UPDATED 22 APRIL 2013
Fullversion in progress!

NEW TITLE SCREEN 21/4 2013:



Tree Soul Kingdom

ENGINE: RPG Maker XP
GENRE: Philosophic / Fantasy RPG
DEMO PLAYTIME: ~3 HOURS
(FULLVERSION PLAYTIME (SO FAR)): ~5-6 HOURS
SIZE: about 300 MB

(much music, but don't worry the AUDIO folder in
separate in this ZIP file, so it works to download an play!)

Follow more detailed updates on the OFFICIAL TSK PAGE:
http://treesoulkingdom.webs.com/


"I have always wondered what's out there..In the vast cosmos. I will find out someday. But I'm afraid. Of the outer worlds, of everything unknown. But it's human after all. To feel like that.This symbol I wrote in my hand will remind me of the promise I made to myself..The promise that I someday will find what's out there..In the vast cosmos.."


Story

There was a land known as Anorien. Within was the Tree Soul Kingdom.The kingdom was controlled by it's kings, The Trees. The humans lived in the Eternal World and enjoyed life there..But thousand of years later, humanity went corrupt because of darkness in their hearts, and begun to fight, they were banished away by their Kings, The Trees. The humans were punished with mortal bodies and The Gate of Immortality was locked for good. The highest Tree King, The Holy Tree must now protect the Tree Soul Kingdom and the now Mortal Humans..

Later the Tree Kings discovered a world with far more power than they could ever have imagined..The world was called The Outer World by the Anorien citizens, and was said to be a world of hi-tech cities. As it was rumored, this unknown world could be a future city.Children were as usual the most curious ones, while their parents, with darkness and hate in their hearts, were afraid or igorant of this unknown word.The Tree Kings felt that this world may be dangerous and swore to get rid of The Outer World and figure out what they trully wanted..

Intro
A young boy named Alex climbs up a cliff. He looks into the horizon as he thinks about The Outer World. He wonders what's out there, and from now, he makes a promise to himself to find The Outer World someday..He will become the one who tells the world the new legends...He will be the one to discover the world out there..He said to himself. Alex takes a wand and carves in a symbol to remember his promise. 'When I grow up, I will find The Outer World'...

5 years later he tries to find a job to serve the poor family of Patteron, whom he blongs to. His mother Sara doesn't earn a lot of money in her job, and Alex lost his father in an airship crash. Soon Alex discovers that he might have another bloodline than he thought, turning his world to something new and with a lot of more options..He still has the incarved symbol who reminds him that he has promised to find the unknown world out there...

The Ancient Legend
For many millenniums ago there was two Gods known as Cyxia (Time) and Xelphos (Space). These two was believed to be the Time & Space dimensions in Universe by humanity, who Cyxia and Xelphos had created together thousands of years earlier. But before they created the humans and the land of Anorien, they created several other things:

*3 Worlds: The Eternal World, Ominia (the world of Anorien) and Paradise.
*The Tree Kings.

The Tree Kings were first placed in Paradise by Cyxia and Xelphos, but as they understood that they had a purpose they begun to magicaly fall down from Paradise and land in Eternal World to protect The Humans.The Gods didn't see that the humans, who lived in Eternal World, needed protection but they agreed with the whise Tree Kings as they fell down from Paradise to protect the Immortal Humans. But as darkness spred in the hearts of the Immortal Humans, Cyxia and Xelphos used the Holy Tree of Tree Soul Kingdom to transfer the Immortal Humans out from Eternal World, to Anorien, and punish them with mortal bodies. The Gate of Immortality who led to the Eternal World, was locked for good... And since then has the Holy Tree ruled the Tree Soul Kingdom fair and in light..

Characters
Party Characters:

Alex (Boy)

Age: 17 Class: Rookie Starting Lv:1
Starting Skills: Multi-Attack

RACE: Human

Background: Alex is the son of Sara in the Patteron family and lives in the small town of Ohr within Tree Soul Kingdom. Later he discovers that he trully comes somewhere else, not from the Patteron family..

