The Story of Palis- August 24 update

[Zerlina]

There's an "official" summary I've written that's available on my website, but for here I'll use a different one. If you're curious about why wars started etc, why certain things in history are the way they are, there's a world history also available on my site.

[size=15]http://www.freewebs.com/palisgame[/size]



Summary:
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Setting/World
A Holy War that has lasted many years has finally come to a tense calm, though it seems this peace may only be the eye of the storm. Tension, nationalism and religious fundamentalism run high between two opposing groups- the Pelanéas minority in the south, and the Manigaus to the north and west.
The city-state of Gracia (the last great fortress in the south) and its surrounding countryside are the only pieces of land that still belong to the Pelanéan people. Though the cliff-swept geography has protected them from their enemies, it has also isolated them, making them paranoid and suspicious of all outsiders.

Religion
Religion plays an extremely important part in this game, in that it is the cause of the war, and also because it has a lot to do with many of the characters' personalities and choices. As well, in Gracia the church is extremely important both as an institution of faith, and as a uniting force between the polis and the countryside.

One of the most characteristically influential ideas in both religions is the idea of the afterlife. It is believed that in order to achieve Peace in the afterlife, one must prove themself as a hero, and display such qualities. For all others, depending on the choices made in life (moving toward or away from the teachings of the immortals), death either leads to a painful and arduous hell-like state, or else re-incarnation and a second chance.

General Story
Nichi -the prince and once-general of Gracia- and Malice -a strange messenger- set off together on a quest toward peace. Though their goal is the same, circumstance seperates them, and so they must find their owns way in an already chaotic world.

It is not long before they realize that not all was as they had once believed. Good and evil, myth and history- what they once saw as clear becomes blurred between an endless pillar of dreams which slowly become more desperate and more persistent.

Though he knows he now has a greater cause, Malice must learn to confront his foolish past before he can be free. He travels in the footsteps of a fallen hero, constantly haunted by the voices of the dead whom he tries to please. In all of this, he must force his own path and finally succeed in discovering a secret that has been hidden by nearly 700 years of conspiracy and legend.

The journey is a road of trials wound between a constant string of dreams. Slowly, as more is revealed, the group is pushed toward a cold and long-forgotten destiny.

Characters

Nichi Abiés[/u]
Age: 26
Sex: Male
Height: 5’10”
Weapon: Sword
Blood Type: B
Religion: Religion: Gracian Pelanéist
The son of the beloved Queen Ishia, and once-general of the Gracian army, He is serious, hard-working, and responsible, seeing the world in only black and white: good or evil. Though patient when need be, he dislikes working with others and is sometimes isolated because of his brute survival tactics and cold response.

"Every soldier has a choice to make- and that is whether to follow the path of light or to walk in shadow. Though here on Palis, the spoils of darkness are far greater, those who choose the heavenly trail, and live a life of heroism, often find their reward in the afterlife more fulfilling than those of their shaded cousins."

Malice Areté
Age: 19
Sex: Male
Height: 5’7”
Blood Type: AB
Weapon: Daggers or Gauntlets
Religion: Lyfantian (branch of Pelanéan)
Birthplace: Theira
Young, optimistic and innocent, Malice must face a world full of cruelty and hatred. His loyalty, strength, and desire is tested as he learns that one cannot only fight for what is his- he must also learn to fight for others.
Though journeying for the sake of a fallen idol, he is constantly haunted by his past mistakes- mistakes he wishes so hard to erase that he is often pushed to foolishness.
Time rushes forward toward war, and soon he must choose either the path of a man, or the path of the hero.

