Kedemara - The Orphan's Ballad News

[h3]Hello all!

Through many trials and setbacks, that I'm sure we've all had our fair share of this year, Chapter 2 of the game is NOW live!

As promised, I have throughly playtested this deployment package myself to check for any major bugs. Though some of the minor text formatting and other small oversights will be resolved by me when I can devote more time. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised at how much content is available with Chapter 2, I certainly hope you find it enjoyable to experience as well! I'll keep this succinct as I'm still ironing out some of the marketing materials (screenshots, trailers, etc.) for this release today. Here are a few notes and points I want to make everyone savvy to...[/h3]


- As hinted at above, I have played through this portion and have made some fixes on issues that came up with this deployment package. Most of these were related to some "trimming" I did with the Ch. 2 deployment package, but if you experienced issues with a prior deployment, the game should have these issues resolved.
- More "polish" has been applied to Chapter 1 overall...from text formatting, unifying some of the lore text/backstory, and even adding animations with new sprites are among some of the changes made. As noted in a previous Steam announcement, much of the music has been changed around as well...especially for your companion's themes.
- If you've not played Chapter 1 in the past few months, I would strongly recommend giving it a go again. Given the complexity of Chapter 2's story content, and how much it elaborates on more subtle historical lore mentioned in Chapter 1, I have made certain concepts or information a bit more amplified to assist in unifying these narrative points. Being familiar with the lore in general will assist a great deal with understanding the story elements found in Chapter 2. I also feel the quality of the dialogue has improved some as well.
- If there are functionality issues with save games, this can unfortunately be due to some past fixes that needed applying. When in doubt, it's better to start fresh. It'll be great to see the new changes anyways!

**EDIT (9-3-2020)**
I have been able to devote some time to a few of the "polish" updates that I've wanted to add in for Chapter 1 thus far...these are including, but not limited to:
- Longdale Warehouse scene has been streamlined to not have jarring "jump cuts" between the events. This required streamlining the eventing (which was early on and poorly organized), but it flows much better now
- Picked a more appropriate sprite for the Sewer boss
- Fixed/re-worked dialogue bits that had characters missing on the map screen, though they were speaking in dialogue boxes. (one or two more scenes to go)
- Expanded cutscene in the later part of the ship scene, adding better effect transitions and effects to the scene.
- Added a more fitting introduction scene to the encampment, explaining the setting. Guards were also given "guidance dialogue" to help progress through that area effectively.
- Final cutscene has received some tweaks to make it look smoother.


- Chapter 2 is big...VERY big. It's hard to gauge it with pinpoint accuracy, since many people read or explore at a different pace, but the estimate from playtesters and my own playthrough is that Chapter 2 is about 9 - 10 hours on it's own, if you encounter all the narrative and flavor content. Given the previous estimates of Chapter 1 being roughly 5+ hours, we'd be looking at nearly 15 hours of content to run through everything. Again, this can vary from person to person, and most people will discover new things with each playthrough. If the large chunk of Steam achievements didn't imply it clearly enough, there is a LOT to discover! :)
- Much like Chapter 1, the game doesn't force you to experience all the side content if you don't wish to. However, with the story being the focus of the game (and what the most time is invested in), it won't be the experience I'd like you to have. I do make the game this way since some people have already played through certain parts and may not want to go through everything again...but it does pay to explore! You never know what you'll find this time around!

- The spirit and "feel" of the game and characters is certainly alive and present in this chapter of the game, but as characters develop and Deirdre becomes more acquainted with the world at large and its inhabitants, things may not always be sunshine and roses for Deirdre and her companions. More dramatic elements are to be found in this chapter than in Chapter 1, but the whimsical nature and comedic heart of the story is still very alive and present in Chapter 2. Despite whatever may transpire, hope remains for those who seek it :)



I certainly hope everyone enjoys the game and looks forward to this and future chapters in Deirdre's story! Yes, I will begin working on Chapter 3 very shortly!
- Andrew (Creator)

Hello everyone!!

