RMMV Hidden Trace (Update : Battle Demonstration)

[EpicFILE]

"I wish I could be gone... If only that was possible"




*You can listen to more music below
​

Hi everyone! This is my small project called Hidden Trace. Maybe it'll have 1-2 hours of gameplay. Actually I want to introduce the game only when it's finished. But I think it's better to introduce the game while it's still on development.

*Updated at January 22nd, 2018
GAMEPLAY
Sensing System

Use sensing system to help you solve puzzles.
There are 5 sensing types: Normal, Vision, Hearing, Smell, and Sixth Sense
​

More details about sensing system

Spoiler

*The images in this section are used for explanatory purpose only.
There might be aesthetic changes later in development.

The gameplay will focus on puzzle solving and dungeon crawling.
Each dungeon will limit your perceptions. You can only see what's inside the perception range.
If you look at the picture below, the perception range is the brighter part of this map.

That's really limiting, isn't it?
No worry. There's a helpful stuff called the sensing system.
By pressing the S button, a window will open, and you can choose to focus on one of your senses.

Sensing System

Spoiler

There are 5 type of senses:
*I'll explain each type in a spoiler, because each type will have detailed explanations.

Normal

Spoiler

The normal perception range is not much. But this is the only type of sensing that allows you to dash.
So it might be useful too.

Vision

Spoiler

Vision greatly increase your perception range. Now you can see a guy standing there from afar.
You might think vision is the most useful sensing type. Not really.


Just like the nature of vision, you can't see things when there are obstacles.
Vision can't see through trees, walls, and other obstacles.

Hearing

Spoiler

Hearing gives you moderate perception range. But hey, the shape looks kinda different!
Because you're focusing on hearing, you can notice everything around you, including what's behind you.
This is the only type where the perception range is not affected by obstacles.

Smell

Spoiler

Here comes the smell type. Looks identical to normal type.
What's the deal? It seems useless.
The smell is very useful once you recognize smells by interacting with objects and living things around you.

Use the smell type when you battle a monster... Let's say bat monster.
Next time you explore the area, you'll notice other bats even if they are outside your perception range.

Hmm... Looks like you already recognized the guy's smell too

Sixth Sense

Spoiler

The last type is kinda spooky.
Its perception range is exactly the same as the normal one.
But sixth sense allows you to notice ghost, spirits, energies, auras and other magical stuff outside your perception range.
See that cute wisp?

One thing to remember: the sixth sense will drain your MP.
So use it wisely

Sometime things you interact with will give different clues depending on what type of sensing you're using. So it's a good idea to play around with the sensing system.

*Updated at December 23rd, 2017

Stealth Kill (this is not the part of sensing system)

Spoiler

If you don't really want to fight monsters and just want to solve the puzzle...
You can sneak up to your enemy and perform a stealth kill!
Here's how it looks like combined with sensing system:

[/SPOILER]

Battle System

Advanced Dodging, Battle Focus Mode, and Clock Counterattack
give more variety to the battle

Battle Demonstration
​

More details about the battle system

Spoiler

Advanced Dodging:
When an enemy attacks, you can charge up a gauge to dodge enemy attack.

Battle Focus Mode:
When you successfully dodged an enemy attack with advanced dodging, you'll enter battle focus mode. Battle focus mode opens up a new skill type called Advanced (advanced skill). Battle focus mode also alter your counterattack rate to 100%. However, when you get hit by an enemy attack, the battle focus mode will stop and you have to do another advanced dodging to get it back.

Clock Counterattack:
Counterattack will be done using a clock-based timed attack.

Advanced Skill:
Advanced skill cost no MP and TP. However, you need to input some button sequences to make it work.

SYNOPSIS​

Spoiler

Many believe that being immortal must be a beautiful thing.
Imagine enjoying the pleasures of life eternally, without ever having to fear death.
Unfortunately, things are not always that simple.
Gale, a former treasure hunter who became a vampire, knows all too well the dark side of being immortal.

One snowy day, he heard a rumor about the Master of Time.
A glimpse of his past flows through his memories...
He remembered the time when he drank vampire blood to become an immortal.

Gale asked the Master of Time to send himself to the past.
He wanted to prevent his past self from drinking vampire blood.
Will he succeed?

