Sorry for the Hiatus

I got distracted from Super Pocket RPG with still another side project: a "Timed Hits" Battle System. As you may have guessed, I'm a sucker for programming new things, especially battle systems. But even though work on the new system was going well, I had spent a lot of time RPG Making and my zeal ran out. If you look on the right hand side and see the number of posts per month, it's easy to see that my work ethic fluctuates. A lot. Don't worry, I'll be working on the sight again, eventually.

Monster Profiles "Dracky"

Name: Dracky
Family: Dracky
Number: 1


Dracky are speedy and weak and overall simple. You can find them very early on in the game, which is actually a good thing because the max level of a Dracky is high (LV 50). The vareity of interesting and potentially powerful moves may be ignored by the unintimidating look and lack of rarity.

• Max Level - 50
• Level Up Ease - B-15, C-20
• HP Rank - 150
• MP Rank- 320
• STR Rank - 140
• DEX Rank- 90
• AGI Rank - 200
• INT Rank- 80

Moveset:

• LV 5: Bite
• LV 10: Antidote
• LV 15: Fury Flight
• LV 20: Tail Wind
• LV 25: AntidoteAll
• LV 30: Feather Fest
• LV 35: Charge Up
• LV 40: WindBeast
• LV 50: Fierce Chrage Up

Monster Profiles "Slime"

Name: Slime
Family: Slime
Number: 1

As you would expect, Slime is the most basic of basic when it comes to the monsters in Monster Tamers. At least at first glance he is. Small, weak, and frankly unintimidating, Slime doesn't get much love from serious Monster Tamers. However, the small guy has some tricks up his sleeve that may keep you from just giving it to your little sister. If you can endure having a weakling in your party for long enough to get him to his highest level, you'll be rewarded with one of the most powerful moves in the game. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it or not.

• Max Level - 40
• Level Up Ease - B-10, C-20
• HP Rank - 200
• MP Rank- 270
• STR Rank - 120
• DEX Rank- 100
  
• AGI Rank - 150
  
• INT Rank- 90

Moveset:

• LV 5: Gelly Glob
  
• LV 10: Firebal
  
• LV 15: Gel spell
• LV 20: Buck Up
  
• LV 25: Firebane
  
• LV 35: Radiant
  
• LV 40: MegaMagic
  

SPRG: Monster Tamers -Map Systems-

As stated in a previous post, the Dungeons will be divided into three parts: the Garden (as pictured) the Castle, and the Boss Room. The Garden will be maze focused as opposed to the puzzle oriented Castle. In order to facilitate you're trek to finding that portal, certian features are available to the player.

Guidance Arrow: (Only appears in "Garden")
This arrow points the player in the right direction towards the portal. Most useful when you want to speed through a dungeon. However, if you go the "right way" you will surely miss out on treasure, other Monster Tamers, and possibly side-quests.

Blue Screen Map: (Appears in "Garden" and "Castle")
The Blue Screen Map pretty much shows where you are in relation to the screen, and not the entire map. In it's basic form, it's quite useless. It'll show you where important characters or other things are on the map. However, you can upgrade it to the point where it shows invisible items, ghosts, and even hidden portals.

Overlay Map: (Only appears in "Garden")
This on-screen map is incredibly useful when finding the right way to go. Because the Gardens are often filled with twists and turns, the overlay map, combined with he aide of the pointer arrow, can really make things easier. That is why you must find the dungeon map before you can use it, unlike the other two. Each dungeon has its own map, so you'll have to get used to finding them.

SPRG: Monster Tamers Customizable Room

Customization has always been a way to give the player more say in the game. That's one of the reasons why having the ability to choose and create whichever monster you please is an attractive feature of the game. On a smaller scale, the player will also be given the same freedom in deciding what his or her room will look like. You start off with this gray slab with limited allure and limitless potential. As you progress through the game, you can unlock trophies and other decorations for your room. Or, if you manage to make a surplus of money, you can spend it on special items found in a Decor Store.

Obviously, none of these things will affect the over all game, but that doesn't mean you won't find your fair share of secrets through decoration. Secret portals are unpredictable things, and sprucing up your place my land one in your midst... Rare recipes can also be found on parchments that happened to be hidden in a doll... In other words, there are some benefits to buying the decorations aside from aesthetics.

Gee, doesn't that look (slightly) better?

SPRG: Monster Tamers Dungeons

It seems like more and more that Dragon Quest Monsters is influencing my own game as I continue to work on this project. To put it simply, the guys at Square-Enix got it right. Of course, I have made enough of my own modifications to their formula to give SPRPG: MT enough of its own feel to be unique. That being said, I'd like to establish a post dedicated to how the Dungeons will be set up in this game.

• There will be 3 types of Dungeons in this game: Boss, Secondary, and Extra
• There are 2 parts to a Dungeon
• Boss and Secondary Dungeons will have 2 parts most of the time, Extra will only have one

Dungeon Types

Boss Dungeons will primarily focus on developing the story. The name of this type comes from each of these having a "boss" or powerful monster at the end of it that must be defeated. All boss dungeons have bosses, but that does not meant Secondary or Extra ones do not. In order to beat the game, all boss dungeons must be finished. For the sake of the story, this is pretty much a given.
Secondary Dungeons are dungeons that correspond with a side quest. They are not important to completing the game and do not necessarily effect the story. However, some secondary dungeons will be used to continue a "branch" of the story that may no longer be important. In addition to involving side quests, secondary dungeons are a good way to find more monsters and monster recipes.

