Announcement

[Ihsorak]

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Adventure/Puzzle RPG

Spoiler:

Offsite link to the backstory of Karoshi's universe.

In the last installment of a long-expanding scene in the making (howdy-har-har), the recent hero, Karoshi has disappeared and been gone for a while now, and things have swiftly become worse for those back at home. Shadden has taken the world as his base in an attempt to further his own mysterious plans, and installed many camps, cities, and bases throughout the world as "barely necessary" living spaces and resource mines. Those civilians (called Dots because of their body structure) that have been captured have either both chosen to follow and forced to work for him or abandon their hometowns altogether and gather in small, rebel safe-havens. Torch, Enigma, Zortaks, and Mystica are the only ones left alive to fend for the rebel dots in a destroyed world, against Shadden's working supression. He seems to be planning something, and time is running out. Together, Torch, Enigma, and the two serpents must fight against Shadden, and just when the war seems impossible to win, Karoshi returns to shut Shadden's plan down. Shadden, in possession of his Staff of Gravity, though, has foreseen a future where Karoshi has ceased to exist.

But is Karoshi on time, or is it already too late to stop Shadden? This may be the most important battle Karoshi has ever fought. More than the world may be at stake this time, and as the time grows closer, Karoshi has to face the decision to either join Shadden, or have those that he loves perish, as foretold by Shadden.

And Kakos Agatho is waiting...

Spoiler:

The world (unnamed) is very diverse, and includes very many varieties of terrain in its vast biosphere. There are 5 continents in all, most all are mountainous with varieties of lush forests, arid deserts, and occasionally smoldering hot spots useful for energy mining. Most of the world, however, is covered in water in the form of oceans, and there are two arctic poles (one in the north, and another in the south). Overall, it has a very exotic feel, overshadowed by a darker mood reflecting the condition of the world. The people who inhabit it feel very suppressed but rarely show it, though there are some ardent Shadden followers out there.
Each of the continents is littered with Shadden's cities, and each is necessary in the puzzle to free the dot population and see exactly what Shadden is planning. When one is freed, the world can breathe a bit more, and the city can in turn be used as a base of operations. However, there are many of these cities, and some are even underwater! A new system of transportation is being used: Bullet Train. Not only that, but intelligent computers have become commonplace as well! How will Karoshi fare against this empire of machines?

Karoshi and the team's aim: to save all the dots and foil Shadden's plot. Shadden seems more intent upon the rest of space, though. Will this story extend beyond the limitations of the world, to the deepest reaches of the cosmos?

The frontiers you explore in this game will be pretty huge, and that world map seen in the screen-shots is only the tip of the iceberg (yup, you heard me!).

Spoiler:

Kakos Agatho-

Spoiler:

Age: Undefined
Element: Golden
Style: Reckless
The originator of the universe, Kakos Agatho had been trapped in his 4 dimensional as The Puppet billions of years before, considerably weakened, before being imprisoned on Kagathos Isle. This creature is unable to speak in any tongue of native life-forms, but can quickly learn to steal the vocabulary from nearby people in order to convey its message. A decade ago, it had been captured and sealed within the Torch of Everlasting Light after being awakened and challenged by Torch and Litek.
Now, it slumbers…

Karoshi-

Spoiler:

Age: 19
Element: Electricity
Style: Reckless Melee
Karoshi is a green, quick, and speedy dinosaur (well technically, a dragon) with just as speedy a personality and loyalty toward his friends. He is the main protagonist of the series, who mysteriously doesn't seem to know who his parents are, or what the heck happened while he was gone. Before all this action began, he was a delivery-man and explorer-rescuer. His best friends are Plop and Litek, who he met on the job and likes to cook with. He originally lived near to both Dawn Mountain and the Valley of Lost Dragons, which may give some clue to his origins.
He is very quick-tempered, but has now learned to think things through... sorta. When given the chance to forgive, he'll usually go for what he thinks is right, and weighs the options. Decisions also come quickly to him, and they sometimes come maybe too quickly. Karoshi is a friend worth having anyways, and the only way he'll back down from a challenge is if you pry it from his cold, dead paws.

