Ad Lucem

[KainLightsworn 63]

 

Abstract: A return to the days of old RPGs, when the world was simply focused on Black and White Morality... or so it seems.
Genre: High Fantasy Turn-Based RPG
Game Progression: This game is still in the early stages of development. I seek, by the end of it, to have a 15-20 hour+ game on my hands. The latest demo has been added as of April 27, 2016!

 

 

The people of the world have long been united beneath the banner of a single faith- the Light of Bastianism, at the heart of which shines the Sacred Chalice, the source of all light in the realm. But division within the ranks of the faithful soon threatens to unbalance the world that young squire Eachann Kimball and his traveling companions hold dear. Loyalty to King, Church, and God are tested as the travelers are forced to acknowledge several uncomfortable truths about the divine privilege with which they have lived their lives, raising but one question: how far is too far to go in pursuit of the Light?

 

The world in which this game is set has been divided into three major countries along the boundaries of the four major landmasses. The largest and most populous, the kingdom of Angelorum is regarded as the main seat of power in the world for two primary reasons: First, the kingdom of Angelorum controls a full half of the explorable world, having claimed ownership of the continent of Glacemonde in addition to their homeland many centuries ago. Secondly, it is in the kindgom of Angelorum that the Sacred Chalice, and the Grand Paladins who protect it, are located. Due to this, Angelorum is viewed as a place of holy pilgrimages, and a guiding beacon to the rest of the world. Simplicity reigns here, and the culture encourages people to stay with hearth and home, with their duties.

 

The second kingdom and country, Midland, rests in desert lands and fertile oases. While they depend very greatly upon their more temperate neighbor of Angelorum for food and certain other elements of trade, the vast majority of the world's textiles are woven from fibers grown in the oases. Though Midland's military is formidable in its own right, it is often regarded as the eclipsed younger brother of the beacon of Angelorum. Despite this, the two nations have always been fast allies, and are quick to defend each other whenever a threat should arise. Midland is willing to open its gates for limited trade with Desirul- but only when it is not being monitored by the eyes of the church from Angelorum. 

 

The third kingdom is that of Desirul. Once, Desirul was allied with Angelorum and Midland, receiving textiles and food from its neighbors in exchange for their vast stores of ore hidden beneath the rough soil. But approximately twenty years before the start of the game, Desirul broke its ties with the Bastian Church, leading its former allies to declare war upon the nation. Desirul's military might far outmatches that of the other nations, and it is for that reason alone that it has managed to maintain its independence. However, since the brutal war which ravaged their land until five years before the game's beginning, they have experienced droughts which have killed off much of their limited food supply. The peasants starve while the king and nobles dance in their glittering palace.

 

Eachann Kimball 

Eachann Kimball is a nineteen year old squire of Angelorum. Born in the village of Chegarne to merchant parents, the middle of three children, Eachann was an idealistic dreamer from the beginning. He was obsessed with the idea of becoming a knight, just like the ones he'd always read about in his books. He, along with his childhood friend Victoria, worked tirelessly to be able to come to Castle Angelorum- he initially as a footsoldier, she as a training priestess. Due to his valorous actions in battle saving King Anselm's life, Eachann was granted the boon of becoming a squire, and has been training under Gregory ever since.

 

Gregory Marion

Sir Gregory Marion is one of the youngest knights in Angeloran history, having completed his trials and been dubbed at the age of eighteen. Currently aged twenty-four, he has been placed in charge of Squire Eachann Kimball's training- a fact which he greatly resents. Found abandoned on the steps of the castle, Gregory has been effectively raised by King Anselm for his entire life. Despite this, he refused to allow himself to be pampered as a princely figure and chose to work himself to his limits in service of the man whom he felt he owed his life. While Gregory's breadth of knowledge and shrewd aptitude for battle have won him his acclaim, he is severely lacking in social graces. Stoic and at times condescending, he is an incredibly intimidating force to be reckoned with- despite only standing at just above five feet tall.

