Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
Cambridge Series
The Cambridge Series is a set of installments or 'episodes' of the main characters that will appear in the final game, which will be titled Cambridge. Each episode will ultimately tie into the events, as well as relationships, that develop in the main game. I bring to you the first installment of the series, used with RPG Maker Vx.
Origins
In the Beginning
The world, and everything of divine spirit, was said to have been made by four Gods. These Gods have been coined the Gods of Myst:
Nael - The Goddess of Elements Chrodai - The God of Time Brodin - The God of Disease and Malice Relina - The Goddess of Restoration
These deities ruled for eons, and in time, decided to use their powers to conceive life. This led to the birth of countless civilizations and creations, as well as their destruction. The Gods grew bored of organisms with no thought process of their own. So, they began experimenting; perhaps they should endure feelings of love. Or experience happiness. This proved taxing, for emotions come naturally in pairs with their opposites, and without the guidance of the Gods, the civilizations were unable to thrive.
Relina, the only God to have not created a world below, proposed an idea; freewill - a characteristic they all dared not bestow upon any creation. Brodin and Chrodai were skeptical, but Nael, being the overseer of the group, was intrigued. It would be a one time affair, allow them to see how another lifeform would function at their level of intellect, and it would also prove the loyalty of the inhabitants of this new world. Persuaded, Brodin and Chrodai agreed, and they all put forth their power to cultivate a world unlike any other.
History of Cambridge
History of Cambridge
The first inhabitants of this world were known as PatenKind; beings born with a physical appearance strikingly similar to that of the Gods. With long arms and legs, pointed ears, and gargantuan hands, the sole difference between PatenKind and their creators was their hair color; an ocean deep blue. On Relina's whim, PatenKind also possessed the divine spirit of the Gods, limited to the creation of new life. Thus, PatenKind were born with, and able to learn new, Mystecs; Relur (Restoration), Elur (Elements), Chroec (Time), and Infec (Disease); The Gods wrote books containing a vast amount of Mystec spells termed the Mystian Texts which the PatenKind used to learn more Mystec spells.
The PatenKind roamed the land of Cambridge for years before the Gods grew tired of the limited variety in their deviations. Although the PatenKind were able to interact peacefully, and with little conflict, the Gods wanted to increase the number of factors in the world. This led to the creation of Humans; beings that were a derivative of the PatenKind. Their arms and legs were shorter, their hair a vast array of colors outside of blue, and their spirit's lacked the purity of PatenKind.
Humans were divided into three classes of divinity;
Mystites - Able to learn myst, but were not born with it. Magites - Born with the capability to naturally use a specific type of myst, but unable to learn new ones. Metities - Unable to learn, neither were born with, Mystecs.
This brought about a huge change, and the PatenKind were quickly able to adjust to the new species. They happily interacted with the Humans, showing them techniques of survival, from farming, to hunting, and the art of myst.
Centuries have passed, and the once peaceful world of Cambridge has turned sour, riddle with greed, hatred, envy, and death. Nael, Brodin, and Chrodai, fearful that the actions will persist and consume the lives of the Cambridgians, decide that perhaps it may be time to start again...
Relina will fight tooth and nail to prevent Cambridge's destruction, and five Cambridge dwellers are unknowingly intertwined by fate to help Relina accomplish that goal.
These are their stories before this task unfolds before them.
Episode 1: In Death is Life
Labeled a murderer and traitor, Veront Ashk has wandered the world of Cambridge searching for a soul brave, and strong enough, to end the frivolous life laid out before him. For many years he has traveled the land, challenging any who appeared capable of granting his wish. But to no avail. No steel has proven too strong, no magic too powerful; he has endured countless battles and lived.
His quest for death has left his soul empty and hollow, his mind focused on nothing more than to undone his wrong. To be by her side.
He had promised her, and the least he could do was fulfill that promise. Even if it had been made over 70 years ago..
Traveling the sparsely populated land of Iria, embark with Veront on his quest for eternal rest, and his search for self-compassion.
Characters
Veront Ashk Adorned with the features of an 18 year old boy, many are taken aback by his pertinent wisdom, and skill. His past has left him with no hope or drive, unless it is connected to a way for him to finally leave this world. He travels with Garth, a friend he stumbled upon and holds dear, although he is not quick to admit it.
Garth Banfurd Veront's only friend, he is one of few that know of Veront's ailment, as well as the secret that is slowly eating away at the tattered life he lives. The top-student at the North Olander Chroec Academy, he was expelled after engaging in a battle with Veront on school grounds. He has then spent the remaining ten years as a Free Mystitian, working as an escort/bodyguard, and keeping hope alive in Veront's heart.
World
Cities of Iria - The Southern Province of Cambridge
The story takes place in Iria, the province located in the southern region of Cambridge.