"Ever since I was young they've told me about Gabriel, Noah, and Antaeus- great men whose deeds made them immortal.
I want to be like them. I want people to remember me- to still be saying my name in a thousand years.
Even if I have to die- even if I have to give up any hope of peace in this life... I don't want to just disappear...I don't want to be forgotten"

Belial Laërtiádes[/u]
Age: ?
Sex: Male
Height: 6’0”
Blood Type: ?
Weapon: Enchanted Cards
Religion: None
Birth: Unknown
An unbeatable card shark, Belial never loses a game. Though he will not speak of his past, he is known for being different than others of his race. To him, the world must exist in balance, and it is every demon's duty to uphold that balance. While he is not muscular or openly strong in any way, he is still the epitomy of intimidation, and even when calm makes others uncomfortable. Belial is unpredictable, and seems to have his own skewed vision of morality which for some reason always turns in his favour.

"Truth is only your perception, and as time moves on, your eyes grow weaker."

Titania Niveus[/u]
Age: 17
Sex: Female
Height: 5’3”
Blood Type: A
Weapon: Double Fans or Chakram
Religion: Phoebian Pelanéist
Birth: Caerléon
A prophetess and maiden to Phoebus' temple, Titania is quiet and reserved, often having trouble putting her thoughts into words. Torn between beliefs that were intertwined with her faith, and instincts which tell her she must now become something else, she is constantly fighting to discover what it truly means to be strong. Though she never lets on to it, she is protective of her closest friends, often watching out for them in battle without their knowledge.

"Is it so strange to be afraid? Or are you simply not admitting to it?
...life is full of danger and life is full of fear- to feel it is nothing to be ashamed of.
It is only to be human."

Glenn Cahan [/u]
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Height: 5’11”
Blood Type: AB
Weapon: Bastard Sword
Religion: Unknown, Polytheistic
Birth: Unknown
Righteous, and respectable, Glenn is a knight with a past mysterious to even his closest friend. He believes in the value of loyalty, and the need for order in the world. Even in the deepest of chaos, he manages to keep a level head and persevere despite the danger. On first impressions he is the noblest of men, presenting himself proudly and with grace. However, something inside torments him- something he is afraid to reveal to anyone.

"A man who is not loyal -even to himself- is no man at all, and cannot claim the path of heaven in this or any life.


Artemis Pátroklos[/u]
Age: 31
Sex: Male
Height: 6’0”
Blood Type: A
Weapon: Halberd or Scythe
Religion: Unknown, Polytheistic
Birth: Akathi
A man who has lost everything to war, Artemis is a former soldier who lived through civil unrest, only to lose the family he fought for. In a constant search for his only living child, he scarcely lets anything else take priority in his mind. Not too much of a visionary, he has come to accept the world as cold, and can't care less what happens to it on a large scale. Despite his cold exterior, he is selfless, often putting those he cares about in front of his own welfare.

"Casualties of war are only numbers- crimson water in your tracks. It is only when you return home and find someone else's footprints in your family's blood that you realize what you have done to so many."

Syne Rya [/u]
Age: 18
Sex: Female
Height: 5’5”
Blood Type: A
Weapon: Double Kodachi and Chain
Outspoken, and (very) straightforward, Syne is strong in words as well as on the battlefield. She was raised in the pit of danger, and has come to be one of the most skilled warriors alive. To her, the clan is the most important thing, and when part of one it is your duty to see that everything is done to ensure the safety of others.

"You who pretend to be so strong- you need only the slightest of pain to fall apart."



*note*
There are others who you can encounter and keep in your party depending on how you play the game.

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Game Features/Goals
If you're looking for a game with an amazing CBS, endless entertaining mini-games and a full CMS...

...this isn't it.

The DBS is fine (with a few enhancements) and I don't think that creating a possibly bug-laden, time-consuming and un-necessary thing is called for. While mini-games are fun, I don't believe they're integral to the game. And as for a CMS...well, I have a partial one to help you keep track of the plot, characters, and key items.

This isn't meant to be a "look what I can do" kind of game. It's story driven.

What I do have in this game

*A compelling and well-thought out story, with unique and "realistic" characters, who each have their own personality and story.

