The Shard of Urth.

[The Second 16]

 

Genre: Fantasy RPG

Progression: 

Story: 90%

Maps: 10%

Dialogue: 5%

Cutscenes: 1%

Database: 50%

 

Recruitment: I wouldn't say no if anyone were to donate sprite assets, pixel art, or music.  This is purely a passion project, not something I'm hoping will make me rich and famous, so my budget for such things is precisely nil.

 

If you would like to support The Shard of Urth, please feel free to slap this banner in you signature, on your blog, on your forehead; you know, places it might get noticed.  Thanks.

(I am not responsible if anyone actually does put this banner on their forehead.)

 

 

The Demo

 

In which you try out the game and tell me incredible it is.  Or is not. Most likely the latter, at this point.

 

A demo is available, though it's more of a walkabout than anything.  Random encounters are implemented, but are most likely not balanced.  You can also chat with numerous NPCs, and explore the Haunted House (If you can find your way inside), but except for skills, not much else is implemented yet.

 

Also, many script driven menu options may not function properly, or at all, as most of the scripts have yet to be fully integrated.

 

The demo requires the VX ACE RTP, which you can find here if you don't already have it, or RPG Maker VX ACE, installed.

 

Of course, feedback is desired, and will be very much appreciated.  

 

The demo can be downloaded here (Mediafire).

 

Now, on to the important bits.

 

The Story

 

 

In The Beginning

In which a goddess (possibly accidentally) creates a new world so as to alleviate her boredom.

 

 

 

In the beginning, there existed nothing except the goddess.

 

And the goddess was bored.

 

"Bored?  I am utterly sick and tired of all of this.... Nothing!"

 

And so, the goddess broke a shard from the Gem of Fate...

 

*Crack!*

 

"I totally didn't just drop it, I swear!"

 

And from that shard was created the world of Aerieth.

 

"Oooh, now this is interesting!"

 

In time, the world was filled with new life.  This life included very different, but very similar, races; Humans and Monsters.

 

"How cute!!!  I wonder if I can keep them?"

 

The goddess watched her creations, and grew to cherish them.

 

"What?  Jack is cheating on Martha with Susan?  And Martha's secretly in love with Jack's twin brother Jim?  What a twist!"

 

However, dark times lie ahead for the world of Aerith.  The king of the realm of Etona has set into motion a plot which will change the very face of the world.

 

"A-hem, and what do you think you're doing, young man"?"

 

And so she chose a pair of heroes to intercede on her behalf.

 

"Eeny, meeny, miny... Moe! You'll do."

 

And so, the heroes set out on a epic adventure to save the world from destruction.

 

*Cue Fanfare*

 

"I wonder how this will turn out..."

 

Enter the Heroes

In which we find out just what all of the fuss is about, anyway.

 

In the world of Aerieth, Monsters and Humans have lived in peace for centuries.  In the land of Etona, however, something has gone terribly wrong.  Janice, daughter of King John, has been killed, and if rumor is to be believed, a Monster was responsible for her death.  In response, King John has decreed that all Monsters are to be exiled from his kingdom, beginning with the eviction of Monsters from the capital city of Tallis.

 

Meanwhile, in the city of Tonko, capitol of the land of Nebliz, self-proclaimed master thief Leo Kalkavan has pulled his biggest heist yet:  The theft of Mad Prince Thomas' Jade Falcon.  As Leo makes off with the jeweled bird of prey, he is spotted by his long time nemesis, Royal Inspector Zeni, who alerts the guard and gives chase.  

 

Leo leads the Inspector and the guards on a merry chase through the city.  Finally, however, Leo is outmaneuvered and cornered on a rooftop.  Just as it seems that Zeni at last his his man, Leo leaps from the roof.

 

Below, the rogue paladin, Mia St. Cyr, Leo's accomplice and sweetheart, 

waits in a horse-drawn wagon.  Leo lands safely in the wagon and the chase resumes.  as Mia steers the wagon toward the Tonko docks, Leo must fight off the Prince's mounted guards.  Between Leo's battle prowess and Mia's driving skills, the two manage to give their pursuers the slip.  Once at the docks, they plan to board a ship bound to an unknown destination, their goal to pawn the jade bird and live a life of luxury in whatever land they happen to wash up.  

