Tristian: Lady of the Lion

[PixelLuchi]

Back into business. Black Tempest ( Vol II of Enelysion ) is going to take far too long to finish right now ( being all-custom ) so that is now on hiatus.

And yes, my name is now Deranged_Laine. It was the name I originally used when I joined RMVX.net back in 2010.

Pretty large update coming in so:
 
First of all, the game is now known as Tristian: Lady of the Lion. It has a better ring to it.

The game is episodic as well. I'm planning on 3 or so episodes to make up around 30 hours of gameplay, making it considerably larger than Enelysion, which is a mere 7 hours in length.

I am axing three characters from the game as well ( Darcy, Ronin and Revan ). They're static, boring and generic even though Darcy was the most likable of the 3. I'm keeping Trabant though.
 
The game is undergoing an extensive revamp as well, verbally and visually. Some screens below ( but for those of you following me at RMN, this will be old news: Link to the RMN gamepage in my profile).

Spoiler

 

 

There are too many new gameplay features to mention but the stat-boosting Crysalis system has probably received the biggest makeover of the planned features. Apart from just boosting character stats, players can opt to trade them in throughout various apothecaries in exchange for powerful orbs that grant special abilities when equipped.

Puzzles and traps have received overhauls as well, including ones that can kill the player if they are not careful ( so you can get a game over outside of battle as well ). There is another feature in relation to what happens to Tristian in the game ( an idea I borrowed from the excellent Dhux's Scar, an amazing RM2K game made by Erilex ) but I won't go into detail there, since its spoilers galore.

So... that will be that. I don't have a release for Episode One anytime soon ( since I still have another 8 hours to do... ).

 

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

There are too many new gameplay features to mention but the stat-boosting Crysalis system has probably received the biggest makeover of the planned features. Apart from just boosting character stats, players can opt to trade them in throughout various apothecaries in exchange for powerful orbs that grant special abilities when equipped.

Auch, I have a resource for one of my systems named Chrysalis xD

 

[PixelLuchi]

Ah, I realise that 'Crysalis' isn't a very original term ( Crystals are synonymous with Final Fantasy XD ). I'll probably just end up calling it an Augment system or such.

Updated the OP and removed the old download link.

 

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

Ah, I realise that 'Crysalis' isn't a very original term ( Crystals are synonymous with Final Fantasy XD ). I'll probably just end up calling it an Augment system or such.

Updated the OP and removed the old download link.

Yeah I have changed the name of mine several times since I thought they didn't work out. I just find it funny that we almost named them exactly the same

 

[blueperiod]

You're axing those 2nd scenario characters, Luchi? Is it because that one dude said he didn't like them in his RMN review? Cause if so, I don't think you should alter your game just because one guy didn't appreciate some of your design choices. I mean, it's just one opinion. I haven't played through to Darci's part yet, but I was always really interested in how you would use different viewpoints to flesh out the game's world. I also assumed that eventually Darci would meet up with Tristian and their stories would interconnect somehow, leading to a really cool payoff, so to see that you just cut them out completely is kind of weird. Maybe I don't know the whole story behind your choices, but if you decided to axe them because of that review, please *please* reconsider. I know that it's your project and you can take it in whatever direction you want, but if you did change things up because of that review, then I think maybe you could probably be a bit more confident in your design choices and stick with them through thick and thin, even if a few people don't appreciate them.


Now, that's just me assuming things, but if you did cut them out because as a creator you sincerely thought that their presence were a hindrance, then I suppose that's fine. In any case, I'm really bummed out that you removed that aspect of your game. It was one of the big things that really got me interested in the game, as it made the story seem incredibly ambitious and sprawling.

 

[PixelLuchi]

While Addit did make some rather pertinent points for the demo, looking back, Darcy, Ronin and Revan are rather generic. But I do have some ideas in mind to make Darcy, er, less generic ( but I'm axing Ronin and Revan for good ). This was because of the whole rewrite process ( which flows much better than the current, now removed demo ) since I'd figured it would make more sense for Tristian to go undercover under a new identity, rally resistance and probably meet Darcy along the way. It would probably make more sense too. Those two will probably cross paths in Episode II.

Anyhoo, a new challenger arrives!

He should remind players a bit of Patrick from Enelysion, but I was really trying to see if I could make a Fire Emblem style Erik. XD He just needs a bit of a tan.

His name is Lance ( a reference to one of King Arthur's knights, Lancelot, much like Tristian. LoTL has a bit of Arthurian mythology going on here  Like we have Gawain and the Green Knight, in here it's Tristian and the Green Knight. ). He is an 18-year old student of alchemy who defected from Valthorme's military and is very inexperienced in the ways of war. Naturally, he was forced to fight as his country was rounding up every able man and boy for war. Tristian finds him in an abandoned home in her hometown of Reglay, where Lance fled after Valthorme's army destroyed much of Genoa's farms and surrounds. ( He gives off a very Woobie-ish vibe, just like Patrick XD ).

