Picoria- Not a Bad RPG

[Omegajak]

Picoria –Not a Bad RPG
 
Hi everyone, Omegajack here! I know. I never post my own stuff, if ever. Well I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone and just share with people and accept the criticism and comments.  What I’ve been doing whilst going to school, and getting a steady job.
 
I know these aren’t very good sprite works, I could look up how to properly sprite and maybe start from scratch but a part of me knows I wouldn’t bother to finish it at all if I did so I keep going with this art direction simply because it’s simple and familiar to me and I haven’t even given myself a chance to show people it yet en masse. Though I take the word of TSR veterans seriously please don’t be too disappointed if my improvement is slow. This is an animation passion project. It’s a parody/homage or letter home to RPG’s and video games, and pop culture in general. It’s a sweeping mass of ideas and concepts of things I have observed in my 26 years of being alive. I plan to make no money on this though I admit whilst developing the game mechanics and system I have been thinking about making a game.  This isn’t a warning that you can’t critique or comment there just might not be a very quick improvement despite me posting things.
 
Since what’s life without context, here’s the story overview? If and when it gets obtuse to have it in the first post I’ll put it somewhere else.
 
 
Not a Bad RPG: The series
 

Spoiler

Real world setting:

The year is 2305.

There are now 12 billion people living on Earth and in order to support that number of people there was an International human protection treaty signed which allowed 2 billion people to be shot into space in an orbiting space station named ‘Terra’s Egg ’. The station orbits the Earth just outside the orbiting distance of the moon which now creates a two moons effect on Earth, and is called Luna’s tear in some parts of the world now on clear sunset days. Terra’s Egg puts the 2 Billion residences under a cold sleep which is to say they are cryogenically frozen as the technology was perfected 50 years prior helping complete the treaty and being on time with the completion of the station itself. While the project was going on it was commonly known as ‘Project Incubator’ and was wildly fought against and uproars and riots were held, claiming that the dangers of the failure of such a project could mean the extinction of mankind, but the people who had signed up had believed it was the right thing to do to reduce urban foot prints. The application process was easier on the elderly who wanted to cheaper way to live out retirement, and pass away. Those that had diseases and sickness were also easily introduced into project incubator. 

Terra’s Egg isn’t the only orbital residence in this era though as Mars is now partly colonized with 400 million who help out in the Martian Pioneering race. Mars is part of the Milky Way Alliance as is the Colony Pangea the mining and manufacturing giant that orbits Ion Saturn’s ice covered moon. Colony Pangea hosts 200 million colonists.
 
 
Epiphysis Cerebri Unit (ECU’s): Named after the Pineal Gland the gland that induces REM sleep which enables dreaming, too much use can kick it into over drive causing a dream to be near death like.

ECU’s were introduced 20 years before Project Incubator was complete it was an idea propositioned by a daring up and coming toy, and entertainment company had created a beta version of a machine that could induce dreams and set create a set of algorithms the brain could recognize as code but help the person interpret it as reality. The ECU is a video game virtual reality system that literally created a waking dream one could interact with in real time. They soon learned that time passed much more slowly on the subatomic thinking level where data and biology could exchange relevant information.  Soon after realizing people could use this ECU device as a low income way to teach and train people on the Egg they also realized that it could be used for misuse, tricking people into believing things that aren’t true.

With this discovery other new technologies started becoming apparent and economies shifted to meet demands and needs. Changes were made wars were fought, and through it all mankind endured.

The ECU was for the first 5 years of private release kept from the public and beta tested by Terra Egg residents in small games, situations and scenarios.
Of course countries bought the device and stole it as a means for training child soldiers. Naturally the public said that this was a line we weren’t meant to cross, but the public saw the potential as the device when used under the right circumstances was nothing more than a fancy new computer peripheral.  To this day many nations are anti-ECU.  Thought there was an Act that stated that the device itself was not evil only misuse of it was.  Many homes now come with ECU personal units that can be installed or pre-installed but is limited to 4 people per household and wavers and contracts that sign off and allow you to own one.  The legal age to own your own personal portable ECU is 21 Public ECU units are regularly screened and tested, and maintained as to keep up with public safety and prevent accidents or incidents.

