[VX ACE] The Fates We Weave (FIRST CHAPTER)

[polyedit2000]

Okay, I feel a bit bad after hearing that, so I won't sell battlers. Instead, I'll release the basic battlers once I get a website up and running. Bosses are a unique flair to the game, though, so they won't be released; I'll rethink that part once I finish the game. Cocooned battlers are half-half but probably will also not be released, considering one would play the game to witness that.

Anyway, I mean vorish like inside a stomach. At the moment, they are pretty much recolors, but I feel the tiles I chose do look like veins and such. Again, this might be something I would release once I get a website up.

Well, I suppose that would be a plan; even if I don't finish the game, I at least will contribute to the vore community in some way.

[Bleeb]

Sorry if it came off a bit too blunt, but I felt like I had to say it, as I've seen it happen before to several smaller games similar to this one, where taking things out to sell made the niche following of the game shrink even further, and each one of the games in question here inevitably got abandoned. I think that, if you get this one out and it works well for everyone that's interested, they could get the word out to others. And your next one might be able to make "DLCs" work if you will.

Cocooned battlers? you mean characters on the player team or the enemy team that are in cocoons? I don't really fully understand what you mean by that, but from what you're saying "they won't be released" my mental image of it makes it seem like the webbing wouldn't work on the player team or maybe even the enemy team in battle. Tbh that seems kind of strange of a thing to take out, if I'm understanding what you meant there right, why would you take out the battle cocooning? kinda seems a bit counter-productive to the game theme. Maybe I'm reading that wrong though. But if I am reading it right, what you plan to do is only have cocoon scenes outside of battle?

Ah gotcha, sounds like that could work for you.

Yeah. There are no real cocooning based fetish games out now either, so this is unique. I'm eager to see more of the peril and cocoons from battle and after losing, or winning them.

[polyedit2000]

For cocooned battlers, I meant battler-graphics, as in drawn cocoons (for enemies by default). To re-iterate: when I get a website on, people can download enemy sprites that they can put in their own games, but I might not put boss sprites or cocoon sprites on the site. You don't have to worry about me changing the cocooning in the game.

As for perils, the majority will occur after losing a battle, and I aim to give every enemy a scene or two. Also, I had the idea of items that can alter the losing scene, some even allowing you to continue the game like an anti-digestive potion. For example, I initially planned the Neematod, a worm-like enemy, being one of the enemies that can't give you a game over scene unless you're Mae (the fairy), but you can get that Game Over scene after casting some size magic.

Winning is about the same thing as the demo showed; I did have plans that cocooning certain bosses can affect scenes and other elements. However, I won't know that until I start on writing the game.

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Hm, I had a thought that you might see some stuff like ships and bones in the stomach of RPGs, even a factory in a Yoshi, but RPG Makers usually tend to have stomach walls. So that got me thinking if there are giant food tiles/charsets out there to add some flavor to these internal scenes. Hm, there are some tree tiles in the RTP, so perhaps some giant brocolli?

[DarkPinkie]

It wouldn't be all that hard to actually make some pixelated food. Just look at the multitude of older nes/snes games. Things such as chickens and drumsticks are just to pull from there. Though in the stomach most food would just be mush already (unless for some reason you swallow everything whole). Other foods are most likely also from some older 8-16bit games.

But If you wish I could try to make some food sprites. I havn't done much stuff like that in ages. I don't make any promises though, as I am incredibly distractable.

[polyedit2000]

Don't worry about food sprites since I don't have plans for stomachs yet. At least not the kind that eat food.

[Bleeb]

Well the plans so far sound pretty interesting, eager to hear/see of where this goes.

[polyedit2000]

Update for the week:

I imagine the game needs more enemies, but I stepped away from drawing monsters to take a look at the more systematical side of RPG Maker. I have two focuses at this point: To write game over scenes for each enemy and to make adjustments to battle skills. This is what I have determined so far:

-All enemies are planned to have Game-Over scenes. Having Mini or Aromax can unlock alternate vore scenes. Remember that Game Overs are determined by the last enemy to hit the party or through Surrender.

-Writing for a male spider would be very different than writing for a female human, so he will be removed as a lead character. However, he can be recruited into your party in the game. Aleya would be the lead in the game. Mae is a female, so I don't know if she will be an alternate lead or a recruitable character.

-Tank mechanics: Tanking will use Guard to counter powerful attacks. For example, a claw that hits all party members can be Tanked to deal damage only to that player. Additionally, more states and formulas have been added to make the battle interesting.

===

The next demo has not started yet. It will most likely showcase a few Gameovers and a few fights with Tank. I'll consider if at least one enemy cocoons the party, making you hop around for lols.

