Awakenings (Formerly The Curse of Azaroth), V0.17 Demo now available (June 24th) Options

[Obax]

Awakenings

Abstract- Awakenings is a traditional RPG game, focus is placed more on story than on making any major changes to the RPG Maker engine. The game follows the journey of a young boy and his companions who find the fate of the world being thrust more and more into thier hands.

Genre- Fantasy

Platform- RPG Maker VX.

Story
The story follows the journey of Rayne, a young boy who has grown up in the town of Redmount along with his mentor Magnus, an old soldier who has retired to Redmount and lives out his days helping the mayor with the various squabbles that sometimes come up in a small town. Life in Redmount is peaceful and idyllic, it's people spend their days tending crops, hunting game and raising livestock. Little do the townsfolk know that the rest of the empire is being corrupted by the forces of a great evil, the likes the land has not seen in a thousand years, nowhere is beyond the reach of this threat, not even the most remote of villages...

Characters
Rayne: The main character of the story, Rayne is the 'hero' figure, 17 years old and in the transitional period from boy to manhood. As said above Rayne knows very little of his life before moving to Redmount, only that he was raised from a young age by Magnus. More of his story is revealed in the games introduction where he is seen leaving the capital city with Magnus, although the reasons around his departure remain clouded.

Magnus: Raynes mentor character, not much is known about Magnus to begin with, only that he helps keep the peace in Redcourt whenever it is needed and that he is a retired soldier. More information on Magnus' past is revealed shortly into the story.

Celia: A rough around the edges warrior, not much older than Rayne. Celia is a fairly recent recruit to the Imperial army, she shows great potential and is a skilled combatent.

Bethany: The groups healer, she is the niece of Mayor Rendall of Windhold. While not tied to the church she does spend a lot of time there. Bethany is also around the same age as Bethany and Celia.

More characters will be met throughout the groups travels but these are the early allies you will encounter.

Credits
All work on the game been done by myself, I've garnered a few hints and tips from various pages on this forum, but mostly it's been trial and error and just playing around with settings to see how everything works. This is my first attempt at game making and as such any and all criticsm and advice is gladly taken.

Special thanks to Night_Runner for helping out with a script when it was needed.

Screenshots

[Show/Hide]

Redmount Inn:


Redmount Mine entrance:


A strange encounter:

Current Demo Version: V0.17
DL Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?tzd0bei3r9gbrct

This post has been edited by Obax: Jun 23 2012, 03:52 PM

[Obax]

Update

Uploaded a new version of the demo and officially named it as V0.01. DL link can be found at the bottom of the original post.

This demo contains the newest version of the starting town and has had quite a few cosmetic tweaks in various areas. The first dungeon area is also populated although as it is an area more for narrative purposes than anything else the enemies are weak and do not give XP. The current starting point is not where the character will begin the final game, I plan on adding a narrative section at the beginning of the game in future versions.

I'd really appreciate feedback on the current layout of the game area, the cosmetic appeal of the project so far and of course any bugs in the various events that you may come across. Of course any other advice or comments are also very welcome.

[incarnum]

keep pluggin away man, very simple so far but simple can be good. I STRONGLY suggest a name change though, Azeroth is a world of warcraft realm, and no one will take you seriously, because world of warcraft came first :\

[Obax]

keep pluggin away man, very simple so far but simple can be good. I STRONGLY suggest a name change though, Azeroth is a world of warcraft realm, and no one will take you seriously, because world of warcraft came first :\

Thanks for the input, i'll consider a few alternative names. I've never played warcraft so that's the first of me hearing about it, i'm glad someone brought it to my attention

[Obax]

Ok folks, here's version 0.02: http://www.mediafire.com/?d65kocz5a4eyah6 - This includes the RTP as i've added a few new resources.

In this version:

• New town
• First 'cutscene' of any real length
• Meet your first two party members.
• Access to the first section of the world map.

I've spent most of the time on this testing events to make sure everything runs as it should, now that this is done I can start adding more content for the next release. I'm having a few problems finding battlers that I like for the enemies so the ones that are in currently may not be final, I'd rather get more development done now and then change the battlers at a later date once i've found some more suitable ones.

