The prototype is pretty far along. I'd like to release a prototype demo where players can set up their character and their opponent, including some presets... but I wonder if that's too much control. I'll have to think hard about how much control the player will get in the demo...
A brief overview of combat in Bijoux Red. This video was taken from a demo build that's currently unfinished. Thankfully, the new UI is about half-complete and featured in this video. It'll look much better when the new Command Menu and the battle commentary text is working!
Since we've been making more use of videos lately, we've decided to start sharing music from the first Bijoux Red Prologue with everyone via Youtube. We're going to be uploading all of the Bijoux Red music on Youtube piece by piece, starting with these four tracks, which will all be featured in the first few hours of gameplay.
Don't Look Back! Player Mission Theme - The newest soundtrack offering, this piece is heard when the player takes their turn during mission sequences.
A Secret, The Searing Wind, Tall Grass Freegrove Theme - This is the theme of Freegrove, a desolate field of tall grass and unyielding sun. This is the first area players will explore in Bijoux Red.
Red Fox Underneath The Blazing Sun (Ander's Theme) Ander's Theme - The first world map theme, and Ander's theme.
Show Me How! Tutorial Theme - This theme plays while the player learns how to fight and how to control units during missions.
We're going to start taking a more active interest in uploading videos by sharing work-in-progress footage of the Prototype Combat system. Of course, everything we post is subject to change until the game is actually made available, but we figured it would be more exciting to actually see the game in action!
Ander is the lead protagonist of Bijoux Red, our tactical RPG work-in-progress. While Mike is leading up the animations (where I only lend a hand when needed), I'm going to be tackling the portrait art myself, including Ander's, who I'm quite fond of. Until I procure my brother's tablet though, I'm just playing around in my sketchbook and with some inks.
I only inked two images where I tried to capture the detail in his clothing and I had to make the images kind of small because of the size of my sketchbook. I definitely want to do a very large marker and inks version showing off Ander's outfit - it probably won't get in the game (we'll be going digital for the portrait art), but I definitely want to give it a shot anyway!
You may notice from the progress screens below that not only have we included a new animated background into the Prototype Combat file, but also that we're developing a new UI. While it's not a huge leap from the previous one, the way the new UI animates will be a little more dynamic and exciting. Well, I say it will be because that menu isn't actually in the current build. Although these are in-game screen shots, the UI elements were doctored up in photoshop so that I could see how they would look in action!
The new backgrounds add a greater layer of depth to combat and feature animations with more frames. You can really believe the grass swaying in the wind!
The size of Command Menus are going to be entirely dynamic, based on the number of entries in the menu and the amount of space needed to display information.
A combat scene using the new UI.
The main purpose for redesigning the new UI is two-fold. The intention is to both eliminate wasted space in the UI by creating a more dynamic-friendly design (empty space in the previous design did look very unattractive) and to create a reusable design where the themes and elements used can reappear in other in-game menus and interfaces. The new UI will be central in tying together the varied game play scenarios - something I was very worried about with the previous UI!
You can see examples of the previous UI here, here and ... well, all over the place!
Units in combat build Drive while fighting. Drive is required to use special Techniques in combat and is essential to performing the most devastating attacks available.
There are four levels of Technique made available to units at first, with the mysterious OverDrive Techniques becoming available later. The correct number of filled 'Drive Bars' are required to perform Techniques of the corresponding levels. Predictably, the strongest Techniques consume the largest amounts of Drive and are capable of inflicting significant damage.
Ander's 'Shining Slice' is a strong and dependable attack that harnesses the beaming sunlight through the blade of his dagger.
'Sunburst Crush' is incredibly effective at interrupting enemy attacks.
Try as they might, enemies can't evade Ander's 'Fire Wave' attack.
Channeled through Ander, the power of the Sun is used to deliver an array of condensed solar rays in the form of an attack. 'Solar Spear' can be used to wear down enemy defenses but is best used on unsuspecting foes who leave their guard down.
Ander's 'Solar Cannon' and 'White Haze' will also feature as unlockable abilities early in the game. All of these abilities will be available in the first prologue chapter of Bijoux Red.
Because every action performed in combat consumes stamina in the form of SP, it doesn't take long for some units to run out of energy. Although SP does regenerate passively over time, idling around with an empty stamina gauge and waiting for it to fill can be rather dangerous.
Without SP, you don't have many options in combat. Fortunately, Charge abilities, like Charge Boost and Booster Alpha, will help you regain your stamina in no time.
Charge abilities are activated by holding down the mouse button over a prompt that appears. Once a Charge is activated, removing the mouse button will end the effect. Charge abilities allow units to regenerate SP quickly in combat, but sometimes have additional effects, such as draining a unit's Break Gauge. Units can not react while charging, so this state tends to leave them vulnerable to damage. Receiving enough damage while charging will knock a unit out of their Charge State.
Stronger units will have access to greater Charge abilities. While the most basic 'Charge Boost' will help units regain their SP quickly, the more effective 'Booster Alpha' will allow units to build an even larger store of additional SP. This effect of building additional SP is called Double Charge.
Once units have restored their SP using a stronger Charge ability, they may begin to build additional SP in the form of a second SP gauge, effectively allowing them to double their overall available SP. Entering Double Charge requires the use of part of a unit's Drive Gauge.
With so much SP at your disposal, you might feel encouraged to start throwing around some of the more expensive and powerful techniques.
Stronger Charge abilities can break past even the 'Double Charge' point, reaching a hidden technique called 'Over Charge'. While we've decided to omit the details of 'Over Charge' for the combat prototype, the best way I can think of describing it is to imagine what happens to the Super Saiyans of the Dragon Ball world. Most units with Over Charge techniques will have unique abilities and status bonuses associated with their Over Charge - the most common Over Charge bonus will include access to an infinite SP gauge for a limited period of time. Well, details for another time I guess.