Personality: Alex is a very curious guy, who always seeks friends from all different places. He is kind, but sometimes a bit self-absorbed as he feels very sad for himself when something happens him, or if he is in a major problem. He has a little bad self-esteem . He is not too greedy, even if he seeks things and he wants to know whats out there, and he tries everything to learn that and to still his curiosity..


Emerel (Girl)

Age:15 Class:Traveller Starting Lv:3
Starting Skills: Multi-Attack

RACE: Human

Background: Alex friend who also lives in Ohr Town. What she doesn't know is that Alex is in love with her, even if he's 2 years older.

Personality: She is a very ripe girl for her age, and she can see how people feel and with her kindness heal ones depression. She is magically beautiful and uses it to get to know people better. Always kind, calm and really doesn't know how to be angry.


Chargo (Girl)

Age: Unknown Class: Holy Child Starting Lv:7
Starting Skills: Multi-Attack, Cure

RACE: Holy Child

Background: She was created by the King of Kings, the Holy Tree when they needed a guardian.

Personality: Not being a real human, but a Holy Child born from the Holy Tree, she is a very whise and good person. She always takes risks and force everyone that the risk is worth taking, even if she really doesn't know the risks. She is different to the others as she has a strong will, and always pushes the others with her strenght and risktakings.

Arion (Man)
Age: 175 Class: Fhey Starting Lv:5
Starting Skills: None

RACE: Fhey

Background: As all other Fhey individes, he lives in Paliki Djungle, a bit outside Tree Soul Kingdom. The Fhey are religious and prey to the nature Gods but is sceptical to the Ancient Legend about Cyxia and Xelphos, who humanity believe in.
Arion did foresee that Chargo was going to be created by the Holy Tree, and therefore planned a purpose for her. She and Arion had soul-contact even before she was born. Arion is one of the clan-leaders of Paliki Djungle, the home of the Fhey.

Personality: The Fhey almost always have the same personalities. They are mood-neutral, so they really cant have much fun, cry of sadness, be happy in the way humans can. The show their mood in a different way. Trought vibrations trought the nature. But Arion is special as he can be wise with his happiness.

OTHER GOOD GUYS:



_________________________________________________________________________________________
Evil characters:

Xa'Thandra

RACE: Demon

Background: A man that has tortured Alex since he was a child. He's seeking Alex and need him to fullfill his evil wishes..

The CX Organization

Background: As not many people in Anorien know about The Outer World, they don't know what this strange organization from The Outer World wants...
___________________________________________________________________________________________

RACES OF ANORIEN:

Humans
The Humans mostly live in Tree Soul Kingdom or Alasar. Most of the big cities. There are humans on other places as well, but most of the humas live in the greater cities.

Fhey
The race of Arion. The Fhey live in Paliki Djungle and they make a great sin if they leave the jungle. If they leave, it is taken as abandoning. They have laws and rules followed by the spirits of nature and of the jungle. The pray to the nature gods and doesn't believe in Cyxia and Xelphos as they humans do.

Holy Children
Children created by The Holy Tree to protect and bring light and hope to people. They always have the same wisdom and they have the ability to transfer back to all-father, The Holy Tree, whenever they want.

Manthras
Manthras looks like dragons and often lives among the humans or in the deserts. If they don't live around the humans, they gather up in tribes in the deserts and fight lesser animals for food and for more land. They too believe in Cyxia and Xelphos, as the humans, in difference to the Fhey.

Tree Kings
Magical talking trees do only live inside the walls of Tree Soul Kingdom. Outside the kingdom, in Anorien, Trees are as fixed as stones. In Tree Soul Kingdom, they are the Kings and can talk to humans. They bring light and joy to the people and Tree Kings can seldom be unfair rulers of the kingdom.