Rova A way-faring town, it is Iria's biggest city. Working as the sole connector to Sovereign, the Northern Province of Cambridge, it regulates the import and export of goods via the Cambridge Caravan and Myst Mail.
Silro A large town located on the edge of the Forest of Ir, it is home to the Silroian Guard: a faction that was notorious in the Age of Farce, when anarchy was Iria's sole ruler. Although many years have passed since the Silroian Guard has been given an incentive to take up arms, they handle tiny dilemmas that surface throughout their region, in addition to being the primary escort for prospective mystitians to the Trials of Ash; the preliminary exam into the Isle of Ir Academy.
Gorras Nestled at the feet of the Nastal Mountains, Gorras is a city of miscreants and deviants. A town ruled by one law only, its inhabitants are primarily thieves, bounty hunters, gamblers, swindlers, and any other shady profession known to man. Many are told to venture within Gorras at their own risk, but with a well-established and organized black market under their belt, many are able to find quite the bargain; even though few leave with it.
Kingdom of Nastal A giant castle located in the mountains of Iria, it was once the living space of the first King and Queen Patenkind. After being overrun and shepherded to the south-eastern province of Genis, the hierarchy was abolished, and the Patenkind have resided there ever since. It has therefore remained abandoned, although rumors have spread that it just might be inhabited...
Forest of Ir A forested area that separates Iria from the sea, it contains two sections:
Forest of Green The first section, containing normal forestry filled with towering trees, wild animals, and wild plants.
Forest of Ash Written in legend, it was said the Gods made a volcano rise from the depths of the sea, erupting with such force that Cambridge rose from the water above it. The amount of ash that followed suit was so great, that it still falls to this day. This section of the Forest of Ir is enshrouded in a blanket of ash that never seems to stop falling. It is here that the Trials of Ir begin.
Irian Beach An area right on the edge of the Vespus sea, it is the ending place for those able to complete the Trials of Ash. The successful Mystitians are given a chance to rest before journeying to the Isle of Ir by boat.
Isle of Ir A Relur Academy, it is one of the most prestigious Mystite Academies in the world. Thus the arduous trial one must attempt to get in. Housed in a castle covered in a white that spreads from the walls to the students that live within, it is located on the outer edge of the Vespus Sea.
Story-Driven Gameplay The object of this episode (and the ones to come) is to give you a chance to see into the life of Veront Ashk before the main problem or conflict arises to show how he, and all the other characters, are linked to one another. Understanding this will be helpful, or interesting, for when the final game comes out. These episodes will be story-driven, utilizing different game play and game interfaces to tell each character's scenario.
Original Facesets There will be 5 episodes featuring the 5 main characters that will appear in the final project. The final project, Cambridge, will be doubled, if not more, in size, when it is put into development and finished. That being said, I figured I might as well start off with custom face portraits for the main characters instead of using edited facesets, then completely switching it up when the ultimate project comes out.
Story-Progressing Battles/Mini Games This being my first rpg maker project altogether, let alone my first project released into public, I have a lot of ideas to play around with. One being a game where the progression of the story isn't solely centered on defeating a boss when you get to a certain point in the game. There will be puzzles to solve, riddles to uncover, and many more opportunities to progress the game aside from fighting.
Good Ol' Front View Battle-System/Edited Battle Backgrounds Need I say more.
Quest System There will be a section in the game where the player will have the chance to complete odd jobs to obtain money and further the game. There will be more quests for the player to complete outside of the ones that further the story. (I'm debating whether there will be quests that will effect the player's status in the final game. I'm thinking about it.)
Mystite System It will be a system similar to the materia system found in Final Fantasy 7. Depending on the type of mystite you acquire and equip, you will be able to use Mystecs infused in that Mystite. The Mystecs vary depending on the Mystite you use, and, depending on who equips it, can have negative effects on the user, as well as positive effects.
Heavy Eventing/Minor Scripting This game will be heavily evented. As I am new to scripting, I will be tweaking the scripts already established in rpg maker vx in an attempt to get my ears wet with the whole idea, and integrating as few outside sources as possible I will implement more scripts as more episodes are developed.
Custom Soundtrack The music that will be heard in the game (not every song composed, but some) will be updated and found in this link. It will all be composed by me. Listen Here -> CS - Veront Ashk
Credits
Current Resources Used
DefiledCore - Veront Faceportrait Famitsu.com - Sprite Generator RPG Maker VX 883377779999, Epic Ancient - Battlebacks MrBlaceano - Battlers E39402, CLOSET - Emosets/Facesets Mog Hunter, The Law G14 - Scripts M4uesviecr, Bjorn Lynn [Tempoary] - Music Music Track: A Sinister Maze, Zombie Chase (Battle/Boss Battle) Composer: Bjorn A. Lynn (PRS) License his music from: www.Shockwave-Sound.com Lunareth - Title Screen
DEMO!
