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Ascension 2 Galaxy is a science fiction RPG reminiscent of early 90s JPRGs yet taking inspiration from newer works as well. It's a sequel of sorts to my text RPG, Ascension, but is set in the broader galaxy instead of the fantasy world of Rynn. Once again, you are Lieutenant Allison Hunt, this time assigned to track a group of dangerous terrorists who have hijacked a prototype missile cruiser.
Plot and Gameplay Synopsis
November 22, 2161. The AXV Emergence leaves drydock on its first operational cruise. A prototype missile cruiser, the Emergence promises to revolutionize naval warfare for humanity and the galaxy. The innovative ship features a stealthy design, advanced sensors, one of the most efficient drives humanity has produced, and an FTL missile system capable of striking targets from well beyond their ability to respond. Its development has been long and troublesome, and the ship has been derided as a huge waste of money. Soon, those detractors will be either proven right or proven wrong.
Everything seems to be going well. The brand-new drive systems on the AXV Emergence come online without issue, and all parameters are within nominal ranges. Its stealth works- one sensor officer remarks that the ship has the smallest thermal signature of any she'd ever seen. All systems check out. After years of delays, the ship is finally ready for action. But all is not well. A group of armed intruders has been waiting. Finally, the moment is here. They check their equipment, review their plans one last time. They send their secret signal and move into position. One final check. They're really doing this.
The experimental cruiser transmits a final mayday call that's interrupted two sentences in. The escorts meant to protect it watch helplessly as it jumps to FTL. The crown jewel of Earth's fleet has been ripped from their hands. The stakes are high. The chase is on.
The tone and feel of Ascension 2 is difficult to describe. It's not a parody or comedy, and is in fact darker and more cynical than some other games. I wouldn't call it allegorical, but it's definitely applicable and inspired by current events in the world. The real world is often flippant and full of humourous moments even at the worst of times, and there is some humour in the game of this nature.
Gameplay-wise, Ascension 2 is relatively conventional RPG Maker, with a few twists thrown in. The game is inspired by newer western RPGs such as Mass Effect and Fallout as well as classic JRPGs, and this is reflected in the gameplay. Most of the game is free-roaming, visiting various locations and talking to people to complete quests. This is structured into a focused narrative, moving from world to world as the plot advances. Quests can be completed in different ways, some easier than others. Some sidequests stand alone, while others tie into the main quest line. Grinding and random encounters are eschewed in favor of scripted events and visible enemies. This does make it a shorter game, but a more intense one. Scripted and prerendered cutscenes are used judiciously to help tell the story without overshadowing gameplay.
Combat is turn-based and conventional except that the focus is on quick, decisive battles rather than drawn-out ones. Attacks hit hard and hit quickly, and inflicting other conditions is deemphasized in favor of taking out enemies as quickly as possible. There is no magic in Ascension 2, but characters have abilities that behave similarly.
Everything seems to be going well. The brand-new drive systems on the AXV Emergence come online without issue, and all parameters are within nominal ranges. Its stealth works- one sensor officer remarks that the ship has the smallest thermal signature of any she'd ever seen. All systems check out. After years of delays, the ship is finally ready for action. But all is not well. A group of armed intruders has been waiting. Finally, the moment is here. They check their equipment, review their plans one last time. They send their secret signal and move into position. One final check. They're really doing this.
The experimental cruiser transmits a final mayday call that's interrupted two sentences in. The escorts meant to protect it watch helplessly as it jumps to FTL. The crown jewel of Earth's fleet has been ripped from their hands. The stakes are high. The chase is on.
The tone and feel of Ascension 2 is difficult to describe. It's not a parody or comedy, and is in fact darker and more cynical than some other games. I wouldn't call it allegorical, but it's definitely applicable and inspired by current events in the world. The real world is often flippant and full of humourous moments even at the worst of times, and there is some humour in the game of this nature.
Gameplay-wise, Ascension 2 is relatively conventional RPG Maker, with a few twists thrown in. The game is inspired by newer western RPGs such as Mass Effect and Fallout as well as classic JRPGs, and this is reflected in the gameplay. Most of the game is free-roaming, visiting various locations and talking to people to complete quests. This is structured into a focused narrative, moving from world to world as the plot advances. Quests can be completed in different ways, some easier than others. Some sidequests stand alone, while others tie into the main quest line. Grinding and random encounters are eschewed in favor of scripted events and visible enemies. This does make it a shorter game, but a more intense one. Scripted and prerendered cutscenes are used judiciously to help tell the story without overshadowing gameplay.
Combat is turn-based and conventional except that the focus is on quick, decisive battles rather than drawn-out ones. Attacks hit hard and hit quickly, and inflicting other conditions is deemphasized in favor of taking out enemies as quickly as possible. There is no magic in Ascension 2, but characters have abilities that behave similarly.
Ascension 2 was conceptualized almost immediately after Ascension was finished in late 2012, but I didn't start working on it until 2014, with a demo released that year. It went through significant changes as I worked on it over the course of 2015.
The game is built with RPG Maker, because it is fast and easy to build a game on, and uses a mixture of RPG Maker assets, free art, and my own abominations. I'll admit freely that there's a lot I wanted to do that didn't make it into the game, but I'm hoping to add some of it in updates.
The game is built with RPG Maker, because it is fast and easy to build a game on, and uses a mixture of RPG Maker assets, free art, and my own abominations. I'll admit freely that there's a lot I wanted to do that didn't make it into the game, but I'm hoping to add some of it in updates.
Ascension 2 Galaxy uses a mix of original, third-party, and RPG Maker resources. Full credits are included in the installer package, but I'd like to shout out a few in particular here.
RPG Maker VX Ace - Enterbrain/Kadokawa Games
Futuristic Tiles - Celianna/Degica/Enterbrain
Game Character Hub - Sebastien Bini/Degica
OpenGameArt.org
Ails/7Soul1/Henrique Lazini
Jattenalle/www.GodsAndIdols.com
Liberated Pixel Cup
Stephen "Redshrike" Challener
Little Robot Sound Factory
Snabisch
Trevor Lentz
Kevin MacLeod
Ascender Corporation
RPG Maker VX Ace - Enterbrain/Kadokawa Games
Futuristic Tiles - Celianna/Degica/Enterbrain
Game Character Hub - Sebastien Bini/Degica
OpenGameArt.org
Ails/7Soul1/Henrique Lazini
Jattenalle/www.GodsAndIdols.com
Liberated Pixel Cup
Stephen "Redshrike" Challener
Little Robot Sound Factory
Snabisch
Trevor Lentz
Kevin MacLeod
Ascender Corporation
Downloads and Links
Ascension 2 Galaxy contains content that may be offensive to some audiences, including violence, coarse language, drug and alcohol references, and some mature themes. I don't consider it a particularly mature game, but it's not for kids either. It does not contain sex or real-world politics.
Ascension 2 Galaxy is provided in an installer package. Simply run the installer and follow the instructions provided. The RPG Maker RTP is not required, though the launcher requires .NET 4.0 or later. The minimum requirements are Windows XP and 300MB of hard drive space. Windows 10 users may need to enable compatibility mode.
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