Extra Dungeons can also be called "Secret Dungeons." These dungeons are short, boss-less, and only have one part to them. They end with finding a rare treasure or recipe. Access to an extra dungeon is a reward in of itself. However, although there may be a pot of gold at the ends of these rainbows, getting there may not be a walk in the park. Some of the common monsters you find in random battles may be "boss level" in other dungeons. Although you may be at a point in the game to unlock an Extra Dungeon, it is not a guarantee that you will survive in it.

Dungeon Parts

Dungeons are taken in two parts: the Garden and the Castle. Mind you, these are figurative terms not literally. Not every dungeon is castle. It is important to know the differences in these two to better understand the game.

The Garden tends to be the easier of the two but not by much. The focus of the Garden part of a Dungeon is to find a portal to get to the Castle part. Dragon Quest Monsters fans will be familiar with this type of layout although it is not completely the same. This part is a compilation of a bunch of mini-maps with simple shapes. This results in a slight maze like experience because finding the portal may boil down to guessing the right path.

The Castle is the more traditional type of dungeon, complete with it's own fair share of obstacles to slow you down on the quest to face your doom with a boss. They will be pretty standard for RPG fans, but what makes them special is the focus on the Field Magic System. The Field Magic system is basically the eqivilent to using the tools in Zelda to solve a dungeon. However, Field Magic is not used in battle, limitless in uses, and leveled up through story progress. Basic Field Magic will open doors, push rocks, lift boulders, and blow up stuff. The more advanced kind do some pretty interesting tings as well. Golden Sun fans will find this system familiar.

Dungeon Features

• Current Area Map
• Toggle ON/OFF
• 100% accurate placement of Hero and other events, updated to the game tick
• Upgradeable through Add-Ons
• Treasure Box Detector
• Ghost Detector
• Invisible Treasure Detector
• Field Magic System
• Interact with the dungeon to progress
• Lift, Push, Pull, Explode and more to objects in your way.
• Hold down "Shift" to utilize the magic quickly
  

FSP Host up and quit... [UPDATE]

...leaving U Division, and consquently all of ICU Gigasoft, looking for a new host. During this transitional period things may be a bit rough. The only thing I'm positive about is that there will be chaos on this site come Nov. 1st when all files hosted on fsphost.com go offline. Hopefully, I can prevent bad things from happening by finding a new host. Hopefully.

[UPDATE] After about an afternoon of work, I was able to transfer the site to a new host. You can still access it by going to udivision.blogspot.com. However, udivision.3host.biz is also an option.

Super Pocket RPG: Game Update Log [#2]

As promised, this will be the log to log all updates, specifically and informatively. Whenever I update Monster Tamers, this post will be moved to the top of the page for easier access.

Update #2: 10/24/07
It's been too long, and I wish I had more to say. However, some big changes are happening with Monster Tamers. First of all, and probably most importantly, the current story will be removed. This may seem a bit odd to get rid of the story, but I think overall this will be better for the game. Instead of going for a story-driven game, I have opted out for a mechanic-driven game. As much as I would have liked to have made this a deep game, I don't see myself getting too far in game like that. For completion's sake, it's better that I stick with something simple. That new simple plot is yet to be decided on, but it shouldn't be too hard to think up.

This simplification of Monster Tamers also applies to dungeons. For those of you who have played the original Dragon Warrior Monsters, you'll know what I mean by "simple dungeons." Without pictures, this is a bit hard to explain. Basically, you get to the dungeon by going through a portal. All of the portals are found in the main castle, which is your HQ, and more portals are unlocked through story progression and secrets. This way you can focus more and amassing your horde of monsters both rare and powerful without being bogged down with story elements.

Update #1: 9/9/07
So far, we are looking at exactly 16 Monsters that are possible to make, and about 14 of those you can fight. Generally, the number of monsters you can make will be higher that those you actually fight. That is because of the "Monster Essence" system. In other words, I may never fight a SpotSlime but if I use extract essences from a Slime and an Antbear I can make one, providing I have the recipe.

I've also been fooling around the difficulty of the enemies. I've realized that once you get four monsters in your party (I was able to do so in about one hour of playing) the battle get rather easy. This is because the max number of monsters you can fight is 3, so when you have 3 monsters plus yourself, you have the speed advantage. I decided to combat this with simply raising the enemies hit points, in stead of fooling around with ATK and PDEF. Of course, I also adjusted the speed to make sure they get to attack before they die.

Game Reviews

Game Reviews

GameBoy Advanced

Golden Sun
[7.5/10] (10/23/06)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced
[8.8/10] (1/19/076) (by C Division)

Nintendo Gamecube

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year
Door [9/10] (12/11/06)

Downloads

RPG Maker Related

Coming Soon... Go to Downloads.com to
get a free RPG Maker XP Trail!

WinMugen-- The famous fighting
game maker. This version allows it to run much better on Windows XP than
before.

