itch.io

Thanks so much Ronove! 💜

Hey there, thank you so much! It really means a lot to get comments like this. I appreciate your kind words and I hope Chapter 1 meets your expectations :)

Thanks! It's honestly pretty motivating too. Like, wow, there's actually a game here 😳

These are lovely! Thank you for this 🙏

Thank you so much Unity! Indeed, time saved is a big factor, and it looking nicer is a huge plus :)

Thank you so much! :D

Thanks moogle! That was the trickiest decision I think, but overall I think it works just fine, especially thanks to all of the "HD Remakes" of old classics these days. :)

Definitely! Will be sure to share

Awesome! Looking forward to giving it a try soon :)

Hang in there. Focusing on your safety, wellbeing, and health is always first and foremost--glad to hear that is your priority now. I empathize too well with the feeling of defeat for not being able to keep up with progress, especially while life kicks your ass. This past summer I had trouble gathering together any sort of progress for a devlog, felt a lot of shame, etc.

Sometimes time away is what we need. I really hope that your life situation improves soon, and that you're able to feel game development as rewarding after resting and recentering. Good luck <3

Looking forward to it! And I hope you continue to feel better & kick the illness soon 🙏

Wow this looks lovely, best of luck with the contest!

Congratulations on your academic achievements, that's really incredible news!

The challenging nature of gamedev and how much you have to give up in order to pursue it is really, really relatable--and I can't imagine what it must be like at this scale. The work you've done up to this point is amazing, but I'm really glad to hear that you're prioritizing health and happiness.

I wish you the best luck with your new roles and future pursuits!

Aw, thank you so much. Your words of encouragement mean a lot! I always appreciate when folks understand the balancing act of life & work. 

Totally agree with this--breaks are important and it's always good to take good care of yourself first and foremost. I hope you have fun & best of luck with the game jam too! 

Thank you so much! 

(Last Updated: August 4th, 2023)

Hello everyone. Below is a list of commonly asked questions about the game. Please be sure your question is not answered here before commenting or starting a new discussion.

What platforms is the game supported on?

The game will be available for Windows, MacOS and Linux upon Chapter 1's release. However, the demo is only available on Windows and MacOS at this time.

Will it run on MacOS Catalina / BigSur? What about Windows 11?

Yep! Legends of Astravia supports 64-bit operating systems, and will run on Apple Silicon as well. Windows 11 has been tested, and the game runs happily there as well.

Can I continue the full game with my save file from the demo?

Currently, we can't guarantee that demo saves will be compatible with the base game. This is due to there being too many variables with development that may break save files, but an attempt will be made to preserve them.

Sometime before Chapter 1 releases, this will change, and any saves made after that update should carry over from the demo into the base game. An announcement will be made to let anyone know if any demo saves created prior will be lost at that time.

When is the base game / Chapter 1 going to be released?

Chapter 1's release date is undecided. The game’s release date on Steam will not be updated to reflect this until it is certain.

How many chapters are there?

There will be exactly 3 chapters. Chapter 1 will be the base game, with Chapters 2 and 3 released as DLC. This number will not increase and each chapter will feel like a complete game experience. Saves will always carry over into the next chapter.

How long is each chapter?

It is a little early to tell, but Chapter 1 may be about 10 hours of gameplay, depending on how much time spent doing optional content such as quests, extra puzzles, exploration, etc.

When will the entire game be done?

Chapter 1 will take the longest time, with Chapters 2 and 3 going much faster due to the minimal code requirements. The goal for Chapter 1 is Spring of 2024.

Why not release the whole game at once instead of in chapters?

Due to restrictions in both development time and budget, it is not feasible to release a game at this scale all at once without taking a very long time. Splitting the game into 3 chapters minimizes wait time for actual gameplay, and allows folks to enjoy the story sooner.

How much will the whole game cost?

Each chapter is anticipated to cost about $10 USD, with lower prices during promotions. Thus, the entire game will be between $20-30 USD. This is, however, subject to change, and regional pricing will be adjusted accordingly.

Can I stream or record the game?

Of course! If you do stream the game or make a video, I would love to see it. Feel free to post Let's Play videos here, or on Discord.

Does this game have voice acting?

There is no intention to add voice acting to Legends of Astravia.

Will the game be in other languages?

It is a very important goal to have Legends of Astravia available in various languages. However development resources are limited, and so only English may be available when the game is initially released, and Japanese shortly after.

Can I help translate / localize the game to [language]?

We would really like to have the game accessible in as many languages as possible, and favor independent translators over large localization companies. However, we currently do not have the resources to translate the game to other languages yet. Please check back closer to the game's release.

Is this really RPG Maker?!

Yes. The game was created entirely in RPG Maker XP using the Ruby Game Scripting System (RGSS). It was ported to MacOS and benefits from better performance as a result of running on the MKXP(-z) Engine.

What script did you use for X? Can you teach me Y?

Nearly every feature in Legends of Astravia has been custom coded and tailored to fit the game. I suggest taking a look at the official RPG Maker forums for help with your own game, as there is a wealth of excellent information and guides provided by many other developers and volunteers.

