itch.io

Much appreciated.  Thank-you, and have a nice day.

Thank-you very much for such an interesting examination of the project, and I hope other people might encounter similar fates whether or not they put it into words here on itch.

The true story of HOME GAME is a grotesque one and a suitable carcass from which to carve content.

The recent couple of maps took both a long time to complete and more than a few pages of new sprites.  I don't want the quality or depth to suffer right when I'm getting to some of the most important parts, so it's slow going, but I'm also trying new things all the time, which is...exciting.

I have some music to do by now also, for these new locations and events, which I'll get around to over the summer.

I don't know how, but people always try things in-game I've never once considered, so my own window into the game seems to preclude my ever noticing some issues.  Try to break it!

That said, I am not surprised THE DESCENDER has proven to be a source of issues, as it is one of the earliest unique enemy events and might be due for a tune-up.  I still can't say why it behaves oddly on occasion, but during the production of HOME GAME 3, I swear there was a Windows update which somehow changed the nature of how invisible events in RPG Maker 2000 interact, resulting in events which used to pass freely over one another no longer doing so.  Maybe it's the Steam version of RM2k, I don't know, but it was a bit of an issue to adapt and work within this new framework...All kinds of invisible events started colliding, even if they did not historically.  

I've found one or two genuine bugs in RPG Maker 2000 itself by now also.  For instance, the REMOVE HELMET script removes your BODY equipment slot!

Any weird bugs people have reported on here are appreciated and serve to improve the final game.

Cheers for the kind words and for anyone who has yet to stop by.

Lbh pna qvfpbhentr GUR GUVAT jvgu PYBL PBZOHFGVOYR, znqr jvgu Gbjreyhat naq Vaprafr.

Rqvg: Guvf "gvc" vf nyfb sbhaq va gur VAPRAFR WBHEANY lbh svaq va gur GBJAUBZR.

Rqvg2: Lbh pna nyfb chepunfr PYBL PBZOHFGVOYRF sebz gur FNYG FRYYRE.

Rqvg3: Vs vg arire "pngpurf lbh" ng 40 QVIVAVAT, vg jba'g sbyybj lbh UBZR.

Edit5: THE DESCENDER is one of the oldest events in TOWN by a long shot and as such I dare say it is perhaps inelegant by my current standards, a full 2 years of development on.

In some ways I suspect it might be worth redoing the DESCENDER entity, as it is fairly complex and sometimes behaves in unexpected ways, but I've thus far tried to maintain it and force it to behave more intelligently as times has gone on.

Why some events only sometimes behave certain ways I cannot wrap my mind around.

Herein dump erroneous experiences for consideration; thank-you for your time.

I can appreciate that; something easily adjusted I'm sure.  THE DROPPER can just go into the background when GLAIVESPIN is on.

Edit: It works how you'd expect, now.  GLAIVESPIN cancels the DROPPER and you fling it away at the end of the spin.

I've been looking and it could perhaps be that the bones are "blocking it", so I'm adjusting something there and will keep an eye out in my own playthroughs.

I would recommend leaving the screen and returning, and if the creature still hangs in the air, load an earlier save.

It is a rare bug but that's a couple of times, now.

Edit: That your DESCENDER is still pink in your screenshot is of interest.  If you've killed it twice, it should appear RED; 4 times, black.

After 4 kills it will notify you about a WELL, and attack you relentlessly until you DESCEND THE WELL, which will be accessible.

If you cannot enter then that might be a bug, but otherwise I'd try jumping down the well.

Edit: On only one or two occasions I've seen DESCENDER hung up in mid-air...it could be a number of things, it probably needs a bump or something, but it's so mysterious why these things happen TBH.  It works 99% and then something weird happens.

Yes.

Edit: My posted image of DESCENDER is not currently visible for some reason.  You can defeat him a few times using the GLAIVE and the pedestals which activate the GLAIVESPIN.

He'll eventually require you to go down into a poorly drawn well just south of TOWN.  I have drawn a better well recently to make it more obvious.

"You can feel it coming for you already."

Thank-you for supporting my game development.

It has been a thoroughly deranged Q4, but now more than back on track.

Better luck next year.

If you feel like any other tips, let me know.  There's a fair bit of things crammed into the game but I'm not sure how readily people will make their way to some portions.  I'm still evolving how to adequately inform the player of possible activities, since certain things seem like they may "need" to be explained at the outset or upon their introduction.

Nothing in the game so far states that spamming Enter on most enemies will shove them away from you, for example, but it is very handy.

In TOWN, in abandoned house numbered "16", you can push a table around to reach a LORDSTOP guarded by a RENTER.

The fourth LORDSTOP appears to be on the other side of getting the GLAIVE from the CHURCH in TOWN, and using the GLAIVESPIN (colorful spinning attack you can trigger in the middle of TOWN) to anger the DESCENDER.  Defeating it down the well will open up TOWN a bit more.

There are 6 DEAD BONES, and regardless of donations you can afterwards find TENNIS BALLS at HOME.

To raise your DIVINING score you would have to equip some gear made at HOME on the ART TABLE.

[REDACTED]

Your DIVINING score must be around 40 IIRC to see/interact with the PURPLE CROSSES ✝️  aka LORDSTOPS in TOWN.  They appear in areas of natural greenery, e.g., green grass, flowers, etc.  Taken to a LORD the effect will be immediate.  There are 4 LORDSTOPS which can be used, but only once each.

