Venerable Tales, Demo 1.0.2 Released: April 1st, 2012 Options

[Ecut]

RPG Maker VX

"Would you like to hear a story? This is a tale of braves heroes and mystical creatures... The history of our world... The Venerable Tales..."

[Show/Hide] Backstory

Long ago, at the beginning of time, lived three races in harmony; humans, elves, and conjurers. Each their own a special skill. But peace never last... In each heart dwells a small amount of hatred and evil. Over many centuries, all of the world's hate bore an evil creature of demonic powers that wrecked havoc all over the planet. Three heroes, one of each race, defeated the Darklord with help from the Gods and sealed it away. To encrypt the seal, they used the power of the four element stones. After these events, the three races split and went to separate continents and peace was restored again.
But peace never lasts...

[Show/Hide] Current

Follow Jules Bernard, a 19 year old egotistic swordsman with only one wish, to serve his country as a respected and valiant knight. On his journey, his destiny and forgotten heritage is revealed to him in unexpected ways which will dramatically change his life forever.
Along the way, he'll meet a cast of unique characters who'll aid him in receiving the blessing he so direly needs to put a halt to events reoccurring and the rupture of peace that will soon take place.

[Show/Hide] Jules Bernard

Age: 19
Class: Swordsman
Abilities: Swordplay & White Magic.
Element: Holy
Race: Human
Location: Rouser
Summary: Jules is an over-confident, egotistic narcissist who strives to be the best and thoroughly believes that there is nothing that he can't achieve. Many are annoyed by the fatal flaw and from time to time he receives are friendly thump on the head because of it. Though he is egotistic, he is not selfish; his goal in life is to help the people of Rouser. He cares for those around him(but doesn't show it all of the time).
Notable traits: Egotistic, cocky, selfless, kind.

[Show/Hide] Elliot Chalke

Age: 18
Class: Lancer
Abilities: Spearplay
Element: Fire
Race: Human
Location: Rouser
Summary: Even if Jules will never admit to it, Elliot is his closest friend since birth. This beautiful perky girl is twice the man he'll ever be, though. This tomboy is very strong and independent. However, she is also extremely blunt, upfront, and acts decisively which will surely get her in trouble one day. If she does a favour for you she'll be expecting something in return.
Notable traits: Perky, tomboy, blunt, honest, decisive.

[Show/Hide] Fleché Ralph

Age: 17
Class: Hunter
Abilities: Hunt
Element: Earth
Race: Human
Location: Grotz
Summary: Fleché is a modest village girl whose neurosis sometimes gets the best of her. It is amazing how one so clumsy can manage to be such a talented bows-woman. Unfortunately, Fleché oftentimes gets in her own way, and, somehow, in everyone else's too. She is always there to lend a helping hand but you'd have to be desperate to take it because she would wind up tripping and taking you with her.
Notable traits: Excitable, neurotic, kind, accident prone, clumsy.

[Show/Hide] Yua Rendarie

Age: 26
Class: Ninja
Abilities: Steal & Ninjutsu
Element: Fire
Race: Human
Location: Balgen
Summary: Yua is a very mysterious man who no one really knows about. Not even the king who he is very loyal to know anymore then his name and his talent. He shows no emotion and only seems to care about one thing: the current task on hand. Perhaps he is traumatized? Or maybe he was raised to see emotions as a burden? Who knows.
Notable traits: Mysterious, quiet, emotionally numb, modest, loyal.

[Show/Hide] Zeiss McAdory

Age: 20
Class: Black Mage
Ability: Black Magick
Element: Air
Race: Conjurer
Location: Anima
Summary: Zeiss is the only being on the face of the planet whose ego rivals that of Jules. This playful fellow loves a challenge and is open to any game. Just don't try to make him work! Like a sloth, Zeiss wants nothing more than to lounge around. Although he hides it well, Zeiss is actually a bit of a coward on the inside. Maybe his ego is just a mask?
Notable traits: Egotistic, playful, lazy, cowardly.

[Show/Hide] Nevaeh Babette

Age: 19
Class: White Mage
Ability: White Magick
Element: Water
Race: Elf
Location: Anima
Summary: A stunning elf with a mysterious past. Abandoned as an infant with only her sister, the Elder of Anima was kind enough to take her in. Nevaeh needs and asks for no help and always seems to be carrying a bit of a chip on her shoulder. It's too bad beauty is only skin-deep; in laymen's term, Nevaeh is a bitch who makes no attempt to hide it.
Notable traits: Edgy, bitchy, mean, witty, independent.

[Show/Hide] Screenshots

[Show/Hide] Features

- Black and white magick from FF4, as well as many others.
- Quest system (inc. side quests).
- Cut scenes.
- Skits.
- Final Fantasy IV: The After Years styled sprites.
- Side view ATB system.
- Overdrive system.
- A large cast of characters.
- No Ralph!!!