 

Unfortunately, Inspector Zeni is one step ahead of them, and he confront's Leo and Mia just as the two are about to board.  In a boss battle, Zeni critically injures Leo; Mia, in a desperate bid to save her love, throws the Jade Falcon at Zeni and escapes to the ship with Leo.

 

At first, Leo is dismayed that she would discard the priceless treasure, until Mia reminds him that his life is more important to her than some silly bird statue.

 

And so Leo and Mia, a couple of good-natured rogues with nowhere to go and not much to do, land on Slime Island, just off the coast of Etona.  

 

These two would never anticipate what would lie in store for them in this troubled land.  Fate has rolled the dice; Leo and Mia may be just the two unlikely heroes Aerieth desperately needs in order to face the tide of darkness that will soon envelope this once peaceful world.

 

Characters

 

 

The Good Guys

Their fates are not in their own hands.

 

Leo Kalavan: Self-proclaimed master thief

 

The Short:

Leo is a good-natured guy who's been in the thievery business for most of his life. Though he's a crook, he honestly wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't deserve a good roughing up in the first place.

 

The Long:

An orphan, Leo took to thievery to provide for a small gang of misfits in Tonko.  As, one by one, his gang grew up and moved on to better lives, Leo found other reasons to continue taking things that didn't belong to him, such as the fact that those with the most sometimes don't deserve what they have.  The primary targets of his larceny are the fat, the peevish, and the cruel.

 

Leo never has any substantial amount of money for long.  He's selfless to a fault, and if he knows of someone less fortunate than himself, he will give everything he has to that person to get them back on their feet.

 

Mia Saint Cyr: Rogue paladin

 

The Short:

Most would never suspect that Mia is not a true paladin. she's kind, gentle, gracious, well mannered, and carries herself with a noble bearing.

 

The Long:

Mia never completed her paladin apprenticeship, and so was never awarded the title of paladin. While training, her master was directed to accept the blame for a crime committed by a senior member of the Saintly Order.  Against Mia's urgings, her master did so, leaving Mia without a mentor, and with a grudge against the Order she had once dreamed being a member of.

 

Time passed, and Mia completed her training though sheer determination, vowing to become a true paladin, if only in name.  While passing through Tonko on a journey to nowhere, she happened across a young man was obviously thieving.  Mia shadowed the thief as he made his way through the back alleyways of the city, planning to ambush him and then deliver him to the proper authorities; however, when the young thief's destination turned out to be the run down house of a recent widow, and when the thief gave the woman and her children the money he had stolen, Mia had a change of heart.  She confronted the man as he was leaving the widow's home, and after learning about about Leo and his motivations, decided that she belonged there, in the city of Tonko, at Leo's side.

 

Rachel: Lonely apparition

 

The Short:

Rachel has been a resident of [redacted] for as long as she can remember. Because [redacted], Rachel has led a lonely afterlife.

 

The Long:

Rachel remembers nothing of her past, not even how she came to [redacted].  She has spent her undeath isolated from the outside for fear of how others would react to her ghostly presence.  So she remains inside, playing the piano though she can't recall when or how she learned to play; reading books in the library, and wishing for a friend.

 

Nigel Tarsus: Skeletal swordsman

 

The Short:

Nigel is the gatekeeper at the entrance to the City of Crypts, home to the skeletons of the Black Fens.  With the recent events in the kingdom of Etona, Nigel has been ordered to let no humans pass into the city

 

The Long:

Nigel is a born skeptic, and takes most myth and legend with a heavy dose of salt.  He's also the least fleshed out character at the moment.

 

Screenshots

 

 

The (rather bland) eye candy

 

Um, Greyfort?  (It's really Tallis.  She just forgot her lines.)

 

 

Credits

In which I list people more talented than I.

