That One NPC
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Everything posted by That One NPC
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I made 36 character concepts, and I'm now certain it is possible to make a large scale cast using the face generator. L.L. sprites are flexible enough to get the job done for almost any face, so I think I'm going to begin developing the setting and plot so I can get busy fleshing out and finalizing character concepts. A new concept I've put some development into. One of the last living Blood Elves. Her species were wiped out as a result of their uncontrollable blood lust and appetite for violence. It always lead to war, and they destroyed themselves fighting humans, other elves, and each other. 300 years ago, human kingdoms launched a campaign to destroy the last of their decaying empire, and a culling of the species began, turning into a genocide over time. Nevara was raised among Elves and taught to control her temperament, but she was never able to adjust to the lifestyle of a 'normal' Elf. She constantly rebelled or lost control and got into trouble. As a young woman, she ran away to separate herself from other people in order to protect them.
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Hell. Yes. This is why I love Loose Leaf sprites.
I was worried about Loose Leaf hair parts not being enough to sprite generated faces, but a lot of chibi bangs can be used. They aren't perfect, but they work.
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Destiny Star Face Collection [Update#2]
That One NPC posted a blog entry in Loco's Loose Leaf Odyssey
I got a few sprites done this evening. I like how this is unfolding. One of my favorite things about Suikoden is the massive variety of characters and being able to create something similar is turning out to be rewarding, and I'm just getting started. Going to be among the lot of lead protags, and will probably have playable siblings. He will be your first 'tank' class character. Dialogue: -Freedom is my payment, and I owe that freedom to you. I love this concept. He was an imperial soldier before he renounced fighting to return home and marry his sweet heart. Shortly after they came for him, to arrest him for desertion. In a frenzy, the worked up mob of soldiers light the house ablaze. Unbeknownst to the soldiers, his terrified wife had been hiding inside and burnt to death. Rushing home at the sight of the smoke, he was sent into a rage and killed more than half of the men who had come to arrest him. During the grief that followed he was arrested without incident and has remained in a small, dark cell ever since. The party frees him in order to help defend the surrounding lands. I pictured the scene when the heroes say his name aloud in the king's throne chamber, and a nearby servant physically withdraws in horror, backing into a pedestal, sending some manner of pottery crashing to the ground. Classic. A few new face concepts. Also my cleanest looking elf concept so far. I may redo the other three. -
I worked on a few new concepts last night, a few of them having more development than others. I got a new set of generator parts the other night as well, so I have many more mouth and eye options to choose from. I updated the lead protag's protector role. I really like this character, and plan to make her among the best out of the 'tank' class characters. Dialogue: -I'm just an old gal, but I've been through the wringer with this war. -Take me out. You'll see.
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The name sort of says it all once you have a bit of context. The concept is set deep into a post-apocalyptic world. Either an undead-plagued Earth, or a monster/demon-plagued fantasy world. Society has been destroyed. Overwritten by the baser insticts of survival. Staying warm, sheltered, hydrated, nourished, even medicated when neccessary. Gathering fundimental resources from the environment to craft tools. Looting and hunting. This has become the meaning of life. Man lives akin to beast once again. This is a world where at any given time, on any given day, you can succomb to the elements, become prey to predators, or lose a fight with your fellow man or woman. On any given day, you can be a footnote in a larger story of the player's experience. That's right. When the player dies, that actor is dead, and they get a new randomly 'rolled' actor, with random (within a 'starter' regulation) stats, gear, and one of several pre-set appearances. Hardcore survival simulation blended with open world rpg elements. Using Faclao's Pearl ABS system to create real time action, combat, and utilizing the Tool system as well. Now I understand the potential catastrophy that can be created by this perma death system. So I have been playing with ideas of how to make it work better. One idea I had was that you only get so many rerolls before you get stuck with a perminant actor roll. Another idea was the ability to create a back-up of a given actor. I thought something you craft like a journal or something, just to justify the function. I think reaching a point in quest success could lock in an actor so that you don't reset. The idea, though, is that there is a learning curve and skill curve created. And the player quickly realises that the random actor system and an item instance system for gear can actually work out in their favor. Beyond that I wanted access and advantage to improve through things like improving camp life and resources through looting and crafting. Leaderboards could create a competative aspect to motivate the player base. That's all I can think of right now. On mobile. If ^ that ^ alone doesn't get your engines purring, nothing more I can say, will. EDIT: Oh yes, and I thought it would be cool to put a graveyard in the world and add a headstone for every fallen actor the player loses. The stones could recite the actor's given name, lvl, play time in game days, etc. I don't want it to be a total player-hate fest. You can find me on Discord: Loco Choco #6154