There still isn't a great deal of gameplay in at the moment but i'm hoping for a few people to take a run through and let me know of any little bugs I may have missed in the event scripting as well as any other suggestions they may have.

- Obax

[MyPhantomile]

I played some of your game yesterday and what you had so far was pretty good. Here's a list of suggestions that popped into my mind as I played:

• Writing - Sometimes it can be rather flat and uninteresting. I suggest going through it again and correcting the very minor grammatical mistakes made within it. (The event scene just prior to gaining the two party members was excellently done!)
• Placement - I was going to comment on the mapping, particularly indoors. Often things like cupboards and kitchentops were placed on the wall as opposed to in front of it. It seems from the first screenshot this has been sorted!
• Rugs - In your game it wasn't uncommon to find you used the carpet/rug tile to cover the whole floor in a house. I suggest avoiding this (or at least editing it to look a little more natural). It's somewhat messy, but with the right amount of editing it could look natural.
• Mapping - The mapping outdoors can sometimes be a little plain. It wouldn't hurt to post some images for critiquing.
• Battles - I assume this will change with later updates, but for now the battles are dry and lifeless. Maybe a few more skills would spruce things up.

Other than those few things, the game looks good. It did go at a rather fast pace, however, so I suggest slowing things down a bit before jumping right into the story. The main event where your two party members join was pretty good, and I really liked the shift in camera when it played out.

[Obax]

Thanks for the comments, I'll try and improve the things you've mentioned. I'm still getting to grips with the mapping system and getting everything laid out just right. The event scene is my favourite part so far, I spent quite a lot of time playing through it and tweaking minor things till I felt it was right.

I'm planning on adding another event scene at the beginning of the game as well as a short spell where the characters are just going about thier daily business before the adventure(hence the gate in the mines) but I want to crack on with the main body of the game first, I'll be adding a few sidequests in as well to try and vary things a little, I actually finished the first one the other night and it will be in the next demo.

As far as the battle system goes that will change but most likely not until i'm 100% sure what I want to do with it, I'm still looking for better images for the enemies as well, I just don't think the original sets have the type of enemies I want to be using.

Thanks again for taking an interest and hopefully you'll be pleased with what comes out in the next version

[MyPhantomile]

I'd be more than happy to play it again! There are some nifty little tricks with the Maker. My favourite (and one you should make use of!) is using the Shift key. If you didn't happen to know about it, it will allow you copy a tile exactly as it was laid down on the map. This would be excellent to use on the carpets in the homes.

Battle Systems are tedious things to sort out. I'm about 20 hours into making a game and so far 5/6 hours of that has been tweaking around 6/7 enemies and implementing skills. It's fun, but it can get tiring.

As it stands, I think you should connect the beginning and the event scene together, filling it up with story and perhaps even starting on a couple of sidequests. It can't hurt, and I'm sure it would make a greater impact on those who play it if they feel they're actually advancing in the story.

[Obax]

Another quick update:
V0.03 DL link: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?qa7n17i2xkqj5hp

In this version:

• 2 new sidequests.
• 2 new 'dungeon' areas(still to be fully tested and decorated)
• 1 small puzzle room
• 1 new unique weapon.
• Access to the second part of the world map(albeit empty for now but I have made a modification for the demo to allow you back to the Windhold area. (Using the bridge from the Aldin side will clear the rubble and allow you back across..)
• New skill for Hero & warrior party member.

I'm really looking for thoughts on the difficulty of the first few encounters of the new dungeon area, I've still got a lot of window dressing to do with both of these as well as new enemies to put in for the second one but my main concern at the moment is getting the balance right for the first main dungeon area.

As always any comments or criticsm is welcome and i'll do my best to take any suggestions on board( a few changes have already been made thanks to myphantomiles previous comments.)

[MyPhantomile]

Hello there, Obax. I'm just letting you know that I'll download your demo in a few short moments and give you another reply shortly. I'm looking forward to the changes.

EDIT:

Title Screen

Possible to change? I imagine it's a random image plucked from the web but not only that it doesn't seem to hold any relevance (as of yet!)

