October 2017 - Game Update

So this is my first update on my game. The working title is "Brave Heart". I have to sort out whether or not that name is usable under copyright and to what extent. The game is an RPG and a gay dating sim being made in RPG Maker VX Ace.  There is no nudity or sexual content, but has suggestive themes. I know there is a stigma to RPG maker games usually being lazy or only using stock assets. I do use the stock assets as well as my own and other's crafted and licensed material. I do not make them using the engine's basic grid mapping.

I use Parallax Mapping. This is where the areas are drawn onto the map directly allowing the scenes to look natural, lived in, etc. rather than separated by the grid.

Opening Synopsis

You play as a 16 year old junior in high school named Eric Rudolph. Eric is trying to come out of the closet to his friends, especially one he's had a crush on for 10 years, Michael. Eric has been developing depression, social anxiety, and ticks that have been progressively getting worse as he isolates himself. He knows this is a problem and wants to break it on his own.

He thinks he's given a chance when it's announced by the principal and staff that they discussed with the PTA on allowing gay, lesbian, and bi students to dance at the prom after some students asked the staff. He has four weeks left before the signup and payment deadline is over. He decides to use the first three weeks to build himself back up as best he can during this time. Eric has 12 guy friends besides Michael. He spends time with them and Michael as much as he can during the month using things like guilt for being neglectful to force himself out of his shell some.

This culminates by the end of the three weeks where he feels he's built up the courage to ask Michael out. However some negatives also began to buildup that made Eric question himself towards the end. Michael starts to distance himself from Eric, a bully named Marcus and his friends pick on Eric, his anxieties flair up because he finds faults in his friends he didn't know, and more. After a particular confrontation with Marcus Eric can't take anymore and breaks down. He runs to the roof of the school and begins to jump head first. He may not have fallen had the fence along the roof not broken as he gained his senses and fear overtook him.

Instead of falling to his death a hole opens beneath him, appearing right in front of his school. He falls into another world called Alreya, onto the small continent of Ceral. Rescued from his fall and being attacked by a clan of mercenaries called Clan Braveheart. The clan is made up of 13 young men who all look and act like his best friends from school. He doesn't know what's happened to him, if this world is real, a dream, heaven, hell. He's also not sure if he wants to keep going, or not.

Gamplay

Basics: The game uses the basic RPG Maker VX ACE battle system, but tweaked with modifications to allow more versatility and visuals. On the map you can see enemies with a radar so it's not technically random encounters. Brave Heart is divided into 16 chapters, each being a major mission in the game with quests between them you can take at your leisure. Some quests are repeatable, others are locked upon reaching the next chapter.  The game has 27 intended endings, two for each of the dates, and one for if you date no one.

The mods I used are from some fantastic RPG Maker modders, especially the wonderful Moghunter who personally made some just for my game. For instance the summoning system for one of the characters who is a summoner. Some I have paid, some I have not but intend to before completion, some don't require payment.

Dating: You cannot officially date any character till chapter 10 of the game. Before then you can still earn their trust and affection, or resentment, by how you talk to them. Dating is not necessary to complete the game.

Eric's Heart: The games' level up system for Eric. Everyone else levels up on their own with their own specialties. Eric has no special powers in particular, but the world of Alreya will grant him some if he opens his heart. His heart is divided into several halls you can spent points into get permanent stat boosts and powers. But to open the doors you must find the pieces of his heart that were scattered across Ceral.

Soul Link: This is a very special system I came up with to make dating and affection purposeful beyond just dating characters. You can have Eric link to other characters to gain their powers. The stronger your relationship, the more power you get from them and they from you. Eric is pretty much a blank slate with terrible stats at the start. To help with this you can link with the other characters to be a class you desire, even get abilities Eric can't learn. Want to be a mage? Link with the mage. Want to be a hulking berserker? Link with the berserker, and so on. This makes the dating-sim part of the game more purposeful and integrated with gameplay.

Story

The story is pretty much entirely done in my head and in basic plot. The beginning and ending especially. The center is something that needs filling, but nothing more than to just add to it, not pad it out. I will no longer talk much about the game's story beyond minor general descriptions to explain how complete the game is becoming. Story, characters, themes, symbolism, etc will be exclusive to my 10-15$ tier when I make it. Those of that tier will also get the chance to talk with me, message me, and even give suggestions to me about the story.

Music

I am using free unlicensed material as well as some bought music for the game. Unfortunately nothing really flows thematically because of this, however I cannot afford actual compositions to do so. I will use the music as best I can for the themes of scenes and such, but my musical ear is not the best.

Completion

This game is nowhere near complete. I was lucky to get this much done by myself. I've been designing the game on and off since 2012, my best year of work being 2014 when I got most of the major work finished. For the prologue and Chapter 1. To give the best estimate of how finished I am...5%. The best estimate i can give on a finished demo though, 70%. The demo will consist entirely of Chapter 1.

What's Done?

• The Engine - It only requires minor tweaking here and there as I go along. Every mod is installed and mostly all work.
• The Plot - The series of events from beginning to end, the What Happened, is done.
• The Story - Complete, just need additional filling for the middle section. But all the themes and characters are done.
• The Music - I have all that I need.
• The Characters - System wise the first 6 of the 14 guys altogether are done. They are functional, have their complete level up charts and stats ready, and all their learn-able abilities done and functional.

What's Not Done?

A lot. This is what will take the most and longest work:

• The writing - I am no writer, and have trouble doing dialogue at times. I do my best to keep out too many cliches, but my style has noticeable patterns.
• The Art/Visuals - This will probably be the longest part of the game to do. I have to finish every hand drawn map segment, every character piece, and every extra enemy and boss. Maps have been the simplest, they just take a lot of time. Take a look at this forest:

(Ignore the segment in the pond, it's not in game). I have to make sure the areas look good but are also functional. I have to keep the trees in places they can work in. Make sure you can walk over certain parts, and under others. I have to check every spot I place them, and check the grid to see how the characters and objects interact with them while changing their size and sometimes rotation. So I can't just place them sporadically. Simple enough, but takes time.

• The Story - Despite it being done it's still not written, coded, animated, etc. Every character has a story, every ending is different.
• Inventory/Animations/Abilities - I lump the three together as they are tied with one another. Together they are about 70% done. The trouble is working out the price of items based on the game's economy, extra animations for special attacks not made in the basic engine, and working out the stats of new abilities. Mostly damage wise.

Intentions and Updates

Updates as stated will come once a month. I will say what I am currently working on if anything and how it's coming along. Goal posts will be by chapter. Chapter 1 is my first goal as it's also the beta and demo. Please understand I am working entirely by myself with no help. I fully intend for the demo to be finished, the game itself will depend on if I ever get help and to what extent.

What do I need to do to finish the demo?

• Artwork - Specifically of the characters. I have not been showing any characters because I am currently using placeholders. Non of their art is done. The maps are done.
• Lighting - I am using warm lighting to make rooms feel more alive. I had been working on it and was finished, till my last computer's HDD failed...
• Writing - Mostly dialogue.

This will likely be the longest update I give for this tier. I needed to cover the basics as well as I could and what you are giving your money's worth to. 

If anything needs explanation that is not story related feel free to ask.