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Thanks for the interest. We would for sure need a larger team for this. Since posting this thread, I further developed aspects of game play for this concept. It will take a large effort and some skill to make this happen. Not only would we need some coders for back-up on the script end, but we'd also need graphics people. I decided vehicles are an absolute must, although something the player gains access to later in the game. I also want random enemy group generation. So rather than the same set of enemies on every map, there are random zombies generated. This will create a setting where the player must always be on their toes, and move diligently, vs mastering the lay of the land. On 'any given day' your favorite looting route through a city could be over-run by 25 zombies. I basically took the concept and adapted it into the game I've been waiting on from the professional studios. Open world zombie apoc meets GTA-style free roam, Fallout-style RPG elements, blended with heavy crafting and building aspects. Always keeping a camp of sorts for travel, crafting items, modding weapons, modding vehicles, building a shelter, etc. It would be a huge undertaking, but it would be a very entertaining game. Your very own Z-apoc universe to forge your own story within.
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Lately I have been considering the development of a Suikoden tribute game. I plan to use Loose Leaf sprites due to the striking similarities between the styles. I also decided to use the Ace generator for faces. Both offer a semi-unique character build each time you create a set. I have drafted faces for a few concepts, but have yet to sit down and build sprites. I did create sprites for two of the leads I've been developing. Not sure how many total characters I want, but 54 would be half of 108, at least. Not all will fight, but the above were combat concepts.
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I'm going to see what I can do with Overworld aside from video games. The story and characters have a special quality that I can't just abandon.
These knuckeheads made for a great trio of antags.
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Alternate Casting Systems (The OP Mage Problem)
That One NPC posted a topic in Theory and Development
I have a somewhat unique problem, and it requires an explanation. Since 2011, I have been developing a Final Fantasy tribute story. This is my pride and joy as a storyteller, but it wasn’t created as an rpg. Since my late return to RM, I’ve begun to seriously consider adapting this to a non-commercial JRPG. This comes with a plethora of technical issues and hiccups that need to be reconciled. One of the major hiccups being Casius Magnus. Cas is a Black Mage from my verse. They don’t toss magic around in cheap, or use it as a weapon at the drop of a dime. It’s a power given to mortals by the Gods, and the Black Mage people recognize and respect this. It is a very rare, extreme occasion that any Black Mage casts a spell. (This is done so magic never becomes some cheap parlor trick.) After centuries of ancient warfare with Odinspawn, the Black Mage people migrated to the most savage, uninhabitable part of the world. Rather than depend on magic to solve their problems, they developed proficient martial arts used to disarm and counter foes. Now for my story, this worked just fine. Cas always shows a great deal of restraint so his OP nature never became a visible problem. If anything, he ended up being the guardian angel of the group. Now for JRPG format…this is a serious problem. The story and characters are so developed, it’s hard to just hack and slash at them, changing things to suit the needs of the format - I’d sooner not make the game if that’s what it comes to. I have thought about several solutions to this conundrum: Nurf his physical power (which essentially makes him like any other mage, and takes away from his people’s backstory and culture.) Nurf his Magic (same results just reversed) Adjust spell ‘learning curve’ Adjust Max MP curve Use his spells like a ‘limit break’ feature, only being accessible when his health reaches a certain %, or the HP of party members Or make the top shelf spells only available when his HP is at a certain % Needless to say, I can’t reconcile the nature of the character with the rpg format. I would have to toss everything about my Back Mages out the window and make them like any other we’ve seen before. -
Alternate Casting Systems (The OP Mage Problem)
That One NPC replied to That One NPC's topic in Theory and Development
The main issue is with continuity. Black Mages barely ever resort to the use of magic. So to make a game where the user can cast at will (at any MP cost) discredits his character concept. It's just another shining example of how you can't port my stories from one medium to another, lol. It just doesn't follow. The best way to handle Cas would be to make him a Martial Artist who has a Black magic limit Break of sorts. (His health hits 20%, Black Magic Command becomes available.) -
I just want everyone to know that I'm okay now. My mind and attitude sort of went to shit for a week or so there, but I'm doing okay now.
