It seems everyone else has already said it, but the atmosphere is great. Helplessly dreary. Enjoyed this one, felt like I was being guided across the river—guidance gives a certain comfort but neither the journey nor the river are necessarily gentle. Mysterious, comforting in its melancholy. I liked it!
I am happy you enjoyed it! I hope to keep improving my ability to make strong feelings / atmosphere come across in my work, though it is good to know it works alright presently as well ^^
Yeah! DQ is pretty close to my heart, so I had to include 'em in with the other undead critters ^^
RM2K is too, I pretty much grew up with the thing. The jam I built this for required using it and it felt really good to come back home to it after so long! Right now I am tinkering with a prototype in 2k I might end up moving to MV later down the road, if stuff pans out 🤔
That sounds good, but due to an accident a few years ago that resulted in a fracture of half my body, I still can't sit up straight or work normally, and can only create art slowly. However, I am still creating works, but my working hours are shorter each day.
In Dragon Quest, the most memorable thing is still the Mimic, whose instant death effect almost made me unable to continue playing... Its PTSD is no less than that of "Ifrit" (not the boss in Final Fantasy, but from another game). As long as you see them, it's basically a wipe.XD
A lot of people have already mentioned the word "atmosphere", but I still can't help but want to mention it as well. When John was making the maps, I somehow doubt he thought "Yeah, CaveBack and Well are enough to make a game out of", but here we are. XD
Thanks for giving the game a look! I hope to keep developing atmosphere as a skill; it is one of my favorite things in games so I hope to make it my sharpest edge as I keep making stuff ^^
There's a serenity in the melancholy of this one. The circular vignetting and visual filter and music enhance the melancholic vibe, and there's a few really striking lines from NPCs. Really really good
Thankya for saying so! The vignette did not entirely work out like I wanted it to, but it worked well enough for something I dimly recalled from tutorials wayyyy back in the day XD
amazing atmosphere, love the writing. clever use/reuse of maps. the ripped sprites definitely take me back to the early days of rpg maker games, and i like the effect of mixing the serious mood and dialogue with the sort of uncanny ripped sprites and the funnier bits of dialogue
Thankies! Yeah, it was really cool to try stuff with the ambience and tone? I need to write more often and someday I hope to really write something of significance, whatever that means XD
I couldn't help but find skeleton sprites pretty whimsical, whether it's RM2K's packed in one or different Zelda-type flavors? It's the smiling and shaking around, I guess :3
I've already created 14 games... three of which were made with RPG 2003. I abandoned this engine back then because of XP's superior codebase. But now, UE's code blueprints and "user-friendly" interface have rendered ordinary coders almost obsolete.
Seeing the 2003 stuff, I decided to use this old engine again to make a new game, but I won't use the original 2003 assets; I have to redraw everything... Luckily, I still have some old game assets.
I think the coding capability on engines after the 2Ks is definitely a step up? I haven't gotten around learning to make plugins and such for the more modern engines, but I've collected a lot of them and the flexibility and additional functionality is crazy good. I can make simple changes and tweaks, but I gotta get around to learning the language proper one of these days...
I have a lot of nostalgia for the 2K RTP assets, but I've made my own and lots of people prefer to change it? I remember back in the day people would skewer you on forums if your game was using default RTP graphics even XD
14 games is a lot, and I hope your new projects go well too ^^
Appreciate ya trying it! It was nice to finally release something using the tools I first learned game making on and was loosely inspired by aspects of old RM games I've been playing lately ^^
Thankya kindly! I've sorta been wanting to use the like, using-an-incrementing-variable-to-change-event-set-dressing-to-make-different-"rooms"-out-of-one-map trick for a long time, so it worked well for this kinda use case I think ^^
I think skeleton is sleeping well, they seem pretty happy anyway? but I guess skulls kinda just look like that too ~w~
Map duplication woulda worked just as well, the only real benefit I can think of to doing it this way other than like organizational stuff is that like, the browser loader has a limit of 1000 files I think? So using one map like this could help cut down on files, in theory. That use is pretty beyond the scope of this sorta jam though and most 2K projects probably struggle to reach that amount anyway, ah reckon :3
2003 could also create random events. I remember it involved first creating a random variable,Randomly select from several numbers, then each variable number represented a switch, allowing you to "randomly retain different NPCs" in the same location. Similarly, you could incorporate settings into the variable, and even player "skinning" wouldn't require a separate event for each appearance.
