BYOND RPG's site

Is it just me, or is that game awesome?

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 05:52:14 +0000

No seriously, is it awesome or what? What game am I talking about you ask? Well, that's the thing. I want you to tell me!

You're all members of this guild, so presumably you have at one point or another played one of the games listed, so here's the life or death situation. You have one game to choose out of the whole list. So tell me, which game out of our listings here would you deem as your favorite game?, and don't forget to tell me why.

And don't forget, we still want to know what can BYOND RPG do for you?

On a final note, stay tuned and keep your television on this channel. I have a contest coming up that I'm sure you'll all want to participate in. =)

Cow RP Review

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:57:29 +0000

Cow RP, the game where cows who act like humans rule the world in a medieval society.

This review is due to the fact that Cow RP has been revised and the only review we have is from 2007.

Gameplay

Cow RP is a roleplaying game, you log in and are prompted to pick a roleplaying name and then you are at a room where you pick a job for the round.

The job screen

The job effects how people react and treat you in the kingdom's society. For example, a necromancer is treated with uncertainity and is an outsider to the kingdom, while the king is treated with respect and is the authority and core of the kingdom. If you don't like the job you picked or want to try another, don't worry, they only last the "round" which is usually between an half hour to two hours. The fun of this game is to be able to do your job and watch how it influences the world, such as the peasants building a complete town near the castle.

The roleplaying is done through character actions and emoting. However some people may screw up the roleplaying sometimes although this doesn't happen often.

Presentation

The graphics of Cow RP currently are alot more simple, they also seem more colorful then before. The hud design is hit or miss with many people, but is easy to navigate through and to work with.

A farmer with his animals

However, the turf is quite block-like(however alot of byond games tend to be this way) and some textures do not mesh well. Another thing I noticed is that the NPC animals are all one-sided, meaning they only move icon-wise in one direction while all the other mobs seem to be multi-directional, something I hope that is changed in the future. Sound seems to be missing completely, however it's always been that way.

Originality

This is the game that started the whole medieval cow fad, however if you take
away the cows, it would play alot like many other medieval roleplaying games on
the market. However, I would still like to praise Bovine_Buddy for bringing a different version of medieval roleplay to us.

Overall: 7

If you have interest in roleplaying games, I would certainly give Cow RP a look, otherwise you would probably not be very interested.

Hub Entries and You

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:09:26 +0000

Today I'm actually getting off my rear, or rather sitting on it for long enough to type out a blog post. Not just any blog post though, this is kind of a do or don't for hub entries. Anyone that's ever put anything on BYOND has come to the point where they have to create one, and it appears that everyone has a very different idea of what should or shouldn't be on this page. I personally have some thoughts on how these things should look, and now I'm going to share them with you.
Before I get started, just a note that all text links are directed to the hub entry they came from(save for one image), and clicking all images will open them in full size. This post is going by the assumption that you are a BYOND member and have access to the extra portions of the hub creation, if you do not, I highly recommend becoming a member and supporting BYOND, the perks are great.
First of all, pictures are your best friend. They're my best friend too, so we have that in common. However, what you may not realize is that these are the first thing that someone stumbling upon your game sees. So you want these to leave your 'customer' with a good impression. You should never have pictures that aren't related to your game, and preferably you should have these pictures as screenshots of your game. When I happen upon a new game on BYOND, the first thing I look for is screenshots of what the dreamseeker is going to look like when I have it open. This also becomes the first look you actually get of the game, however that's a different topic altogether.
For example, if I was making a fan game of Final Fantasy X, the last thing I would want to do is use a picture from one of the cutscenes in the actual game. This wouldn't tell the person anything about the game that they don't already know from seeing the title. However, if the cutscene in the picture is from the actual game, then it is fine to use.

