Demo updated

With Swap 3 out of the way (and you should play both Isle of Dread and Summoner's Soul and give both games all the Misao nominations. ALL OF THEM!), I can start to focus on this again.

One of the things I wanna do is put together a calendar of events. This should help me writing up NPC dialog in their reaction to those events, as well as serving as an outline of the game's story progression.

I absolutely want to move events around so that Day 13 is when Jin texts Izumi about going to Iwayama, but doesn't force the player onto Iwayama that self-same day. The game will be stuck on Day 14 until the player decides to attack Daichi, rather than lock them in the dungeon with no hope of survival. Playtesting this "loop", and the Day 28 "loop", will certainly be in order.

As far as the in-game event calendar is concerned, chapter 3's end intends to be on Day 42, and the writing is up to around Day 41. To put it another way, the event that unlocks the boss fight for Day 42, and for Day 42 to "loop" until that boss is fought. I probably haven't made any maps for Chapter 3 yet, so, I've got that to not look forward to!

Before I consider putting it on my to-do list, there have been a few concerns directed to me about...

I think back on what games I have played that have a school. Naturally, my mind wanders first to Matsumori Days Persona 4's...

Saying that, I like the soothing nature of the track used from Onimusha Dawn of Dreams, even if I dislike the game, itself. Though, the track is a left-over from the original Ace version, and might be difficult for me to replace on a conceptual level. I mean, it probably wouldn't be as difficult as, say, trying to replace Tales of Phantasia's "...

Okay-ku Star Apprentice! I've officially gotten past the scene where Shoko talks, and the girls want to meet up with Michi. I'm considering giving the players a day or two off, as it were, from scripted events. Mostly because I'm thinking that the Fuu arc was rather front-loaded with scripted events with no breaks between them until the section of the dungeon where Fuu resides opens up.

What I'm not sure of is if I should let players have access to Iwayama during that break. If I do allow it in a general sense, should I allow players to delve into Junsuina's section? I dunno. I once had this idea/vision that the player would gradually go up Iwayama's slopes, maybe weaving through cave sequences as part of that travel. I can still convert/restructure the maps to do that, but, the main problem with this idea is that I've a tendency to want to avoid making maps as much as possible. XD

*Edit: This tendency to avoid map-making may be a reason why I'm here, posting what amounts to an inconsequential/minor update on my progress, rather than being in MZ, and, you know, working. XD

In the Ace version of the game, there was only one scene where Shoko has speaking lines. In this game, while I might be in the midst of writing the scene where she has her first speaking lines, I will not discount having future events where she has speaking lines. Though, if she does, they will likely be short sentences, given her personality. Maybe, when the optional skits come together, she will be more comfortable with speaking more if you have a high enough rating with her, but that's definitely an idea on the "later" pile!

Though, if I am to be honest, Shoko is a character that is close to my heart for various reasons. Because of this, I'm inclined to be cautious with her. Like, she's a broken bird to begin with, and I want her path to be one of healing. While the source of her trauma may never be explained/relayed in this iteration as it was in her Heartache iteration, or in the Ace iteration of this game, it is still very much present.

Okay-ku! Healing spells might outclass items now. However, items might still be useful, since they can generally be used outside of combat, whereas skills/techs cannot. I'll note that the math indicates that, as a Technique, Chakra should only need to use 10 TP for a full recovery of HP. So, rather than deplete up to 10 TP, and perform a rite of calcumancing based on how much TP was actually spend, it will just cost 10 TP.

I kinda think it's cool to have an ability that cost a variable amount of MP/TP, and it's effect was based on that variable (some might recall Larue's Lotus Sword from Rainbow Vale, or possibly even The Blue Hood). Maybe that'll be a thing for another game.

The past couple of days have seen me replay a number of my older titles made in Ace. Okiku, Star Apprentice was still a blast to play, but, I could it's age via the lack of Yanfly's Messaging System. Konae's Investigations fared a little better. Uchioniko, however? Man, I totally forgot how much of a grind that game expected on players.
Like, in the back of my head, I knew I wanted to have the "Power Up" ability by the time I face off against Michi in that game. I might not have necessarily recalled when that ability is earned. I had to look that up later. However, I was kinda done with the encounters, and faced off against Michi around Level 35, maybe 36, whereas the boss before her could probably be defeated handily at 30. For reference purposes, though, "Power Up" is earned at level 38. Darigaaz.

Anyway, I've been giving some thinking towards how I want healing to work in this game. As things stand in the current demo, items restore a set percentile of the target's maximum health. Meanwhile, spells that restore HP do so at a pathetic rate that isn't worth spending an action on. "Chakra" might still be worth the action, depending on how much FP the user has available to spend on it.

So far, I've been increasing the cost of healing spells, and also increasing the base amount that they heal, but, I still feel healing spells are vastly underwhelming. You're better off using Chakra, or an item.

One idea in my head is to have healing spells have their base healing value still tied to their FP cost, but, the amount of healing is also expressed as a percent of maximum health. So, for example, something like First Aid could have a base healing value of 25% of the target's health, then apply a multiplier based on the difference of the user's MAT and a portion of the target's MDF as per normal for a healing spell. Full Cure would just strait-up have a 100% restoration of health, with no multiplication necessary, as probably would Divine Intervention.

 
So, how much would these skills cost, should I go this route? That, I'm not sure of yet! I know I have a handy-dandy spread-sheet that I used to calculate cost versus effect for abilities in a general sense, so, maybe I can run some numbers there.

Even the one who's cheering you on needs to be cheered. That in order to give more of the best of yourself, you need to receive the best of others. Say what you will of these statements, but, it's a major theme of this game. Also a major theme, to never give up (on your dreams).

It's a little ironic that a game with these themes has been on the precipice of abandonment. Perhaps I just had the wrong state of mind. Perhaps I was just in a bad place. Whatever the reason, I'm going to try pushing that aside. I've put this game back on production. Maybe I'm only doing a little bit each day (if that), but, any progress is good progress!