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Update 2: "On a Quest" has also been added. Like "Cy-Wahi," I was also going for the feel from the MNOLG soundtrack. Let me know what you think! Update 1: The 'Cy-Wahi' theme has been added. To give you a frame of reference, I'm trying to go for the MNOLG feel (Le-Koro especially), with the techno/vaguely tribal feel. Please tell me how close I've gotten to achieving that. It would really help. Part of any game development process is music composition (or music ripping if you're lazy =P). I've been having dozens of melodies and rhythms swimming around in my head for the last several months, and only I've recently built upon some of those melodies to the point that they're tolerable to listen to. I'm now in the final stage of these pieces. Usually, I wait a week or two after I finish a piece, and then go back and listen to it again. It allows the song to be fresh to the brain again, and I'll make it easier to spot issues. I'm impatient though, so I'm allowing you to be my ears. http://cyanproductions.net/media/ If you click the link above, you will see the music section at the bottom. You can use the buttons to navigate through the 7 tracks. Just to make clear: these are DEMOs and definitely subject to change. Also, I can't really explain the context of most of these tracks, except that Hub is the central location in the game where you will access all the levels, and Sa-Koro is the first level. Any additional information falls under spoilers. Well, that's all for now. Enjoy!
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... but do shadows expand or contract when the character is off the ground? I thought they contracted... but Unity is making me second-guess it, by having its default blob shadow expand. And no, I can't just go outside and see because it's the month of January, and January in north Texas = no sun.
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I finished my dialog tree system for Influx! Did you know that a dialog tree isn't usually a tree but a complex directed graph? Yeah, that can mislead you into trying to create a Tree data structure that wouldn't work anyway. < < > >
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Here's a screenshot of the Character Stats menu that I've been working on: The Kanohi images need a little bit of tweaking, but function-wise, they're pretty good. For the Skills Panel, you click on the glassy orbs to choose your skill level (green is low, yellow is medium, and red is high). However, each level upgrade requires a certain amount of Skill Points. Clicking on the button will do nothing if there aren't enough SP. My biggest issues are coming from the Equipment Panel at the bottom though. Allowing an easy way for the player to change equipment in a highly visual manner is a lot more complicated than one would think...
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*sigh* Work on Influx is continuing, but I've reached possibly the hardest part of the game: AI. I've just managed to get the logic down on paper, and implementing it has been successful. However, since this is a 3D game, Physics and animation have to play a part, and sometimes what I want the AI to do may be hindered by the Physics since the Physics system controls how the character moves. Then, there's sequencing: having one process go after another. This is generally how lines of code are processed, by they're processed so fast that it all looks instantaneous. The challenge presented is that I must have one command cycle through the game loop until it is done, then when that command is completely finished, another command can start. The key is to hopefully do this without the use of hundreds of booleans (or switches, or toggles, if that makes more sense), which right now looks like the only possible solution. Maybe I'll go back and work on the menu. That was fun. P.S. Stay tuned this week for my 8th BZP anniversary, where, starting on the 20th (3 days before my join date) I'll talk to you about what was going on during that year and what I was up to (since very few you know much about be from before 2008/9). I will be funny and entertaining. Promise!
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Hi guys. I'm developing a 3D RPG and it would help me greatly if I had an idea of the types of graphics cards people use. See, I'm trying to see if the models and meshes I have now will be suitable with their polygon counts, or if I need to make adjustments. It all depends on the hardware though. For Windows users, you should be able to find your graphics card by going to your Desktop, right-clicking on the background and choosing Properties, and then clicking on the Settings tab. It should then show you graphics card model. In Windows 7, you have go to your windows experience index, and then select the "view and print detailed information." There is no "properties" options from the desktop. And for OS X, Go to the Menu Bar --> Apple logo --> About this Mac --> More Info --> Graphics/Displays. Anyway, comment here stating your graphics card, it will help me and other 3D game developers here greatly.