I'm also not a fan of images being in the Overview section. This was something that was useful before hub entries got an overhaul a while back, because there was no media section for screenshots or videos, however since we do have this now, screenshots simply clutter up the area.
Next we want to talk about the actual description for your game, this is very important because it is actually the very first thing the person sees if they come across your game from one of the guilds. The short description is beside the picture of your game and will be the first thing your potential player reads, so you do not want to throw them off before they even know what your game is. When you type this up, you'll want to make sure you're articulate and have everything spelled correctly, as well as using correct grammer. I know this is the internet, and not everyone types without using internet lingo and shortened words, however this isn't an instant message, this is something that's going to stay for a while(hopefully), so you should take the time to make it look good.
You'll want to draw in your new player with some something catchy that'll tell them something interesting about your game. This way when they see your game in the list of games, they'll want to click it to find out more.
A bad example would be: "The most successful Harry Potter game on BYOND."
What do I as a player care how successful you think your game is? There are lots of things that are successful that I have no use or desire to have. Mac computers are very popular, I don't want one.
A good example almost: "An ancient power has been unsealed and mana fuels the world yet again. Can you control the mana and master the elements? Version 7.3 released!"
This comes off just like the advertisement you see on TV. This makes me want to click the link and see some screenshots(minus me not caring about actual TV advertisements). However, it can really do without the version number, we can see that automatically on the hub entry in the designated version number place.
Now the actual description on your hub entry should contain some interesting things about your game, maybe tell a bit of a story about what the game is about. The hosting schedule is also something that should be included if your game is not available for download, allowing your players to know if and when the game will be available for them to play. You should make sure that it is also easy for the player to read, as it can be a nuisance trying to read a wall of text, or several random colours spread across the screen, or even multiple text sizes with no real reason for their change.
What you really don't need, or want to do is have a list of who your moderators are(GM), or a list of who the developers are, or even a list of people you want to thanks. These credits are something that should be in the game. As well, you do NOT want to use the word original anywhere(seriously), or to state that your game is "not a rip". No game these days is 'original' and I immediately assume your game is a rip once you've stated otherwise. These are actually really big deterants towards me playing your game. You really don't need a hit counter either, or to tell me how long your game has been around. I don't really care how many people have looked at your hub entry, and I have the ability to look directly beside the version number provided by BYOND to see exactly when the hub entry was created. (a lot of this paragraph can be seen here, and here.)
Last but not least is update information and subscriber perks. This can be a touchy area because they can be useful, but they can also just get in the way. As for the update information, unless your hub entry is for a utility of some kind(no self advertisement intended), there is absolutely no need for that information to be there. Think of your hub entry like a billboard. You don't see "Blue Note Jeans" and directly under it "pockets now one inch lower to prevent waist tearing." That's because it's an advertisement, not an information leaflet. Subscriber information is a bit different however, I'm actually on the fence about this subject because it can be good to have displayed to the player so that while they try your game, they can think about what helping you as the developer gets them, however I'm also on the train of thought that I haven't tried your game yet, and don't really care what giving you money gets me, since I don't even know if I'll even consider it to begin with. "For an extra dollar you get cheese" is kind of useless without knowing what the cheese is going on first. As great as cheese is by itself, you need to know more beforehand.

Now, this is in no way the opinion of BYOND RPG, but my own(Me being Mikau). These are not rules, and are not to be taken as such if you have, or are planning on submitting a game to BYOND RPG(save for the hosting schedule, we need to know). I looked at a lot of hub entries while I was writing this, and do not mean any negativity towards any of the developers or games that I pointed out. They are in no way any less of a game because of this article, in fact, you should try them out right now.

Hazordhu II Version 5.5

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:10:36 +0000

Greetings, Roleplayers!

As many of you now know, Hazordhu II's anticipated update to version 5.4 has been delayed due to the personal life of the programmer. But do not fear! Rather than wait until version 5.4 can be released, we've decided to jump straight to our list of things for 5.5!

I would like to let you all know before you read further: Version 5.5 will be done gradually and updated to the main server a little at a time. Updates will begin at the top of this list, and work their way down.

PvE Updates
First of all, I'm happy to announce that the lands of Hazordhu are about to get much more dangerous! We have 6 new animals planned, one of which is already thundering around the archipelago, and another is lurking in the rivers and lakes of the land, waiting to pounce unsuspecting victims! We're also adding some improvements to the animals AI. Already, animals are striking fear into the hearts of unsuspecting travelers with fearsome roars and screeching wails.

Another feature of this update will be several new items and abilities involving animals. These include setting traps, taming animals to not only ride, but play with them, and more!

Just for Fun!
There will be a few new additions that will be added just for fun. These will include things like balls and cards, allowing people in communities to play with one another, without worrying about the turmoils of the world around them.

Culinary Additions
The next goodie that's on its way is the development of the culinary system! Players will be open to various options for cooking and baking, allowing them to make bread, cakes, stews, soups, and a number of other delicious concoctions.

Another fun update involving this is the addition of three new plants! Shumsherms (Mushrooms) and Flung (Fungi) will be found underground, and a new plant with mysterious properties will be found around the surface.

Class System
The final feature of version 5.5 will be the re-introduction of the class system to Hazordhu II. This system will encourage community interaction through a selected profession. Players will be required to choose a class upon creation, which will then limit them to the skills and abilities that class has available to them.

Planned classes are:
- Woodworker
- Blacksmith
- StoneMason
- Farmer
- Cook
- Hermit
- Beast-master
- Fisherman
- Tailor
- Hunter
- Alchemist

Lands of Acele Updates: Because you told me to.

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:48:30 +0000

Yeah, Gary's working on something again. It's a rare sight, is it not?
(This post and more eventually are available on the LoA forums, for those of you who are interested.)

Alright, because the RPG Guild is apparently wanting more activity, here, have your activity! I throw it at you like a spinning keen battleaxe straight out of dwarf fortress! Here's some for you! And some for your mother! And more for you! Arrgh! Fine, I'll stop. To the post!

It was only a matter of time before I started doing this, but I have to post some screenshots to show off all the hard work I've been doing lately. With pictures for extra awesome! Hurray! Hope you enjoy the updates and stuff.

Some scenery taken from the game.

