Idolcraft (RPG Maker XP)

[gekiganwing]

I occasionally browse the rmxp.org forums, if just because I'm a fan of 2D RPGs, and because I like indie games. Every now and then, I've found an unfinished project which I mention in the Bishoujo section of this forum. Adolescence is still going along well. Your Heart doesn't sound like it will ever be done, but there's always a chance.

Today's find, as far as I can tell, is FINISHED. And it appears to be EPIC.

Idolcraft, according to the forum topic at http://www.rmxp.org/forums/index.php?topic=45267.0 is a pop idol training game created with RPG Maker XP. Even if it might happen to be just an imitation of a certain untranslated Namco Bandai game, I'm glad that this imitation is in English.

A direct quote: "...you assume the role of the manager of an idol studio in Japan. Your challenge is to scout out fresh talent, train them to sing and dance, and put as many CDs and DVDs on the market as you can within a 2-month period. Will a girl you train become the next big star?"

Version 1.2 is available for download at the sub-site for this game: http://sites.rpgm.org/index.php?p=113

EDIT on April 25 with my first impressions: this game worked with my aging PC, which was a good start.

In the first part of the game, the hero has to wander through town and 1) try to recruit idols, 2) make money, or 3) at least buy useful items. Not bad... but I'll have to plug in my USB gamepad, because just using the arrow keys on my keyboard, it's difficult to line up the hero to talk with NPCs. They walk quickly.

It looks like I'll have to do some trial and error in order to find potential idols, because there's an invisible timer. I don't know if it automatically runs in all locations, but clearly, there's only so much time in a day. The hero can't just wander and explore and hope to win.

[Guest]

Heya, author of Idolcraft here (also the author of "The PK Girl", if anyone remember that)

Yep, the game is finished. Although the ren'ai elements are minor, it is a bishoujo game that some of you might enjoy. Please report any problems and let me know how it goes!

Once again, the link is here -> Idolcraft website

[flowerthief]

Aw fetch, I wasn't logged in there. Sorry for the double post but, yeah, that last post was me.

[PyTom]

Hey, welcome back.

I'm going to just say how much I enjoyed Idolcraft. It's actually a fairly good resource-management game inside the idol singer trappings.

I managed to get two games in last night. In the first one, I took forever to find the idols, and my score suffered, getting a bad ending and a C- grad. For the second game, I got four idols early, and scored a good ending (where I get to keep running the studio) and a solid B. Are there girl-specific endings when you get an A? (Specifically, do the hearts unlock any sort of girl-specific ending?)

I also will say that I liked the replay value of the game. As best as I can tell, the idols are offered up relatively randomly. While this makes it hard to get a specific girl (I couldn't figure out how to get the schoolgirls), it means that your stable of idols will tend to be different from game to game.

[flowerthief]

Hey, PyTom! Thanks for the feedback.

Just put up v1.3 which fixes a few bugs. Btw, for anyone curious what this game looks like, there are some screenshots on the first post of that rmxp.org thread which gekiganwing linked to.

Endings...there are no girl-specific endings. (casual players prob'ly won't care about this, but if you get a B+ or higher, you are taught how to unlock "Endless Calendar Mode")

Replays...the girls have patterns, so it is certainly possible to recruit any given girl on any replay, although there is a little bit of randomness as well. Some of them also require puzzle-solving. For the schoolgirls, a certain fortune told by Etsuko is important for knowing where to go in order to meet them together.

[North Hawk]

I have to say, this game is completely awesome and I love it entirely. I just finished my first playthrough, and despite immense enjoyment, I'm not satisfied - I must play it some more. Never mind that I just recently purchased a new DS game and a new Playstation game. Screw those. I want more of this one. It's kind of a shame about the lack of girl-specific endings, though... when hearts started popping up, I was sure I was headed towards one. Ah well, it's awesome without.

[flowerthief]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it

[akemicchi]

This is so much fun. ;_;;;; My first game got me a B+, but then my third got me a B. (I didn't finish my second playthrough... :B) I think my third got me a B since I only had three idols (they had max stats and all placed top 3, and had a total of 10 albums out, but I still got a B xD;) ...

By the way, what's the hidden stat, if I could ask? >_< The people keep mentioning it, and now I'm curious...

I think the only 'con' with this game is the lack of any character specific endings. ;_; Other than that, it really is superb. I think I'm going to go play more right now. xD

[gekiganwing]

Pytom said "...I took forever to find the idols..." That was my first thing that worried me about Idolcraft. There's several screens to the town, people walk quickly, and there's a timer. I started wondering how I'd be able to find characters other than nameless NPCs, and whether they were hidden. But I'll get back to this game. I may have to make a map and notes, but it certainly started well.

[PyTom]

I started wondering how I'd be able to find characters other than nameless NPCs, and whether they were hidden. But I'll get back to this game. I may have to make a map and notes, but it certainly started well.

One thing to note is that the idols walk much slower than the random npcs. So it's actually pretty easy to get the idols once you begin to learn where they are. By my second game I had gotten a respectable score. (Then I found the cheat bush.)

[flowerthief]

akemicchi: Yeah, getting an A pretty much requires that your dorm rooms be full, and many of your idols ranking in the top 10. Good job getting a B+ on your first go!

The hidden stat is simply affection, which causes some minor changes in the girls' behavior, like the hearts, which I'm sure you'll have seen.

[Vatina]

I got a C on my first try ^^; And I couldn't solve the dorm mystery...

I must say that I really like this game though, it's very addicting. Now that I know how it all works, I'll definitly try it again! But it would have been nice with more nice graphics like the ones you see when the idols go on a vacation
(Will you be making more games like this one?)

[Cazel-]

Idolcraft really is a great, enjoyable game. I've completed two games, getting a B and then an A, and started a third game in endless mode for the purpose of trying to get all the girls I didn't get the first two times (plus Yumi and Fumika). Using the hints I've gotten every girl but Sachie, who I've yet to actually see in the game.

In terms of bugs, the one that sorta stands out in my mind is regarding Monique. Near the end of my second game, I heard about how to get her, so for fun went to her house. The message I got still mentioned "the girl at the construction site from last week" even though it had been far, far longer than that.

[flowerthief]

Thanks for the feedback and the bug report!
If you need help on the dorm mystery, someone gave a spoiler in the rmxp.org thread.

For meeting Sachie, it's a simple matter of entering the studio during the daytime ^^

Will I make more games like this? Mmm, haven't decided. Whatever the next game I make is, it will definitely be more story-driven. Been a long time since I've made story be the focus.

[North Hawk]

If you're going to tell us how to meet certain characters, I noticed that a character named Mei was mentioned on the RMXP boards, who I have never met, and am starting to get sick of trying to find for myself. Be a pal?