Primus - Nemaria Universe

[nemarious]

I would like to encourage you to like the Facebook page once more. There are two good reasons for this.

Firstly, it's far easier for me to upload photos to Facebook directly than upload them to imageshack or whatever and then put them on here so the page is the only real place to be for concept art. I'll still be putting game screenies here because they're a more important part of the process.

Secondly, the forum only allows the use of one poll per thread. Facebook will allow me continue to post content polls and questions that will affect end game content.

If you have a Facebook account and want to stay truly in touch with the Nemaria Universe then click the link in my signature and like it

As for updates, Uni has been on my ass lately because I've not been attending (as soon as I get my next lot of student money I'm taking the next exit off that crapshoot) so I've not been doing all that much.

I have been updating the Facebook page (I'm sorry to keep going on about it but I have an almost obsessive need to get more likes :cool:) with concept art and starting today I will be posting a detailed character bio for all the main people in game.

I will be posting them here but after they're all done which will be around two months from now as I'm doing on a week and there's at least seven people I plan on doing.

[nemarious]

Good evening, here at least. I just came up with a great idea. I've been busy drawing concept art to put on the Facebook page, but I can't draw to save my life.

A solution just dawned on me. I have a copy of Flash 8 - I don't like the ribbon-y style of the new ones - which I can use to make art much quicker and easier.

If I make all the graphics I might want (like houses, floor tiles etc) and save them as symbols, I can use them whenever to speed up having to draw the same things over and over.

Additionally, if I make them all to a uniform 25x25 pixel size and snap them to a grid it'll look more uniform and consistent as well.

So that's what I'm doing. I'm working on getting the last of the concept art that I haven't shared with the Facebook page then I'm going to start work on the master template in flash.

I'll keep you posted.

[nemarious]

Full character bio for Takero and a few more pieces of concept art will be added to the Facebook page tomorrow sometime.

Anyone that has Facebook should like the page as I've been tending to update that more than this thread.

Not intentionally, just easier to do on my phone is all.

A link to the page can be found in my signature or in the first post of this thread.

[nemarious]

Full character bio for Takeru (realised I've been spelling it wrong all this time) and 14 pieces of concept art have been uploaded on the Facebook page. Sorry they were late.

Also realised I need to update my signature now that FF 13-2 is actually out so if anyone else wants to give me a quote I can use feel free.

[nemarious]

The third character bio, for Alysha, is up on the Facebook page.

I will be working on the GDD a bit more over the next few days. I will be adding marks for Iron Tokens - the Mini Medal equivalent - to existing areas and hopefully finishing off the Malmasc chapter.

I know I've said this before, and I do have a funeral on Wednesday but other than that nothing. We'll see.

I'm sorry I haven't been around for a while, my average post count is bombing I am here though, I just don't have time to write all that much. In a few weeks Uni breaks up for Easter so I should be around more then. I'll have to get my post count up. Remember, I'm still waiting on a quote for my new sig. Having said that, I think I might redo the title screen again...

[nemarious]

Since I only recently put the character bios and stuff up on here, they've all been wiped by the damned server provider.

I'll see about getting them back up some time tomorrow or Tuesday. I hope to have the raw version of the new title screen up by then as well so you guys can help me pick colours. We'll see I suppose.

Now, if I only those K-On links were still here, I only needed episode 5. *Sigh* at least we're back in business though, eh.

[nemarious]

I've put the character profiles back up on the first post. There are even more notes for characters than before as a sort of impromptu bonus.

Quick Link To The First Post

I'll try to get my arse in gear tomorrow, I'll have most of the day in peace when my brother goes to work.

Stupid bank collapse made everything worse, people can no longer afford houses so bastard estate agents push rental prices up so he can't move out. Means I'm stuck sharing a room longer. God he plays some shit music...

[nemarious]

I'm sorry there's been no news. To be honest I've not really been doing anything. It's been so long that since I've had absolutely nothing on my plate that I don't really feel like it at the moment. Besides, my unplayed games list is getting bigger and bigger.

I've got Skyrim that I still haven't done the main quest or mages guild on either character let alone all the other stuff, Kingdoms Of Amalur where I played it up to the end of the demo and then haven't touched it. There's also Anno 2070 which a great little game similar to stuff like Sim City but with more of a focus on economics. That's all on my PC alone.

I bought X-Blades years ago when it was 2 for £20 at shop and have never even popped it in my Xbox. There's also Two Worlds II and Dungeon Seige III that I haven't played much of. I also bought Split/Second when it was on offer for £15 on Xbox Live and recently bought FFXIII-2 when it was on sale at play.com.