Many games scenarios and such were created but the biggest one is the largest MMORPG too human memory. ‘Not a Bad RPG’ or to its player base: NAB.

NAB: RPG


The Game

NAB is an ECU flagship game that hasn’t been topped to date. It’s a world where many other universes interact, interlink, and influence each other. This is called the ‘Multi-Realm’. The game takes place in what is called the Sol System. Each player of the game upon creating their character creates a new Planet Picoria that is added to the Multi-Realm. No two Picoria’s are the same.
 
 
 
Purpose:

The original purpose for NAB was to demo a large scale real time world that was theoretically to scale to that of the real world. It was made to that you could do anything; soon it was allowed browsing the internet a fun way to enjoy the world of Picoria. Different video game character from different games was used as marketing magnets to get people to try it out and create their own games. Since the software came with the ECU and was not technically sold the game was seen as parody or homage. In fact a lot of companies tried to use this ploy to their own end with favorable results and allowed the game to be forever being free and a place where all kinds of creative can share in each other’s work, and appreciate of games being made. Features were added over time and a story was developed to fit the world, it quickly shifted to MMORPG and became insanely popular rumored to have at least 1 billion people playing a day.
 
Changes:

The game evolved over time soon having modification is accessible to the public. People began adding their own unique mods to play and interact with the game, but no one was really giving the game any flair as the native code of the game was tied to the ECU data framework and was virtually untouchable as the code was modified code to interpret regular binary as an electrical signal on a small level instead of a data feed where information code is sent to be processed and executed. In light of this the ECU manufacturing company started to release mods of their own until they were so large they finally began to be expansion packs themselves and allowed the largest key feature of the game: ‘Story Vagrants’

Story Vagrants:

The in game name for a Player Character is a ‘Vagrant’; you can make one pretty much any way you want! Yet Story Vagrants are different, they have separate individual stories and plot points within the game, yet no one can simply choose them as they are simply picked at random when creating a new character. These player characters are special and have varied abilities that can make them dangerous as they are unique.
 
Economics:

One of the modifications of the NAB was discovered that after reaching certain points in the game you can earn actual income for funds. You see as technology waged on new money units were introduced to accommodate the amount of consumption and technological production that was taking place in this ‘Meta-Industrial’ era to that end Bitcoins became a popular means of Nations using it as transferrable funds to high earners, investors, and leaders, and though this may have sounded like a bad thing it actually helped solve the economic stress that was strangling the world prior in the early turn of the millennium. Job income went up and as technological advances were being discovered and new funds were found to help bail out the nations from each other’s pockets, Cold Wars for embezzling and money orders were taking place, and deals by those who in any society with different people and different agendas ended up causing loses of life all in the name of wealth that was allowing the world to become a better place. It was later found out that NAB had a coin production that could be set as a token and exchanged as bitcoins, allowing even the technically poor earn big money for a little time. Thus a new age of gamer and new age of ‘farming’ began.
 
Digital War Age: Gamer-Pro Gamer-National Gamer-Gamer Agent.

The current era as known to youth who play NAB hoping to get sponsored or be lucky enough to get a Story Vagrant by accident. Since the game held no real danger wagers and duals and gamers are bought traded and sold on normal and black markets across the planet for efficient farmers. If you’re a top player you earn a certain level of income and are seen as a celebrity in and outside of the game. Due to the fact 2 billion people are aboard the Terra Egg and 1 Billion+ people are playing NAB at any given time, it’s fair to say that legions of money and time is put out to fund the cold war efforts to decimate improper spending , corporation bail outs and improved services and infrastructure. War has changed…

It is now not uncommon to be an expert in strategy and battle by the time you are 10, children the world over now play older games and public ECU’s as testing centers for the reflexes, aptitude, and overall ability, with bullying weaker scoring children. They say it’s only a matter of time before full militarization and PMC’s (Private military Companies) take over no longer as sponsors but actual Private armies with well trained, soldiers, engineers, and scientists.   
 