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I've been spending much of my free time working on my extremely labor-intensive project, known simply as Mata Zuto 3D: Influx. Now, I have something new to present to the few of you who are interested. Click here to see the player character unsheath his sword and battle the evil mesh. Also take a look at the interface. The enemy HUD may or may not stay that way. I would like feedback on how you like that panel that appears on the left side of the screen. You can battle up to four enemies at once, and their panels would simply line up on the left side of the screen. The font used is the official Legend of Mata Zuto font. It's kind of part of see clearly, which is why I hope to get a prototype underway, so that you can get a better look at what I'm trying to present. Well, enjoy!
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Some of you may remember a blog entry where I presented the first video footage of a prototype game that will soon evolve into The Legend of Mata Zuto - Episode 3: Influx (or Influx for short ). It was only 6 seconds, but it was the culmination of a lot of work. Now, I'm back with a 45-second movie clip, showing my progress after spending a couple weeks with Unity and Blender. I've finished rigging and animating the Tarakava model that Mihunai made for me, and the only other thing I need to do to the model is remove those treads and replace with with a "normal map" tread. On the Unity end, I certainly still have my work cut out for me, but I was able to get a lot more done then I thought. Check out this video to see the Tarakava move around and punch, the beginning of great things to come!
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What Your Favorite Bzp-based Game Company Has Been Working On
Emzee posted a blog entry in blogs_blog_578
Well, Cyan generally likes to work on many projects at once, but this particular project, spearheaded by longtime FCG resident, =Blur=, is the completed and revised version of The Son of the Toa. As my signature says, it will be released tomorrow morning. Clicking on the banner will take you to the Cyan webpage for The Son of the Toa, but here's the original, uncut description of this RPG: It would be awesome if you could let us know what you think of this upcoming RPG, either in the Cyan topic or just in this blog. -
Nothing's changed with school yet. I've been spending this weekend goofing off working on homework. It's really nice to have that extra day, as it became evident over this weekend that I'm not ready to go back to school. In all honesty, I get an overwhelming feeling of depression when I begin doing it. Of course, it wears off soon after, but you know what they say: the hardest part of doing your homework is getting it out of the backpack. That's pretty much it on the Life side of this blog. For those who haven't seen my signature, Cyan Productions is coming out with a "new" game. Technically, this game has been around for a long time, but like the Legend of Mata Zuto games, The Son of the Toa has been revised and updated with new features, smoother gameplay, and a more interesting storyline. See what Takua95, our Game Editor, had to say when playtesting it: I have full confidence that Takua's view on the new game is accurate. I've yet to play it myself, but I will try and make time once it's released. Here is what you're expected to see when you first play this RPG: Love it. And one last thing, ^Go there, please. Awesome site, and well-written articles for you to enjoy!
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Hey, you guys might wanna check this out. It's just a prototype, but so far, it's shaping up to a really fun 3D game. Feel feel to share you thoughts!
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... revamping my website.
