Author Topic: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]  (Read 60816 times)

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #90 on: April 18, 2020, 01:40:35 PM »
The latest Roadwarden devlog is now available. About the new notifications, clock, font, world map updates, and more.
Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #91 on: May 02, 2020, 01:37:45 PM »
I’ve made some fantastic progress this week, but I’m especially happy with introducing the new continue button. One of the best things about making a game that doesn't use a lot of hardware is that you can make it run almost instantly. You won't have to remember where has your last save occurred or which save slot you have used - just click and play.

Also, I don’t think there will be a reason to add some semi-skippable animated company logos whenever the game launches, so all it takes from the moment you press the game’s icon to the moment you’re in is like 10-15 seconds. : P

Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #92 on: May 09, 2020, 01:15:49 PM »
The Clean Spear inn. From February 2019 to May 2020.

If you think it’s an improvement, you should see the game’s writing. I’ve been grinding some juicy level ups.

(New, probably the last, version of demo coming this month.)

Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Jubal

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #93 on: May 09, 2020, 11:10:40 PM »
Lovely! Yes, that's a huge advance graphically :) And the perspective is a lot better now, it looks a lot less aerial than the first one!
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #94 on: May 23, 2020, 01:11:26 PM »
The new version of Roadwarden’s demo is now available on Steam.

An additional area to explore, more things to do, better writing, upgraded UI, improved visuals. I’d love to know what you think. : )







Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #95 on: June 13, 2020, 01:28:51 PM »
The Roadwarden’s world map keeps its original size in the game, so most of its details won’t be noticed without putting your nose against the screen. It’s a shame, honestly, but my goal is to convey the impression of shifting landscape, not to portray the “realistic” geography.



Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

dubsartur

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #96 on: June 13, 2020, 06:58:44 PM »
One of the things James C. Scott talks about is how traditional understandings of space often focus on travel time (the basic unit is "about as far as someone with a standard load can walk in 1 or 2 hours" not an absolute measurement which is the same in the mountains and valleys) and how this drives imperialists crazy (you have to know every little area by walking over it or by learning the local measures) and leads to giant imperial programs to measure the earth.  And we have things like the Peutinger Table which are more like a subway map than a projection map.  I've always wondered if games could some way draw on those ideas.

Moving between scenes in Baldur's Gate (and sequels) and Chose Your Own Adventure books has a logic more like an itinerary than a Cartesian plane, I guess.
« Last Edit: June 13, 2020, 11:22:21 PM by dubsartur »

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #97 on: July 04, 2020, 05:39:37 AM »
the basic unit is "about as far as someone with a standard load can walk in 1 or 2 hours" not an absolute measurement which is the same in the mountains and valleys

I'm sorry, dubsartur, I somehow didn't receive any notification about your response. Very weird.

I actually try to avoid objective units in Roadwarden. Most people use vague directions, or even specific ones (which point you have to reach before you turn) and describe how long does it take to get somewhere, but it's not meant to be used with surgical precision. Especially since the player character uses a horse, unlike 99% of travelers.
Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #98 on: July 04, 2020, 01:14:33 PM »
Unlike most people, the monks learn to be satisfied with what’s essential for their survival, the simplest foods and shelters. They seek happiness in understanding and accepting things as they are, hidden both in nature and between the lines of the sacred scriptures, studying the mysteries of the world - herbs, crops, magic, beasts, metallurgy... 

Many of the monasteries are placed on the outskirts of civilization, where the monks explore and tame the unknown grounds. They expect that the other settlements, especially those which focus on food production, will provide for them. In return, the order shares with such villages the fruits of its research, from general guidance to specific inventions. 

The monks see themselves as responsible for broadening the potential of humankind, even though this perspective is rarely shared by those who don’t follow the teachings of the Church of Truth. Disbelievers claim that too many of the orders aim to gather resources beyond their needs, discarding their grand ideas, and reveal just the scraps of their research, and only when they can’t parasitize their neighbors any further. The lack of transparency sparks distrust, fear, and in some cases - hostility.

Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Jubal

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #99 on: August 01, 2020, 07:44:50 PM »
Is the winged hourglass a Church of Truth symbol (I assume that's what the symbol on the mountainside there is?)
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #100 on: August 08, 2020, 01:04:25 PM »
It's a symbol related to all of the "more accepted" religions - the Common Church, the Church of Truth, and most of the free churches.  I can post some more details if you're interested, by I was  actually inspired by the real-life image used both among Christians and Jews hundreds of years ago. A sign of withering away.

Humans try to mark their presence in the world, but their memories and tales dwindle, their bodies wither away, their homes and statues turn into dust.

The wilderness prevails, indifferent like time.

Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #101 on: August 22, 2020, 01:13:30 PM »
The Foggy Lake tavern is one of the younger shelters that the roadwarden can visit during their patrols. It used to be a single hut used by the hunters and woodcutters from the nearby village, but quickly proved to be useful for trading. It provided the locals with a spot to barter or, once the palisade was raised, to spend a night and feast.

Foggy, a huntress and a fisher, has decided to invest into a more durable building, and then moved in as the keeper. She hopes to turn this place into a large inn, or maybe even a new settlement, though so far it’s a distant dream. While the nearby wilderness is rather gentle and the beasts keep their distance, the open access to the lake remains a threat to the dwellers. They leave this place at the end of every fall, moving back in the early thaw. The won’t risk being cut away from their old home for months.

The actual lake doesn’t have a name, but Foggy is a bit vain. Since she knows a lot about the settlements in the North, it may be better to stay on her good side.


Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.

dubsartur

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #102 on: August 22, 2020, 07:57:23 PM »
Reminds me of the inn I sleep in at Bärnau-Tachov!

Jubal

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #103 on: August 22, 2020, 11:32:40 PM »
I like the seasonality of the patterns of life in Roadwarden. Is this ever game-relevant, or does the whole game happen during one season?
The duke, the wanderer, the philosopher, the mariner, the warrior, the strategist, the storyteller, the wizard, the wayfarer...

Aure

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Re: Roadwarden [Fantasy/RPG Elements/Pixel Art] [DEMO]
« Reply #104 on: August 23, 2020, 09:50:09 AM »
Unfortunately, the game will be locked in the single "late summer" season, ending before fall. The NPCs and narration are very aware of this period and often mention its context or other seasons, but I had to limit the scope a bit.
Next game, however... ; )

Reminds me of the inn I sleep in at Bärnau-Tachov!
Damn, one day I'll spend some time in a place like this... One day!
Roadwarden - an illustrated text-based RPG in which you explore and change a hostile, grim realm. Currently in development.
Tales From Windy Meadow - my fantasy pixel art Visual Novel.