That's some pretty sexy water, if you ask me.

...Yeah, I'll change that stuff to better looking graphics eventually. For now they're just "placeholders" really, the water was done in a few minutes and the trees took a few more. But still, as of now, they look pretty nice if you truly ask me. ;)

What you're seeing right now is one of the three bridges that cross over the major river that runs through the beginning human town. Yay for basic mapping.

Character Gen

Hey, Gary, this image is too mature for young viewers! *censor*

Character Generation is pretty simple as of now, I don't know how much I'll be adding to it later, though. I do know that there are five races, though! And all free-to-play! Awesome, eh? (fail rhyme.)

Skills

These are the skills that are available at the moment. Reading from the top left corner to the right and down they are:
Sword Proficiency, Polearm Proficiency, Axe Proficiency, Bludgeoning Proficiency, Archery, Mining, Smelting, Blacksmithing, Carpentry, and Masonry.

Don't worry, there will be more! ;)

The bottom image is showing off some of the possibilities to smith along with the metal selector. And.. that's all I have to show really, hope you people enjoyed! :3

What can BYOND RPG do for you?

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:15:16 +0000

	Topic List
	I'm calling on you! (click these) Favourite Male Hero! (seriously, it's fun) Favourite Female Hero! Likes / Dislikes Favourite Era! Finally!
I'm calling on you!
I know what you're thinking, yet another silly post trying to stir up activity. Well too bad, you're getting it. What we would like to know is what exactly you expect from BYOND RPG. What do you want BYOND RPG to do for you? What I want you as a member of BYOND RPG, as well as any non-members that frequent the guild, or even occasionally visit it, to do, is to think of one thing that you would like BYOND RPG to do. One thing that you want it to do for you. In fact, any comments regarding your thoughts on the guild, negative as well as positive should be let known right now. This is your open microphone opportunity, the line is open and we are here to address any and all of your concerns right now.
Favourite Male Hero!
From here, I would like to know, who is your favourite male hero? This can be any character in ANY game. However if you have a favourite RPG hero, since this it he RPG guild, it would be best to pick your favourite of that genre. I would like to know who your favourite is, why they are your favourite, something they did that makes them notable to you.
Favourite Female Hero!
This is much like the last paragraph, but I want to know about your favourite FEMALE character! Who they are, why they are, what they did, and something you look for. If you can find pictures of them as well, remember to include them in your post!
Likes / Dislikes
Finally, something that you like to see in the hero, and something you dislike in the hero.
Favourite Era
Everyone has a favourite era that they enjoy when they play an RPG. However the most notable ones known seem to be set in a medieval fantasy world with swords, dragons, and magic. Which era is your favourite, and why? If you're having trouble thinking about this one, think about the difference between games like Earthbound(modern), Final Fantasy(fantasy), Fallout(apocolyptic). There are a lot of different choices you have, so think hard, and answer honestly. We're not here to judge your taste, but to embrace it.
Finally!
Now you're probably wondering, what is the point of all this? We all get together and say "I like [x]" and that's that, we all go about our business? Well, there is a point to all of this that I will be talking about at a later date. This is the start of something that will hopefully breath a large amount of life back into this guild. You can answer the questions about your favourite heros as well as era here in the forum. All of your concerns, ideas, and what you expect from us, or would like to see from us should be left as comments on this post. Enjoy the rest of your day or evening when you read this. I guess by "here" I wasn't clear enough that here was a link to the forum. http://www.byond.com/members/BYONDRPG/forum?id=2234 Please post all of your favourites in that thread and leave the comments on this blog open for concerns and what-not.

What can you do if too few people share your dream?

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:47:14 +0000

The first step to resolving a problem is understanding it and confessing that the problem might be on your side (as much as it may hurt), instead of blaming the bad environment. Your game likely enough is worth being played and provides for some fun, but you have to encourage potential customers to choose your product over anything else they could do to kill time. Every game is competing and can not simply expect, or even demand audience. This already starts with your hub. If there is no download link, your game should provide a hosting schedule, which can be spotted right away (it should be placed in a prominent position). You want to be customer friendly, you want your potential clientèle to know if they are going to have a chance and even play the game right away. If you don't, they'll judge the hub entry as dead and leave, at which point you likely won't see them again. Do not forget to mention a time-zone though, as not everybody lives at the same place. While this is a nice start, it certainly isn't enough. Provide a summary of your game with such essential information as the basic game style (Isometric/Top-view, Turn-based/Real time, On the map battles/Battle-Screen, Singleplayer/Multiplayer), followed by the games' unique selling proposition (yes, players are going to need a real reason to play your game instead of the thousand others out there). After the summary, you likely want to go for a more detailed description of the world, it's story, the battle system, skill progression, everything that might help the reader to envision your project. On the other side, your moderation team, or the game's rule set should not be listed on the hub. These are irrelevant to decide if a game could be fun or not and that very decision is what the hub entry should influence. Some nice screenshoots and a video can work wonders for this purpose as well.

