Otherworldly F.A.Q. (Currently Outdated - will be updated soon!)
And so am I! I'm Space Communist, the sole person working on this game. Hopefully I'll be able to answer things in a more concise way than *he* can. :P
1. What is “Otherworldly”?
Otherworldly takes place in a universe where there are two main races of humans - man and magician. When Earth (the home of mankind) suffers from a great catastrophy, the Boxer - humanity's champion - must travel to the realm of magicians in order to save the world. As the Player, you have the power to help him - and so he requests your assistance to complete this mission.
Together, you'll travel through different areas, meet strange individuals, make terrifying enemies, learn about the nature and histories of magicians, and find out what it means to truly be a champion as you take on Akirakon, dark king of the magicians.
2. What are magicians?
It's just like it says on the tin: folks who can use magic. Of course, it's not entirely fair to label them as humans - magicians have a wide range in form and ability. You'll be finding that out in-depth as you journey through the magician's realm. For now, however, I think it's safe to rely on the man-magician dichotomy, don't you think?
3. What is the world of magicians like?
It's a realm distant from Earth that, by its very nature, starkly contrasts the universe around it. Fundamental alterations and alchemies to the elements of the realm have rendered it so bizarre and alien to the senses of the sane that, if a normal man were to look upon it, they would go MAD!...with indifference, probably.
4. Altered...? Oh, so is that why the trees in that image look so weird? No, it’s because I’m a terrible sprite artist. :S In all seriousness though, despite the poor artwork (depending on your judgement of course ;P), every design in this game has its purpose. Some things that don’t meet the eye very well might just look that way for a good reason... 5. What kinds of characters can I expect to meet?
And those folks are just a tiny handful of the individuals you'll be meeting on your journey!
6. Hey, this looks an awful lot like [game]! Is this a ripoff?!
No, by all means, this game is not intended as a ripoff of anything you've seen! While this project was originally intended as a fangame of the popular Belgian RPG "OFF", it has since become focused on being a game and story in and of its own right. As such, you may see heavy similarities to that game, along with other games that have had an influence on this author over time - however, the ultimate goal of this project is to create a unique game on its own merits, rather than as a copy or ripoff of another game. Hopefully, by the game's completion, it will be distinguishable as something unique!
7. What game engine does this run on?
Otherworldly is being built with RPG Maker 2003, both to create a retro effect and due to the game being a former OFF fangame project that has since been turned into its own thing. Game Maker Studio was a bit too expensive, and more recent RPG Maker systems are a bit...well, *odd* in the way the frames work.
8. What is the combat system like?
As with all RPG Maker 2003 games, combat works on an ATB (Active Time Battle) system. Here, PCs and opponents do not take "rounds" or "turns" but rather fill a charge meter. When full, they may select an attack to fire. There are no time or turn based limits on how to attack, and as such many can see this as a hinderance - however! There is of course an extra sidebar allowing for selection between Manual, Auto, and Flee options, where nobody (ally or foe alike) can charge their meter, giving the player some time to think about their next move. For players who find combat too tedious (we've all been there before!), there is the aforementioned Auto function, allowing your allies to attack on their own - but they may not always make the best strategic choices, so be wary!
9. Will there be a demo/beta?
Yes! Some time in development, I plan to release the first level as a playable demo/beta/whateveryawannacallit. It'll be free, and feedback would be greatly appreciated!
10. Will the game itself be free, or will I have to pay?
Unsure - I've been so busy trying to get the darned thing finished, I haven't put much thought into it! If I do end up wanting people paying for it, then it's probably gonna be at a low price (max $5.00 USD). I might set up a patreon (without anything to warrant one...:/), or I might even put up a kickstarter (without a need to use the money...). As I said, my focus is currently on finishing the game before monetization is considered (if at all).
11. Where can I download the game?
As it's currently unfinished, Otherworldly doesn't have a download site yet, ya dingus! When it's finished, I do plan on trying to get the game greenlit on Steam for maximum visibility, but all the same the file will probably be available on a website of its own (I'll probably add a post about it if/when the website goes up). If not a website, then probably on this tumblr.
12. Who all is working on this project?
Just me, Space Communist! I'm working on the game alone here - meaning, all the music, sprites, story, etc. are of my own creation. At some point in the future I may get some custom sprites from friends or from a poll or whatever, and if times get tough I may request some assistance, but at the moment it's a solo project.
13. How can I contribute to the game?
The biggest thing you can do is SPREAD THE WORD! Get your friends hyped up for Otherworldly, tell people all about it, whatever you can do to attract attention to this project will be a great help! Except, like, committing violence in the name of the project...I don't think you'd do that, but I'm just saying...please don't do that...
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...ANYWAY! The more followers and support I get for the project, the more effort I'll be able to put into it (because I really don't wanna let you guys down, eheheh). So please tell people all about Otherworldly! (except for spoilers when it comes out of course :P)
14. Does that include fanart?
Fanart is more than welcome, it's encouraged! I love seeing my work reinterpreted by others out there - not only does it spread the word for Otherworldly, but it's just damn entertaining to see!
15. Will this game break my heart?
I dunno. Maybe?
16. Will it win me the sexual partner of my dreams?
I am currently testing to see if this is an accurate feature of the game. Will report back with results later.
17. What is the code?
15,24,32,69,1
18. Will there be a NewGame+ feature?
Are you sure you wanna find out? **** Welp, that’s it for the FAQ! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I’ll (hopefully) be able to answer! Thanks for having the interest and taking the time to look at my game project! Follow this tumblr to get more updates on the game as it goes through development!