[Bleeb]

Sounds awesome with that update there, and tbh, I'm glad you went with Aleya as the lead, makes more sense for a cocoon + vore based game. this news of the update has me more eager to play this as well. and it sounds like you've come up with a lot of great ideas with this update too. thanks for the update!

[polyedit2000]

Heads-up warning: World of Warcraft will release Patch 7.1 next week. This has Karazhan dungeon, Trials of Valor raid, and friendlier for Alts. I might restart my sub earlier to prepare my alts. Because the new dungeon and raid are supposed to be "transitional" for the Nighthold raid (TBA), I will try to set some time aside to work on RPG Maker...hopefully.

Currently in RPG Maker, I haven't done much story-building, instead just adding some lines of code for the battle formulas. Though when I think about it, perhaps my approach just needs a step back to determine the right angle.

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Spoiler: show

...To do:
- The idea of tanking demands I at least make one enemy with claws, which means another set of enemies. At this time, I am considering making the website to showcase my monsters and game info.

- Create events regardless of setting (or current lack of). As I don't have sprites for them anyway, perhaps creating these flavorful NPCs will get me an idea of how to set out the setting.

- Draft vore stories during free periods at work. With those rough drafts already written out, I should have a clearer picture of how to write the game over scenes.

[Bleeb]

Ah dat obligation lol. Well thanks for continuing to update us though, it's interesting to hear about the progress.

[DarkPinkie]

It's nice that you gave us a heads up. Albeight I can't agree with you on that WoW is good enough to play while paying for it. Heck I don't even like the kind of MMORPG that WoW is really. But to everyone their vices I guess.

Now back to getting depressed by having russians in my team as usually. #Just DOTA things

[polyedit2000]

Technically, I use the game time tokens or have enough gold to resub, so I'm technically not pay for the resub. Anyway, didn't resub yet, but still plan to be soon.

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Last night gave me a couple of ideas when I was finishing up the latest wave of monsters, including a probable boss temp-named Octashya. This boss would require you to defeat a certain enemy a couple of times before you can face her. That got me thinking about using variables to gate some enemies from normal encounters. For example, you would never meet the crazy people if you never kill a Neematod.

Also, I like the plan of creating test NPCs so I can paste them in other maps later. This led to the idea of Timed Chests (cocoons) from a vore minigame. The main idea is that when you try to open this, you have to mash a button within a time limit to open the chest up. In time, and you get a reward, but fail and you may be cocooned or get ambushed. I also had the idea for different dialogue when you are cocooned, but I then realize that I could try to cocoon some NPCs using a false state of sorts.

Not much progress for the story-driven, but considering how slow it was last week, I think I jumped over a block.

[Bleeb]

Interesting bit of info on Octashya there, she sounds curious. What do you mean "the crazy people" though? I'm curious about that.

The timed chests thing sounds pretty fun too, I'd really like to see that myself, especially the ambush you have planned there. different dialog when cocooned? like what?

Anyhow, can you tell us what kinds of game over scenes you have planned to possibly happen to Kaleya so far? or have you not plotted down that many yet?

[polyedit2000]

Well, I suppose I can spoil some stuff. You saw in the demo an orange worm with its tongue sticking out? That's a Neematoad. It is a creature that, if you lose, you will be laughed into a game over. And later, using the default idea, you would have met a camp of humans and fairies dressed in orange. Somehow, they believe feeding themselves to the Neematoads is the greatest thing to happen. So of course, fighting a Neematoad should make them enemies...

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Mainly, it's just mumbling when you should be talking instead, though that was the initial idea in game over scenes. For town, I guess some people might not understand you, with either a few people willing to free you or a few people to take advantage of you. I haven't decided on this except that it had been a planned feature to some scale.

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While I do have some game overs in mind, here are some vore-related Game Overs (not counting Normal/Mini variants). If you wish to see these in-game, you would (at the moment), need to use Aromax, an item similar to a perfume. And these are not formatted to appear in RPG Maker's text box yet:

Neematoad: Despite being known for eating small creatures, the Neematoad still attempts to eat you. You're surprised that its body is stretching to fit you that you failed to keep your arms out. Once you are fully consumed, you try to escape, but can't.

Kobold: You try to get up, but the Kobold jumps high, and then you can't see anything. The Kobold somehow landed on your head, and as it wiggles, you can feel more of your body sliding into its body. You attempt to use your hands to push it off, yet you're confused that you don't feel any lumps where your head and chest should be. Once it reaches your waist, it jumps one more time, and you are airborne for a brief moment before the rest of you slid in.

