2k/3 - Cause and Effect

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Started by Litningman06 45 posts Page 2 of 3 View original ↗
  1. Please keep making original tilesets, they're so rewarding in the end!
    It looks awesome!
    Litningman06 said:
    Complete Graphical Overhaul PART 1: The Ruins of Passage

    I've been putting off making original tilesets, so here we gooooo!

    I made an entirely new Ruins tileset, replacing the RTP edit that I used before.
    I think it looks a lot cooler. Also new is a bunch of stone tablets that are on the walls that when approached display a message to the player. These were inspired by Brandish on SNES.
    Not pictured: The massive redone mural in the 3rd room.
    View attachment 302770View attachment 302771
  2. Complete Graphical Overhaul PART 2: Building interiors!

    Got straight to making this one right after the previous one. It's definitely more derivative of the RTP than the Ruins one was, but I like how it looks, anyhow. I wanted the tilesets to match the sprites style-wise, so I think I did a good job here. The torches have a pretty smooth animation now, too!
    The tilesets aren't the only thing I'm changing with this overhaul, I'm also shifting around the layouts of locations and adding stuff too! For example, every shop now displays it's stock on the map, and fun flavor text regarding the items can be found there. (The items are still purchased at the counter, though.) Thanks to @Mijani for posting some of the tiles that I used as a base, the large piano being one of my favourites!
    Screenshot 2024-04-24 153300.pngScreenshot 2024-04-24 153343.pngScreenshot 2024-04-24 153154.png
  3. Litningman06 said:
    View attachment 302611

    SYNOPSIS
    Spoiler
    A young girl has disappeared from her home, and it's up to you to find her. You both find yourselves in a bizarre alternate world from the one you once knew. Your actions and choices, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can and will have rippling consequences. The fate of the girl, the world, and the universe, are in your hands.

    Choose wisely.

    Cause and Effect is a traditional RPG with a large amount of narrative choice. Players are given many choices throughout the story, many of which can completely transform a playthrough. The game world follows a branching-path structure which will bring players to drastically different areas with unique atmospheres. Venture through a world where the night never ends in search of a young girl who has disappeared from her home. Interact with a cast of unique characters all with their own unique backstories, and learn their relationships with one another through repeated playthroughs; the game must be played through multiple times in order to piece together the entire story and get every ending. The Lost Underworld will not be kind, however. The tyrannical overlord known as The Overseer has tasked his armies with destroying both you, and the missing girl. Throughout your journey, you will seek out the missing girl, whilst learning about the dark history surrounding the world in which you’ve found yourself, and what happened years prior.

    Features:
    -Multiple branching paths that lead to dramatically different playthroughs.
    -A detailed and advanced morality system that keeps track of your specific choices, and brings the consequences of those choices in effect later.
    -A Side-view ATB battle system that revolves around strategic use of Magical Notation (Sharp, Flat, Natural) to best your opponents.
    -Choose how to treat potential allies when you meet them. Recruit, attack, or abandon potential allies for varying effects.
    -A cast of characters with unique backstories that feed into the larger picture.
    -My signature high-contrast art style that brings a warm, yet dark atmosphere to the game world.
    -Abstract animated battle backgrounds.
    -Treasures and other items that are exclusive to certain types of playthroughs, adding variability to gameplay.
    -Original soundtrack composed entirely by me.
    -Recruitable party members with unique abilities to add deeper strategy.
    -Quick Time Events for more dynamic cutscenes and actions.
    -Fun and silly gameplay segments with different members of the cast.
    -Hidden lore to discover.

    IMAGES/SCREENSHOTS
    Spoiler
    View attachment 291152View attachment 291641View attachment 291642


    PLAYABLE CHARACTERS
    Spoiler
    THE Mercenary
    The main character of the story, played by you! You can give her whatever name you want. Her morality reflects your own, and so it's up to you to make the tough choices.

    BETHEL ALEXANDRA FROST
    Age 17
    Powers: Zodiac
    A young vampire who was orphaned at a young age, raised primarily by her very immature older sister. She can invoke the power of the Zodiac constellations in order to achieve amazing feats.

    CHAZ RICHARDS
    Age 16
    Powers: Diplomacy
    A hip cool kid who grew up in the Lost Underworld. He dual-wields yo-yos, and can try to talk it out with enemies, to varying funny effects.

    BAN "DONUTS"
    Age ??
    Powers: Metamorphosis
    A being of pure antimatter who can transform into various objects in battle. He speaks in a friendly, familiar way. His motives are unknown.

    SUNNY GODREZI
    Age 14
    Powers: Luck
    A young elven girl with a penchant for Tabletop RPGs. She primarily acts in battle through a magical dice roll, offering many different effects to shake up combat. She’s very clingy and jealous, especially of the other females in Chaz’s life.


    THE LOST UNDERWORLD
    Spoiler
    The Lost Underworld is an alternate world from our own, in which monsters are real, and the sun never rises. The trees glow a fluorescent orange, and the cold, howling winds of the night never cease. You are unwanted in this world, and will be hunted down.

