Random JRPG News Thread

[Archibald]

"In the long run" usually ends up as "you'll never make your game".

 

[Niektory]

man, so you can actually make something like Lord of the Seal with just RPG Maker? that makes me want to download whatever the latest version of RPG Maker is, learn it, and waste my spare time making dungeon crawlers.

i always thought it didn't have support for a first-person viewport...

which is easier:

a) learning how to use the latest RPG Maker and making anime-tinged dungeon crawlers

or

b) learning how to code and making a dungeon crawler for directx api or whatever

???

Using RPG Maker is much easier, but without any coding knowledge you will be limited by the default features and whatever user scripts you manage to scavenge. So you'll probably want to learn some Ruby (for RPG Maker VX) or Javascript (for RPG Maker MV) anyway. If you do, you should be able to do most of the things you'd want in a Wizardry-like.

Learning to do it from scratch will give you leet skillz and free you from limitations but it'll take a fuckton of time. So you'd better be really sure that's what you want to do. Even then, you'll want to use some sort of generic game engine/framework. There's not much reason to go as low level as DirectX API nowadays.

Whatever way you choose make a simple game or two first before starting your 20-year magnum opus.

 

[aweigh]

well the reason i asked in a semi-serious manner is because i've spent hours upon hours attempting to translate the majority of the japanese 'crawlers that are not in english and with varying degrees of success. the only one i can finish is wiz empire 1 and only because i'm working off the windows PC version and also because Starfish did not utilize any complex compression or text encryption on the game files for their PC ports; the thing holding that project in stall finding someone to translate the dialog text and/or learning the language fluently myself.

either way, even with the fact that Starfish's PC ports don't require complex decompression or decryption, and even assuming the dialog text gets human-translated it still requires several weeks' worth of manual work.

(basically any 'crawler that is on nds/3ds/psp/vita would require coding and scripting knowledge on top of knowing how to edit hexadecimal code so for a 1 person attempting the translation, even the person's goal is a "menu translation" without touching the character dialog, it's a matter of months' worth of work because every single one of these console games requires a completely different approach in how to reverse engineer a way to decompress/extract/re-insert/replace textures/etc)

anyway the reason i typed all of that out is because i realized that it would be more productive of my energy/time to spend those hours attempting to make my own project/module/game instead of learning japanese. Why? because even if i sat down and spent a few months teaching myself how to read japanese (which is completely different from learning how to speak it) i would still be facing the technical hurdles that come with romhacking.

however making a 'crawler game "from scratch" bypass language barriers and the technical hurdles present are not reverse engineering related and amount to teaching oneself a new skillset which has actual real world applications. TBH i very much doubt i'll be teaching myself any sort of complex coding language (back when I was in Uni. I initially took comp. sci. courses before switching over to english lit.; i realized i hated trying to learn C++).

i could probably learn Java as i already know a little bit of scripting and because it is so much simpler than C or Python but... i don't want to. However, if i had access to any sort of tool-kit type of thing I would absolutely devote my time/energy into making personal hobby projects using whatever assets are already made and accessible to me because:

- i don't care about animated models (i think a crawler does not require animations whatsoever for anything, plus there are TONS of "tricks" one can pull with sprites/models to simulate the few things a 'crawler requires such as weapon slashes or an indication of an enemy taking damage and that sort of thing; nothing i can think of would require modeling anything).
- i don't care about graphics much as I enjoy wire-frame but of course i would utilize whatever assets are publicly or easily available and easy to implement. that goes without saying.

i'm currently download the two versions of RPG Maker that Niektory mentioned and also downloaded the blobber script(s) that LESS T_T mentioned and well, let's see if it's worth it.

EDIT: I have already downloaded and used "Javardry: A Java-based Wizardry Scenario Creation Kit", btw, but... once again, the language barrier comes into play as all of the documentation for it is in japanese as the creator of it is japanese (and the project is abandoned in any case).

there is another Wizardry-based creation kit called "Wizardry Legacy" that is westerner-made and thus in English but it is extremely primitive (IMO) and, just like Javardry, abandoned as well.

Here is video of me using Wizardry Legacy kit:



IMO, even RPG Maker would be a gigantic step up from either of those two. BTW, it gives me a small measure of pride as well that those two videos are probably the only ones in the entirety of YouTube in existence of those kits being used by anyone at all!

 

[LESS T_T]

Mystery Chronicle: One Way Heroics is out now yo: http://store.steampowered.com/app/409000/

Looks like most negative reviews are about port issues (fps cap, stuttering, limited resolution options, crashes, no mouse support, etc.).