[Show/Hide] Credits

Square-Enix.
Everyone who had a part in The Tankentai SBS/ATB.
Kylock.
Mr. Bubble.
Whoever made the Mode 7 script(they did not sign their name).
Dargor.
Modern Algebra.
Jens009.
Falcao.
Battleback modifier script creator(also not signed).
Yanfly.
BulletXt.
CruzCoda.
Woratana.
Ahref.
KGC.
Grafikal.
Yanfly.
Cozziekun.
CrimsonSeas.
Petrify script creator(also not signed).
Jet10985
Thorondor
Synthesize
A person who made a port map which I based Port au Port off of. I unfortunately do not remember their username and could not find the map again. (I believe it was from this site.)
Rmrk.net
Rpgmakervx.net
Spriters-resource.com
Cooltext.com
Vgmusic.com
Bluelaguna.net
Youtube.com

I apologize if I have forgotten anyone!!

[Show/Hide] Demo Link

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?tlc4klpisug6i19

Notes:
- Does not include RTP Data.
- Make sure you run using start.
- Took me 4:34:43 to complete.
- Approximately 20-25% of game.
- There are hidden treasures, fake walls, etc., so make sure to look around.
- 10 skits to be viewed.
- 3 side-quests.
- Please give me feedback on it and report any bugs.

Version History:

<Version 1.0> 27/03/12: Initial release of demo 1.0.
<Version 1.0.1> 29/03/12: BGM overlapping fix.
<Version 1.0.2> 01/04/12: Minor bug fix, option to skip intro.

Notes:
This is a revamp of an old project that was posted here.
The only thing that is similar is the very basic parts of the story, everything else has been redone; story, characters, most everything. Sooooo if you played the monstrosity that was the old project then please don't judge this on that.
That topic for the old project has long since been deleted. I wish to keep it that way because I feel that Venerable Tales can be considered an entirely new game(hence the name change) that doesn't need to be anchored by its past self.
I play-tested the demo and I didn't run into any problems but if you do please please report them! It is easy for me to miss things haha.
Please don't say how the tilesets and characters clash, I am aware of this.
Lastly... Enjoy.

This post has been edited by Ecut: Apr 1 2012, 03:17 AM

[McMuffin]

Wow, looks very nice o: I don't know about the sprites though... However, it's always great to see a skit system in use. The story and characters both look well thought through as well. Demo please~ (;

This post has been edited by McMuffin: Apr 4 2011, 06:21 PM

[Ecut]

Yay! My first reply! Thank you for the kind words.
The demo will be released once I remap one of the levels, finish three more portraits, a couple more skits to event, and replay it to check for bugs!

[Twidge]

Darn, I thought the title said Vegetable Tales... I was looking forward to seeing Larry the Cucumber XD

All joking aside, Your characters and story seem very well thought out! I wish you luck

[Ecut]

Darn, I thought the title said Vegetable Tales... I was looking forward to seeing Larry the Cucumber XD

All joking aside, Your characters and story seem very well thought out! I wish you luck

Now every time I look at the title, I see that and laugh...
And thank you kind user!

[squirrelmg]

This sounds like a nice classic RPG.

You'll need custom tilesets though. The characters look like ants in that environment where all the objects around them are so much bigger.

But this sounds like a nice game! I look forward to seeing more about it.

[Ecut]

Thanks!
That is a problem, however. Where RMVX uses 32x32 tiles and FF4 uses 16x16 tiles it does not match up. If there was a script where you could change screen size to make it 50% smaller(I know that bwdyeti has one for rmxp) then I could make the character sprites 2x zoom, the FF4 tiles 2x zoom, and then used a script that makes the screen 1/2 the size then it would work perfectly.
Unfortunately, though, I am unable to find a script to that nature and I do not know RGSS2.
If you ever see such a script, please do inform me.

This post has been edited by Ecut: Apr 7 2011, 09:46 AM

[kayden997]

No Ralph!!!

Well, I never... This would be a direct insult to me!

I like the introduction, and the beginning with the wizard saying "Would you like to hear a story?...." It reminds me of that game I saw on the gametrailers.com podcast... forgot what it was....

Did you do the art yourself? It pretty decent so great job in that, if not then great source.

Your maps are decent especially the use of two types of wall tiles (never thought of that) but the battle map didn't match your potential skill. Do you plan on changing/improving that?

Just a question of thought, if the demo is 4hrs long, don't you have to request this to the "long demos" section?

[Ecut]

Thanks, I did to the art myself!
Yeah the battle maps are not the best... It is a bit harder to do because I don't want to have objects in the way of where enemies and units stand/move . But I could definitely try changing some of them!
As for the long demo part. I do plan on requesting it when the demo is ready for release. At the moment it'll be another month+ (especially considering I decided to switch to Kaduki so I have to make several sets of battle sprites).
Thanks for your comment! I appreciate your interest.

[Ecut]

Hi all!
I thought I would give you all a little update.
So as you've probably noticed, I haven't been active. This is because my computer's burnt(literally)... I forgot to take off the casing and clean the small fan that is on the hard drive and it burnt it up... SOOOO I have to use my roommates computer which I can only use sometimes.
I still have the game and such(kept it all backed up on a usb drive) and I have been working on portraits and battle sprites for kaduki.
Examples:

Anyway, that's about it.