[h2]Chapter 2 Release Date:[/h2]
Well, I won't spend too long getting to the point on this, but so far my target Steam release date for Chapter 2 is going to be September 1st, 2020.

The update size should be pretty minimal, as a lot of my updates for Chapter 1 have included files for Chapter 2 already, they are just inaccessible in that build of the game. This also lets me know your saves and other issues should be minimal since people have been playing through the build with few issues thus far. However, I wanted to note something below that I was contacted about prior...
[h2]
Raynewood Forest gameplay bug:[/h2]
A player contacted me regarding an issue with the new Raynewood Forest map, after you've defeated the 3rd Wisp and are teleported elsewhere. There was a problem with the location set for the character transfer, but that has since been rectified with the most recent update (I JUST pushed it out). I also DOUBLE-CHECKED that we don't have any more of that from what I could see in Chapter 1, so far so good. I will be conducting a 100% playthrough of Ch. 1 - Ch. 2 personally this time around, before Chapter 2 is released. Which brings me to my next point...
[h2]
Chapter 2 Streamer Beta:[/h2]
I believe anyone who has played this game knows you'll find many new things you may have missed on a 2nd or even 3rd playthrough. Having watched streams of Kedemara by those who have brought it to my attention, people will typically have a different experience given how much content is in the game. I have been contacted by a few of them, and some of my beta testers who would like to stream Chapter 2 ASAP. So I believe I have an interesting little idea for them...

Given that the target date for Steam release will be on September 1st, 2020, I will be releasing an Earlier and "less filled-in" beta build of the game just for Streamers around August 1st, 2020. It will have the overwhelming majority of content already present in this build, but some of the little touches and finer details (item interactions, extra dialogue branches, emotive balloons/movement, etc.) may not be finalized in the game during the "Streamer Beta". Since Chapter 2 is a very large addition, and some of the Streamers have expressed interest in redoing Chapter 1 with all the new changes, I thought this would give them some time to stream the game at their leisure and get more views since it'll be fresh to everyone watching. I will do my best to post the schedules for those I am made aware of.


I would like to thank you all again, it's very exciting to reach another milestone on this and share the experience with everyone. I believe you'll enjoy what's in store for Chapter 2 (and Chapter 3!) and hope it serves as a worthy successor to the first one!

- Andrew (Creator)

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Hope everyone enjoys this sneak peek at what's to come in Chapter 2! Development is picking up speed again, in fact it was hard to step away while making this video yesterday! Now that things have leveled out some in my personal life, I'll have more time to devote to progressing on the game.


Thank you all!!
- Andrew (Creator)

Hey everyone!

Hope everyone is healthy and staying safe in whatever way they need to! I just wanted to give a real brief update on a few changes in the patch I just released and some more news regarding Chapter 2.

[h2]**CHAPTER 1 UPDATES**[/h2]
I've done a few quick improvements based on feedback from streamers. The following are changes/tweaks made to Chapter 1 that I'll explain below...

- Some music and themes have changed-
Off the top of my head, the Prelude intro theme has been changed, Kaleb's theme, Amie's theme, and Tessa's theme have all been changed to different songs. I recently came across some music packs that were available for purchase and felt these suited the characters better. A few other themes were changed, but the biggest impact were those 4. I will likely do some changes on Chapter 2's music while it's still finishing up development.

-Various "forest tweaks"-
I made it a rule to never use the boxy "line of trees with black space in middle" tile in Ch.2, but it was pointed out to me that it's awfully annoying to some folks in Chapter 1 as well. It took a day or two, but I've changed the maps in Raynewood Outskirts and Raynewood Forest to no longer have that particular tile. It is replaced by a more realistic tree graphic that I must admit looks better. A few other aesthetic tweaks were made to Raynewood Forest as well, but I feel they improve it enough to justify the time and effort.