Demons
Dark citizens of Hell...They have no soul and can transform into ugly beasts whenever they want.

Selia
Half-human, half-bird. These creatures live in both southern and nothern Thonoz and they are vegetarians. They are not very intelligent and doesn't have a strong religion like the Manthras and Humans. (They don't have a belief at all)

JOB SYSTEM:
Choose between 6 Jobs:

-Smith
-Bard
-Scholar

-Thief
-Mage
-Soldier

Each job class can do different things, special skills only avaliable when in that job class:
Smith speciality : Forge
Bard speciality : Play Harp
Scholar speciality : Read/Study

Thief Speciality: Steal in battle, open locked doors
Mage Speciality: Obtain Magics by leveling up (don't need to buy magics)
Soldier Speciality: Use the Megaguard to protect one ally from psychical/magic damage. Can also destory thick walls.


Do certain quests to earn money. If youre a Smith you earn money by forging things, Bard , by playing harp to people/tame monsters with the harp, scholar , by reading and studying books!

You can change JOB CLASS at "Corla's Workshop" in "Myconid District", and in other places during the storyline of the game. A Smith cannot do a Bard - quest and a Bard cannot do a Smith - quest etc..


Screenshots of FULLVERSION:


___________________________________________________________________
Follow more detailed updates on the OFFICIAL TSK PAGE:
http://treesoulkingdom.webs.com/

FEATURES IN THE NEW DEMO 3.0:


DOWNLOAD DEMO 3.0 --22 APRIL-13-- (Zip):
http://speedy.sh/WWN66/Tree-Soul-Kingdom-DEMO.zip



FULLVERSION FEATURES SO FAR:
5-6 Hours of Storyline Gameplay
~50 Sidequests / Secrets


MORE WILL COME!

CREDITS:
Main Story: Robin Andblom (me)
Demo Cutscene Maker: Coyotecraft & Robin Andblom
Maps: Robin Andblom
Jungle Tileset by Inqusitor
MUSIC BY: Nox Arcana, Two Steps From Hell, 30 Seconds To Mars, Asphyxia, variated YouTube artists.
I DO NOT OWN ANY MUSIC!

~By Robin Andblom 2010-and forward

I like it, could go soemthing, but the story is missing some depth: why did humanity go corrupt; how does this world have far more power, and what sort of power; and I got very lost around the last 2 sentences of your plot. I'd look over it again.

There are also some visual things that could be worked on:
For example, the window graphic should probably not have an image inside of it, because it makes the windows too busy, repetitive, and the image is stretched and no longer looks as good. Another thing is the red tiles, or something, around some areas of the cave. They look anti aliased and cut off around the walls. You should choose a less distracting colour, make normal diamonds through pixels, and having them as a moving autotile (where they scroll, or glow) would look really nice too ;)

Good luck on the game!
-action

UPDATE: Story has been more in-depth edited!



Nah, the red tiles should be there, yeah i was gonna make the windowskin graphic a big GRAYER so it doesnt look too bad!

I will make a new demoversion with the UPDATED STORY!

UPDATE: Demo Version 1.2 is complete!

DOWNLOAD v.1.2 here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WSTRQPEG

Please say what you think

What the heck? The screenshots are mostly OK looking (there are errors though like the shadows not being transparent), but the maps in the first areas are just a mess. Some house tiles leaves one pixel wide openings which you can see the grass trough. The town has many large and empty areas for no reason at all. Also, several NPCs are people with green or blue skins because you abused the hue slider.

Why are there stairs which leads to monster infected dungeons in the town?

Nothing really makes any sense in the demo.

Ok lets make it easy for us all:

Please explain what need to be fixed! Please just anwser YES or NO people! And add something if anything more is bad^^
1. Maps needed to be fixed? Better mapping?
2.Tileset graphic (shadows) ?
3.NPC graphics?

Well to answer you I didn't think much of teh mapping, I quite learned how to do later in the demo :P But I'll fix that!

