Alpha 4.0 Release

Ah, the long-awaited release! How's that for a Good Friday? :p

I'm gonna try not to say too much about this one, because I'm actually kinda sick of thinking about it. But this release includes what I've taken to calling the "Sea Shrine chapter" that I've been working at relentlessly for like the past month.

I've also included the Forest Realm chapter, since it was ready for the last release, and I haven't really done much to it. There are a few minor changes or additions, but it's mostly the same as you've seen it before, so you can either skip it or try it out if you haven't yet.

I left off the beginning section of the game, only because I've made enough changes to it to break the game flow, but not enough to get it running smoothly again. Hopefully it'll be ready for the next release, with some changes since the last time you've played it. But for that reason, I'll leave the last release up for the time being, in case you want to try that part of the game [again, or if you haven't done so yet].

As for the Sea Shrine chapter, since it's disconnected from the rest of the game that I've developed so far, I don't really have a solid idea of what level your characters are going to be at, so this is going to be a purely non-combat rehearsal. I figured that doing all that work balancing the stats when I know I'm just going to change them in the future would be unproductive.

So the focus here is going to be more on exploring the maps I've designed, and experiencing the drama as it unfolds. For that reason, the main feedback I'm looking for - in addition, obviously, to bug reports - is whether you like the maps/story elements, if you think they're fun/exciting, believable, or if you have any suggestions for improvement. I think I can live with a certain level of suspension of disbelief for the sake of narrative flow for this part of the game, since it took so much effort weaving all the pieces together. Bottom line, tell me if you enjoyed it or not!

Also, there's two new characters in this section of the game that you haven't seen before. One is introduced in this chapter, the other one is already in your party. I hate to throw her into the game without having given her a proper introduction first, but that's how it's going to be. So I apologize if you're like, "who is this character?" Rest assured that there will be answers later on (in an earlier part, chronologically, of the game).

Also, I haven't included a game over screen or note this time, since it should be pretty obvious when the chapter is done. You can do a little exploring at the end (but not much, so don't get your hopes up), but there is one location that's not involved in the plot that you can check out after you complete the chapter that's just for fun.

Oh, and Harry Potter fans will be pleased to note that I've completed the Deathly Hallows this time around (in the form of Developer's Tools). The Cloak of Invisibility, however, is purely superficial, and because I don't have its use implemented in any way in the rest of the game, you'll only have it in the Developer's Studio before you start the game. So get your fill of it before you start the game proper. Also, I've replaced the Bottomless Coffee with a pair of Winged Sandals. It may not be obvious, so I'm telling you now that they must be equipped as an accessory (and not used as an item) - same with the Invis Cloak.

Alright, enough talk. Give it a try!

4/19/14 Dragonfaith Alpha 4.2 (34.9 MB)

Edit: orz. I left a canoe in a place it wasn't supposed to be, theoretically giving you access to Grassland, where you shouldn't be. It has been removed in version 4.1.

V4.2: Based on early feedback, I changed some dialogue to improve narrative flow. Hopefully I didn't break anything, as I'm getting pret.ty tired.