itch.io

Thanks for posting. 

Yes, it is a fantasy world, an escape from our reality. I don't want to write about 'present-day' stuff. Nothing wrong with authors who do, full power to them and to those who want that but, for me, I want to give folks a chance to run away with their imaginations in an unexplored land. Always loved game books, particularly Fighting Fantasy and Lone Wolf, and I wanted to focus on adventure above anything else.

I know Green will not be to everyone's taste but I have been so happy with the positive response. 

I hope you give my game a go- more than that, I hope you enjoy being an orc and plundering all the gits. There is a free demo to see if it floats your boat.

Hi Jack,

Thanks for joining the horde.

The cheat mode is hidden inside the game. As a young orc, after passing your Coming of Rage ritual, you must travel west and climb to the top of the Western Hills. There you will meet the Crone of Fates. She has something to offer you...

The baborc plant has a gender. Orc ashes act like seeds. But in life, in terms of understanding human romantic interaction, they don't- it was more a shorthand for explaining why orcs have no interest in romance because many IF readers look for that type of thing. 

In essence, we can say those orcs (in this world) are both male and female, like many, not all, plants- but have the appearance of muscled males, the stereotypical 'barbarian.' This is what I find most fun about orcs.

Also, this game is set in a medieval-esque world. Folks here are not overly concerned with deep discussions about gender. But I take your point- many do wish to gender their MC.

-On a side note, the follow-up does allow you to pick your gender.

Though you will not have access to cheats at the outset- you can still acquire the blessing of the Crone of Fates. Survive to adulthood and venture to the heights of the Western Hills. Take the Crone's blessing and you get what you seek.

Will take a look at it tomorrow morning and find the problem. Thanks for letting me know- Did you help build the city first?

EDIT: Ah, it was left over code.

The council events have been taken out as the only way to build an enduring city here is to become the Dust Clan's shaman- and, to a lesser extent, much later in the war chief path.

You can still help to found the initial settlement, which helps your orc gain prestige- although, without a great leader it will flounder under Krog's disapproval.

Have patched it but it might interfere with saves. Lately, since I am proofreading the project, I am constantly re-uploading files which can mess with the saves on the DashingDon site. But your comment has helped me to get the final game out of Beta by catching and squishing bugs. Hopefully not long now!

Hi Trlsander! Thanks for showing interest. There is a link on the main page where you can play the full beta version of the game (0.9- needing proofreading and the squashing of any found bugs)- I've also posted it- here  This goes to a site called DashingDon which hosts many work-in-progress Interactive Fiction games.

Once released on Hosted Games, the game will be available for mobile apps- some of these games are also released on Steam.

This week the elves of the Netherwood get their major settlement. Hidden in the depths of a forest, elven society had become increasingly risk-taking and militaristic. In a drawn-out war with the dwarves of the nearby Mountain, elves fly suicidal sorties across the peaks to keep the dwarves, ever fearful of the skies, couped up. However, modern elvish society has not gone down well with the trees, which constantly haunt elvish dreams as they grow twisted and ravenous.

At the centre of the Netherwood is the Tree Heart, worshipped as a virtual god. Cared for by the Tenders, the Tree Heart beats with growing corruption. The Tenders have become embedded in the tree, wracked with discordant emotions from the forest's resentment of the elves.

Elven buildings, once peaceful icons of beauty, shudder nervously with the increasing proximity of forest corruption in the form of haunted trees.

Above, notice the forest depths, where dead trees mingle with living trees.  Bones scatter the earth around an ominous-looking tree yearning to feast.

Here, we can see one of the wood and canvas biplanes readying itself for an attack run. Once long-lived, elves gladly volunteer for these missions, almost certainly meeting their demise.

With the dwarves and elves established on the North West section of the world map, I can now move on to developing stories, dialogues, quests and battles, furthering the story of your orc tribe. After this, I can move on to the human lands in the North East section of the map. Life has caught up to me. Progress may slow for the coming weeks. Hopefully, this will not be the case for too long.