Regarding the episodic nature of the game, I've decided to divide them into ten 3 hour long games ( since shorter games are better, as I realised for the RM Venture at RMN. I netted 175 Makerscore for that event ) giving the full game of Tristian around 30 or so hours. And that is without filler, sidequests etc. =) So I could break that legendary 40 or so hour mark that so many RM-ers strive for, making Lady of the Lion my most ambitious game yet.

Episode I is 90% complete ( at 2.5 hours, aiming for 3 ) and while it may be shorter than the old 4 hour demo, I hope players will be pleased with the final product. It's more streamlined, better pacing, balancing etc. And prettier graphics. Because face it, all of you go the Screenshot section first. And I'm just as guilty. XD

 

[PixelLuchi]

So, at just under 3 hours long, Episode One of Tristian is around 95% done. I just need to wrap up a few more things before I start looking for testers. I think 3 hours is a decent enough length for most gamers.

Episode I is a completely different experience from the old demo that some of you have played. I have taken great care to absorb the player from the moment they see the intro scene, right up until the last moment. I've made new sprites to
convey different emotions, added SFX that really mimic the sound of war ( thanks to Caeser III, one of my favourite games. Old, but a gem. ) and of course, revamped virtually every single map in the game. And of course, the game's pacing never slows down. There are no 'filler' moments ( apart from one sidequest that gains insight into the Valthorme army ).

New screens:

In the above post, I mentioned a new character called Lance. He will only be available at the start of Episode II ( not that he is much use to Tristian and Dante in the beginning. He's a Conscript, with very low base stats ( unsurprising, given that he has next to no military training ) and the equivalent of an unpromoted character for those of you familiar with Fire Emblem ( Tristian and Dante are already promoted, but unlike the aforementioned series' Jeigans, they never get weaker ).

Off topic: That is one thing I will never understand in FE. Promoted units that the player gets much later in the game are 99.9% of the time weaker than the little ( unpromoted, inexperienced ) welps you get at the beginning. You'd think they'd still be horribly weak. No-one gets that strong in the space of one year, considering those so-called veterans with poor base stats have years of training behind them. :\

Anyway, I could rant about so many things wrong with that series ( child soldiers, incest ( yes ) etc. ) but this is not the place for it.

 

 

[PixelLuchi]

Episode One available for download. Have fun, and C&C please. It's an early build of the full Episode.

http://rpgmaker.net/games/5537/downloads/5569/

105mb, needs the RMVX RTP to run obviously. Roughly 2.5 to 3 hours long.

 

[blueperiod]

I'm having a lot of issues with the poison/statue puzzle in the Emerald Gate. I don't really understand the directions on the stone plaque. I'm also not a fan of how you can't save, as I'm out of antidotes and it's really risky trying to go back to the healing crystal without getting into fights. It kind of sucks having to redo all of those battles over again when I get killed (which happens rather easily because of the poison).  

 

[PixelLuchi]

In the room to the west, you need to move the statue on the right of the room to the western plate ( it's shaped in a sort of a cross ) and it will cause the middle statue to become movable ( and disable the poison traps ). That statue can then be moved over to the eastern plate.

It will then unlock the door to the east. In that room, all you do is push the statue to the western plate. That will unlock the Grotto Gate. Then you will be able to save in that room.

I know my puzzles suck at times.

 

[blueperiod]

Ah. I see. I was confused because I walked Dante over to the lower right of the blue orb (without pushing any statues) and a message popped up saying "East Gate unlocked", but when I went to the east door it was still shut. Weird.

 

[PixelLuchi]

Yeah, that was some bug I couldn't get around to fixing. >< But that orb has to be blue for the gate to be unlocked. I need to write less cryptic puzzles.

 

[blueperiod]

Yeah I didn't get the whole "frozen spirit" thing at all. I actually thought it had to do with the elemental enemies at first.

 

[PixelLuchi]

Yes, I really need to work on my wording for future puzzles. Added the download link to the OP as well.

But now I want to work on something less... serious. Like my FE game. =)

 

[PixelLuchi]

Well, I haven't updated this thread in more than a year. For those of you who wondered where I disappeared to, I've been over at RMN under the alias yuna21 ( but I've since asked the admin to change my user name to Luchino ) and just hanging around with the crowd over there. They're a crazy bunch and I love them for it. As for what I've been doing since this last update up until now:
 
Tristian has racked up quite a following and fan-base and my other completed game; Enelysion, got the Featured game spot in December last year over at RMN. I've also been involved in a collaboration project with blueperiod and made a short completed sci-fi game called Accelerated World over a period of two weeks for an event where we had to use our own custom graphics.

So yes, I have been quite busy elsewhere. But RL eventually catches up and I can only work on my projects over weekends now.