 

[getter77]

They also seem to have dropped the ball when it came to leaving some stuff untranslated and low effort on the translation for it. I mean, the older OWH games always had bit of jank to them on this front, but with those it was almost deliberate in such a way as to be endearing. Spike Chunsoft should know better and be entirely well equipped to not engage in this nonsense especially considering the game itself looks freaking awesome with a lot of love put into it.

 

[LESS T_T]

I think this is the first game they entirely self-published in West on both PC and consoles. Maybe that's one of reasons they've dropped a few balls.

 

[Reinhardt]

Gal Gun Double Peace will launch on Steam 27th September 2016.

 

[LESS T_T]

NIS America brings Kadokawa's SRPG God Wars: Future Past for PS4 and Vita in early 2017: http://gematsu.com/2016/09/god-wars-future-past-coming-west-early-2017

 

[Siveon]

FUCK. This is bittersweet.

 

[aweigh]

what are some good SRPGs other than ps1 FFT and snes TO? (serious question). i just recently removed from inventory the PC port of phantom brave and found it unbelievably dumb (in story, characters, and in gameplay), so.... hence the question. i don't wanna waste time on another modern SRPG that's as braindead as Phantom Brave so i figured i could ask here.

 

[Siveon]

Fire Emblem (Anything from the SNES and up is at least decent, barring Awakening), Devil Survivor (as well as the Super Famicom predecessor Majin Tensei), Front Mission (all of 'em are good, story gets derper as time progresses), Vandal Hearts, Wild Arms XF, Shining Force, Valkyria Chronicles and ... now I'm drawing a blank. Can't go wrong with those, in my opinion.

 

[aweigh]

played (and loved) shining force 1 and 2, loved Vandal hearts 1 and Kartia on ps1, and loved front mission 4 on ps1 as well. damn, now that i think about it: i used to fucking love the JSRPG genre.

will try then:

wild arms xf
valkyria chronicles
fire emblem (snes and up, as you recommend)
majin tensei
front mission (only one i've played was 4)

i did already try (and actively disliked)

devil survivor 1 on NDS (story/characters were dumb and there was too much text and not enough deep gameplay).

here's a recommendation from me:

-GEM FIRE for NES.

i remember that my all-time favorite SRPG (though at the time i the term did not exist) was GEMFIRE for the NES. haven't played it in decade(s) but i remember that it was my touchstone for the amount of depth a SRPG needed in order to be good probably to this very day!

EDIT:

apparently there's a SNES remake! did not know! the only other JSRPG i have played that touched the heels of GEMFIRE was Tactics Ogre for the SNES. (and i mean the more strategy-oriented one, not the tactical one).

 

[GrainWetski]

A few more, of varying quality, on PS1 worth looking at

Arc the Lad
Kartia
Brigandine
Vanguard Bandits
Saiyuki: Journey West
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth

 

[CryptRat]

- Gungnir is pretty cool.
- Arc -Twliight of the spirit
- I'd recommend Disgaea and Makai Kingdom but since you didn't like Phantom Brave, well, try them or not, I don't know.
- Soul Nomad & the soul eaters is cool because a little different.

 

[Abu Antar]

I also like Stella Deus: Gates of Eternity. I don't think the general consensus is that it is a great game, though.

I also liked Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume.

 

[aweigh]

i need to revisit the valkyrie profile series some day as i remember playing through and loving the first game on PS1. but that was so many years ago and my tastes have changed dramatically since then so i need to research the quality of the story, characters and mechanics of the valkyrie profile sequels first.

as for Disgeaea i remember trying it out when it released originally for, ps2 i think it was? i remember not liking it then. at the time i chalked it up to a growing disinterest in anime-stories and bad anime-characters (i watch actual anime frequently; good anime) but after my experience with phantom Brave i realize i simply dislike how NIS makes SRPG's, period. ithink their gameplay mechanics are tedious and bad and frankly, very dumb. combined with their bad-anime stories and bad-anime characters... it's not likely i'll ever try out another NIS srpg.

EDIT: i loved arc the lad: twilight of the spirits. played it on ps2 long ago and i still remember it fondly even though it it was only from 1 playthrough of the game so that tells you something about it at least being memorable. anyone else who is reading this thread who hasn't given it a try they really should. Vandal hearts and Kartia for ps1, which were mentioned as well, are also two other forgotten gems that i also deem very much worthy of someone's time.

- reminder to seek out the rest of the arc the lad games.

 

[Abu Antar]

There's Langrisser, Brigandine, Ogre Battle, the one for N64. FEDA: The Emblem of Justice was interesting but it was so long ago that I played it. I don't know how it holds up.

Front Mission 3 is great. Never played 4.