This is a work in progress and everything is liable to change.

This last week I have been building some dwarven areas, under The Mountain, currently besieged by the last tribe of wild orcs. These areas need to be further populated and developed but lay the foundation of orcish expansion, through conquest or diplomacy, beyond the conquest of the New Shires.

Above, see wild orcs, their shaman and chief, outside the entrance to The Mountain. The fight has long ago moved under The Mountain, though the progress of the wild orcs is slow. Manipulated by the elves to weaken the dwarves and keep them in check, the orcs lack the technology for a final push to victory.

Here we see the fortress capital of the dwarves. Pipes and gas canisters, the toxic underworld fumes to which the dwarves are now addicted, adorn old architecture. The dwarven guard dons the equivalent of hazmat suits, armed with flame throwers and vats of fuel and gas. Dangerous but pale and withered, the dwarves are losing themselves to excess and hedonism, many seeking to make themselves part of The Mountain as they slowly turn into rock. Many have already had their eyes surgically swapped with precious stones.

In the heart of The Mountain, and home to the Lord of Brimstone, the ruler of dwarf-kind, you will find this forge area. It needs further work but hints at the corruption of the dwarfs, the abandonment of their history and the drift into occultist visions.

Events and stories need layering over these locations in time. Right now, I want to plan out the elf areas in the North West section of the world map. Along the way, I can adjust things. 

This is a work in progress and all things may change.

This week, I have added events to the world map's North West section. These events are simple choice-based decisions, like paragraphs from old-school gamebooks where you turn to different pages to see the consequences of your actions.

In this case, the consequences can have effects such as buffing or rebuffing your stats, building your reputation, affecting relations with other world races/nations, and unlocking future events and quests. I hope these will also make the world feel more alive, add depth to the lore and allow you to see actual changes to the landscape dependent on your horde's rising power.

Here are a few examples:

You can encounter a group of neophyte human adventurers in a tavern. Your choices can build your reputation for brutality, spread the Word of your god, Krog, to human lands negatively affecting orc-human relations, or have a good old-fashioned pint with the group, positively affecting relations with human realms.

In another encounter, at the edge of the Netherwood, the elven forest realm, you come across a slave camp. Here, elves sell runaway orcs back to the wild orc camp in the north, their nominal allies in the fight against the dwarves.

You can, of course, slaughter the elves, negatively affecting relations with them but pleasing your god. Buying warriors for your horde is also an option, enhancing your reputation with the elves as 'someone we can do business with.' This, in turn, will open up future events.

In an occupied Smallfolk village, you will find a cantankerous old orc preaching the values of democracy. Depending on your reputation, you can court his approval and get his followers to join your horde, pay off his followers or slaughter him. If the old git joins your horde, this could open up a range of consequences as his philosophy gains ground amongst your own followers.

This is a small selection of implemented events. There will be many more, supplementing the grander main events on local maps.

This is a WIP and everything could change.

Hi Szajna, thanks for having a look at the progress of my game.  I plan to have the story formed by your orc's choices and actions, rather than an encompassing narrative arc. In this game, YOU are the potential threat taking over the world, as you build up the strength of orc-kind.

Thanks for your kind words, best wishes!

I am at the point now to expand the story into the wider world. To these ends, I have been developing the North West and North East parts of the map. Here, you will encounter Dwarven, Elven and Human nations. I plan to add events to these maps, many single-page choices to gain attribute points and spread your orc dominion the way you wish, as well as a few expansive areas with more developed quests.

Above is the North West section of the world map. Here, you'll find lands torn apart by warring dwarves and elves. The dwarves live in the mountains and have built artillery towers along their borders to bombard potential enemies. The dwarves have also developed submarines, to rule the Boiling Sea. The elven forest is bristling with runway towers, from where they launch their biplanes to attack dwarven mountain peaks.