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Haven't been here in awhile... For those of you who don't know, I'm working on a 3D Action RPG called The Legend of Mata Zuto - Episode 3: Influx (or Influx for short ). I've released a few teasers and have a slew of 3D models ready to use in the game, but up until now I haven't released any movies. 6 seconds - and you should be glad you're getting that! The AI and the Physics still need to be tweaked a little, because after those 6 seconds, the blue Throwbot (yes, that's a Throwbot) starts doing... weird things. Anyway, short for the brevity. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
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Walkthrough: LoMZ: Fall of the Conqueror This is the first episode of the Legend of Mata Zuto series, while not my favorite episode, I will always treasure it as the one that started it all. This game was first developed in early 2003 with RPG Maker 2000. Instead of Fall of the Conqueror, this game was simply known as "Genesis". After many revamps and remakes, this final version (made with RPG Maker 2003) was first released to the public on February 10, 2007, and is now completed. If you are having trouble progressing through the game, please take the time to review this walkthrough to keep you on the right track. Part 1: Curse of Nightmares The game begins with a cutscene of Gali's canister being launched from the Red Star and landing in the water. After the introduction, you see Gali on the beach and you are now free to explore. You can take this time to run through the Menu commands and get your self acquainted with the CMS (Custom Menu System). Tutorial Battle: Issle Bat Very simple battle that will help you get used to the battle commands. Go up into that crevice in the cliffs to meet more enemies in this land. You will then be abducted onto the Spaceship of the Roko Tribe. The Roko are extra-terrestrial beings who serve the Makuta in exchange for protection from a more violent alien tribe. Roko Spaceship - Enemies: Roko This Roko are tough, but they tend to drop potions for you. You can fight these guys are try to avoid them, it's up to you. Now, navigate through the ship, pulling and pushing any switches you see. » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «For the switch puzzle, push down the left and right switches, but leave the middle one up. Boss: Mokoshama Mokoshama is the leader of the Roko Tribe. Use your potions, and just keep attacking him. Fortunately, since it's your first Boss, it is impossible to get a Game Over from this battle - you will keep fighting him and receiving Potions to help you. After that, Gali will make a beeline for the escape chute. She will be back on the beach (at dusk), where she will meet Luka for the first time. After several scenes, you will be free to explore Ga-Koro. Ga-Koro - Enemies: None Go to the Store and buy what you need, then go to Nokama's hut. After talking to her, Macku will rush in, saying that the Roko are attacking Ga-Koro. Head to the northeast lilypad of Ga-Koro and fend off the Roko. Mid-Boss: Group of Roko Just regular Roko. Shouldn't be too bad. After the battle, all the Roko will have to return to the ship because it has run out of ammo. The attack on Ga-Koro is over. Now, go back to Nokama's hut. While Gali was outside, a Nui Shama barged into the hut and poisoned Nokama. In order to save her, you have to go to the Nui Jaga Nest next to the Hura-Mafa waterfall to obtain a flask of healing waters. Nui Jaga Nest - Enemies: Ga-Fikou: These things are not hard at all. Use normal attacks. There are two paths you can take: one leads to a giant lake that you can swim in (make sure your Kaukau is equipped to go underwater) and the other leads to a shallow lake with earth platforms and broken walkways. Hop across them to get to the room on the other side. There, you will find the healing waters. Return to Nokama. Ga-Koro Nokama will congratulate you on a job well done. It's night time now, and you are allowed to stay at the inn (for free). In the middle of the night, Tailua and his army of Kofo-Jaga will attack Ga-Koro. Luka will be wounded, and Gali will exile herself from the village, feeling that she has failed to protect the villagers. Le-Wahi - Enemies: Fikou: These can shot needles at you, which hurt a lot. If your Cure spell works, I would recommend using it. If you Water spell works, I would hold off and save that for the boss. After a heated exchange with Shredder, navigate through the jungle until you see a sign next to a giant lake (with a giant tree in it). Read the sign and watch the scene. Le-Koro - Enemies: None Talk to Matau, then the screen will shake. Shredder is attacking Le-Koro. Lewa will join you and you will both fight this Rahkshi. Boss: Shredder This is kind of a long battle, but far from difficult. Just make sure