*Updated at December 17th, 2017
CHARACTERS​

Spoiler

*Updated at December 24th, 2017

*Updated at January 22nd, 2018
SCREENSHOTS​

Spoiler

MUSIC​

Spoiler

There was a land of eternal winter.
Nothing you can see but the white snow across the horizon.
In that very moment, your mind have entered another world...
Only two words can describe its beauty and its quirk.
Surreal White.

CREDITS​

Spoiler

-Enterbrain/Kadokawa
-Vincent Chu (Writer)
-OnlyMe_ (Enemy Databasing)
-Leon Kennedy (Tileset Edit)
-Avery (Tileset Resource & Sprites)
-Whtdragon (Sprites)
-Yanfly (Plugin)
-SmRndmDde (Plugin) *super awesome plugins!
-Victor Sant (Plugin)
-MOG (Plugin)
-JoSeraph (Icons)
-CityShrimp (Script)
-Feraldy Naufal/EpicFILE (Music & Art)

SPECIAL THANKS​

Spoiler

I need to give special thanks for @Vincent Chu for always helping me out with the writing. He is really nice and dependable.

Also @OnlyMe_ for helping me design the enemies.
I love the enemies' creative skills.

I got a very pleasant surprise made by @Raijinn

Thank you so much @Raijinn !
I really love this. It truly motivate me to finish the project.
You are awesome!

Another special thanks goes to @Isabella Ava for making this beautiful artwork.
Fiona in manga style. Love it very much

I have a dream of making RPG series like Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire and Fire Emblem.
Final Fantasy always have different story and gameplay in each installment, but never forget about the chocobos and airships.
Breath of Fire always have dragons and blue-haired hero.
Fire Emblem is a challenging SRPG with perma-death.

I want to make an RPG series with sensing system as the core gameplay.
This game is a prototype of that series (I've developed another prototype called Father's Trace back in 2015, but never finished it because the data was lost).
It might be a regular fantasy RPG series, a detective series, or something else.
I haven't decided yet, but the core gameplay revolve around sensing system.

The reason I create a prototype is primarily for self-satisfaction. (having a finished game is more satisfying than having a finished demo)
And it also give me a chance to gain feedbacks.

Anyway, hopefully you will enjoy this game.
Thank you!

 

[Kuwabara Germinal]

I like this Sensing System idea, the puzzle can be much more dynamic with it.

 

[EpicFILE]

Thank you. I will create fun puzzles to solve.
Hopefully you'll love it when the game comes out.

 

[Frogboy]

I like the sound of the game mechanics. I'm going to keep an eye on this one.

 

[EpicFILE]

@Frogboy: Thank you! I will make the gameplay fun.

Anyway, here's an update! The characters' profile!

There are more characters.
I'm not sure if I will introduce all the characters in the next updates. What do you think?

 

[Frogboy]

Sounds interesting and I like the art.

 

[Paladin-Cleric of Awesome]

I've got this ide that whenold gale reaches yong game to kill him, young gale wins and drinks his own blood to become a vampire. lol.

Looks interesting, I would play it!

 

[EpicFILE]

@Frogboy: Thanks!
@Paladin-Cleric of Awesome: That's a great idea! Let's see what will happen between Old Gale and Young Gale when this game come out.

Today I'm pretty excited to upgrade the gameplay mechanic.
I'm messing around for hours to make it work.
Here's the upgraded gameplay:

GAMEPLAY

Spoiler

The gameplay will focus on puzzle solving and dungeon crawling.
Each dungeon will limit your perceptions. You can only see what's inside the perception range.
If you look at the picture below, the perception range is the brighter part of this map.

That's really limiting, isn't it?
No worry. There's a helpful stuff called the sensing system.
By pressing the S button, a window will open, and you can choose to focus on one of your senses.

There are 5 type of senses:
*I'll explain each type in a spoiler, because each type will have detailed explanations.

Normal

Spoiler

The normal perception range is not much. But this is the only type of sensing that allows you to dash.
So it might be useful too.

Vision

Spoiler

Vision greatly increase your perception range. Now you can see a guy standing there from afar.
You might think vision is the most useful sensing type. Not really.

Just like the nature of vision, you can't see things when there are obstacles.
Vision can't see through trees, walls, and other obstacles.