Ahh, yes, that one seems clear enough.  Respawning while ROOF OFF doesn't reinstate it.

Cheers, that's a good bug.

It is also worth noting you can reach I believe OMENS 5, and around 12 or 13 RIPPLE EFFECTS.

Does GIRL say that you can hide in bed?  I would try HIDING IN BED at HOME and leaving it for a minute or so.

Edit: That's underneath the bedcovers, also.

You might also return to the DESERT with ANGELS and donate DEAD BONES to the person at the topmost campsite..

The GUESTBOOK will come into play much later, moreso if you signed your own name into it.

You can DIVINE 4 LORDSTOPS in TOWN which will sequester LORDS elsewhere, ultimately making the bridge freely accessible.

You cannot, but it is an interesting idea nonetheless!

You could clean up TOWN some that way.

That's an interesting one, not sure I've come across it before.  

Could only guess why it happened, but I'll see if I can't replicate it or something, cheers.

Thanks for the bug reports also, I'm always interested in errors which may appear.

You can make the BATTLEFIELD a bit safer by equipping the first tier of equipment, but you could visit it any time basically.  It isnt quite suicide to do it right away or without  gear, but BF1 is a good way to get a few thousand AGE very early on if you dont lose all your SANITY along the way.

You can push most enemies by using them with Enter.

That area is also full of corner scooches to let you slip past without taking damage.

After checking, it was not set to "Ignore if cannot move", so forced you into infinitely trying to walk into the square the PLANTER occupies.

I've fiddled about with it a bit and it should prove less likely problematic moving forward.

Thank-you for reporting this, it's the smallest random glitches which crop up for others that somehow I never triggered myself.

HOME GAME 3 has not been free yet, only a small sale discount.

Thanks for stopping by.

I basically removed it from sale while I add stuff, so I don't get stuck in a loop of re-uploading it every time I find a typo or fix a random tile, but I've re-listed it as it was back in April.

The version which is sold here is a little out of date now, but it'll be re-uploaded when it has grown more substantially.

Thanks for your interest, and [...]

Cheers

R.I.P. Shaye

Forever beautiful.  Forever trash.

Happy Halloweeeeen.

As you embark upon this HOME GAME 3 experience, herein you can dump questions as you may.

The game takes a long time to get through, I feel.

It takes me days to play from fresh to the end-state when I start a new test game.

You may find it of use to keep notes, especially of SIGILS.

Some less common Things-to-do:

Shyyl nfpraq fbzr FUBHYRF

Znxr FRPBAQ naq GUVEQ CBHYGVPR

Oevat UBEFRF gb QRNGU FUNPX jvgu D

Yriry-hc YRJVF gb FABETYR

Tvsg pnzcsver TUBFGF qrfverq YNIRAQRE

Wne obgu NAABLVAT JBEZF

Chg lbhe ANZR va gur THRFGOBBX

OYBBZ TNEQRA

Fhzzba JRRQ YBEQ

Yriry-hc GBBYPHOR gb znkvzhz rssvpvrapl

Znxr UBG PBSSRR

Oerj nyy GBAVPF

Xvyy naq erivir nalbar

Yrnea HASBEFRRXRA

Edit: Also, going down the ladder outside the SHACK is a full-on GAME OVER screen, as opposed to a death screen or special ending!

You cannot pry open the doors, but there's 3 old back doors someone left unlocked.

The white cat spits out a hairball if you already have the OLD LADY KEY; otherwise it gives you the key at that time.

The HUGE ROOT VEG helps lure rabbits to you for when the yard at home becomes very chaotic.

Lbh pna PELFGNYVMR gur enppbbaf naq znal bgure lneq guvatf ng UBZR.

Edit: Nyfb, lbh pna trg n serrovr sebz gur FRRQ QRNYRE vs lbh ohl va ohyx bapr.

I imagine you may have found your way to some other activities with Squmme's tips, but here's a couple which might be of use.

[REDACTED]

To their detriment, RABBITS at HOME love HUGE ROOT VEG! (The one in TOWN does not even appear interested.)

[REDACTED]

The JUNK DEALER sells FLOUR for 1000 AGE or so.  You should put [REDACTED] so he appears sooner rather than later.

FYI: You can also play this game on Android phones and devices by downloading an RPG Player app, but this method produces unusual bugs not present otherwise.

My favorite glitch was finding a Shoule in my bed.

I've gone through the HERMIT RUINS and added a few more strategic hiding spots from the ANGELS which might ease the pain.

I also recently left a comment near this one which explains a bit more about the second stat: ♆ is your MAGIC POINTS and they can be quite handy.

♆ is your MAGIC POINTS.  

The MAX is raised by 1 through eating raw plant or raised in bulk by brewing and drinking [REDACTED TONIC].  It can be replenished by eating a few items or smoking.  It is a little tricky to use because your own magic potential waits locked inside items you find, but can be very powerful for keeping you alive. You are able to learn a couple of SPELLS which will use up a small or large amount of ♆, so MAX MP might end up in the triple-digits for best flexibility.

Is [WISH FOR RUBS] a spell?  The text doesn't really describe it as such, but it uses MP and works from anywhere, so I suppose it must be a bit like magic.

I've changed how the KEY works so that it should be fine in EasyRPG Player.

The DESCENDER took the [REDACTED] down the well.  The more you fight with it in TOWN, you can open up the well.

I'll tinker with the KEY thing in any case, because it is weird and inexplicable, moreso now that the order-change didn't affect the end result.