The Chao Tales (RPG Maker XP?)

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LaDestitute
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The Chao Tales (RPG Maker XP?)

Post by LaDestitute »

The Chao Tales was an old Chao RPG I was working on in 2010 with RPG Maker XP as the engine then got discontinued to hardware failure and real life getting in the way. Due to the fact Hippo brought this community to my attention via an email inquiring about this and its been so long since I've touched anything Chao related, I decided to give the project another go and rework it soon.

Also, if anyone has the old RPGXP demo.exe (I know I hosted it via both sendspace and megaupload...weird where I never gave the forethought to host via mediafire, even) or the remix soundtrack files, it would be nice if you could reupload them so I could rehost them officially!

Archived Materials
The following are old/archived materials of what I could dig up and what is left of the original project now. This is for posterity's sake and to give a look of what the original was planned to be, old screenshots, etc.

Old The Chao Tales Screenshots
Old TCT Intro
Old Type Chart

Events/Scripts/Gameplay
Spoiler:
Some insight of the project's design/scope from a test-dlc kit that I never released anywhere:
*Player/Party Chao had an EXP curve of basis=12 and inflation=10 as the EXP/stat numbers was intentionally Paper Mario-like.
*There were planned but unimplemented mechanics such as: player titles/achievements, hidden INT/LUCK stats, etc
*The game had a "name banner" functionality that showed the area's name upon entering a location
*The game had a night-time and lighting system in test using fog/tinting/lightspot objects/etc
*Events for field wild chao (which initiated fights) had events for recording map fight-tallies, adding AP (for the skill tree), adding EVs (to influence class-changes) upon winning
*For reference, basic wild chao had 16 HP, 40 SP, 1 STR, 20 DEX, 16 AGI, 20 INT, 5 ATK, 10 PDEF, 10 MDEF and 0 EVA; had no resists/weaknesses, gave 4 XP/12 Rings and 50% of a normal nut
*Based on the scripts hinted in the provided text documents from the test-dlc, the game had a character database/bestiary script (Nakate) and map stats (Dubealex).
Development
The Chao Tales is currently in a staging area of planning and no actual development has begun, due to me wanting to re-examine the mechanics and focuses of the original game and having only graphical assets and design docs available. Some of the described content is planned, only partially thought out so far or may not make it in or may change significantly prior to implementation and some of this is intended to not think too far ahead and instead for a release-candidate two or three builds down the line.

I do like community opinions/responses so here is a small poll for now on some potential features/direction:
Poll

Features
*Chao evolution represented by a class system, type matchups and skill tree. This is now a bit inspired by Pokemon obviously, with all Chao having a first type that is always neutral, hero or dark and a secondary type of none, run, power, fly or swim. Additional types that do not fit this are hidden types and are used for move-effectiveness calculation based on the main and/or secondary type, such as elemental types. Chaotix and Rose will be planned for a future update with some of the sub-types being inspired by Amy, Big, Cream, Mighty, Charmy, Espio and Vector. Jewel/etc Chao will also arrive in a planned update but I have no idea how to smartly adapt them to combat in terms of mechanics/focuses for them in specific. Pokemon-like EVs are also present, with wild Chao giving a random +1 value in run, power, fly or swim and/or specific secondary stats such as speed. This is what decides what your Chao evolves into. The skill tree may be discarded early on in development if the game goes for an entirely level-based move system.
*About skills: some are field moves like in Pokemon and some are available to all evolutions or only fly/swim/etc. Some have utility for fast-travel, puzzle solving such as pushing objects/removing objects or granting mobility/movement abilities such as being able to glide over cliffs to access extra content.
*Revised combat circle: Fly>Power>Swim>Run>Fly, (Neutral is well...like Pokemon's normal, it doesn't have anything its actually effective against) and then it loops around where it ends and regarding elemental types, Water>Fire, Fire>Ice, Grass>Water, Fire>Grass, Electric>Water. Elemental attributes can also interact with secondary ones, i.e Ice>Fly or Grass>Swim. Chaotix/Rose, Hero/Dark and Mythical/Ghost act like the Ghost-type in Pokemon, they are super-effective against each other both ways. I used Pokemon to revise the secondary-attribute combat circle, power is equivalent to fighting, so flying knocks out fighting, power beats swimming either on a brute force or a strength that swimming lacks, swimming drowns run and run outspeeds fly.
*There are three ways to get EVs to influence your character growth: from defeating wild Chao, small animals or chaos shards. Chaos shards, like their SA2 counterparts, are meant to be purer forms of EVs that skew in one particular singular focus (i.e, fly) but do not offer any potential stat skews or extra benefits like small animals do.
*A recruiting system akin to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. After defeating wild Chao, there is a random chance they will join your party and slot into your party or any of the gardens if your party is full or if you choose no for them to join your party right away (making them go on reserve like in some FF games). The chance depends on the evo-stage of the chao, how powerful they are, etc. Recruitable wild chao includes the SA1 silver, gold and black chao as well as monotone/shiny/jewel Chao that are equivalent to shiny Pokemon in encounter chance.
*A music item that allows you to choose between original tracks for each area, a remix or a 16-bit midi demake.
*Random weather system. Aside from normal weather, there is sunny, rain, snow, fog, sandstorm and hail. Sandstorms and hail both damage the player assuming they don't have abilities to negate it and obscure visibility. Sunny weather makes ice and water moves less effective and boosts the effectiveness of fire and certain grass-type moves. Rain does the opposite of sunny weather, making water moves more effective but fire 50% less effective. The accuracy of certain electric and ice moves are also affected by rain or snow/hail.
*A Pokemon Gen III and onward like fruit tree growing system
*Themes, different selectable windowskins based on SA2/B's themes system

Locations
Station Square
The starting area. The map will be mostly identical to as it was in Sonic Adventure but with some tweaks and new content.


Sub-locations
Spoiler:
Chao Garden
Expected features here in the main garden such as daily respawning fruit trees, VMU-esque like utility machines, merchants, etc as well as entrances to the Chao Race and Chao Karate areas

Casinopolis
An optional side area, a Pokemon Game Corner-esque side distraction. Here, you can trade rings for coins and use them to play either slot machines or a card flipping/betting mini game. The odds of slot machines are lower but pay out more while the card-game is more predictable but in exchange, has lower but more consistent (less RNG if you're skilled) payout. Pinball is also available as a reference to SA1. You can exchange your coins for various items, including accessories and move tokens (equivalent to Pokemon's TMs)
Characters
Kabewm Megaton
A strange Chao that lives in the Station Square Sewers. He sells various uncommon to rare items, the stock of which is randomized every day. He may also more rarely sell pyrotechnic/bomb items.

Unnamed
A rival character similar to Paper Mario's Jr Troopa and Pokemon rivals. They can be fought in multiple places throughout the game and his alignment, attributes and skills change to counter the player as they progress and/or change if the player loses the first fight.
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Chao31
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Re: The Chao Tales (RPG Maker XP?)

Post by Chao31 »

I love this idea so much!

I hope my children have a adventure and get fed fruit.....

:herosurprise:
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