He is the main character in this game, and you play as him. Utilizing his powerful electrical melee attacks and speed is a must. His main uses are to serve as a status-inflicter and speed-sweeper if possible. Apart from his advantages, he is pretty fragile, and just several attacks toward him can be devastating. It's up to use to guide the green bolt wisely. Later on, you will be able to specialize his classes and branch off into more than nine different battle classes!

Torch-

Spoiler:

Age: Twenty-Seven (Plus His Torch Imprisonment Time, which is quite a time gap)
Element: Fire
Style: Charge/Rush
A hero of fire, Torch is older than Karoshi but sports the Torch of Everlasting Light (his tether to life). He has a very cool nature, when it comes to everyday things, but his personality in battle blazes as hot as his torch. Born in the age of wooden carts and candle-sticks, he had been trapped inside his torch for some time, and Karoshi had to find a way to free him. His evil double created from his negative energy, Smokey Torch, is now trapped inside the Torch of Everlasting Light.
Karoshi and Torch are best buds, but rarely see each other often. He now lives in a camp on Frigate Island (which is not an island) with rebel dots, protecting them.

In battle Torch is a must for inflicting damage. He serves as a readily speedy attacker as well as defender and can utilize weapons and armor more-so than Karoshi. His Sacred Flame, learned at a later level when equipping the Torch of Everlasting Light is a good way to inflict a burning status, and it is a moderately powerful attack as well. His movepool is quite diverse in the range of fire (offensive) and smoke moves (used to lower and inflict status problems), but other types of moves are rarely found in his assnal. Be careful though: his moves take quite a bit of MP, and I mean quite a bit.

Enigma-

Spoiler:

Age: Undefined
Element: Void
Style: Reserved Manipulation and Punishment
Enigma is the villain of a previous arch of the series, and to some is known as the "Void Beast" or otherwise the essence and ruler of Void (see link to backstory at the beginning of post). Enigma has been around as long as anyone could remember, but he never involved himself in the events of the world simply because he was trapped behind a solid door in his own realm, the void. Now, Enigma protects the dead, or the dots, that died at the hands of Shadden. He now lives on Crystal Island, oblivious to Karoshi's return. He is more concerned about what Shadden is planning, and what it will mean for the universe on the whole.

Shadden-

Spoiler:

Age: 51
Element: Darkness
Style: Mind-games and Crude Power
Shadden is Karoshi's nemesis and a super-genius with access to technology. Born about 32 years before Karoshi, Shadden is older, wiser, and much more potent with his powers. Years ago, he was benign and actually gave the dots most of their technology, but benignity has given way to malevolence. He was exiled from Dot society when news got out of a dangerous experiment taking place. His lab was shut down, and his home torn apart.

On the outside, he displays arrogance and elitism, but on the inside, he's cunning and extremely calculating, using his skills to further his own wants. He died earlier and had been brought back by Enigma, so he also has access to ghostly powers. Shadden in the past had tried to take over the world, but his goal is much higher this time, not to mention that he already has the world under his command. He wields a powerful piece of technology called the Staff of Gravity (the capabilities of it are pretty self-explanatory).

Secondary Characters
Zortaks-

Spoiler:

Age: 2045
Element: Water
Zortaks is an old and mysterious sea serpent that roams the oceans, and is no harboring a whole city of dot rebels in her grotto. Zortaks is a gentle giant capable of bringing rains, so don't get her angry! The entire ocean is her domain, so Zortaks may be willing to lend her sailing and sea-faring services after a while, so it’s a good idea to befriend er early!

Mystica-

Spoiler:

Element: Nature
Mystica is the bringer of calm winds, and has the power to cure any illness brought upon one. Mystica is less gentle than Zortaks and quicker to jump to conclusions, but he is still very kind. At this time, Mystica is hiding an entire city of Dots and Spikies from Shadden's empire in his forest, defending against a very nearby city of the Shadden Empire. However, Mystica does not welcome new visitors graciously, and remains suspicious of all activity in the forest. Once Mystica sees that your loyalties lie against Shadden's forces, he may let you fly on him and heal at his town!

