It’s been awhile. I believe that I’ve finally reached an important milestone, and wanted to open what I currently have up as a new demo for playtesting, available to download now. This new build contains 14 gameplay related chapters, which might not sound significant number of new chapters compared to the previous version. However, I’ve gone through and entirely rebuilt this romhack from scratch. Here are the major improvements since my last release:
- An entirely revamped story, which now includes a new deuteragonist. Aereus is a summoner main character who is capable of ‘attuning’ his summon into different, very powerful forms.
- As I’ve been improving my mapmaking, I’ve found myself scrapping or making heavy edits to nearly every map compared to in my first version. For some examples of this, I’ve posted two maps that I’m pretty proud of to show the better quality of maps I’m trying to make. (Note: Not gameplay maps in current build, but will be in a future build.)
- A better version of skill system is implemented with proc/durability based skills, and general better skill options available to be assigned. No more % chance skills!
- Battle palettes have been completed for everyone.
- Updated class reel, UI elements, and a new title screen drawn by a friend of mine.
- A choice will be given to the user at the end of each chapter. Many of these will have impact chapters later.
- A guide has been added that includes useful gameplay changes. It also insides some lore that slowly updates over the course of the game, if you need to refer to something.
- Much, much more polish than what the previous versions had.
New Map Examples
I’ve gone through an updated my initial post with many changes and improvements. But in particular, I’ve added all new screenshots, so please check those out if you have any interest in this project. Overall, I think I’m finally in a place where I’m a lot happier with what I’m trying to make, and I hope that this is clear for anyone that’s interested in taking a look. I’m hoping that updates should come faster now that I shouldn’t have to re-do just about everything anymore.
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Question, when you say supports are assigned, what does that mean exactly?
I assume pretty much what is said there- support conversations don’t exist but you can build and gain support ranks/bonuses.
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been playing and enjoying this. At the end of c1 when Keiros is explaining the eventide, the text gets pretty funky. Some lines were laying over each other, then after that only 1 line of text displayed despite a large text box
Ohhhh got it. I see there are plans to write soooo I’m invested!
Thanks for the call out. I missed a line break when I was cleaning up text. I’ve put out a new version that fixed that one.
And yes, I have plans to write support conversations later, but I would prefer to get the game completed first. There are placeholders currently, and I believe they function correctly otherwise with the changes made.
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hhshark you are absolutely cooking with this. I’m having a ton of fun with this game, enjoying map and unit design greatly. The game is clearly a work of passion too with the level of detail in UI, item descriptions, background scenes, and more. Seriously hat’s off to you and I fully expect to come back for every patch and play more than once when [complete]. Thank you for sharing your work with us!
Side note: Silus’s skill gets a bit wonky. I’ve seen the dmg bonus not be applied at all, and I’ve seen a +5 still apply after combat preview, even when switching to another weapon that negates the speed differential. Looks like maybe the dmg bonus is applied to him as a unit for the remainder of the phase after the initial combat preview that phase.
What an excellent hack. I wasn’t sold at first, but the gameplay and the story really hooked me very early on. I had a lot of fun with the demo and there’s a really nice mix of unit variety. The branching choices and plethora of recruitable units means there’s a lot of replay value here. I went through my first playthrough picking the lawful good choices and I’m interested in seeing what a more selfish/pragmatic approach will result in. The high level of polish really clinches this as one of my top in-development hacks that I’m going to be keeping my eye on. Can’t wait to see what’s coming next!
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Thanks so much for the good feedback, everyone.
I’ll look into some tests on his ability and see what seems to cause that and what can be done, there might have been an update in skillsystem that fixes this.
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Finally have time and headspace to give this another look. Really excited to see what you’ve been up to with it. Will update post as I go along.
Thoughts
Back when you first showed the demo, it was already amazing and hooked me in a way most games don’t. Now that I’m coming back and you’ve re-designed it… It is even better. Honestly shocked by that; I was pretty invested in the original vision so I was expecting to hate the changes lol
Being able to raid the tavern with the summoned golem was hilarious, especially with the text hint for anyone else interacting.
When Mare threatens to shove books up people’s rears, Slaver A says “N-No need this time…” and I absolutely love the implication that last time, it was necessary, and she did do it. Epic.