 

Credits:

 

Game engine:

Enterbrain

 

Music:

DJMasque, No Place (Haunted House theme)

Ludwig van Beethoven, Sonata Pathetique

Enterbrain

 

Art:

Soramani Kagome Kagome (å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹ @ http://soramani.kagome-kagome.com/) :

* Character portraits (Leo, Mia, Rachel, Succubus #1, Succubus #2, Goddess)

* Character sprites (Leo, Mia, Rachel, Succubus #1, Succubus #2, Goddess, Misc extras)

* Battler Sprites (Rachel, Goddess, Misc extras)

Thalzon, Battler sprites

Mack: http://www.tekepon.net/fsm, Tilesets

Indrah, Tilesets

Scinaya, Misc tiles

Liberty, Misc tiles

Reverie, Misc tiles

Canas, Misc tiles

Crazy Leen, Misc tiles

Palsa: http://metalraptor.deviantart.com/, Misc tiles

Enterbrain

 

Sound Effects:

Pinkyfinger, Piano notes

Enterbrain

 

Scripting:

Yanfly: Yanfly Engine Ace and various plugins

Yami: ATB Battle System

JV Master: 8 Direction Movement

Lemony: Follower's commands

Galv: Move route extras, ACE Save Engine Confirmation Add-on, Substitute Functionality, Map Postitons

Jet10985 : Cache Optimization

Ru/ã‚€ã£ãRu, Elemental Crisis: Volume Control

Tsukihime: Map Screenshot

Enterbrain

 

Fonts:

Robert E. Leuschke, Great Vibes

artmaker, Banana Brick

Philippe Cochy, Pecita

LatinoType Limitada, Sophia

Enterbrain

 

Special Thanks:

• To my boss, for putting up with my antics.
• To Mama Rosa, for the mini pizzas that prevent my starvation wile I attempt to bash this ugly pile of scripts, art, and music into something that might be, one day, mistaken for a game.
• To my significant other, for buying the pizzas, and for always believing I can do anything.  Except maybe take out the trash.
• To Enterbrain, for many obvious reasons, the least of which is that they released a pretty good game engine and gave me the privilege of trying to make an RPG.  Of course, the most important reason is for all those wonderful assets.
• To you, gentle passer by, for taking a moment or three to stop and read the nonsense I just spent all day typing.

Edited November 29, 2013 by The Second

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Aww. I actually really like this game. (Never mind the cheesy purplish dialogue of the goddess in the beginning, though, haha.)

I actually think your maps are pretty good. Those stone paths with the blocky dirt edges are a little unsettling, unfortunately. I'd also consider changing your windowskin It can add a lot!

I also see you were using the default sprites. There are a lot of free ones out there that--no offense to the beloved defaults--are, uh, better. Well, let's just say more unique, since everyone's seen the default ones.

Good luck~

[The Second 16]

Thanks for the feedback!  Sorry to hear you're not a cheese lover, though.

 

Regarding the path tiles, don't worry, they're on my to do list.

 

As for the sprites.. I've stared at them for so long that, at the moment, they are Leo and Mia.  If I ever find anything that catches my eye, however, I'll most likely swap them out.

[+ Dark Influence 251]

Just pointing out the following two spoilers don't close:

 

Screenshots

Enter the Heroes

[Tsarmina 2,612]

@The Second: Forget cheese. I prefer my dialogue corny rather than cheesy. It's healthier for you ^-^

If you want to find some awesome sprites with matching facesets, battlers, or portraits, I would suggest this site. (It's my favorite for sprite collecting.)

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

Yea, that site has good sprites, but I can't read a word of it.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

It's okay, just focus on the graphics ^-^ You should be fine. There's not really that much on a graphic resource site that would require tons of reading...I hope...

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

It's okay, just focus on the graphics ^-^ You should be fine. There's not really that much on a graphic resource site that would require tons of reading...I hope...

That "I hope" is very confidence inspiring, lol

 

In other, more topic-relevant news, I have to say that this game is looking good so far, haven't played the demo yet, but I will soon. I have high expectations for this game, based on what i've seen here.

and stop putting yourself down so much

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Well, I don't think there are any crazy TOU's to worry about. But that was just in case ^-^ But anyway, getting off topic...

[The Second 16]

@The Second: Forget cheese. I prefer my dialogue corny rather than cheesy. It's healthier for you ^-^

If you want to find some awesome sprites with matching facesets, battlers, or portraits, I would suggest this site. (It's my favorite for sprite collecting.)

 

Mmm, corn.  With cheese.