Magnus' Home

Armour on the wall. Swords on the wall. Carpet still a bit unnatural. Possible to make a smaller, rectangular rug?

Redmount

Liked the farm outside of the village, implying there's more than just the houses inside the fence.

Mayor's House

Incorrect Face Graphic for the character sprite.

Battle

Three Mages battle is still a little simple. Poison was a good touch, though perhaps remained too easy. I faced 3 battles before them, didn't level up once and still beat them with ease.
Celia's Power Attack needs to be fixed. There's no message, and apparently no effect on the Smuggler who I used it on. It was a hit.

Crystal Event

Pretty simple. It had been just a moment or two since leaving the village and now suddenly I've saved it. When the demonic voice comes in, you could make the screen tint, maybe shake, to imply that it's power is supreme and that it's entering Ralph's mind.

Outside Mines

Spruce up the wildlife a bit, make it a bit more foresty and natural. For what it is, it's a little bare.

Windhelm Church

Fireplace upstairs could be made to animate fire. As it is, it's just a still image

Animations

Animations could do with changing. Depending on the type of weapon used, change attack animations to match that.

Investigating the bridge

Bethany's text cuts off when investigating the bridge north of the abandoned farm.

Farmhouse

The kind-hearted female who always believes in burying bodies properly is somewhat of a cliche. In realistic terms, a close relative may wish to bury them. I'd suggest having Bethany mention his death when approaching a proper authority. Sounds boring as sin, I know, but it's a little more realistic! Direction Fix needs to be set. Investigating the body from below results in a flickering graphic.

Secret Basement

Battles still aren't hard enough. Perhaps reducing the enemies' HP and increasing their attack will raise the difficulty but at the same time not putting players at a distinct disadvantage.

Forest outside of secret basement

My God, the wolves are vicious! Fast, hard to escape and a ton of health. Again, I'd suggest lowering their attack my a smidge and their health. That, or increase the actors' ATK. I got to level 4/5 by the end and barely made a scratch on anything.

General

Add more events detailing the world around you. i.e Mayor's House - Investigating the piano may lead to a few simple notes being played out and then a message from Ralph?
Houses could do with some change in shape. Maybe make a couple 'L' shapes or maybe adding windows on the upper floor. (For larger buildings)
Waterfall needs animations. It needs an animation for when the water falls and for when the water lands in the pool at the bottom.

Those are all the comments I had to make when I was playing the game. Remember to read over everything and correct any mistakes as there were a few. Nothing serious, but just a slip here or there. Maybe even recruit somebody to do it for you! Other than that it's looking good. It's a lot of criticism for which I apologise, but correcting these simple little things should really set you off for a good game. Keep up the good work!

This post has been edited by MyPhantomile: Apr 4 2012, 05:06 PM

[Obax]

Thanks again for the comments, I've addressed most of the quicker fixes and I've corrected the problem with both the rage attack for the bandits and the power attack for Celia(Also created a new animation for that). Slightly tweaked the stats of the enemies in the secret passage/hideout. Did you get the two quest rewards? The one I'm a little anxious to know about is the reward for rescuing sophia, should make damaging your enemies a little easier

Here's an updated DL for the 'fixed' version (without the RTP) if anyone is interested: http://www.mediafire.com/?3ebal6aa8il8ape

This post has been edited by Obax: Apr 6 2012, 08:44 AM

[MyPhantomile]

Oh, I completely forgot about the two quests. I thought I had spoken to every NPC. I guess not. I'll give it another download later and comment on them. Keep up the good work!

[Obax]

Big update folks: Version 0.10 (Yup I reckon thats about 10% of development done.)

Download Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?de8c7zkjar297p3
(This version includes a couple of bug fixes from the first V0.10)

In this version:

• New Intro.
• New sidequest.
• New & revamped bosses.
• New enemies.
• New skills.
• New party member.
• New town.

And a nice chunk of story progression

There are some events etc which haven't been fully tested so if you come across anything then please let me know and i'll get it fixed asap.