Version -- FINAL

Mugen Character Maker (MCM)--
A very useful tool if you want to get into making characters as opposed to just
downloading other people's creations.
Version -- mcm20b-dev35

Links

Wave Bossa's Creations;

http://wavebossa.blogsopt.com

Information

Wave Bossa, AKA I Division, is a dedicated member of the ICU Gigasoft
team. Thanks to recent surge of interest in his incredible, but
controversial, Mugen Character K'oss, he has created his own development
blog and promises more news and updates. In order to learn more
about his creations and see videos of his characters in action, just
follow the links to his site.

U Division Info

Welcome to U Division's Official Website!

What is U Division?

U Division is a part of the ICU Gigasoft game-making team. We create
games based on the "RPG Maker 2003" and "RPG Maker XP" software from
Enterbrian. The software belongs to them, but it allows us to make
games for free.

Are U Division Games Free? Please tell me they are!!!

Repeat, ALL U DIVISION GAMES ARE FREE. This is more of a hobby if
anything, so we do not seek to make a profit out of it. That is a
double edged sword, because at the same time there is no money to provide
the extra "motivation" to complete a game.

Um... do you have any completed games?

Do not worry, we plan on completing our current projects for you to play, or
at least arrive at the state where we can produce demos of our product.

Hey, how do I play these games?

In order to play the RPG Maker 2003 games, you will need to install "RPG
Maker 2003" on your computer. Sites such as
"RPG RPG Revolution" offer this
program, you can order it online.

What about RPG Maker XP?

That's the beauty of XP, you don't need to install anything but the game!

Too much school, not enough work

Despite my earlier announcements, I haven't been regular in my updates of the site. I hope to stop this by next week, but it's really challenging to find time to work on my projects with school in the way. I'm not stupid enough to put priority on this hobby of game making, but it seems really tempting compared to AP class homework. At the least, I will add a few screens of the various U Division Games.

Well, here's a video that's been late to being added to the site. This was made by C-Division, so give him the props, not me.

SPRG: Monster Tamers Battle System

(Click for full-sized Image)

An important part of any RPG game (especially a Super Pocket one) is the battle system. For this, U Division has decided to use the very well done RTAB (Real-Time Active Battle) System programmed by the RPGXP genius, cogwheel. This kind of battle system means that your speed plays a greater role in deciding who attacks. Theoretically, you can attack your opponent over and over assuming your speed is that much higher than their's.

Of course, U Division simply doesn't import scripts and leave it at that. In addition to using this script, I've made some slight tweaks here and there to make it more unique for the game. Here a a list of features that are labeled with "Default RTAB" or "U Division Mod."

Battle Zoom "Default RTAB"
This neat feature does a little and a lot at the same time. Although it only zooms in and out on the selected targets, it also adds a more dynamic feel to the often static Battle Scene. This alone was one of the main reasons for using the RTAB.

CLICK HERE FOR ANIMATED PICTURE

Combinations Attacks "Default RTAB"
This feature is one of the coolest the RTAB has to offer. It may be a little hard to see in this animated GIF, but the Slime chooses "Gelly Glob" and the Hero chooses "Jab" which results in a powerful move called "Slime Slash." In addition to Tamer and Monster combos, there are Monster and Monster combos. For instance, get your Slime and Spotslime to use the trademark family skill Gelly Glob and the result will be the most powerful Slime-only attack in the game, "Gelly Flood."

CLICK HERE FOR ANIMATED PICTURE

Super Pocket RPG: Monster Tamers Overview

(Click for full sized image)

(This post will change frequently as more information is revealed. Updates will be noted and a permanent link to this post can be found on the left frame. This will be were most general info on the game can be found.)

Title: Super Pocket RPG: Monster Tamers
Author: U Division Games
Genre: RPG
Date Started: June 10th, 2007
Players: 1 Player

GENERAL PLOT:

"In the center of the continent of Arpsi, there has always been a land referred to as the Promised Land. However, like an oasis in the middle of a desert, the Promised Land has always been surrounded by the most powerful monsters. The closer to the Promised Land, the more fearsome the creatures of the wild. The kingdoms of the continent have always lived in fear of the great power. That was, until now. Thanks to the much advancement in Magic, Alchemy, and increasing military strength, it will not be long before each kingdom tries its hand at claiming the place first. However, simply having the forces of the entire continent rush into a bloody fight would make it necessary for the Promised Land to be divvied up accordingly. So, eliminating the threat beforehand has become the new plan of action. The East and West sides of Arpsi have forged their own alliances and it is only a matter of time before war between the kingdoms, and eventually war for the Promised Land."

"In order to fight that war, the Kingdoms need warriors. Only humans with special blood can use Alchemy, and therefore, can tame Monsters. You are part of one such family, the Makyar Clan. With your father already a General in the Dalmoss army and the first draft wave already happening, it will not be soon before you must be drafted into the war yourself. But thanks to your Makyar Blood, you will join the ranks of the most powerful military unit, the Monster Tamers."

FEATURES:
(These will get their own separate pages but for now their info can be found here.)

• A lot of different monsters to fight and tame. 90+!
  