 

Anyway, thank you very much for the link.  Do yo have the artists name?  I wouldn't want to use his/her work without giving attribution. [edit] Ah, finally found it: å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹.

 

 

 

It's okay, just focus on the graphics ^-^ You should be fine. There's not really that much on a graphic resource site that would require tons of reading...I hope...

That "I hope" is very confidence inspiring, lol

 

In other, more topic-relevant news, I have to say that this game is looking good so far, haven't played the demo yet, but I will soon. I have high expectations for this game, based on what i've seen here.

and stop putting yourself down so much

 

Thanks for the positive feedback!

 

And I promise that I shall no longer self deprecate.  Of course, I usually can't go twenty minutes without breaking a promise -- Oh.  Well, so much for that one.

Edited November 27, 2013 by The Second

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

 

@The Second: Forget cheese. I prefer my dialogue corny rather than cheesy. It's healthier for you ^-^

If you want to find some awesome sprites with matching facesets, battlers, or portraits, I would suggest this site. (It's my favorite for sprite collecting.)

 

Mmm, corn.  With cheese.

 

Anyway, thank you very much for the link.  Do yo have the artists name?  I wouldn't want to use his/her work without giving attribution. [edit] Ah, finally found it: å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹.

 

Your cetain that's the name?I would hate to try to give credit using that, only to find out its just a random bit of japanese and subsequently end up in legal trouble because of it.

[The Second 16]

 

 

@The Second: Forget cheese. I prefer my dialogue corny rather than cheesy. It's healthier for you ^-^

If you want to find some awesome sprites with matching facesets, battlers, or portraits, I would suggest this site. (It's my favorite for sprite collecting.)

 

Mmm, corn.  With cheese.

 

Anyway, thank you very much for the link.  Do yo have the artists name?  I wouldn't want to use his/her work without giving attribution. [edit] Ah, finally found it: å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹.

 

Your cetain that's the name?I would hate to try to give credit using that, only to find out its just a random bit of japanese and subsequently end up in legal trouble because of it.

 

Yep, got it from the blog owner's profile.  Also, with my elementary Japanese skills, and the aid of Google translate, the owners TOU are:

 

You may not direct link to the images.

 

You may not redistribute the images, unless the images have been modified to the extent that they are unique from the source image.  You must also properly attribute the source by crediting the artist (å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹) and providing a link to her blog (http://soramani.kagome-kagome.com/).

 

You may use the images in commercial or non-commercial works so long as:

*You properly attribute the images by crediting the artist (å¿ è—¤ã„ã¥ã‚‹) and providing a link to her blog (http://soramani.kagome-kagome.com/).

*You do not use the images on her blog in any amoral or inappropriate manner (Erotica and the like).

*You do not use images modified from RPG MakerX RTP source in projects outside of RPG MakerX.  Original, non-RTP images are individually flagged as such.

 

Also, the blog owner is not responsible for any 'trouble' (assume financial or material damages) caused by the use of her images.

Also also, if you visit her blog and you like what you see, click the  button.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

If you want some reassurance, you can just credit as "Soramani Kagome-Kagome." (I think there's actually a member here or on rpgmakerweb who is the artist with that actual username...if you have the patience to track them down ^-^ I know Archeia credits them as such, and I really can't imagine using the Japanese O_o)

No cheese for you! *snatches away cheese*

[The Second 16]

If you want some reassurance, you can just credit as "Soramani Kagome-Kagome." (I think there's actually a member here or on rpgmakerweb who is the artist with that actual username...if you have the patience to track them down ^-^ I know Archeia credits them as such, and I really can't imagine using the Japanese O_o)

No cheese for you! *snatches away cheese*

Aww... my cheese.

 

Really, if I could read the Kanji, I'd type her family name in romaji.  I can, however, tell you she goes be the given name Izuru.

 

And, I'll go ahead and credit the owner with both the Japanese and "Soramani Kagome Kagome" just to be safe.

 

In other news:

 

 

A change is taking shape, in the form of non-square tiles.  It took way too long to edit the tiles, but at least there are fewer right angles to mar the scenery.

Edited November 27, 2013 by The Second

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

No erotica? damn it. then that sites useless to me.