 

Victoria Clemency

Sister Victoria Clemency is a young nun in service to the church located in Castle Angelorum. Currently eighteen years of age, she is set to take her final vows and become a full-fledged priestess within two months' time. Born in the village of Chegarne as the only daughter to a soldier, Victoria spent her early years either in the loving embrace of her mother's arms or playing with her childhood friend Eachann. She'd dreamed of becoming a priestess, a missionary for the Bastian church ever since she was a small child hearing the verses of the saints in Chegarne's small church. She was fortunate enough to be recommended to the clergy in Castle Angelorum by the priest of her hometown, parting ways from Eachann and her mother at the age of twelve to begin her studies. She has kept in constant contact with Eachann over the years and was one of the primary nuns seeing to his care upon his return from the battlefields in Desirul. Though her vows of pacifism and kindly nature prevent her from being able to strike the first blow against a foe, she will not hesitate to defend herself. Her body is a temple- and one that can crush the skull of any would-be intruders.

 

Letitia Idonea

Paladin Letitia Idonea has lived a blessed life according to all outside observers. The youngest child of all her family, she was pulled from their arms at the age of three by the highest Church authority in all the world, the Grand Paladins, that she might be trained to guard the Sacred Chalice when the eldest of their number passed away. It is a sacred duty, one which must be granted by the Protector's power alone. She was always expected to be disciplined and reserved in preparation for her life of silence, stoic watchfulness and contemplation. What she lacks in every last one of these attributes, she makes up for in genial spirit and boundless energy. A ray of sunlight in the otherwise dark and cold halls of the Tower of the Sacred Chalice, Letitia has a reputation for stirring up trouble and sneaking out into places where she is not supposed to be. It is through her excursions that she met and befriended Eachann and Victoria both. While her constant flouting of authority and laughing disregard for rules and propriety were tolerated in her younger years, now that she is sixteen years of age, the burden of her duty weighs more heavily on her back. It is unclear if she will change with her soon-coming responsibilities or remain as immature as she is now.

 

 

MORE TO COME, THERE WILL BE SIX PARTY MEMBERS IN TOTAL

 

The Title Screen

 

A look at the menu screen.

 

The library of Castle Angelorum is filled to the brim with books, several of which can be read for extra lore and sidequests.

 

The gardens of Castle Angelorum are even more vibrant with the dynamic weather system in place. The weather shifts with

the months and the changing seasons.

 

With the time system in place, you can take a stroll through a moonlit hallway when the rest of the castle is asleep.

 

Or enter beautiful sunset-filled forests.

 

Alternatively, if you ask this gentleman, you can find out what time and date it is.

 

Enjoy deep and strategic combat and a sensical enemy drops system. (No more random monsters dropping gold-

instead they will drop bits of themselves that can be sold to merchants or used for crafting!)

 

Drawn cutscenes bring interest to important moments of the story.

 

And on top of that, player choice proves important to the advancement of the story.

 

And if ever you get lost in the story, simply consult the quest journal.

 

 

 

^The Opening Cutscene!

 

^The OLD Battle System in action!

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/kainalexander/sets/ad-lucem-music

 

A deep and engaging choice-based story which can lead to multiple endings, varied party reactions and interactions with events on-map, combat which requires a bit of forethought and fast reflexes, a deep skill combination system which (with the full party) can lead to over 80 new skills in-battle, NO RANDOM ENCOUNTERS, combat in which the tide of battle must be carefully monitored, a stealth system, a dueling system for periods of mano e mano, a crafting system, fully-voiced battles, (eventually) fully voiced cutscenes, ORIGINAL SCORE and ORIGINAL FACESETS.

 

RPG Maker Source

Seer UK and Original Wij

Victor Engine

Yami

Raizen

Blackmorning

Yanfly

Moghunter

Jet

Kread-EX

Galv

Vlue

Coelocanth

Archeia

Tsukihime

Modern Algebra

WilliamtheUnproPro (for his many tutorials used in making this project!)