-Armor items readjustment-
In the spirit of keeping the game simple, I felt the Head, Chest, Offhand, and Accessories slots became a little overwhelming from a stat balancing and player perspective. From now on *chest item upgrades will coincide with an actor's change of outfit/sprite* (i.e. - When Deirdre's sprite model changes, so will her chest armor). Since RPG Maker doesn't really display head, offhand, or accessory changes it seems fine to leave those as-is. Any save games pre-Kassian Encampment should experience NO issues with this aspect of the update. Since it's only affecting Chest armor and that is so late in the game that new ones are available, I don't believe it will cause any real problems. All of the tests even with other armor seemed to experience no issues with crashing. If you do experience a problem, please let me know so I can resolve it.

[h2]
**CHAPTER 2 NEWS**
[/h2]
Chapter 2 is still plugging away to completion, but I will add a small bit of information. Given the current situation regarding the international pandemic, I will have to move from my current residence soon. I do not like to make excuses nor do I really like to bring my personal affairs into such spaces, but I felt it was fair to explain why there will be some hold-up. Since many different factors are at play, it will be difficult for me to give a good ETA right now. Without a doubt, there will be a Chapter 2 release this year. While it will be well-tested for bugs, Chapter 2 may start off a bit more content-sparse than I would like upon its release. I always view the game as a living being that can always improve and be better refined. Steam is a platform that allows that, and I strive to continually adjust and improve the game for everyone when I can. While the main core of the story will be solid and present, some of the finer details like side-events, big conversation option lists, and interactive environments may be a bit lacking with the initial release. Nonetheless, the core story will be there and impactful. I am looking forward to everyone's thoughts on it! :)


I'd like to thank you all for your support. It shows in the metrics numbers I receive from Steam. I am pleasantly surprised to see so many folks enjoying the game, and I hope to keep improving as we all experience Deirdre's story together! :)


- Andrew (Creator)

[h3]Hello all!

I hope everyone is taking appropriate measures to be safe and is in good health. I wanted to take this opportunity to give some more detailed info about the next Chapter of Kedemara, set for release sometime this year! Given the difficulties we've all experienced from the recent pandemic, and a few other life complications I've personally experienced over the last 6 months, progress on Chapter 2 has proven a bit more time consuming than I originally anticipated, but I have some excellent news that should make the wait quite worth the time it has taken thus far! The following bullet points will give summaries of milestones already reached (with details below them), another section detailing what's in the works, and some exciting bits to explain what to expect in Chapter 2. I will also make a few feature announcements regarding Chapter 3:[/h3]
[h2]
**COMPLETED**[/h2]
- Major story arcs for Chapter 2 are all accounted for
Though I have the main thread of the story for the entire game already planned/written, I like to pop in some smaller ones per-chapter and some more details here and there as I go. The scale of Deirdre's journey, and the world she is venturing into, will definitely increase in size with Chapter 2. I am looking forward to everyone learning more about her companions and some of the new friends they make along the way.

- All mapping for the game's levels will be completed by tonight
The size of maps in the first half is about on-par with what you'd see in Chapter 1. The part I am currently working on has several maps that are MUCH larger in comparison. One of the cities you visit is close to 3.5-4 times the size of Port Brahma. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say many of the locales are quite unique and fun, while still fitting the general theme of the game.

- The first "half" of the story has already been beta tested
I submitted the first half of Chapter 2 to my beta testers and that portion is in a very playable state, arguably already "completed". A few bugs were found in the process, but overall it came out quite well. Everyone has loved the story and direction thus far, along with some of the new NPCs and party characters that were introduced. More on this later...

- Two new characters already designed/created in the game.
Not as glamorous of an update, but with the level of character development I try to put in the party members, it can take some time to tweak both their combat and character details to make sure they suit the party well. So far the beta testers have loved the new additions in and out of combat, bringing even more balance and variety to Deirdre's companions.