?Secret Characters?

Spoiler:

-This character is a genetic clone of Karoshi, created by Karoshi and his friend, following Shadden's designs. This character follows many of Karoshi's habits, but is rather more thoughtful and analytical. Follow this up with fire manipulation and psychic powers, and then you have this character!
-This character is the supreme controller of light, and the arch-nemesis of Enigma. With wings for flying, and martial-arts like fighting styles, this character is extremely helpful.
-This character is a void-based replica of Karoshi, created under the power of the moon and shaped by Enigma. They were just recently born, and they are very confused about their fate. With powers over gravity and water manipulation, they would make a great hero... or villain.
-This character is one of Karoshi's good friends, and is another user of light as well. Equip your team with her, and you're sure to succeed!
-There are more to come!

Spoiler:

The world of Karoshi.
From Left to Right: Kagatho Isle, Skortza, Ahrka, Fransha, Flansha
Yes, there's no ice-caps, but that would just be map overload.
By the way, this map is not available at all for travel in the beginning (the game will explain why).
Besides, there's also secret underground caverns and entrances scattered throughout the map.


A view of the side-view battle system being used!
Yeah, looks pretty boring in a picture. But it moves in the game... so don't worry!


There's a day and night system taking place, and some things only take place at certain times!


Dawn at the mountains.
The Southern Mountain Pass


Night-time at the Forest of Despair.
The former home of Shadden


That looks nothing like a cow.[b]


[b]A view of the in-game menu.


A night at Central City’s Inn.


A snippet the Forest of Despair.


The Battle System and Torch in the Party as of 9/19/10
I actually have more than just these two done so far.


A very limited view of Karoshi’s HUD including a minimap and the Overworld Point Gauge while in Central City!

Extra Information

Spoiler:

CODE

How I Came Up With the Idea
This idea originally began years ago as a childhood story.
I created the basic concepts at first (names of few characters, their basic looks, etc.).
It all started out with Karoshi, a green, super-electric dinosaur, Litek, a two-tailed
dinosaur of light, Shadden, the super-genius of darkness, and Plop (a small shape-
shifting Kirby-looking creature, and a genius in his own right). Karoshi and his two
friends would fight against Shadden, and that was all. Obviously, this story wasn't
very far ahead.

Some time later, I thought up some more concepts for characters, and as usual,
aimlessly threw them into the story with little to no background information. There
wasn't much yet, but then began the first substance of what seemed to be a plot.

So I downloaded the RMXP trial and created a spin-off story of Karoshi called Third
Realm, where Karoshi takes a vacation and ends up fighting monsters, saving
princesses, and all that generic human-based stuff. As expected, it didn't turn out so well.

Later on, an actual plot began emerging for the true story. Characters were
developed even more, and their aesthetic appearances reached a final design
(Shadden was originally purple and black, for example). Then I started thinking
"what would happen if I tried to make this into a game?" and downloaded the trial for
RPG Maker VX...
And it failed.
Horribly. I needed way more experience with game-making before I attempted
something like this again, and the game seemed way too forced anyways.


The sporadic plot was not one that made a fun game and this had been going on
for a while, so I started to search around, somehow, for something that would make
the story conclusive and fun to play at the same time. Then I finally thought
of something. I could use the older Third Realm game and remake it in VX,
bug-free (since I had way more experience now). The storyline would be entirely
different (it involves Karoshi waking up as a human in a different world), but the
plot would be short and sweet, with time to focus on little details. In the end, it was
moderately bug-free, and my mapping, eventing, and story-making improved a whole lot.

Now, I got VX for good, and have finally decided to end the series. Yes, I killed off
most of the characters and cast to make the storyline way less confusing, and I am
planning to make this game as stand-alone from the rest of the series as possible
(hence the killing-off). Plus, I have a really good idea for an ending, so I'm going to use it.

