For reference, I've actually been working on this game for YEARS. I actually started way back in RMVX a few years back, and while I did make a finished game, it felt very bare-bones, unbalanced, and like it was coming apart at the seams. The story wasn't perfect either. While those who did play the VX version said it was fine, it definitely had some pacing issues. My favorite description was given by a friend who said the pacing was like "The original Star Wars trilogy put together, except the first and last 20 minutes of each movie were chopped off."
Since then I wanted to do a more professional version of the game, and I think I have a workable draft now, and I want some input on more experienced RPG makers than myself, maybe get some constructive criticism.
Engine: RPG Maker MV
Genre: Classic-Style Turn-Based RPG
Synopsis
Long ago, the three races of Avonil were at war, so the gods who created the world forged two crystals, which divided the world into three planes, each inhabited by one of the races. The surface world Gaia is inhabited by the Terrans; the floating continents of Primor are ruled by the angelic winged Altians; and kept afloat by the crystal known as the Heart of Sky; and the underworld Dalvet is inhabited by the cave-dwelling Verkeen and supported by the other crystal, the Soul of Shadow.
While any open warfare between the three was staved off, the tension and prejudice between them continued to exist. It all comes to a head one day when the Gaian nation of Paracidia orders the theft of the Heart of Sky. In the ensuing fight, the Heart of Sky is shattered, releasing the crystal's energy and sending its pieces scattered all around Gaia and war breaking out between Paracidia and all of Primor. If the shards are not put back together before long, Primor will fall out of the sky, causing unfathomable destruction.
One of the wayward shards winds up in the hands of Autumn Colwind, a half-Altian, half-Terran girl dreaming of a life where she won't be stigmatized for her hybrid status. Upon finding the shard, she is thrust headfirst into the middle of the conflict, and eventually finds herself in a ragtag crew led by Valden Emeren, a disgruntled former Paracidian general. Together, they will gather the shards, battle Paracidian forces at every turn, and untangle the true motives of both Paracidia and Primor, and Autumn must come to terms with the world she lives in.
The plot may sound basic and maybe even a little cliché, but as it develops ii delves headfirst into themes of prejudice, obsession, and revenge. Shards of Light (working title) is a turn-based RPG using Yanfly's STB battle system. There are 8 party members, 4 of which participate in battle at any given time, each with their own Spells (which consume MP) and Feats (which consume FP that builds as you take damage and perform actions). In addition to leveling up your stats, you spend Learning Points (LP) to learn abilities in any order you want, and you can Augment your weapons and armor by trading in old equipment.
The game is split into 10 chapters, and is mostly linear in structure, and does not feature an overworld map. Instead, towns and dungeons are connected by smaller areas that, while linear, are still pretty open and have hidden items and secret areas off the beaten path. The main story should last roughly 25-30 hours, not counting sidequests. I also consider having manga-style cutscenes to convey significant plot events (look at Castlevania Rondo of Blood's cutscenes for an example of what I mean, though mine will be significantly less 90's, and probably not voice acted).
While any open warfare between the three was staved off, the tension and prejudice between them continued to exist. It all comes to a head one day when the Gaian nation of Paracidia orders the theft of the Heart of Sky. In the ensuing fight, the Heart of Sky is shattered, releasing the crystal's energy and sending its pieces scattered all around Gaia and war breaking out between Paracidia and all of Primor. If the shards are not put back together before long, Primor will fall out of the sky, causing unfathomable destruction.
One of the wayward shards winds up in the hands of Autumn Colwind, a half-Altian, half-Terran girl dreaming of a life where she won't be stigmatized for her hybrid status. Upon finding the shard, she is thrust headfirst into the middle of the conflict, and eventually finds herself in a ragtag crew led by Valden Emeren, a disgruntled former Paracidian general. Together, they will gather the shards, battle Paracidian forces at every turn, and untangle the true motives of both Paracidia and Primor, and Autumn must come to terms with the world she lives in.
The plot may sound basic and maybe even a little cliché, but as it develops ii delves headfirst into themes of prejudice, obsession, and revenge. Shards of Light (working title) is a turn-based RPG using Yanfly's STB battle system. There are 8 party members, 4 of which participate in battle at any given time, each with their own Spells (which consume MP) and Feats (which consume FP that builds as you take damage and perform actions). In addition to leveling up your stats, you spend Learning Points (LP) to learn abilities in any order you want, and you can Augment your weapons and armor by trading in old equipment.
The game is split into 10 chapters, and is mostly linear in structure, and does not feature an overworld map. Instead, towns and dungeons are connected by smaller areas that, while linear, are still pretty open and have hidden items and secret areas off the beaten path. The main story should last roughly 25-30 hours, not counting sidequests. I also consider having manga-style cutscenes to convey significant plot events (look at Castlevania Rondo of Blood's cutscenes for an example of what I mean, though mine will be significantly less 90's, and probably not voice acted).
Characters
Autumn Colwind- A 17-year-old girl who is half-Altian and half-Terran. Despite being looked down upon for being a hybrid, she's unflinchingly kind, eager to make friends, and has a hopeful outlook on the world that borders on naiveté.
Winter Colwind- Autumn's adoptive brother, Winter has a constant need to prove himself and be a hero, and admires how strong Paracidia is, so when the Paracidian Empire comes to recruit him, he jumps at the chance to sign up with them and assert his dominance.
Valden Emeren- A former general of Paracidia's military, Valden is abrasive, gruff, and has a bit of a temper. He is the de facto leader of the party, and while his more violent impulses may need to be reined in, he's still good at what he does.
