The tale of a young Innkeeper who gets caught by his past and embarks on a
journey that sends him to the far reaches of the world.

The Cartographer is a traditional RPG centered on exploration, from the tropical Howling
Island to the cold kingdom of Bornstad.

The world is constantly threatened by Dragons and to fight them, the "old ones" forged the
Dragon Swords- powerful blades that only the Slayers could wield. Whenever a Slayer died,
his descendant would inherit the title.

The story starts in the kingdom of Althendria, when grim news arrive about the far-away campaign
against the dragon Myrniar. The Kingdom's Dragon Slayer has died and immediately the King sends
various messengers throughout the nation in search for his only son, the rightful heir to the title.
One of the messengers reaches Cinnamon Town...

Characters:


Reuben Rainard grew up moving from one town to another and was always on the
road accompanying his father in the laborious task of hunting Dragons.
Determined to find his own path in life, he stays and opens an Inn in Cinnamon Town- but little did
he know that fate and destiny had other plans for him.


Alina Flagg is a black wizard with a strong adventurous spirit and
a charming curiosity of magic - wanting to learn everything there is to know about it.
Due to her knowledge in ancient cultures, Alina is called to join Arcturus in his expedition
to a mysterious Island that is said to be the core of the ancient Yaxtual Civilization.


Arcturus Mortem was born in the Western land of Epherdon. His parents, however,
were originally from Bornstad. Having witnessed the destructive power of Regnar the Dragon Arcturus
obsesses over them and after years of research has begun to understand their behavior- noticing a pattern
in their landings on the planet. But to conclude his studies he needs the help of a Slayer to reach the
legendary Howling Island.




Scripts in use

• Sideview Battle System Version 3.3
  by Enu, Kylock and Mr. Bubble
• Level Up Stat and Display Window by BigEd781
• Battle Background by Moghunter
• Custom Commands by Dargor
• Party Changer by Dargor
• Large Party by Dargor
• Advanced Files by Dargor
• Advanced Help by Dargor
• Optional Battle Music by Sandgolem
• Light Effects VX 1.1 by Kylock
• Smooth Scrolling by Woratana
• Map Credit by Woratana
• Scene_Splash 2.0.2 by D�vic.

Expected game lenght: 4hrs
Game Size non RTP version: 22m
Game size RTP version: 56m




The Cartographer project started as an excuse to experiment with the mapping in VX, trying to leave behind some of its squareness by slightly editing and mixing its RTP, and of course, working within the program's standard tile spaces. Hopefully RMVX users may use this to see ONE way of mapping. If it is good or bad is up to your interpretation.
The game is completely unencrypted for you, to not only show how the maps are put together but also to show how the cutscenes/dialogues are evented. We still hope you give the story a chance and play through it as it was intended though.
If you get something useful out of this- then our work is done. Leave your thoughts for us to view!


The Cartographer Unencrypted

The Cartographer for Non VX users


Thanks to Ketski for going through the whole game fixing bugs and spell checking.

I have downloaded this today.

The fact that it is not encrypted is really usefull to someone like me, who is new to using VX.

I am able to see where and how you amend the tileset and how those changes can be used. Plus of course how you do your events!

I will let you have some proper feedback once I start playing the game, but thought this topic should not go unoticed.

I like the way you morph-combine those RTP-facesets, and the mapping
is quite decent, I must say. However, on the 4th map screenshot (the library-like room)
you could use some lantern "events' with the "!flame" spriteset available on the RTP.

But that's just a suggestion, though

Kaz: Well I hope you get something out of it : )
And the project is also intended to be a two way learning experience, so if you have any suggestion on
how to improve some eventing/mapping/etc method, please share : )

GuyInTraining: You are right, adding those type of events whould really give the map some eyecandy XD

I like the story of this game(I also like the looks of the main character. He dosen't look like the normal, cliché hero, that tends to be a handsome, good looking guy/girl). You could touch up the maps a little bit more, but other from that, it looks pretty good.

I really like the looks of the graphics and I hope I can improve my technique. DLing now. Great idea with the unencrypted format, it will help many such as myself improve their vx mapping.
Off topic: Rapidshare, nooooooooo! At least they ditched the cat captcha, omg I remember spending 20 minutes trying to download a single file!

Gannon: Did you manage to download it?
Should I upload this in to some other site?

No I got it. Not the best pick in general though. For future uploads I'd recommend mediafire.com 100mb per file free no limits last time I checked and file stays forever.