you keep giving Lewa potions and you'll be alright. Keep casting Water and Shredder will not last long. After that battle, Shredder will retreat. As a token of their thanks, you'll receive a free stay at the Inn (nice, I know). Go there, and the next morning you'll be confronted by Kapura. Tahu is waiting for you two at Ta-Koro. When you get there, Tahu will join your party and you will have to go to the Fire Dungeon for some Kanohi hunting. Ta-Wahi Forest - Enemies: Ta-Fikou: They're just a weak as the Water Fikou. Fire Dungeon - Enemies: Ta-Fikou: They're just a weak as the Water Fikou. Hoto Bug: They have a nasty Bite attack that stings a little, so be careful. Use your mask powers. Navigate until you find two staircases that you can go through. Go through the one on the left. Flip the switch and then go down and push the barrel on top of one of the stars. Stand on the other one to activate that switch. The next room captures voices from several minutes ago. » Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «Push down switches 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 The chest will open and a key with fly out. Go down into the next room and find the gargoyle. Pull the switch on that, and then go back up. Make a right, passing through hallway that used to be blocked, and head up the stairs. Prepare to fight the Laka. Bosses: Tahnka, Vohka, and Pahka Tahka can make one of you go bersek, losing control of the character. It's not terrible, but it can be annoying at times. Vohka and Pahka both have more devastating attacks. As long as your characters HP are in check, you shouldn't have any issues with this battle. Use Water on Tahka, and make sure Lewa and Tahu's masks are activated. When you open the chest, you'll see that it is empty and the mask has been moved. After a scene you'll be in Ga-Koro, on your way back to the Nui Jaga Nest. Ga-Koro Feel free to talk to the Matoran in the village, and it would be wise to buy items and rest to gather your energy. Nui Jaga Nest - Enemies: Blue Nui Jaga: These aren't so bad. They just cast a beserk spell on one of your characters. They're not especially weak to anything, so just use normal attacks. Purple Nui Jaga: These are a killer, casting Poison all too often. It will be a good idea to kill these guys as quickly as you can, and have Antidotes handy! If you remember last time, there was a glowing red barrier that prevented you from swimming all the way across the lake. Well, that barrier is gone now (go underwater again too; you'll find an Upgrade Stone down there). Get across that lake and keep going up and into a room with a lot of boulders. Push the boulders around to get to the switch, and if you brave enough, you should also go for the Alpha Stone that in the corner. Once the switch is pushed down, go back into the main cave and head across the broken bridge. Make sure you're saving often (including right here) and down into the unblocked room in the lower right. This will be the first time you've encounter the infamous switch puzzle. It's challenging, and unfortunately I don't have a solution on hand. However, if you know that the corner switches push down their adjacent switches and those switches, while the middle switches only push down the adjacent switches, you'll hopefully not have too many issues with this logic-based game. After you've activated the switch in the left crevice, go out and go right. This is where you'll fight the boss: Nui Laka. Boss: Nui Laka This boss is probably the hardest one you've fought yet. Immediately activate Tahu's Hau and Lewa's Miru, and have all them use their magic. Have Lewa cast Poison on Nui Laka and that will cut the battle time in half. Beware of Nui Laka's Hyperbeam attack! Though, Great Gale and his Sword of Elements can be deadly too. After Nui Laka retreats, you will not find any masks, but you will find a Summon Orb and 10,000 widgets. Go outside into Ga-Koro and you'll see Kongu and a Kahu. Now you're going to head to the Cabana Tropic. Cabana Tropic - Enemies: None After a scene, feel free to play some of the games here. When you're ready, head to the bar and talk to the Toa with the gold Kakama. He will introduce himself as Wokapu, and will offer you drinks. He will keep doing so until Gali is drunk, and she will be placed into the Fire Dungeon. Fire Dungeon - Enemies: Nui Jaga, Hoto Bugs This area can be treacherous. I would avoid the Jaga and fight the Hoto sparingly. Be sure to get all the goods that are in that dungeon though. When you get out, you'll meet up with Tahu and Lewa. Make your way up the stairs to fight the Boss. Boss: Nesira This is where Tahu and Lewa shine, as Gali is completely useless against this Dark Toa of Water. Fire and Air will make short work of her, but be careful. She can cast Water too and it's not uncommon to have Tahu or Lewa be KO'd from Nesira's Water