Between the mountains, No-Man's land suffers; the obliterated country between warring states. Here, find the remains of the railway, and abandoned Human and Smallfolk towns. To the north is the last remaining wild orc tribe, currently working with the elves, besieging the entrance to the great dwarven Mountain. Potential allies, or foes?

You can see the North East section of the world map above. It is where fractious human city-states reside, all swearing allegiance to their Emperor. Along concrete and tar roads, the further you go the more advanced the humans become, with their blend of magic and steam technology.  In the south, medieval-style towns struggle to subsist. In the north, above the capital, find the culmination of humanity's dream to fly to the stars.

These maps help develop themes and quests to enliven the world and develop your own orc's story. Will you conquer, ally, or become a tool in the schemes of nations?

I want to add events to these maps in the near future, before creating larger areas to explore in depth like the cities and dwarven and elven settlements.

This is a WIP and everything is liable to change.

I've been away and work has been halting until the last week, but back in action now! Synrec has updated his great Tactical Battle system. It has taken me a while to reimplement the battles and the initial abilities and effects. The system is working better than before now.

The initial opening engagement, with your orcs, pitted against Smallfolk oppressors, is over. It is time to grow your orc domain. First, I have been working on the Embassy Hotel, in the Smallfolk capital, Great Rest. Here will be a hub, allowing your orcs to communicate with the nations of the other races.

You have, of course, commandeered the upper floor. Find your friend Grumbol in the bath giving his beloved boar, Porclin, a good scrub. The Shamaniac, Loon, in a deep commune with his god, Krog, develops a fascination with dwarven lava lamps.

Along the lower floor, you will find rooms used as embassies. Your goblin pal, Gobba, has let success get to his head and trashed one of the rooms.

The room below is used by an elf, a scar-ridden duellist who has rejected the once famous elven appreciation of beauty, though still possesses ties to nature and the forests.

Next door is the room used as a dwarven embassy. Dwarven society has become one of crazed excess. Hobbies include the addicting inhalation of noxious underworld gasses, and, of course, the excessive consumption of the ever-ubiquitous grog. Some dwarves have even gone through procedures to infuse the rock of their Mountain onto their own bodies.

One of the human nations, the Silver Rose, also uses a room. From here, the human ambassador warily keeps an eye on the new orc nation, assessing the threat posed and how it can be exploited to her benefit.

From here, the opportunities to explore other parts of the world map will become available. I plan to add variables charting the opinion of other nations, which will decide various outcomes when you eventually decide to explore further flung parts of the world now that you have subjugated the Smallfolk realms.

As always, this is a WIP and everything could change.

Actually, if I don't set a character file and index number under the actor parameters, it works and I can change the images. Are the overrides in the actor parameters optional, or might I encounter problems if they are not set?

Perhaps there could be a way to override character index images in the Map parameters?

Hi Synrec, me again. No errors to report!

This time I have a functional issue. In my project, my characters sometimes use different sprites in different battles. In some battles they fight on foot, in others, they ride motorbikes for road battles. Previously, I just changed actor images at some point before the battle, and they would display as I wish. Now, because I set the actor character file and index in the plugin parameters, this overwrites whatever other actor image I may have set. I have tried to use events at the start of a battle to change the actor image but this doesn't work.  

Is there a way around this?

No rest for the wicked! Your TBS is shaping up to be something special. I'll go through it all, and hopefully get savvy, as I proofread the early part of the project and improve all my battles.

I mean un-uncomment the line

!!!! No, I didn't. Battle loads now! Sorry for the angst when it was my mistake. Seems good for now.

Should I uncomment the line?

Would you prefer if I emailed you, rather than post those parts of your TBS publicly?

With line 7579 commented out, I bet the same result, with this on the console.

I am only testing the first battle of a new game. It will take a good while to input everything for each battle/skill/map so I wanted to get it working for me first.

I have only minimally configured one actor and enemy to test the new system. 

