-----<Veil>-----
of
-----<Corruption>-----
of
-----<Corruption>-----
"The past is absolute, but we all hold the power to change the future."
Name of Game: Veil of Corruption (VoC)
Name of Creator: Lausen
System: RPG Maker 1
Genre: Epic RPG
Rating: Mature
Name of Game: Veil of Corruption (VoC)
Name of Creator: Lausen
System: RPG Maker 1
Genre: Epic RPG
Rating: Mature
I know this is a LOT of Text. This game is still very much in the planning stages and probably won't hit the creation stage for a while. I don't want to make the same mistake I made with my last game. I want everything planned so I know exactly where the game is going when RPGM1 is on. I will be reusing some stuff from my cancelled game "Mirage of Destiny." This story is much darker and complex than anything I have tried so it's really hard for me to describe it without giving a fair amount of the plot away. So at the end of this post I'm going to give you how the game starts and ends. That will make this other info much easier to understand.(kinda) I'll put it in a spoiler tag. NOTHING is set in stone. I'm very open to change and would really like to hear your opinions. Navane has been really helpful and is helping me brainstorm ideas. If it has to do with the parts marked as spoilers be sure to spoiler tag them yourself or PM me.
-----<Backstory>------
The 6 Scions and Val' Gaia:
Val' Gaia, The Omega and Absolute: In the game he is the god the people worship. He created the 6 Scions to create, maintain, and exterminate life on Hyboria. However his vison didn't go as expected. Instead of working together the Scions warred against each other for dominance of the planet. In the end they destroy the thing they fight for and so Zodiark, Scion of Time reverses time and they start the war anew, each time with the same outcome. Displeased with his creations Val' Gaia seals them on Hyboria. The Scions power still flow from their "cages" creating the perfect balance for life on Hyboria as Val' Gaia first envisioned. The places where the Scions are trapped are now shrines in which humans worship. This story is the basis for religion in the game and the humans pray to Val' Gaia and his 6. They believe the imperfections in the Scions (The reasons they battled each other.) are a representation of the flaws in everything. Only one can be perfect, the creator of their world, Val' Gaia, The Omega and Absolute.
Zodiark, Keeper of Time: The most powerful of the Scions. He controls and maintains the planets timeline. The very perception of time would be lost without him. Zodiark can rewind and fast-forward time at will.
Abraxos, Warden of Souls: Scion of the afterlife. He traffics all souls to their hearing with Val' Gaia. If a soul is deemed worthy they are granted passage to Valhaven where they wil spend eternity in perfect bliss at the side of the omega. Those that did evil in life are sent to Valhollow and become Bahamut's plaything. They are tortured and beating until they are reincarnated as a fiend that reflects the evil they were in life. (This is the explanation for the monsters in the game.)
Theon, Governor of Life: The father Scion. He is the protector of all organisms and maintains the perception of freewill. Theon is the originator of individuality. He loves every living being for what they are, and never forces order of conformity.
Typhress, The Windcrafter: The Scion of weather and air. He generates all the wind and storms on the planet. He is the wall that protects Hyboria from the pressures of space. Without him life woud lift to the stars.
Roidac, Bringer of Infernos: The Scion of the sun. All heat on the planet is generated by Ifrit. It is Ifrit that directs the suns rays to the planet. Without him life would freeze to death.
Marina, Purifier of Waters: The Scion of Oceans. Shiva is the source of all water on Hyboria. Without her life and vegetation would wither away.
Each shrine has inner and outer grounds. The outer grounds anyone is welcome to pry and give their respects. The inner grounds however, only the Mirage Clan can enter because of fear of desecration to the Scions tombs. The shrines play a significant part in the plot.
The Mirage Clan:
Yeah, I know, them again... The clan is made up of powerful mages that dedicated their lives to protecting the shrines of the scions.(More on the scions below.) There were many cases of people sacking the shrines and so the Mirage Clan sealed the entrances with a secial magic. Only those with Mirage blood flowing through them can open the doors to the inner shrine.