Hope it turns out to be good!
Ihsorak

Scripts:

Spoiler:

So far this game uses the scripts from the following people (many credits go to them!) in "username; script name(s)" form:
SCRIPT CREDIT ("Script Name; Writer" Format)

CODE

The Sideview Battle System used here;
Enu, Kylock, Mr. Bubble, Shu, Moonlight,
NightWalker, Enelvon, Atoa, AlphaWhelp, blackmorning,
Mithran, and Kaduki


Interface Fix ; Yanfly

Face in Battle ; Lettuce

Hidden Timer ; Puppeto4

Jumping Script ; SuperOverlord

Airship Events ; Dai

Anti-Lag ; RPGMakerVX.net

Multiple Parties ; Modern Algebra

Glowing Objects ; Kylock

Post- Game Over Menu ; Moon

Windowskin Changer ; Woratana

Skill CPS System ; KGC (TOMY)

Quest Journal ; Modern Algebra

Walking Sprites in Menu ; wltr3565

Neo Save System ; Woratana

Shop Redux ; Yanfly and KGC

Change Map Music ; Big Ed 781

Credits System; Woratana

Screensaver ; Punk

Row Damage ; jfjohnny5

Change Row ; OriginalWij

Stealth_System ; cmpsr2000

Neo Message System 3 ; Woratana

KGC_TitleDirection ; KGC

KGC_FileEncryption2 ; KGC

KGC_Custom_Menu_Command ; KGC

KGC_BattleDifficulty ; KGC

KGC_EquipLearnSkill ; KGC

KGC_SkillCPSystem ; KGC

KGC_DistributeParameter ; KGC

KGC_CategorizeItem ; KGC

KGC_CategorizeSkill ; KGC

Item in Battle Fix ; KGC

KGC_EquipScene ; KGC

And many, MANY more that I shall add later.

And also, many thanks to catcat for the great text in the title (and to the people who made the Kingdom Hearts font, because it looks cool)!
VERY many thanks to our official scorer, Dr. Disastro, for taking time to create awesome music for the game! Without him, I'm pretty sure it would be limited to typical RMVX tunes.
Also, put this code in your signature if you want to support the game!

CODE

[url="http://www.rpgmakervx.net/index.php?showtopic=24996"][img]http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad263/alanwhite94kitty/KarohiSPBar.png[/img]
[/url]

Updates:

Spoiler:

1/6/10: Thread was made
1/7/10: Updated data-base some (Day and Night-tracking common event created) and updated thread
1/11/10: Banner created!
2/4/10: Updated Script Credits and it's worth mentioning the intro sequence has been done.
2/5/10: Dr Disastro is Karoshi Chronicles: Rise of Golden Power's official music scorer!
2/21/10: Had time to implement some new music.
7/02/10: Updated Shots
9/19/10: Updated Karoshi, Enigma, Added Kakos Agatho bio. Added two up-to-date pictures.

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Sep 21 2010, 12:21 AM

[Peva]

This actually looks pretty good! Keep it up!

[Ihsorak]

Thanks!
I'm not going to be able to work on this as often as I'd like (time restraints), so I just wanted to say that I won't always be able to update this and have it progress that quickly (although the day and night system was tweaked somewhat today). I'll try my best, though, to catch up on the weekends.

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Jan 7 2010, 11:31 PM

[catcat]

Hey Ihsorak! I'm very excited to play this game as I was a fan of the originally series and I am VERY excited to see how this game will play out and the combat will be amazing I'm sure .
This game is very original in the characters and thought it may contain familiar plot tactics I'm sure it will be presented in an exciting new way in which we will all be very happy to see
Also great job on getting the thread up!

This post has been edited by catcat: Jan 8 2010, 05:12 AM

[Ihsorak]

Yesterday, I finished parts of the Inn in Central City and added some chuckles here and there. I also placed some new scripts in, as well as finishing the Forest of Despair (the bare bones, at least). The day and night system was revised as well. The last thing I did was add the ability to spend Skill Points for moves (a KGC script).

So yeah, updates.

[Ihsorak]

Well, yesterday, I updated it once again (stat distribution system, town mapping and eventing), and catcat made a banner for the game!

The banner he made (Karoshi and Shadden were by me, of course):



Anyways, put this in your sig if you wish to support this project! The code is below.