Actor Config:

["{\"Actor\":\"9\",\"Battler Configuration\":\"{\\\"Base Move Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"TBS Layer\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Attack Animation\\\":\\\"121\\\",\\\"Map Character Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character File (Override)\\\":\\\"OrcPlayers\\\",\\\"Character Index (Override)\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Dead Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Dead Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"TBS Move AI (Auto)\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"hunter\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"TBS Action AI (Auto)\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"offense\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Balloon Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"No Move Balloon\\\":\\\"7\\\",\\\"Ally Balloon\\\":\\\"4\\\",\\\"Enemy Balloon\\\":\\\"5\\\",\\\"User Balloon\\\":\\\"9\\\",\\\"Animation Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Spawn Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Start Turn Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Move End Animation\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action End Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Revive Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Dead Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Base Stepping Animation\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"HP Gauge Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Color\\\":\\\"rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.65)\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Width\\\":\\\"48\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Height\\\":\\\"14\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Y-Offset\\\":\\\"-48\\\",\\\"No Map Gauge\\\":\\\"false\\\"}\"}"]

Enemy Config:

["{\"Enemy\":\"1\",\"Battler Configuration\":\"{\\\"Base Move Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"TBS Layer\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Attack Animation\\\":\\\"121\\\",\\\"Map Character Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character File (Override)\\\":\\\"Encounters1\\\",\\\"Character Index (Override)\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Dead Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Dead Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"TBS Move AI (Auto)\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"hunter\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"TBS Action AI (Auto)\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"offense\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Balloon Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"No Move Balloon\\\":\\\"7\\\",\\\"Ally Balloon\\\":\\\"4\\\",\\\"Enemy Balloon\\\":\\\"5\\\",\\\"User Balloon\\\":\\\"9\\\",\\\"Animation Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Spawn Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Start Turn Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Move End Animation\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action End Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Revive Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Dead Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Base Stepping Animation\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"HP Gauge Configurations\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Color\\\":\\\"rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.65)\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Width\\\":\\\"48\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Height\\\":\\\"14\\\",\\\"Map Gauge Y-Offset\\\":\\\"-48\\\",\\\"No Map Gauge\\\":\\\"false\\\"}\"}"]

Skill Config (5 skills minimally configured(.

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Range\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Splash Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Damage Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action View\\\":\\\"map\\\",\\\"No Through\\\":\\\"true\\\",\\\"Knockback Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Suction Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Teleport\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Swap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Contact Layers\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"0\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"1\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"2\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Contact Terrain\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Contact Regions\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Placement Trap Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Trigger Count\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Always Trigger Trap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Trigger Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Placement Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Target\\\":\\\"all\\\"}\"}","{\"ID\":\"43\",\"Data Configuration\":\"{\\\"Attack Pattern\\\":\\\"square\\\",\\\"Facing Attack\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Damage Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Required Terrain ID\\\":\\\"-1\\\",\\\"Skill Cost Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Use Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Ally Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Use Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Enemy Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Share Cost Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Share Cost Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Turns\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Action Balloon\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Attack Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Splash Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Damage Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action View\\\":\\\"map\\\",\\\"No Through\\\":\\\"true\\\",\\\"Knockback Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Suction Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Teleport\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Swap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Contact Layers\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"0\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"1\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"2\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Contact Terrain\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Contact Regions\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Placement Trap Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Trigger Count\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Always Trigger Trap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Trigger Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Placement Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Target\\\":\\\"all\\\"}\"}","{\"ID\":\"44\",\"Data Configuration\":\"{\\\"Attack Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Facing 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Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action View\\\":\\\"map\\\",\\\"No Through\\\":\\\"true\\\",\\\"Knockback Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Suction Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Teleport\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Swap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Contact Layers\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"0\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"1\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"2\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Contact Terrain\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Contact Regions\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Placement Trap Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Trigger Count\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Always Trigger Trap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Trigger Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Placement Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Target\\\":\\\"all\\\"}\"}","{\"ID\":\"45\",\"Data Configuration\":\"{\\\"Attack Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Facing Attack\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Damage Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Required Terrain ID\\\":\\\"-1\\\",\\\"Skill Cost Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Use Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Ally Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Use Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Enemy Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Share Cost Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Share Cost Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Turns\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Action Balloon\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Attack Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Splash Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Damage Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action View\\\":\\\"map\\\",\\\"No Through\\\":\\\"true\\\",\\\"Knockback Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Suction Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Teleport\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Swap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Contact Layers\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"0\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"1\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"2\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Contact Terrain\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Contact Regions\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Placement Trap Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Trigger Count\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Always Trigger Trap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Trigger Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Placement Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Target\\\":\\\"all\\\"}\"}","{\"ID\":\"46\",\"Data Configuration\":\"{\\\"Attack Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Facing Attack\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Damage Pattern\\\":\\\"normal\\\",\\\"Required Terrain ID\\\":\\\"-1\\\",\\\"Skill Cost Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Use Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Ally Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Ally Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Use Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Enemy Reduce Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Increase Cost\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Reduce\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Enemy Power Increase\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Share Cost Allies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Share Cost Enemies\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Turns\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Reserve Action Balloon\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Attack Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Splash Range\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Damage Exclusion Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Action View\\\":\\\"map\\\",\\\"No Through\\\":\\\"true\\\",\\\"Knockback Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Suction Range\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Teleport\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Swap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Contact Layers\\\":\\\"[\\\\\\\"0\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"1\\\\\\\",\\\\\\\"2\\\\\\\"]\\\",\\\"Contact Terrain\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Contact Regions\\\":\\\"[]\\\",\\\"Placement Trap Configuration\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Trigger Count\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Always Trigger Trap\\\":\\\"false\\\",\\\"Trigger Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Character File\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Character Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Placement Animation\\\":\\\"1\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Index\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\\\":\\\"2\\\",\\\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\\\":\\\"0\\\",\\\"Trap Target\\\":\\\"all\\\"}\"}"]