During the Great War they decided to remain neutral to the conflict. This however did not spare them from the pain of war. Aruna, the home of the Mirage was the deciding battlefield. Nahara, Riomaza, and the first apperance of Sypherion soldiers flooded the streets of Aruna. The battle lasted several days and when Aruna's temple began taking damage some of the Mirage stepped into the fray. Sypheria took this as a sign of their betrayal and began cutting Mirage down as well. It is said not a single Mirage that was in Aruna survived the battle. Today very few remain alive. Those that are still living do what they can to conceal their identity. Draux being the war mongorer that he is has ordered any and all members of the clan be executed on sight for braking their neutral truce. Their capture offers a reward of 10000 gold.
The Sypherion Invasion:
For countless years before the game takes place there was a war between Riomaza and Nahara. The scale of this war was so large it was on the brink of a world war. Once both sides ran thin of supplies Sypheria stepped in and took total control. Sypherion elite ruthlessly killed the leaders of both nations and has held a firm grasp over every town, city, and village caught in the middle.
It's been 1 year since the end of the war and yet Sypherion military pressence has not declined, If anything it's worsened. Sypheria claims little favor over the people, as the ruler of Sypheria, King Draux plans to strip the names Nahara and Riomazza from the history books by uniting as one super kingdom under his command. There is little opposition Sypheria faces now other then the occasional rebels. Draux's new stance on such matters is swift and to the point. Death. Another problem facing the citizens of the game is the conduct of the Sypherion soldiers stationed in their cities. They are getting increasingly violent. Of course this is because they have been away from home for so long even after the war ended. Still the people fear and hate Sypheria. More spicifically, Draux.
Some scholars and religious figures believe this change is destined to happen. The people had to wait and endure the hardships of war when finally Sypheria, home of the Shrine of Zodiark struck at the perfect time. People believe Zodiark blessed the people of Sypheria and created the window of opportunity.
Sypherion Divine Knights:
As the name applies they were among the best warriors on the planet and played a key part in the Great War. So much so you could say they won the war for Draux. However after the war Draux, out of fear of their power ordered them to be exterminated. One faithful night the Divine Knights were led into a trap and dealt with. All but a few were killed in the attack. Among the survivors was Raydox the leader of the Divine Knights and son of the legendary Phelix Valgore. More on him later.
The Hand of Order:
After the fall of the Divine Knights Draux named 4 new generals to run his armies. The 4 include Phazor, The Dragon Rider, Valmorse, the Re-Animator, Roslyn Knok, The Black Rose, and Nero. Unfortunately at the beginning of the game Raydox slays Nero as a sign of things to come. The 5th member and leader is King Draux himself.
-----<Characters>-----
Raydox Valgore:
After the war Draux's true intentions became apparent to Raydox. He was used and manipulated into killing innocent people for Draux's greed. He fought to restore all nations involved, but instead he stripped the people of their nationality and helped a tyrant come into complete power. Before he could act on this Draux laid a trap and killed most of the Divine Knights so they couldn't get in his way. By some miracle a few including Raydox survived the trap. Sypherion forces hunt the survivors daily.
All of Raydox's beliefs were buried during the trap Draux set. All sense of honor, dignaty, and mercy escaped his conscious. For the first time he saw the evil in every living being. He plans to uphold the oath he swore by. He will eradicate all evils from this planet.
Bryce Galion: (Swords)
He is a strong willed independent 20-year-old. He is the main character of the game and son of General Alexander Galion of Nahara. As most citizens of Hyboria he has lost a lot from the war. During Sypheria's raid on his hometown he witnessed the execution of his older sister Amy. He fought back for as long as he could, but was quickly overwhelmed. Braxen managed to save him before he shared his sisters fate. Since then Bryce has hated Sypheria with a passion. His best friend Braxen and him join a local resistance called the Soldiers of Revolution. Most of the other members talk big, but it is Bryce and Braxen that act. For now these small squabbles with the troops is enough, but the thirst for revenge still lingers in Bryce's heart. Resistance? Yes, I know cliche, but it works out pretty good at the beginning when I'm trying to set the atmoshpere of things. Plus, I have a few ideas up my sleeve to make things fresh. Both Bryce and Braxen have a personal connection with Raydox.
