FEXP: The Bard and the Shepherd (working title)

[Shaman]

UPDATE - 03.12.2016

Hello,

I am currently working on a TRPG (tactical role-playing game) that I would like to release on hand-held consoles. So far I have made various 2D resources for the game, including animations, portraits and backgrounds. I have also written the entire script for the game. I am not just the 'idea guy', I work diligently to create something of good quality for others to enjoy.

The story is original, interesting and best of all it is done. I designed a well-balanced class system that is reminiscent of other TRPG titles including Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, Ogre Battle and Fire Emblem. It is going to be an homage to these previous titles that were classics in their day. The game will evoke a feeling of nostalgia, reminiscent of games for the original Playstation, with old-school UI and 2D animations paired with 3D backgrounds and environments. I am looking for:

2D ARTISTS:
Will be making sprites, animations and the user-interface (menu icons, font, etc.).

3D ARTISTS:
Will be designing backgrounds, level maps and animations.

PROGRAMMERS:
I am looking for programmers that are familiar with object-oriented programming. The game engine that will be used to build a prototype is to be decided between us.

SOUND AND MUSIC:
I need sound effects for the UI and battle animations. I also need original songs for cut-scenes.

My goal is to create a classic TRPG that will be remembered and enjoyed. I have no doubt that there are many people out there that want another new TRPG game. I know I do!

If anyone is interested or has questions please respond to this topic or send me PM.

Thank you readers,

Shaman

Credit to Rethel34 for providing sound effects and the songs used in this video.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Shaman

[ghast]

wow did you make those portraits?

they are very interesting

[Shaman]

Yes, I did and thank you for the compliment.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Shaman

[Czar_Yoshi]

You should upload the screenshots to a site like imgur so they show up properly instead of as thumbnails, it really helps with presentation.

If you've got the story done and written out, you probably should show it off a little. No need for spoilers, just a summary of the beginning and a bit of stuff after that to show it off- since it seems to be what this project is riding on, flaunt it!

[Shaman]

You should upload the screenshots to a site like imgur so they show up properly instead of as thumbnails, it really helps with presentation.

If you've got the story done and written out, you probably should show it off a little. No need for spoilers, just a summary of the beginning and a bit of stuff after that to show it off- since it seems to be what this project is riding on, flaunt it!

Thank you for the suggestions and encouragement. I edited my post with a picture of the world map that I designed for the story and a synopsis of the story.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Shaman

[Shaman]

Update: I wanted to show my progress in the hopes that it might generate some more interest in my project.



This is the portrait of a magic character in the game. He is kind of like a wind mage and he plays a crucial role in the story. I find his outfit kind of bland, would anyone like to give some C&C, or try editing him? inb4 the eucharist



This is the portrait of a tomboy that wields a spear. She is one of the many recruit-able companions in the story. I was thinking of giving her gold or leather armor. Feel free to offer some suggestions.



As you already know, I will be making custom graphics for this game. Here is the cape animation for the main character. He is a healer. Any pointers?

Edited November 13, 2015 by Shaman

[ghast]

this is so cool lol

[Shaman]

@Ghastly: I am glad that you think so. Please tell your friends.

update:

Edited November 13, 2015 by Shaman

[Agro]

Your style is unique and fantastic and I love it. I don't have much to offer you except my moral support, though. Maybe for the wind mage you could give him some clothing underneath his cloak?

[Amiratasiru]

I do very much like what you're doing so far. It took a while for someone to finally make a Fire Emblem game with different graphics and palettes. This has certainly piqued my interest with that very smooth animation and well-done portraits. I do, however think you should work on your maps a bit. I know what you're trying to do with that map; making a secluded sort of farm, but it still could use some work. Mainly just adding more details to the field tiles and having a thicket and a small hill here or there. Maybe a little river to show where the water supply comes from. Nothing too fancy.

Have yet to do this with a concept project but I'm gonna follow this. Good luck!

Edited November 13, 2015 by Rhayader

[Shaman]

@Argo: Moral support is always appreciated. It would not be very encouraging if I was the only one who cared about this game that I want to make.

@Rhayader: I plan on creating my own tilesets for this game, but I need to figure out how to make the game screen 2x bigger than it already is. I want my tilesets to be 32x32 pixels (instead of 16x16) if possible. I went ahead and added a river, I think it looks better. Thank you for your input.

I completed the animation:

I will be posting more updates tomorrow. If anyone knows someone who is good with ruby script, I would really appreciate it if you sent them this way.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Shaman

[ghast]

your own tileset too?

at a bigger size? That sounds really exciting for sure and by the looks of it its probably gonna look great

[Lenh]

This is pretty cool (especially the animation)~ I'm interested, (don't have a ton of time to donate) but I'd be happy to try to take a stab at something or find some answers for you!

@Rhayader: I plan on creating my own tilesets for this game, but I need to figure out how to make the game screen 2x bigger than it already is. I want my tilesets to be 32x32 pixels (instead of 16x16) if possible. I went ahead and added a river, I think it looks better. Thank you for your input.

I believe the tileset standard for RPGMakerXP is already 32x32? Yeti 2x'd the standard FE tilesets to give the impression it was still a 16x16 tile. Doubling and full-screening the screen has some scripts out there, I'm pretty sure. If you're asking about increasing the number of tiles viewed within the window, I'm not sure.