• The ability to roam the world from the beginning of the game, giving access to hard monster early on
• Your monster can learn moves during battle by getting hit by the given move. This is decided by monster family.
• A journal that keeps track of you Main Quest, Secondary Quest, and all of the Side-Quests making it easy to figure out exactly how much of the game you've beaten.
• The player can trade monsters with other tamers in the game to diversify the line-up.
• The hero fights side by side with his monsters in order to tame them.
• Bestiary add-on that you can download from the site.
  

Taming – Despite what you’d think, you don’t actually tame wild monsters. You only tame the monsters you create from their Essence. These are taken from the monster during battle, by using the technique of Extracting. There are many different ways to tame a monster, but as a Warrior Tamer your expertise lies in raising them for battle. A fully tamed monster is one at its’ highest level possible.

Extracting – During Battle, attack a monster with the skill “Extract” and it will begin flashing purple if the skill is successful. Once it is in that condition, the monster will continue to drop Essences until it either is killed or if the Extract wears off. NOTICE: You can Extract from just about any monster, but you can only create those whose recipe have.. However, you can still sell the Essences of monsters you cannot create.

Monster Essences – Monster Essences are material that can be Extracted from a Monster. These are used in order to create new monsters. In addition to this, Monster Essences can also be used as healing items, trade goods, quest items, and in rare cases, equipment.

Monster Material – In addition to monster Essences, certain Materials are needed to create certain monsters. Unlike Essences, these can be purchased from stores.

Monstrous Alchemy – In order to create a monster from its Essences, Monstrous Alchemy is used by the top Monster Alchemist. Depending on which monster, multiple Essences may be needed or different.

Monstrous Alchemy – Tools – There is special tools needed in order to perform Monstrous Alchemy. They are not used up in the process and can be purchased as well. They are the "Transmutation Stone" and "Transmutation Shard."

Super Pocket RPG: Monster Tamers announced

Finally, after too long of a wait, the newest entry into the U Division line-up has been revealed. However, it may have to be done in bits and pieces. I've decided that rather then make new pages using the old U Division template, it would be better and more accessible to just post them instead, and then just update the frame on the left with the most useful links. The first of these updates along with more information on Super Pocket RPG: Monster Tamers should be up soon.

U Divisoin to reboot this fall

I know, this past summer has been glaringly scarce when it comes to updates. Probably less then five total posts for the summer months. With all my free-time you'd think I'd be able to remember to post everyone once in a while. However, U Division will begin updating more frequently once again. Also, we will be introducing a new game shortly that has a LOT of potential if I can stick with it. Be sure to check back here sometime next week for more content updates and the unveiling of the new project.

Also, we here at U Division realize that some of you might actually want to know what we are working on when we say "we're working on project X." Well, I promise that we'll introduce a series of exponentially more detailed updates that deal specifically with what we're working on. Instead of "I worked a little on Zelda," it would be "I've begun converting the the first dungeon to Minish Cap graphics and have been implementing the Neo Bouken Battle System." Be on the lookout for more posts in the upcoming weeks.

C-Division's Cyderian Chronicles DEMO v1.0

Being a fellow member of ICU Gigasoft, it's only natural for U Division to support and promote it's sister sites. As you can see in this post, and the last, the C-Division and Wavebossa both have something to show for their hard work. I suggest you check them out, using the download links above.

K'oss is finally and fully unleashed! [UPDATE 1]

From our sister site WaveBossa:

Get the first complete version of the MUGEN character whose been changing the community!
UPDATE:
Another release so soon after 0.6. Now it's 0.7.

Link: Download K'oss v 0.7

Bouken Battle System gets a functionality upgrade

This post has been long overdue, so it's about time I make it. As you may know, the Bouken Battle System was quite a rather lengthy and bug-prone bit of code to have in my game. The only way to implement it without it interfering was to make battles take place in select rooms. Well, that's not going to happen. Rather than take the wimp's way out, I've decided to refine and strengthen my code for the BBS. In the course of two days (only a couple of hours spent reworking it) I finished the Neo-BBS. Everything the old had to offer sans the possible bugs.

In addition to changing the code, I've also opted to simplify the whole RPG element. Much like the game, Super Paper Mario, the focus will be more on puzzle solving then RPG. Don't worry, you'll still get to fight and level up and all of that, but you'll find yourself more concerned with figuring out the answer to a difficult puzzle. Gaining levels will only increase your stats slightly, if at all, but you will gain levels frequently. In fact, you only need to defeat 3 monsters in the first dungeon to get to level 2.

More Bouken Battle System Information:
Here is a shot of the "Status Screen."
As you can see, Link is pretty weak. But more importantly, it is best that I explain the meaning behind the stats.

Power: (ATK) Link's strength rating.
Dexterity: (DEF) Link's defense rating.
Wisdom: (INT) The more wise you are, the more efficient your spells are.
Courage: (SPEED) The more courageous you are, the better chance you have of landing a blow.

HP and MP are pretty self-explanatory. And Rupees are currency.



Battle Algorithms

Sword Attack
Damage = [(LINK ATK * COMBO)/2] - ENEMY DEF
Note: The Combo default is 2. As in, if you don't pull off a combo, the algorithm looks like this: Damage =LINK ATK - ENEMY DEF.