Goblin: The goblin throws you into a pot, threatening to knock you out if you try to escape. You hope for a moment when it is distracted, but as the goblin throws more vegetables, you feel a bit lightheaded. You thought you recognized a few plants that had... meditative properties when heated up, but you're in such a relaxed state as you become flavor for the soup.

Rabbit: Somehow, you're glad that you were defeated by a rabbit, because there was no way that thing could eat you...until it summoned its buddies. They all swarm you, and once they were done, only a bow remained.

Vulture: When you look at it, you recall these birds like to enjoy feasting on the dead. Then you take your last breath.

Mudball: The mud golem approaches you...and trips. It gets up, somehow embarrassed by what should have been a menacing walk. After all, half of you is sticking out of this creature. The mudball quickly pats your butt, pushing you in further and then smoothing out your entry point. If anyone asks, you were totally driven off in fear and not stuck in its guts for a long time.

Snaptrap: Vines bring you into this flower's maw and the petals close around you. You try to punch and kick your way out, but this flower isn't going to release you anytime soon.

Beezil (Boss): The queen of bees force you onto your knees and orders her soldiers to cover you in wax. With only your face free, you can't do anything but watch as she turns around and sits. You could feel your body slid into your rear, but you can't do much as the scent of honey fills you. She gets off you, only to have her soldiers move you to her throne...and watch as she sits on you again. From that day on, you accepted your role as the royal butt plug.

Yr'gnuh (Boss): ...? (This boss doesn't attack and can't even be Surrender to. However, I do have the idea that managing to Surrender to this boss can send you to a special stomach dungeon)

===

((I'm most likely to avoid digestion and fatal vore...))

That gets me thinking, maybe I should drop Aromax, instead replace it with Erolax. That way, probably turn all the scenes into vore but give players an item that lets them avoid the Game Over penalty. But anyway, that a few examples of the vore associated with some enemies, and also some enemies.

[Bleeb]

Ahh gotcha, thanks for taking the time out to state the info. though I have to say I was expecting some game overs involving webbing or cocooning, based on how this game has been portrayed so far, but what you've said doesn't really contain any of that.. Then again you may have simply not brought any of those kinds of ideas you've planned yet, so it could be that.

Any plans for being captured by spiders or other monsters that drag you off in webs or cocoons? or getting trapped in their lair at all? or can you not say yet?

[polyedit2000]

The main reason there wasn't much cocooning game overs listed was because I listed monsters I already drew. For the oddest reason, I have not yet drawn any spiders or silkworms. Considering cocooning is supposed to be the main selling point of this game, I really should rectify this.

Last night, just messing with events again, minor edits of the button-mashing cocoon. So far, got one where you could wrap NPCs with a spider character, a floor trap, and a spider enemy NPC that cocoons you when it catches you. For the fairness of battles, though, I'll just make it so that contact with this enemy starts a battle but a successful ambush (back caught by enemy) cocoons you as well.

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That also gets me thinking about how encounters work. By default, I was thinking about using random encounters. However, having random encounters and spider NPCs can be a bit confusing, plus when you are cocooned, perhaps a good chase helps set the mood. Besides, I already have common events for ambushes and preemptive checks, so I suppose I could try a hand at map encounters. That is, an enemy that is visible and touchable on the field (like Esthe Hunter). If I go this route:

Contact with an enemy starts a battle normally. Dealing a preemptive strike, contacting the back of an enemy, should invoke a special skill, probably based on party composition or randomness. If the enemy ambushes you, contacting your back, the ambush skill also depends on their troops. However, the enemy also has a visual hit of your likely fate, some that might play on the screen. Ideally, an ambush with a regular enemy, in an encounter with magic kobold, should have a fireball cast at you. However, an ambush with a spider will cocoon you if successful, though escaping that still applies a different ambush skill that's not as dangerous. With map encounters, I could probably sneak in a few "enemies" designed mainly to transport you back.

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This also got me thinking about Erolax. That would be the anti-digestion potion that would have turned a game-over into a full tour scene. Before, I had considered Aromax, an item that turns your game-over scenes into vore scenes. I thought that having Aromax would be valuable to vore enthusiasts, but with Erolax, it sounds like a nice excuse to transport players to hidden "dumping grounds" or to escape from the stomach, now that I think of it. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself, but it's something I might be looking into.

[Bleeb]

Yeah that is a bit odd that you haven't focused on the cocooning enemies, based on the stated theme of this game.. But after hearing your intent with the possible scenes now, I can say that those sound awesome. I'm really eager to see that in action, and test that out myself. I love the idea you have in mind with the ambushing and the contact points, as that adds an interesting dynamic to it. And I think getting nabbed by a spider after being cocooned, and dragged off would be pretty logically fitting for this theme as well.

thanks for the info again!

