Tales of Darkmourne, A non linear RPG with an emphasis on player choice. Options

[Thnap]

Tales of Darkmourne - Prologue

Game Description - Tales of Darkmourne is a fantasy RPG set in a nation rife with instability and conflict. It is a sandbox title with an emphasis on exploration and player choice, but with a strong storyline backing it up. The actions of the player will decide the fate of various factions and shape the game world as he/she sees fit.

[Show/Hide] Story

The nation of Darkmourne is suffering under the rule of a corrupt monarch. There is talk of religious war spreading to the neighbouring country of Zimala as King Wolfbane II seeks to spread his influence beyond his borders, and his subjects riot in the streets in protest of this drastic decision.

Due to the King's relative youth and inexperience, Darkmourne is run largely by a council known as The Praesidium. Comprised of the heads of various guilds and factions, they make the daily decisions and carry out the Kings’ will. The people know them as little more than enforcers and support for the local guilds has declined as a result.

Darkmourne was once a paradise but has recently fallen into disrepute due to this instability and conflict, but one force hides within the shadows in service to the kingdom. Viewed as little more than traitors and vagabonds, The Family hold the majority of the political power in the capital city. They have spies within every institution and have bonded together under one banner in order to regulate crime and keep the country running smoothly.

South of the city, a young girl has signed on with a local merchant to serve as bodyguard on his expedition to the capital city. She sleeps soundly in the Royal Arms Tavern, unaware of the role she is going to play in the salvation of the Kingdom . . .

[Show/Hide] Characters

Melody - Melody is the chief protagonist of Tales of Darkmourne. She is a seventeen year old girl who has recently left the safety of her hometown
in order to seek her fame in the capital city. She has signed on with a local merchant as he travels to the city, along with a stranger calling himself Rudy.

Rudy - Rudy is a self titled ladies man, and proud member of The Family. He has signed on with a local merchant to act as bodyguard, much to the dismay of Melody who views him as nothing but a sleazeball who is trying to get in her pants.

[Show/Hide] Screenshots

Tales of Darkmourne features a side view battle system.



Select your class and develop your party as you see fit.



Serious moral choices.



What game would be complete without arrogant villains?



Meaningful character interaction.



Craft your own weapons using materials you have mined or gathered from fallen enemies.

[Show/Hide] Features

A system based on choices and character development. You shape the world and see it change around you based on your decisions.

You are given a choice of three classes, complex weapon crafting system and skill stores which are unlocked through questing. Diverse character development is the key focus of Tales of Darkmourne!

A storyline filled with political intrigue that changes depending on your alliegances and enemies. Which guilds will rise and which will fall? You decide.

A projected play time of over 30 hours across three chapters. This is enhanced by a plethora of sidequests which can be completed in any order with a large number of alternative paths, endings and rewards.

[Show/Hide] Credits

Monster Graphics - Lufia 2

Character Sprites - D.M

Icons - Whitecat

Scripts:

Yanfly
Modern Algebra
Shanghai
Sky00Valentine

Now, for the important part . . . The playable demo. The Demo clocks in at around an hour and ten minutes when I play it, and my other testers reported times longer than this as they sought out the numerous hidden secrets. Please report any bugs or suggestions in this topic as it is very much a beta version and the game is still in development. The demo does contain some bad language, so player discretion is advised.

Download Link

I hope you enjoy it. Bear in mind the project is still in development, but this should serve as a taster for the final version.

This post has been edited by Thnap: Mar 19 2012, 01:23 PM

[Titanhex]

Your humor in the screenshots made me laugh. It sounds like a rather archetypical RPG plot, but that certainly isn't bad.

The game has everything it needs to be approved.

[Thnap]

Thanks for moving it, and for the comment.

While this isn't necessarily a comedy game, I think it is important to include elements of humour in dialogue writing. There is nothing I find more laborious than a video game that takes itself too seriously. Each of the characters have their own distinctive personalities and will banter as the player progresses. Sometimes with results that people will hopefully find amusing.

The plot is somewhat archetypical, but that was my intention. There are a number of twists and turns but the main focus is on the setting of the world and the storyline can branch off in multiple directions depending upon player choice. It is far more complex than the brief summary in this post would imply, but this provides a basic outline.

[lethitax]

Download link doesn't work, files not found?