Bomb Attack
Damage = (LINK ATK*2) - ENEMY DEF
Note: In other words, it's two times Link's ATK minus the enemies defense. Obviously, this can be one of your most powerful weapons. But unlike the sword, it is ammo based.

Small/Big Arrow Attack
Damage = LINK ATK
Note: The arrows pierce defense. When enemies start getting higher DEF, the Arrow can be more useful. But equipping the bow does not raise your attack much, if at all. However, bows that require Big Arrow's do raise your attack more, but still not as much as a Bomb or Sword.

Magic Cane/Gust Cannon Attack
Damage = 0
Note: This two psuedo-weapons don't actually deal damage. Instead, they slow down your opponent or fade them away. Both weapons raise your SPEED a lot, so it's harder to get hit while trying to inflict such a status condition on your opponent.

A few more screens trickle in...

A couple of more screens. These were taken from Hyrule Field. I haven't really worked on the game much, but I will probably do some more mapping on Hyrule to make it bigger. I plan on it being ginormous.

Friday Media: Mario Bros Video + Image

Yes, today is Sunday. Don't rub it in my face. But, even if I did update two days late I still updated. Here is last weeks Friday media for the upcoming game "Super Mario RPG: The Seven Sages."

Mario Bros. EX Mini-Game

Friday Media: Naruto AMV

If there's any evidence that RPG Making has been taking a back seat for almost a month, this may be it. The Friday Media piece is no way related to game making, but, then again, was it supposed to be? Besides, this is a music video of a game (Narutimate Accel) and I made it, so why not?

Song: "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas


And now for a random GIF I made:

Update drought, I won't deny it.

Thanks to the mounting pressures of schoolwork and such, I haven't had much time or desire to work on Zelda or Mario. Interest in game making tends to come in spurts for those of us who aren't paid (nor want to be) for our hard work. It seems as if releasing that demo really did me in for a while because I haven't done much work on Daibouken since. I will try to refocus my energies on Mario which may prove more fun to work on after a long hiatus.

Friday Media: The Bros are back! (And I'm not talking about samurai)

You heard right. And it's definitely not those idiot Samuris Brothers. The Mario Bros. are back on the RPG scene. U Division's first project to ever have any promise returns to production in this new teaser trailer video. Mario and RPG Maker fans alike should check out a video of what the game has so far. For more info go here. Expect more updates and coverage of the game as I start up work once more. But I haven't had much time to RPG make recently, so updates may continue to be few and far between (my last one was a week ago). And on a side-note, U Division Games hit count is... is... over NINE THOUSANNNNNDDDD!!! (Yeah.....)

Super Mario RPG: The Seven Sages (Trailer 1)

U Di-DJ Music! (UPDATE #1)

That's right! Fresh of the... presses? Anyways, give these two songs a download if you want to sample some of the album "Testing 3, 2, 1."

1. Hollow Mario Mix (Super Mario World)
   
2. Aliens are invading the Dark World!! (The Legend of Zelda 3)

"Hollow Mario Mix" and "Aliens are invading the Dark World!!"

Are going to be released this Friday. They are only two songs of the new album "Testing 3, 2, 1" that is a collaborative effort between C Division (s0uNdch3k) and U Division (U Di-DJ) which aims to feature about 10 or more total. Right now, it's shaping up to be pretty decent with some pure originals and some good remixes (like the previously mentioned songs). Be on the look out for these sweet beats by the end of this week.

More site content on the way: "U Di-DJ" and "Game Making Tips"

According to a recent press release, (which just so happens to be what you're reading right now) the game-making guru U Division has decided to lend a helping hand to amateur game-makers. In addition to this, U Division plans on makin' some sweet beats for you to treat yourself too. All in the name of expansionism.

"U Di-DJ"
Much like the "U Di-Videos" project, the U Di-DJ allows site goers to sample U Division' s original, game-related music. Thanks to the services of www.4shared.com, you will be able to play the music from the website or download it to your computer.

"Game Making Tips"
Pretty self-explanatory, but might as well go into more depth. I am no expert, but I think I'm familiar enough with RPG Maker (at least 2003 for that matter) to share some of my knowledge of the subject. There are some useful things I've discovered that I think would be helpful for beginners to know.

It hasn't been said when the first issue of either of these productions will be posted, but rumor has it that U Division just downloaded FL Studio demo 7...

U-Tube: Update #2

U Division's "U-Tube" page has finally received an update since launch. You can now head over there to find the latest videos regarding our games, works and creations. And while we are speaking of media, I'm sure you've notice the complete failure that was "Friday Media." Yeah, after the first two issues, I never got around to doing it again. However, you can expect that trend to end coming next Friday. I don't want to spoil it, but expect a good length video of the game that was and almost wasn't.

Super Mario RPG: The Seven Sages. From "Cancelled" to "Hiatus"

Yes, a while back I had decided to cancel one of my most ambitious projects to date, and since then have not done any work on it. My problem with SMRPG:SS was, just like with Zelda, there being too much coding of systems and what not and not enough making the actual game. Well, I decided to take care of that problem and I am pleased to announce that SMRPG:SS is no longer canceled. Thanks to the time hog that is Zelda, I still won't be able to work on it much so that's why I say "Hiatus."

But continuing this project means I have to get rid of some stuff to increase my chances of finishing it.

