Carpe Diem: The Living Flame (Demo Re-released)

[Linkforce]

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the  support and it makes me happy knowing some people are actually anticipating this.    But I have news, it's not horrible, it's just that I need one more day to get things together.  So instead of June, 30th, the demo will be released on:

 July 1st


Sorry for the delay, but one more day won't kill ya right?  But this date is definite.  Thanks for being so patient!  

Oh, and please DO NOT POST!

The next post on this thread will go to the next page, and I want the first post on that new page to be my demo.  So just read what I wrote and you can comment on it later.  Lol.  Or if you really need to tell me, just PM me.  But please DO NOT POST.  Thanks.

[Linkforce]

Well, it's been long coming, but the day is finally here.  After a long delay and tedious run throughs, the second demo for Carpe Diem is ready.  I've had a few people try it already and they all said it was great, so you won't be disappointed.  

A few things to keep in mind before playing the game:

1. Anything and everything with a CD in front of it was made by me, for me, or edited by me and therefore may not be used unless I am asked first.
2. The beginning introduction of the game is timed with the music so if you want to experience it fully, try and "warm-up" RM with another game to minimize skipping.  Or "X" out some programs.
3. There are a few battle poses that I don't have yet, but you might not even come across them, so don't worry.
4. When exiting a town onto the world map, you have to stop sprinting to exit.  Don't ask why it's like this, it just is.


Well, with all that said, and without further adue, I bring to you the second demo of Carpe Diem.

 Carpe Diem: The Living Flame  Demo#2

I really hope you guys enjoy this and that my old fans stay and maybe even gain some new fans from this.  Lol.  I also apologize for any little errors I missed and hope no big glitches are in the demo.  Okay, enough talking, go ahead and PLAY!  Oh, and one more thing, I'd appreciate any and all comments, critisizm, and suggestions.  And any reviews would be AWESOME.

Have fun and ENJOY!

[Linkizcool]

ZOMG DLING

edit: I got first download

[Fortet]

KICK-FECKING-***, MAN!
d/ling right now >:D

[aboutasoandthis]

People be prepared to enjoy yourselves. It's took me days to beta-test, and technically I didn't play all of it. Please download now.

[A Forgotten Legend]

Downloading Now.  (Yay!  Cluttering my computer with even more demos!)

EDIT:  Crap... I died even with the "???" guy against that floating lizard thing...  I used a Cure Salve on the and before I could use it he died so i lost my last Slave.

[Linkforce]

Originally posted by A Forgotten Legend
Crap... I died even with the "???" guy against that floating lizard thing...  I used a Cure Salve on the and before I could use it he died so i lost my last Slave.

Lol, damn lost to the first boss?  Lol, maybe next time conserve your skills until his defense is up, because Trance's magic will still deal some damage as apposed to his blade.

[blackskullwarlock]

To die against the first boss is to cease to exist. Or not. If you can't handle that lizard, you won't stand a chance against the next foes you'll be facing.

I'll download your game eventually as I always do. I just don't know when I'll bother taking the time to do it. Perhaps I'll download it after the same amount of days you've delayed your demo has passed from the time I'm writing this. That sounds like a plan.

God bless cheap internet /sarcasm

[Linkforce]

Lol, BSW, do what you want.  I know you'll play it though.


So, did anybody beat it?  If so, can you write a review?  

[Dragonium]

Can the demo not be compressed any further? 19MB is somewhat beyond the limits of my dialup conection. >.>

[Linkforce]

Originally posted by Dragonium
Can the demo not be compressed any further? 19MB is somewhat beyond the limits of my dialup conection. >.>

If there's some way to do it, let me know.

[Ace of Spades]

For those who have not played yet, refrain from reading this. There will probably be some pieces stated that could be deemed as spoilers. One must read at his or her own risk.

Alright, first off, great job! This version was quite better than the last one. As always, this review will consist of everything except for battles; they are something this writer really does not enjoy, which means a useful opinion on them could not be given. So, without further a due…

Story 9/10
The story is a lot more in-depth for this demo, and it is probably what this writer likes most about Carpe Diem. Many scenes leave the player shrouded in questions and assumptions, but the way they are presented gives enough vague information to make the player want to continue playing. The “unknowns” within the game are not completely obvious, nor are they outlandishly farfetched to the point where none of it is understandable. This is good, and finding a happy medium for this is sometimes difficult, so nice job.

Another plus to Carpe Diem’s story is that pretty much everything is important to keep the plot flowing. Aside from a couple factors, such as the pointless lizard boss toward the end of the cave, there really is not a moment where the player feels as if they are doing something for no reason at all. But even the aforementioned event was important for the introduction of a new character, which is vital to the plot. Overall though, anything that happens within Carpe Diem happens for a reason. The only suggestion this writer can give is to perhaps add just a few events that are not imperative to Carpe Diem’s linear plot. It is always good to give the player a little bit of freedom with their choices, rather than guide them through everything that happens within the game.

