Vikings of Midgard - Development Journal

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

I just love how the OHR has its own "universe" now. Just like how every Final Fantasy has its Cid, and every Zelda game has its green-garbed Link, most OHR games have characters of legend make appearances.
Bob the Hamster, Surlaw, Frumpy, Mr. Pepper, Super Walrus Man, Slime King, Mr. Triangle...
And Gisli, apparently.

You've forgotten someone very VERY important. Here's a hint:

[Skullduggery Studios]

I have a couple games in production with characters that can (hopefully) become just as memorable.

Now if I could only get any of them done...

[RMZ]

Very nicely drawn tiles my friend. It is a bit much black for you, but it's excellently drawn.

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

Update time! It seems that NEW foes and enemies will populate the world once a certain "point of no return" is passed. Expect most of the game's locations to change accordingly (not shown)

Outsiders are a new enemy type that "ignore all the rules". A flaming enemy may be weak against fire, and not ice, for example. They're all weird, and definitely not from around here...


Many of the new monsters also have names taken from Norse Mythology ( to better fit the feel of the game). This one's named Hyrrokkin, after the wolf-riding giantess who assisted in pushing Balder's funeral barge out to sea.


This tree seems quite unhappy with his current situation.


This tree has an axe to grind with whoever tried to cut it down. Laerador was also a norse tree that was rumored to have a malicious spirit living inside it.


The giving tree. Not ALL the new foes are outright malicious!

[Baconlabs]

The giving tree. Not ALL the new foes are outright malicious!

Unless it's anything like the Tender Loving Tree...
The one that explodes

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

It's been a while since I've actually recorded EVERYTHING I've changed in the most recent version. Since it'll be too much trouble to actually go BACK, I'll just start listing things as I come along them. Hopefully, this'll jog my memory and keep me from opening the game and finding that I've done things I intended to do but didn't remember.

I apparently introduced a horrifying bug in the Heart of OHR contest quasi-version, which made killing undead enemies impossible with Frumpy (even though he's MADE to do it). Suffice to say, it'll require an elemental slot I had been holding off on. And now it's gone

Armor has been completely reworked, statwise. Characters who got virtually no defense against magic now have a LITTLE. This should allow them an actual viable defense in later fights.

Shopkeepers now actually REQUIRE components to make your equipment. Fortunately, these components are easy to acquire, unless of course you're lazy (and even then, there's a vendor who sells them).

Speaking of vendors, the guy just outside Cthulhu's castle NOW sells full body suits and masks - those armors that anybody can wear, INSTEAD of what he was selling previously.

Enemies are also getting a work-over to better balance the game (make it more challenging and interesting). As per an OLD request by Surlaw, each foe is going to talk in lively and interesting way as you duel them!

I've also added some NEW scenes during the course of the game to better flesh out the characters. As you adventure throughout the game, you'll be able to interact with your party to find what they're thinking about the adventure in progress.

And I've finally tracked down the spot where Eric wasn't getting his third spell (Rally) after the encounter with Rell, and FIXED it so he actually gets it. Rally is a very important ability - spamable, stackable attack bonus to the ENTIRE party? Yes please.

Kitt finally has all his spells learnable now, as does Olaf. Everybody else except for Frumpy just needs ONE, which is their most powerful. I'm taking suggestions for how to plug these in via quests.

[Nathan Karr]

Frumpy gets his greatest spell from converting Paul and Lita.

[Bob the Hamster]

Religious debate with Odin?

[NeoSpade]

Frumpy... hmm how about...

Fighting against SCIENCE!! alongside the Pope?

Defeating the Rabbit of Caerbannog?

Walking on water?



On a side-note; Does the slow spell still stack? Last time I got to Cthulhu I hit him with that twice which effectively stopped him (actually it literally stopped him) the poison spell stacks too but that wouldn't matter if slow didn't.

[Baconlabs]

Everybody else except for Frumpy just needs ONE [SPELL], which is their most powerful.

So, wait, Frumpy's already got a way to get his ultimate spell? I think the forumites got this detail confused.
The following folks need new quests to introduce their ultimate spells:
-Styrge (Ranger)
-Hilda (Valkyrie)
-Night (Shaman)
-Eric (Skald / Bard / Spoon)
-Bram (Thief)
Is that right?