[polyedit2000]

Update so far: still alive, still playing with code. Doesn't feel like much progress to me. During that time, I've gotten a few more ideas. One of the ideas is making an excuse that the majority of things can cocoon people (such as why mechs shoot a white fluid when there are black rubbery cocoons and ghosts). That also gives me ideas of things to draw later, a few monsters and probably backgrounds.

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To make up for the lack of content, here's a quest for a skill was I considering: Guardian Idol, a skill that turns the player into a statue which will increase defense for the whole party as long as said statue isn't attacked. In this quest, Aleya checks a small shrine that has a few statues there. Once she has a researcher, Aleya would learn that there were a few knights who trained to be the ultimate shield, but there are some who are overwhelmed by the skill and trapped as statues forever. Once Aleya defeats a few Corrupted/Defiled Idols, she can attempt to get the Guardian Idol spell like all others before her. Of course, she might also get a Guardian Idol for her lair too.

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...Also, one of those tweaks was learning that I could change Attack and Guard based on states, especially the Cocoon state. I do have to figure out the difference between a Wibble and a Wobble (perhaps one removes a layer at a time and the other has a chance to remove the whole thing?). Before, in the alpha demo, the Cocoon state uses a script to transform it into another character/enemy, meaning that skills were limited to what is on that Cocoon. For players, it would have become a habit of choosing your Skill List to Wobble.

Instead, you now Wibble and Wobble and possibly use a few skills. This allows me to turn use the transform script mainly for changing graphics (may need to find alternate script to do that only) and makes it easier to give certain enemies special anti-Cocoon skills (for example, Beezel will use a Whirlwind to cut her way out of a cocoon, or a caterpillar uses the Cocoon to transform into a butterfly.)

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And considering this or not, I could use my button-masher event in certain attacks that could be very bad for your party. For example, a spider boss can cocoon you the normal way, one web at a time, but it can also unleash a Super Cocoon (name pending) that, if you fail, can cocoon the whole party. This should ensure that the battles aren't just button mashing...outside of the actual button mashing.

[Bleeb]

Thanks for the update, interesting bit with the idols and whatnot.

Oh? gotcha, so you're working at the cocoon types and the ways to get out of them. sounds good. Yeah, makes sense Beezel and the caterpillar would do that, though does the caterpillar have the ability to cocoon Aleya too?

As for the spider boss, you could call the group cocooning "Mass Wrapping" or "Mass Cocooning" or something. Though it raises a question: if you lose to the spider boss at that, does it drag the whole party off? or just Aleya?

[polyedit2000]

Caterpillar and spider boss are just examples and not implemented, though likely to have a chance in the game. Anyway, I could be mistaken, but it seems like Attack and Guard don't change on cocooned enemies like I thought. Fortunately, giving skills a Cocooned condition and a high priority should take care of that.

Hm, the caterpillar's skill list might probably be to web players and deal some damage or to web itself to restore some health. Once it manages to Cocoon itself, the caterpillar will transform into a butterfly. Of course, a butterfly may have some nastier skills...probably add more butterflies and moths for variety.

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For your last question, if you are asking if you can instantly lose from a QTE, you won't. QTEs will either be very nasty states or hard-hitting attacks, but they shouldn't end the game when your party is at full health.

If you are asking what the spider boss will do, I can't say since I haven't designed him yet. Dragging off Aleya seems a bit too simple for a boss, though...Also, don't know which spider boss you are talking about so I can't answer that.

If you are talking about Game Overs in general, it seems they will be written with Aleya in mind like how most vore games focus on the protagonist. My main excuse is the Shared HP script modified to reflect her HP, and combined with the concept of tanking explained early in the game, picture this: Aleya is tanking for the whole party, and if that HP goes down, she's the first to fall and the first to be eaten/cinematically cocooned. The fate of her party members, most not human, is just an afterthought.

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Hm, Game Overs might be a bit ambitious at the moment. Did I talk about it before? Anyway, here are the three elements of the Game Over, and I'm wondering if I should simplify things:

1. Defeat Text - The alpha demo had placeholder text in case you were defeated, based on whoever hit you last. The text is based on the enemy that defeated you (or bosses regardless of living minions).

2. Defeat Image - This is not in the alpha demo; currently, it shows the enemy who defeated you and a black background to supplement the text. If I was super ambitious, I could make an "animated scene".

3. Game Over Screen - The alpha demo had an animated game over screen. The plan is to use the same variable from the enemies to show a generic or specific fate, like just being in a cocoon or in a stomach.