CODE

[url="http://www.rpgmakervx.net/index.php?showtopic=24996"][img]http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad263/alanwhite94kitty/KarohiSPBar.png[/img][/url]

Just copy and pasta.

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Jan 21 2010, 12:45 AM

[BluBlaze]

Wow, this looks good! I like how you are using dinosaurs instead of people like 99% of RPG makers do. It will make your game stand out.

[Moururi]

I'm actually rather surprised, this looks quite good.
The only thing that bothers me is that the character sprite looks REALLY out of place.

Good luck! I'll be keeping an eye on this.

[catcat]

Hurray!!!! The support bar! I'm glad I helped with that I can tell this game is going to be very very good!

[nigromante]

The dinosaur sprite looks really weird though...

One more thing, in the last part of Torch description, you repeat "Be Careful" 3 times, that made me lol XD.
Good Luck!

This post has been edited by nigromante: Jan 12 2010, 03:49 AM

[Ihsorak]

I'm actually rather surprised, this looks quite good.
The only thing that bothers me is that the character sprite looks REALLY out of place.

Good luck! I'll be keeping an eye on this.

The dinosaur sprite looks really weird though...

How do you suggest I spruce it up (and which one is it)?

One more thing, in the last part of Torch description, you repeat "Be Careful" 3 times, that made me lol XD.
Good Luck!

Haha, yeah. I noticed that too, but never got around to fixing it. Thanks for reminding me. I should probably be more careful when typing descriptions from now on (but be careful!).

[catcat]

This game looks very exciting! Hmmm, I can't wait to try it out, it seems so fun... Reminds me of a classic rpg with an original twist. I am eagerly awaiting updates!

[Ihsorak]

Well anyways, I found time over the weekend to do some updates to the game mapping. More than half of the first city has been mapped out now.

I also removed the caterpillar script, since it was conflicting with the jumping function. More later on.

[xjan214]

This game is really innovative, and I personally like dinosaurs.

The story's really well-made, and that's really what I'm looking for in an RPG. I'll be waiting for the demo!

Good luck in your work!

[catcat]

I have a question Ihsorak... how many secret characters are there? And in addition to that question i say how are there any other hints you can give us to who it may be..?

[Ihsorak]

I can't really say anything about the secret characters right now, and it's not really a priority in my mind either.
I figure there will be some mild/lengthy side quests to get them later on, but that's not my top concern at the moment.

Anyways, I put in an opening sequence (it's a standard in RPG Making!) and have yet to finish data-basing all the items and stuff. I also messed with some stuff in the scripts to customize (haha, American-English spelling) it some more.

By the way: Important Section that everyone reading should look at:
I am thinking of allowing some people to create their own "dot" non-player characters for the game, just as a nice little cameo. I'll allow five people at max for now, and work them in somehow sooner or later into the game. If you want to create your own dot for the game, then just PM me and I'll send you the details/sprite-sheet and whatever. Please have at least 10 posts if you want to PM me for this!

Reason for edit: Needed to clarify some things.

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Jan 26 2010, 09:25 PM

[catcat]

Any more updates? I am on certainly on edge, but... I miss not having the updates
Another question: What exactly is karoshi, or is that a mystery to be solved in the game

[Ihsorak]

He's a dinosaur-dragon thing. Now stop bumping the thread!
Bumps are only reserved for the big updates.
Plus, I don't want to get people's hopes up on the off chance that it's not as good as the posts make it out to be.

Edit: Please.

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Jan 31 2010, 10:12 PM

[Sevith]

Moved to Project Dev. at OP's request.

-Moved

[Ihsorak]

Well, this is big news, I guess.
I implemented Karoshi's ability to change speeds, as well as harness several other electromagnetic powers on the map (just guess at them)!

I also built up a larger version of the world map and I'm currently trying to make that as enjoyable as possible to run around in.
Finally, there's the Forest of Despair. There's fun to be had there (for one thing, it's bigger and includes more variety)!

This post has been edited by Ihsorak: Feb 25 2010, 03:47 AM