Lore

The Games back story contains a story about a Goddess who create a world where many different people and places could be connected and help one another. Unfortunately an evil powerful being known as Onslaught sought dominion for the world himself.  Aided by the idea of Peoria’s sister she summoned her own warriors light which in turn cause Onslaught to summon his own Warriors of darkness and they clashed, Onslaught was weakened and pushed back, forced into a pocket dimension. Picoria fell asleep but promised if she needed would awaken to save her inhabitants. Picoria fell asleep inside the world’s center.  This is what is known as the Dawn Wars.

Millennia later Onslaught returned and yet the goddess did not awake. The people prayed and what they got was from an unexpected source. Vagabonds and Adepts wielding different skills and talents opposed Onslaught and his new campaign. They banned together and created the ‘Vigilantes’ a world faction dedicated in order and peace protecting, freedom fighters, and those who oppose Onslaughts wicked ways, thoughts, ambitions, and his followers.  Due to his lack of complete power Onslaught relents ever y time and in this he realized again that he needed an organization that ran better than the one the Vigilantes had come up with. Onslaught created the Overlords Organization, a group of powerful pirates, robber’s, usurpers, and destroyers, who serve as his liaison, or bringing chaos and destruction to the masses of the Multi-Realm.
 
Factions

Vigilantes:

Vigilantes are Adepts and Vagrants who have united under the singular cause of protecting Planet Picoria and the Multi-Realm. These heroes said to have been guided by the goddess Picoria herself clashed against the first Pirates and Overlords in a heated war known as the 'KON Soul Wars' where near demi and Meta human’s monsters and villains of all shapes and sizes. Their hope was to either rid the world and known Realms of the scourges once and for all but sadly could only come to a standstill and non-universal combat treaty where large scale battles are no longer permitted. Instead the Vigilantes play as super cops, explorers, researchers, engineers, rescuers, infantry, teachers, and many other high callings to help the dispersed recalculated efforts of the Overlords. Their battle for the greater good continues to this day.

Careers: Occupation ladder given to Vagrants who have sided with the greater good.
Jr. Deputy Hero
Sr. Deputy Hero
FFH (Fully Fledge Hero)
Part-Time Hero
Hobby Hero
Pilot
Star Pilot
Mobile Unity Pilot
Gun Star Hero
Super Gunstar Hero
Digger
Purifier

Overlords:

Skilled assassins, usurpers, pirates with talents and abilities that earn them large amounts of money and power and dominance under the rule of Onslaught the multidimensional supreme overlord who has declared that a world of many worlds is exactly the type of universe he can feel comfortable most as it's ruler. To this end he has decided to split his power, resources and dominance to his lesser vassals and co-conspirators each out to backstab the other they rob loot, smuggle and kill any and all who doesn't pay or bow down. Needless to say, these are some of the lowest individuals but even a dark hero who runs against the grain among their ranks individuals who believe that power is indeed everything but the Multi-realm would be better in his or her own hands and not Onslaughts'. So they endured the war and now have set out each ordered by their dark master to carry out his master plan where they compete with each other for his affection and favor in hopes he lowers his guard long enough for him to be dealt with. 
 
Careers: Your role as Onslaught commands.
 
Adversary
Backbiter
FOE
Opponent
Rebel
Rival
Vilifier
Villain
Antagonist
Maverick
Irregular
Destroyer
 
 
Vagrants

Individuals who never took a side but did and still do play large roles in continued struggle for peace and order amongst chaos and destruction. Led by their own wills these souls struggle on to find their own place in the world is it with the Vigilantes or Overlords only time and history can tell.