-Only Mario and Luigi can fight (Sorry, no Bowser, Geno, or Yoshi)

...Actually, that's about it. Without those dudes in the Battle System, it allows for an easier way to do "Bros. Combos" and less coding/spriting. Given what I had, it would be a stretch to incorporate those extra characters.

Important! Demo v1.2b Patch!

You may be missing this file for the Demo v1.2!

It has come to my attention that a file is missing from the Demo. A "water1.png" as it were. This was a very bad oversight from U Division, accidentally using an RTP animation file and not adding it to the Daibouken folder. My bad. For those of you unable to complete the Demo, just follow these steps.

1. Download water1.png
2. Put the file in the "Battle" folder of the Demo Folder
3. Play the game.

If you are too lazy to do that, you can just give Demo v1.2b a download that comes complete with the update.

Now that you've played the Demo v1.2...

How was it? Did Demo v1.2 provide a sufficient step-up from it's predecessor or is the Daibouken game still in the realm of mediocrity? Did you enjoy it, and if so, what were your likes? What were your dislikes? Just leave a comment about your experience with the game. If you haven't tried it yet, just scroll down to the previous post. Any comment is useful for us as developers to improve our projects.

Day 3: The Grand Demo itself!

Download Daibouken Demo v1.2!!!

Well, that that's. The last and the most important day of the launch party has come, so grab version 1.2 without a moments delay. Later, I may put up some reviews and reactions to it if you'd rather here what other people have to say before trying it. And if you simply want to see it, scroll down to Day 2 for the videos. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Day 2: Demo v1.2 Speed Run!

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

Now that you have been warned, check out these vids:

Part 1



Part 2

Party Day 1: Screenshot Blitz!

As promised, the first day of festivities is a barrage of screenshots. As you can see, the map no longer has that old, almost faded look of Link to the Past. Now it features the much brighter feel of Minish Cap. And now for 11 screens and some commentary.

Click the image for a full-size view!

1:Link surrounded by... hay?
2:To find treasure, one must play hopscotch over water.



3:Don't stay underwater too long! Just look at how much your HP dropped!
4:The Slvr Sword! Can't wait to forge it into the Rzr!



5:Everyone knows Chain Chomps float over water.
6:A random Hylian Guard watches link solve the puzzle.


7:Yeah, we get it. Link's got hops.
8:Ah! The room radiates when a treasure is found.



9:Another pic showing off the uses of the Arbot's Bow.
10:Wait... you can pull stones now? Blasphemy!



11: And finallly, hit that switch!

Announcing: The Feature Demo v1.2 Three Day Launch Party!!

Caution, the biggest read on U Divison up ahead.

Yes, you read right. Tomorrow will be the beginning of the three day Daibouken Feature Demo v1.2 Launch Party. After the success of Demo v1.0, it was only a matter of time before U Division released an update to it. I planned on doing so after it reached 100 downloads, but I kind of forgot to and as of now Demo v1.0 had been downloaded 118 times! Sounds like a good number to me.

I'm pretty much finished with it now, but I think it wouldn't hurt to fix a couple of things and maybe make it a little longer. Basically, each day of this "party" I will release a certain piece of media for the game. Here's a list to clarify:

Thursday - All Screenshots released
Friday - A video of the entire Demo (If you don't want to spoil the Demo, don't watch)
Saturday - The Demo itself is released.

Now to answer the questions that are bound to be raised.

New Features/Updates:

1. HUD Display
2. Weapon Change and the use of 4 different Weapons (Wooden Sword, Bombs, Slvr Sword, Arbot's Bow)
3. Pulling (Forgot that you could only push stones in the last one)
4. Fixed Glitches
5. Pretty much 100% Minish Cap graphics
6. About 6-10 minutes of gameplay
7. Humorous and helpful NPCs to further explain features
   

I don't see any mention of the Bouken Battle System on that list. Does that mean I still can't fight monsters yet?

• Yes and no. True, there is no Bouken Battle System on the v1.2, but that doesn't mean you can't fight monsters. Just like in any Zelda game, sometimes you need to use your weapon to indirectly kill a monster. I don't want to give too much away or it'll ruin a nice surprise in the new demo.

I haven't played Demo v1.0. Should I even bother?

• No, you shouldn't. V1.2 is better in every way. If you're really that eager, give v1.0 a download but it'd be a better idea to just wait for the bigger, better and badder Demo v1.2.
  

I've played Demo v1.0. It was great and all but should I even bother with the v1.2 after experiencing the first?

• You definitely need to try out the second even if you've fiddled around with the first. I wont lie and say there is a groundbreaking difference, but v1.2 does offer a but look at what direction Daibouken is headed in. It's shaping up to be more Zelda-y so I suggest you take a look.

V1.0 was not much of a challenge. Will v1.2 be harder?

• Well, correct me if I am wrong... but are YOU ASKING ME FOR A CHALLEEEENGE!!! Okay, HomeStar Runner reference aside, v1.2 doesn't add much in the difficulty department so far. But, I will say it is harder. One of the major reasons is that you can actually die. Yes, now that the HUD system is up, you can see your HP. Those monsters that bump you take about 1 HP, and the the things with blades on them that move from side to side do a bit more, about 4 HP.
  