NPCs is the easiest thing!

The stairs dungeons in town? Well it just it! Why bother over that? lol

//Please need more feedback and ok I'll fix this

:|

Things that make things logical are important in a game. You can't just put something in just "because." It needs both a purpose, and a logical reason for being there.
The stairs might not serve the purpose, and reason, as much as a blocked off door way, or a cave entrance outside of town (that only would work if monsters had only recently begun appearing.)


1. Maps needed to be fixed? Better mapping? Yes
2.Tileset graphic (shadows) ? Yes
3.NPC graphics? Yes

Also, the grass tile shown in the 3rd screenshot has too much contrast to the RTP tileset, and the edges are sharp. You need to make it blend in more, and the edges should look more natural, using some transparency, and grass going over another tile.

Lastly, the trees might work. They aren't horrible. But they have no shadows, and look like they're floating on top of the map. Again, it need to blend more, with the shadows, and having it connect with the tile it's on in some way (with grass or some such.)

That's all I have to say, only looking at the screenshots. I'll try the demo once you fix some of the large issues.

Again, good luck
-action


P.S. The country somewhat resembles Germany... :\

You should work on the graphics. Don't mix two tilesets with different styles. Adding color is a nice idea, but red floor in the middle of a cave & purple chests make no sense.

Ok thank you! I will absolutely fix this. Looking forward to the update! I wont upload version 1.3 before you see my result :)

UPDATE: Jungle Map fixed, so it doesnt have sharp edges within it, and NEW windowskin:

Plz help: I cannot make shadows on the tilesets! Someone give me hints? The command "shadow" in my drawing program doesnt' work!

I've played a bit of the demo.

-In the opening: pink text looks awful and hard to read over the bright and colorful background.
-Spell check and grammar please!
-The game has no direction.
-Besides the graphic inconstancies, the locations have no design to them.

Edit:
Ok, reached the end of the demo.
While I was going to do a smith quest I leveled up and my title changed to "traveler". But was still able to finish the quest. The battles move too slow.

-Intro text: Green text maybe? because WHITE id nearly invisible to the background.
-Spell check? Ok will do
-Direction? You mean where to go next? Where places & areas is?
-Locations no design? You mean the mapping?
-How can battles move too slow? But I suppose you mean their high HP?

1.Also WHAT TYPE of information do I need to post?
2.Is the maps really that bad?

//Thanks in advance

I think you should take a more cinematic approach for your intro. Once you get the wand, the holy tree gives you that history lesson again.
There's a mysterious world that appears in the sky. You could start the game off with Alex wondering what it is before his mom calls him to go find a job. It starts the story with a bit of mystery and introduces the main character a little better.

Even though the battles were over in a couple hits, the attacks take a while to preform. Is there anyway to speed up how fast the character moves to and from the enemy? I'd worry about balancing the game play until after you've got the maps and story down first.

When I said the game lacked direction I meant you should clue the player in more. You don't need tutorials on battles and equipment. But as soon as you have control of the character you can let the player know they can save anywhere. Not so obvious with your menu layout since you don't see the option right away.

Ok! Wow that would be really good, and then he tells everyone to go find it. I have been thinking of the personality of Alex alot, he's very curuous whats out there, and he is always friendly, and he really doesnt't care abou the treasure so much, but the world outside called "The Outer".I could let him tell his friends that he tried finding it once.. ^^

Nah, dont think I can change the battle attack speed sorry (I dont think its possible trought the scripts!), but how about the TRANSFERING OF THE PLAYER? Is that slkow too? because if so theres some big evil bug in the game..

I am going to remove the save acces "when you want". There will be places where you can save only! :)
Ofcourse I am going to clue the player more..

UPDATE! Ancient Legend added! :)

It's been a while since I posted int he project discussion...

Let'g go. By the way, all these are my own complete or personal opinions, and I'm a partial perfectionist...