spells. Nesira will be severely weakened the Toa will just leave her there. The scene changes to the entrance of the Dungeon, where Gali hopes that they will never return to the Fire Dungeon. The Toa then head to Tears Point. Your next stop is Ga-Koro, but not before you head to the blacksmith's cave and upgrade your weapons! Ga-Koro There was a path at the left end that was blocked by a bamboo tree. It's gone now, so you can explore Ga-Wahi. Check out your home first, and then when you're ready, head up between the two Mata Nui Statues into Po-Wahi. Po-Koro - Enemies: None You wind up here after you pass out in the desert. Onua and Pohatu will join your party, and you'll have to head out to find Lewa and Tahu. Before you do that, talk to Turaga Onewa. Head by the shop if you are low on supplies, and then head back out into the desert. Po-Wahi - Enemies: Nui Jaga Look for an enormous round shadow. You'll see Tahu and Lewa tied up and being levitated into a spaceship. Gali, Pohatu, and Onua rushed to join them. Spaceship - Enemies: Hoto Bugs To the left, move the Kohlii balls around to get to the floor switch. Once that's done, head through the door and pull the switch to open the door in front of you. Don't forget about the Stone Armlet in the leftmost room, though! The next room is rather tedious. You have to jump over holes in the floor and activate switches in a specific order. Here's how you do it: 1. Go forward, turn left, then go up to a T intersection. Make a right, go down, right, up, and go through the passage on your left, jumping over the hole. Path through that intersection and jump over the second hole. Go right, up, left, and up again. Turn right and keep walking in that direction until you reach the switch. Pull it. 2. Now go back the way you came. Return to that first T intersection and go left. Look inside the chest, and then go into the room adjacent to that and pull that switch. 3. Go back up from the switch you just pulled and make a left. Go through that hallway, eventually crossing an intersection. Continue up, and you'll find the next switch. 4. Now you have to make your way to the complete opposite side of the map. To do this , return to that intersection and go right. No matter what, keep going right until you can't anymore. Once you're at the other end, go up and you'll make your way to the exit. 5. Another tricky (and sometimes annoying) part. When the floor is blue, you're safe. When it's orange, you'll be pushed back two tiles. When it's gold, you'll be teleported back to the other side of the map! And when it's purple, you're pushed forward two tiles. What ever you do, avoid the gold ones, but this is rather easy if you're patient but timely. Study the pattern carefully, and then when you're ready, step onto the first blue flooring. Then, time yourself for the last two. You've made through probably the most tedious part of the spaceship, but you're not done yet. Before you is another Kohlii ball room. You know what to do. Go through the right hallway that curves up and make another right. Turn down, and push down the floor switch. Then go back and go across the room, making your way to the Save Point. Leave and return to the Kohlii ball room that you started in. From there, head left, then up. Pull the switch and open the chest that's down the right hallway. Once that's done, go back to the Kohlii ball room and go up. Get across the floor tiles and push the Kohlii balls around to get to the chest and to get to the door (the door's closer, but you should always go for those chests). Go through the door and you'll (finally) confront Ronkshou. This is also the end of Part 1. Part 2: Distorted Persona You're now in the spaceship prison. Talk to both Pohatu and Onua and a key will appear in the middle of the floor. Make your way to the next room over to get a bunch of goodies. Make your way to the next room over and you'll meet Tahu and Lewa. Save your game, then talk to Lewa. Talk to Tahu last. Your group will split up, and you'll take two Toa of your choice through the hallway. Spaceship - Enemies: Kavinka: These aren't too difficult, but they have the annoying tendency to completely heal themselves a lot. Disable them quickly. When you enter this map, go left, then go down to get a Fire Armlet. Go back up and continue left until you approach a wall switch in the corner. Pull it, and leave that area. The next part is a little confusing: go up, then head left the first chance you get, but don't keep left. Quickly turn up again and make your way to the next wall switch. Go back the way you came, and go through that hallway I told you to avoid before. Before going to the next map, replenish your heroes -- it's gonna get rough. The next several maps feature Metal Gear Solid style systems. Keep out of the Kinloka's line of sight and you'll be alright. Use the large jars to hide