As agonizing as it is, I have shelved my rpg ambitions for the time being. I came to the harsh realization that I'm a nobody in the game development world. No one knows who I am, what my styles and values are as an artist. I have no credentials here, and as such, no one will invest in my ideas, even if they might sound decent. Add to that the fact that everyone usually has their own active agenda, well there's little work for a story guy at present.
Having accepted this (with great difficulty), I have returned to what I know best (even though games were my first love).
Role playing allows me to tell a different sort of story, that's framed in an entirely different context. In many ways, that's a herculean task by comparison, but it comes naturally to me. And I'm content to go back to the play-by-post grind, but I can't help but lament for projects like Overworld, that will probably never connect with kids the way vintage rpgs connected with me, and ultimately saved my life.
Again, it's agonizing, but I've accepted it. I've actually begun exploring the idea of turning game concepts like Overworld into RPs, although it doesn't transfer that well.
My creative style is so particular, it's nearly impossible to port my stores from one medium to another.
So for now, I bid thee a fond farewell. You may seem me kicking around, as I can't resist messing with the Loose Leaf generator parts.
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You can't make a game alone huh? I beg to differ. Noting notable coming out of RM engines huh? What's this then? Or this? Or this? If you think the only games worth a damn are ones with huge teams that churn out games like a factory, boy are you in the wrong place. Smaller personal games can be just as good, and I don't think I need to start breaking out very example in existence to prove that. And on the other hand, a large team of 'professionals' didn't keep Final Fantasy 13 from being widely seen as crap now did it? Sure, that game might have it's defenders I guess, but I have five words for you to prove that the corporate-run game factory isn't all it's cracked up to be: 'Final Fantasy: All The Bravest'. Low blow? Maybe. But the game also was to fans. :3
Not that any of that really matters, because I don't care about fame or success. I never really have. Everything I have done, I have done because it's fun to play around with scripting. I wasn't even trying to make an actually game till like last year or so. I found my little scripts rewarding for a time, and a few people liked them. That was enough. I spend the majority of my time here helping others rather then trying to do a big project myself. I made some friends and maybe some enemies, and had fun.
Now? Well it might be nice if my game has a small following at least, I doubt it will happen and sure as heck won't happen here. But I plug away at it because it's still fun to mess with from time to time. And I havn't gone to other forums because, to be honest, it just seems like a huge bother to keep up with. I am antisocial at the best of times, so surrounding myself with a bunch of people all the time? No thank you. Also: I have a website? You mean these forums? It's not like they are mine or anything, I just hang out here.
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The rare exceptions that only prove the rule.
We could argue til the forums close down but the proof is in the pudding, my dear.
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How do exceptions prove a rule anyway? I never got that. Wouldn't the very fact that their are exceptions prove that a rule isn't really a rule at all, and is just a trend at best? How can a rule be a rule if their are exceptions (that are not written as part of the rule it's self I mean)? Doesn't that defeat the whole point in having rules?
Anyway, I refute that these exceptions are all that rare. Or not that much more rare then Sturgeon's law would allow for anyway. Here is the thing about games and in fact most kind of media: Most of it ends up flying completely under everyone's radar, and the stuff that doesn't isn't always the best. Sometime the stuff that makes a real impact can be completely random. I mean yeah, a big company with an excessive marketing budget might get noticed a bit more often, but most of the games that get a really big marketing budget tend to play it very safe. Meanwhile every once and a while we have a game like Cave Story which back in the day just kinda came out of nowhere and almost single handedly put the whole indie game scene on the map. Or, maybe more relevant to RPG Maker, how Yume Nikki kicked off a huge RPG Maker horror game craze for a while there.
