[FE10] Project Daybreak [Release: Alpha 1.00 1-7]

[Vicious Sal]

 

Project Daybreak:

Welcome to Project Daybreak, an ambitious undertaking that aims to provide a new, challenging, expansive and most of all interesting new take on Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn. Daybreak will feature changes to gameplay, story and core game mechanics. Gameplay will feature more clarity, give fair changes to all units and feature unique roles for characters that share the same class. All of this to deepen gameplay and provide a different experience from Vanilla Radiant Dawn. Story alterations will be made to remove loopholes and inconsistencies from the game, not alter the story in massive ways. The game will, in the far future, feature a revamped fully functional support system akin to that of Path of Radiance. 
All this to give players a fresh take on Radiant Dawn, increase replayability and offer an engaging game that feel like Fire Emblem, but is still vastly different from the original Wii title.



Patches:

Currently there is an alpha release. This patch is playable up to 1-7 and features quite a few changes to units, enemies, skills, shops and other basic game elements, though the core mechanics are unchanged. The patch is released to increase player feedback, have more playtesting possible than me just playing through the game over and over. I wish to incorporate feedback from as many people as I can. When playing, please realise that even these first few chapters are far from finished and that many ideas and suggestions might already be planned, but not yet included.

Pre-alpha patch 1.00, among other utilities and mods, can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BIVVhXL-v8p-orRJt8BRU-NWvMBkooJu?usp=sharing

How to install:

In the link above you will be able to find the program xdelta, which is able to apply the patch file to a clean PAL ISO (iso not provided, search it yourself).
Open xdelta and follow the instructions. Apply the patch to your clean rom and you should be good to go. What is also included is a save file with clear data on it. If you do not own a clear data save file you can use that one to be able to recruit Pelleas and Lehran on your playthrough when possible. Instructions for applying these save data files are found on google, or in the Gritnea Tower discord. (See below)

Discord:

https://discord.gg/N2fvzzSGZu

This discord link leads to my Discord server where you can find most updates regarding Daybreak. You may also find acces and info to my other Radiant Dawn projects. These include Reverse Recruitment, 0% growths and negative growths. These mods can also be combined.

The discord the primary place to follow updates, talk about the game, give feedback and report bugs.
The discord is named after Chapter 28 of PoR, Gritnea Tower. Where laguz were warped beyond recognition. Although the name is based on a negative way of warping subjects, please do keep a nice and positive attitude in this discord!

Screenshots:

Spoiler

Game changes:

Info and screenshots coming soon!

F.A.Q.:

 

Q: "How exactly do I play this?"

 

A: You'll need a working emulator (dolphin is recommended), a clean FE10 (EU) ISO, and a program used to patch the file (to the ISO) I have provided. xDelta works fine. Patch the ISO file using that program. See above for more info, or join the Discord to ask for help.

 

Q: "How long have you been working on this??"

 

A: I have had the idea since 2016  and have had an excel sheet with all kinds of changes since that time. I started learning FE10 hacking by trying to make a Reverse Recruitment hack. this is now functionally completed. Since Reverse is pretty much done, I felt confident enough to start this way larger and more ambitious project. But the groundworks have ben in place for around 5 years.

 

Q: "What are you trying to accomplish with this hack?"

 

A: Radiant dawn is an amazing game, but is has some serious flaws. Supports are stripped down, unit availability is weird, plot loopholes, magic is rather bad. Etc etc. This hack aims to change the base game and alter it so that it becomes a new playing experience. In the end, it would also be a tool to flesh out the world of Tellius by giving characters more support conversations and thus creating more backstory and a better connection with units. It's a passion project for my favourite Fire Emblem game.

 

Q: "What difficulty should I play?"

 

A: Normal mode, now called DayBrk.  

 

Q: "Any general tips?"

 

A: Throw what you know about RD out the window. Pre-established notions won't translate well to this new game. Try to judge it for what it is trying to be, not what it came from.

 

Q: What about the difficulty? 

 

A: The game will be harder. Not every unit will be able to become a dodge tank, though some may be able to lean into that form of survivability. Expect to have to make trade offs. Hp is higher, but defense is lower. too high defense/resistance just meant the enemy would start doing 0 damage to your units. A unit with 10 Hp but 40 Def/Res has less interesting gameplay than a unit with 50 Hp but 15 Def/Res. Manage your inventory, look at unit strengths, factor in weapon weight and use lower might weapons if you need the hit rate. Don't expect Hand axe go BRRR anymore. 1-2 range is changed to no longer be the best form of combat all the time.
 

Q: What difficulty do you recommend?

 

A: Normal mode. Easy and Hard have zero support as of now.

 

 

Q: What about unit X?

 

A: Every unit will be buffed/nerfed/changed. You'll have to see for yourself, see what kind of weapons suit certain characters and think about things like weapon triangle and biorhythm.

 

 

Q: What do you mean by "more fair"?

 

A: As an example, certain units will now have skills that show if they are aggressive if you enter their range or not. This provides gameplay clarity and less reliance on trial and error. Those are not the fun parts of fire emblem. Ambush spawns very rarely offer an engaging gameplay factor. The game is trying to give you all the info and tools to be able to succeed, but not hold your hand. Not every unit will be able to have these skills, but if a mini boss is surrounded by a platoon, expect them to behave the same.

 

Q: How can I make sure my feedback is taken into consideration?

 

A: You can engage more by joining the discord! It's the primary place for updates and taking in feedback. I will read these topics, but that is the hotspot for this project and any others.

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by Vicious Sal