in. If you get into battle with one, they're not too hard to finish off -- if you have a lot of Harakeke plants. When you finally make it out, there is a save point there awaiting you. This is pretty straightforward; just head through the door with the sign "WARRIORS" over it. You will then be in a cutscene, preparing for the next mini-game. You'll be in an escape pod, and you have to dodge Wokapu's attacks. You will land in Ga-Wahi, and Luka will fear that Ronkshou is going to attack Ko-Wahi. He quickly rushes northward, and that's where you'll be going as well -- AFTER you've gone to Ta-Wahi and upgraded your weapons. Important: Now the time to start looking out for Kanohi masks. When you see one, take it! Ko-Wahi - Enemies: Green Nui Rama: They can cast White Wind, beware. Orange Nui Rama: Depending on your weapon level, Gali's hooks might have 0 damage on these guys. They're immune to all things Water. Keep going north. Ko-Koro - Enemies: None Go to the Sanctum (top of Ko-Koro) and talk to Matoro. Massive Rahi called Gapuha plan to attack Ko-Koro. You must go to the Gapuha Haven and stop them -- no matter what the cost. Leave Ko-Koro and go to the store to buy flags. You'll need them. Coming Soon: Ko-Wahi Western Drifts
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This won't be very long. Today (or tonight, rather), I want to talk about the highs and lows emotionally involved in my upcoming RPG, LoMZ 2: The Infestation. I won't spoil anything, but I will point out that in the original Infestation (that's still up for download and still being played) I had intended on achieving a sort of catharsis from the players. Seeing innocent characters brutally murdered, friends about to kill each other, and enemies sitting back and laughing as if they already won. These feelings of sadness, shock, and anger (among other emotions) are important in enhancing a storyline. I'm just here to tell you that the storyline in this new version in like Infest. on 'roids. The villains are crueler, crazier, and in some cases, cooler. As for the heroes, they still have their various flaws, and I've made effort to make them more noticeable this time, which will intensify the diversity in the 8 characters that the player will be allowed to control. That's pretty much it for now. Sorry I don't have a screenshot this time. I'll try to post one later.
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This title of this devlog comes from my most recent series of projects for my upcoming RPG, Legend of Mata Zuto 2: The Infestation: and that is cut scenes. There will be around nine or so cut scenes in this new edition, and I've just finished making four of them. Cut scenes are a very fun to code, because not only are they easy, it allows for a great deal of storyline input, which I value almost more than gameplay. There were quite a few "holes" in the storyline in the Silver Edition of The Infestation, and one of my "fixes" for this new edition is to fill in all those holes, or just remove them. Because of these cut scenes, you will learn more about the individual characters as well as the villains. For example, you guys who played The Infestation knew (and still know) hardly anything about the Bahdraak in terms of personality, and they were the final bosses of the entire game! Also through the cut scenes, you will learn more about Haci (who was the blacksmith in Fall of the Conqueror) and become immersed in a love-triangle involving him, Kai, and Kaj. I will also flesh out the romance involving Luka and Gali (who hooked up in Fall of the Conqueror as the try and free Ra'lhen (who calls himself Ronkshou) from the new Makuta's influence. Yes... there will also be hints concerning a "new" Makuta to replace the Makuta of Metru Nui who was killed by the Toa Mata. The third side-story (along with the quest for Ronkshou and the love-triangle) is the Dark Vengeance, founded by Nui Laka. It's a team of four consisting of Nui Laka, Wokapu, Ronkshou, and Tailua's confidant (if you payed attention to Tailua's last words in Fall of the Conqueror, you will recognize this name), Kenzor, the Toa of Nightmares. As I said, I use cut scenes to bring out the story aspect of The Infestation. They will be shown almost as a reward after every dungeon, nest, etc. Some of these cutscenes will not be your average little book-on-a-screen either. Three of the cutscenes will involve the WIP Particle Engine, and these are the "battle scenes". The first one is the fall of Makuta. That'll be cool, and then there are two more near the end of the game. I can't really discuss those without giving away spoilers, but they will be awesome. The only thing I'm worried about is the possible lag that may come, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Well, that's it for this week. Here's a screenshot from one of the cutscenes, and thanks for reading!