[Albino Parakeet]

I noticed I am not the only one who thinks the tilesets don't mix well with the character sprites. Are the RTP tiles just there as a filler?

[Ashalinia]

I noticed I am not the only one who thinks the tilesets don't mix well with the character sprites. Are the RTP tiles just there as a filler?

Well before he said he wants to try and get a FF4 style 16x16 tileset pack, so I don't think he's keeping the tiles at that size unless he has to.

[Ecut]

I noticed I am not the only one who thinks the tilesets don't mix well with the character sprites. Are the RTP tiles just there as a filler?

Well before he said he wants to try and get a FF4 style 16x16 tileset pack, so I don't think he's keeping the tiles at that size unless he has to.

She *

And yes, I am looking for scripts that will allow me to use 16x16 tiles or that will allow me to zoom out the screen by half so that it looks like the tiles are 16x16(that way I can double the size of the characters and when zoomed out they would look normal). However, it appears that no such script exists and I do not have a scripter to make one.

[Ashalinia]

She *

Now I feel bad

Yeah I'm pretty sure that sprite size is more accustomed to 2k3 but I could've sworn there was a tile pack that was smaller than the RTP.

[Ecut]

@Ashalinia: Don't worry about.

And hello all! For those who are interested, there is a bunch of new screenshots in the first post now!

[Ashalinia]

In the new screenshots, the only problem I see is the one I saw before. All of the sprites are incredibly small compared to their environment. On the regular maps, the players are small compared to the wall tiles, and in the battles, they are small compared to the buildings/trees battle backgrounds. I only call it a problem if it wasn't intentional though.

[Ecut]

Until a script appears that will shrink the tiles x2 without fooling up everything else or a way to use 16x16 tiles, the odd size ratio will stay. Mostly because I have put too much time and work into making all of the sprites, animations, and such to just throw them away.
I hope you get what I mean.
And doubling the size of the sprites does not work because they become pixelated and odd looking.

This post has been edited by Ecut: May 15 2011, 08:34 AM

[Ecut]

Hi.
If anyone was wondering, this project is not dead! I just haven't had a whole lot of time to work on it with University and stuff.
But just to give you an update:
I've redone a bunch of maps and all of the events are ready for the demo. The only thing I have left to do is to event a few more skits and make 3 more portraits. It took me 4 hours and 2 minutes to complete so it is a decent length.
No new screenshots(unless you guys want some).
That's all!

[amerk]

Well, just about everything that can be said has been said, right down to how the title appearing as "Veggie Tales" upon first glance. I'll break down my thoughts for you:

1. The story has been done quite often, and the villain named Darklord hammered in the final nail. However, since the look and feel of the game comes across as an attempt at being retro, this shouldn't be a problem, as long as the game play features hold up to what is being promised.

2. Inspite of what others say, I love the way the sprite looks. Unfortunately, they seem way too small considering their surroundings, even in the more retro-style screenshots. I think they should be resized to a slightly bigger version.

3. The tilesets do clash, but not just in size (ie., 16x16 vs 32x32). They also clash in style/resolution as well. For example, in the 2nd shot, I really like the way the grass, dirt, and water tile appear. But they clash with the mountains, forest, and castle. Hopefully you do find the means to get the rest of the FFIV tiles resized to your liking. On a side note, I like how you rounded the Mack Forest tile so that the corners aren't black edges. I tried that myself, but failed, but then again I've never been good with image programs.

[Ecut]

Thank you! The retro styled sprites that I have made and used from FFIV:TAY aren't going to be going anywhere, regardless of what people think of them, so I am glad that you like them.
I do agree that the tiles and sprites clash. I tried doubling the size of the sprites and it looks weirder in my opinion(though it I were using the FFIV:TAY tiles it would probably look better).
However, I doubt I will get the retro-styled tile sets complete. I can do the basic tiles but all of the auto tiles I can't do(plus new tiles would have to fit the same way the current ones do which doesn't help matters). Maybe if I ever release the demo and get some interest in the project I will make a request for someone to do it(that's way in the future though ).
On the story part: Yeah, it is a pretty generic story in a nutshell but I have parts planned that hopefully make it not boring.

Just to give a quick update:
I have finished writing the last skits, went back and tweaked events, divided things into nifty chapters, finished all of the maps that needed to be revisited(pretty much doing all those small, pesky things).
The only thing holding back the demo now is the portraits. I want to redo Fleche's and I still have to do Yua's, Zeiss', and Nevaeh's... I truly do hate making them because they take FOREVER to make and I really don't have the time to do them. Therefore I may wind up just using placeholders for them. So if I ever get around to making them then all I would have to do is event the last skits and play test it to make sure everything is running smoothly.

This post has been edited by Ecut: Feb 12 2012, 09:28 PM