Now, when a customer finally decided to join your game, ensure that the graphical user interface blends in well with the game and target audience alike. This already starts with something as basic as character creation. If the first thing to greet a player is a pop-up, your game lost valuable points with the more advanced customer. Embedding a neatly designed, browser based character generation into a child element (yes, the whole game window should be filled with the character generation and you should not see a 'Stat' for an non existent character) looks professional and isn't as tricky as most people seem to think. Another important point to note is validating player input. Do not ask them to follow certain guidelines if the game doesn't check on them afterwards, because a lot of players are going to purposely go against your advise. Never put trust into receiving proper data, but always parse the information you received and act accordingly.

Finally, your new player has decided for her avatar and is ready to venture onwards! After all this trouble and effort, the player doesn't want to invest more time into reading through lengthy help files, or even worse would want to click her way through an aggressive alert spam tutorial. A good system is easy to pick up and hard to master, which is exactly how your interface should behave. In order to guide your player through the task of getting used to the interface, don't send them from NPC to NPC, basically cutting a lengthy help file into small brackets, but provide them with a selected few simple tasks (a little on-screen text works wonders in such a case) to master. Try to disguise this by embedding it into the story and allow for easy success and progression. On this note, a general rule of thumb is that a player should be able to access every main game feature without moving her hands too much. Make good use of both mouse click events, as well as the keyboard, but keep in mind that your set-up should prevent accidents. It would be bad to walk to a place and to use an object through the same left mouse click, because you could easily miss and use something you didn't want to. It would be better to use the left mouse event for walking, the right one to interact and both at the same time to investigate something. This way you can not trigger the wrong action unintentionally, but have three main functions bound to a single hand. Even though you're going to have put much thought into developing a decent set of macros, never forget to include the option of customisation. Yes, theoretically somebody could do this (to a certain degree) through editing the skin, but that wouldn't be customer friendly at all. Score some points by offering a neat little (browser based) table, that allows for simple association of macros to functionality in your game and don't forget to embed this in the main window's child element.

Non of this makes up for lacking content or possibly encountering errors though, so try to ensure that you can provide your customer with countless happy hours of flawless fun before releasing a game (or submitting it to a banner guild). Where your beta testers may endure some situations, a casual player likely won't.

If you can get your player this far, you have a decent chance to see them again the next day!

Celestial, and Limp Dickins!

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:08:20 +0000

Celestial, a single player role-playing game where you take the role of yourself, in the land of Tairn. You are accompanied by your companion Limp Dickins, and together you will fight your way to the east to defeat The Great Tek-Humn.

Or at least, that's the grand plan. Currently the game is in version 0.0.4, which is obviously very early.
It only has a few features currently, but they are well developed and adaptable should the game take more obscure turns later on, they include:
An effective hack prevention system.
I'm planning on making scoreboards and lots of medals for Celestial, and obviously I want them to be fair. Where Celestial is not multi-player, the only player playing will be the host. This obviously opens up the doors for many generic hex-editing programs such as Cheat Engine. My Hack Prevention system saves temporary variables of each stat or the suchlike that a player might want to edit, and when those variables are genuinely changed, so is my temporary variable. A Hex editor won't find this variable because it's encoded and nothing like what the actual stat is. Simple yet effective.

An incredibly simplistic, yet useful save-point system.
In most games over BYOND, you are allowed the free liberty of saving on the go. Whilst easy and not at all a problem to program, it goes against the morals of my game to be able to just re-load every time you die, instead, I will have Inns around my game (Because that's original! =) ) which will allow players to save within them. Of course this means that by dying, or disconnecting, you will be reset to your last save, but that's a small drawback against the huge main benefit: It means I don't need to have custom checks for many things a player could be doing when they got saved, for example, players can't save during a cut-scene, or battle-screen!

Helpful Help files and update logs.
I'm a firm believer in the ideal that a player should know what's going on around them. Be it game wise, or character wise. So the very first thing I did in Celestial, was create a fun to read, yet informational and helpful help file, it outlines the controls, the different game screens, the story and how to progress through it, and what your characters stats all mean. This along with an update log ensures my players stay up and current with Celestial.

Celestial is different to most BYOND games in one main factor: It's a single player RPG. Whilst not solely taken by Celestial, these are rare finds, but don't be mistaken into thinking that's why I went with single player!
There were three defining factors yesterday that caused me to restart Celestial, and change it to single player.
One: Limitations of a Multi-player world.
A Multi-Player world is far more resource intensive and requires a lot more worldly output than a single player world, this of course causes me to hold back in areas of development that I would otherwise make far more detailed- due to lack of available resources.

Two: A new thing!
I've never made a single player game before! Aside from my Zombie Apocalypse Simulator, but that's a simulator, not a game. ;)

Three: Regressia.
Yes. I said it. You can all breath again now.
Regressia is one of my main inspirations for Celestial, as it's a successful and highly polished game, that's a single-player RPG. But don't be fooled into thinking Celestial is going to be anything like Regressia, I'm taking a whole different route than that.