The title screen needs a lot more contrast between the words of the title and the background picture. There needs to be an outline or something like that, to make it stand out more. Now, the contrast is just annoying.

The new game, load, leave anorien thing really takes out the immersion. I mean, the leave anorien thing should be complimented by something like "enter anorien," "return to the path", etc. shit like that.

When you use realistic looking backgrounds, words like that of the game and title really contrast, and make the fact that it's a game really obvious. It reminds you that it is a game, and the immersion is taken out. Also, this makes it so that some areas of the text are easier/harder to read than others, such as the first couple of dialogue scenes in the game.

This is a complete and personal opinion, but when the dialogue of a text box stops and has to continue on with the next text box, it feels a bit off. The fact that I have to remember to press the space bar, and then remember what the last sentence said is annoying. I try to finish all sentences in one text box, and start a new sentence in another.

Make sure to fade out bgs and bgm and whatnot. It feels amazingly unimmersive when the sounds just CUTS and another just starts playing(and most songs start off a bit weaker and build up, like the first bgm played, creating even more contrast)

Make sure the spelling and grammer is right. Especially when you start out the game, the spelling really does have to be perfect so the player doesn't just quit right them. Even when writing dialogue, make sure you write it formal so that the reader can understand, unless the character is "pu'pusly supeekin' laik 'dis." I got this from the "Ok mom" line in the beginning. At the very least, make it either "O.K." or "Okay, mom, blah blah blah".

I did not play much, so mapping and character I will hold off for now, but I'll be back in a while. I purposely seek out what's bad about a game(my personal opinion) so don't get too depressed. I got until the character was out of the house and saved.

Well if you didn't point out whats bad in a game, but just the good stuff, then maybe people would be too happy and just don't do anything to make the game better, right? But still I hope its not worthless, I really work on this, and its a tottaly serious project.

TITLE SCREEN: I could make 3D shadow it would put out the text more from the bg and make a nice, not too bright, 3D effect. Hope this helps

TITLE OPTIONS: Do you really think people understand that 'return to the path' means LOAD GAME? Nonetheless 'enter Anorien' is good since I really want to have 'leave Anorien'. This makes it a bit more fantastic fantasy world actually!

DIALOUGES: I am not able to change that a new sentance begins in a new box. This is just brutal and unessecary to fix.
But I can change the COLOUR if you want. Yeah it reminds of a game, but what of it? It IS a game, so I dont really mind.
What do you want me to do here?

SPELLING & GRAMMER: Ofc. Already got comlaints from that. I am sometimes to fast when I write on computers xD

CHARACTERS: You should play more to comment this! The characters really dont grow so much in the DEMO, because its too short :( But the personalities should be shown more. An update is to write more here about them too

/Plz Return ~9robin3

UPDATE: Personality added, all races of Anorien added!

Character pics added! Evil characters added

UPDATE: More characters added!!! UPDATE 1 MAY. Take a look

This is just a personal pet-peeve... but as a graphic designer I make it a rule of thumb never to use Papyrus in my typographic elements.

I dont understand a shit what you're saying! Is it even something about me or the game? :P

He's saying the font you used for the title looks tacky. I hear Papyrus is a overused font. As the name implies, Papyrus is meant to look like hand written script on paper; not an image.
The thin lettering isn't a great choice for a title either. Something bolder with a white outline would look better.

Ok, well I have the original Picture. Can just remake it :)

Yep. This is what I was saying. Nothing against the quality of the game... just suggesting rethinking your font choice.

Ofc I will fix that! Also Coyotercraft has made new maps! I am going to upload my first re-done maps by coyotercraft!

UPDATE: New Screenshots UPLAODED ON COYOTECRAFT'S MAPS! Feedback on the updated, maybe?

~marked as spam~

no real update//

I would suggest that you only bump your thread when a massive amount of content is added/changed. Otherwise, people will recognize this as a thread where the updates are not for real and you will loose your followers.