Fire Emblem: A Sacred Dawn DX

[cyron]

Isn't that a like it a lot??

i think it might be, you were trying for this is great right? I really should know this i had to take a marking period on spanish in 6th grade that i had 100% in

oh and on topic in the chapter where russ and tuck show up i would suggest lowering the number of npcs it just makes it a giant cluster fuck and is really inconvenient when your trying to optimize exp

[Crimson Red]

pretty sure "muy bien" would have been fine but why not just speak English the next time you need to compliment someone's work

[Matt Snow]

Actually it's "muy bueno", but the entire sentence would be "Decidi descargarlo y esta muy bueno".

On topic:

For some reason on chapter 5x one of the enemy fighters stepped on the tile I was supposed to seize/get to and the chapter ended, thought I'd post that. (My guess is that it was caused by the ending being a location event and not a-- *shot*)

Great hack so far MK.

[Fateborn]

WHY DIDN'T I NOTICE THIS TWO DAYS AGO?

Brb playing

[Lord Glenn]

Actually it's "muy bueno", but the entire sentence would be "Decidi descargarlo y esta muy bueno".

On topic:

For some reason on chapter 5x one of the enemy fighters stepped on the tile I was supposed to seize/get to and the chapter ended, thought I'd post that. (My guess is that it was caused by the ending being a location event and not a-- *shot*)

Great hack so far MK.

And this is why you should always read README.txt files for any kind of software you use. (/generalobservation)

[Siegmund]

How is progress on the game going? I finished the current hack and am super curious

[Mage Knight 404]

How is progress on the game going? I finished the current hack and am super curious

To be absolutely fair, progress will kind of go at my own pace for now, as I wasn't really intending to release a patch at Chapter 6, but at Chapter 9 instead, but I felt that I owed it to the people who were waiting a long time for a patch since I started up this reboot almost 2 years ago. In truth I'm probably going to be working on all of the text and events for the next few chapters first, then do animations, as I can predict that I'll be needing to do 4-5 more animations before I release the next patch... and I'm only one guy.(granted one is about halfway done)

I've brought this up on this topic before about twice now, but animations are the single biggest reason as to why this project slows down(not counting the other stuff I do or laziness). I don't usually ask for help because I hate imposing(and animations, especially good looking ones, take a lot of work to do), but in regards to animations, I may not have a choice, lest I go mad and you guys will have to wait another 2 years for a patch which is tremendously unforgivable.

So I'm just gonna say it. If you think you're up to it and wouldn't mind helping me out with an animation or two, I'd really appreciate it. Just say so and we'll see what happens.

[Miacis]

: Who did you just call a kid, midget?

Might want to up his Con a lil' bit so I can't just have Heather drop him around and kill everything.

Not really a game-breaking bug though, but it's still pretty funny. :P

[Mage Knight 404]

Ahahaha.

To be honest I knew a few players would do that but I didn't wanna change it because it'd take away from doing something so silly in the first place, but maybe.

[Mangs]

I'll be uploading the first part of my Let's Play of this shortly. Fully voice acted of course!


Aaand here it is.

Edit; here's part 2 as well!

Edited May 24, 2013 by Mangs

[Dandragon]

So, yeah, I just saw Julie's little "freak out" moment where she nearly kicked Jarod's ass. Though, I wouldn't of minded if you actually showed the battle like in Julie's dream against herself.

Also, make the ThunderBlade 60 uses gogogo

[Mangs]

I want to see a full drawing of Amy!

Edited May 26, 2013 by Mangs

[Red Dingo]

I'm making Julie do a lot of the fighting because I feel the quality of a war is measured in the amount of emotionally scarred children it produces. Extra points if they're also orphaned.

Also I highly recomend you try to pass this test with your hack. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest

Edited May 26, 2013 by Red Dingo

[Rambo M]

And take this into account while you're at it, as there is way too much of it: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingIsAFreeAction

(that, and making the player have to witness conversations get recapped to absent characters when it isn't necessary)

[Mage Knight 404]

I want to see a full drawing of Amy!

It might be nicer to make your own topic for the LP as opposed to linking them here, to help avoid clutter, I think.

Check the Art folder that came with the patch and you might be surprised.

Also I highly recomend you try to pass this test with your hack. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheBechdelTest?from=Main.TheBechdelTest

Considering how many female characters this hack has I doubt that might be too difficult at one point.

