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Messages - Zylos

1
Think outside the box.

Spoiler: ShowHide
The old man in the sphinx riddle didn't have three physical legs, but he still contributed as three in the answer because of his cane. In this case, you have a four-legged wolf, a kangaroo standing up on two feet and his tail, a snake slithering along without any legs, and an eight-legged spider dangling. What should the combination be?
2
While I'm at it. Been two months now since the end of the GIAW, so figured I'll upload the entirety of the unencrypted project like I've done with my other finished projects. Lets people indulge their curiosity for how I did something or other and gives novices (or maybe intermediates if I'm deluding myself) an example project that they can explore and learn mechanics from.

Unencrypted Version Download

Only two things that I always ask are, of course, that you don't try to steal credit for something you didn't make (you'd look like a dumbass if you did and were caught) or go in to try and "borrow" any of the resources themselves. Simple matters of respect and courtesy. More likely than not, you won't be able to accurately determine which resources are original, which I made myself, which have been edited specifically to fit Nightmare's needs, or even where most of them actually came from and who to properly credit. Not to mention it's just plain rude to use someone else's specific game stuff for yours.

Other than that, have fun. Hopefully it helps you learn a thing or two or get an idea for your own game.
3
Try this then.

Spoiler: ShowHide
Look at the legs of each animal in the document on the desk. It'll show you the four digit combo.
4
Oh hey, long time no see. Here's a hint for you:

Spoiler: ShowHide
The safe code puzzle is based on the Sphinx's riddle: Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? The answer to that riddle was man, and thus man is used as an example in the office for how to figure out the safe combination.
5
Woohoo. :3

Spoiler: ShowHide
And yes, you got the good ending. There's a not-so-good ending if you didn't do some of the actions you did in the normal playthrough before reaching the basement.
6
Glad you like it!

Spoiler: ShowHide
If you're playing normal mode or timid mode, there's a small hint in the very room with you for the first riddle: a bottle of spirits. The riddle talks about spirits dancing in a ballroom and how none of the ones standing know the answer. Put two and two together, and you should be able to figure out where the solution lies.
7
Spoiler: ShowHide
Nope, it's Room 026. Just explore and progress through the game to find it.




Also, boo. :3
8
It's a simple Mack-style character, been dying to use that style in a game. You can use just about any size graphic for sprites as long as you set it up properly, VX or VXA. Heck, you can even use the XP sprites if you cropped it so that it gets rid of the first column. Never let yourself be limited to what's given to you.
9
Updated to Version 1.04 to fix a minor bug. In 1.03, I forgot to fix the elevators too so that they didn't have the problem Ryex did.
10
Quote from: Futendra on April 28, 2012, 02:54:37 pm
Quote from: Zylos on April 28, 2012, 01:59:16 pm
Quote from: Futendra on April 28, 2012, 01:57:37 pm
Spoiler: ShowHide
I am stuck at the TV part, do I need to put in the morse code here? (I found the number 3074 or 2047) If so, how do I type 4 numbers into 3 digits?



Spoiler: ShowHide
First you need to choose a channel. A quick look at the decorum of the room should be enough for you to guess which channel.



Spoiler: ShowHide
Haha, I noticed it, but now how do I find the number of the safe? I am stuck walking around for about an hour now.



Spoiler: ShowHide
Tis in the very same room as the safe, you'll find what you need to figure it out on the desk. :3
11
Quote from: Futendra on April 28, 2012, 01:57:37 pm
Spoiler: ShowHide
I am stuck at the TV part, do I need to put in the morse code here? (I found the number 3074 or 2047) If so, how do I type 4 numbers into 3 digits?



Spoiler: ShowHide
First you need to choose a channel. A quick look at the decorum of the room should be enough for you to guess which channel.
12
Quote from: Vexus on April 28, 2012, 12:02:54 pm
Ok finished dunno if it's the good or bad ending.
Spoiler: ShowHide
(Probably good as the letter said she forgives me.)


Anyway I got some things to say maybe you could fix them or not up to you.

1 - When you get to unlock the elevator roof/basement you get a message but then nothing happens and you have to press again to go to the unlocked floor. (I know this is a minor thing but wanted to mention it.)
2 - I don't really like the idea of the semi transparent doors, why not leave them full opacity?
3 - I'm not sure if it's only on normal mode but the shadow frequency makes it very easy to dodge it, on the other hand the corridors are not that wide so not sure if you would want to change it. (How come the top part of the wall is not passable? I'm pretty sure you could make priority, no?)
4 - The beeping riddle while pretty straight forward the sound goes way too fast! I don't know if it's all in 1 but you should make some small pause after every beep AND a bigger pause when it finishes before repeating again. (It was very annoying to follow up the pattern when it was speeded up so fast.)
5 - This is a personal opinion but the sound the shadow does when it hits you, when the scene on the tv happens and some earlier cutscenes is far too loud! Lowering the sound made me barely hear the beating heart when the shadow appears on the map.... You might want to test that out.