Hiya, Avadan. I'd like to ask about the blank events that you put on the maps,
like, the three blank events on the north and east road of Cinnamon town for example.

Is there any meaning to it? I'm just curious.

EDIT 5/6/2009: You could also try 4shared,since they had their own upload accelerator.
You have to log in every every 28 days though, or you file would get deleted...

Gannon :Yeah I also prefer Mediafire but it kept freezing at 99% every time I uploaded the file so I went with Rapishare... I´m giving mediafire another try

GuyInTraining: I stay with one event when doing cutscenes, even if the cutscene goes through various maps
So if I wanted to move character/event 43 in the third map of the cutscene I thought I had to make 43 blank events in the map where the cutscene started... that turned out to be unnecessary XP

Edit: Wait wait I got it wrong
those events in Cinnamon town are for the Inn employee´s... when Reuben is leaving

2ndEdit: Damn MediaFire... now it decided to work!

Just finish playing the games....what i can say here is the storyline is great....graphic is looking good and the hero or should i say the main character is different then others....like what Myst has commented...you game really make me wanna to continue to play...btw i was wondering what happen to Arcturus father? is there any plan on continuing to create the story what happen next to Arcturus father? what he will do? will he revenge or just run away. Well great job...keep it up and i enjoy playing this games.

Glad you liked the game Eternitylife
And there are plans on doing a sequel, Its just not very clear if it takes inmediatly after the events of the game or several years later...

Okay, I'm at the and I found the room with the colored balls. What am I supposed to do? I tried many combinations and nothing seems to change.

ilsepants

I'm well past that point but I think you are looking to

Thanks a bunch, anubischick!

Also, why is it that when you cast a spell or the enemy does, a blank box appears across the top? It seems like that box should say what spell is being cast.

Also: In the town with the ring shop (can't think of the name), you refer to a failed "cup." I think you mean coup.

I'm going to review on your game while playing it. I'll just download it soon and start, it seems like a really good game.

Your title screen is impressive, I exceedingly like the music theme, as well as the picture. Oh no, what a disappointment. Some of the text is out of the screen, which means I cannot read the whole text.

This is the script to change the text, place it in the main script, located in Script Editor.


Your writing is great, so far you have no grammar mistakes. I great scene to have the love heart things. The music does sound nice, good for the theme. Interesting, his father was the dragon slayer.

Your mapping skills are quite great, I do like the different roof type material, I might use it myself. Wow, those houses are amazing, I love the roofs. Great resources you got. The Party system thing is great. But with the vegetable place, it probably should be on the patch thing, not on the ground.

The outdoor wilds are great. Oh, and at the castle place on some walls you can walk on them, I'd suggest you fix up that bug. Some invisible floors are blocked, probably you added a event there. You might want to make them walkable. The characters looks great, very medieval type. Yes, the story is very interesting. Wow, this is amazing, the on screen battle picture. I love that! The side view battle system is very nice. Everything else is great, I might continue playing some other time I got up to 40 minutes.

Mapping Skills 9/10
Story 10/10
Event Designs 7/10
Overall Mark 8/10

Don't double post
~HeroOfHyla

Hi Michael, glad you liked the game, I get that you write your review while you play the game but its a bit confusing to know where the bugs are or where to correct something either way thx for your comments and I hope you find the time to finish the game

Considering that most people are reporting the same bugs, I have updated the downloads to a bug free version... hopefully XD
If you haven't gotten to the sky fortress yet you should change your save to this version of the game


The Cartographer Unencrypted

The Cartographer for Non VX users

Hi ! I usually don't post on a forum ( usually just browsing)
but' I think i should leave a comment this time....LOL

I just try it,and It's really great with a bit of a comedy
I love it your gameplayyour story or sprites are welldone!
and look forward to see more game from you

Ps: Oh! and Thanks for not encrypted It's would help a noob like me a lot!

I'm loving the game :3
I do like the tear away from the cliché good-looking physically-fit lead character!

If you're going through perfective maintenance though, could you do me a big favour :3
Tell me that I should probably save the game before you go to the first island,
I don't play RPG games often, and I forgot twice, and died twice; and I've had to sit through three runnings of the beginning scenes :3

Other then that, I love the descriptions on everything =3
And I can't wait to play it through further ^.^

Whooo! I finished :3

Will there a sequel

the game is really not bad i love it!!!