[Momoka]

It would be nice if Bram stole something outside of combat outside of the intro. A sidequest where you had to steal the Golden Goblet of Macguffin would be sensible. Perhaps a race against Nyah-guy, whose name escapes me at the moment., which could also tie up that subplot.

Eric has to throw a rock concert, where he goes to 11. This is non-negotiable to me

Night has a subplot to wrap up, I think. I feel it makes the most sense to give her her ultimate there.

I don't think Hilda does anything Valkryie-ish in the game either, but I didn't use her much.

I'm a fan of the idea that ultimate power should come at the end of a character arc, culminating the character's personal journey throughout the game.

[Nathan Karr]

Hilda must fight alongside Senor Death to make sure some dead guys stay that way.

[Fenrir-Lunaris]

Frumpy gets his greatest spell from converting Paul and Lita.

What I'll probably end up doing is having Frumpy marry the two together - which would require running around to gather materials for the wedding dress probably. There would be the obvious debate over whether the ceremony should be a Viking wedding vs (whatever Frumpy's religion ACTUALLY IS). At any rate, two of the other characters in the game will hint that they'll have to do the same at some point (your guess who, though there's a few small hints throughout the game).

Religious debate with Odin?

This could actually come out pretty funny if it's pulled off right.

On a side-note; Does the slow spell still stack? Last time I got to Cthulhu I hit him with that twice which effectively stopped him (actually it literally stopped him) the poison spell stacks too but that wouldn't matter if slow didn't.

I've been thinking about dropping all spell effect stackability, since it's literally possible to completely shut down bosses like this. Whenever stat buffs are worked in, it'll be easier to have multiple buffs going at once. Ideally, I'd like to have different effects going at once, rather than multiple instances of the same spell going off (as in, multiple uses of Protect "A" don't stack, but Protect "A" and Protect "B" would.)

It would be nice if Bram stole something outside of combat outside of the intro. A sidequest where you had to steal the Golden Goblet of Macguffin would be sensible. Perhaps a race against Nyah-guy, whose name escapes me at the moment., which could also tie up that subplot.

Eric has to throw a rock concert, where he goes to 11. This is non-negotiable to me Zombie

Night has a subplot to wrap up, I think. I feel it makes the most sense to give her her ultimate there.

I don't think Hilda does anything Valkryie-ish in the game either, but I didn't use her much.

Bram does indeed gain her "best spell" (Quick) from the final fight against Delvire - where he effectively TELLS her WHAT the final boss IS, without offering any hints on how to defeat it - and Bram says something to the effect that even if she fails she still wants to see her adventure reach its end (this is the theme of her story arc - finish what you start).

Eric should absolutely gain RagnaROCK from a rock concert. I've been toying with the idea of a DDR style minigame where he faces off against the game's OTHER bardic character in a kind of dueling banjos style faceoff. Win or lose, you'd get the spell, but doing WELL would likely result in a tremendous cash payout (and give you incentive to play it again).

Hilda's main end-game quests revolve around slaying a number of dragons. Possibly "slay one of each type" deal like the 8 dragons subquest in FFVI.

Hilda must fight alongside Senor Death to make sure some dead guys stay that way.

I'll throw him in the desert area somewhere, likely as one of those "assist me" battles.

[Mystic]

Ideally, I'd like to have different effects going at once, rather than multiple instances of the same spell going off (as in, multiple uses of Protect "A" don't stack, but Protect "A" and Protect "B" would.)

I think everyone wishes for this...

[Nathan Karr]

Frumpy gets his greatest spell from converting Paul and Lita.

What I'll probably end up doing is having Frumpy marry the two together - which would require running around to gather materials for the wedding dress probably. There would be the obvious debate over whether the ceremony should be a Viking wedding vs (whatever Frumpy's religion ACTUALLY IS). At any rate, two of the other characters in the game will hint that they'll have to do the same at some point (your guess who, though there's a few small hints throughout the game).

I hope one of the dress components enduces either squick or furry confusion.

In the newer versions of the game, I'm having trouble finding the time to get anywhere. It took me about half a year to get through Ironwood Forest and the fire level.