 

And when your not building cities, keep square off the menu. and you seem to be doing that quite well

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Mwahahahaha, all your cheese is gone...*hoards*

 

Oh, I see. Well, yay! Non-square tiles! (I'm too lazy to edit them myself, ehehe, but that'll look...nice....better?)

[Fooder 1]

This really impressed me and i'm still not sure why.

I think it might be your writing style.

 

I don't know!

 

I want to play it.

[The Second 16]

Thanks for the positive feedback!

 

This weeks progress report:

 

11/29/13

Increased incounter rates on Slime Island (SI).

Misc. map improvements.

Added refugee camp to SI Village

Meditate skill was incorrectly flagged as Adventurer instead of Paladin

Fixed a fatal error with Meditate

Played FF Legend 2 though to completion

 

11/30/13

Added Magic Books and Staves

Organized Database

Fixed several incorrectly flagged weapons, armors and skills

Added Ghost skills Slow, Blind, Bind, Silence, and Curse

Played FF Legend through to completion

Started FF 6

 

12/3/13

Added water's edge tiles

Minor map edits

 

 

No new screenshots yet; hopefully I'll have some time this weekend to post some up.

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

Was the stuff about FF put in there with the intent to amuse everyone who actually reads the progress report?

[The Second 16]

@Heartfeltcurse:  Not so much for amusement.  You should know that I am drawing inspiration from the FF series, and that is why I included that I played the games, whether to completion or not.

[Heartfeltcurse 195]

Oh, I see. The early FF games are a good source of inspiration for any RPG game, so I'm now looking forward even more to your finished project.

[The Second 16]

So, I have decided that Tallis (AKA Greyfort) needs a redesign.  Not that I'm unhappy with the layout of the city, rather, the architecture needs some work.  The houses and the weapon & armor shop especially.

 

My intent with Tallis is to have a city that was once brimming with life, but is now forlorn and neglected because of the eviction of half of it's population.  As it is, however, Tallis seems a bit too bright, what with all the colorful houses crowding up the place.  What it needs is something gray and bleak, Something that says "We used to be friendly, happy... but now..."

 

So, all those bright, primary colors have to go.

 

Slime Island Village, on the other hand, is nearing it's final form.  All I need now is to replace those sand tiles with something a bit less angular.

 

 

Water sources, on the other hand, got a touch up with some overlay tiles.

 

Interiors, period, need touching up.  While playing FF6, I noticed that room exits, rather than being simple open spaces where the exit would be, use a special tile which indicated the exit.

 

(image copyright Square Enix)

This...

 

VS

 

This.

 

One looks like a doorway, the other looks like the builders got lazy and said 'Screw it'.

 

I will possibly also start working on The City of Crypts this weekend, though I must admit that I've yet to be inspired...  I know in general what I want, and have a floor plan but... none of the tilesets I currently have really scream 'Skeletal Kingdom'.

 

As for Database updates, 

 

Changed Armortypes from default to:
Headgear (Head)

Garment (Body)

Shield (Shield)

Footwear (Accessory)

 

I'll also be using a script to allow the use of additional equipment slots in order to have an additional Accessory slot.

 

Added Dresses (Body), Slippers (Footwear), Stuffed Toys (Shield), and Ribbons (Headgear) as armor types for Rachel.

 

Added Cuirass (Body), Greaves (Footwear), Small Shields, (Shield), and Caps (Headgear) as armor types for Nigel.

 

Added Mail (Body), Boots (Footwear), Large Shields (Shield), and Helmets (Headgear) as armor types for Mia.

 

Added Tunics (Body), Shoes (Footwear), Bracers (Shield), and Hats (Headgear) as armor types for Leo.

 

Added Magic books (Enables the use of various debuffs) and Staves (Normal and elemental damaging melee attack) as weapon types for Rachel.

 

Mia continues to use Longswords (Faster, less powerful) and Greatswords (High power but slow).

 

Leo continues to use Shortswords (Enables the use of his Two Swords tech) and Daggers (Enables the use of his debuff attacks).

 

Added Rapiers as weapon types for Nigel.  Nigels skills will focus on multi-hit normal attacks and counter attacks.  I am currently undecided as to whether Nigel will have a secondary weapon choice.