So 8 games I've played little or nothing of. I want to get FIFA Street as well when that comes down in price.

I was doing some minor touch-ups to the title screen while listening to some early Nightwish this afternoon so I have been doing some stuff but progress has certainly been slow. This is one of problems with being a one man team though, if my interest strays like it has done there's no one to call me back on side. Sure the game will get released eventually but considering the 8 other game ideas I have in my head I'll be dead by the time they're all finished.

EDIT: I also noticed there's a beta script in development that replicates the paradigm shifts from FFXIII/FFXIII-2. I won't be using it for this game but it may make things easier for one of the ideas I have if it ever gets completed.

[Koby]

I also noticed there's a beta script in development that replicates the paradigm shifts from FFXIII/FFXIII-2. I won't be using it for this game.

Good. I don't really like anything about FF13.

[nemarious]

I would agree that it's not anywhere near the pinnacle of the series in the PS1 era but XIII-2 is definitely better than XIII game play wise. The problems with characters/plot remain though.

I had an idea months ago about having a game where you play as a... I don't know what it would be. A spirit caller maybe who would be your only party member but you can change class by changing which spirit you summoned.

So you start as a warrior spirit for dealing damage then change to a cleric spirit to heal yourself and so on. I thought it would be an interesting idea, especially if I could get it to work with one of the many action based battle scripts.

A better way would be to make each spirit as a separate character but I'm pretty sure changing the character in the middle of battle would cause a crash. Either way this is all ramblings for now because I've got enough to do on my first game let alone expanding into action-rpg territory.

While I'm here I'll explain the rest of my ideas.

• Obviously there's Primus to do.
  
• Then there's Secundus which will center around an immortal main character. This makes the battles somewhat interesting because he will have the same health throughout the game but it will be treated as blood instead of health. I want to try and get the skill learning system from FF9 in there as well.
  
• The first short I want to do is Administratorz - doesn't really need the 'z' - which would be the first proper community game about the administrators of the site (Koby, Sicka, Renzourin etc) working to stop noobs - the enemies in the game - from spamming by entering into the 'virtual world' that is the site and hunting down their leader.
  
• There's another short I want to do inspired by the Primal Fear song 'The Curse Of Sharon'. It won't be an RPG more of a horror game if possible.
  
• There's the one I described already about the spirit caller.
  
• I want to remake the first to games I made, like much of the HD remakes appearing on our shelves now. I'm only really interested in the first two that ran parralel. These were 'Adventum' and ' Adventum: The Trials Of Zeoch'. They would use all the modern features that I didn't know about when I made them with additional quests and stuff. Zeoch would require a complete rethink to be honest; it was a rather poor attempt at a Secret of Mana style game.
  
• There's another battle script that works as a TBS strategy game, like Disgaea/Fire Emblem/FF Tactics that I would be interested in trying out.
  

So yeah. Plenty to be thinking about. I wonder which ones sound most appealing to you guys. I'll probably end up making all of them and more at some point anyway but it's always nice to get other people's takes.

[nemarious]

Okay, here's a coloured version of the new title screen.

It's by no means finalized yet. What do you think of it? Do you like the colours? Is there anything you'd change? All your comments will affect my decision although I can't guarantee I will agree with you.

EDIT: The thing that is bugging me the most is the background. Because you can see so much of it I don't know whether just having a plain colour is enough. Perhaps some kind texture would make it look less ordinary. I'd also considered doing a plainer design - like the FFXIII-2 box art - where it's just the outlines of stuff that you see with very little fills but that looked even emptier. I know what you're thinking, 'Stop worrying about the title screen and get on with the game!'. Sorry :/

[Koby]

Honestly, I'd do something about the worlds Universe, and Primus on the title screen. Perhaps find another placement, or change the color so it's easier to read with the darker coloring behind them. As for the background, perhaps a gradient that simply flows from one color to another on the other side, IDK.

[nemarious]

Honestly, I'd do something about the words Universe, and Primus on the title screen. Perhaps find another placement, or change the color so it's easier to read with the darker coloring behind them. As for the background, perhaps a gradient that simply flows from one color to another on the other side, IDK.

I originally had the text at the bottom of the screen but then it would have been covered over play game/continue/quit box that appears when you play the game so I moved it to the top.

The text is kind of irrelevant at this stage anyway. I'll be doing the text in fireworks because I think it works with text better, it helps that you can give text objects outlines in it which will mean the Primus will be easier to read.

The text wasn't really supposed to be there. I put them in a top layer in the flash document just to get a feel of where they'd be. The exporting of the image included them because I forgot to delete the layers and couldn't really be bothered to delete them and export it again.

