Viridia: Expedition (Development Thread)

these enemy graphics are incredible. Absolutely incredible.

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—- So anyway, how are you?

Hexa Mole looks incredibly like mole playing rough from EB, but more appealing (one of the few EB enemies I feel looks a little ...eh). Perhaps with some evil warlord blood in it or something.

And seriously, Tetaché looks like it could fit in with a Metroid game.
Meowskivich approves.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

The quality of those enemy sprites makes me want to go back and redo all the enemies for Legacy Though that's prolly not a good idea, as I'll never get the game out in time that way, hehe. You have some seriously good pixeling skills

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl

Indeed he does.
(and you can always go back and redo your enemies AFTER you get the Legacy out, and then slap it into some new shiny update later or something)

edit: I just now actually started reading the text of your post, Bacon. lol
So I guess you got your inspiration from them as a fact now (since I was wondering, yay being in a bit of a rush and only gazing at the amazing images!)
You know what though? Just for you, I will make some mole enemies (super edit: In AR-PUH-GUH! that is, forgot to say). If you're desperate for some more RPGs with mole enemies, might I suggest Dragon Warrior Monsters, Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 (either version), or perhaps Dragon Quest 8? Dragon Quest 8 actually has a mole-themed dungeon in it, with one of my favorite bosses from any of the games "Don Mole".

And want some names for your moles?
Howzabout "Lord Mole" for the big one (as he reminds of Mole Playing Rough mixed with generic evil-caped-overlord-men, as stated before), and maybe "Shrewler" for the small one? He sorta reminds me of pirates and sailors due to the bandana. And sure, moles and shrews aren't the same creature, but they're close enough for this imo.
If I think of anything better I'll let ya know.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

Update 008


(MUSIC) FL Draft of "51"
This one's pretty easy to visualize and may not actually need much done to it, aside from making it sound good in midi form. This is a remix of the mysterious third party member's theme set to a marching rhythm. It will play when this warrior has a brief solo mission in the middle of the chapter. However, if the player goes up the mountain at night, this event will never happen, and the warrior will immediately join Jerry and Wade. Speaking of which...


(MUSIC) "Dark Trail" Midi
There is a stark contrast in the environment depending on the in-game time of day. At midnight on Mt. Garra, you will be almost entirely alone among the wild animals and horrific monsters out to kill you. What kind of creature awaits your arrival at the top of the moonlit mountain? Is it large or small, bird or beast, natural or unnatural? Let this music set the scene for your imagination.

Is it strange that these musics remind me of Super Battleship?
Cuz they do. Sounding pretteh nice though, though it feels a bit like the drums are little too dominate...or something.
Apparently someone boo'd you at 1:31

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

So I listened to them both without first reading your comments so as to give me an unbiased idea of what the music sounds like.

Strangely enough, the first one made me think of a circus or a fair. It comes off as being happy and light-hearted, frivolous and silly even (the feel, not the music). It's something I'd imagine playing at a carnival once the heroes enter it.

The second one comes off as being ominous, yet a tad bit insane. It made me think of a large dark castle where the Big Bad is based, and the Big Bad is a Chaotic Evil madman with a taste for the theatrical when disposing of his enemies. Something like a mix between a Bond villain, and the Joker.


But that's just my take on them, and I'm silly like that, hehe

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl

@Meowskivich
That was me. "Boo" as in "surprise," because I inserted an extra beat to trip up anyone who was attempting to keep up with the rhythm. Take a wild guess what inspired me to do that!
@BMR
Thanks! I'm glad you went out of your way just to deliver your thoughts "blind." For the first piece, there is no carnival planned (though I may run with that idea and draw an alternate universe carnival-centric comic someday), and because the music borrows so heavily from a character theme, it'd be improper to use it on anything that doesn't involve said character.
For the second, you're on the right track! There is a Chaotic Evil wizard (not appearing in this chapter) orchestrating a lot of awful things in the overarching story. Not big surprise. What you might not have known is that, in this world, monsters do not simply appear over time like new species of animals do - they are created with magic. The most common sorts of monsters are born when a wizard combines the life forces of two or more different creatures, sometimes including the wizard himself! The process is disgusting, horrific, and supposedly depletes one's sanity, so whatever logical purpose a wizard had in creating monsters will be lost as he proceeds to spawn more and more.
Why are these monsters on Mt. Garra? That is a question I'm going to have to leave unanswered for the time being.