 

I am experimenting with ways to make Rachel's skill stealing attack a bit less powerful.  Perhaps I'll ditch the Skip Two Rounds idea (Which didn't work as expected anyway) and use a % chance for the skill to be successful.  I've also toyed with the idea of blue magic, but I'd really like to focus on the idea of Rachel having to possess an enemy in order to learn it's attacks.

 

I'm also toying with the idea of nerfing Mia's Melee attacks.  At first I wanted Mia to be a damage sponge/beat-stick/healer, but her melee overshadows Nigel's role in the party and takes Mia away from being the party healer.  Of course, there's her Paladin back-story to consider, and I doubt many would buy into a wimpy Paladin.

 

Finally, added ã„ã¥ã‚‹'s wonderful sprites, portraits, and face graphics.  Many thanks to her @http://soramani.kagome-kagome.com/.

 

Mia Saint Cyr

 

Leo Kalkavan

 

Rachel

 

That's it for now.  Thanks to everyone who's posted so far to offer encouragement.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

I recognize both of those faces ^-^ And it looks like you've been busy!

The doorway this is actually a pretty cool idea. I was brooding on this not too long ago wondering how to make doors more...uh...realistic, I guess. I considered actually filling up that wall space and putting a door in, the way real rooms are...but then working the overlap with decor would look pretty bare without parallaxing 

[+ Palladinthug 5]

I want to start off saying that I made sure to have my game pad plugged for the demo.  I was not expecting to be able to slide around diagonally, and it made trying to talk to NPCs a little harder using the analog stick to steer.

 

I personally, and this is my opinion and nothing else, disliked the constant use of enlarged text to show inflection for a great deal of the dialogue.  For me it becomes obnoxious and detracts from the humor when used too often.  The first impression I got was humorous, but it starts to wane quickly when all of the characters break the fourth wall in succession.  Smaller doses will have a better impact on more people.  The characters left me with nothing other than exploration to get me started.  Luckily I excel at that.

 

I'm a bit confused by the shadows left on the tile sets for the shops with the boxes immediately overhead.  I think they were taken from the outdoor covered stands, yet you choose to place them indoors.

 

It seems in some towns monsters are still accepted as equals despite the recent murder, will this be mentioned at all in NPC dialogue; or explained why the simpler townsfolk didn't turn on the monsters?

 

You may want to alter the tile set for the stone pathway a bit to get rid of the rough brown edges to make it appear a bit less rugged.  If you need help altering the tile set I'll happily take a look into it.  I can show you examples of my work.

 

I'm looking for plot elements or breadcrumbs and I can't find any or an npc that will tell me where I am suppose to be going or what I am to accomplish.  I decided just to randomly explore once I was done with whom I could talk to in town.  It was great to see people outright refusing to let the characters inside.  Will there be a main plot incorporated or is it just a sandbox like game?  Your description at the top didn't tell me what to expect here.  I was expecting to pick up where your synopsis had left off.

 

Random encounter rate is a bit high, my ghost party member died very quickly.  It's 400 bits for a stimulant and I have no other method of revival for her expect an INN stay.

 

The street performers were an excellent touch.  It's nice to see you don't leave dead space in such a big city.  I would spend a little more time mapping, as it seems your huge city has pyramid roofs on some houses.  While they may seem nice to look at on the outside it's a lot of wasted materials and space.  Given the tone of the game I expected the houses themselves were sometimes given as a humorous element too.

 

Game crashed when I entered the Inn and attempted to sleep to revive my dead ghost companion.  http://i.imgur.com/5cwjvJF.jpg

 

I'm looking forward to having some direction in game.  It would make the humor that much more impact if I had something serious or intrigue from the murder in the mix to shape the mood and atmosphere surrounding the recent events.  

 

Thank you for sharing the demo.  It was a pleasure to play, and I look forward to your future contributions to the Shard of Urth.  I hope this has been helpful for you.

[The Second 16]

@Palladinthug:

 

Thank you very much for the in depth analysis of the demo.

 

I want to start off saying that I made sure to have my game pad plugged for the demo.  I was not expecting to be able to slide around diagonally, and it made trying to talk to NPCs a little harder using the analog stick to steer.

 

I was wondering what the reaction would be to the 8 direction movement thing.  If it's too much of a problem, I will go ahead and remove it.