What happened to Demo v1.1?

• I had originally planned to release v1.1 when the site passed 5,000 hits. It was going to be more of a glitch fix then anything. Basically, to further polish off the the first demo without adding to much content. I decided it wasn't a big enough leap, and, instead, did not release it.

What happened to all of the character art you promised?

• Well... I never really got around to that. Maybe during summer.

C Division launches with a BANG!

That's right! The third branch of the triune has made it's debut. This member of the ICU Gigasoft team has come out swinging and in full throttle. Not only is his website up, he's also gone ahead and made a video for his project. It too is a Zelda-type game, but is a much different kind then Daibouken. If you want to see his trailer, go on over to his new site. There is a High Quality download.

So now you have all three: I Division's (Wave Bossa) Creations, C Division Works, and U Division Games!

C Division Works

Demo v1.0 is being reworked, expect Demo v1.2 soon!

The title pretty much tells you all you need to know, but I might as well add on to that. Yes, I am currently updated the long overdue version of the demo. I'm not quite sure what I want to show off right now, but I do have a few guarantees. After all, it's v1.2, so it won't be too big of a jump.

Here's a list of what to expect so far:
-All features from Demo 1.0
-New Minish Cap graphics
-HUD display system
-Ability to change and use different weapons for puzzle solving

I'll keep you posted on this new demo as I get more work done in it. It's surprising I've done anything on Daibouken seeing as how it's spring break. That just shows how dedicated I am.

I Division is on board as well. Announcing, Project ICU

After getting whiff of the plans the C and U Division had of creating a co-operative game, I Division decided to lend a helping hand as well to make it a three pronged attack for success. However, how far this project will get is still really up in the air, and not too much about it is concrete yet. We've gone over the basics of the plot and game mechanics though. As of now, the battle system will probably be pretty standard, but with 27 total classes, 3 main heroes and one pet type dealie. As more info becomes available, you'll here from us.

A new game by C and U Division?

It's possible. At this point, the two divisions notorious for their collaborations maybe willing to try this again. Right now, we only have basic plot ideas, game play, and game mechanics thought out. Don't get your hopes up though, this game (codenamed Project CU) may not even come to be. And considering our track record of tag-team game making, you really shouldn't get your hopes up.

Our last attempt: Samuris Bros 2: The Boys are Back?
This was a parody of the very first game we ever made. It stunk just as badly. Notice, we did not know how to spell "Samurai."

However, we do plan on trying our best. We want to make a game that focuses on plot and has a good story. A good solid RPG without too many ambitious bells and whistles. Something solid, worth playing, and likely to be finished. We want to avoid the lame cliches that we use too much in other projects. Simply put, we want to do it BIG. More details should be out by the end of March.

Daibouken: Almost a year in production...

...and I have yet to even think about quitting. That's a good sign for someone notorious of starting but never finishing his projects. The fire of working on the Zelda game has not died out in the least. Especially since this the first time I've ever gotten close to finishing any of the major systems of the game. The CMS and CBS are looking better each time I work on them, and, to my surprise, I can actually see an end in sight. I've already done about 90% of the unique coding, the rest is copy, pasting, and slight alteration.

To celebrate Daibouken's birthday, I'll try to whip up something special... You'll see.

Friday Media: The Second Coming of Soccer

This video has been up for a week, because it was supposed to be last Friday's Media. However, I will put it up now. This soccer video has been made with footage C Division recorded from the Fifa 07 game. Some jukes mixed with good clips and music make for a fine video. Check it out. He'd appreciate some comments or ratings.

Shrinking Daibouken: The Change to Minish Cap Graphics

Wow. Now doesn't that look really nice? This is the future of Daibouken. Yes, for some reason I had started off Daibouken using a Minish Link but Link to the Past tilesets. To be honest, this was all becuase of availablility. I thought that to use the Minish Cap sprites, I'd have to make the chipsests myself. That's what I had to do for Mario, and look what happened to him. It's been a year since I started Daibouken. In that time, lots more Minish Cap CharaSets and ChipSets have been made. I'm sure there is a sufficent amount of them, although I must admit LttP had more.

So, I will now officially announc that Daibouken will be fully Minish Cap now. Actually, the Weapon Icons will still be Ocarina of Time/ Majora's Mask. Simply put, Minish looks much richer and detailed and actually fits with the version of Link I'm using. You'll be seeing Minish Screenshots from now on.

All in a days work!

I guess I deserve a pat on the back for this accomplishment. In only a day I was able to finish coding and spriting the shield equipment screen for the Custom Menu System. This has been a relatively productive week, and this is just evidence of that. In order to do this, I had to make 5 of the 8 different shield sprites myself, and had to code the menu part as well. All I have left are Tunics, Caps, and Accessories before the Equipment screen (probably the most important part of the menu) is finished. Go me.

Tuss's REAL debut: Tuss VS Kai video!

Thanks to a mistake pointed out to me by the C Division, no where on this site can you download his Mugen creation, Tuss. Oops, my bad. I had made the changes to the Mugen Page, but had not uploaded the newer version that included Tuss. After a month, this was finally pointed out as I said. I guess now that Tuss is having his true induction into the team, he deserves a neat video as well. Expect the video to be put on U-Tube later.