As for the project itself, well, a picture says a thousand words:

The game is also undergoing a graphical overhaul where I will be using my pixel art to do the tilesets ( I'm not as good as Sharm though. Yet ). I'm aiming for a more unique looking game this time round, because if I am brutally honest, most of the games nowadays look far too similar.

Before and after screens.

The water autotile was the hardest to do. The waterfall tile is still a placeholder. Still trying to keep the entire palette to a limit of 255 colours when I'm done.

I'm still using a mouse to do my pixel art, but I am investing in a Wacom tablet soon enough to severely reduce the time taken to do the pixel work. This game is even more ambitious than Enelysion in every way possible, but I am confident I can pull it off in the long run. Having a fanbase for your work really helps.

I will keep you guys posted on updates in the future. I do apologise in advance for keeping some of you in the dark, but I guess I just wanted to hang around another forum for a change ( I am aware I posted a farewell notice on this forum in April last year, but my head wasn't screwed on straight... ) so yes.

I'm back. In a way. =)

 

[SpiralSigil]

So I honestly have to say every SINGLE one of your maps has me in awe of all the details you've added.  You are truly talented, and I really hope my mapping eventually improves that much ^^;

Im also absolutely adoring the fire emblem edits.  FE 9 and 10 were my favorites out of the series, so naturally I habor extra love for the ones you've chosen to go with.  Keep it up ^_^

 

[PixelLuchi]

Work is keeping me as busy as ever, but I am trying to crank out an hour of productivity during the evenings when I get 'me' time. I've started on the interior tiles and while they aren't anywhere near as daunting to do as the autotiles, there are still a great many of them to complete.


So, progress is still slow, but steady.

Wood tiles... more pain than what its worth...

And another exterior scene, this time testing out different textures. I'm not very happy with the way the cliff tiles came out, so I may redo them. Could end up doing a more stone-like texture like I did for the wall autotile.


As for other aspects of the game, I'm busy refining the game script. Even in its unabridged state (i.o.w, no NPC dialogue, just the main scenes ), it's still sitting at around 7800+ words... all within the first 3 or so hours ( which doesn't seem long, until I realise that its something like over 300 message boxes, assuming I get an average of 30 words per box with no faceset usage so... ). Either way, it could still use some refining but I do enjoy reading through it, so that's a good sign.


As for the origins of Tristian herself...


http://fireemblem.wikia.com/wiki/Lucia


Wiki entry for the curious. She's the character that appears in my avatar as well.


Yes, she pretty much is the inspiration for our lovely protagonist in LoTL. =) And the queen she protects (Elincia) is obviously the inspiration for Ianna as well. I figured that when playing through the game, they'd probably make outstanding/interesting leads for an RPG, so I took the idea and ran with it. FE in general doesn't allow same-sex pairings, and because I ship LuciaxElincia, I took the idea over into Tristian. And the game script justwrote itself. There are major differences between the two pairs though.


But I figured I didn't want my Master Knight heroine to be only around 20-21 years of age,so I aged up her Fire Emblem counterpart by about 5 years with a hell of a lot more pain and grievances added to her personal baggage.

In-game character portrait art from Radiant Dawn of Lucia and Elincia, as opposed to their 'counterparts'. Just looking at the two pairs gives me feeels...

Overkill cuteness factor. I just did those sprites for fun.


And no, I am not insane enough to redo every single sprite in the game to match that style. Even though they look better, the mere thought of it is torture to me and would extend Tristian's release date to 2018 and beyond. I do not want to be in my 30s when this comes out, no thank you ( I'm already 27). Working on Enelysion for 4 years was bad enough even though I got valuable experience from it all, but the thought of working on another 10-15 hour long game for that length of time is just too much of a hassle.


So that's the latest developments for now.

 

[PixelLuchi]

--Update copy-pasted from the game's main thread over at RMN with some edits--
http://rpgmaker.net/games/5537/

It's over 9000!

Abridged script in words, that is. And only 3 hours in. Pushing for 10K words atm ( I'm estimating it will hit 40K words by time I get to the part where I left off, which ended at the 10 hour mark ). I didn't even realise I had written that much since I began the project in July 2013. I have written small pieces of lore and such, but not enough to warrant a preview yet. But I can show you a preview of the custom work that I've been slaving over for the last few weeks.

Not entirely done, but getting there.

RSXIII ( Release Something XIII event for RMN ) entry.

Spoiler

I pretty much stitched together 9 seperate screens to make this (even though there is a script for this, I felt like doing it manually, then adding in the effects.

And an animated GIF of Tristian's new sprite.

I like the way her armour came out, but her hair still needs a bit of work (her fringe still needs to flap a bit and may need to add a bit of shading to her breastplate so it doesn't look so stationary). Style is inspired from PSIV, but it's my own base.