    DOWNLOAD DEMO
    The current demo can be downloaded over on Itch!
    Cause and Effect by Litningman06
    been waiting on this one for quite a while, had me worried you'd canceled it. I'm playing this TONIGHT
  4. Licco said:
    been waiting on this one for quite a while, had me worried you'd canceled it. I'm playing this TONIGHT
    Hey, thanks for checking it out! Just a heads up, the demo is only half complete. After I get the graphical resources sorted out, I can finish up the demo in a way that is actually representative of the game as a whole. Any bugs that exist in the demo have already been fixed in the current dev version. I’ll continue to update my progress in this thread as I go.
  5. Complete Graphical Overhaul PART 3: A Smattering of Things!

    I redid some of the exterior tiles, adding a red grassy lining to the cliffs and paths, as well as adding a nice big ol' tree. (Again, an edit of some of @Mijani 's tiles)
    I also decided I wanted the ruins to be more of a crypt, so I added loads of bones everywhere, and changed the enemies that you fight inside. I also composed a new song for the ruins, but I can't show that in a screenshot.
    overhaul1.pngoverhaul2.pngOverhaul3.png
  6. Complete Graphical Overhaul PART 4: Cause and Particle Effects!

    I created a particle effect system just for the Starlight Woodlands. I created it entirely with events (rm2k3, am I right?) using pictures and variables.

  7. OH BABY! You know what time it is? Here, I'll let you guess...







    Have you guessed yet? Well you're probably wrong, unless you guessed A DEVLOG UPDATE!
    I never update this thing, so it's a big deal, k? At least worth bringing this thread from the grave.
    Here's the link, if you're interested:
    Litningman06 - Development Progress
  8. 1723314103692.png
    Game Overs in Cause and Effect are quite forgiving, considering the game itself is more on the difficult side. When you die the first time, you get a short cutscene featuring this girl, who gives you exposition.

    On subsequent deaths, the cutscene is pared down and she gets straight to the point, asking you if you want to continue. Continuing works like it does in Earthbound: The protagonist is revived with full health, but everyone else needs to be revived, be it through items or an inn.

    You don't lose story progress, items, or experience when you die, only the items that you have used in battle.

    If you die during a boss fight, which will most likely happen, she will give you tips and information regarding the boss's backstory, but also their weaknesses, or potential strategies to help you defeat them. (pictured above)

    I wanted Game Overs to be as much a part of the experience as everything else, and also to avoid becoming frustrating to players.
  9. 1723436436364.png
    I've been working on Tabitha's date sequence. I can't say much for spoiler reasons, but...
    Jazz bar.
  10. First character to get a slight redesign: Chaz Richards. 79B804B8-02B0-4985-94BD-A7A88215834F.jpeg
    His attitude and hair have been slightly tweaked, his socks are all bunched up now, and he now wears wristbands.
  11. I found this really old battle sprite of Tabitha wearing comfy clothes and holding a giant fork. It uses the style that all of the outdated battle sprites I made use.



    ...I have no clue why I made this.
    lolwut.png
  12. RPG_RT_qLDah4WQ6I.png
    There are a few playable flashback sequences that tell us a bit about who Jillian is, and what her deal is. I think the way a person interacts with others is incredibly important to their characterization. Here, we find that the only people she is really open with is her two best friends, Jordan and Sophie. These flashbacks are also told from Jillian's perspective, so the narration can also provide some insight into who she is.
  13. Litningman06 said:
    Here, we find that the only people she is really open with is her two best friends, Jordan and Sophie
    One of them looks kinda like aubrey lol :]

    not trying to be negative or anything I just thought that was cool!
  14. Drewster237 said:
    One of them looks kinda like aubrey lol :]

    not trying to be negative or anything I just thought that was cool!
    Lol it’s been so long since I designed Past Jillian, I don’t even remember if that was intentional. Given the striking resemblance, I can’t help but think I probably did it as a reference. Good eye!
  15. I’m currently working on the theme for Tabitha’s dating sequence. Expect a lot of saxophone ;)
  16. Comparison.png
    I've fallen back into the trap of sprite redesign. Welp, whatever makes the game better, even if it's not what I should be doing right now.

    I've redesigned Tsuki's battle sprite. For context, she's one of Tabitha's Lieutenants, so she attends things in Tabitha's place if she's too busy, or just doesn't feel like going.

    I changed the battle sprite for three reasons:

    1) She looked really skinny and weirdly unproportional. (also, part of her leg was colored the same as her hair.

    2) Her battle staff was too short for the size of her sprite, making her pose look unnatural.

    3) I wanted her sprite to reflect that she, like most other humans in Cause and Effect, can use magic.

    I think she looks better now, but what do you think? I should let the meager audience have a say.
  17. Some dialogue options for Tabitha's date. She'll ask you different questions, like what you do for a living, and what you want to drink, and you'll have to decide what the best answer is, or whatever answer you want.
    RPG_RT_4HZfwf3BVT.pngRPG_RT_He2eYWRtWU.png

  18. I've also been reworking parts of the intro cutscene. I really like the effect of the rain hitting the window in this specific part. What do you all think? The gif is compressed, so it looks a lot smoother in-game. This also shows that Jillian changed her hair a lot while she was being homeschooled.
  19. I know I've been providing a lot of updates about development lately, and that's because I've recently become a lot more motivated to work on my game. Anyways, I don't have much to say other than Tabitha's date theme is complete. I think the MOTHER 3 fans might like this one ;)