The background is harder to judge though. The colour is nice, it mixes well with the opacity of the clock and the cape to make their colours look good.

I'm not sure whether the empty space is really all that much of a problem either because the space at the bottom will be covered by the same box I mentioned earlier so won't look that empty when you see it in game.

I'll probably add a small gradient to darken the colour a touch at the edges of the screen, so it gives the impression you're looking in a bit more but I'm not that fussed now I've had time to think/look at it.

Now you brought it up though, I'm not sure where to put the text. I might put the 'Part of the Nemaria Universe' underneath the title in smaller letters. I'll stick the copyright back down the bottom. That just leaves the placing of my Kametsu tribute... do you have a preference?

Either way it's time for some sleep on my side of the Atlantic. I'll see you tomorrow.

[nemarious]

Okay, here's an updated version based partly on Koby's comments and also with proper text in now.

Any more comments before I finalise it. I'll leave it a few days before I start making signatures and avatars and cover photos and stuff from it. Now is the time to voice any disapproval you have for it.

I'll start working on my surprise in the meantime. It'll be good... kind of.

[nemarious]

I will be revealing my surprise a week from now, on the 12th of April to coincide with my one year membership of this site. It's going to knock your socks off... Good luck getting them back on.

[nemarious]

I know I said I'd make my announcement on Thursday to coincide with being a member here for a year but my week has become unexpectedly busy.

As such, the time I was going to spend perfecting what I had planned has had to go to other things. Therefore there is a slightly - well it only took me about 10 mins - rushed version that will have to do for now.

It has the same message though.

I've hidden it in a spoiler tag to make it even more tense...

I'll probably leave it a few days before I explain myself. Should be interesting to hear your thoughts.

[Koby]

I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Shouldn't you focus on finishing Primus before starting more projects?

[lemmingllama]

I think that it is an interesting idea, especially if its about some immortal, but I do agree with Koby about finishing the first one first. You cant really do a sequel unless the original comes out and is seen as good by someone.

[nemarious]

I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Shouldn't you focus on finishing Primus before starting more projects?

I think that it is an interesting idea, especially if its about some immortal, but I do agree with Koby about finishing the first one first. You cant really do a sequel unless the original comes out and is seen as good by someone.

Okay, I think I'll have to clear this up a bit earlier than I thought. Alright...

First of all, this is not a sequel; perhaps I should use II rather than 2 although they still imply a sequel. I don't really want to put part one and part two though.

It is more of a continuation of the story rather than a direct sequel. After all, Secundus is to be the second game in this particular series.

If you remember a few pages back, I mentioned - when talking about doing a collectors edition I believe - that rpg maker can only compress a zip file of 128mb.

As such, the more I plan the game the more I doubt it will compress to that size if I'm to include the rtp which would makes things easier for people to download the games rather than having multiple downloads to play one game.

There is one clear part where the seperation of the narrative makes most sense and as such I decided I'd split them there. I had considered having one as Primus and the second part as Secundus but I thought having it as a sort of series in a series, like the fabula nova crystallis is a series of its own within the final fantasy series.

At the end of Primus there will be two endings. One will be the first you see when completing the main story and a second will be revealed post-game after defeating a harder version of the end boss. This ending would also serve as the intro to the second part to serve as a reminder and to give those who don't want to complete and of the post-game stuff in the first part.

Now that I've explained that, does that allay any fears of me "getting ahead of myself"? It's just the same as George R R Martin splitting A Storm Of Swords or Christopher Paolini splitting the inheritance trilogy into the inheritance cycle. I chose this path to preserve the narrative and it will also allow me to pack more stuff into each part.

Sound better now?

[nemarious]

There are also technical reasons why the game should be split in two. Primarily these are from a script point of view as their are things I want to do in the second part that won't be in the first part.

Anyone that has seen Doctor Who - I believe it is a bit of a thing over in the States - will know about fixed points in time that cannot be changed. Well, Leni and his party are fixed points which is why you weren't able to change their name etc. In the second part you will be able to change your avatars gender, choose from appearances, class and name to suit you. There will also be different scripts required for such as you will be earning SP (Skill Points) as well as experience with every fight that will allow you to unlock different skills and even classes.

So, in my mind it makes sense to split it. I think, in hindsight, as much as I don't want to, separating them as Part 1 and Part 2 would make more sense and lessen confusion of thinking it's a direct sequel, which, again, it isn't. In fact the beginning of part two runs parallel to the ending of part one for a few hours.

You can expect a title screen for Primus Part 2 - The Eternal Man at some point and an updated screen for Primus Part 1 - Thy Guided Hand as well.