I downloaded this game like 2 months ago and never got around to actually playing it. I just got to the part in the game where everyone joins your party in the cave and so far, this is one of the most impressive rmvx games I've ever played. This game kept me interested the whole time I was playing. I really got a kick out of the hot black mage chick scenes. Honestly, as soon as I turned on the game and set up my PSP as a game controller, I really felt like I was playing a genuine and professional console rpg game. Thanks for sharing this great game, Avadan. This should be stickied, mods!

Must say that this is one of the most beautiful RMVX games to look at. Your mapping is very good.

Playing through it, the one problem I had with it was the sheer length of the set up. While I love the comical and dramatic side to your storytelling, there isn't any true gameplay until 30 or more minutes into the story. This is only a minor problem to me, since I was hooked by your story and style.

Overall, I really enjoy your game, and I hope that you choose in the future to make more.

This was a good game, but no good game is without it's major bugs. This is where I come into play so ya can fix them. I was playing the unencrypted version if that matters (i'd assume both are the same, but thought i'd mention it). I am only gonna list the major ones as I didn't feel like keeping track of minor things.

Bug 1: You could enter towns while on your ship, but you would appear in town inside that ship. You could exit the ship, but the ship itself is pretty much stuck inside town (I tested this with two towns. One town I managed to get out of while on the ship, but the other I had to abandon the ship).

Bug 2: While you could sail on shallow water, you couldn't in deep water. I don't know if that was intentional, but the bug is more serious than that. Once ya got your ship next to deep water, you could exit the ship onto deep water, and walk on it. Luckily, since deep water is sorrounded by shallow water, this didn't lead to anything game breaking.

Bug 3: I don't know if this was the case for everyone as I saw only one other person mention it. When anyone used a skill, the text box that appeared at the top would always be empty This is rather annoying since I like to see what the enemy is using.

Edit: Bug 4: My characters just vanished after a battle. I think it may be because I was testing the spell: Dragon Armor. I used it twice in a battle to see what would happen. This spell changes the characters battle sprite. However, if you equipped him with it twice and it is only removed once after a battle, then his sprite would disappear on the overworld due to there being no overworld sprite for him with the dragon armor equipped.

I found the game itself decent enough, but I found normal bosses too easy. KayKay was the only boss that was somewhat challenging. I did like the idea of diffrent choices which caused it to branch in some cases giving replay value, but I pretty much just saved at every branch so I could find every outcome. This should go without saying, but khalid was too much of a powerhouse. When ya equip him with two mithril swords then he can hit for up to 600 per hit, and he hits twice! Thats a grand total of 1200 damage a turn when the final boss has like 3600 or so. Just imagine if he hit a critical.

i played through the game yesterday, it was very good, id rate it 4 out of 5, cause it was very well put together, but short and there were some glitches

in the fishing town (i cant remember its name...)
when i would click enter in front of the fish on the tables, most of them would just turn into a square

and i really liked some of the tilesets you used, could you give me a link to where you got all the rounded tiles?

I really love the adjustments you made to the tileset ... are you okay with me using it in a game that I release?

Right now I'm just making a game for me and my wife, but I thought if its good maybe I'd release it ... so I'm trying to not get myself boxed in by using content that I can't release.

Nice work. Thanks.

Well, I downloaded this last night and started playing it today and I'm enjoying it fairly thoroughly. The story's intriguing enough to keep me going, I like the development of Reuben's character and his non-heroic stature, and I do like your mapping a fair amount. Though, for a game about mapping, you'd expect at least that to be fairly top notch haha.
I really like a lot of the basic conventions in the game, along with your attentiveness to detail for the periods, like the town layouts and designs, for example. I detail kinda' person and in so many mainstream RPGs, there're just little things that were always left out that bothered me.

On the other hand, there're occasional typos and grammatical errors that you should go back through and edit, or have someone edit for you, firstly. I also noted the morphing fish as mentioned above, though I imagine that's simple a case of the animate when spoken to thing being clicked on the event itself. I also found on a few rare occasions some clipping being done as your text went a little too far and ended up outside of the text box. Other than that, no big deals I can think of as far as errors go.

That being said,

Lil help from those who've progressed further?

Downloading, will give a complete review later.

Okay guys this topic is a year old. Please don't necropost.

Hi,greetings from Venezuela,i'm a beginner user...i just want to say that your game is great!!! good job man