That's it I guess.

Props for the music, the tilesets where pretty good and matching, I love your choice in blood which you probably did yourself (Would you mind telling me with what font the blood was made?) and last but not least the attention to detail the "scares" from breaking mirrors to doors closing loudly.

Was not bad but pretty linear with little to none exploration for hidden stuff, I give it a 3/5.



Uh, okay. Got rated higher by others, but I guess I'm just being prideful here. And yes, that was the good ending you found.


Now then:

1) Yes, having to examine it a second time is intentional. It's the "Are you sure you really want to?" chance to save before proceeding, especially for the latter of the two floors as you won't have a chance to come back afterward for certain items.

2) Trust me, I experimented with full opaque doors. It didn't look right, and I liked it much better semi-transparent. Especially the elevator doors, as those would obscure the entirety of the elevator otherwise.

3) Her appearance rate is set at random, with decreasing no-shows, increasing number of times she waits for you outside of doors, and appearing in places she didn't before as difficulty goes up. So part of avoiding her spawn points relies a bit on how lucky you are. Also, the corridors are kept small both to be a realistic size and to give a feeling of the shadow closing in on you. Four tiles are just too wide. VXA doesn't allow the top parts of the wall to be a different priority like it is in XP, but even if it did, it would feel off in size because of how the walls are. I personally prefer it as it is, requiring either for you to find alternate paths to avoid the shadow or some thoughtful strategy to lure her to where you can get around her.

4) No offense, but I had several people test the morse code riddle and all of them got it fine, much to my initial surprise. I'm told it's one of the better liked puzzles in the game, so I'd rather not slow it down for them when it's already set at a good pace for the average player.

5) Sounds fine to me and I've not had anyone have problems before, but I can look into it to see if it can't be tweaked.
13
Spoiler: ShowHide
The figures of man is your hint on how to figure it out, while the figures of the animals are the answers themselves, one for each digit.



Also, I think I've fixed the issue now, Ryex. Updated it to 1.03 and forced the shadow to wait when exiting.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxgjpziokmurw7p/Nightmare%20%28Updated%20Version%20v1.03%29.exe
14
Ryex: Well that's annoying, I've not had that one happen before. x.x *adds to his fix list to be updated soon*

Vexus: Do you remember the Sphinx's famous riddle? "Which creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"
15
Hard mode is hard. :P

Spoiler: ShowHide
But no, if I'm guessing right for where you are after the hospital, the next step for you is in fact on the southern side of the second floor. You have to find a way to get past her or wait for her to spawn elsewhere. Good luck trying to get through the rest of the game with only one continue left though. XD
16
Simplistic yet fitting, I hope. It's made a number of people jump and has been described as one of the scariest RM games. :3


Spoiler: ShowHide
And yes, you are mishearing it. The code is 5267.
17


















Now that I have your attention~


Recently on RMRK, we held our ninth "Game in a Week" contest. This here is the full, completed version of my GIAW 9 entry: Nightmare. It is the spiritual successor to one of my earliest game projects called Shadows, combining elements of a puzzle solver and a psychological horror game and making this perhaps my first successfully completed experimentation with the idea of a surreal "dream versus reality" setting. My aim with this game is twofold: to strike a sense of unease into the player, unnerving them if not outright causing them to jump, and to allow the player to try to unravel the strange story behind the game for themselves.

Nightmare was fortunate enough to snag the first place spot in the contest, and I've been busy adding to it and improving on it since then so that even the judges of the GIAW will enjoy going through the game once more. The puzzles range from being simple "find this item, use this item here", to being gruesome challenges that really make you stop and think. It's only about 40 minutes to an hour long, but every minute is jam packed with heart-pounding excitement and scares around every corner. Considering this was my first time using VXA, I'm really happy with how it came out. I put a lot of heart and spirit into making this, so I hope you enjoy it!








Notes and Tips:

  • Choose wisely! There are three difficulties to the game: Timid (Easy Mode), Normal, and Brave (Hard Mode). Timid Mode gives the simplest forms of all of the puzzles while providing many hints, and slows the shadow down and making her appear less often. The best ending is easiest to acquire in this mode. The Normal Mode is the average playthrough, neither too difficult or too simple. It has the shadow at normal speeds and appearance rates, the original contest versions of the puzzles with little to no hints, and a slightly more difficult path to find the best ending. Brave Mode, however, ups the stakes considerably by providing more complicated versions of some of the puzzles, increasing the shadow's appearance rate, having the requirements for the best ending better hidden, and giving you a limited number of continues while disabling save files. Be sure to take on the difficulty best suited for you!