{"ID":"43","Data Configuration":"{\"Attack Pattern\":\"square\",\"Facing Attack\":\"false\",\"Damage Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Required Terrain ID\":\"-1\",\"Skill Cost Configuration\":\"\",\"Use Allies\":\"0\",\"Ally Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Use Enemies\":\"0\",\"Enemy Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Share Cost Allies\":\"0\",\"Share Cost Enemies\":\"0\",\"Reserve Turns\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\":\"1\",\"Reserve Animation\":\"1\",\"Reserve Action Balloon\":\"\",\"Attack Range\":\"1\",\"Splash Range\":\"1\",\"Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Damage Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Action View\":\"map\",\"No Through\":\"true\",\"Knockback Range\":\"0\",\"Suction Range\":\"0\",\"Teleport\":\"false\",\"Swap\":\"false\",\"Contact Layers\":\"[\\\"0\\\",\\\"1\\\",\\\"2\\\"]\",\"Contact Terrain\":\"[]\",\"Contact Regions\":\"[]\",\"Placement Trap Configuration\":\"\",\"Trap Trigger Count\":\"0\",\"Always Trigger Trap\":\"false\",\"Trigger Animation\":\"1\",\"Character File\":\"\",\"Character Index\":\"0\",\"Placement Animation\":\"1\",\"Trap Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Trap Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\":\"0\",\"Trap Target\":\"all\"}"}

{"ID":"44","Data Configuration":"{\"Attack Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Facing Attack\":\"false\",\"Damage Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Required Terrain ID\":\"-1\",\"Skill Cost Configuration\":\"\",\"Use Allies\":\"0\",\"Ally Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Use Enemies\":\"0\",\"Enemy Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Share Cost Allies\":\"0\",\"Share Cost Enemies\":\"0\",\"Reserve Turns\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\":\"1\",\"Reserve Animation\":\"1\",\"Reserve Action Balloon\":\"\",\"Attack Range\":\"1\",\"Splash Range\":\"1\",\"Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Damage Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Action View\":\"map\",\"No Through\":\"true\",\"Knockback Range\":\"0\",\"Suction Range\":\"0\",\"Teleport\":\"false\",\"Swap\":\"false\",\"Contact Layers\":\"[\\\"0\\\",\\\"1\\\",\\\"2\\\"]\",\"Contact Terrain\":\"[]\",\"Contact Regions\":\"[]\",\"Placement Trap Configuration\":\"\",\"Trap Trigger Count\":\"0\",\"Always Trigger Trap\":\"false\",\"Trigger Animation\":\"1\",\"Character File\":\"\",\"Character Index\":\"0\",\"Placement Animation\":\"1\",\"Trap Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Trap Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\":\"0\",\"Trap Target\":\"all\"}"}