=SCRIPTS=

 

Enterbrain (RTP+DLC)

Game Character Hub

Woratana (Windowskin Generator)

=MAPS, SPRITES, SFX=

 

Steven Kelly/Sarifus

Alex/Aldrius

=VOICE ACTING=

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download/zd311jrpy8p0j66/Ad_Lucem.exe

Edited January 21, 2017 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

Hey guys, just dropping by with a quick status update:

 

I've officially completed all the music needed for the tutorial section of the game, as well as all the basic maps that will be used! Now, I just need to get the lighting maps done for each of the newer locations, and we'll be in business to begin actually eventing through the cutscenes and getting this game rolling. I'm squishing some bugs with the cutscene skip script I intended to use, but as soon as said bugs are squashed, we will be in excellent shape.

 

Also, this project now has a support banner! Please add it to your signature if you'd like to give this project some support and love!

 

[+ HavvaH 3]

Looks beautifull! I like it, can't wait for the demo 

[KainLightsworn 63]

Hey guys! With 24 odd hours left to my original planned release date for the demo, I thought I'd drop in and give you all some updates! 

 

First off, I've been hard at work refining and getting everything ready so the demo is as polished as I can make that. That said, my time to work on this project has been limited, so there may well be some things I've missed. If any weirdness comes up during playthroughs of the released demo tomorrow, please let me know so that I can rectify them!

 

Secondly, I finally have a completed battle system to show you. I'm still doing a few little tweaks to be sure everything works properly by tomorrow, but for the most part, it's set. So, below I have a video of the battle system for you to enjoy!

 

Edited July 2, 2015 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS STATEMENT- THE DEMO HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO JULY 7th DUE TO SOME SCRIPT ERRORS!

Edited July 2, 2015 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

AND THE DEMO IS UP, EVERYONE!

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download/vbaz4dkamoyy2wr/Ad+Lucem.exe

Edited July 9, 2015 by KainLightsworn

[+ Sughayyer 163]

Will download!!

[KainLightsworn 63]

@Sughayyer: Thanks much for your interest!

 

Also, a brief status update in case anyone was interested: I'm planning on doing a short project for the IGMC this year, which will put a fair bit of my work for this project on hold. However, I am in the process of composing music and working on artwork for the next part of the game, so work here hasn't come to a dead stop- more a bit of a pause while I focus my energies on IGMC. I hope to use what I learn from that contest and implement it into my dungeon crafting here when the time comes for dungeons.

 

Also, if anyone is interested in tracks from the game's soundtrack, do let me know and I can see about posting them somewhere for a download. Thanks for all your support!

[Itsbuffy 9]

could you tell me what is the enemy block command on the xbox 360 controller?

[KainLightsworn 63]

@ItsBuffy- I didn't exactly have the Xbox 360 Controller in mind when I designed this, but it's whatever button is mapped to the 'Z' button in RPG Maker VX Ace, or 'D' on the actual keyboard.

 

Does that help you out some?

[+ Sughayyer 163]

I'm late but I made it!! Played the demo!!!!

 

At first I thought the intro was very interesting, if a bit shoddy. Then I realized it was the MC reading and drawing on his book and that felt awesome!!!

The maps are very well-made, you got yourself some great tilesets. My only conplaint is some small passability bugs (if you lay a passable B tile over an impassable A tile, B's passability will override A's impassability, thus I could walk all over tables, etc.

 

Time passage is also very, very nifty. But it could be a bit slower.

 

The dueling sequence is cool, I hope to see more of it. The tutorial is also very nice.

 

When I reache the forest, I couldn't leave it (I could get to the world map, but the same sequence happened an threw me back at the forest). You might want to add an escape clause (condition the forest's exits).

 

The battle system keeps you on your toes. It's not hard to land a hit, but since the enemies are static and grouped, I couldn't tell what was happening. And the defense marker was laid over the enemy field, so I also didn't know who was being attacked by the monsters.

The idea is very good, but you might want to use a more compatible battle system. And also change the pictures - not only A and D are easier to relate with the actual keys you must press on the keyboard, they also do well for "attack" and "defend".

 

Overall it's very very good considering it's on demo stage. Lore and dialogue are good, maps are well-made, the game is immersive.

 

I hope to see more of it.