Careers: Occupation ladder that Vigilantes can do as part timers for other factions.
 
Security
Bodyguard
Mercenary
Digger
Tinkerer
Specialist
Masked Mighty Morphin Ranger
Super Sentai Rider
Ace
Ace Pilot
 
 
Not a bad RPG was a sprite comic idea I had a long time ago that eventually grew it something much bigger.  A cast of over 40 characters,  
 
These are the main characters. Who eventually form their own guild called Lugria an old guilds name who with no hero characters single handily stopped a maleware shut down that was going to delete and erase over 40% of the worlds data, but then disbanded after succeeding and receiving abusive pressure from governments to become national pro players.

 
 
 
 
Timuit Turpis – The short over joyous leader, Vessel of Odijnn the Grand Kaiser of Dragons who controls fury, wrath and hate to decimate his enemies when joined with Tim he becomes their dimensions Yorae Dragon.



Bio: Tim’s back story is intertwined in the real story. When the players great grandfather passed away a special event took place where Tim then being played by his grandfather was betrayed by his friends and forced into slumber resetting all of his stats and even changing his older body back. In this incarnation he’s forgotten his precious life and must piece it back together and regain his lost power. In order to do this he must interact and help as many people as he can in hopes of finding more people who knew who he was when he was still played by the games creator.  Well-loved and liked, Tim is bundle of positive energy who’s ready to “dive into anything” like his adoptive grandfather use to say, but likes to play it safe when his friends are involved. He thinks a lot about stuff and is often found spacing out. He uses swords, and his fists in battles, he apparently also has the ability to use guns but refuses to do so, saying most ‘I’m not that kind of low denomination hero.’
 
 
Meikin – The Lightning Lancelot of Legs and Right hand man.



Bio: Meikin is sassy, and overconfident and loves a challenge, he is travelling to find ‘the God of Kicks Vegetto’ so he may learn how to become the best kicking master in Picoria. He wants his kicks to literally create thunder and lighting and seeks to pit himself against the toughest melee opponents to do it. Tim’s first friend and perhaps greatest rival as they journey together Meikin becomes more and more convinced he is the only who can beat Tim if and when he fully reclaims his powers. Not to say he doesn’t care about the other guild members he just likes to act cool and practice he moves alone a lot. He shows his affection by sometimes storming their guild house as their recurring sub-boss rival/enemy ‘Daddy Lightning Legs’. If he targets you it’s because he wanted to see your growth if he doesn’t storm the house in a while it usually means he’s out working, or….working out. Too cool for hugs and too awesome to ignore Meikin always backs up Tim with witty banter or solid advice, but admits that Tim’s guts and friendliness and ease of making  friends was what drew him in the first place, but tells Tim on a day to day basis that just means Tim isn’t allowed to die to anyone before Meikin beats him.
 
Sherry – Queen of Battle 



Bio: Sherry is a disciple master of Zantesuken she teaches Tim sword play basics of the school and makes him her first disciple. Caring, sweet, she has a deep love for music and can’t help but swoon at boys who want to play at being a hero and nags them if they’re heads are up in the clouds too long. She likes to get things done and believes everyone can live up to their potential if they try. Big on morals and no slouch in battle when provoked, she’s one lady you’d best keep on your good side. Her Light Arrows and ability to control Fire and Ice are also legendary.
 
Kei – The ‘Tiny’ Titan and Digital Mon Master



Bio: Kei is a lazy aloof kid who doesn’t like to be rushed when doing things. It puts him at odds with his younger twin Kanti despite this he cares for his brother dearly. Makes a living finding and befriending and taming Different Digimon he comes across. With his special ability the D-Link he can Digivolve himself with his digivice into any Digimons code he’s scanned. He likes to listen to music a lot when he trains with his Digimon and is a bit of a loner, but he takes instruction really well (when Sherry can get him to listen or stay awake.). Kei is thoughtful though, and is determined to one day face off against the strongest Digitamers and masters, if for no other reason than to tell his baby bro and everyone else he’s done one cool thing in his life.
 