Mare also has C rank axes. If intended (perhaps as an allusion to book-rectum-interactions), hilarious to picture the 4’8" cranky mage slaver getting medieval with a spent tome.
The spell tome “Frostbite” takes a bit too long for the animation to play. The timing of it just feels off, in comparison to the other similar-level tomes. Very subjective on this one.
Supports
I see a tree. I am unreasonably excited to meet said tree as a playable unit. lol
Skills
“Flank” is super neat to see. A nice way to encourage formation deployment for a soldier, I dig it.
Helena’s skill “ambidextrous” - I like the skill itself, but I don’t see how being able to use either hand with equal skill means she’s faster when slinging spells against a weapon user?
Minor Typos/ Subjective Wording Quibbles
He Who Tends the Fire
Talk: Marcells/ Cyprian: “is” → “will” / “does”
“I know from our sparring that you do quite well against magic… But you know that doesn’t mean our enemy [is].”
End of chapter conversation: Staff route: carefully or great deal of care
“And play our next moves carefully and with a great deal of care…”
The Road Beckons
Was able to ‘talk’ to the Flame Golem multiple times. Each time gave it another sword. Swords are un-tradeable as intended though.
When chatting between Aereus and Keiros in the tavern post-gameplay; “He manufactured a way [to] create a leyline…”, missing the “to.”
The Flame Leads On
When Aereus shows off imp-mode attunement, (Lysander) says “…You know what, I think I [will] go and…”, missing the “will.”
When Slaver A and Mare are yelling at each other, Slaver A says “Hasn’t Magnus supposed to be here by now?”, should be either “Wasn’t Magnus supposed to be here by now?” or “Hasn’t Magnus arrived by now?”, etc.
End of chapter conversation: “giving” → “going”
“…Without [giving] into the finer details, we aim toward Vespyra Monastery.”
—v6.10.2026—
Current progress: Started ch1
Ch0 -
Think this format may be better.
Gameplay:
Chapter still does a good job of showing how the flow of battle will go in this game, since it differs subtly from most others. Quite like the jeigan having ameratsu. Clutch.
In-chapter chats:
I like the new word choice for Marcy and “The Whirlwind” chatting about resistance!
Post-chapter chats:
Still find the “carefully and with a great deal of care” line to be awkward.
The world-building does a good job of “the character needs to know this, so you learn as well” rather than “hey let us discuss things we all know for no reason!”, appreciate it.
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Hey, it’s great to see you take another crack at this! Once again, I really appreciate the feedback, it should hopefully be much more refined than the last time.
This is probably a good time to mention this too, I’m closer to another release version I’d like to get out, which I’m hoping to post the public version in a few weeks, but I’m still internally testing. But, here are a few teasers that I wanted to show to all.
Teaser screenshots for next version
The new version I’m posting later will go through the end of chapter 18.
Part way through, there will be a brief party split, in the sense that both main characters split off. You’ll have to pick and choose nearly every unit that you want to go with both parties, so take care not to put all of your best characters in one group. There will be some new content for older chapters as well, for example I’m adding a few optional talks that offer the opportunity for a character to choose another class. I’m trying to make these available for in a few chapters generally, so they’re less miss-able.
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New content sounds amazing I can’t wait to play it!!
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Jeeze you’ve gotten really good at using the (eventing? Not sure on terminology) tool that lets you have in-game options to do stuff to affect gameplay/ maps. I love seeing that! Part of the draw of your project, honestly.
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Hey everyone. I’m excited to post that a new demo version is now available that contains a total of 19 chapters. Please see this previous post for a few screenshots from this new version, I’ve also added a few of them to the original post.
I had a lot of fun while I was playtesting this in my last run, and I do so hope that everyone who takes the chance to play this feels the same. As always, I am very interested in any and all feedback that you would be willing to post, especially if you encounter any bugs or glitches. Thank you, everyone, for the great feedback so far.
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Enough changes in the early chapters to warrant starting over?
You could attempt to re-patch your existing save. I’ve always restarted hacks when it comes to new builds, but this update doesn’t have too much new in the first three chapters so it might be fine? But, I have been reading your post so far and making some changes based on your feedback, if you wanted to see that. I’d be excited to get your opinion for all of the new chapters that don’t exist in the version you’re playing now as well.
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Sounds good! (as in, I’ll be re-starting with each patch going forward)
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