So then, now you know all about the development of Celestial, what can you expect to find with it?
Well first, you will be greeted with a small cut-scene style page which will display probably a five second animation before displaying the Celestial banner, and a Click to begin button.
After that, a small and simple GUI, in the Final-Fantasy 5 style, will allow you to load, or create a new character. I'm going to explain a new character, as I've already explained loading and saving.
Your key will automatically be taken as your name, and you will be thrown into the starting zone of the game. As opposed to a tutorial, I'm planning it all to be fairly self explanatory, with on-screen words detailing what to do.
The game follows an ALMOST linear path, with some quests and sub-quests causing you to backtrack, and the map being slightly deviating from a simple zig-zag.
There's 17 different cities/towns, 4 main regions and a vast array of dungeons and other places not specifically on the map per-say, but I don't want to get too much into that, as it's likely not only to change, but also because I'm bad at explaining it.

I hope to have a running beta going by the end of the next week, so I can get some early feedback and data for the game. However this is liable to be pushed back due to pixel art. ;)

I hope you look forward to Celestial, coming soon! :D

Sigrogana Legend Review

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:13:31 +0000

Sigrogana Legend is a strict roleplaying RPG in a fantasy world of somewhat unknown lore.

Traversing the many lands of Sigrogana Legend

Gameplay: 8

Sigrogana Legend is an enjoyable blend of roleplaying and combat. When it comes to Sigrogana Legend (or SL for short), roleplaying is the champagne of the luxurious meal; you won't get the full effect without it. However, taking away social interaction in the game you'd still find a very enjoyable game. The game's setting takes place in an archipelago in the world called Sigrogana. Despite being limited to a fraction of the world explore, there is still a good amount of land to traverse. You can expect multiple interesting places to explore, and possibly even a few hidden treats scattered around.

Upon creation, there are many ways to customize your character to reflect a certain personality or even yourself. You can choose from a variety classes and races, both which have different mundane and combat abilities. The player is also given the option to provide descriptions, portraits, skin colors and hair styles with custom hair colors to choose from. There is also the wide selection of clothing items to chose from to distinguish yourself further from the rest of the populace.

Combat is perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the game. Upon locating a critter to initiate a combat sequence with, you simply right click it and select, "Engage Battle" to begin fighting. Upon initiating combat, numerous HUD buttons appear beside your character in a quick animation. Each button has its own unique function, for example, there is a button to attack with your currently equipped weapon (or your fists if you have none) and a button to use items in combat. To keep from cluttering your screen up with buttons, the only ones that appear are the ones applicable for you to use. For example, in the picture to the right you will not find the appropriate button to cast magic with because my current character is in-capable of casting any form of magic. There are many, many different ways to battle, which adds strategy as well as stats to the battlefield.

Combat is handled using turns, each player/monster participating in battle will gain an appropriate amount of moves per each turn. This can unfortunately lead up to huge waiting gaps between moves because of an opponent being inactive or taking his time to think. Aside from that, there is also a MAJOR "grind" in the game. Meaning you'll find yourself at one point or another in the game fighting monsters furiously and slowly gaining levels. If you're a low-level guy, and you're trying to fight someone higher up the ranks, you are almost guaranteed to lose. Combat between two equal-leveled characters is usually determined by luck and/or who has the better statistics. Don't be surprised if you find some classes are better than others in the beginning as well. Eventually down the line there are hidden abilities or techniques that will help you square out the playfield when it comes to competition with those "overpowered" classes.

As you can see, there's a lot to say about this game's gameplay. However, there is one last irritating flaw in the game that will possibly drive away many players. You have the ability to donate $5 to the game's developer, DevourerOfSouls, and recieve an Orb of Fortunate per $5. This may not sound like a big deal, but Devourer himself has stated before in the game's OOC chat that he has recieved a total of approximately $1000 in donations alone. This statistic may have been subject to change, as the date when he said this has long since passed. Back to the main point, assuming the statistic is true almost everyone you'll encounter in-game has some form of donation bonus. Meaning, ultimately, those who have donated will have an advantage over those who haven't.

Presentation: 6

Let's talk about one of the more lacking parts of the game!

The first thing you'll notice upon logging in is the neat little title screen along with a button. The title screen changes depending on the time of day, which is cool and all. However, you'll also be bombarded with some music that can, personally, be described as unfortunate. However, the game presents an easy-to-use interface when you're creating your character as well as when you're playing the game itself. It may take some time to get accustomed to the interface because there's going to be a huge amount of stuff going on around the main display map. While you're getting acquainted with the game you're going to notice the music, if you have your speakers and the BYOND sounds enabled. The ambient music in the game has the wrong instruments playing at the same time, not to be harsh or anything. If you're like me you'll disable music alltogether but keep the sounds, since they add a nice touch to the overral immersion.