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Hey all, I'm back with my second devlog entry! As promised last week, I will be going over the process I took for making a Kahu Riding system in RPG Maker XP. However, what I did not expect was that the process would be overly simple -- too simple to write an entire article about just this system. That said, I'm gonna write the systems that were in the original Infestation and in Fall of the Conqueror, and how I'm putting them into this game. First thing's first though: the Kahu. After dodging booby traps, persuading a vengeful warrior to join you, and defeating a Bohrok twice, no doubt you'll want a big thank you, along with perhaps a little something on the side. That little something comes in the form of a flute (similar to the one in MNOLG 1) given to you by Kongu. With this flute, you don't merely summon a Kewa, but a Kahu that will transport everyone in your group. Like I said before, it's so basic that it's laughable. I made a new item called Le-Koronan Flute, gave it a description and linked it to a Common Event. Common Events are a special group of events (processes) that either run non-stop throughout the entire game, or can be called at any time, anywhere. This is different than "Map Events", where the commands in that event can only be executed in that map (in GameMaker these are called "rooms"; other engines call them "levels"). Anyway, in the Common Event, I've set a variable that will determine where on the "World Map" the player will be transfer to. This variable is set in almost every map because depending on where the player is, that will determine where on the World Map his Kahu will appear. The Map is just a panorama, and the Kahu is simply the Takua character with its graphic changed and his speed increased. Other things like clouds and sound FX are added as well, but that doesn't change the fact that this was a lot easier than I expected. Alright, on to the next topic. Systems from The Infestation There's only one. But no worries, it still made it into the new Infestation. This, of course, is the Caterpillar System. I'm not going to bother showing you the RGSS script because it would just look like gibberish to you. However, a Caterpillar System is where everyone in your party follows you, meaning they're seen on the map. This is unlike Fall of the Conqueror, where the other members of your party only appeared during important events. Even better, this system is more realistic. Instead of the characters moving in a formation, they move like an actual group of people would, shuffling around and whatnot. Systems from Fall of the Conqueror Okay, there's three. The first notable one is the Limit Break System. That's right, it's also going to be in the new Infestation. It won't be as... can't think of the word right now, but let's just say that there won't be as many spells. That's simply because of lack of battle animations, and I can't have a skill without an animation to display it with. Each member get 4 spells and they learn a spell as they level up (levels 1, 10, 20, and 30). Unlike Fall of the Conqueror, this system features a "gain mode", where the player chooses how his/her limit bar will be filled. I found a cool script for it and just put it in. No editing is required (for right now anyway), so it's all good. The second feature of FotC is the Party System, which is also much better in this game. It is kinda Final Fantasy 7 styled, where you have members of you party on one side, and available party members on the other.You can have a maximum of 4 people, and I heard it's rather difficult trying to increase that number without drastic changes to the very foundations of the game (like the battle system). There are some lines of code that are edited from the event command menu. Through that, I can decide which party members appear, which can be taken out/put in, and other stuff. The third feature is the Skill system. Similar to FotC, a character can hold two elements at a given time. However, they can choose one of those elements. For example, Takua as a Fire Orb equipped because he cannot equip any other Elemental Orb. The Skill Orbs can be equipped by anybody though, so that leaves room for choice, which is always fun. This system still has a little bit of tweaking to do, but it's nothing big. Much of this type of stuff will be done right before the RPG's release. Well, that's pretty much it folks. I hope you enjoyed this devlog. I'm out!