{"ID":"45","Data Configuration":"{\"Attack Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Facing Attack\":\"false\",\"Damage Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Required Terrain ID\":\"-1\",\"Skill Cost Configuration\":\"\",\"Use Allies\":\"0\",\"Ally Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Use Enemies\":\"0\",\"Enemy Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Share Cost Allies\":\"0\",\"Share Cost Enemies\":\"0\",\"Reserve Turns\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\":\"1\",\"Reserve Animation\":\"1\",\"Reserve Action Balloon\":\"\",\"Attack Range\":\"1\",\"Splash Range\":\"1\",\"Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Damage Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Action View\":\"map\",\"No Through\":\"true\",\"Knockback Range\":\"0\",\"Suction Range\":\"0\",\"Teleport\":\"false\",\"Swap\":\"false\",\"Contact Layers\":\"[\\\"0\\\",\\\"1\\\",\\\"2\\\"]\",\"Contact Terrain\":\"[]\",\"Contact Regions\":\"[]\",\"Placement Trap Configuration\":\"\",\"Trap Trigger Count\":\"0\",\"Always Trigger Trap\":\"false\",\"Trigger Animation\":\"1\",\"Character File\":\"\",\"Character Index\":\"0\",\"Placement Animation\":\"1\",\"Trap Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Trap Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\":\"0\",\"Trap Target\":\"all\"}"}

{"ID":"46","Data Configuration":"{\"Attack Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Facing Attack\":\"false\",\"Damage Pattern\":\"normal\",\"Required Terrain ID\":\"-1\",\"Skill Cost Configuration\":\"\",\"Use Allies\":\"0\",\"Ally Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Ally Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Use Enemies\":\"0\",\"Enemy Reduce Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Increase Cost\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Reduce\":\"false\",\"Enemy Power Increase\":\"false\",\"Share Cost Allies\":\"0\",\"Share Cost Enemies\":\"0\",\"Reserve Turns\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Reserve Area Graphic Priority\":\"1\",\"Reserve Animation\":\"1\",\"Reserve Action Balloon\":\"\",\"Attack Range\":\"1\",\"Splash Range\":\"1\",\"Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Damage Exclusion Range\":\"0\",\"Action View\":\"map\",\"No Through\":\"true\",\"Knockback Range\":\"0\",\"Suction Range\":\"0\",\"Teleport\":\"false\",\"Swap\":\"false\",\"Contact Layers\":\"[\\\"0\\\",\\\"1\\\",\\\"2\\\"]\",\"Contact Terrain\":\"[]\",\"Contact Regions\":\"[]\",\"Placement Trap Configuration\":\"\",\"Trap Trigger Count\":\"0\",\"Always Trigger Trap\":\"false\",\"Trigger Animation\":\"1\",\"Character File\":\"\",\"Character Index\":\"0\",\"Placement Animation\":\"1\",\"Trap Area Graphic\":\"\",\"Trap Area Graphic Index\":\"0\",\"Trap Area Graphic Direction\":\"2\",\"Trap Area Graphic Priority\":\"0\",\"Trap Target\":\"all\"}"}

I have added nothing to the Item Config.

Found your placeholders for incompatibility. Think it is Visu's Core.

For my own project, VisuStella's plugins are much needed. Are you able to fix this?

Really appreciate your Trojan work ethic!

Thanks.  I haven't updated any other plugins since I last used the old version of TBS, if that helps.

Let me know if you need anything else on my end.

