Chapter 4: Vatuka - Mobile Biotic Geomass (Onu)
    Well, I did say it was returning, but this time, it's a very different battle, and will be a challenge for me to program, since it involves a lot of synchronized, choreographed rock movements.
     
    Chapter 5: Krystaal - Posessed Cryogenic Spirit (Ko)
    This one's a bit harder to describe: You'll be trying to dodge both the mobile ice spikes lining the walls and this chunk of ice, which is being controlled by a spirit through the Matatu inside.
     
    Chapter 6: Malu Nui - Predatory Mutant Fungus (Le)
    This is a giant fungus that's infesting the roots of the Great Twin Trees. I still have yet to plan out this fight, since it involves making fungus menacing (no easy feat) and incorporating that dungeon's Tool, which is not usually useful in a fight (unless...hm... that might work... sticky fungus would be disgusting but plausible...).
     
    Chapter 7: Twinblade* - Mechanical Swordsman (Ta)
    This is set to be a frantic battle: Just your party against a machine that has similar capabilities: Jumping, Dashing, Projectile attacks, etc., and, during later portions of the battle, is actually a bit faster than you are. Watch out, and bring plenty of healing items.
     
    Chapter 8: Granja - Rogue Matoran (None)
    I won't reveal the location of the final battle yet, but I will say that Granja is still the final boss, unless you've completed all of the major side-quests. Then, it's different, and not to be revealed now.
     
    Side-Quests: Klarex* - Gyroscopic Mechanical Defender
    I will reveal, however, that Granja's Hideout, the mini-dungeon where you meet Pokonas, is still in the game, and will be expanded for a side-quest, which ends with one of the toughest bosses in the game, second only to the secret final boss.
     
    *-Name may change before final release.
     
    There you have it; all of the main bosses in the game. The minibosses I'm not going to reveal just yet, as they are the means of getting the Tools that allow progress through their respective dungeons. I would like to (sometime soon) show one of the miniboss's inspiration--an old MOC of mine that I'm modelling it after. I suppose I'll reveal its name, if nothing else: The Krawkin.
     
    On the progress side, I'm currently mapping Ga-koro and working on an official banner. By the way, Demo 2 is going to cover up through Chapter 2, which includes the fight against Lokanna. Unlike Demo 1, however, it won't end at the end of the battle and leave you hanging. It'll end probably around the time you return to Ga-koro, and allow you to explore and tackle the first accessible side-quest of the game. Also, the side-quests I'm referring to are going to be based on a specific character, like the ones in Chrono Trigger. The one you'll be able to access in Demo 2 is Onuka's, and you'll be able to start Garan's, but not finish, since it will involve exploring all six Wahi to complete.
  18. Valrahk

    Chapter 1: Time Travel

    By Valrahk,

    And now we come to one of my favorite subjects: Bi-directional Temporal Movement, or, for those who don't have a thesaurus wedged between their ears, Time Travel. It's been a staple of Sci-Fi almost as long as extraterrestrials, and probably has just as many stories surrounding it. Personally, I wish I could make a time machine, then go back and see who came up with the idea.
     
    One thing I find surprising about time travel-- It's an excellent plot device, but nobody seems to use it! Only once in a blue moon does a good time travel story pop up, and when one does, it becomes an instant classic. Case and Point: Back to the Future. It's easily one of the best movie series I've ever seen, and... no, that just about sums it up. It did everything right, especially with the time travelling, except for one little detail I'll get to later.
     
    I could also use The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as an example, but by my definition, it's not technically time travel. Sure, you DO travel through time, but-- unlike just about every other time travel epic out there, the main character doesn't retain his age when he travels through time. That's the key there. That's what makes it different.
     
    On the note of retaining your age when you travel through time, I've found a wierd phenomenon that is a serious hinderance to time travellers: While you can go back and forth across the fourth dimension (a.k.a. Time) theoretically for eternity, your body works on its own pace, and, after a few decades, you'll find yourself much older than when you started out, thus making it possible (even likely) that a time traveller could die before they were ever born! It's wierd...
     
    Time travel has all kinds of wierd phenomena attached to it. One of my favorites is what I call the "Temporal Information Loop". Here's how it goes: You have two people, A and B, and 2 Time periods, 1 and 2. in Time 1, person A (who has travelled back in time) teaches person B something, say, how to fix a time machine. Between Time 1 and 2, Person B tells Person A (before he travels back in time) how to fix the time machine. Go forward to Time 2, when Person A goes back in time to Time 1 with the information he learned from Person B, and teaches it to the past self of Person B. Therefore, the question must be asked: Who taught who the information? The Answer: Nobody. That's the wierd part about the Temporal Information Loop; there is no creation of the information, so... nobody thought it up.
    That's about the simplest it can be explained. If you're confused, watch the last 2 episodes of Star Trek, the Next Generation. That's where I first experienced this.
     
    There's also another phenomenon within Time Travel, which I found on a certain online encyclopedia, that I find fascinating, and it works very much like the Temporal Information Loop, but takes it to the next level. Here's how it goes: A guy has a serious grudge against one of his ancestors (in this case, his grandfather), and goes back in time, coincidentally, before his father was born, and kills his grandfather. Here's where time travel messes things up. Since he killed his grandfather before his father was born, he could never be born, so he couldn't have gone back in time to kill his grandfather, which inevitably means he was born, which means... that this phenomenon could go on for eternity like this. In short, unless you want the entire cosmos to unravel itself, avoid this situation.
     