  • Explore! As you may have guessed, there are two endings to the story based upon your actions in the game, one good ending and one bad ending. Getting one ending over the other can dramatically change the entire interpretation of the game, so pay close attention! It's not difficult to find the good one if you take your time a bit, examine the environment around you and follow every lead you're given. Even if you get the bad ending though, don't worry; there'll be hints provided in game for what may help you on the right path.

  • Run! Holding down the shift key while moving will allow you to sprint and give you a decent speed boost. It's useful for making a quick getaway or dashing past dangers. But keep in mind that you are only human; running for too long will cause you to get winded and need to slow down again to catch your breath, and the last thing you need is to slow down right when there's something behind you...

  • Listen! Can you hear the sound of your own beating heart? It means that the shadow is nearby, slowly closing in on you! You may not always be able to see her, but you can always listen carefully to determine if she's close by or not. So when you hear the sound of a heart, stop and look around to see where she's coming from before making a run for it!

  • Think fast! The shadow will pursue you relentlessly and often block your path forward, but if you're smart there are ways to get around her. Try luring her to one side of the hall or to where you have more space before sprinting around her, or if the hall is too narrow you can try to duck into a nearby room until she's gone. Be careful though, she might be waiting for you when you re-emerge from the room and can be faster than she looks at times!

  • Check your inventory! Every time you pick up an item or a key, pause for a moment to examine it in your inventory so that you can have a better idea of where to go next or how to use the item. Oftentimes the item's name alone will be enough for you to figure out what to do with the item.

  • Use your map! After acquiring a map of the hotel, pull it up now and then to get an idea of the hotel's layout and where you're going. There won't be any direct "YOU ARE HERE" indicators, but it's usually not too difficult to discern where you on the map based on your surroundings. Just pay close attention and bring the map up when you need to know where a certain room is or what puzzle is where and what doors you've already tried.




If you get hopelessly stuck, you are more than welcome to ask for hints or help in this thread as long as you use spoilers for anything story related. And if you really enjoy playing this game, you can always check out some of my other projects too, such as the original Shadows or the new remake of Midnight. ^^
18
New Projects / [XP] Midnight Remake (Demo)
April 28, 2012, 12:33:20 am



Hey guys, do you remember this back when on RMRK? No? Well, mid-2007 when I first started into RPG Maker, I made a Resident Evil tribute game simply entitled Midnight. It seemed well liked enough, but frankly it kinda sucked because of how new I was to the world of game creation. I never even got around to finishing it, like so many other new people with their first projects. There was just too many difficulties and bugs, especially since I was designing a manual ABS system and used no scripts except for a message system. But then about two years later, I was invited to make a quick "sequel" of sorts in a contest for the BlizzABS script, and I managed to put together Midnight: Genesis Project as a non-canon spinoff. It was MUUUUCH better, and got me to thinking how the original would look if I used the same system I did for Genesis Project.

This is the a portion of the result of that experiment. It's a complete makeover of the original project's demo, upgraded in every way I could possibly manage with the knowledge I've gained over four years of using RPG Maker. I've tried to keep it as similar as possible to the original while changing things I had envisioned adding the first time around but couldn't due to inability at the time. RMRK members from back when I first joined their site might find a number of familiar elements along with the new features and thrills, and even those who haven't seen the original will still likely find this to be a fun game to play.

All that said, here's the remake of my favorite project, Midnight. ^^









"Devil's Island...

It's been in the news quite a bit lately. Over the last few weeks, apparently people have been going to the island and just... disappearing from the face of the earth. Some are saying that it's the fault of the dangerous reefs in the sea around Devil's Island that have been tearing large holes in the hulls of boats. Others are saying that the people who went to the island were carried away by the spirits who reside in the 'haunted mansion'. Naturally, the police have searched the island in their investigation into the disappearances, but so far they have turned up nothing.

Now it's my turn though to visit the island. I've been commissioned to search for one of the people who went missing on the island, and the only place where I'm going to find any clues is on the island itself. I've heard that there's one last boat leaving for the island tonight, some group of film students or something, so this will be my only chance to make it out there. If everything goes well, I should be able to confirm for sure whether my target is on the island or not before midnight tonight.

Then again, I might be in for a long night. I feel like there's a storm on the horizon..."









Spoiler: ShowHide

You will have no fear of the darkness, but rather what lurks within it. Use your lighter
to explore the dark hallways of the mysterious mansion and face the evils within it.


Your trusty handgun will be your greatest asset against the hordes of the undead that stalk you.
Be on your toes with your trigger finger ready at any moment to draw your weapon and fire.