This is what comes up, as soon as I start the battle. I can see blurry green arrow placements in the middle of the map, so it seems the map has loaded. And you can see the buttons Start and continue buttons in the top right. No enemies. On this map, there should only be a single spawned enemy and a single actor.

It happens at the very start of the battle. I get to see that the map is loaded, with placement icons, behind the blurry rpgm mz error screen. 

I cannot start the battle or place my actor.

I turn Visu's Skill States off. The console now reads:

I could have left something in the parameters undefined, I'm just not sure as I followed the quick set-up guide. I'll keep trying, on my end.

Does the plugin approach each battle as they come, or does it reference the whole database for each battle? To be clearer, would enemies and skills unconfigured in the plugin parameters, but not needed for the current battle, result in these errors?

Hi Synrec,

Just took a look at the updated system. The streamlining looks like it will be great for me. However, I think I am setting it up incorrectly, or may even have a compatibility issue.

I already have extensive battles set up for the old system. I am trying to get my first battle to work with the new. For that particular battle only, I placed the actor and the enemy in the parameters and quickly filled in the skills they would use. I plan to revisit the parameters with each progressive battle already in my game. This way I can work through the plugin and get to grips with it.

I have hit an immediate snag and must have configured stuff incorrectly. Here is the dev console message:

Does this help you identify what I did wrong or if there are compatibility issues with the Visu plugins?

I know it is time-consuming, and a pain in the backside, but a new youtube set-up video might help clueless folks like me :D

Happy New Year. I hope you all had a lovely festive season.

Meanwhile, back in the world of a rising orc nation, the war with the Smallfolk Shires is reaching its conclusion. If the player has spread enough fear, ravaged or occupied enough land and enlisted enough orcs and goblins for their army, the path to the smallfolk capital, Great Rest, opens up.

Before you venture into the cowboy-style port town, you return to your newly weaponised tribe- literally weaponised; the shacks and trailers bolted together to form a mobile fortress and camp, befit with orcs in trash-forged armour. Here you will find representatives of all the forces you have gathered.

If the player manages to get to Great rest, they'll find a town trembling in fear. News of your actions has spread. A showdown awaits.

The town needs further development to bring it to life. All variables (horde size, Krog's opinion of your actions, wealth, reputation, and some secret variables), must be factored into the eventual outcome. Victory here will give the orcs their burgeoning nation, allowing your party to explore the wider world.

The whole first section of the game now has to be proofread. The story needs further development, the world will be populated with more side events, skills and classes will be expanded.  This will take some time. 

Since all early paths end in Great Rest, I'll be able to, hopefully, expand the scope into a more free-roaming, exploratory style of play, allowing the player to shape their orc's story.

Everything is liable to change as this is a WIP.

Thanks.  Merry festivities. 

Seasons greetings, Synrec

I have encountered a problem placing region actors, as I want to use them in battles, in excess of the usual four actor slots. I copied the method used in your tutorial:

<Region Actor 17: [33]>

<Region Actor 17 Event: 5> (I've tried with and without an event.  A text event works, then leads to the same problem below)

The battler appears on the map, in region 17. When it comes around to this battler's turn, I get a crash to this message:

this._battler.enemy is not a function

 As far as I know, I have set up this actor the same as the others. I might be missing a trick here. 

(Edit: Just experienced the same problem with repeating repeats, where an action set to repeat twice carries on until all actors in range of the action  are dead.)

Thanks for your constant support of this great plugin.

This week, I have been developing the South West portion of the world map. Most of the progress has been to events mentioned in the last devlog.

  By this stage, your orcs should have acquired their initial army and the Dust Lands and Shires lay trembling before your horde. Here, you can raid farmlands and a trading convoy.  Notice the orc totems and shrines above conquered lands or black smoke above land you have ravaged.

More importantly, orc tribes, oppressed and pacified as they are, offer the potential to demonstrate your power. Force them to join you, or make an example out of them to spread fear of your intentions. Some tribes will cave to force, others demand more... esoteric displays of power to impress.