Something to add to the "Complete" List

Yup, I finally finished off something that should have been done a while ago. For my Bouken Battle System, I needed a bunch of sprites for Link using different weapons. I found a really good sprite sheet, but it would take time to turn those raw sprites into an organized sets (CharaSets, BattleSets, Chipsets, etc...) and finally, into animation. Well, for all of Link's weapon he now has the corresponding animation to go with it. I don't have a specific list of things to do for the BBS but if I did, that would no longer be on it.

Bouken Battle System: 70% Complete.

Wave Bossa's develpers blog launches!!

This must be a record. Three posts in one day? You better believe it. Our brother site has finally got of it's feet! Behold, Wave Bossa (AKA I Division) has finally gotten around to making that developers blog he's been talking about.

Wave Bossa's Creations

YouTube, no wait, I mean U-Tube Launches!

Ha ha ha, boy I am I clever. Well, actually that's not true seeing as how it took me forever to realize that there wasn't a web page of the site that'd give the link to all of our Youtube.com videos: Also, notice the head frame and left frame of the site have been updated to match the recent... updates. For those of you who are just accessing the blog and not the web page, the link is right here:

U-Tube

ICU Gigasoft no longer just "U Division"

Finally, the other two members have begun to pull their weight around here. First off, we have the smash hit Fifa 07 music video by the C Division. The song is "The Second Coming" and it shows off some crazily cool moves. Every one who watches it once usually ends up watching it 3 more times because it's that good.

Secondly, we have the long quite I Division who promises some sort of developer blog for the internet phenomenon, "K'oss." Seriously folks, a quick search of Youtube for "K'oss" and "Mugen" will find you some vids of various people pitting there own creations against the fiery beast.

Expect a link to the C Division's music video and I Division's Blog in the near future.

Feel Free to Comment

Although most of you who visit this site come from the various RPG Maker forums Daibouken is posted in, I know that does not apply to all of you. For that matter, I would like to say that any comments or criticisms would be greatly appreciated. Whether its a simple comment like "looks nice" or deeper input or even a question. Thanks in advance.

[Edit: Fixed some minor grammatical errors]

Friday Media: Sheild GIF

Well, although it arrived late, it still arrived. The first Friday Media piece is none other than Link... shielding. Having just finished transforming raw sprites into beautiful animation, I celebrated by making this small GIF with a cool GIF making program.

I can now officially say that the shielding feature of the Bouken Battle System is 100% done.

Rejoice! Another video for your viewing!

Here you go. Another short clip showing of some great footage. This is actually of the Bouken Battle System, a topic more interesting than the last. Take a look at this epic battle between Link and a flying electric jelly fish who burns you on contact... WHAT?

As a side note: I've decided to make things a little more formal about the videos. Most likely, I'll implement a "Friday Media" day where I release a piece of media (screenshot, video, music, character art, etc) instead of the scattered stuff throughout the week.

Speaking of character art, look forward to a big batch of my sketches after March 26.

Bouken Battle System: The First Boss!

Ever since I started the ambitious idea of the Bouken Battle System, I knew that I'd someday have to face the task of creating a boss. Like in any other Zelda game, the boss is not usually defeated by hacking and slashing. Often times you need a special weapon, or a certain combination of actions before he is vulnerable to damage. With those thoughts in mind, yesterday I started work on the programming of the first boss. I don't want to give much away yet, but let's just say it's coming along really nicely. There's a bit of puzzle involved with it, but the majority is, of course, fighting. But one thing you'll find fighting (and beating) this boss in Daibouken that you wont' find in any other Zelda: the satisfaction of knowing that fighting all the monsters before him actually made you stronger!

Video: A Weapon Sampling

Here's the first of the "Feature Video" series U Division has decided to do. Not quite a trailer, but worthy enough to be Youtubed.

You may be wondering why I moved Link around during this video. Well, it wouldn't be real-time if you could only stand when you changed it... right?

Just in case you didn't catch Daibouken's earlier Youtube.com debuts:

Trailer 1:


Trailer 2:

Daibouken Demo Goes Golden!

Feature Demo Version 1.0 is hereby on G-Status

By going golden I mean getting 50+ (53 as of now) downloads. I don't know whether that's a good number or not but it doesn't seem that bad. Hopefully, this will be the standard in which I am to judge other demo releases by. In all honesty, I haven't done too much on Zelda recently. Aside from some work on the Dungeon Map, I haven't as much as touched the game. However, I work in cycles and once I tire of drawing, writing, playing Twilight Princess or Madden Wii, I may just go back and pick up good ol' Daibouken.

Well, if you haven't already done so:
Download the Demo

First Addition to U DiVideos: Naruto Opening 10 LQ

I might as well put that thing to use, however, the first content added to udivideos.4shared.com is not game related. It's the much anticipated opening for the show Naruto: Hurricane Chronicles. Give it a download if you're interested.

Naruto Shippuuden Opening 10

A feature you'll probably never use...

...is the Current Dungeon Map. But it's there anyways. You can find out which floor and room you currently occupy after finding the in the dungeon. The black lines represent doors that require a Small Key, and the green box means a floor-changing staircase.

As far as coding goes, it's really not that hard to do so I might as well put it in there anyways.