    However, there's one recurring theme in many time travel epics that I dislike: The "Bad Future". You see it in Back to the Future, Ocarina of Time Star Trek: First Contact, even Meet the Robinsons, and in every case, provides a strong motivation for the main hero to accomplish whatever time-travelling task he has to take on. There's just one problem with the Bad Future: It can't happen. Here's why: Since, in all of these Time Travel epics, the hero inevitably goes back in time to fix the problem, the Bad Future disappears into the void, leaving one question: If the problem that created the Bad Future was solved in the end, how could the Bad Future exist in the first place? It's one of the very small number of phenomenon in Time Travel that repeatedly is used, despite its impossibility. Somehow, though, we all seem to believe it as it's happening.
     
    I'll bet you're wishing you had a time machine right now, so you could go back and actually read all of this, aren't you?
     
    And now for something completely different: a Game Review! This chapter, the game fits in with the theme: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
     
    NOTE: This review is based on the Gamecube port of the game, specifically, the version that also comes with the Master Quest. As far as I'm concerned, the only noticeable differences are the colors of the button icons.
     
    Graphics: 9.7/10: These are simply some of the best graphics I've ever seen. Only rarely does anything seem out of place or primitive, expecially when you consider that some of its competion had the power the the 128-bit Dreamcast behind it. The character modelling is superb, and the environments are some of the best I've ever seen. The textures sometimes seem oversized and blurry, but that's minor. My only other dislike is the way they made the bushes, since they look like cardboard cutouts. Other than that, I'm thoroughly impressed with the graphics. One thing I found most surprising though: They actually seem to get better with time, as the game looks better now than when I first started playing it.
     
    Music: 9.9/10: Excellent, and just a hair shy of perfect. The soundtrack pretty much speaks for itself here, and goes far beyond anything previously seen in a Zelda game, not to mention just about every video game before it. The sounds may have been synthesized, but that's not even worth deducting a tenth of a point off. Many of the songs are extremely memorable, and fit the environments like a glove. My one and only complaint about the entire soundtrack is that there were only a tiny handful of remixes outside of itself, being Kakariko Village, Zelda's Theme and Ganondorf's Monologue (those were the only three I noticed), but that's extremely minor, and only worth that tenth of a point deducted. Also, a bit of trivia: Nowhere in the entire game is the Legend of Zelda Theme (The original Overworld) found. Thankfully, the Gamecube version has that on the main menu screen.
     
    Gameplay: 9.8/10: Superb, definitely superb. This game sets the standard for the 3-D adventure game much like the original Legend of Zelda set its own 2-D standard. The physics are excellent, the combat brutal, and the puzzles mind-boggling. It all comes together wonderously. No item goes without some use at one point or another, except a few masks, which are just there for fun anyway. The bosses are challenging, moreso than some of the more recent bosses, and really make you think. The side-quests are excellent and plentiful, and will keep you busy for hours beyond the main gameplay. Again, there is only one minor thing keeping it from a perfect 10: It has a few little bugs. Thankfully, they're largely avoidable, though can still get a bit annoying.
     
    Story: 9.7/10: I'll just get to the negative first: It uses the old cliche of Adventure Games: You have to get stuff... as the primary goal of the game. But, like everything else, that's just minor. The actual story portions are amazing, and work extremely well, despite Link's status as a Silent Hero. The cinematic sequences are excellent, and tell the story superbly. The characters who actually do speak show their characters quite well, and each one has their own motivation and methods of achieving their goals. This is by far one of the best stories yet told in a video game.
     
    Overall: 9.8/10: This is by far an excellent game, and all the hype and legacy attached to it are as close to the truth of the game as you can get. If you're a serious gamer and don't own this game yet, do so with all due haste! The only question remaining with this game is this: Why, oh why have they not re-released it on the DS? If they would just do that, I would be all over it like a bad itch.
     
    And now for something completely different: A quote from one of the most obnoxious fictional mega-fans in existence. Whoever can guess it gets... 1,000 points.
     

  19. Valrahk
    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.
  20. Valrahk
    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.
  21. Valrahk

    Update #26

    By Valrahk,

    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!
  22. Valrahk

    Update #25

    By Valrahk,

    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.
  23. Valrahk

    Update #24

    By Valrahk,

    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.
  24. Valrahk

    Update #23

    By Valrahk,

    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.
  25. Valrahk

    Update #20

    By Valrahk,

    What's this? An update not too long after the last one? Scandalous! Absurd! An affront to all that is... I think you get the picture. Anyway, I've been busy with a couple of things in Elders. One is mapping the pre-dungeon area of Stelt, which is looking excellent, by the way. Oh, here's a preview:
     
    The image is too big to put into the post itself.
     
    The other thing I've been working on is updating the title screen. I recently added a graphic for an in-game item (whose identity I cannot reveal because of massive spoilers, which includes the battle system), and then realized: This item, if I were to make a larger graphic of it, would make an excellent logo for the title screen. Now, I can't post a teaser of it here, since it's not in presentable shape quite yet - it needs a lot of shading before it's done, and there's some work elements (color pallette, guide lines, etc.) still in the image. However, I can say that it's looking good, and will definitely be worthy of adorning the game's screen on bootup.
     
    Also, I should have the title screen done by next time (whenever that happens to be). Until then, farewell.
     
    EDIT: The title screen logo is done, but still needs to be implemented in the opening cinematic. I'm still waiting until the next blog post to show it, though.
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