I liked both Arc the Lad games on PS1.

Bahamut Lagoon on the SNES is a bit different. You move around like you do on battlefields, but you fight like in regular battlefields. You build up teams that form a unit on the battlefield and they then fight enemies.

I have to think of some others.

 

[Hyperion]

Dragonforce is a must-play even if it is a combo of RTS and SRPG.
Mystaria: Realms of Lore (AKA Blazing Heroes). Plot and characters was nothing special, but it had some notable spikes in difficulty rarely seen in SRPGs. Skill development was actually kinda fun and made multiple playthroughs a possibility if you didn't grind too much. Game also threw tons and tons of characters at you for some added fun.

Both for Sega Saturn

I second Arc the Lad, but know that the first game is just a teaser for II, which is a pretty huge game. III was a big disappointment, imo.
I sperg pretty hard for the Ogre series (as is plainly obvious), and there's not a single game I can't recommend. Even the GBA game was a solid effort, considering the SRPG genre is loaded with mediocrities.

 

[Siveon]

I'm just gonna second FEDA for being a weird mix of Shining Force and Fire Emblem, or basically Shining Force for the Super Famicom. If you haven't tried Shining Force CD or Shining Force 3 I urge you to do that as well. Also Langrisser, again, but I believe there's a fan translation for the formerly Japan-only version, as well as I think ... 4?

Spoiler

Oh, and who could forget Sengoku Rance?

EDIT: As for Devil Survivor, nobody is gonna force you but as far as I know the gameplay gets deeper as it goes on. First impressions can be a bitch though I can understand.

 

[Damned Registrations]

what are some good SRPGs other than ps1 FFT and snes TO? (serious question). i just recently removed from inventory the PC port of phantom brave and found it unbelievably dumb (in story, characters, and in gameplay), so.... hence the question. i don't wanna waste time on another modern SRPG that's as braindead as Phantom Brave so i figured i could ask here.

Dark Wizard for the Sega CD. Tons of units, spells, equipment, class promotions, secrets. Good stuff.



There's info gathering and sidequests to do by visiting the towns, but I couldn't find much video of a game this obscure.

 

[duanth123]

aweigh
I have a...friend who played this game for 80+ hours and can highly recommend it.

Think Rance meets FFT, where you wonder at how such a game can have a better plot/mechanics than most mainstream releases.

It has been fully translated into non-Engrish.

https://vndb.org/v5652

 

[getter77]

I think this is the first game they entirely self-published in West on both PC and consoles. Maybe that's one of reasons they've dropped a few balls.

Is this a Playism localization?

Don't think Playism is involved (at all) this time around compared to the first OWH games---according to the NeoGAF thread of late, it looks like Spike-Chunsoft used an outfit called "Active Gaming Media" that did an...infamous(?)...Asian English localization for Demon's Souls...

 

[LESS T_T]

I think this is the first game they entirely self-published in West on both PC and consoles. Maybe that's one of reasons they've dropped a few balls.

Is this a Playism localization?

Don't think Playism is involved (at all) this time around compared to the first OWH games---according to the NeoGAF thread of late, it looks like Spike-Chunsoft used an outfit called "Active Gaming Media" that did an...infamous(?)...Asian English localization for Demon's Souls...

Then, Playism is involved since Playism IS Active Gaming Media.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

aweigh
I have a...friend who played this game for 80+ hours and can highly recommend it.

Think Rance meets FFT, where you wonder at how such a game can have a better plot/mechanics than most mainstream releases.

It has been fully translated into non-Engrish.

https://vndb.org/v5652

Tell your friend that he is a bit wrong. The game is much more vanilla oriented than Rance. Also MC is more similar to your standard harem-anime protagonist than hentai-pervert protag that is Rance.

Also the levelling (and unlocking sex scenes) by upgrading clothing is a great idea and should be copied by some mainstream RPG in one way or the other. It's a wonder that Obsidian failed so hard at making crafting interesting and your keep both useful and cosy while this Japanese porn game did it so much better. Having to sell your stuff to earn money for rent both makes you feel like a real craftsman living in a real city (not just a murderhobo with additional income source) and makes you feel connected to your little estate.

Even if the writing is a bit cheesy and a bit shitty at times and 2 out of 3 waifus are a bit garbage it's still an interesting gem and it's a shame that western designers and players are usually exposed only to very mainstream titles and not gems like this.

Very much recommended. Worth playing even if you'll end-up hating it. And if your tolerance to anime cliches is low you most likely will.

 

[duanth123]

The game is much more vanilla oriented than Rance.

I meant more so in the sense that you H every female char (and they happen to comprise your S units), less so the manner in which you do it.