[OLD]Project Highlight: Vacant Sky

[Lunarea]

Vacant Sky: Volume 1 Contention ~ By Sailerius

There are a few things that drew me to Vacant Sky. The first and foremost is the wonderful custom music. Each musical piece is appropriate to the scene and enhances the atmosphere tenfold. The intro theme is wonderfully rendered and rivals the professional quality of commercial games. The second thing that drew me in was a modernistic setting. There aren't many games that use the modern setting, and even fewer that offer the variety in locale that Vacant Sky does. Oftentimes, game creators have a tendency to paint the modern times in dark grays – perhaps to convey the grubbiness and impersonality of the modern world. While Vacant Sky does have locales fitting this description, there are also areas of vibrancy and color. This dichotomy is not only refreshing, but does a great deal for the atmosphere.

The story is complex from the beginning. Within minutes, the player takes the role of Virad – a seemingly sadistic and evil group of beings who are escaping their prison. While painting the full scope of their violence, the dialogue also leaves us with a hint of political intrigue. As they make their escape through a gate, we are now introduced to Auria. Her idyllic life in the town of East Naven is a sharp contrast of the action we just experienced. We are left to run a few errands and explore the small middle-of-nowhere town. If it seems like nothing's going on, you're quite right. Auria's existence is quite simple, though her mildly sarcastic and witty nature don't allow it to be boring. And yet, she is thrown into more action than she can probably handle as the player embarks on an interesting story of the supernatural, the mystery and the action. The first act is fairly linear, but act II allows for more exploration.

The gameplay is well-executed. You can customize the characters' stats and decide the kind of role they will play in the group. The battles are side-view, turn-based, but the mix of actions and reactions makes for a unique experience. There is also a journal that chronicles Auria's observations and key themes, as well as keeps track of the side quests you embark upon.

We had a chance to ask Sailerius a few questions:
1) How would you describe your project to a newcomer?
Vacant Sky is a three-part supernatural RPG centered around Auria, a girl given a second chance at life after being murdered. Along her quest for answers, she faces unpleasant truths about the world and herself. Finding herself at the center of a conspiracy that threatens the lives of her and those dear to her, she struggles to maintain her connection to humanity while her ideals crumble around her.
2) What are some of the things you've learned by creating your project?
I learned, more than anything, the value of organization. Act I ended up being a mess even though I had a pretty good idea of what to do with it. It was painfully linear and that made it all the harder to fix. When I started on Act II, I decided to make it modular so that I could easily add or remove large segments of the game without having to make extensive changes to the plot or pacing. As a whole, I think it worked out very well and taught me a valuable lesson about game design.
3) What does the future hold (i.e. where is your project headed, what happens after?)
Come this spring (hopefully March), I hope to finish Act III and conclude the story of Auria. We've been talking about a sequel after that, but that's a project for next year at the earliest. Once Act III is done, I plan to take some time off to explore other game engines and make some experimental games.

Congratulations to Sailerius and Ganonfrog, and please go check out Vacant Sky! You will enjoy it.

[Sailerius]

Thanks so much for the feature! There's some more credit to be given, though:
Ganonfrog is responsible for all the phenomenal battlers. :)

[Lunarea]

Oh, yes, absolutely! I added her name in the article. Both of you are very talented! :)

[Alpha-Mad]

No one deserves it more! This really is a fantastic game. Congrats!

[HawkZombie]

Huh, awesome. I do believe I'll have to check this out in further detail now...

I would like to suggest for these in the future Luna...might wanna add a link for people to find the project

[Ronove]

Man! I need some free time so I can sit down and play this. :D And, I have to give kudos to your composer and the lady who sings "Lie Your Way". Reminds me so much of Silent Hill music and I just find it really cool.

[Lunarea]

Sorry, guys, battling a flu here, so a couple of important details got omitted. (Thank you for the link, Ronnie.)


But, before we get the thread derailed, congrats to Sailerius and Gannonfrog and make sure you check out Vacant Sky!

[supershigi]

Thanks for the wonderful review Luna! And congratulations to Sail and Ganonfrog for getting so far along with this game. I think I might have checked out the demo a while back on another forum, but I'm looking forward to playing it again. The maps look nice and the story has a very interesting premise.

[Sailerius]

Originally Posted by supershigi

Thanks for the wonderful review Luna! And congratulations to Sail and Ganonfrog for getting so far along with this game. I think I might have checked out the demo a while back on another forum, but I'm looking forward to playing it again. The maps look nice and the story has a very interesting premise.

Ack! The demo was horrid. I do hope you get a chance to check out the full game! It's been a huge learning experience and it's pretty evident; the quality is leaps and bounds better in Act I than in the demo, and again between Act I and Act II.

I had never made a serious RM* game before starting on Vacant Sky, so I was learning as I went along. Out of necessity, I learned how to make acceptable maps and how to script. It's been a really rough journey but man did I learn a lot.

[Charlie Fleed]

I'm playing Act I right now. I think I tried the demo in the past. I'm really enjoying it, even though sometimes the flow of the story has some sudden accelerations that leave me a little astonished, while I don't mind linearity, as long as the story is interesting and I can at least change the way the main character develops.
Is it me or a description of the various stats is missing?

@Sailerius
What version of the BS is that? Would you consider an upgrade? Maybe for the following acts... The upcoming version has so many customization possibilities, and the battle screen here is not really appealing visually... even if I love the faces, very well drawn.