Update 009
(STORY) Intro, continued from previous
[Scene: Company Hot Spring - Jerry is bathing]
"JERRY! WAKE UP, YOU INSUFFERABLE FLOUNDER!!"
"GAH! What's your problem, Wade?!"
"You were supposed to be fully armed and dressed by now! What in sam hill are you doing dozing off in here?!"
"... I was?"
"Yes! Have you completely forgotten about today's meeting?"
"Meeting? Meeting, meeting... Wait, with the envoy? That was TODAY?"
"YES!! Now hurry up and--"
[splash]
"WAIT UNTIL I LEAVE, and THEN suit up!"
"You got it! Just go on ahead, I'll catch up with you!"

A brief scene today because, I'll admit, I spent most of it goofing off and playing Yoshi's Island. I tweaked Wade's portrait a bit and drew two new emotes, demonstrated above. I've decided that Jerry's portrait must be redrawn from scratch, it just doesn't have the right feel to it right now. I may get on that later this week.
This post feels too lacking! I'll put in some words from the a few town NPCs.

Update 010
(ART) Re-doing Jerry's Portrait

Some of you might have liked the old portrait on the left, but it just doesn't gel well with the most recent wave of portraits, which all have a common head size, eye size, and eye level. There were also a few things about the old portrait that didn't sync up with the latest design I had for the character. For instance, his armor is no longer shiny plate, but dull, painted leather. The former portrait also didn't feel very attractive, which was important to fix since this is supposed to be a ladies' man who thinks that he can make up for his lack of wit and respect by being sexy. This is also reflected in his body language, which is just as important, and I'll talk about it again whenever I re-visit portrait graphics. The one on the left has almost nothing to say with his pose, but on the right, you can actually feel as though he's about to hit on a girl or deliver some stupid pick-up line just by looking at him! This will make his flirtatious dialogue in-game seem much more appropriate, and once I get some different emotes drawn for him, players should be able to feel every mood change in every scene as he expresses his thoughts through his face.

I've lined up the following portraits from this thread. Some of them convey a particular message with their body language, and some of them are bland and have nothing to tell you. Which ones strike you the most, and what are they trying to tell you with their body language and expressions?

Hmm, a comment about Jerry's new portrait: With the old portrait, he comes off as having an angular and sharp face, harsh, but not unattractive features. Like a Fremen warrior's face, so-to-speak. The second portrait though, makes him look chubby and plump. More a rich silk merchant than a fighting man. And I'm not really getting the "hit on a girl or deliver some stupid pick-up line" feel that you're aiming for. The portrait makes him look like too much of a nice guy for that.

This though, does a better job of conveying that feel. He also looks more angular here, and looks more fighter-ish than merchant-ish. Here, he comes of as sarcastic, arrogant, and confident, but all in good ways.

No-nonsense and imperious is what I'm getting from his body language. He's used to command, and he expects his orders to be carried out.

"Get that out of my face before I cut you." She also comes off as being confident, but rather anti-social, as if she just barely tolerates the others around her. Not that she sees herself as being better than they are, but rather that everyone just annoys her.

The mysterious loner, he doesn't care if you're there or not. If he's alone, good. If there are others around, good. He doesn't really care about anything other than getting the job in the most efficient way possible.


Well, that's just how the portraits come off to me, I could be wrong, but just my impression of them. Excellent art as usual!

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl

Update 011
(MUSIC) "Pursued"

I can't create or edit any new music since I'm going to be traveling around a lot today, so here's a nice-sounding FL track that I finished months ago. The midi version is still in progress.
It's supposed to be an exciting, dangerous theme for when the players are fleeing from something. Does it sound appropriate?