[Shaman]

@Ghastly: Yes, a custom tileset too. I need all of the graphics to be custom, so that it looks less like Fire Emblem and more original. Once I have a few playable chapters I will release the prototype here...and then possibly launch a Kickstarter for a custom SRPG engine.

@Lenh: You are correct, the standard size already is 32x32. I have to find the code that will allow me to double the screen size, because when you launch the game it automatically shrinks the game screen down to the GBA dimensions.

[Merc Ee]

The animation is similar to the ones in Tear Ring Saga,cool.I'm impatient for this one.

[Amiratasiru]

Yeah, that looks better now with the river. I am aware you're making your own tileset graphics but it's good to have a map that has a foundation that you can build off of at any time. That way, when you have finished your tileset you have a more immediate idea on what the map will look like or ideas you can build from.

Also, a question. Is this game essentially going to be entirely custom? As in, custom classes, tilesets, CGI, backgrounds, etc? With the way the backgrounds clash with the portraits right now I imagine you're eventually going to get around to custom backgrounds. It'd be quite the ambitious project and something I've often considered but knew I lacked the artistic integrity to actually attempt it.

[47948201]

@Rhayader: I plan on creating my own tilesets for this game, but I need to figure out how to make the game screen 2x bigger than it already is. I want my tilesets to be 32x32 pixels (instead of 16x16) if possible.

You're sure you want to do that? These sprites look absolutely tiny on a 640x384 screen:

They look great in the normal-sized window, but unless you have some crazy plans to fill the rest of the screen, that's a ton of wasted space. Unless you've already got 32x32 map sprites and tiles coming up, maybe a compromise of 24x24 tiles in the normal-sized window? Maayybe 32x32 would still even work(32x32 honestly sounds easier to program), but that depends on the game/map design. Making the tiles bigger in the same window might help you make the maps smaller, too, because honestly, that map there looks bigger than it needs to be (just judging from that screenshot)

That said, you can do what you want--you definitely seem to know what you're doing. This project definitely looks interesting.

[Shaman]

@Rhayader: I did not think of that. This is good advice. I will keep that in mind when designing my levels. To answer your question, I plan on having custom animations, sprites, portraits, tilesets, UI and new music. I agree that the background clashes a lot with the portraits, I will have to try a different style. For now I am using place-holders.

It is a little bit ambitious, but this is something I have wanted to do for a long time now. I will be concentrating on getting the first 6 chapters released as a playable demo. I have over 20 animations and portraits on a list of resources that I will be needing to do this. I have also started to mess about with the code. I am trying to get the NPC AI to act a certain way. I want three NPC units to move towards an ally unit on the NPC phase. I think I may have to write this code from scratch.

@47948201: Wow...I am glad that you put it into perspective for me. I guess I will not be doubling the screen size. Thank you for that.

Here is my latest update:



His name is Ernest and he is the third playable character in the game. Guess what kind of weapon he wields?

Edited November 16, 2015 by Shaman

[ghast]

axes?

[Thor Odinson]

For the tomboy, I think her armor should depend on what her background is, and what her statline is. Gold (or some kind of shiny metal) probably works better if she's from an affluent background, if she's meant to be still durable while not being rich, she could go with a less rare/shiny metal type. If she's more of a speedy type, then leather works better there. There's always combining both, as well.

Your artstyle is very unique and look good! Unfortunately I have a lot of work on my plate so I can't offer more than my moral support, but your project looks quite interesting and I hope to see more of it.

[Shaman]

@Ghastly: The answer is actually broadswords. The classes in my game that can use broadswords will be known as "claymores" and they will be very effective against cavalry.

@Thor Odinson: I like how you broke it down for me. In this case I think she will be wearing leather armor, because she is speedy and poor. Her name is Glotthild, which means "shining battle" in old Norse.

[Thor Odinson]

Nice. Love Old Norse names.

Yeah, leather seems like the best choice there then.

[Shaman]

@Thor Odinson: I am also a fan. I found a website that provides a list of old Norse name elements. I spent hours naming some of my characters. I wanted to make sure that every name was relevant to the respected character, easy to pronounce and pleasant to the ears (phonetically-speaking.). Also, I plan to include a glossary in the demo, so that players can learn the meanings behind the names and be sure about how to pronounce them (although, I made a conscious effort to spell them as they are supposed to be pronounced.). Most of the names are derived from English and Germanic languages.

I do not like to post without providing an update...here is the start of my next battle animation:



It is the main character swinging a club! This is his pre-promote class. He can learn how to wield either swords or spears upon promotion, depending on the player's decision.

Edited November 17, 2015 by Shaman

[Agro]

Your art style reminds me Another World/Out of this World, and in a good way.

There's a bit too much jump to his swing, though. His club just kind of teleports, along with his arm. If he were to also raise his club arm while turning, that would make a bit more sense. Or if he were to swing upwards instead.

[Shaman]

Hello again after 2 months! I hope your holidays were nicer than mine. This past weekend, I participated in the Global Game Jam and made several 2D tilesets for a game (if you want to play the prototype, just send me a PM or let me know in this topic.). I have gotten back into the swing of things and made a map sprite for Cygne, my OC for this game:



I am having trouble trying to figure out how to insert it into FEXP. Can anyone help me with this, or does anyone know someone who can?