Czarina Must Die, an indie RPG game for RPG Maker VX Ace :: rpgmaker.net (2025)

Thanks for the in-depth response!

First off, pretty much everything you said about there not being enough time for me is correct, haha, although there are a few specific things regarding time constraints I'll note below since they're more, well, notable.

1) I chose random encounters because I wanted to try something different. I'm pretty well-known for "enemies standing there and turning to stare at you" at this point, so experimentation felt necessary at this point. I agree that it wasn't ideal, though. The gamelet (it's like 25 minutes long) I'm releasing for the Venture contest tomorrow also has random encounters, but they're definitely incorporated better imo. There's EXP and a very specific point I'm trying to make about oldschool games and heroism (yeah, it's actually a game with a message. wow, craze ur goin 2far)

2) Floor three was meant to be harder than it actually managed to be, haha... as such, floor four felt out of place. Whoops. I just didn't have enough time to spend making the encounters feel smoother, which probably meant I should have just cut them out or something? Definitely a flaw in the game's design.

3) Byrcallum and Gransen were always meant to be support characters, and in Byrcallum's case, a tank. Gransen's damage is poor because it's only necessary for the early game. You can exploit them still, though. Ysmena's basic deals more damage to Dazed enemies, which Byrcallum can do to help Ysmena save some Energy. Byrcallum is also a really good healer with his Regen ability. Gransen can buff Attack, which is amazing on Derek when mixed with his damage pump, and also removes MGC Up with one skill. I DO understand the concern and how odd it feels, though. It fits the idea of the party being a toolbox, but it feels odd compared to just about every other RPG out there. It's a dissonance between expectation and reality for sure, even though it's intentional (the setup that is, not how odd it seems). If I had more time (literally, a longer game) to develop that idea and to introduce skills gradually, it would be more fluid.

4) Montrys's issue is that 30-50% of her damage is invisible (poisoning enemies, lowering enemy evasion) and that the itemization for her is somewhat weak. If I had designed equipment better, before F6, she would be feel more effective (although she actually is quite strong). She also has the vital SPD Down inflictions, so you WILL be using her in the lategame for a mix of states and damage (her damage-based-on-states skill grows to be quite strong). At least, that's the intention.

5) The missing "essays" are 100% because of time restrictions. I was so worried about finishing the endgame in time that I completely forgot to write them! That said, them going by quickly is intentional, although I did slow them down in the scripts. They're making fun of the stupidly involved backstories I feel that a lot of modern characters rely on too much, or to the extent that it weakens then (Anise in Tales of the Abyss comes to mind as an example of an otherwise great character absolutely ruined by her SURPRISE THIS IS MY BACKSTORY sequence). Stuff like Byrcallum being 1/7th cat is absurd and not meant to be taken seriously (nor is it canon, see the end of the post).

6) The gay couple has a lot of focus on their romance because of the proposal at the end. I wanted it to be clear that they've been together for a while and that Derek sort of takes care of Gransen and leashes him to a better, more positive place than when he was a nomad. Gransen is inherently nervous and cautious and commitments, which is why he has that optional conversation with Vampire*. It might have been more heavy-handed than necessary though because I'm not a talented dialogue writer, on top of the time constraints. (I was an English major, but I focused on analyzing films and television shows, not on creative writing.) Re: Daphne and Grant's relationship, I really want to use that cast again, so expect it for future contests. =) They were created to be used in such a manner!

6.5) *There's a completely unrelated vampire in my Venture contest game too, haha... someday I'll just make a game all about vampires. I spent over two years of college studying and teaching about them, haha... hah... ha.

7) Progression through party members is something I keep on writing drafts for and trying to design games around -- Edifice, Diablocide/Demon Tower, and Obelisk: Devilkillers (as terrible as it is) are all based on learning how to turn a party into a well-oiled machine. I hope to perfect it someday!

8) Finally, Ysmena and Illysdren ARE in PSE, which, yes, this is part of. At least, this is a snippet of that world and its heroes. Although none of the games are actually finished, there's an established and connected timeline, from In Praise of Peace to Diablocide to Edifice to PSE. Teenage Costume Squad is a spin-off/alternate universe interpretation of it in a modern-ish setting where dimensions are easily moved between, although I'll likely retcon Czarina, the Moth Queen, etc. out. As a side-note, Wine & Roses is a completely separate universe, and my next "real" project (i.e. non-contest... maybe. If there's another month-long contest that I'm available for, I might do it) will most likely be its sequel, called Sector Bohea. Oddly enough, Czarina Must Die is, in a lot of ways, a tech demo for Sector Bohea, haha. It uses the same version of the free-turn battle system except everybody is a blank slate. The customization is much more like TCS or WaR, but with the open battle system of CMD. Also, a seven-man party. Buuuuut i'm getting ahead of myself

9) Again, yeah these are PSE's characters. These are the canon names; Riker = Byrcallum, for example. I was just trying an oldschool approach with that game, thus the ALLCAPS and five-letter names and whatnot. Dunno how soon I'll get back to it. I'll probably do it in small chunks like this.

Glad you enjoyed it, despite the flaws. I had fun making it, but's it's a bit more sloggy than I wanted it to be. Sigh. AT LEAST MY CONTEST GAME THIS TIME IS LESS SLOGGY i hope

Czarina Must Die, an indie RPG game for RPG Maker VX Ace :: rpgmaker.net (2025)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Last Updated:

Views: 5869

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Birthday: 1993-03-26

Address: 917 Hyun Views, Rogahnmouth, KY 91013-8827

Phone: +5938540192553

Job: Administration Developer

Hobby: Embroidery, Horseback riding, Juggling, Urban exploration, Skiing, Cycling, Handball

Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.