Enjoy

This post has been edited by Obax: Apr 13 2012, 10:32 AM

[Obax]

Found a major bug. Well, I say bug, an error on my part due to testing in sections. If you've downloaded the current version then when you reach the second forest are you will find a gap that is too small to pass, that has been fixed in this download: http://www.mediafire.com/?526sm6kt0uspuwu

[Obax]

Another update. V0.15: http://www.mediafire.com/?yn53xyb05r9y4pi

This update contains several bug fixes. Tweaks to enemy stats to better balance combat, new cutscene, a good bit of plot progression and a new town/island.

As usual let me know of any bugs you may come across so I can sort them asap. The next update will contain at least two more dungeon areas so keep an eye out for it. I would also say that there is now at the very least 2 hours of gameplay and that's if you're rushing through the game.

A couple of things I may tweak in the next version are the secondary enemies in the first boss battle(feedback appreciated) and I may well change the name of the game from it's working title.

Best regards,
Obax.

[Obax]

Hey folks.

Got another little update here. I wasn't planning on releasing anything just yet as I'm still working on two major areas but I've been told of a few minor bugs that were, well, bugging me so I've fixed them in this update and you'll even get a little sneak peek at the Hall of Warriors. I'd recommend saving the game BEFORE entering the hall as the area is still a work in progress so switches and variables etc may change in there which could result in breaking your save.

Anyway here it is, Version 0.16: http://www.mediafire.com/?9q6az8lr446x7ew

A quick note also, I will be changing the games name from it's working title to simply "Awakenings" in one of the next updates so if you don't see the thread it's only because the name has changed.

Enjoy!
-Obax

[amerk]

Obax, if you want this moved to Project Demo, please shoot me a PM. Otherwise, keep up the good work. This seems like it will make for a fun, simple game.

[amerk]

Bumping this for you since you pm'ed me for feedback. Overall, it's not a bad start. It's primarily RTP, which is fine, and the mapping is simple but certainly not the worst I've seen. Some times the simplicity makes a game a bit more enjoyable if for nothing more than a casual play through. There is one area of focus that needs fixed, and it's the lining of the trees. It's off somewhere, creating a sort of ugly grid around the area:




The story is also fine, with hardly a mistake in writing mechanics, although I agree the story does appear a bit wooden at times, and some scenes felt rushed, such as fighting those wizards in the mines. The battle system is rather boring. Once you get to the smugglers, it picks up a little, but overall it's primarily a grind fest with both parties (yours and the enemy's) spamming attacks on one another. I couldn't understand why there were random encounters in the mines when the main encounter (the rats) didn't drop any EXP or gold. It just felt like filler, and it made me want to hurry through the mines even faster.

It's certainly not one of the "must play" games, but considering some of what's been released recently, it's pretty enjoyable for what it is. Good luck with the rest of the project.

[Obax]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm not overly happy with the combat just yet, I have a couple of ideas for making it a little more interesting which I'll be working on once I finish the next part of the story, there's a point coming fairly soon that I feel will make for a good cliffhanger/point to stop and go back over what's already there. If im honest the current version is about 10 minutes away from quite a large story reveal(and an event that I'm quite proud of) which clarifys a little more exactly what is going on but I'm in two minds whether I should release the next update now or wait until I've completed the next big section. Drip feeding updates is a bit of a pet hate of mine.

Anyway I'm digressing, thanks again for the feedback, hopefully once I've revamped and balanced the combat it should be a much more enjoyable experience... watch this space

[Obax]

Version 0.17

http://www.mediafire.com/?tzd0bei3r9gbrct

This is the first version without the working title, as mentioned in a previous post the game is now titled "Awakenings".

New in this version:

Muna Hall of Warriors is now complete.
Story Progression(and even a cheeky little history lesson)

The next step is the tower near Aldin, you'll find that the door will open but you won't be able to enter as it is currently under construction.

I'm looking at making quite a few changes to the systems and balancing the combat better after finishing the next major section of gameplay. No ETA on this as yet but keep an eye out. As usual all feedback is appreciated.

Enjoy!

This post has been edited by Obax: Jun 23 2012, 03:54 PM