Am I saying that anyone here is going to get rich and famous off their RPG Maker projects? Ha! Not likely. It's possible sure, but so is randomly winning the lottery. No, what I am saying is, that maybe you shouldn't dismiss out of hand the work people are doing just because it doesn't have the immediate gratification you might be looking for. If it isn't for you that's fine, but don't you think it's just a little bit insulting to say we are all losers that will never amount to anything? Retreating to thrive in your own bubble community of RP enthusiasts isn't any better you know.
You know, you said 'the proof is in the pudding', but the actual original saying is 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating'. If you don't want any pudding, that's fine, but you don't have to insult the cook for putting it on the menu!
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Okay, that may or may not be a horrible analogy, I just really think 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' is a pretty cool saying and wanted to do something with it.
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To make things a little easier, I just zipped up my entire Male folder. Male.zip There may be some loose, rando bits here and there i'm not the most organized person when I'm working in strange territory, lol. (Not really a graphics guy.) You'll notice a few base files, but they were my first crack at skin tones. The 'Male Generator' pnd (if you have Paint.net) has 7 skin tones I made recently. Some aren't great, but, it was a work in progress. The 'Workshop' pnd is where I worked don all of my edits, and there should be an incomplete project underway. I was exploring the viability of adding a quiver and bow option.
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Since I had competed these, I might as well share 'em. I cleared the shadowed skin from around each of the hair and bang layers. This was done for layers of headgear, and different skin shades. I may double back and mae those skin pixels transparent to maintain shadowing over darker skin tones, but I didn't think of that until I had cleaned them up. 01a Hair.zip 01b Bangs.zip Chainmail A high collar shirt option. A sword that rests at the waist rather than on the back. An edit of the helmet I did to match an Ace generator part I have. Male slippers (perfect for monks or fighters).
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I'm not in the proper state of mind to be a contributing member of a board right now. Before I take my leave from the community, I just want to apologize to anyone I may have upset or offended. I'm not one for excuses, but given my recent temperament, you need to know I'm not usually an abrasive dickhead. 2019 has done everything in its power to destroy me. From losing my job when the company I worked for shut down facing a management scandal, to my dad's lungs failing him slowly, to my mom being diagnosed with not one, but two forms of cancer, it has just been riding my case. Like an old Chevy, I'm beaten up and worn down, but all I can do is keep going. My mother is the strongest woman on the planet, always has been. Met my father serving in the Canadian Armed Forces. G.I. Jo (Joanna). Seeing her so skinny and weak she can barely leave her bed to use the washroom, well, it just takes the wind out of my sails.
Anyway. I'm out. Sorry for being a dick. I'm old enough to know better, just stopped caring for a while there.-
Awwww.... I will miss you. But you do what you need to do! *snuggles* I really hope things turn around for you...
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Stupid internet connection...why do you have to make me post twice!?!??
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We all have our trials...
Whether just or unjust...
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The Photo Booth- show your face people!
That One NPC replied to Ocedic's topic in General Discussion
No rose-tinted glasses on this ex-con's ugly mug. -
Actually, this is the problem with society today. The mentality that you're owed something... If you want to build a name and living for yourself using the IP of companies like Sqaure-Enix, get a job with Square-Enix. Otherwise, expect to be Taken Down. It's a business, not a charity.
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Nintendo of Japan has Nintendo of America do all the dirty work. Neither want rando scrubs rummaging around their IP, releasing titles. Their level of aggro would have little to do with intelligence (that's a ignorant stereotype created by society. Most serial killers have above average intelligence), and more to do with how seriously they take their content and business.
The main issue is not whether or not you profit from said fan game, but what profits you make afterward using he exposure from their IP.
It's not rocket science if you just step back a tiny bit.
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My face is too long for glasses.
I have little patients for Edgelords or their nonsensical ravings about mortal-made laws.
I hope one day, you and all the other Anarchists get shipped to your own island paradise where you can rob, rape, and murder each other to your hearts content. That is, before the few smart folks among you form a militia to rule everything. (Know much about Africa?)
