Winter Shard

[F.I.A]

Hectic. That is the word I will use to define the progress in putting this up. When the files are uploading, there is always a spot I missed. Thus, after countless check, it is here:

Name: Winter Shard
Game Genre: Bleak Medieval
Game Rating: PG 16(Animated gore and nudity)

[quote]Currently, these three are the latest re-uploads, which hopefully fix the no music and sound effect problem that persists in Linux and Mac. I will be glad if anyone can verify it for me as soon as possible to get this dilemma off.

Winter Shard has a website of its own. Click here to access.

[Warning: Some have quoted that this game leans heavily on being negative thinking. Players are recommended to play during the brightest day and have an open mind to accept such harshness.]

[Another note: Fellow betatesters will be sent a link to minor update file include via private message, so they do not need to download the whole thing again.]

Last shoutout of thanks to DrakeNavarone, who voluntered to do the final spellchecking.

If anything more to be said, download and enjoy.

At last, my first game...

EDIT: Total cleaning up. The uploads are the latest version with the latest typo fix.

[PyTom]

Unfortunately, it's broken on Linux/Mac, because you used a \ instead of a / in music filenames. The game still plays, but music and sound effects do not.

[F.I.A]

Hmm, I never thought there is a different in that. I shall mend that as quick as possible.

{EDIT: Newer rpyc file included in the first post.]

[mikey]

What's to say...

Ending "Marilene better ending" was just PERFECT. It was exactly what I wanted, exactly how I wanted to play, who I wanted to be.

Truth be told, I don't even want to play to get other endings, because I like mine so much. I especially liked how at no point there was any moral preference on the part of the game - it also never forced me into ambition or any other "good" things - even when you decided to do "bad" things, it never punishes you, it just gives you the path that those actions would put you on.

Well, a marvelous game. I don't even know what else to say - except that I've heard one of the tracks before in a game. But forget that, it doesn't matter, this isn't about nitpicking. It's very rare for a game to be this honest with the player and not try to be above him in terms of morality. But it still never feels like the forced darkness of some games that have just become ventilations for their creators.

Congratulations on a really fantastic work.

There is really a lot more to discuss specifically, but I'm sure that'll be done in subsequent posts.

[DaFool]

Congratulations, F.I.A!

Yay a new game to play

EDIT: Um, is it possible for someone to host the Windows someplace else? Rapidshare is turtelish for internet cafe connections.

[DaFool]

FIA, did you delete the file on Rapidshare?

Was looking forward to this game too... nothing to play tonight

[F.I.A]

FIA, did you delete the file on Rapidshare?

Was looking forward to this game too... nothing to play tonight

Ouch, very sorry bout that. I was trying to prune old one to keep track.

Updated with newest upload.

[mikey]

Updated with newest upload.

Can we add this to the RAA when the releases stabilize?

[F.I.A]

Sure thing, mikey. I was just about to submit it. Here is the sample pics if you need them:

Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3

Oh yes, as for your comment.

Ending "Marilene better ending" was just PERFECT. It was exactly what I wanted, exactly how I wanted to play, who I wanted to be.

Truth be told, I don't even want to play to get other endings, because I like mine so much. I especially liked how at no point there was any moral preference on the part of the game - it also never forced me into ambition or any other "good" things - even when you decided to do "bad" things, it never punishes you, it just gives you the path that those actions would put you on.

Well, a marvelous game. I don't even know what else to say - except that I've heard one of the tracks before in a game. But forget that, it doesn't matter, this isn't about nitpicking. It's very rare for a game to be this honest with the player and not try to be above him in terms of morality. But it still never feels like the forced darkness of some games that have just become ventilations for their creators.

Good to hear that you got the ending you need.

Well, I guess I kind of make other routes based on what I experienced from Shin Megami Tensei series. In that no matter which side you pick, you will just proceed on with your own ideal.

If anything, the track that sounds familiar might be Fairytale Waltz, which is used before in Starlit Sky. I had been thinking about changing that one, but then I recalled it was included in the list when I asked permission from Mr Kevin MacLeod back then.(Or let's just say I am lazy to ask again.)