Kanti- Mon Master Rookie King



Bio: Serious about life and serious about others taking things serious seriously Kanti is no slouch, he’s constantly doing things to keep himself busy, whether he’s watching videos, or reading info he’s never satisfied. He’s considered the book worm but thinks that suits him just find he’s not as strong as his big brother but makes up for it with his smart tactics, and mana manipulation. Kanti also likes to help cook, and tell his big brother about his adventures hoping to get praise. He also respects Tim highly as a second older brother who looks out for lots of people. His goal is to become a Pokemon Master and is constantly out in the woods training with his Pidgeotto Cid, Riolu Anubis, and,  Bayleef Mana.  He says one day he’ll be a Pokemon professor too so he’s got to learn as much as he can while he can. He can’t stand it when he feels like his brother is slacking, which is unfortunately most of the time. Good thing they love each other so much otherwise they’d kill each other. 
 
 I'm so tiered. I knwo there's probably lots of spelling/grammar mistakes. Feel free to correct me. #Everything #Is #A #LEARNING #Experience

To be honest though I've been afraid to post any of this here.




 

[Cyberguy64]

I think this might be the wrong board for this.

[Vipershark]

I think it might be a good idea to have all your story content be in a spoiler (or a separate thread in the Creativity section) and just leave the sprites themselves visible in the OP.
Otherwise it's kind of annoying to scroll through all that...

[Omegajak]

I think it might be a good idea to have all your story content be in a spoiler (or a separate thread in the Creativity section) and just leave the sprites themselves visible in the OP.
Otherwise it's kind of annoying to scroll through all that...

Solid advice.

[Kelvin]

Every character just looks like a Frankenstein of a bunch of other characters. It's like a cosplay convention, and everyone has ADD. I can even see where parts of a body are drawn in one style while others are drawn in another.

By the way, solid blocks of text with bold, italic, and underline at at once makes that really hard to read without getting tired. Use plain text and only format what needs to be formatted.

[Silversea]

Consistency is very important. If you are using dark outlines, keep them dark throughout everything. Take that pink hair, the outline is barely visible. Don't be afraid to use a much darker colour for outlines, even if it is nearly black sometimes (or actually black).

Some of your sprites have obvious dark outlines, others it is really hard to see in certain places. Shading consistency is also important...for instance that first dude in the lineup with the blue hat that A. has an awkward dark outline on said hat that is far darker than any other outline and B. has no shading on said hat despite the rest of the character showing shading in a way that means the hat needs some too.

It is always better to make your own characters by the way...I can see the pokemon trainer heads stuck on some other sprite's body. If you must do this, please update these additions so they are all from the same style, or at least look it.

Sorry if this sounds overly negative or harsh.


EDIT: minor minor nitpick but on that game logo I read "RPG" first.

[Omegajak]

Consistency is very important. If you are using dark outlines, keep them dark throughout everything. Take that pink hair, the outline is barely visible. Don't be afraid to use a much darker colour for outlines, even if it is nearly black sometimes (or actually black).

Some of your sprites have obvious dark outlines, others it is really hard to see in certain places. Shading consistency is also important...for instance that first dude in the lineup with the blue hat that A. has an awkward dark outline on said hat that is far darker than any other outline and B. has no shading on said hat despite the rest of the character showing shading in a way that means the hat needs some too.

It is always better to make your own characters by the way...I can see the pokemon trainer heads stuck on some other sprite's body. If you must do this, please update these additions so they are all from the same style, or at least look it.

Sorry if this sounds overly negative or harsh.


EDIT: minor minor nitpick but on that game logo I read "RPG" first.

It doesn't hurt at all. THANK you. Trust me I love it I need to hear it so that I do it. Or at least always have good people documenting their good advice.