[KainLightsworn 63]

@Sugghayer: A month late and a dollar short I finally manage to get around to replying to you directly, haha. Sorry this topic has been rather dead of late, work has been absolutely KILLING my ability to do much of anything, and I haven't had anything significant to post in terms of the game's development. That's my bad.

 

So! I appreciate your detailed feedback, and have made every effort to accommodate the changes that you recommended. I'm still fiddling with the timed button press system for the moment, but I have fixed the forest's exits and caught and squished a few other bugs that I noticed along the way. I've mostly fixed the time passage system. It's... still a tad wonky at the moment but it's working much better than it was before. I am very glad that you enjoyed the lore, the dialogue, and the dueling sequence/tutorial. Trust me, more of the dueling sequence will come forth and with much greater dramatic tension later on!

 

****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

And now onto a general update: I'm working on posting a series of videos wherein I go through the first part of the game. It's just footage of the game being played for those who haven't been able to download the game for themselves, no LP style commentary because I know I suck at it. I've also been working on the score for the next Arc of the game. I want to get the score down before I start constructing maps, NPCs, quests, events, et cetera. I have the sprites and artwork done for two new characters joining the party in the next arc and will be updating my topic accordingly soon!

Edited March 15, 2016 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

Hey there again followers of the forum! I've just dropped in to update the forum topic with a shiny new demo that has a lot more bug fixes than the previous version and runs a lot better than before.

 

I'm currently shlogging my way through getting the skills created for the two new party members joining in the next section of gameplay, as well as composing some new music for all the new areas of the game. That's why it's taking me some time to get everything together for you. But I promise you, all the effort will be worth it. 

 

As soon as I can get soundcloud to cooperate with me again, I will add some more music from the game to this topic so you can hear what I've worked on during this seeming hiatus.

 

At any rate, the link for the new demo is below:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/sy8k3t1c20rdfd1/Ad+Lucem.exe

[KainLightsworn 63]

Hey there folks! I've spent all day working on the new skills for the two new party members who join you in the next section of the game, so today seems like as good a time as any to drop off some update news. The topic has been updated to include the two new characters who are joining the party in the next section. The topic has also been updated with the new demo link for everyone to enjoy.

 

I also have a piece I've composed for an area in the next part of the game for you all to listen to. I hope you enjoy it. Those who have kept following this topic and this game, I appreciate all your attention and interest!

 

http://adlucemproject.tumblr.com/post/130129020185/ <-the new piece, "Lakeside Village -Sanctiam-"

 

Also Admins, special note for you: I need this topic moved into The Gaming Lounge, as it now has a working demo.

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Ceeeeeeeelebrate good times COME ON!~ let's get this baby moved to the Gaming Lounge! ^u^

[KainLightsworn 63]

A hearty thank ye very much to the mods who got this baby moved where it needs to go! Now this isn't a super heavy update, just another little note about some things:

 

1) I am currently thinking of redoing some of the Desperation Arte artwork I had done prior, as I think I can do a slightly better job of it with certain other tools at my disposal than I did before. This redoing of artwork may well extend to the menu faces as well, as I think I can attempt to give those a bit more polish than they had previously. I still intend on keeping the opening cutscene artwork the same for the moment, but the rest is likely being redone.

 

2) I just need to tweak a few more details on the actual damage ratios of the skills for the new party members, but then they will be all set up and ready to work with. From there, I'll be getting in touch with my voice actresses for them and my voice actors for Eachann and Gregory about dubbing a few more battle dialogs that will be needed for the next part of the game.

 

3) I'm making my way through each track of the soundtrack before I get started on mapping and eventing for each area, which is part of what is making this whole lovely process take so long, but I want to have the music thoroughly in mind before I start constructing the location, that way they match and suit each other. Speaking of that, I have another track from the game completed now and posted on my tumblr devblog, which can be found here: http://adlucemproject.tumblr.com/post/130528118530/

 

4) This is sort of a general note but also a soundtrack related note as well: a feature of this game will be different music for every actual Boss in the game, rather than one single Boss Theme. This was something I'd debated with myself on for a while, but after thinking about it, I think it will be better in the long run. So there will be four new Boss Themes coming up in the next section of the game. Two of which you're guaranteed to come across, the other two will be a bit harder to handle. So look forward to hearing those soon!