That's for now. Thanks for playing the game.

[Sapphire Dragon]

I got the marliene together forever ending I think it was.
Nice story, i'm sure I made the world a better place with that ending.

[Hime]

Ooh. I've been playing this, and at least this far, I have liked it. A lot. The story is really well-thought and the characters are quite humane. The game has some very fierce elements and scenes, which make the game experience more intense. For example, the first time Fredeones... Umm... Research room was shown. It was even a somewhat shocking scene, especially when the music made it somewhat thrilling. I think that the music and the graphics served their purpose well by enchancing the atmosphere very nicely. ^^

There is one ending that I have yet to achieve, though. In the gallery's ending section, it's the left one in the bottom row. Any tips?

Keep or break the promise, for example?

I'm also missing one of the Fredeone CGs, the one on the bottom right to be precise.

Edit: Oh, I got the ending and the CG already. A great game indeed. ^^

Edit2: And by the way, how many innocent people would be executed if Winter Shard fanart would exist? (-hint hint-)

[PrettySammy09]

I DLed it and played through it to get all the endings! :3

Congratulations on your first game! I must admit, it was a bit creepy for my taste (I'm a real scaredy-cat, so all the grotesque stuff made me kind of cringe. And not really the images either. More of the descriptions.)

Like when you forced the little blue dude (his name escapes me) to eat Marliene, I was like: O_o;;; Ewww! I had to turn off the game at that point. It was just way too creepy. (I went back to it, though.)

Or when Frederone impaled the heads. I was once again like O_O EWWW!!!

Maybe I took it too seriously, but then again, maybe the game was just too serious for me. XD I prefer school girl and magic faries obviously.

Still, the plot was very nice. I liked all the characters and thought they were very well fleshed out. All the endings were nicely written as well. Nice attention to drawings as well. :3

Overall, congrats!

[F.I.A]

@ Sapphire Dragon: I am glad I make one happy with my game.

@ Hime: Good to hear that you have finshed the whole game. For that, I thank you. As for fanart, I know that a guy will be executed smiling if there is one.

@ PrettySammy09: Well, at first I hesitated to put that part in, but then feel that if I don't...

Frederone might not be overall evil, when he should be in dark routes.

And it is a relief to hear that you are not bothered by my rather average artworks. Anyhow, thanks for completing this game of mine.

I guess I should now spend my time playing other releases since I am pretty much free.

[DaFool]

Played to get all endings, it was that fulfilling for me.

So the character has been running around your head since 2001, huh? That really eases my doubts regarding whether it takes too long to finally flesh out a complete story, or if it's just natural maturation of ideas.

Yet another example of good writing and why I prefer this medium to stuff that's made by 'professionals' that's showing on TV.

Winter Shard True Ending of wandering / alone / self-destructed protagonist: Yeah that's the kind of romantic stuff I like. Although the other endings where you end up with a girl are not bad as well (Thank you for including a Rosetta ending... I was starting to doubt whether she was just a plot device to focus on Marliene later on.

I'm glad that the choices were very logical and not a simplistic "Ok now I can be an asshole." Each choice really is a given possibility given the direction the story drives the protagonist.

An excellent game, it covers the mood well. Reminds me of some of the better raw medieval fantasy tales I've read, coincidentally also set during harsh winter times.

[Mr. E]

I've already talked a lot about this game, so this will be pretty short.
I liked the way the story changed, and they really enhanced the whole feeling of the game.

The "bad endings" were a nice adition, and the "Dark God" (the worst ending I believe) although very creepy, is also entirely plausible because it merely shows the consequences of Frederone's deep hatred of religion. I also liked the staff room answers ("Do you have any regrets?" ) and overall the game was pretty good.

I've already done all my nitpicking in my betatesting so, strangely enough, this one will do without one.
PS: I think I already said this to you before, but anyway... The great number of CGs is incredible. I'll admit that the artwork is no masterpiece, but I thought it worked very well, and some of them were really incredible.

Special praise for the hydra and for Rosetta's burial.

They also were present in large quantity, which is very hard to acomplish! That AND the backgrounds AND the characters... You deserve praise for your perseverance!