Nameless thing

[LeonarthCG]

I registred like 4 months? ago, lurked in the chat while learning some hacking and then disapeared (because I had some problems going on in real life and so).

Now that I'm back (even if I don't know how much time I'll stay) I thought that it would be a good idea to post something about the still nameless project (or whatever it should be called) I've been working on.

I started this with the first storyline I came up with:

A lord is kicked out of the castle (and unheired) by his own father because he is being a jerk with the people and he has to travel out of the kingdom and ask for help to another king, from an allied kingdom. Feeling that asking him directly won't work, he sends a letter to the youngest prince of that kingdom, who is his friend, not only to talk with him first, also to get some help to get there. And that's where the prologue starts. I'll be adding more storyline... sometime.

I have done the prologue and the first chapter, none of them completely finished, but both working, and I have maps for the prologue, the first chapter and the first gaiden:

[spoiler=Maps] (Prologue)

(Chapter.1)

(Chapter.1X)

I was thinking on adding knifes that would work like in Radiant Dawn, they wouldn't have weapon mastery level and could be used by thieves and, maybe, dancers and promoted mages? but I don't know if it would be a good idea.

I thought of adding some new and more original ways of recruiting and losing characters where something done in some chapters would affect future chapters.

I also added an interlude after the first chapter, in that kind of "chapters" the main lord has the chance to go arround the map, talking with the characters, buying some things (probably not the same ones as in the main chapter), activating some special events and unlocking gaiden chapters.

The interludes wouldn't happen after every chapter, only after the ones happening in a city or a town.

The characters' names are still being decided, I'm using temporal ones.

The names of the places are from an old fic, but I think I won't change those.

Also, the project is still full of placeholders, from generic battle animations to recolored portraits.

[Arch]

It's off to a good start, but you've still got a lot of room to grow. You might want to check out this mapping tutorial. It's got some good advice.

I like the interlude chapter idea, too. I've considered something similar before.

Best of luck!

Edited April 24, 2014 by Arch

[Crimson Red]

Maps are a little bland terrain-wise (you've got the "forest-in-a-corner syndrome", similar ones are "river-in-the-corner" and "mountain-in-the-corner"--look at your map and you'll see what I mean) but they're not bad in general. Keep at it and good luck!

[Alfred Kamon]

It's a good start and those maps don't look bad. Graphically, they're nice. Gameplay-wise, though, they seem to be a bit boring.

What I mean is that the Prologue map is really small, and I can't understand why there are three chests there. Are you getting a thief since the beginning? Giving the player three easy rewards like those isn't a good thing, imo.

The map of chapter 1, on the opposite, is too wide and open. There aren't any walls and/or forest there that could give the terrain some more variety.

Chapter 1x is fine, maybe it just has a little forest tilespam in the north, but overall it's ok.

Hm, these are my humble suggestions. I hope I haven't been too direct or harsh, I know that it takes some time to get accustomed to criticism...

To sum it up, I can see a lot of potential in this. Good luck!

Edited April 26, 2014 by Alfred Kamon

[LeonarthCG]

Thanks for your posts and advices (and that tutorial).

I have redone the prologue and chapter 1 maps:

[spoiler=Maps] Prologue

Chapter 1

I think both maps look better now, and the chapter 1 map looks more like a town that has some problems going on. (Or at least it does to me)

So, answering some things or whatever:

you've got the "forest-in-a-corner syndrome"

- Thanks, I don't even know how I didn't see that every map had a forest in the corner.

Are you getting a thief since the beginning? Giving the player three easy rewards like those isn't a good thing, imo.

- Yes, the hack will have a thief since the begging, in fact, the "thief" is the main lord. Maybe those chests look like easy rewards for doing nothing, but inside there's only the gear for one character that starts without it, I moved an item to an enemy (a vulnerary) and now there are only two chests. (I hope it doesn't look that way too much now)

I hope I haven't been too direct or harsh, I know that it takes some time to get accustomed to criticism...

- I don't mind criticism, isn't that the point of doing this kind of topic? At least that's what I was looking for: more points of view mean spotting more mistakes and problems, once you see them, they can be solved, you can't solve something that you don't even realized, I really appreciate criticism, especially when coming from people that is more experienced than me.