You'll also notice that the player and the turfs resemble sprites from the RPG Maker resources. That's because they are from RPG Maker XP. Don't be dissapointed into thinking that all the game's sprites are ripped! The game offers a huge variety of clothing items, most of which were made by a fan artist or artists and implemented into the game. You'll be pleased to notice there's an icon for almost each ability, technique, and arcana. Most of the game's windows are neatly made interface windows that offer easy-to-use grids and buttons. You won't find many BYOND alert()s or input()s in this game, which is a personal plus. The game presents itself very well once you get past the couple ripped sprites and atrocious music.

Originality: 7

Sigrogana Legend has an unmistakable touch of anime in it. Don't let this make you assume that SL is based off of an anime or manga series. While most of the people in the game favor anime and their portraits may possibly be from familiar anime/manga series or anime face generators, this game isn't based off any single anime. In all honesty, you won't find a more unique blend of RPG and roleplay anywhere else in BYOND. This is one of the few games that can manage maintaining a fairly decent and competent community within a roleplaying environment. It is very easy for the players to moderate themselves even with the absence of any game masters, which is very uncommon for most roleplaying games.

Overall: 8

Zoommmbiiiiessss!

Sigrogana Legend offers a unique roleplaying environment along with a very enjoyable game. Whether you're here to associate yourself with everyone and roleplay to your heart's content, or simply here because you feel like grinding some levels or something, Sigrogana Legend offers a pretty clean game. Any fans of roleplaying are definately recommended to check this game out, or even if you don't like roleplaying this game is definately at least worth some of your attention.

Sigrogana Legend is one of the few games out there in BYOND that wasn't slapped-down by some random guy who wants players to feel superior to. This is definately one of BYOND RPG's finest games, with a decent amount of players online at a time. SL doesn't have an unnecessarily complex gameplay that takes ages to master, instead, it relies on a community-driven experience to deliver the full effect of the game. Quite honestly, if you play this game without collaborating with other people you're going to find yourself extremely bored. The game offers several accessories to enhance the roleplaying environment, such as DISCer portals that allow some space to build houses. These houses can be luxurious mansions or run-down apartments, depending on what types of expansions you have and what size the DISCer is (the only bigger DISCer houses are reserved for BYOND members and donators).

If I haven't stressed it enough, this can easily qualify for one of BYOND's finest achievements.

Interview: SilkWizard

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:33:25 +0000

The long awaited(by anyone that knew it was going to happen) interview with SilkWizard about Silk Games latest installment NEStalgia has finally happened! While I couldn't interview all of the members of the development team at the time, do not worry. In the future, I fully plan to have another interview with the group once the game is further into development. For those of you that plan to work in a group with multiple programmers, you can take a note from SilkWizard here who seems to be near flawlessly working between himself and another programmer. I hope any future projects of mine can meet the same success. But enough talk, on to the interview.

Mikau: Hello, Ben, I'd like to start off by first thanking you for taking the time to meet with me. I know you've been really busy working on NEStalgia.
SilkWizard: Thanks! No problem at all :)
Mikau: I'm going to just jump right into some of the simpler stuff that we all may or may not know at this point, and then get more into the stuff that we've all been dying to know.
SilkWizard: Alrighty.

Mikau: When you first started on NEStalgia, did you have anyone helping you at that point? or did the others join you later?
SilkWizard: When I first started it was just me. I usually keep my games pretty low key when I first start working on them, because BYOND's fabled "Message of the Day" rings true. The best way to lose motivation on a project is to announce it before you actually have something.
SilkWizard: I probably worked on it for about 5 months on and off before making the initial announcement on my blog. A couple months in Spiff (tenkuu) somehow stumbled upon some hidden screenshots I had uploaded to the Silk Games blog while he was doing Proelium II work, so he found out about it early.
SilkWizard: Spiff joined a couple months in to the first round of testing. Long story short, he posted a message in the Silk Games staff forum that said "I have a present for you.". He basically took the initiative to code the NES-style naming system you see during character creation. From that point forward he helped code a lot of the "systems" stuff so that I could focus on game design and cranking out content.

Mikau: A lot of games that have multiple developers inevitably run into the problem of having conflict amongst ideas of how the game is going, or where it is going, did the two of you ever run into that problem?
SilkWizard: Not at all. Spiff is great, because he was fully aware that I already had a vision for the game - he just wanted to help me see it to fruition. He's probably a bigger old-school RPG buff than I am! I think that the only way to work this type of thing is to have one person who has "final say" about stuff. Spiff (and others) sometimes throw out ideas that I never would have thought of that add a lot to the game. Other times I push back against ideas that don't fit my overall vision for how the game should be, and everyone is fine with it.

