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Custodian - An Aldrich Academy Story (IGMC)'s itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| People's Choice Vote | #36 | 3.808 | 3.808 |
Ranked from 26 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Team Members
IzzyCatz
Engine
RPG Maker MV
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Comments
Fun game, with much room for further development. Good job.
I really like the custom art and the writing. So far the characters are interesting, as are the designs. I really liked how you moved from place to place and interacted with the world, but it would have been nice to see more of that - interacting with people or being able to do things off-script a bit to get a little more into the setting and character.
I honestly don't think it was a good idea to eschew any kind of battle. Even if it had been a default RPG Maker battle system used, the skills and pacing, kinds of monsters and such would have given at least some idea as to how that aspect of the game was played. Even if it was very simple in style, it would have been more than just going down the route you were forced and watching cutscenes.
Not that what we did experience wasn't nice but there wasn't really any player interaction required. No real choices were given so it felt like it was all just one long cutscene even when we were prompted to do something.
The lack of music also didn't help - music can help a world feel alive and more real. That there was none didn't help the setting at all. Even if it had been RTP music you could have given a feel to the setting that would help it seem like there was some movement or energy to it.
Honestly, the most interesting part of the game was how you moved around and the small cutscene at the end where the crazy eyes came out (was it just me or did she seem to go full yandere/cray-cray mode when talking about the goddess? ;p )
Overall the presentation is nice but it would have been great to see more actual playable content.
I wanted to thank you for playing my game, and also providing some very strong constructive criticism.
(Edit: I also wanted to thank you for voice acting the characters. That was great.)
I'll take this time to properly address everything that you mentioned!
Combat:
When it came to combat, I hadn't actually even started a system. I started the contest a week late, and when I started, I spent about two weeks developing the art and designing the characters. I am not an artist, and by that, I mean that I don't draw regularly. Most of my experience comes from my teens. It took a very long time to get each background done, and longer for the characters. I did everything with a mouse (no tablet) I'd estimate each piece at about five hours. When I had completed the art (mostly) I only had a week left.
This game takes place in the same universe as Aldrich Academy, it's a series I've been working on for about three years. I'd call this an origin story of a currently unknown character in that universe.
You can see more information on Aldrich Academy at the following link:
www.aldrichacademy.ca
You can also see the combat system developed for that universe in the course selections. All art in the website is drawn by @MakioKuta on twitter. She is an amazing artist, and dear friend. When Custodian is completed, most of the art will be redrawn by her in her style.
(Edit: I will likely continue drawing the backgrounds.)
Music:
As mentioned above, I've been working on a universe called Aldrich Academy for awhile. I already have an OST for Aldrich Academy, and sadly all the OSTs wouldn't be allowed in the contest. You can listen to the music in the link below. A lot of this music would be used in Custodian as well.
https://soundcloud.com/scythuz/sets/the-ghost-of-aldrich-academy-ost-remastered-tracks
I wanted to use the RTP, but by the time I felt confident enough to add music, I had about one day and ten hours left. I wanted to make sure people tested the game before the contest started, so should anyone discover any bugs- they could be solved before the games were locked. In hindsight, I regret not adding RTP. I could have done a quick hour rush job, and still had time to post the game and get it tested.
All the music for Aldrich Academy is designed by a wonderful friend, @Scythuz on twitter.
Crazy Eyes:
When it came to her 'crazy eyes', I sadly didn't have the time to explain things properly.
In my universe, there is a race called 'Ma'sfet'. These people are blessed by the goddess of the same name, and are granted unusual abilities. Some can summon weapons, others armour, while a very rare few have more support based abilities. These abilities don't usually manifest until a person is in their teens, usually around thirteen. In Nora's case, her abilities manifested around eighteen. They very rarely manifest that late, and when they do, It tends to be very dangerous. She, and the others around her were lucky to survive.
The glowing blue eyes are a symbol of Ma'sfet. (Edit: Ma'sfet is the Goddess of Justice.)
Custodian (this game) is a story about Nora trying to come to terms with being Ma'sfet.
In my universe, there is an event called "The Enumeration Act" ongoing. (It'd be explained in full in the completed project) All Ma'sfet are being treated as though they're criminals serving a false god. Most who follow Ma'sfet are being carded, printed, and registered in the federal database as potential criminals. They're subjected to unlawful searches, and some arrested. Those who have abilities, are required to surrender themselves. The Enumeration Act is considered unconstitutional in this world, but it's taking a very long time to overturn it due to fearmongering in political circles. I won't say anymore due to spoilers.
Wrap Up:
I wanted to thank you once more for taking the time to enter my world. Your voice acting was amazing.
(Edit: Also, that scene at the end will take place in the real world. She can't really show off her abilities in the game world, since they wouldn't somehow get transferred to it. At the time, I didn't want to spoil Poppy's real life appearance, and now I regret it.) The following is Poppy's IRL appearance. (Explains the boy with the ears, comment.)
(Edit 2: Also in regards to that 'someone making it look like she did something evil' Don't worry, she wasn't kicked out of the school due to being Ma'sfet. She completed school- her mandatory training, and rejected acceptance into the Custodian program. Professor Aldrich is very much the type of woman who protects her students. She wanted to train Nora so she could learn to use her abilities properly, and hide them due to the before mentioned Enumeration Act. Though she's also not the type to force someone to do something.) Anyways! No more spoilers. xD
I shall get down to uhm *clears throat* Brass Tacks, and make a large prototype. *ahem*
Very short and not much content, but the character writing was solid and the artwork was nicely done. Nora's inner dialogue was an especially nice touch as it allowed the player to connect with her anxiety better. It's a strong introduction. If you polish the rest of the cutscenes you have planned to this level, a larger story would be very nice.
The jump between the quest to the scene between Nora and Poppy at the crystal at night to the events happening during the day were a tad jarring and hard to follow, but I get the sense that that is due to cut content breaking up the pacing.
Congrats on submitting your demo!
Solid game, great base. The end with the cutscreen was a great touch and makes me wanna see whats next.
Was a fantastic experience!
Yo! After the first conversation with Poppy, I touched the crystal, I talked to the Professor, but when I try to walk out of the map, the game crashes. Sorry, I didn't took a Screen Shot, but it's something like "Type error Failed to execute "GetprogramParameter" on WebGLblablabla".
Maybe it's just my computer, but it's worth checking out - I guess you can fix it before the submission time runs out.
Interesting. I play tested it several times before submitting it. Thanks! I'll take a look!
Edit: I attempted to recreate the error and cannot. I did as you said; after speaking with poppy, I touched the crystal, spoke to the professor, and then attempted to leave the area. Instead, I got the message (the one you're supposed too) saying that you must equip your weapon and armour before leaving.
Edit Edit: Was there anything else that happened? Are you sure about that order? I'm going to try a couple things and see what happens.
I've equiped my weapon and armour beforehand, just after receiving them. Maybe that was the cause of the problem...
Yeah. I cannot recreate it. That's odd. I tried it with and without the weapons. I've downloaded it on four separate house computers and none of them can recreate the error. That's sooooo weird.
After seeing this I too tried recreating this bug but had no success.