 

Meantime, thank you everyone for your support, and new followers, do let me know your thoughts and opinions on this project. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

[KainLightsworn 63]

And the time has come for another update, folks!

 

I have officially updated the master post for this topic with a brand-spanking-new demo link! Though nothing plot-wise has yet been added to the demo, I've done rather a lot of tweaking to the game as a whole, adding some new touches. 

 

Just for some perspective, here's some of the things that have changed:

 

1) Passability errors have been FIXED!

2) The Spectra CHEER and SHOUT have had their effects buffed!

3) The player now has the ability to LEAVE the Cyrien Forest and HEAL by sleeping in the BARRACKS!

4) A Battle Result Screen has been added!

5) The Battle Camera has been REMOVED due to certain timing glitches with the timed button presses.

6) Some more hints have been dropped into the dialogue to show some of the harder-to-find features.

7) The Desperation Arte drawings have been REDONE!

8) Certain previous graphical and other bugs have been FIXED.

9) A TIME LIMIT has now been added to the first quest to prevent abuse of the 'go back to the castle and rest' system.

10) The opening cutscene can now be skipped! This will be applied to other cutscenes later on where the player has less interactivity.

 

And just in case you're interested, here's a list of the new features I intend on adding once I sort out how to work them in properly:

 

1) Using the 'Wait' Skill will restore 2 Will Power, to help conserve rare healing items.

2) A Quest Log will be added to help the player keep track of their various quests!

3) Some brief minigames will be added with the children in various towns.

4) Enemies will respawn after 24 in-game hours.

5) A HUD featuring the Date and Time will be added.

 

And the link for the new demo can be found at the location below!

http://www.mediafire.com/download/h88hae8hp5eu52y/Ad+Lucem.exe

Edited October 13, 2015 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

Annd two weeks later, I'm finally here with some more update-y goodness! The music for the next section of the game is slowly but surely coming along. Since the last update, I've finished several location themes and have a rough draft of a boss fight theme that I'm re-working to make sound better.

 

I've finally finished all the Desperation Arte Cut-Ins for our heroes! Click below the spoiler tag if you wish to see them!

 

 

 

 

AND, speaking of more finished things, the hymns that will play in the in-game churches through each month have been completed! I plan on uploading a video to YouTube featuring all nine hymns soon!

 

Additionally, I've been planning for some mini-dungeons the party can go through as side quests to obtain some very useful for this stage in the game equipment, and have been planning far, far ahead to the quests which will lead to each character's ultimate weapon and armor. I've been doing a bit of research into dungeon puzzles (eyup, that's totally it, totally research, not at all me being distracted by playing Zelda games. *shifty eyes*), and I have an idea on some that I want to implement and look forward to finding solutions to.

 

Thanks for your patience with me as we slowly continue to make strides forward in this project!

Edited October 29, 2015 by KainLightsworn

[KainLightsworn 63]

Well well well, it's update time again! This is going to be another small step, but as I've been in the middle of a job change and a massive sleep schedule adjustment, it's been throwing off my ability to put much work beyond conceptual things into my game. 

 

First off, the YouTube video featuring the hymns of each of the nine in-game months is up, and can be found beneath the spoiler below. It is tagged with easy annotations for your convenience so you can hop around to the hymns as you please. The video also contains some lore information about each of the saints, for the interested.

 

 

 

Secondly, I've been slowly pulling together a quest list during my break times at work for the arc of the game I'm currently working on, as well as the arc of the game I've already completed. This next arc will feature a lot more freedom to move around, so I'm hoping the few sidequests I've put in will make that extra freedom worthwhile.

 

Thirdly, I've been trying to play around with various HUDs for both the date/time in-game and a possible party-switch HUD for in dungeons/on-map. I feel implementing both of these will make keeping track of the time left for quests and the special abilities of each party member in-dungeon a bit easier, but I'm struggling to find a design that's consistent with the rest of the game, but fairly inconspicuous.

 

That's about covered what's been done for the moment. Thank you all for your interest!