Then there are the Smallfolk (halfling) settlements. The hamlets, villages and towns cannot hope to stand before your horde. Some of these settlements have intrigues, which you can take advantage of. The goal here is to destroy, or occupy these places to grow your resources and reputation.

The next stage will be your grand homecoming to your own tribe, in final preparation for the assault on the Smallfolk capital, Great Rest.

After this, your new orc nation will be formed and you'll be able to travel the wider world. The opinions of other nations/races will be affected by how many settlements you have razed or occupied.

This is a WIP and everything is liable to change.

Since this part of the year is the Crazy Time, further development will be slower for a couple of weeks.

Merry Christmas, peace and joy to you all!!!

Greetings,  Synrec. With all the updates and good work, the plugin is running more smoothly than ever.  I have a small issue using 'repeat.'

On a skill, if I set 'repeat' to 2 or more, the battler using the skill will continuously repeat until the battle ends. For context, this is a TBS battle, but with only 1 character actor and 1 enemy actor. The enemy will attack the character, and the attack repeats continuously until the character is dead. 

I may have set things up incorrectly. Wondering if you have any advice?

I've spent the last week trying to balance stat awards for Reputation, Horde, Loot and Krog, in the earliest part of the game. I have continued to tie up dangling event threads too.  However, I have also started implementing world map interactions to bolster your resources and army and eventually affect other races' opinions of your orcs.  

A player can interact with orc settlements, after initial quests to grow their horde with orcs and goblins.

The farmlands of the Smallfolk lay vulnerable before your rampaging horde and you get to decide their fate too, with lasting consequences.

Lastly, I was unhappy with the relatively sparse detailing on some of the buildings and props of the player's starting orc settlement. I added dithering and gradients to their trailers, barrels and gas canisters.

I'm happy to see the world coming more to life but it has been difficult keeping track of different choices, their outcomes and balancing variables, which will be an ongoing issue.

This is a WIP and everything is liable to be changed or modified.

All good now. Cheers for responding and updating so quickly!

Hi Synrec, the update has only partially fixed the problem I'm encountering. Now, special enemies appear, but only as the common battler stated in <TBS Enem Ids> 

For example:

<TBS Enem Count: 3>

<TBS Enem Ids: [8]>

<Region Enem 15:[13]>

<Region Enem 16:[9]>

Now, 5 enemies appear but they are all enemy id [8], not the Region Enem 13 and 9.

Thanks for the help so far. I hope you can tweak this. Amazing plugin!

Me again Synrec.  I've noticed since the update that Region Enem no longer seems to work (at least for me).

As an example, I set up one map with these notes. It used to work, but now only the non-region enemies appear for the battle. The others don't appear in the queue, or on the map.

<TBS Map>

<TBS Enem Count: 3>

<TBS Enem Ids: [8]>

<Region Enem 15:[13]>

<Region Enem 16:[9]>

This had halted me in my tracks for the moment. Any help is appreciated.

Your questing band of orcs are starting to see their plans come together this week. They can now tentatively explore the South West portion of the world map, although much needs to be added. Here, as well as major locations, there will be minor locations in which you must make a choice as to the outcome of an event, for example, Spare it, Raid it, Raze it, and get the appropriate reward and consequence.

We can also interact with the mischievous goblin settlement, the Warrens, an abandoned, never completed dwarven stronghold. You can see the upper halls, where mass orc units are about to engage mass goblin units, with traps scattered across the battlefield. The victory allows your orc band to enter the great halls, a more furnished part of the dwarven stronghold. Although, with certain choices, you may be able to find a secret entrance to avoid this larger battle. 

Inside the great halls, depending on your actions, you may be able to ally with goblin forces before we move on to the climax of the early game, the raid on the Shires. The dwarven hold is very square and blocky, which seems somewhat appropriate for dwarfs, but I'm still not entirely happy with the look.

There are lots of story threads to iron out here and everything is still a WIP and liable to change.

Fixed! Cheers.