Braxen Nova: (Katanas)
He is an extremely confident 20-year-old war orphan. He tends to be a bit sarcastic and it can land him in trouble, but he couldn't care less. Braxen has the eye for the ladies. He doesn't bother sharing his problems and he won't sit and listen to someone else's. Dispite his cool exterior he is dealing with issues that he doesn't know how to handle. He is known to pick fights with bigger stronger people because he likes the violence and pain. In a sick way the pain helps him drown out his problems and fears. No. he's not emo.
Norah Mirage: (Staffs)
She is an innocent 19-year-old victim branded criminal due to her Mirage heritage. Norah is very shy and cautious as her capture offers a reward of 10000 gold. She has serious trust issues, as she should. Despite all the horrors she has faced she is a sweet and loving women. Her innocent and passionate personality often conflict with those around her. Being a pure blooded Mirage she is extremely religious and always find time to pray to Val' Gaia. Her dream is to finish her "Pilgrimage of the 6" and restore her fallen clan.
Maziah Ramalin: (Scythes)
He is a ruthless and cold blooded 32-year-old headhunter known as the Shadow Reaper. He is not one to mince words. If he has something to say it's direct and to the point. He has a tendency to put people down and doesn't show emotions. Among the party he generally stands off to the side until the fighting starts. He is currently looking to collect the price on Raydox's head and has some kind of connection to Sypheria.
Aurox Galindor: (Axes)
He is a dangerously loyal 38-year-old former knight of the Riomaza Kingdom. He suffers from an extreme case of split personality. In his normal state he is a noble, but hard war vetern that pledged the knights code of chivalry. When the thoughts of his past flood his mind he snaps and he becomes a ruthless machine of war. He is a tortured soul that now spends most of his days getting drunk and telling old war stories. (I'm thinking about adding another personality.)
Kaylee Reeves: (Bows)
She is a greatful 18-year-old girl who has gone through tragedy. She is overly self-conscious and shies away when she's afraid of how people might respond to her. This has a lot to do with her young age, but despite age she knows the harsh reality of the world all too well. When she is finally willing to open up to someone she shows her spunky over talkative side, though that is a rare occasion.
Lucia Lyford: (Daggers)
She is a fast-talking, sly 28-year-old con women with the eye for pricy things. You can never be sure if you're having an honest conversation with her or if she's tangling you in her web of deceptions. Her personality is constantly changing to reflect her needs and wants. Even she couldn't describe her real self. She's been buried beneath too many layers of disguises in her lifetime.
-----<Features>-----
No Random Encounters: There are no random battles is VoC. The fiends are all visible on the map. In each area there is a lot of monsters at first. Each different type of monster will react differently. Some will run at you, some away, some fast, some slow, etc... When you kill them some will permanently disappear from the map. Others will respawn every time you reenter the area. If you kill all of the permanent ones in an area you will be rewarded.
I'm thinking of making several stages of monsters. Once you beat a boss the enemies in the previous areas will become stronger. This will eliminate tedious encounter that don't give you adequate EXP and gold.
Special Loot: The enemies that permanently disappear have a chance of turning into a treasure chest after you kill them. These chests then will have "random" items inside. Some items will be common things while others will be rare and valuable.
Weapon Mastery: You can earn points through battle and other means that increase your Weapon Mastery. The higer the characters WM the more perks you can get in battle. Some include the use of two hands, and being able to equip two accessories. Another idea I have for this is once you reach a high enough mastery older skills become stronger so they don't become outdated. I'll most likely create a custom menu for this.