Mikau: Most of the time group development has different members that each do a seperate job, pixel art and programming being the two major ones, but both you and Spiff are programmers. How do you guys keep yourself organized with your code?
SilkWizard: That's a really good question. We've kind of developed a system where I am the "keeper of the code", and I send the latest source to Spiff after every update. We try to coordinate about what areas of the code we're currently working on, so when he has changes he'll either copy/paste the procs he's changed into a forum post, or he'll send me entire .dm files to swap out. It's worked out surprisingly well.
Mikau: That's actually really interesting, something I plan to look into myself in the future. Anyways, a question that's always on my mind when I play a game is how much the developer was actually into it. Did you ever think about giving up on the game?
SilkWizard: With NEStalgia I've managed to keep up my motivation throughout most of the process. It's become much more complex than I ever thought it would, but the code base is very managable and it's easy to jump around to work on different stuff if I'm getting burnt out. Unlike Acheron's Awakening where life suddenly intervened for a couple years, I've had quite a bit of freetime on my hands lately as well. At this point I fully intend to see NEStalgia through to future content expansions etc.
SilkWizard: It's also worth mentioning that I really enjoy playing NEStalgia, and I've played through all of the existing content several times. I really love this game, which helps a lot.

Mikau: Do you think the difference in how it turned out was evolved over time by itself, or could it have been part of Spiff's doing?
SilkWizard: Working on NEStalgia has been kind of like writing a screenplay. Once you come up with great characters, a good screenplay practicaly writes itself, because the characters themselves will have to naturally respond a certain way to the plot twists that are thrown at them. With NEStalgia once I established the framework and the original test release, the game kind of naturally evolved into what it had to be. Figuring out what to do or add next has never even been a question - the question has been "do we have time to do it?". Spiff's involvement has absolutely affected the game. Me actually finishing the game on my own would have been a much greater challenge, but beyond that, Spiff has been responsible for some of NEStalgia's coolest features. The Marketplace, the Colosseum, the Casino, etc. etc. etc. NEStalgia would definitely be a very different game without Spiff.
Mikau: I really agree with that, and personally think when coming up with a concept for an RPG you really should start by sitting down and going at it with the angle that it's a movie before it's a game.

Mikau: You mentioned earlier BYOND's "Message of the Day", which has actually been more of a Message of the Decade by now, but jokes aside, another rule of thumb I tend to go by is that deadlines are just as deadly to a hobby project. Did you ever give yourself a deadline to work towards for the game to be finished?
SilkWizard: Yeah, I do give myself deadlines, although I try not to tell people what they are. I'm my own harshest critic, and when I set a deadline for myself, I get stressed out enough with the pressure I put on myself, much less pressure from other people! I've also learned only to announce solid release dates when your project is already done... otherwise you're setting yourself up for problems.
Mikau: So you give yourself a personal deadline for content releases, I guess as long as you don't announce it, there's no real drawback to not meeting the deadline.
SilkWizard: Yeah, I try to give myself reasonable goals to work towards. If I miss them, the only person who knows is me!

Mikau: As for the content, right now as you mentioned we have a colosseum and a casino, are there any plans for any more interesting places like that in the future?
SilkWizard: There is a lot more actual game content in store, but as far as cool side distractions like the Colosseum and the Casino, there is definitely more planned. More Casino games are on the way, but I've got piles of notes lying around for cool sub-games beyond the Casino. If all goes according to plan, what you've seen so far is only the tip of the iceberg.
Mikau: That's great to know, because a lot of people are enjoying this addiction you've wet their appetite with. Glad to see this is only the appetizer. Something I've heard people asking about, and now would be a good time to clear things up is about hirelings, or mercenaries. The game primarily relies on group effort and the players being social with eachother, but do you have any plans in the future for NPC group members for those unable to find a party?
SilkWizard: I think that I started the 'mercenary' fad on BYOND for these type of games with DWO 1.90... but I have no plans to add anything like that to NEStalgia at this time. Part of the reason that NEStalgia has 3 person parties instead of 4 is because I wanted to make the game playable for solo players without a gimmick like mercenaries. While I really enjoy mercenaries, I think that they take away from the both the strategy and the social aspects of the game. With NEStalgia my focus is on bringing players together. So yeah, the decision was made early on not to have mercenaries.

Mikau: I've heard rumours about the players being able to fly about the world of their own accord in the future, as well as the airships(if they are airships) being used as a type of player house. Is this true, and if so, how would it work concerning players logging out and such?
SilkWizard: Yeah, the plan for way down the road is to have purchasable air ships that also function as customizable player houses. Thanks to Spiff, the framework for this is actually already in the game. Picture FF3/4 style airships, where once they land you get onboard and can walk around inside them. One player takes control of the wheel and flies around while everyone else in the ship hangs out inside. When the ship lands, they can get out or welcome more people aboard.
SilkWizard: Needless to say, these ships will be incredibly costly. An airship won't be part of the main storyline, so these will be optional. We'll handle logouts elegantly, don't worry :)
Mikau: I think this will really open up how much people want to be part of guilds once the game gets to this point.
SilkWizard: Exactly. It will give people a real sense of belonging and ownership in the game.
SilkWizard: But again, Airships won't be in the game for some time.