Hearing

Spoiler

Hearing gives you moderate perception range. But hey, the shape looks kinda different!
Because you're focusing on hearing, you can notice everything around you, including what's behind you.
This is the only type where the perception range is not affected by obstacles.

Smell

Spoiler

Here comes the smell type. Looks identical to normal type.
What's the deal? It seems useless.
The smell is very useful once you recognize smells by interacting with objects and living things around you.

Use the smell type when you battle a monster... Let's say bat monster.
Next time you explore the area, you'll notice other bats even if they are outside your perception range.

Hmm... Looks like you already recognized the guy's smell too

Sixth Sense

Spoiler

The last type is kinda spooky.
Its perception range is exactly the same as the normal one.
But sixth sense allows you to notice ghost, spirits, energies, auras and other magical stuff outside your perception range.
See that cute wisp?

One thing to remember: the sixth sense will drain your MP.
So use it wisely

Sometime things you interact with will give different clues depending on what type of sensing you're using. So it's a good idea to play around with the sensing system.

 

[Yoraee]

Oooooh, I love the sensing mechanic! It sounds super interesting!

 

[EpicFILE]

@Yoraee: Thank you!

Today I'm gonna post another gameplay update.

Stealth Kill (this is not the part of sensing system)

If you don't really want to fight monsters and just want to solve the puzzle...
You can sneak up to your enemy and perform a stealth kill!

*Special:
Before I end this post... Here's a beautiful surprise made by @Raijinn

Thank you so much @Raijinn !
I really love this. It truly motivate me to finish the project.
You are awesome!

 

[Raijinn]

I made it look like Gale was a magician rather than a vampire, but oh well

 

[EpicFILE]

@Raijinn:
No worry.
Although he's a vampire, he's got some magic too.
Actually the picture make Gale seems even more like an invincible immortal, which he is.

 

[EpicFILE]

Hello! This post contain 2 updates.
The December 24th update and today's update.

December 24th update

More character profiles!

December 26th update

There are some aesthetic changes. I'll put it inside a spoiler

Spoiler

Before

After

Before

After

And... That's it!
Thank you for dropping by!

 

[Isabella Ava]

Attempted to give Fiona a manga look

 

[EpicFILE]

Attempted to give Fiona a manga look
View attachment 79129

Wah, that's a really nice artwork of Fiona! :0
Thank you @Isabella Ava! I really love it

 

[cradth]

A-ha. I accidentally come to this thread. *lie*
Nice character profiles and the game has potentially intriguing plot.
The sensing system reminded me a little bit of the Witcher series
in a positive way, that would be awesome.
Keep it up, I'll watch this game for sure. Can't wait for the demo release.

 

[EpicFILE]

Lol, thanks @cradth! Originally I don't have a plan to release a demo.
But after giving a second thought, perhaps it's a good idea.
Maybe I can make some improvement by seeing the feedbacks gained from demo.

 

[Confections]

You've definitely got a watch from me! I enjoy seeing interesting and unique gameplay and strategies! I will definitely sit down and give this a try once it's out
Keep it going! *cheers*

 

[EpicFILE]

@Confections
Thank you! That's a very nice compliment.
Really glad you like the system

I made a main theme for Hidden Trace.
For now, it's called "Persistence" but maybe I'll change it later if I can think of a better name. xD (do you have any suggestions?)
Anyway, here it is!

 

[Confections]

That's very nice! My ears are not trained enough to give you criticism, but as an average joe it sounds nice! My favorite part is the "drop" at ~0:16 (I guess "shift" would be a more fitting term haha). I also like how it sounds a little icy, which fits well to the setting (I am assuming in the north/winter based on the sample scenes you showed us with the sense modes demonstration).

From an artist's perspective, if you tweak the melody to elicit emotions from a theme around young Gale vs old Gale, you could choose a title that reflects that better. As it stands now, I think Persistence is a very good title! It starts off lonely, and then the rest of the instruments come in and make it sound more hopeful than one wandering soul (synth piano/strings). You know, persisting against all odds. That's the feel I get from this piece. If I used this piece, I would have it be around a ~drastic~ scene which would be pivotal to the plot. Perhaps Old Gale and Young Gale showdown, Old Gale's a good ol' boss, but Young Gale is fighting for his life, his beliefs. Or Old Gale explaining to Young Gale a specific event as to why immortality has ruined him.

I hope these ideas help! And remember, they are just my opinion