Overall, the story is well thought out. The introduction is very well done, what with the poses for Laknar, the various sound effects, and of course, the whole scene being timed with the music. That alone made the scene a good one. Sometimes it is good to have a bit of game play within the introduction to make it less boring, but for Carpe Diem, it is not very long and hooks the player in pretty well. This writer will admit, however, that the suspense dissipates strongly after that scene. Usually the introduction of a game is best when the transition from the big scene to the lesser one is more gradual, rather than overly dramatic. Aside from this fact, it was good enough to make this writer want to continue playing, and hopefully it will be for others as well.

Characters 6/10
Character development is a lot better in this demo. The majority of characters, aside from Trance, were a bit too stale in the previous version. In many cases, it was hard to differentiate the characters’ personalities, and it was too easy to notice that one person was creating the dialogue. This is not the case in this demo, but it could still use some work though. Most of the characters have their own defining characteristics. The characters in which it showed the most, in this writer’s opinion, were those not of the main party.

Skylar, the protagonist, is an okay character, but is a bit too bland and boring. The most he has is anything that other hero’s have: a sense of bravery and honor, as well as that keen “always glad to help out” cheerfulness. Overall he is a decent character, but he does not really have something clearly unique about him. One of the biggest factors that hurt this character was being unconscious for a good portion of the demo. While it helped broaden other characters, it did nothing to help define his.

Haru, Skylar’s friend, is probably this writer’s least favorite character. All in all, there really is not anything special about him, aside from his two-sword attack in battle. He does show some new colors within the mirage forest place with Ledron though, and this seems to continue afterward as well. Hopefully players will learn a lot more about him as the story progresses.

Trance, a mysterious royal who assists Skylar and Haru in the caves, is probably the most interesting character, mainly because of the mysterious aura that surrounds him. Players find out that there is more to his helpful and courageous nature in a few revealing cut scenes; and while the two-sided character is somewhat cliché, Carpe Diem pulls it off pretty well, and that is all that matters. The most defining characteristics of this character are found within his thoughts and dialogue. Refraining from using contractions and proper grammar helps present his personality. His thoughts also point out how he feels in a lot of situations, such as his reluctance to tag along with Skylar and Haru while in Temeri.

Alkamar, a high ranking officer within Caduet’s royal military, is a pretty solid character as well. A lot of his defining characteristics are presented graphically, through character poses and expressions. Being a military officer, fighting is something he does well, and he will do so whenever it is necessary. Exclamation marks within his dialogue and angry pixilated faces show off his angry and forceful nature when in battle, and his willingness to serve and protect is presented very well.

Ledron, a small dwarf kid in training, is a neat character too. His defiant, yet independent nature is admirable. Ledron is the type that will push his limits to accomplish something, solely to say that he was able to do it. It seems as though he hates it when somebody tells him that he cannot do something, but at the same time it is that which drives him to attempt the improbable.

All in all, the characters are good. There are a few that need more defining characteristics though, and hopefully these will broaden as the story progresses.

Graphics 7/10
The majority of graphics used within the game were great, but as far as mapping goes, they could have been used better. This writer does not want to sound like a broken record, and is sure the author has heard this many times; but all in all, the maps are just average. They have improved from before; however, in many cases they were too open and lacked the fullness that makes a great map great. Honestly though, it should not be something to worry about; they are good enough to present what is necessary for game play.

The big thing that helps this score are the various poses and animations used. They all capture emotions and events very well, and this writer commends the creators of such graphics, as well as the author for using them to help present each scene more thoroughly.

Game Play 7/10
Aside from being rather linear, the fun factor for Carpe Diem is more than satisfactory. There were not really any dull moments, and in most cases, this writer retained a sense of enjoyment throughout the whole demo. As far as difficulty goes, excluding battles, it is rather easy. The princess’ room took a few minutes to find in Caduet… but aside from that, pretty much everything is straight forward. Excluding the battles, Carpe Diem took about 5 and a half hours to play; and with this being the case, perhaps the author should throw in some pieces that will make the game a little bit more difficult.

Overall 8/10
Thus far, Carpe Diem is a fun and entertaining game. The story seems to be well thought out, and many of the “unknowns” drive the player to continue, only to discover the mysterious and secrets of the world of Kelevor. This writer recommends Carpe Diem to anyone looking to play a somewhat simple, yet enjoyable role playing game.
~Ace~
 

[Linkforce]

Phew.  lol
Thanks for that review Ace.  It's real good to know part you di like and parts you didn't like.  shows where I need to make improvement and where I'm doing things right.  But thanks again for that review.  

[SaiKar]

Dude, holy crap, Carpe Diem demo 2. Too tired tonight but I'm downloading it and I'll try it out in the morning.

[Bluhman]

Originally posted by Ace of Spades

The big thing that helps this score are the various poses and animations used. They all capture emotions and events very well, and this writer commends the creators of such graphics, as well as the author for using them to help present each scene more thoroughly.

Damn straight.