Mikau: Now, switching topics, the items in the game have always reminded me of Diablo 2 in the sense that you have normal items, coloured items that boost stats, and unique items that have seperate names and are often better than what you can normally find. However, I've noticed in the game specifically that there is a headpeice, as well as armor with the same name, Hidden cloak/cap of the DSF. Does this mean that in the future the game will have a type of "set" equipment groups providing further boosts upon wearing the complete set?
SilkWizard: I'm a huge Diablo 2 fan. I'd absolutely love to add "set" gear to NEStalgia, and I likely will down the road. Item hunting has turned into one of the major past times for NEStalgia players, so I'd love to give them more cool stuff to hunt for.

Mikau: Down the road, long long down the road hopefully, do you plan to have an end for the story? I've always seen you as a writer before a developer, do you plan to keep writing the story to see how far you can take it?
SilkWizard: Yeah the story is actually already written, for the most part. I've got documents with the entire history of the world explained in detail, as well as a "treatment" the is basically the game's main storyline in short story form. The story will have an ending, and everything you see on your way there is carefully planned. There is still plenty of room for story content outside what I've written already, but I know where everything is headed and how the plot ends.
Mikau: Once we reach the end of the main storyline, do you plan to evolve side stories amongst the characters? Point in example would be the relationship between Mildred, and her daughter Elma.
SilkWizard: I think that a lot of the characters like that will remain static, largely due to the restrictions inherit in the MORPG format. That said, I do have an elaborate 'end credits' movie planned where you'll see where most of the characters you met in your travels have ended up. Pretty typical console RPG ending, but fun.

Mikau: Sounds a lot like how Suikoden ended, always interesting to have some closer instead of the game just fading to black. Let's steer away from the end of the game, and talk a bit about something a little bit more recent. The classes in the game now are really balanced, and I know there are plans for more in the future. Can you tell me a little bit about what we are to expect?
SilkWizard: Sure. We have a million ideas for new classes, so our problem is actually deciding which ones to actually add to the game. The goal for each new class is to ensure that it has it's own unique playstyle. Ex: we wouldn't just add another caster with direct damage spells like the Wizard and rename the spells.
SilkWizard: So right now I'm sorting through all of my ideas and all of the ideas other people have thrown out there. The plan will be to add 2 new classes within the next month or so. Right now the plan is to add another caster, the Warlock, and another physical class.
SilkWizard: The Warlock will cast spells using HP instead of MP, and have a very cool spell set. The other class is under wraps for now, but I'll reveal both of them along with screenshots in a blog post in a few weeks.

Mikau: and for those subscribing to the game, is there any more perks they can expect in the future? Perhaps more lounges for them to hang out?
SilkWizard: From this point forward people can pretty much expect that big new features (like the new classes) will be subscriber-only. All of the content will remain free, but from here on out a lot of this stuff will be geared towards paying users.
SilkWizard: So yeah, more lounges are only the beginnning.

Mikau: For those that pay, this is good news, but for everyone else, I can see a lot of tension building up because of this. How do you plan on dealing with those that plan to retaliate in reaction to this?
SilkWizard: I plan to point out to them that the majority of the game is free. I could have very well made NEStalgia entirely pay-to-play, but I chose to go this route because I want to have lots of people playing, and because it actually leads to a lot more subscribers in the end. I work really hard to ensure that Subscribers don't have any sort of gameplay advantage (which most anyone who has played can attest to). Finally, if someone is actually capable of geting that worked up over $9, that's a good sign that I ought to be ignoring them anyway.
Mikau: Well, we all know there are those that are going to personally attack you about it anyway. It seems that you're a fence people have to be on either side of, they either like you or hate you.
SilkWizard: Yeah I'm certainly not a stranger to controversy. I think people take a lot of this stuff way too seriously, but that's the internet for you. In the grand scheme of things I'm just another random guy on the internet who most BYONDers will never meet, so who cares what I say or do?

Mikau: Exactly. So with that said, do you have a favourite class you prefer to play?
SilkWizard: People moan that I'm just trying to sell subscriptions, but my favorite class is honestly the Conjurer. The whole damage over time/heal over time thing is really, really fun. Playing a Conjurer takes a fair amount of planning and strategy, which is great. Even though they're in need of a buff in a forthcoming balance patch, Conjurer is currently my favorite class.
Mikau: So the conjurer is going to be getting a buff in the future, do you have any other spoilers for us about what's coming up?
SilkWizard: Yeah I kind of talked about the next couple small content patches in my recent blog post. The 'Arctic Continent' that finishes up the planned storyline for this initial release will be out soon, followed by this release's end game dungeon, 'The Black Sanctum'. After that I'll sit back and relax and start plugging away at the next major content expansion.

Mikau: Alright, that just about wraps up everything I can think of, do you have any last contents for the readers?
SilkWizard: Just want to say thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Also, a lot of NEStalgia's success is thanks to the efforts of the testing team. Many people have been playing this game for month and months to get it fined tuned for release, and their work really paid off.
Mikau: It's no problem at all, thanks for taking the time to talk a bit about your game. I think part of it's success is about how open you've been with it, and how relaxed you are about the critisizm you get. I look forward to the future content.
SilkWizard: Thanks! I'm looking forward to the new content too ;)