woww.. my speakers are broken a bit so i think it added to the experience, but i'm so fond of the dialogue of the "npcs" as you descend further and like the mechanics are very simple but the art and atmosphere are really haunting but comforting all the same... you already know what's coming but each floor you descend you just fills you both with anxiety and calm for the inevitable... really enjoyed running thru this, thank u for making it :D
Thanks for checking it out! The writing was mostly just riffed out while I was sitting in the dark listening to dungeon synth, but I tried to give it like a feeling of progression still? And a little bit of "geography" by changing some of the set dressing, even if the actual tilemap doesn't change for the floors ^^
wow! i love what you've done with the place. the way you've dressed these maps up with new details and pilfered game sprites, and couched them in this moody orb and custom system graphics and sounds... you've really transformed them into something unexpected and gorgeous, it's a real delight.
I'm happy you enjoyed it! Making window graphics is kind of my favorite thing and I was half remembering the like circle vignette technique from tutorials I used to read way way back when? I never released anything with the 2K back then, so it was nice to finally do so :3
Thanks to you too! I've been really in the dumps lately, so it was good to make a stew out of it and contribute something to the community. Cheers to the rest of the jam! ^^
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It seems everyone else has already said it, but the atmosphere is great. Helplessly dreary. Enjoyed this one, felt like I was being guided across the river—guidance gives a certain comfort but neither the journey nor the river are necessarily gentle. Mysterious, comforting in its melancholy. I liked it!
I am happy you enjoyed it! I hope to keep improving my ability to make strong feelings / atmosphere come across in my work, though it is good to know it works alright presently as well ^^
Thanks again for giving it a go! :3
Loved seeing the Ghost from DQ1 in there.
Goes to show how amazing it is what you can create with so little resources if you use a little imagination.
Props for using RM2k/2k3 to make this too!
Yeah! DQ is pretty close to my heart, so I had to include 'em in with the other undead critters ^^
RM2K is too, I pretty much grew up with the thing. The jam I built this for required using it and it felt really good to come back home to it after so long! Right now I am tinkering with a prototype in 2k I might end up moving to MV later down the road, if stuff pans out 🤔
Awesome that would be great to see what you make in RM2K.
I am hosting an upcoming RM2K jam here on itch if you're interested?
Click here to check it out. Would be great to have you along even if you don't wanna submit you could check out the other submissions :)
Yo that sounds awesome! Thanks for cluing me into it, I wouldn't have had my eye out for it otherwise. I'd be happy to sign up ^^
That sounds good, but due to an accident a few years ago that resulted in a fracture of half my body, I still can't sit up straight or work normally, and can only create art slowly. However, I am still creating works, but my working hours are shorter each day.
In Dragon Quest, the most memorable thing is still the Mimic, whose instant death effect almost made me unable to continue playing... Its PTSD is no less than that of "Ifrit" (not the boss in Final Fantasy, but from another game). As long as you see them, it's basically a wipe.XD
I just come here routinely to see if there's anything new.XD
A lot of people have already mentioned the word "atmosphere", but I still can't help but want to mention it as well. When John was making the maps, I somehow doubt he thought "Yeah, CaveBack and Well are enough to make a game out of", but here we are. XD
CaveBack and Well are my home turf XD
Thanks for giving the game a look! I hope to keep developing atmosphere as a skill; it is one of my favorite things in games so I hope to make it my sharpest edge as I keep making stuff ^^
There's a serenity in the melancholy of this one. The circular vignetting and visual filter and music enhance the melancholic vibe, and there's a few really striking lines from NPCs. Really really good
Thankya for saying so! The vignette did not entirely work out like I wanted it to, but it worked well enough for something I dimly recalled from tutorials wayyyy back in the day XD
Appreciate ya giving the game a go :3
love the mood/atmosphere of this
You did a good job with creating such a sad/depressing atmosphere.
Thank you! Atmosphere is one of my favorite things to work on, so I'm happy it worked here ^^
amazing atmosphere, love the writing. clever use/reuse of maps. the ripped sprites definitely take me back to the early days of rpg maker games, and i like the effect of mixing the serious mood and dialogue with the sort of uncanny ripped sprites and the funnier bits of dialogue
Thankies! Yeah, it was really cool to try stuff with the ambience and tone? I need to write more often and someday I hope to really write something of significance, whatever that means XD
I couldn't help but find skeleton sprites pretty whimsical, whether it's RM2K's packed in one or different Zelda-type flavors? It's the smiling and shaking around, I guess :3
Wow, the atmosphere here is excellent. This is really well put together, thank you for putting it out there!