Sounds more like a "somewhat important boss fight" theme. Something more "stand and fight" than "flee for your lives, it's the centipig!". Thus, my take on the matter. It's dandy though, as music.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

I agree with Meowskivich, it has more of a "stand and fight" feel to it rather than being chased. Doesn't really have that sense of urgency that a chase would have. But aye, still a nifty piece.

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Being from the third world, I reserve the right to speak in the third person.

Using Editor version wip 20170527 gfx_sdl+fb music_sdl

Update 012
(STORY?) Attacks w/ Dialogue

(Foreword: Don't examine the screenshot too closely. Very little about it will be retained in the final version.)
This is more a gameplay thing than a story thing, but it was pretty nifty coming up with it, so I will share it here.
Certain attacks will bring up dialogue from whoever is using it. As an added perk with enormous thanks to the OHR programmers for making it possible, the attack will call up a different message depending on how healthy the user is. Every party member in Expedition - Jerry, Wade, and the third warrior - has one of these attacks immediately available to use. They are called Cower, Sortie, and SeVenger respectively.

Jerry's Cower power will pull him away from the battle, lowering his power and accuracy while boosting his defense and dodge. It has a big impact on how he's used and only works once per battle (it's % of Maximum Stat-based), turning him from a hard-hitting fighter to a wimpy item user that is almost totally removed from combat.
At 100% health, he'll say "You guys can handle this one, OK?"
At 80%, "Aah, my hair! I need to step back..."
At 60%, "Oh man, this doesn't look good!"
At 40%, "Nyeeh, you can't hit me from there!"
And at 20%, "The pain! I need to get out of here!"

Wade's Sortie speech will put him on the offensive, lowering his defense, magic, and dodge, while boosting strength, skill, and speed. This works very similarly to Cower, having an effect but once per battle and dramatically changing his play style from a slow damage sponge to a somewhat frail hard-hitter.
At 100% health, "Prepare for the King's justice!"
At 80%, "In the name of the King! CHARGE!"
At 60%, "On my mark! CHAAARGE!"
At 40%, "You fought well! I won't hold back!"
And at 20%, "That's enough! Time to end this!"

Finally, the third warrior's SeVenger technique will put up a guard while waiting for an enemy's attack. When the guard is lowered after some time, the warrior will use a Revenge attack with twice the power of the damage just received. This can be used repeatedly and at no cost, though it is much slower than attacking normally, and is only worthwhile against very strong opponents.
At 100%, "Taste my lance, mongrels!"
At 80%, "Hit me harder! Come on!"
At 60%, "How do you like me now?!"
At 40%, "Is that all you got?!"
At 20%, "I'm not... giving up! Take this!"

And on that note, I have a big announcement:
Absolutely no special attacks in Viridia: Expedition will have an MP cost.
That's right! Just about every special move the heroes have will be free of cost, so you can experiment with them all you want! The only exception is Jerry, who will have certain items in abundance to fire status-inducing arrows.
With the no-cost factor in place, I hope that players will feel encouraged to experiment with different attacks in many situations and build up strategies to use on tough enemies that cannot be bull-rushed, such as the Turtuga tortoise and the Flanerro slime.

That's a summary of what I've been tinkering with over the weekend. (I missed Friday's update due to an internet failure.) I'd like to get started on implementing battles and balancing them soon, but I probably won't include that in the daily updates. I'll get back to normal stuff tomorrow!

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Re:re:music
To be honest, you guys probably have a better idea of what my music sounds like and where it's appropriate than I ever will. Sure, I come up with the concepts and take the music in a specific direction, but what I had in mind and what I end up with are rarely the same! Plus, since I'm the one that came up with it all, I'm usually wrapped up in my own cloudy head and can't "see" my music from different angles. I need you guys to keep giving me feedback to give me a grounded perception of what my music is doing. I appreciate it!