Eternal Dreamers | Free Battle RPG | 91% Positive on Steam

[Shuruzy]

Oooo that's a ton of changes! And wait, there's a whole second episode in the works??! Whoa whoa how'd I miss that,,, And the beach area... idk why, but I tend to love beach areas in games, so I'm excited to try this all out once I make some time!

 

[Biestmann]

Oooo that's a ton of changes! And wait, there's a whole second episode in the works??! Whoa whoa how'd I miss that,,, And the beach area... idk why, but I tend to love beach areas in games, so I'm excited to try this all out once I make some time!

Glad to hear from you! I hope you've been doing well!

The second episode simply is an expansion of the story that takes place before the previous ending cinematic. The vibe of the new areas will be a bit different, and I am just taking advantage of the otherworldly setting now to offer varied locales to the player.

Your opinion always means a lot, so I'll be looking forward to your impressions! Here's a small hint for what kind of scenery you can expect in the four new areas!

 

[Biestmann]

Join us for a session of the new update starting at 3PM EST! There will be a Steam code giveaway!
Click here!

 

[ADMtn]

The excavation timer is way too fast. Although using my gamepad, the "A" and "B" are opposite from Nintendo's controllers which I'm used to from the SNES era which definitely does not help. I suppose I could change my buttons (not sure how yet, as I've just gotten this gamepad), but even so I think the timer is too fast.

Maybe the timer could vary in speed. So half the time it's slow and easy; the other half, it's fast (as it currently is). That way people are "guaranteed" at least a few successes. Otherwise, I think people might immediately write off excavating as an ill-conceived minigame and opt to grind instead.

Speaking of which, I've been doing some grinding (rather than completing one mission and moving immediately to the next). Let's see how OP I can get.

Beat the High Priestess. Been using the four default characters. Just pumped Anna full of HP Regen and Defense so she tanks all day and absorbs HP with the party gauge ability.

 

[Biestmann]

@ADMtn Thank you for your honest feedback! With a new feature, adjustments are good and inevitable. I have just updated the game to address your concerns.

Check out the changes here:
https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/1317950/view/2923359684780735777

You're progressing at a fast pace, so I wonder when the first big wall will rear its ugly face! Keep me updated on your journey if you'd like!

 

[ADMtn]

Oh. I wonder if my game updated already. I'll need to try excavating again.

I unlocked the Crater and padded my active party members with Spirits. There was a (small?) bug after unlocking the crater: the game told me to go to the bridge and replayed a previous event from when you unlock the Forsaken City (i.e., the event after you finish the Mountains).

I've still been lazy and stuck with Marlon, Anna, Forest, and Reiketsu as my party.

I'm using an Anna-centric strategy:

(1) I gave Anna the best armor and all the permanent defense increases, used all her armor sockets for HP regen, and gave her a Spirit that increased her HP. I also set aside 100% of the Party Meter for her to use Blood Echo for emergency heals (whenever she takes a big hit, she uses Blood Echo twice in a row and is substantially healed; since she's the slowest, her HP regen also kicks in right after her turn as well). This way, Anna can constantly have Reaper Drive on and tank all single-target attacks.
(2) Every few battles, I'll leave one weak enemy alive and have all the characters Focus repeatedly until their AP is full. Since Anna is so tanky and regenerates, she almost always has full HP (with only one weak enemy trying to hurt her, she regenerates more quickly than they can damage her; if the enemy is only capable of single-target attacks, the rest of the party is 100% safe during this focusing session).

Using this strategy along with some grinding (maybe more than most folks), I stopped needing to use healing items (I only used 2 the entire game, so far). Anna's party members rarely get knocked out because she takes so many of the hits. I think only once, the whole party was close to dying due to AOE, but then I finished the fight with Anna's Cellular Scream (this might've been a Spirit Hunt against something I wasn't prepared for, though, not a Main Quest).

I'll see if my strategy stays viable.

So far it's been an enjoyable grind for drops.

 

[Biestmann]

@ADMtn It seems Anna has been doing wonders for you. Don't hype her up too much though, or I will have to reign her in.
Out of curiosity, do you have a regular or rare (yellow name) spirit?

Thank you for the bug report! I will have a look right away. I am glad you have been enjoying your time with the game!

 

[ADMtn]

@ADMtn It seems Anna has been doing wonders for you. Don't hype her up too much though, or I will have to reign her in.
Out of curiosity, do you have a regular or rare (yellow name) spirit?

Thank you for the bug report! I will have a look right away. I am glad you have been enjoying your time with the game!