[Whiona 310]

I will definitely give your demo a try when I get the chance! That screenshot with the moonlit hallway is gorgeous. I really hope that's in the demo, because I'd love to explore it. It sounds like the dynamic between Gregory Eachann will be interesting - the master who doesn't want to be the master. Also? "Her body is a temple- and one that can crush the skull of any would-be intruders." I love it. I'll look forward to testing out those on-map party interactions, too!

[KainLightsworn 63]

@Whiona- thank you very much for your interest! And you can indeed access the moonlit hallway if you play the game until it reaches nighttime with its time system.

 

All right, so MAJOR update time for this game! I've been hard at work on crushing every last bug and glitch from the part of the game that's already complete, in addition to composing the music for the next part. I am proud to announce that the composition for the next arc has been completed! This means that I will be able to start working on mapping and eventing the next segment of the game.

 

I've also been working on implementing various new systems into the game in order to make it fresh and exciting. From a Quest Journal to a Formation Bonus system to Enemy AI to Functional Reflect States to a new Battle Voice System, it's all going in there.

 

I've decided to ditch the idea of a HUD for date/time in favor of an NPC because none of the available HUD scripts would do what I liked, and I have enough complicated eventing to do as is. Additionally, I've removed the feature of enemies respawning because I have come to prefer the idea that once enemies are slain, they remain slain. As such, I've tried to make sure each enemy drops a fair amount of experience and am planning on adding additional sidequests and dungeons in order to allow for more opportunities to fight.

 

I've taken great pains to improve the custom title screen, so that now the Load Save menu is a lot clearer. The files are no longer obscured by the images in the background.

 

So, in honor of all of this and in order to give this project a hearty welcome back to the forums, I present to you once again the Ad Lucem Tutorial Area Demo, now with even more bug-squishing and features than before!

 

http://www.mediafire.com/download/1q1dbxbk2sd7lox/Ad+Lucem.exe

[Whiona 310]

Sounds great! I am nearly done with another demo that I really should have finished ages ago. Once I've wrapped that one up and posted my feedback for the devs, I'll be moving onto this - hopefully this weekend, but I won't make any promises, because I am sometimes bad at remembering to play things.

[KainLightsworn 63]

@Whiona- Excellent! I'm excited to hear what you think of the project!

 

I'm slowly working on maps for the next segment of the game, and I'll be posting screenshots as soon as I've made a few more.

[KainLightsworn 63]

Hey howdy ho folks! I've been a bit preoccupied with job searching (which may at long last be over, hallelujah!), but I have been working some on the next part of the game. Priority number two after the completion of composition was the completion of maps, so here, have some maps I've finished thus far. 

 

 

 

This is the sleepy hamlet of Cyrielton, which rests at the border of the Pithian Forest. 

 

These are the four quadrants of the Pithian Forest. There are a couple of small errors in line-up I intend to fix in the final versions, but this should give you a basic idea of what this particular dungeon/pre-dungeon looks like. (There is in fact another dungeon within this one, but I haven't finished the map for it. Keep a weather eye out- I'll likely post it when it's done!)

 

This is Sanctiam, a small, peaceful town bordered on one side by Lake Sanctia and the Tower of the Sacred Chalice, and on another side by the ocean. 

 

This is Luxley, a quiescent town near the northern border of Angelorum. Its mines (not mapped) and fields (will be evented) are at the heart of commerce for the country.

 

 

I have approximately two more 'dungeon' maps to take care of, and then it's going in and handling all the minutiae of the town/village maps in order to have all the mapping completed for this next section of the game.

 

Once mapping's done, I'm moving on to designing the enemies and bosses for the next part of the game. So I'm going to be knee deep in skills, formulas, and code for a while. And then, the fun part, and the meat of the design: Eventing~!

 

So progress might seem slow, but it is going. Inch by inch. 

Edited April 1, 2016 by KainLightsworn

[Whiona 310]

Ooh, I really like the layout of that forest! Nice work on all of those new maps.

 

I'm still chipping away at your demo. I hope to play a lot more of it this weekend! Hopefully I can finish it up quickly and then share my thoughts.