And take this into account while you're at it, as there is way too much of it: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingIsAFreeAction

(that, and making the player have to witness conversations get recapped to absent characters when it isn't necessary)

Didn't you say the same thing the last time you posted? Well since the patch is out I suppose makes sense this time.

Although this doesn't tell me how I should fix the problem(because I know there's a lot of dialogue, duh) and what I should do to combat it while keeping to what I have planned, which is much more important to me than telling me "everyone talks too much", which they do, that's half the point.

Believe me, I'd love to trim the fat if I can, but I'm not an experienced writer, so...

[Tamanoir]

Maybe, try to have more in-chapter conversations (by he talk action, or automatic) , even if they are more easily missed. Some things could be moved to supports when/if they are added.

If they were options for battle conversations, it would sure really help.

Anyway, what I like the most is the addition of non-fighting civilians. That's something that is basically never done, so that's a nice and interresting change.

[Alfred Kamon]

Chapter 3 plot is pure genius.

I'm progressing slowly in my spare time but I'm really enjoying the hack and appreciating the huge work there is behind.

I have the feeling you don't want to let any of your characters half-anonymous like it happens in most FEs, and that's why there are so many dialogues.

The point is always that: cut some development and have a more dynamic approach or keep it as it is and develop everything properly.

In my opinion it's ok like this: it shows that the characters are thought deeply and throught. It's not hard to grow some attachment towards them and this is a good point.

So, keep it like this, if someone doesn't like lenghty dialogues, well, the start button is his friend.

Honestly my project was resulting in something very similar from this point of view, but I decided to cut most dialogues just because I wouldn't be able to follow every single unit properly in later chapters, and I wanted a faster and more paced gameplay. However you are a different case.

I'm just curious: if any of the characters die, what happens to the dialogues? Do they retreat a la L'Arachel? (never died anyone so I don't know) Or have you coded every dialogue to be different? For example one between Julie, Heather and Amy should differ if: Heater is dead / Amy is dead / both are dead -> total: 4 dialogues for a single scene... er...

This is something I was trying too but it really requires too much work.

[Mage Knight 404]

I'm just curious: if any of the characters die, what happens to the dialogues? Do they retreat a la L'Arachel? (never died anyone so I don't know) Or have you coded every dialogue to be different? For example one between Julie, Heather and Amy should differ if: Heater is dead / Amy is dead / both are dead -> total: 4 dialogues for a single scene... er...

This is something I was trying too but it really requires too much work.

Permadeath only really applies to optional characters in terms of the plot, and as such they get priority for coding, if not for any specific event. Everyone else is treated as fine even if they went down but I haven't worked out any coding for when certain characters are downed before certain events play, such as with Chapter 6. It would take an assload of coding for me to possibly work out every little thing; what I'd really hope for would be an ASM code or something that would remember what class/stats a character was before death if they would die, reemploy them for the scene in which they're called for(class and all if they were class changed), and then dismiss them again when done. This would save me so much trouble. I assume later FE games do something like this for more important characters.

For now I only have events in mind for no death runs.

Maybe, try to have more in-chapter conversations (by he talk action, or automatic) , even if they are more easily missed. Some things could be moved to supports when/if they are added.

If they were options for battle conversations, it would sure really help.

I was thinking the same thing, the next logical question being "what should I move to here and why?" Supports might not be for a long time because I don't really have many ideas thought out yet.

[Shugey]

Why is this an FE8 hack, when you aren't even planning on using branching promotions or the world map?

[Chocolate Kitty]

Because there are other elements that FE8 has and FE7 doesn't? As well as everyone hacks FE7.

[Taku]

So, played most of this, just a chapter or two to go, and it is well done in pretty much every area, as the videos showed. Now, you mentioned in a video about sprucing up dialogue or something and I'm not sure how much or how far you've done it, but perhaps the only thing I could say against it, and this is obviously depending on the person, but the dialogue is laughably so anime. Too anime probably to a fault. Of course, it certainly isn't a surprise, but the lines are just so cheesy and anime and I pretty much saw 80% of the dialogue coming because of how much I've seen it in other media, sometimes seeing it coming word for word.