This thread outlines the currently known issues with the game. Studio Alemni is currently a one-man team, so please understand that resolving problems may take a little time. We appreciate your support and patience!

Bug Report Template

Please use this template when reporting bugs, as this will greatly expedite the process.

Operating System +Version: (i.e., Windows 10, Windows 11, Mac OS 11.1, etc...)
Processor:*: (i.e. Intel Core i5 6600k)
RAM:*: (i.e. 6GB)
Graphics:** (i.e. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980ti)
LoA Version Code: (i.e. 2.3.1-w_0.1.5, this is displayed on the Title Screen).
Description of the Problem: (Oliver started moonwalking off screen during the boss fight...)

If the game crashed, please give a brief description of what you were doing when the crash occurred. If possible, a description or screenshot of the error displayed is a huge help! Better logging will be implemented in the future for easier tracking.

Please be sure your issue is not already listed below before creating a new report.

* To find your Processor and RAM on Windows, you can press the Windows Key + Pause to pull up the "About" dialog, or type "About" into Windows Search. On MacOS, click the Apple Icon and select "About this Mac".

** To find your Graphics information on Windows, type "dxdiag" into Windows Search. It should pull up the "DirectX Diagnostic Tool". Click "Display 1" and note the "Name" under the "Device" section. On MacOS, click the Apple Icon and select "About this Mac".

Threads will be responded to, locked, and their issues added to the list when the problem has been noted by the development team and is actively being addressed.

Thank you so much Riggy!

Legends of Astravia is a dramatic 2D role-playing game set in a world of magic. It's a love-letter to games of the late 90s and early 2000s such as Golden Sun, FF7, and Grandia. 

It has an explorable overworld filled with puzzles and secrets, a modular skill system (a la Materia), avoidable encounters, and an engaging, timer-based battle system where you have control over the speed that turns pass.

The free demo just released today on itch.io. It gives a short, 1 hour introduction to the game. Please check it out!

https://studioalemni.itch.io/legends-of-astravia

Trailer:

Additional screenshots and details can be found on the itch.io page as well.

I hope you enjoy it!

Hey, congrats on the house! That's a big accomplish that totally justifies a delay. 

Can totally empathize--life happens. Looking forward to the future updates when they do come by. 

I think a lot of us have had some difficulty navigating the state of things as a result of COVID; congrats on the family, getting back into the game, and the port to MZ! I have no excuse now but to try it out now, and I'll see to giving the MacOS version some mileage ;) Here's to a good 2022!

Hey Dino, I'm glad to hear you're taking some time to focus on your life & yourself. You've done an amazing job with your game projects so far, and such a high level of quality takes time. I wish you luck with the future & I hope this slower pace of development is beneficial to you and your health while still allowing you to enjoy your hobby.

This looks phenomenal! Really looking forward to seeing its development~

Thanks! :D

I look forward to it, good luck! :) 

This was a really fun and clever use of the "pause" mechanic. I really would love to see a more polished and completed version of this game, as you seem to really have something neat going on.

The difficulty was a bit steep, especially having been set back to the beginning after only 3 tries. The hitboxes on the spikes seemed just a bit too big and the hitboxes when clicking and dragging seemed too small. So I think being a little more forgiving in that regard would really make this shine. 

This game was a riot. The art, sounds and gameplay was a ton of fun. Loved the little jabs at "enlightenment" and "cops", hehe.

If I am going to give some feedback, I'd say that your enlightenment meter fills a bit too slow and/or 3 hearts is just not enough. I didn't actually get to see the ending because it was too difficult. That said, you've definitely got a fun little idea here and I'd love to see it a little more fleshed out. Good luck!

Hey there, thanks so much for playing! I'm one of the devs on the team (character art and map design). It's always a treat to get live feedback, and it was very cool to see the way you interpreted the game. 

Indeed, just one ending! It was hard watching you try it several times to try and unlock another 🙈

We were ultimately quite limited by the game jam that this was entered into (only 3 days to make a completed game from scratch), but I hope we'll be able to revisit this someday. I would love to do some things based on the feedback you gave us, such as a "secret ending". Thanks again! 

Hey, thanks!

Thank you!

> That statement was not in the EULA. 

I don't know, seems pretty clear to me:

2.2 Solely used for the creation of your game, you can edit, process, and modify the materials contained in the Resource Pack.
2.3 Do not sell, distribute, lease, or transfer the Resource Pack itself (even if the materials were edited, processed, or modified by the User).
2.4 Do not make materials to be advertised as compatible with the Product without explicit permission from VISUSTELLA™.

It's pretty standard for assets and resources to not allow the sale of derivative works without permission from the creator, if at all. This is very standard in the industry. 