Demo is here ->
Before you begin playing, I must state one thing:
In the game, I have yet to incorporate a script that disables you from removing the equipped Mysticite that both of the main characters have equipped at the beginning of the game.
Basically, it should be that you CANNOT unequip these items, but I have yet to implement it. So, to stick with the script of the storyline, I urge you to NOT UNEQUIP the THUNDITE and ILLUSIONITE.
For those who play, I would love it if you would leave some commentary. And for any of you that see an error (no matter how miniscule) please PM me about it!
This version DOES include the RTP. If you would like for me to upload a version without the RTP, let me know and I will do so. (I saw this as being more convienient, especially for those who do not have RTP at the time.)
The Credits have been updated, but not completely. I still need to go back through my stache and give credit where it is do. Some artwork is still unaccounted for, and I apologize if I offend anyone because of that.
Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
UPDATE!
Nearly finished with the prison portion of the game. When completed, I will edit the screenshot section and post a few more new maps. In addition to that, I have a few tracks composed (by me) for the project that will be uploaded to the main page in due time. Hopefully tomorrow, but definitely sometime this week!
This post has been edited by m4uesviecr: Dec 26 2011, 11:30 AM
Your screen shots need some work, I fear the maps are too big with little detail. I would make the maps smaller and add more detail. other then that interesting game and concept.
__________________________
Games I am working on | Each image is a link to the game
Didn't I mention something to you about decorating the outside facing walls? Even if the PC can't see it the person playing the game can, and so it must be tended to!
Your music reminds me of Final Fantasy in many ways, FF8 especially. I personally like it. It may not be on a professional level, but in the context of a game it is right on key for what I'd be expecting, and that's important.
The game sounds pretty good, but I can't get a full grasp of how ambitious it is.
Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
Ah! Another mapping tip to put into effect! Thank you!
I'm glad you like the music. Me personally, the quality is killing me, especiallu since I'm used to composing music of much higher quality. But, a harddrive cleanup rid me of my music editong software, so I have to make do until I can buy it again.
And as far as ambition, I want to push myself a good bit, this being my first game, but I plan to push the envelope further with each episode.
More outside scripts (hopefully ones I have made), more outside tilessets, edited battlers, etc.
Looking at your recent project I understand why you would think my project may not come across as very ambitious though.
Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
I'm working hard on the game! A demo is looming really close.
I've finished with one section of the game, now to work on section 2/5! Once that is finished, a demo will be released.
UPDATE!
As of recently, I sought out an artist to make a title screen picture for me! She finished the portrait here and I feel compelled to upload it!
Behold, Ze Beauteh!
A huge thanks to Lunareth from deviantart! Quite an amazing artist!
Unfortunately, this title screen is too big and I had intended on the main character to be facing away from the title screen. (Due to my lack of preparation as far as giving her size details and specifics)
I will have my dreamt of title, but this one is still breathtaking.
I definitely plan on her making more! ----- Anyway, more updates to come, hopefully some with music.
This post has been edited by m4uesviecr: Jan 6 2012, 05:30 PM
Group: Director
Posts: 6,347
Type: None
RM Skill: Undisclosed
You've obviously put a lot of work into this so far, and I like where the story is (and is going). Good organisation on your topic, by the way (looks clean - and thank you for not making everything on the page centred, lol). =]
You're working on your mapping and at least giving it attention, so that's good. Can't wait to see how well it turns out once you've got the mapping skill down. ^^ Good concept overall, and I can see some funny situations happening in this game if you do them right. =D
Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
@Adrien; Thanks for your compliment. I do think I still need some work on my mapping, but I also think it's the fact that I'm solely using RTP for this first episode. I'm sure it comes off as a total eyesore to many. I'm positive I can do more though; I'll keep working to try and make my maps somewhat appealing!
@X-M-O: I'm glad you like where the story is heading! I'm planning on putting out a demo once I have Gorras finished. I think that would probably be the best place to end the game if I were to put out a demo, so I'm hoping to get this one down as soon as I can. I still have four more to do! But I'm really excited about them. I'll keep on striving to improve on my mapping.
Group: Member
Posts: 94
Type: Musician
RM Skill: Skilled
UPDATE!
Gorras theme has been written! Battle Theme - Push Forward has been written Silro Guard Theme has been updated! Silro Prison Theme has been written! First sector of Gorras has been mapped! 1/2 way done eventing the first sector of Gorras!
- New songs have been added that can be heard in the Music portion of the 'Features' spoiler-
This post has been edited by m4uesviecr: Jan 23 2012, 05:52 PM
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Cambridge Series, [Veront Ashk] Chapter 1 (1/3) Demo Out! (5/18) MOVE TO PD!
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Nov 29 2011, 05:10 PM