I trust you wouldn't nerf her without playtesting my strategy for yourself. If she's OP, then she's OP. Don't want players to feel forced into a particular party build because it's the absolute best. However, if it's only one of many good builds, then I suppose you can leave her be. I get the feeling I could look at the other characters and figure out similarly good builds (but I like utilizing tanks).

I believe I have two yellow spirits (got one of each element... I think, so 5 or them or so are "common"). "Wicked" and all caps = yellow, right?

 

[Biestmann]

I trust you wouldn't nerf her without playtesting my strategy for yourself. If she's OP, then she's OP. Don't want players to feel forced into a particular party build because it's the absolute best. However, if it's only one of many good builds, then I suppose you can leave her be. I get the feeling I could look at the other characters and figure out similarly good builds (but I like utilizing tanks).

Yes, you're absolutely right. If anything, I would have a look at the surrounding factors like her equipment or enemy powers before I would her kit. It's been extensively balanced, and meant to reward players like you that top up on HP. That's exactly how she is meant to be build. Furthermore, you do admit to grinding quite a bit, and that being rewarded with a strong character is only right! In fact, I am quite happy you got her to that point, since she wasn't very popular for a long time.

I believe I have two yellow spirits (got one of each element... I think, so 5 or them or so are "common"). "Wicked" and all caps = yellow, right?

All caps always indicates a rare item (though not all of them are all caps), that's correct. You were lucky to get two of them, me knowing the rates!

 

[ADMtn]

I kicked out the assassin and put in the healer for more survivability to finish the 5 Main Quest zones. Got halfway through the Tower, but had to stop to do other stuff in life. Don't think I'm a fan of this mode; a tad too hardcore for me. Still, I'll come back another day and get through the 40 levels (assuming my party can handle it).

 

[Biestmann]

A small, but delightful announcement! Eternal Dreamers has its own dedicated category on Twitch now!

I kicked out the assassin and put in the healer for more survivability to finish the 5 Main Quest zones. Got halfway through the Tower, but had to stop to do other stuff in life. Don't think I'm a fan of this mode; a tad too hardcore for me. Still, I'll come back another day and get through the 40 levels (assuming my party can handle it).

Congratulations on conquering the Depths!

Unlike the Spirit Hunt, the tower does not offer exclusive equipment-types. Instead, the mode was built for the demographic that wants to conquer every possible challenge. By not clearing it, you miss out on one group of 11-star weapons, but there are plenty of other venues to get those. No biggie!

A big thank you for playing my game to this point; every player means a lot.

 

[Biestmann]

Busy times!
But development goes on!

In December, expect the following additions to the game:

• Tower Expansion Part 2
  • Score System
  • Expanded exchange shop
• Passive abilities
  • Unlocked and leveled through the coaching system
  • e.g. Anna's Raging Berserker: Increases ATK by 30/35/40/45/50% when below 25% HP (may change on release!)

With Christmas around the corner, this update will be my gift to you. And expect others as well. As always, thank you for your interest! So long!

 

[Biestmann]

Hey, everyone!

I've finalized the passive abilities for every class now and felt like showing them off in advance. I tried to design them as unique and as fitting for every class as possible.

Spoiler: Passive Abilities

Hero
Added new passive ability: Steadfast Guardian
4/8/12/16/20% chance to resist knockout

Blood Driver
Added new passive ability: Raging Berserker
Increases DMG dealt by 30/35/40/45/50% when below 25% HP

Leader
Added new passive ability: Iron Resolve
10/20/30/40/50% chance to be cleansed of all debuffs every turn

Assassin
Added new passive ability: Path of the Ninja
Increases evasion by 2/4/6/8/10%

Manipulator
Added new passive ability: Battery Charge
Gain 2/4/6/8/10 party gauge points every turn

Illuminon
Added new passive ability: Nature’s Blessing
Recover 2/4/6/8/10% HP every turn

Hunter
Added new passive ability: Twitchy Finger
12/15/18/21/25% chance to use Strike twice when used

Practitioner
Added new passive ability: Deep Void
Increases critical DMG by 10/20/30/40/50%

Working on these was a lot of fun! Once implemented, our party will become even more powerful! Of course, that means upcoming foes will be scarier than ever to make up for that!

Stay healthy, and so long!

 

[Biestmann]

 

[Biestmann]

Today, I'd like to talk about some of the inspiration that served the conception of Eternal Dreamers!

First of all, there would be Phantasy Star Online, a game that released in the year 2000 for the SEGA Dreamcast, and later on appeared on PC and the Gamecube. Pioneering online RPGs on consoles, and offering a simple, yet addictive gameplay loop, were two things cementing the game as a cult classic. Many know Monster Hunter better these days, but PSO as it is called in short undoubtedly inspired that very series.