*A hero who isn't 12 years old, or a mercenary, or a ninja. One who makes mistakes, who doubts, who struggles, and even questions the purpose of fighting.

*A plot that doesn't revolve entirely around one person. Every character has their own "quest" and their own history that they have to learn to deal with.

*Female characters who can actually fight. Who don't scream for help. Who are intelligent. Who aren't all in love with the hero.

*Themes, names, symbols and other things that can be "dug at" in order to achieve a more thorough understanding of the story.

*Believable cultures and attention to realistic geography.

*Fun sidequests that may reveal more of the plot (or unlock secret areas)

*A unique (and so far well-reviewed) mapping style.

*Completely original facesets.

*Unique hero and NPC sprites (any NPCs in the screenshots now are temporary).

*A unique and enjoyable soundtrack whose songs don't involve any of the words "Final" and/or "Fantasy" in the album name.

* Proper English spelling, grammar and punctuation (something which seems to be rare nowadays).
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PLEASE VISIT THE SITE (sorry to capitalize, but I don't want you to miss it! )

http://www.freewebs.com/palisgame

[Zerlina]

Screenies. These are on the site too.

[Linkizcool]

...wow! Nice CMS, Mapping, just fix the font (Check ace of spade's tut in the tuts section) and youre good to go!

[Robotam]

If war has sturck all cities in the game except for one, doesn't it get a little lonely? I mean I don't think the player would like to go through nothing but rotten and destoryed places the whole game. o.o'
Your mapping skills.. they're all right to me, they could use a lot of spiffing ups at some places.
But everything else is very nice. ^^'

[Zerlina]

There are wars going on, and there are cities that have been hit by battle in the past few years but are recovering. This is also only including the continent that's familiar to the people in Gracia.
Also, by "touched by war," it means greatly affected by it. It doesn't mean that there was a direct fight in the city. For example, one of the towns' economy is very low because there is only a narrow way to the other cities, and the passage has become dangerous. Other places seem perfectly fine, but are missing a lot of their young men to the military.
While Gracia has a military, it is so geographically isolated that any campaign would be to help others, and not to directly protect themselves.  

[Zerlina]

Here are some screenshots of Theira (the home of one of the main characters)

[Robotam]

Wow, what a great bush idea. This is very nice, might be one of the best temples I've seen being made with this chipset.
The map with the waterfall could use a waterfall effect down there, other than that I don't have much to complain about.. You could perhaps fill the grounds with some detailing in a couple of places, but that's probably just me.
Very nice.

[Bluhman]

Honestly, your maps are a mixed bag. Some are good, others are OK. The bush stairs are innovative, and, well, that, like Robo said, is the best use I've seen of that chipset. Keep it up!

[Meiscool-2]

Originally posted by Robotam
The map with the waterfall could use a waterfall effect down there, other than that I don't have much to complain about.. You could perhaps fill the grounds with some detailing in a couple of places, but that's probably just me.
Very nice.

*Agrees*

Originally posted by Robotam
Wow, what a great bush idea. This is very nice, might be one of the best temples I've seen being made with this chipset.

*Disagrees*






What I'm getting at is your Temple looks extreemly generic. That's not exactly bad, but IMO, temples should look different then normal buildings/places.

[chocobomaster09]

Nice CMS and screenies!

[drenrin2120]

I like the maps and stuff, the brush idea is pretty cool too. But just like Robotam said, maybe some more detail on the floor and you've got a winning map.

[Bart_Fatima]

The game seems good; the story, characters, menu system yeah its all good. It seems like a little more work on the map like using character sets of plants or something besides just using the chip set... You could make little puzzles to get to the next area or something


I am not an expert so, just if you can use what little info I gave you.... But its looking great keep up the work

[Moosetroop11]

Looks good. Got any character bios?

[Meiscool-2]

Speaking of looking good, Moosetroop's genitals are huge.

[Bluhman]

OH YES, THAT HAS SO MUCH TO DO WITH THIS GAME.