Pokémon Academy Life (Fan Game) [Demo v1.0.2c]

[Ran08]

I'm so excited for the new demo! <3 Keep it up!

[Jae]

Prologue demo v1.01a is available!

Download page via Game Jolt.

Notes:
Relatively big file, but it's mostly due to all the archived images. For this particular demo, it features the entirety of the prologue segment. No crazy plots yet because it covers the first day. The segment is designed to introduce some characters and allow the player to get used to the setting and how the game progresses.

1. Player arrives at the academy
2. Player matches with a roommate
3. Player wanders around a bit
4. Player attends orientation
5. Player chooses class electives
6. Opening credits roll
7. First day begins
8. Demo ends

Things to really note:
- If some stupid game-breaking bug shows up (anything that literally prevents you from progressing any further), please let me know ASAP so I can re-upload a new build.
- If you're into the whole testing thing, thank you! I would like it if you could try your best to be ridiculous and break the game. If you do, let me know what you did so we can try to fix it.
- Sometimes a sprite may or may not flash while transitioning between expressions. If it happens, please mention when it happens (who's the character, what was the line, what was the scene?). I think I fixed this before, but I may not have picked up all instances.
- Dialogue tone may not be consistent across the board. This is because we're currently still revising all existing dialogue lines. And speaking of which, if you catch a blatant grammar/spelling mistake, let me know.

I really need to take the time to update the original thread one of these days.

I have a business trip all of next week, so I'll likely be MIA for some time. Work, work, work!

[Moon20]

I really enjoy the demo very much and can't wait for the full version to come out.
Do you have date for when the full game come out?

[Jae]

Phew, finally updated the original post.

I really enjoy the demo very much and can't wait for the full version to come out.
Do you have date for when the full game come out?

Thanks for the comment. As for a release date... it's not even close. I can't possibly set a release date when there's still so much left to be done.

[Jae]

For anyone testing, can you please note if and when character sprites flash while transitioning between expressions?

It's an odd bug that's difficult to replicate and in need of a solution.

[Generic Timeline]

I've been stalking your progress for a while now, but I'm still very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the demo. The graphical assets are very polished, the setup is promising, and though the writing is a bit inconsistent for me it was still a joy to read through.

I think I've only just now realized how ambitious of an undertaking this is. Just thinking about the scope of the project and how much that's still left to do is staggering, but I genuinely haven't felt this excited about a WIP since RockRobin...

All my upvotes for this project. I'll try to help where I can.

For anyone testing, can you please note if and when character sprites flash while transitioning between expressions?

It's an odd bug that's difficult to replicate and in need of a solution.

It happened a couple of times for me, though it could just as easily have been my dinosaur of a laptop acting up. Not sure if releveant, but I had Brendan as a roommate, and it was during one of the scenes with May; I can go back and try to recreate it if you'd like, but it would help if I knew what "flashing" constitutes, exactly...

[Jae]

For anyone testing, can you please note if and when character sprites flash while transitioning between expressions?

It's an odd bug that's difficult to replicate and in need of a solution.

It happened a couple of times for me, though it could just as easily have been my dinosaur of a laptop acting up. Not sure if releveant, but I had Brendan as a roommate, and it was during one of the scenes with May; I can go back and try to recreate it if you'd like, but it would help if I knew what "flashing" constitutes, exactly...

Great question, I should clarify what I mean by flashing.



The above example shows Cheren flashing while transitioning between expressions after the guide leaves the scene. That particular one is supposedly fixed. I think I know the cause (no clue why it occurs), but I'm not 100% certain. Some people report seeing flashes in situations where I can't see it on the three machines I've tested with... Which is why I'd like to ask for very specific details so I can carefully look at the corresponding code.

As for the rest of your comment, yep, so much left to do and stuff to revise. Thanks for the feedback so far!

[Jae]

Is anyone else getting video lag for the demo?

I've seen two people make YouTube videos for the game and both end up lagging:

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hraIYHs7CTY
Video 2: https://youtu.be/7fmJ9w1logA?t=37m36s

Does anyone know if it's because of the .webm video format? It works properly for me, obviously, but I wonder if other people lag because they don't have the codecs.

If that's the case, does anyone know how to package codecs into a build distribution?

[Jae]

Minor update to version 1.01b.

Same download page
People who have previously downloaded v1.01a will need to download v1.01b in its entirety if they wish to test any fixed content.

CHANGELOG:

• Fixed an issue with Misty’s second scene that could potentially crash the game
• Fixed an issue that prevented certain backgrounds from properly transitioning
• Fixed a few instances where character sprites would "flash" while transitioning between facial expressions

KNOWN ISSUES:

• There may still be instances where character sprites would "flash" while transitioning between facial expressions. If you catch one of these situations, please reach out and report the details so we can fix it!
• Some players may experience lag while watching in-game videos (these include the splash screen at the start, the opening intro/credits, and the demo credits). The videos are in ".webm" format so first check to make sure your system is able to play these videos. If they are and you still experience lag, please let us know! We are still trying to determine the cause.

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Dialogue is currently undergoing many revisions
• Many scene transitions are still being streamlined

[Jae]

Our character artist is losing his mind and started working on... I have no idea what. You can see him livestreaming his progress now!

http://twitch.tv/dmjh93

[Laluune]

I played the demo, I loved it, the sound design was exceptional, it felt very appropriate XD I was dying to see which pokemon I'd have. Chose fairy and dark classes, it's like I'm living my Poke-dreams haha. Will be watching!

[Jae]

I played the demo, I loved it, the sound design was exceptional, it felt very appropriate XD I was dying to see which pokemon I'd have. Chose fairy and dark classes, it's like I'm living my Poke-dreams haha. Will be watching!

Thanks! Incorporating different Pokemon into all aspects of the school will come in future updates. And yes, the type classes you select will have significant impact.

I just realized I haven't done any character art updates in a while. Here are the latest:


The student roster is almost complete. Most of the attention will now go toward the academy staff and other NPCs from the core series games.

[Jae]

Haven't updated here in a while.

Demo v1.0.2 is in progress and it's mainly writing that's underway.

Updated some links and images in the original post.

Also a for fun video showing the character artist doing his thing:

[Cotton Blue]

Wow, I loved this game because it's my dear Mitsuru <3 I heartily thank someone has made a game like this, I hope to see the final results soon. I've also been doing a visual novel with Mitsuru, but is a bit difficult to write his personality.

I'll be hope the game <3

[Baky]

I'm so glad I found this holy shi-
Anyway! I played the DEMO and I LOVED it! Can't wait for the games release! (super hype)((I know it'll take long but I'm willing to wait sh))
Keep up the good work!