Also, Fair Use really doesn't apply here. Fair Use protects those who make commentary, criticism, or parodies without being called out for copyright infringement. Like, if someone made a video tutorial on how to use the generator, that would fall under Fair Use. Fair Use does NOT simply cover all derivative works. I suggest you research fair use, because you seemed to have missed the mark a bit: https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/what-are-derivative-works-under-copyright-law 

From the article:

 > But fair use is slippery. There are four factors for courts to weigh when a defendant accused of infringement claims the fair use defense, and this four-factor balancing test leads to subjective, unpredictable results. Although you may think your use is fair, you may find out that the court thinks otherwise.

So honestly, if you really want to argue this, you should be prepared to get a lawyer, because it's hardly within the realm of fair use and you would need to settle it in court if you were that bent on doing so.

It's really not difficult to ask a creators permission to do something. And trying to prove that it's "legally within your right" to modify someone's copyrighted work without permission is just... a bad look. I know I personally would not want to work with someone who would try to prove whether or not my work is or isn't protected by law at every turn. 

I ended up releasing an update for this game last night. Consider this an informal #notGDC style announcement!

I've been pretty busy since December.  Compared to the last version, it has a ton of improvements and changes:

• Oliver, Baldric, and Lina's portraits have been fully redrawn in HD
• A new introduction sequence was added, and the existing introduction was improved
• Tileset graphics were recolored and improved
• The ATB now scales skill speed appropriate--Oliver can use spells quickly, while Baldric can use sword-based skills faster
• The ATB settings are now more intuitive and less confusing--battle speed can be controlled separately from the Active vs Wait mode.
• Poison / Buffs no longer last forever, and poison damage is now correctly applied 
• Battle can be escaped without enemies automatically reengaging
• Enemy stats and EXP were tweaked for a more balanced experience
• Volume is reduced when entering buildings
• Empty explorables on the map no longer trigger the "!" animation
• History of Astravia finally added to the Mayor's bookshelf :)
• Various other minor bugfixes and improvements

I would love to hear your feedback! You can download it on the official itch.io page: https://studioalemni.itch.io/legends-of-astravia

Not at GDC...yet, but available for everyone here on itch.io!

Legends of Astravia is a classic RPG, based on some of the best JRPGs from the Super Nintendo era, such as Chrono Trigger, Lufia II, and Final Fantasy. It features a fast-paced ATB combat system, engaging story, and expansive world. It's only partially developed right now, with a ~3 hour demo available of the first area and dungeon of the game.

This game has been in development since the 2017 Indie Game Making Contest, hosted here two years ago, in which it ranked 29th out of the 220 entries. Here's the original entry page!

I'm currently working on the next update, which will include a lot of quality of life changes, new graphics, and bug fixes--before moving on to making some massive content additions and changes that will bring the game to Steam. I hope you'll follow my progress!

Itch.io | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Discord

Hey, thanks for checking it out! I'm glad it was a bit better! Sorry for the late response here.

That is actually a bug, Baldric is supposed to unlock the gate and send you off, but the demo ends there anyway. Thank you for playing!

I will be making some more improvements with a new version soon (I think it will be better if Baldric joins you in the dungeon, for example), but it's good to know I'm getting closer to getting the balance right.

In the next major demo release, eventually there will be much more content like an entirely new area and progression of the story :) 

I have to say, I genuinely had a very good time playing this game. It was an interesting use of the RTP, to the point where I didn't really feel like I was playing a game in RPG maker. 

Pros:

• Fantastic interface design. Everything seemed to have a purpose and even though this was not your typical RPG, I had a full understanding of how to navigate the world (minimap!) and menus. 
• I actually like the battle system, minus some balance issues which I discuss below. It has a unique flair to it. I think it would shine once revised and refined.
• I love love that I could play the whole game with a mouse. It was comfortable and easy. 
• Giving the player choices is always an awesome thing, and it really adds to the replayability. 
• Loved the underlying tone of humor among the serious story. 
• Polish! This game seemed to have a lot of polish. I didn't run into any bugs, honestly. 
• Maverick can cast "Scorch" on me any time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Cons:

• I appreciate the experimental nature of it but...I beg you...please....remove the click-to-shoot section. It felt out of place and a mess to control. It made me sad. Really my only major quarrel with this game. 
• Foresight needs to be free. It's such a critical element of battle that I don't think it should have a cost.
• Battles need some balancing, some of them are just way too hard. The bosses were brutal. I think their mechanics was clever, and it was rewarding to figure them out, but I still got absolutely punished after having a full understanding,  and at times, I felt like I was at the mercy of RNG. I think they healed way too quickly and often.  I would recommend toning them down a bit, at least until the player has a more solid understanding of the battle mechanics or more skills.
• A heal mechanic would be really helpful! I like that "protect" brings in MP, but a way to heal seems like a necessity. The auto-revive is interesting, though it took me a while to understand how it worked. 

Overall this is a solid entry and I honestly would love to see this game expanded on, I think it has a ton of potential. Awesome job! 

For what it's worth, I just uploaded an update which greatly reduced the difficulty of the starting enemies. Hopefully it works out for you if you're still up to giving it a try! 

Thanks for the feedback! This is a hard balance to find, and I guess I really missed the mark. I'll definitely make some adjustments here.