Thanks! I've been wanting to do a moody skeleton game for the last while or so, and it feels good to serve it up for folks all over to try it out ^^
rpg2003,More than 20 years
Me not realizing it was called 2003 because it was released in 2003 :V
Perhaps I should do something with 2003...:)
It has its constraints, but I have a lot of love for the engine. You should give it a go if ya get the chance ^^
THANKS！
I've already created 14 games... three of which were made with RPG 2003. I abandoned this engine back then because of XP's superior codebase. But now, UE's code blueprints and "user-friendly" interface have rendered ordinary coders almost obsolete.
Seeing the 2003 stuff, I decided to use this old engine again to make a new game, but I won't use the original 2003 assets; I have to redraw everything... Luckily, I still have some old game assets.
I think the coding capability on engines after the 2Ks is definitely a step up? I haven't gotten around learning to make plugins and such for the more modern engines, but I've collected a lot of them and the flexibility and additional functionality is crazy good. I can make simple changes and tweaks, but I gotta get around to learning the language proper one of these days...
I have a lot of nostalgia for the 2K RTP assets, but I've made my own and lots of people prefer to change it? I remember back in the day people would skewer you on forums if your game was using default RTP graphics even XD
14 games is a lot, and I hope your new projects go well too ^^
I happened to stumble upon this and decided to give it a go.
Lovely little experience, reminds me of many strange, old RPGMaker titles I played many years ago. Thank you for making this.
Appreciate ya trying it! It was nice to finally release something using the tools I first learned game making on and was loosely inspired by aspects of old RM games I've been playing lately ^^
Thankya kindly! I've sorta been wanting to use the like, using-an-incrementing-variable-to-change-event-set-dressing-to-make-different-"rooms"-out-of-one-map trick for a long time, so it worked well for this kinda use case I think ^^
I think skeleton is sleeping well, they seem pretty happy anyway? but I guess skulls kinda just look like that too ~w~
Map duplication woulda worked just as well, the only real benefit I can think of to doing it this way other than like organizational stuff is that like, the browser loader has a limit of 1000 files I think? So using one map like this could help cut down on files, in theory. That use is pretty beyond the scope of this sorta jam though and most 2K projects probably struggle to reach that amount anyway, ah reckon :3
2003 could also create random events. I remember it involved first creating a random variable,Randomly select from several numbers, then each variable number represented a switch, allowing you to "randomly retain different NPCs" in the same location. Similarly, you could incorporate settings into the variable, and even player "skinning" wouldn't require a separate event for each appearance.
Great atmosphere!
Thanks, that means a lot! :O
(next time budget allows I need to pick up some of your tracks, they're pretty awesome from what I've heard ^^)
woww.. my speakers are broken a bit so i think it added to the experience, but i'm so fond of the dialogue of the "npcs" as you descend further and like the mechanics are very simple but the art and atmosphere are really haunting but comforting all the same... you already know what's coming but each floor you descend you just fills you both with anxiety and calm for the inevitable... really enjoyed running thru this, thank u for making it :D
Thanks for checking it out! The writing was mostly just riffed out while I was sitting in the dark listening to dungeon synth, but I tried to give it like a feeling of progression still? And a little bit of "geography" by changing some of the set dressing, even if the actual tilemap doesn't change for the floors ^^
this is beautiful !
I'm happy the mood of it seems to have landed so solidly, appreciate ya taking it in ^^
wow! i love what you've done with the place. the way you've dressed these maps up with new details and pilfered game sprites, and couched them in this moody orb and custom system graphics and sounds... you've really transformed them into something unexpected and gorgeous, it's a real delight.
I'm happy you enjoyed it! Making window graphics is kind of my favorite thing and I was half remembering the like circle vignette technique from tutorials I used to read way way back when? I never released anything with the 2K back then, so it was nice to finally do so :3
"I guess that's how it was when I was alive too."
Really great work here, thanks a bunch for submitting.
Thanks to you too! I've been really in the dumps lately, so it was good to make a stew out of it and contribute something to the community. Cheers to the rest of the jam! ^^