The characters are just so cheery, so helpful to each other, so nice, so quick to apologize, etc., and while it's not a bad thing, it is boring in a way. Because characters are like this, there really feels like a lack of personality. I mean, from the actions and dialogue of Julie, Heather, Alice, Ryan, etc. There doesn't feel like much of a contrast between them, and I think that the dialogue is pretty much the core here. I think that the characters can be interesting enough, and have the background and personality to be, if the dialogue was just looked over and modified.

The character of Raymond is an example of this. His personality is different, especially compared to the others, mostly because of his age and experience, that because of this he stands out more and is much more enjoyable in comparison. And I think that could be a key to look at. The older characters, like Alice, who is 19 if I remember right, could provide a contrast to the younger, cheery, and perhaps more naive characters.

This really isn't too big of a deal, especially considering some of the things I watch, but when it is in a game like Fire Emblem, it does stand out to me. Obviously, you really don't have to change it and it really won't hurt anything, and if you already have plans to modify it, then at least you can read my thoughts on this anyways. Just hope to help make this hack a little bit better.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Taku

[Mage Knight 404]

I agree pretty much, but to add to it:

Character traits are another thing I'm not very good at defining as even I can tell a good deal of the characters are quite similar in the way they talk(and not even in regards to predictable dialogue which I admit I'm kind of a slave to), the problem I find stems from not being able to decide which traits to give to which character to help them better stand out, as well as ones that work to the character's personality. The example you gave with Raymond's a pretty good one, though personally Winston's more of a character I feel I can look at due to how different he is compared to the cast; he's one of thee few adults in a predominately teenage party plus he's meant to be the cynic and it's actually kind of fun to write his dialogue considering the mostly optimistic party in contrast to everyone else.

[Taku]

I agree pretty much, but to add to it:

Character traits are another thing I'm not very good at defining as even I can tell a good deal of the characters are quite similar in the way they talk(and not even in regards to predictable dialogue which I admit I'm kind of a slave to), the problem I find stems from not being able to decide which traits to give to which character to help them better stand out, as well as ones that work to the character's personality. The example you gave with Raymond's a pretty good one, though personally Winston's more of a character I feel I can look at due to how different he is compared to the cast; he's one of thee few adults in a predominately teenage party plus he's meant to be the cynic and it's actually kind of fun to write his dialogue considering the mostly optimistic party in contrast to everyone else.

I can relate. I'm an English major and have been in various fiction writing and workshop classes over the last 2-3 years and perhaps my biggest problem that people tell me is that in terms of dialogue, characters can be a bit too similar. Like, I know my characters and their personalities, yet when I put it into dialogue, that doesn't transfer over from my thoughts.

Perhaps the best way is to start with the little things. Maybe have Alice tell a bad joke or pun every now and then, like she thinks they are funny and not many are amused and she works at it to improve her jokes, (also, I do note that she did have a more laid-back way of talking, with "Nice to meet ya, kid", so you could bring this out instead/as well), or maybe make Ryan a little hot-headed and perhaps mischievous, like a trouble maker of his age, or you can maybe make his crush for Julie perhaps a bit more dominant in his actions and such. I think if you can give these characters these little perks, they'll start to grow as you get further with these characters and add more to them, even if they have to be cliche. For example with Amy. Maybe she can be scary when she's angry. It's been done before, the scary, angry cleric who's usually really nice and caring, yet it can lead to the development of the characters to make them a bit more unique from each other.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Taku

[Mage Knight 404]

Aaah, and therein lies the problem. See, as much as I agree that those kinds of traits would work, I refuse to stick to cliched ones unless, again, they work to that character and I can play off of it. Like I could never really see Ryan acting that way or Amy having a tsundere side to her(that Alice one's pretty good though). If I could switch up some of them, maybe, but I don't want to have even -more- predictable dialogue because of predictable traits.

[Taku]

Aaah, and therein lies the problem. See, as much as I agree that those kinds of traits would work, I refuse to stick to cliched ones unless, again, they work to that character and I can play off of it. Like I could never really see Ryan acting that way or Amy having a tsundere side to her(that Alice one's pretty good though). If I could switch up some of them, maybe, but I don't want to have even -more- predictable dialogue because of predictable traits.

True, you do have a point. It wouldn't really cure the problem, just build on it in another way.

Hmm...at this point, probably best to stick it out then. The more dialogue you have, to more you can add to characters and dialogue. Maybe after a couple of more chapters, it might come forth...or not and we'll just have to live with the dialogue and characters we have :P

Edited May 28, 2013 by Taku