The old mansion is filled with danger, but you don't always have to face it head on.
Remember, fighting isn't the only way to survive this nightmare.


Even if your gun is out of ammo and all the odds are against you, never give up!
Use your combat knife for quick melee swipes when trapped in a tight spot.


If you're in need of firepower, switch to your shotgun to blast the undead monsters to pieces.
A single point blank shot will almost always kill any normal enemy you face against.


You will be part of a intricate story with many alternate paths. The choices
you make will affect who will live and who will never leave Devil's Island again.


Complex puzzles and locks will bar your way, but using your wits, you can easily
overcome every obstacle before you to continue on your quest for survival.


Deadly traps are hidden around every corner, waiting to darken the daylights of the slow.
Think fast and act even quicker if you wish to avoid an unpleasant death.













WARNING: This should be obvious, but if I was ESRB, I'd be rating this game a definite M for Mature. It contains blood and gore, strong language, and intense violence. This is all 2D though, so if you can't handle it, you're probably not old enough to be on these forums in the first place.


Download Here


The demo is approximately 50mb and last about an hour and a half to two hours depending on your skill level (not including the number of times you die and restart from the last save point, haha). I've included all resources and the drivers so it should be playable whether you have RMXP or not, with no need to download/install extra RTP or fonts. Enjoy








If you're having problems or find that you are dying way too often, here are some general tips about Midnight and survival horror games overall that might help you to survive a little longer:

Spoiler: ShowHide

  • SAVE OFTEN. Nothing sucks more than to complete a large section or challenging puzzle, only to get your head sliced off in an instant death trap without saving. So do yourself a favor and search for save rooms before anything else. They'll be marked by special doors and calmer music, so you'll definitely know when you've found one.

  • Conserve your ammo! There is only a limited amount of ammo in the game, so if you're running low and don't have to kill an enemy to get past it, don't bother to waste your shots. Similarly, conserve the medicine from the save rooms, as you might get screwed if you run out of them. Try to only take a pill when you're in either the "Caution" or "Danger" levels.

  • Oppositely, don't constantly avoid all of the enemies too much. In some areas, more will come around later on and join with whatever you've left behind. If you leave their number unchecked, you might find yourself needing to get through an area that has too many for you to handle.

  • Make sure you reload whenever you get the chance to, such as when the enemies are far enough away or you've cleared a room. You could have over a hundred bullets, but they won't do you any good if you're going into battle with only two loaded into your gun, and reloading while under attack can cost you valuable time.

  • Obviously, your bullets cannot pass through solid walls. It CAN, however, pass through enemies to hit ones behind them, so use this to your advantage! Try to line enemies up so that you can hit multiple ones with one shot. This is one of the easiest ways to clear rooms while saving bullets.

  • Your shotgun is a powerful weapon that can knock an enemy further away from you and take most down in two hits. It's even more useful though when used up close to an enemy. The shotgun provides an additional spread that can hit enemies to the sides as well as in front, and will almost always kill the average enemy with one single point blank shot.

  • Try to use your shotgun sparingly though. There is very little ammo for it, and it will be your best friend when facing any larger enemies or against the headhunter rather than single enemies. Try to save it for only when you absolutely need it, like when surrounded by a crowd of monsters or up against the tougher baddies.

  • Your knife is a pathetically weak weapon that cannot drive back any of the enemies. It can, however, be good for saving you a few bullets now and then if you can get the hang of using it properly. Try using it to finish off an enemy you've shot about four or so times to save you an extra few bullets. Even a few can make a difference when ammo is tight for you.

  • Explore each room thoroughly. Even if you think you already know where to go, take a closer look around. You might find a key item you didn't notice the first time, or a spare clip of ammo or journal. Plus, taking your time to look around a bit will help you to orient yourself with the layout of the mansion so that you spend less time wandering around aimlessly.

  • If a puzzle has you stumped for how to solve it, double check all the items and files in your inventory. There might be a clue on how to solve the puzzle in one of the documents you've found, or perhaps one of the items you found is actually the key you need to proceed.






It's not perfect yet, there's a bug with the BlizzABS that I've yet to figure out. But, I hope you enjoy what you see!
19
RMXP Script Database / Re: [XP] Blizz-ABS
December 23, 2011, 07:27:59 pm
I've done some more testing for the enemies passing through you, and so far I've only ever been able to get it to happen when an enemy has been hit with knockback. I'm not entirely sure just yet, since I've had one playtester for me have it happen randomly once during everything without hitting the enemy and it might be where I've just had no luck getting it to repeat again without the knockback. I'm just a layman though. x.x
20
Welcome! / Re: JESUS WHAT?
December 19, 2011, 10:44:42 pm
...is this your way of telling us that you lost the game?