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Hey hey hey! That's not what anarchism is about, ya know? Anarchism is not really about the lack of rules, it's more about the lack of hierarchy. You know, using horizontal power structures instead of vertical power structures. Anarchism is a perfectly valid political philosophy with a dense body of theory behind it, not just a bunch of edgelords rebelling for the sake of rebelling. That kind of total disregard for any and all rules just dosn't work and we should all know that.
The true aim of anarchism is not the totally destruction of society, it's about rejecting the idea of centralized power. As a matter of fact, the kind of pure 'survival of the fittest' mentality should be the furthest thing from what we really want. After all, if we topple one master only to end up putting another on the throne, what's the point? Still, that dosn't mean that the society humanity lives in now is fully ideal. It's better then a LOT of alternatives though, and I know that. That still dosn't mean humanity can't learn and evolve.
Thing is, PS is kind of a pessimist. Sorry PS, but you are. She has basically given up hope on humanity. That's why she says stuff like that. But not me! Though you might say I'm probobly a little too optimistic, I really do think humanity can do it! That they can continue to improve and create a better world! But first humanity has to admit there is a problem and also realize what the actual problem is.
But don't worry! I'm here to help! I like humans, even if they can be dumb sometimes, so it's up to me as a fairy to show you how silly you all can be. ... What, why are you looking at me as if I am crazy? Don't you know?
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I'm supposed to be gone, but I couldn't help popping in (mostly due to guilt surrounding my recent behavior).
I get anarchism, I just don't subscribe to extremes. Eliminating central power isn't the solution. Africa is basically the best actual example of applied anarchism that we have. Even though Africa only embraced aspects of anarchism, it failed them in almost every way possible.
I'm not a fan of any political ideology, because they are all flawed by their very nature. Adaptability is the key, not subscribing to set system, written in stone. It will always be abused, regardless of its structures and fail safes. Central power at least keeps a lid on corruption, although it will always exist. Corruption thrives in anarchism.
Without some form of central governing power, the door is opened for the types of mass corruption, even localized tyranny and violence we have seen in Africa.
Democracy (Capitalism in the west) is the best system we've found so far, as broken as it has become.
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I don't blame Nintendo of America. Not one bit. Other companies just don't care. At least Nintendo and Square care about titles like Zelda and FF, which are holy ground, not to be fucked with by just anyone with a copy of an RM. Copyright laws exist for a reason. It's no different than theft; 'borrowing' my laptop without permission for a few days, because it's so important to YOU. Oh - but it's still my laptop, and you had every intention of returning it when you were done. No harm, no foil? Wrong! It was mine to loan you, or not. You made a unilateral decision based solely on your own desires. Choosing to ignore any moral, social, or legal systems. That's what it boils down to. That's why most gaming companies take down ANY fan game that gains notable traction. Because you had no right. Maybe just make your own battlers? Just a stark reminder of how serious this is, here are 10 examples (among thousands) of fan games that were taken down by various companies. These games were professionally made with love, passion, and a skillful set of hands. And they were still destroyed on principle. Despite their awe-inspiring quality and declaration of love for the games they are based on, they were shot to pieces by the very people who should have appreciated it the most. And there's the key thought here. Because it's not that these companies don't appreciate the games. I bet staffers played each and every one, before the reality that it's a multi-million dollar business comes knocking, and the legal teams have to step up to protect their property, and enforce the law. This is not something we should be making light of. It is a very real problem. Amateur devs cannot resist making fan games (It's easy, I get it. Everything is done for you already) and it's a shame when they get trashed, even though they were marked for death form the time of inception. The issue isn't even profit, most of these games are non-commercial. The companies stand to lose NOTHING. What matters is, you stole their IP to begin with, Like, hello Captain Obvious, rofl. But over and above that, that awesome fan game you ripped off will give you a ton of exposure. Maybe then you release your own original game, and make hundreds of thousands more in profits than you would if you hadn't piggybacked off of Square-Enix, Nintendo, Konami, etc. You have to look at it objectively, not as an RM dev. It's law, there's really no room for argument.
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Roguelike is something virtually no one talked about up until the last 10 years. It's literally a game like Rogue, a 1980 title. That's what a Roguelike is, lol.