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Welcome to the first entry of my Devlog. In this issue, I'm going to introduce the software I'm using to create the new version of Mata Zuto 2: The Infestation: When I first joined in Summer 2002, the first topic I posted in was Flow of the River, the very first fan-created game on BZPower. That Digital RPG was created with a simple and primitive Windows application called "RPG Maker 95", released in 1997 by ASCII (currently called Enterbrain). Now, there are 4 other programs made by this company that are/were on the market: RPG Maker 2000, 2003, RPG Maker XP, and brand-new VX. The "new frontier" I'm going to show you now is RPG Maker XP. It's not that new anymore, but for those who've used older RPG Maker programs or played games from those, you'll notice the many differences that this program has from its predecessors. Now, I'll go over what Mata Zuto 2: The Infestation is about. The sequel to the recently finished Fall of the Conqueror, the perspective changes from the views of the Toa to the views of the Matoran. In an effort to avenge the fallen Makuta, a monstrous follower named Nui Laka awakens the Bohrok Swarms and allows them to ravage the villages on Mata Nui. In order to stop the Swarms, the Guardsman Aft has to take one Matoran from every village and retrieve special Krana Xa from the six Bohrok. Once all six Krana Xa are retrieved, they can be used as keys to open up the Exo-Toa chambers that are needed in order for the Toa Mata to face the Bahrag, the leaders of the Bohrok Swarms. However, Nui Laka has plans of his own: knowing the inner mechanisms of the Bohrok, Nui Laka plans to create a new breed of Bohrok that will overthrow the Bahrag and "restore order" on Mata Nui. The story will become much more complex than that as you get deeper into the RPG. Twists, turns, romance, betrayal, and lots of adventure! For the last month, I've been doing a lot for this game. Starting with graphics, I've converted simple graphics from kits and from Fall of the Conqueror so that they'll look okay in RMXP (RPG Maker XP). One thing to note is that RMXP is the first RPG Maker program to allow 24-bit graphics (including JPEGs). Here's a shot of the main interface. I personally think the new Matoran charasets are spiffy, and I hope others will enjoy them too. I won't show them clearly just yet though, I have other things. One of the greatest innovations was the adding of the RGSS (Ruby Scripting) to the program, allowing experienced users to go beyond the limits of the maker. I've tried that many times before with past engines, and not only were they exceedingly difficult, but they didn't always work either. With RMXP, you truly are free to do as you please. Right now, I'm about to finish up the Lehvak Nest, which is part of the Air Temple that was visited in Fall of the Conqueror. Every "dungeon" in The Infestation has a special theme to it, whether it's avoiding booby traps (as in the Air Temple), or some storyline trivia (as in the Gahlok Nest). I've added tons of stuff to my most recent dungeon. As I said earlier, many the player will have to use his logic and timing in order to dodge the many hidden booby traps that are designed to eliminate the characters. Once the Lehvak Nest is completed, I have to start the coding for the Kahu, which the Order of Peace will receive as a reward for defeating the Lehvak. I should hopefully complete that entire system (which will be similar to the Highwind in FF7 or to Flammie in Secret of Mana), in one day so I can move on. Afterwards is about mapping Ko-Wahi, Ko-Koro, Mount Ihu, and the Kohrak Nest. I'm also trying to decide what theme it will have. Even after all that, I'll still only be about 45% finished with the game as a whole. I'm only putting in the skeleton for the game, and I plan to go back and add cutscenes, special effects, and other systems to enhance the RPG. Once that's finished, I'll up be up to the final "dungeon" where you fight Buzzkill and Roadkill. That's about 90%, and then there's the final battles and the credits. Sounds simple, and I hope it will be. I'd like to complete this game very soon. Thanks for reading, and be sure to read what's up next week when I (hopefully) show you how I code the Kahu summoning/riding system.
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Under the coding section, I will be starting my Devlog, which is basically a blog detailing the many aspects of game development. Why should you take interest into something like this? Well first of all, secrets about the upcoming "XP version" of The Infestation, as well as tidbits about the even more mysterious Influx will only be seen here in this blog. You'll also get to see how difficult creating a game can be, whether it's an RPG Maker program, or a complex coding-based program. I plan to start this next week. I hope you'll enjoy it!