The Phantom Thief- Cursed so that everyone who meets him forgets about him afterwards, this pickpocket possesses the ability to steal the moves of his enemies. He's naturally mistrusting and is sensitive about people being used as tools.
Charon Moore- A Verkeen magical prodigy searching for her missing family who was abducted by Paracidia, she's sarcastic and snarky, but deep down beneath her salty exterior is as sweet and loyal a friend as you can find.
Jewel Dianem- A quiet, antisocial Geomancer girl who prefers the company of animals to other people. Her shy nature belies just how powerful the magic she possesses can be.
Skye Hawkwing- A loudmouthed, cocky, flirty childhood friend of Autumn who boasts that he's the world's greatest ninja... on the grounds that he's the world's only ninja, since they were all wiped out many years prior.
Valerie Clay- A brilliant, but lazy Altian engineer who is unflinchingly loyal to Paracidia and what it stands for after being cast out of Primor. Needless to say, she's none too happy about being dragged into Valden's group.
Meliah Paracidia- The Empress of Paracidia, who is paranoid and cautious to the point of rarely stepping outside the capital. Her true goals are known only to her inner circle.
Vexus Sombre- A general who once fought alongside Valden, this enigma is unwaveringly loyal to the Empire, but more importantly, to Meliah herself, seeing her as a sister. He's absolutely ruthless, but sees something of a kindred spirit in Autumn...
Kia-Lynn- The Queen of Primor, Lynn is stuck-up, prideful, and hates getting her own hands dirty, but first and foremost wants her people to prosper. She is also the primary benefactor of Valden's ragtag rebellion.
Winter Colwind- Autumn's adoptive brother, Winter has a constant need to prove himself and be a hero, and admires how strong Paracidia is, so when the Paracidian Empire comes to recruit him, he jumps at the chance to sign up with them and assert his dominance.
Valden Emeren- A former general of Paracidia's military, Valden is abrasive, gruff, and has a bit of a temper. He is the de facto leader of the party, and while his more violent impulses may need to be reined in, he's still good at what he does.
The Phantom Thief- Cursed so that everyone who meets him forgets about him afterwards, this pickpocket possesses the ability to steal the moves of his enemies. He's naturally mistrusting and is sensitive about people being used as tools.
Charon Moore- A Verkeen magical prodigy searching for her missing family who was abducted by Paracidia, she's sarcastic and snarky, but deep down beneath her salty exterior is as sweet and loyal a friend as you can find.
Jewel Dianem- A quiet, antisocial Geomancer girl who prefers the company of animals to other people. Her shy nature belies just how powerful the magic she possesses can be.
Skye Hawkwing- A loudmouthed, cocky, flirty childhood friend of Autumn who boasts that he's the world's greatest ninja... on the grounds that he's the world's only ninja, since they were all wiped out many years prior.
Valerie Clay- A brilliant, but lazy Altian engineer who is unflinchingly loyal to Paracidia and what it stands for after being cast out of Primor. Needless to say, she's none too happy about being dragged into Valden's group.
Meliah Paracidia- The Empress of Paracidia, who is paranoid and cautious to the point of rarely stepping outside the capital. Her true goals are known only to her inner circle.
Vexus Sombre- A general who once fought alongside Valden, this enigma is unwaveringly loyal to the Empire, but more importantly, to Meliah herself, seeing her as a sister. He's absolutely ruthless, but sees something of a kindred spirit in Autumn...
Kia-Lynn- The Queen of Primor, Lynn is stuck-up, prideful, and hates getting her own hands dirty, but first and foremost wants her people to prosper. She is also the primary benefactor of Valden's ragtag rebellion.
Roles Needed
Beta Reader - Like I said, I would like constructive criticism of the main plot from someone outside my current, tiny development team. In particular, there are a couple plot points I would like to develop further but wrote myself into a corner regarding them.
Tileset Designer - While the default RTP is perfectly fine, it also looks kinda generic. I heard from someone on this forum that I can wait until later and switch the tilesets out. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, it can wait until later in development.
Animation Designer - Again, the animations in MV itself work, but look really generic, and I suck at making my own. Also again, this can wait until later.
Enemy Spriter - I think it's painfully apparent that I am really lacking in skill when it comes to presentation, but I'm more comfortable with the actual structure of the game and story. And while I have some workable enemy designs, my artistic skills have a lot to be desired. Again, this is very low priority right now.
As for incentives, I might have more later, but I do have one thing planned. In the game there will be a monster hunting side quest and an arena side quest. Everyone involved in the production gets to create some of the hunts and arena opponents.
Tileset Designer - While the default RTP is perfectly fine, it also looks kinda generic. I heard from someone on this forum that I can wait until later and switch the tilesets out. I don't know if this is true, but if it is, it can wait until later in development.
Animation Designer - Again, the animations in MV itself work, but look really generic, and I suck at making my own. Also again, this can wait until later.
Enemy Spriter - I think it's painfully apparent that I am really lacking in skill when it comes to presentation, but I'm more comfortable with the actual structure of the game and story. And while I have some workable enemy designs, my artistic skills have a lot to be desired. Again, this is very low priority right now.
As for incentives, I might have more later, but I do have one thing planned. In the game there will be a monster hunting side quest and an arena side quest. Everyone involved in the production gets to create some of the hunts and arena opponents.
Roles already Filled
-Main Scenario Designer
-Character Designer
-Dialogue Writer
-Level Designer
-Primary Eventer
Other members of my team
-Sprite work
-Soundtrack composer
-Character Designer
-Dialogue Writer
-Level Designer
-Primary Eventer
Other members of my team
-Sprite work
-Soundtrack composer