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I sat down and made a few of my FF characters using the DIY Loose Leaf generator, and after successfully completing Stryker, Casius, and Cideon, I finally managed to complete the perfect (or close to, at least) Loose Leaf sprite for Seto. I'm pretty excited about how well all four came out. I attempted some generated faces, but the only decent one is Seto's. Seto Stryker Casius Cid This is more or less how the characters were created to look and dress. As close as I was going to get any sprite without commissioning work. I can't wait to make Ana, Marrick, Lilly, Biggs, and all of the others. I also did adult sprites for the Earthbound characters, just having some fun. Ness Paula Jeff Poo
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Final Fantasy Sprites V1
That One NPC commented on That One NPC's blog entry in Loco's Loose Leaf Odyssey
That's because they are original characters I created for my FF Tribute world. There should be no way you recognize any of them, unless you read the RPs years ago. Unlike most people, when I sit down to express my love for something, I don't straight up rip it off. It has to be my own. Over and above being a creative person, I have respect for copyright laws (something most RM users need a stern lesson in). -
Evidently you just don't know how savage Square-Enix is. Doesn't matter if it's free or not, they are the property of Square-Enix, and are protected by copyright law. Square has always been highly protective of their Final Fantasy Franchise. The last thing they ever want, are rando westerners releasing fanfics. It's like their worst nightmare, for some reason. Ever since this epic shit storm happened, Square has been highly protective of FF material and canon. The attitude sort of became, "Never again." Nintendo is just as bad, or worse. They have killed many fan-games strictly because they thought ignoring the copyright laws was a viable option. (lol)
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Many of you probably noticed that I did a bit of re-branding over the weekend. Loco Choco Games was going to be the name I released everything under. I never intended to give myself any form of credit, at any point, for anything. It was just going to be, L.C.G., those involved, and credits for materials used.
I came to the harsh, soul crushing realization that I'm not ready to put out any form of game yet. I may have been messing with RM titles since '95 for the Playstation, but messing, flirting, toying around with, are the key words. Most of my story ideas ended up in RP format, where you can flesh everything out that much more from moment to moment. The structure changes in game format almost completely. It's totally different context compared to literature.
Despite all my romancing with these programs, I never completed a game...nowhere even remotely close, lol. I never had enough time as a youngster, even a young adult. I actually have less going on at 33 than I did at 23.
That being said, I figured I'd just get something done, because how hard can it be, right? The editor does roughly 70% of the actual work, outside of mapping, so how hard, can it really be?
When you care about quality and integrity as much as I do, it's practically impossible with my skillset. I could make a game with a great story line and great characters, but it's for shit if the game is fundamentally imbalanced, or buggy. It's difficult for me to keep up with today's hyper-informed experts on everything technical, who will rip a game to pieces based on specs alone, not even based on game play or story line.
So I've decided to toss such notions aside. I never thought I would be that super star who does everything by themselves, that's just not how game development of any kind works. We can look at the pros and realize this pretty quickly. Those who take 5-10 years to develop a game alone, were still foolish to have done so, they just got lucky. But now I'm faced with the reality that, everyone is doing their own thing, hoping to be that next self-made, independent super star developer. All you keep hearing is, "Group projects are a total mess." Well no, actually. Logic tells us group projects are the best, because that's how professional games are made. You have an expert do a single job, because they specialize in it... They just do it better than you. So it must be the RM user, on average, who is a total mess. As someone looking to make serious, serious games that do more than say I did, because I could, this is very disheartening.
For now I will figure out what to do, if anything. My fate may be a simple story writer, who writes stories for other people. Only time will tell, I suppose.
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I haven't been an active gamer in so long, I don't even know what constitutes a 'Rogue-like' game. I basically stopped gaming when I beat FFX in under 48 hours. That game executed the gamer in me. Things like Skyrim motivated me to buy a PS3 back in the day, so I ended up paying other titles like Farcry. But yeah, I'm out of the loop with the new trends and such. Steam is cool, but it's also a landfill for garbage.
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No, the way you describe it works fine. With only one character and a limited inventory, the equip from items method works better. Actually it would probably end up being much smoother. Playing that type of game, I would much rather have everything streamlined through the Inventory menu.