Like in Eternal Dreamers, every enemy has the chance to drop a specific rare weapon or other item, the droptable decided by the name given to your character. What's easy for you to find, might be hard to come by for someone else, and so it became the norm to hunt for these elusive items together. Let me tell you, not much makes your heart race like seeing a red box - indicating a rare find - laying on the floor.

Gameplay mechanics aside, the art direction and music of the game is timeless, and you will find yourself enchanted as soon as you enter the first area, the Forest. Give it a listen!




The music even changes dynamically depending on whether you are in or out of combat! I love it! Nonetheless, the whimsical and intimate style of PSO wasn't what I had in mind for the visual and sound design of Eternal Dreamers. Another RPG series offered inspiration on that front!

Enter 7th Dragon 2020, the second entry in the 7th Dragon series that released to the PSP and never made it west in an official capacity. I am a sucker for a good blend of sci-fi and fantasy, and what fits that bill better than fighting off an alien dragon invasion in modern day Tokyo?

The game offers incredible freedom when creating your party, letting you freely choose between several classes for all of your party members. The variety of skills and different combat roles is nothing short of astonishing. Of course, I wanted to offer a similar level of freedom to the players of my game. And thus, 8 different classes were born, none playing like the other, and all available from the moment you start your journey!

Not only are enemy and player sprites lovingly animated, the music is funky and energetic, be it in or out of battle. This portable RPG just oozes style!




This energy was something I, too, wanted to evoke in the player, and so Eternal Dreamers is stuffed to the brim with energetic tunes and snappy beats. Of course, the interface of Eternal Dreamers is quite sleek and stylish as well!

There we have it! Of course inspiration comes from many places, but these two games undoubtedly inspired me most when I conceptualized Eternal Dreamers and also as I continue development of the game even now.

Thank you for reading! So long!

 

[Shuruzy]

7th dragon was an inspiration?! Ooo I love that game/series! And now that you mention it, yeah I can definitely see the inspiration for the music you've got in ED. I may not know much of PSO, but it's nice to learn of people's inspirations & see what they do similarly/differently with them !

 

[Biestmann]

7th dragon was an inspiration?! Ooo I love that game/series! And now that you mention it, yeah I can definitely see the inspiration for the music you've got in ED. I may not know much of PSO, but it's nice to learn of people's inspirations & see what they do similarly/differently with them !

Thank you! I am glad to hear there are more 7th Dragon fans out there! It's a very underappreciated series thanks to SEGA's decision not to localize most entries. Both 7th Dragon and PSO are developed by SEGA in fact, and so there are references to the Phantasy Star series in 7th Dragon.

 

[Biestmann]

Less than a day to go on the Christmas discount!

 

[Biestmann]

I hope everyone is having healthy and enjoyable holidays! The game's development continues throughout the end of the year to bring you a new update soon!

In early January, you may look forward to the following additions:

• New main quest area: Wilds
  • Tier 6 weapons and armor
  • Rare tier 11 weapons and armor
  • Level 3 ability books
  • Radiant Mining Stones
• New quest type: Bonus Mission
  • Replaces Urgent Missions
  • Gain all kinds of valuable rewards clearing these rare missions
  • Upgrade the spawn probability of the mission and its item rewards
• Depth 4 of the mining minigame
  • Gather Pure Mining Stones

The new year brings forth new challenges and new possibilities! The same will be true for Eternal Dreamers! Thank you for your interest and so long!

 

[Biestmann]

Eternal Dreamers is going free-to-play!
>Steam Announcement<

After almost a year in Early Access, Eternal Dreamers is going free-to-play! What does that mean for buyers of the paid version and the game going forward? Everything is outlined below!

When is Eternal Dreamers going F2P?

• The switch to F2P is expected to take place on January 11th

I bought/plan to buy the game before the change to F2P. What happens to my progress? Do I have to buy content I already paid for again?

• Existing save states will remain functional (It is strongly suggested to start a new save state regardless)
• Buyers of the paid version will receive all initially released DLC for free, covering all content that was part of the game before the change

What kind of downloadable content (DLC) will be available?

• Initially, four characters can be purchased individually:
• Anna, the Blood Driver
• Sakia, the Manipulator
• Faeris, the Illuminon
• Natsume, the Hunter
• If demand is high enough, more characters will be offered later

How will the structure of the game and content releases change?

• Outside of limiting free character availability, the structure of the game will remain unchanged
• Planned content releases such as new areas will occur as before and be free for all players

We are incredibly excited for this change! Thank you for your support and see you next week!