[h2]
**IN PROGRESS**[/h2]
- Coding/Eventing 2nd half of the Chapter.
As stated above, we have an arguably completed first half of Chapter 2 already done, so that just leaves the 2nd half of course. Given the progress made on the Chapter 2 so far, I feel the time and effort put into it will be well worth the wait. I again, have a neat detail which will be mentioned farther down.

- Selecting the remainder of the music tracks.
The first half features a great track made by my colleague Austin, I feel it suits the area of the game perfectly and is intensely catchy. Hopefully we can hear more from him, but with recent developments in the world in general, it has been trying for him to create some new tracks. While Chapter 1 has undergone some switches to the music, I feel the 2nd half should hit just as hard if not more than the first.

- Adjustments on combat stats/items.
I typically leave this for the end to see what the appropriate level and challenge for players would be. I HATE a game that forces grinding to get characters to appropriate levels, so the game should be fine going from point a to point b, or if you'd like a leg up on the competition, you can spend some time grinding random encounter areas. I try to pay a lot of attention to this as it can become frustrating for newcomers and veterans alike.

[h2]The Beta Test Results:[/h2]
One of the big surprises I had about Chapter 2 after my beta testers gave their results, was how big it was so far. When I polled them asking how much playtime they had, the average came out to 6 HOURS! Yes, the first half of Chapter 2 alone has 6 hours of content! Even I was surprised, as I've been lucky to have time to work on the game, much less do a full run-through. This would put my estimate for Chapter 2's length at about 11-12 hours of content in total. Combined with Chapter 1, that's roughly 17 hours of content. A few of them said that Chapter 2 would be fine to end there, but I believe in giving people their money's worth (lol) so I'm going to push myself to maintain the current quality standards and deliver the full story arc I was planning for everyone. I certainly hope everyone feels the same as they did, that the wait is worth it for the final product.


[h2]WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN CHAPTER 3!![/h2]
- I believe in taking the "soft introduction" route when it comes to game mechanics, starting off with very simple implementations of a concept or challenge and then gradually increasing the difficulty in following areas. There will be much more of that in Chapter 2, but Chapter 3 will be where much of this comes to fruition and begins asking more of the player in terms of puzzle solving and other various concepts I'm working into the game. Expect some of the concepts introduced in Chapter 2 to be present in Chapter 3!

- More "quests" will be available in Chapter 3, there are a couple that are introduced in Chapter 2, but it is not a major part of the game at that point. In Chapter 3, these quests will often result in either sizeable monetary rewards or very unique/powerful items only acquirable in that manner. Since some of these will be of task-oriented nature they will be completely voluntary and not required to progress in the game. Some minor story elements may be revealed or accessible by these means, but it should not hinder the main story in any way by skipping.

- Overworld exploration will introduced in Chapter 3 (finally, I know lol), but I have had a few reasons to hold off until then. The first being that you're going almost everywhere on foot, so simply walking across a large continent reduces the sense of scale you have for Aetheria...something I'd like to avoid. I have to withhold story spoilers, but lets just say there is little point to traversing backwards at this point in the story. Overworld exploration will make much more sense in regards to the story during Chapter 3, you will also have more means to travel quickly so the sense of scale should feel maintained by then.

- Character outfit changes will also be happening in Chapter 3 for all your party members . Again, I feel this change makes a great deal more sense at this time in the story, it will also seem more rewarding when the change has meaning behind it. I am currently waffling on whether or not to have a wardrobe change for one of the characters at the end of Chapter 2, but we'll just have to wait and see where it heads. Oh, and yes, Tessa will finally learn where Marsha got her hat from ;-)



Well, I want to thank everyone for their support and patience with me thus far. It is honestly a joy to work on this and hearing from players about their enjoyment of the game makes me so happy. Hearkening back to my D&D days as a Dungeon Master, happy players make me a happy DM....so happy gamers make me a happy dev. I certainly hope experiencing Deirdre's story remains something I can continue enjoying with you guys for many days to come. Thank you all so very much! :)


- Andrew (Creator)