 

I personally, and this is my opinion and nothing else, disliked the constant use of enlarged text to show inflection for a great deal of the dialogue.  For me it becomes obnoxious and detracts from the humor when used too often.  The first impression I got was humorous, but it starts to wane quickly when all of the characters break the fourth wall in succession.  Smaller doses will have a better impact on more people.  The characters left me with nothing other than exploration to get me started.  Luckily I excel at that.

 

Don't worry, that opening cutscene is merely a contrivance to put the ghost in your party.  In the next demo version I should have the quest to acquire Rachel implemented, and will be removing that initial bit of cheese from the game.

 

I'm a bit confused by the shadows left on the tile sets for the shops with the boxes immediately overhead.  I think they were taken from the outdoor covered stands, yet you choose to place them indoors.

 

It's on my list of Things to Do, along with several other map and tile edits.

 

It seems in some towns monsters are still accepted as equals despite the recent murder, will this be mentioned at all in NPC dialogue; or explained why the simpler townsfolk didn't turn on the monsters?

 

The reasons the people of Slime Island still accept the monsters is in fact not explained anywhere in the dialogue.  It's is vaguely mentioned by the mayor, but not written out in detail.  Thanks for letting me know about that element; I will go ahead and add some expository dialogue to make things more clear.

 

You may want to alter the tile set for the stone pathway a bit to get rid of the rough brown edges to make it appear a bit less rugged.  If you need help altering the tile set I'll happily take a look into it.  I can show you examples of my work.

 

Already taken care of.    (One of these day's I'll have to update the screenshots gallery in the first post.)

 

I'm looking for plot elements or breadcrumbs and I can't find any or an npc that will tell me where I am suppose to be going or what I am to accomplish.  I decided just to randomly explore once I was done with whom I could talk to in town.  It was great to see people outright refusing to let the characters inside.  Will there be a main plot incorporated or is it just a sandbox like game?  Your description at the top didn't tell me what to expect here.  I was expecting to pick up where your synopsis had left off.

 

Well, to be brutally honest, in the current demo, there's really not much to do except wander around and fight random encounters.  there is a quest semi-implemented, but if you couldn't find the hook, then I'll have to make it a bit more obvious.

 

Also, there will be a main plot, no sandboxes unfortunately.  Almost none (or absolutely zero) of the main plot has been implemented yet.

 

Random encounter rate is a bit high, my ghost party member died very quickly.  It's 400 bits for a stimulant and I have no other method of revival for her expect an INN stay.

 

Interesting that you say encounter rates are a bit high.  I can tell you that the encounters are no where near balanced, and you start with no funds, so... Yeah.    One of the thing's I will be doing for the next demo release is to balance the encounters.

 

The street performers were an excellent touch.  It's nice to see you don't leave dead space in such a big city.  I would spend a little more time mapping, as it seems your huge city has pyramid roofs on some houses.  While they may seem nice to look at on the outside it's a lot of wasted materials and space.  Given the tone of the game I expected the houses themselves were sometimes given as a humorous element too.

 

I will be giving Greyfort (Tallis) a 'spring cleaning'.  The pyramid roofs are an artifact from before I started working with non-default tiles.  In general, I'm not really happy with the city's atmosphere, and will be working to make it conform more to what it should be: An oppressed city that's trying hard to ignore the worst aspects of it's leadership.

 

Game crashed when I entered the Inn and attempted to sleep to revive my dead ghost companion.  http://i.imgur.com/5cwjvJF.jpg

 

Thanks for letting me know about that, I know exactly what the problem is.

 

I'm looking forward to having some direction in game.  It would make the humor that much more impact if I had something serious or intrigue from the murder in the mix to shape the mood and atmosphere surrounding the recent events.  

 

I should have something a bit more structured in the next version of the demo.  I will make no allusions as to a release date for that, however.

 

Thank you for sharing the demo.  It was a pleasure to play, and I look forward to your future contributions to the Shard of Urth.  I hope this has been helpful for you.

 

And thanks to you for taking time to play the demo and to give me your analysis of it; and yes, you have been a great help in showing me several things that need to be improved on.  I hope you'll bear with me until the point when I am ready to release this game.