GBA action-rpg seeks 2D artist(s)

[Dan Posluns]

Hello all,

I've begun developing a Gameboy Advance RPG with a small team, and we are currently seeking a 2D artist to help create a demo (and eventually an entire game) that will be shopped around to publishers.

www.danposluns.com/eod has some information on the game and its artistic requirements, as well as a link to an older demo of the graphics engine.

Flat fee or royalties can be negotiated if a publisher is found. You retain the rights to your artwork, so there is no risk involved if you don't like the deal, but this is largely a springboard project to launch future opportunities so if you're in it solely for the money you will wind up very disappointed.

This is a good opportunity if you are looking to get in on the ground level, or even just to diversify your portfolio. This project IS happening; we are a small team but highly skilled and dedicated. Selling it is another matter, but then that's why we need the demo. ;D

Please e-mail me any questions or applications. Send e-mails to: [e-mail]

Dan.

[Ultim]

The page was written rather confusingly, but I believe I got the gist. Am I correct to say that the fighting style is something between Super Mario RPG's and Secret of Mana's (of course, with your own creative ideas added throughout for good measure)? Now that's a game that sounds worthwhile. No stat-fighting. I might be interested in helping out... Would you care to sum up the page here with all updated news (you did say the stuff was a little old)? By the way... if it never gets to the gameboy, you could always modify it for an MMORPG.

[Dan Posluns]

The fighting style is unique (as far as I am aware), but closest to a cross between Secret of Mana and Star Ocean 2. I don't think it bears any particular similarity to the SMRPG battle engine.

Your characters fight in an action-style environment like Secret of Mana, where everything happens in real-time. It's more intense, though: you can have as many as five characters in the battle at once (your four main characters plus an NPC). You have a "force meter" that you can use to launch power-attacks with weapons, or to cast magic. Weapons and magic are levelled, so the more you use a certain type of weapon or a certain type of magic the more powerful it becomes. The battle arena is in pseudo-3D (Mode 7) which allows for some very nice visual effects.

There are eight ways to target spells, so very often the player will be forced to choose between a simple target-and-cast for a weaker spell or a more difficult targetting for a stronger one. For example, some spells will hit everyone in a line between you and the target, and others will expand radially out from the caster, etc. As the level of weapons go up and their power attacks become stronger, you must follow a sequence of button presses presented to you in order to complete them for full damage.

Story summary (from the web page):

The story of Ember of Dawn is heavily rooted in Norse Mythology, but rife with anachronism. It takes place in a fictional world that exists long after the Ragnarok - the ultimate battle of the gods that destroys the world.

After the Ragnarok the gods seemingly disappeared, and the new world that emerged from the ashes of the former has long since forgotten the cataclysmic events that preceded it. The power that caused the world's destruction, meanwhile, lies dormant and hidden away. Unable to destroy it entirely, the few survivors of the past world have formed a secret society that is sworn to forever protect the new world from the dangerous power that lies beneath it.

Ember of Dawn tells the story of four characters brought together by chance, and follows their adventures as they become inextricably woven into the fabric of this ancient society and their mission.

There are no "silent protagonists" or a stale "team of anonymous heros". Each character has his or her (or its) own reason for going on the journey, and at points in the story your party may split up for no greater reason than characters needing to spend time apart from each other.

I'm afraid I can't divulge any more at the moment... story and characters are a couple of the big selling points of the game. Anyone working on the product will be privy to the full synopsis and demo script.

Where we're at right now:

Currently the battle graphics engine, text engine, status display engine and some of the underlying framework for the gameplay are all in place. I need a source of graphics in order to keep moving forward on the gameplay aspects, however.

If you think you would be interested, please contact me either here or by e-mail at: dan at danposluns dot com.

[Ultim]

Yeah, I might be able to help you with your graphics. However, I doubt I will take any money for it. We'll see how it goes.