Princess of Peril - CLOSED FOR OVERHAUL

Pardon the dust! A new attraction is being imagined for your future enjoyment!

I am sorry for any inconvenience.

 

YAY FOR FANTASY SURVIVAL!  

This looks very interesting, mate.  The plot is very intriguing, and I can't wait to see what kind of puzzles and whatnot you add in.  Also interested to see what kind of mechanics you have for escaping the guards if they see you!

 

yeahhhh I will find a dar..er I mean a sad pleasure to find all the way I can kill the prin...er I mean Save the princess~

 

Interesting. Is part of the plot as to why the Queen was actually murdered?

 

Yes! Absolutely yes.

Edit: I'm re-uploading the cutscene after I found a few embarrassing errors that are easily fixable.

EDIT 2: Some game mehanics!

Spoiler

My favorite mechanics of the game

 

Huh, interesting! I'm a tad bit confused as to how you're going to apply that game mechanic you test out there, but whatever your vision is, I'm sure it'll come through nicely! Keep me informed for when a demo is available, if ever!

 

I'm happy to explain. It's a survival RPG based on many of the survival horrors out there. "Don't get killed" is essentially the object, but many games do it in a very gruesome way (Mad Father and The Witch's House)... then there are a couple that are actually scary but aren't very gruesome (Ib) at all...

There are no battles, so there has to be SOME way to keep a player on the edge of his or her seat... and this is the best way for me IMO.

This RPG will be a fantasy themed survival.  Here's that same mechanic in action with a new HP System! I'm proudest of the HP system because I made that engine all by myself.

 

I played your game. I'll list off the problems that I encountered below

Spoiler

There were odd character sizes at the queens funeral. They did not fit.

A event in the bedroom that repeats if you decide not to leave.

How do I save? I figured out after finding out the guard in the garden was not going to kill me. Another note is that the tree BY the cross does not heal me, however the tree across the lake heals me?

The gate that requires a name... I looked everywhere and I cannot find the name it wants. I tried I'Namor, Julius and Janna.

Some of the sentences the guard at the begging of the adventure are a bit odd or could sound better.

“Well (get rid of it) If there is anything you need, I will do my best to see to it.” Plus the next sentence after this. Get rid of the well it will make it sound much better.

The first sentence was weird, I redid it.

[SIZE=11pt]“Glad to see you’re finally awake”[/SIZE]

Her moms ghost runs past me in one map... what does this mean? Nothing happens when I chase her.

Mapping... oh goodness were there some mapping issues. Now I will include some screenshots below and explain what I think is odd about them.

Looks like alot of my captures came out half done.... so I'll list off the rooms

The throne room, there's one curtain to the left and nothing to the right? Looks odd and the way the arks connect, I don't know if this can be done better.

Jannas bedroom, it looks like a scattered mess. Not in a good way either.

The garden, the hedges have a wall on one said and not on the other and the garden looks a little... lacking? Yes lacking in vegetation.

Now time for what was good about the game.

It had build up for the intro which was nice to see. A good way to thrust the player into the game, though once I am free after talking with the gaurd I truly did not know where I was supposed to go and just ran around the blocked areas until I found the room ???? . After going in the room what happens afterwards is so sudden, it is a good thing Julius was there to help and explain the situation. Plus, if you choose to take or leave the lamp it does change the dialogue and gameplay. A good thing too see other than just dropping the player with it without any difference.

I loved the music, I am a sap for organs and the piano music fit the area. I noticed that the music lowers and the screen goes red at one HP, a good way to notify  a player that their HP is low.

It was fun for a bit and I liked the guard that actually chased me instead of being stuck in a rut. I said a while, because I became stuck running around pressing enter on everything, due to my trouble with the gate password.

 

Now time for what was good about the game.

It had build up for the intro which was nice to see. A good way to thrust the player into the game, though once I am free after talking with the gaurd I truly did not know where I was supposed to go and just ran around the blocked areas until I found the room ???? . After going in the room what happens afterwards is so sudden, it is a good thing Julius was there to help and explain the situation. Plus, if you choose to take or leave the lamp it does change the dialogue and gameplay. A good thing too see other than just dropping the player with it without any difference.

I loved the music, I am a sap for organs and the piano music fit the area. I noticed that the music lowers and the screen goes red at one HP, a good way to notify  a player that their HP is low.

It was fun for a bit and I liked the guard that actually chased me instead of being stuck in a rut. I said a while, because I became stuck running around pressing enter on everything, due to my trouble with the gate password.

I see, thanks for all your input! 

Spoiler

To be honest the misfitting sprites are supposed to be Children... but  I can't sprite to save my life.. ^_^;;;
I thank you for the map suggestions!

Guard Dialogue: Yeah, he does say "Well" a bit too much, doesn't he? Hahaha.  Also wow, whoops. I forgot to put switches in the bedroom after the first event. I'll work on that too!

The gate is supposed to be tricky, but perhaps that's a bit TOO difficult, too soon.... (I'll PM you the password), I'll move that to a later stage of the game.

The ghost is there only to psyche you out. That's it. Ill include more encounters like that throughout the game.

