The Dark Amulet, a -story driven hack cutting close to vanilla in terms of gameplay- romhack from @Vorgus
What is one thing about your project that you feel has had a lot of/the most time and effort put into it?
Vorgus: A lot of time and effort went into the overall narrative and the moment-to-moment dialogue. This is a hack focused on the plot and every character’s role within it. I took time to make sure not just the main lord, but many of the characters both within the party and outside of it contribute to the flow of the narrative. Music is mostly vanilla, the sprites are pulled from the repo, the eventing is nothing to write home about… but the writing is pretty solid, I think.
What was/is the most enjoyable part of working on your project?
Vorgus: Testing my chapters once I made them was definitely the most enjoyable part! I tend to make chapters ‘in full’ before testing them. So, the map itself, all of the enemy placements, all of the events, all of the dialogue and scenes before, during, and following the chapter… everything. Once all that is done, it’s a sheer delight to play out what I just created. Usually the first attempt goes horribly wrong due to bugs, and the chapter isn’t even possible to finish. But I do some fixing, try again, and eventually I can play through the chapter smoothly, start to finish. Seeing my own creation come to life before my eyes, chapter by chapter, is my greatest joy when it comes to making a Fire Emblem hack!
What is one thing about your project that you wanted to talk about that you didn’t have the opportunity to include in your video?
Vorgus: In my project’s trailer, I didn’t get to showcase any of the supports. My hack has 30 playable characters, with an average of three supports each. That’s not close to the number of supports you see in some hacks, but it’s still A LOT and it took months to write all of them. I really love how the supports in The Dark Amulet bring all of the characters to life, and encourage anyone who tries out my hack to try and A-rank their favourite pairings! Some are funny, some are sad, some are cheesy and romantic - there’s a whole world of charming interactions to be found.
What inspired your project’s creation?
Vorgus: Ever since I played Fire Emblem as a young teenager about twenty years ago, I’ve often daydreamed about the kind of story that I’d want to tell if I could make my own Fire Emblem game. Even into adulthood, I still played Fire Emblem and I still daydreamed. So, when I learned that FE Builder and ‘hacking’ Fire Emblem GBA games existed, I already had a fun plot half-written in my head. Then it was just a matter of making it real (which took me a year). It was the desire to tell a story through a Fire Emblem game that inspired that project’s creation, nothing gameplay related. In terms of the gameplay, I aimed to keep things simple (close to vanilla) but fun, and challenging but not too challenging.
What got you into making Fire Emblem fan games?
Vorgus: I’ve always wanted to make a video game, but I don’t know how to code and I don’t know how to create digital art and I don’t have much free time. Well, with the magic of FE Builder and the repo of Fire Emblem assets, having absolutely no programming or artistic skill is no longer an obstacle to making a Fire Emblem hack. Basically, my love of Fire Emblem, my desire to make my own video game, and the ease of FE Builder all combined into an unstoppable drive to add my own little page into the book of Fire Emblem fan games.
BONUS QUESTION
Who is your favorite character from your project? Why are they your favorite?
Vorgus: Ruslan is one of my favorite characters from my project. He is a wyvern (not a wyvern knight… he’s literally a wyvern). He doesn’t really talk (on account of being a wyvern), but he’s still brimming with personality. He’s somehow clever, persuasive, playful, and kind, all while being a glorified lizard. His supports are hilarious. And as far as gameplay is concerned, he’s a powerhouse with tons of health, speed, and specialized weaponry. Ruslan was an absolute joy to write and to play, and I encourage everyone who plays The Dark Amulet to make full use of the glorious flying lizard named Ruslan.