Cryolite: Cryolite are elemental stones that can be found throughout the game. Each Cryolite has a different attack associated with it. For example, if you select items in battle and select the Fire Cryolite it will use a basic fire attack. Doing this does yield a slight chance of the stone breaking permanently. The other option is to bring it to a weapon shop where they can forge the Cryolite to your weapons making a better one. For example if you combine a Fire Cryolite(ATK=5) with an Iron Sword with a base attack of 2 you'll get a Flametongue with a base attack of 4-6. I want to make that random, but it might take too much space. If you don't have the sword equipped you can still go under items and select the Flametongue to use a fire attack, but the damage will be less then the original Cryolite, but you won't have to worry about it breaking.
Earning Experiance: The most common way of earning EXP is through combat, but that isn't the only way. In fact there will be multiple other ways. Dungeons will focus heavily on puzzles instead of wave after wave of monsters. Some puzzles will give EXP as a reward for completing them. Certain choices in dialogue can earn the player EXP. There will be other way to ear it outside the conventional battle system as well.
-----<Other Info>-----
I know in most RPG's the player can travel anywhere in the world that they choose and can freely backtrack. While in VoC I'm going to be going a different route. It's going to play a bit more like Final Fantasy 10. It will be pretty linear for the most part and once you beat an area you won't be able to go back. Of course there will be some exceptions, but in general you'll visit a place once and that'll be that. This will save a massive headache as far as switches are concerned and I'll really be able to focus on detail and quality of each area individually. It will eliminate having to worry about memory constrants too. RPG Maker 1's default world maps won't be used.
That being said each place will be loaded with things to do and interactive objects. When you talk to NPC's in towns you will get several options to start up different conversations about different topics. The goal is to make Hyboria feel like an actual living breathing world. I want each NPC to reflect the issues that are happening in their cities. This will also really help flesh out ideas, locations, key figures, religious ideals, plot points, etc... through the people living in the world and dealing with these things. That way the player isn't getting crammed with a crap ton of info all at once in the main story. If you want to learn more about plot related stuff you can talk to the NPC's. They don't just say "Welcome to our lovely town." If you don't really care you can just keep on going.
Another "feature" of VoC is that when you are in a town your party members will be walking around it. You can go up and talk to them to get thier personal take on what is going on. This will really help with character development and is a great way to make sure the player never gets lost or forgets what has been happening if they take a break from playing. The thing is it will say that they are still in the party in the menus, but they won't be following you around. This way you can still equip them with new gear and you don't have to wait.
As far as the "Dungeons" go I want to give the player some choice as to how it plays out. For instance you may have the choice to sneak in a place or just bust in. How things playout will be different depending on what you pick, but it ultimatly leads to the same thing. Fighting fiends isn't the only way of getting EXP. And of course you can fight them the old fashioned way, but you can also beat them special ways without actually fighting them. Just because you didn't kill the enemy in battle doesn't mean they aren't dead so you still deserve the EXP for getting rid of them. Also I'm working on NOT making them the same stale navigate a maze fighting monsters to fight the boss formula. The game will have a lot of puzzles intergrated into the environments and dungeons. The puzzles offer their own rewards and not just another obstical in your way. I'm going to working hard on the pacing to keep things fresh.
I know a big issue among the RPG Maker community is how to make boss fights interesting. While I've done some experimenting and think I have found some fun ways to make boss fights. Several of the boss fights will play out like interactive cutscenes. The best way to describe what I mean would be to just describe one of the boss fights I have already made. (which is just one. Still very early in production.) The party is surrounded by soldiers. The player gets to pick what soldier to attack via an overhead arrow. Once you beat a couple of them the main character notices a barrel with gun powder. Now the barrel is selectable with the arrow. You pick it and the main character shoots a fireball at it and causes an explosion killing the rest of the enemies. Sure this is a pretty common sequence in commercial games, but I've never seen it done with RPGM1. With things being interactive boss fights can be looked at and beaten in different ways adding a new element of strategy.
Hopefully it will be epic.
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