Mapping

Spoiler

I can't see any of your screencaps, BTW.   Ill be sure to redesign the garden to be less clunky. That one map is used several times for different scenes in the game, kind of like one large soundstage for many parts in a movie. Also, I have a really bad habit of only putting scenery where the camera sees (If you looked at the maps you might faint... hehehe ^^;;;; )

I shall take the tips into consideration!

Also, everything you've said has given me excellent ideas. Thank you! Your input is greeatly appreciated! ^_^

 

I know the small sprites were for kids, which would be an A okay thing. However we have the princess and she is a kid, but different from the others. This being a contest, yes you will want to see about resizing some XP sprites to look like the princess.

I did not include the screenshots as most of them were just black or halfway rendered. Instead I just put words to guide you to the problem.

Well that guard does saw well alot it. It did annoy me so I just got rid of it when I read it. Sorry i can be picky about word usage, I am harsh with myself as well. It's my way to improve my own dialogue.

Once more you should tell the people the Queens name for well... you know what.

 

I have SCREENSHOTS! Well, ONE screenshot and two pics of maps.  All "dungeons". (Quotes because the game is TECHNICALLY one giant dungeon...)

First up is a maze proper. It's HUGE and it took me ten minutes to solve... The exit is cruelly placed within eyesight of the entrance.  This is just a bare map with no events:

Spoiler

Next up is the library.  Should this game (or remakes OF it in the future) ever go big, I'll be able to say that nothing scares me more than a dark, empty library... especially one with such a spooky glow!

Spoiler

I'm most proud of the mini-library puzzle because it employs a special game-mechanic I came up with on my own, and it mimics a simple mechanic from one of the earliest PLATFORMER video games ever!

And finally on the showcase is a catacombs below the castle... this place is HUGE and it's only the TOP layer!!! Like the maze before this, this is only a map with no events or pretties.

Spoiler

Since you're already IN a dungeon, where should a guard throw you if he or she catches you...?

Anyway, enjoy! This castle is not the GRANDEST castle out there, but it's nothing to sneeze at either... it's SEVEN STORIES HIGH. Whew, that's a lot of floors...

 

Just downloaded the demo! It's really well done. I agree with some of the above comments. I understand that you were trying to make the princess smaller than the others, but I think you could achieve that in other ways than just resizing her (for example, knock a few pixels off of her arms & legs. She's wearing a dress, so editing her shorter should be easy.)

Other than that, it's quite fun! I haven't gotten far yet, but the mechanics are enjoyable.

 

Skin color difference.


http://puu.sh/9ChI3/75bc663f19.png


http://puu.sh/9CihX/0c3473af07.png


Fourth wall breaking.


http://puu.sh/9Ci0w/d01764d6d0.png


I also found character sizes way off. Princess is way too small for her age compared to others.


Overall I enjoyed it so far. However it is odd that the guard somehow knows what the lantern does, even though they had no glue before she picks it up.

 

@Berri, You'll be happy to know that I did actually edit the Princess--well--made an entirely new sprite and did just that! ^_^ Now she looks like a legit child. Everything will be all better in the final download.

@Clord, Haha, I see! That old face graphic was a flop. I have since made a new matching graphic to go with the new sprite.

The fourthwall breaking, yes that's intentional. In every great game there's some. ^_^ Although, that gives me a great idea to edit that scene to make it look less deliberate...

Also, Echoing what I told Berri, I (finally and after muh procrastination) fixed sprite sizes. No more mismatched sprites. ^_^

And... The whole lantern biz... Yeah, you're right about that... I'll add in some warnings... something like "Whosoever is kissed by the cursed flame is doomed to perish should ever their fire be quenched" in real fancy 'ye olde 'English.  

Thanks for the feedback, you two!

 

Here's another game mechanic I built from the ground up. It took quite a bit of trial and error but I'm pretty proud!  Both the princess and her HP meter are invisible... yes I know. Rest assured that both do work properly!

Check it out!

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijR5zYF6h7w&feature=youtu.be

I'm almost done with all the events, guys! I can't wait to actually finish!!!

 

Ahhh, I'm so glad that you added that feature! It'll really help. I was worried when I played that I wouldn't find any refueling points for my poor flame.

 

I have no pics, screenshots or fancy videos today, but I have updates!

HOLY CRAP I'm close to finishing... 

I have the queen's chamber to finish, a final escape, another cutscene, the credits, and a sidequest to finish.

Oh, and PoP got a SWEEEEEEHEEEEEET new logo. It's a link for this page!

 

Content removed due to renovations.

 

I feel I need to remind you that I am so so excited about this game! I'm having a friend over later today to do some thorough gameplays and I haven't stopped talking to her about this. You really did a great job, not just with the game itself but with taking feedback.

 

Thank you very much, Berri. That means a lot.   I still have to finish trying out Alyssa (It's not as terrifying as I thought it would be!! ! )

Okay... There were some bugs to escape my (very tired at the time) eyes... Some rather embarrassing ones but they don't break the game.

Mostly a few spelling errors, and at the endings of the game, there's a stray sprite that disappears after a few frames.

In the Sub basement 2 catacombs, the fading is off by a few frames.

Oh, SO close. >_<