[Neolithic]To the End (Modern-day Supernatural Open World indie RPG from 2004. Still updating)

[orochi2k]

Hello, I don't think we've met before.
I am an indie game developer from China. And the title is a quite ancient RPG I've been developing since 2004. (So, it's made with RPG Maker XP)
Here is the link:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1519140/NeolithicTo_the_End/

Here are some features:
Everything in a classical RPG plus...

• Bizarre adventures. https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/Missions/Quests
• Full Text-to-Speech Support. (Don't want to read walls of text in an RPG? No problem. Press "S" in dialogs, and your system reads it for you!)
• Character Export/Import freely to customize your entire group: https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/Mercenary
• First-person gunfight during battle.
• Convert supernatural (or not-so-supernatural) enemies to be your pets. https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/Pets
• Deployable traps, barricades, and furniture to decorate your home.
• Create your own faith with all kinds of strange tenets. https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/Faith
• Your very own home with a map editor. ALL MAPS in the game can be edited during the gameplay. Support import/export map to RMXP.
• Magical items and anomalies with their own mechanisms.
• Crafting items from 3D printers. https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/3D_Printing
• Plant and harvest food and...something else. https://neolithia.fandom.com/wiki/Gardening
• Endless procedurally generated quests from mission boards.
• A powerful cheat console that can run Ruby script.
• Minigames! The awesome part of an open-world RPG is, that you can get all those minigames for free!
• Frequent updates. Who knows what you can find in the future?
• DRM-Free!
• Highly customizable playing experience.

A bit silly comparison to other great RPGs in our time: https://imgur.com/a/QWia63r

Some additional background history about the development: https://youtu.be/KlEUv0v9Jl8
(It was once a fan game of StoneAge Online. That MMO was long dead while my game evolved into something else. Thus, the namesake.)

Content Warning:
Given the nature of a modern-day RPG under ongoing development, sometimes, some real-life events become the game's content. (For example, a lot of things about Ukraine recently. I know many people don't like it. I can see wishlist number drops like flies in China and Russia. But, I simply don't mind. After all, I enjoy making the game more than commercial achievements.)
The game itself is officially 18 years old by now. Thus, there may be a lot of mature content. (But, warnings will be given ahead for all NSFW content.)

 

[orochi2k]

Merry Christmas.
It's another week's developer's diary. (The game is updated almost daily. But, every week will have at least one big diary to summarize important updates)
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3645132549614914867

 

[orochi2k]

Happy New Year.
This week's updates include a strange location that can help people learn Japanese and Chinese. (Or you can just shoot them or use your magic to destroy them by force.)
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3645132549639382779

 

[Moonrise]

Finally, something interesting. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. If you'd be so kind, would you explain your influences regarding the game's plot?

 

[orochi2k]

Thank you for being interested in the game. But, to avoid any potential spoiler I can only provide a bit rough answer.
The game's plot is a bit strange. Although like most games, it has a pre-designed main storyline based on some fevered wild dreams of mine. But, as the development is still underway, it often gets dynamically changed along the way.
Sometimes, a new side quest, a part of the main story, or a function got priority and was added to the game just because a real-life event happened.
It slows down the progress of the main story. But, I feel like what's important in a journey is not just getting to the destination but also collecting the memories along the way.
For example, in addition to the recent Japanese learning functions, the game also got a quarantined neighborhood in memory of the Shanghai Covid-19 lockdown which I got through like other 20 million people live in this city, with additional information censored by China as a mod in the game's Steam Workshop. (Uploaded by a player so that the game itself will not be censored in China. )
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2814635372

In a conclusion, although the game's plot is supposed to be mostly fictional, a part of it somehow starts to reflect the real world in a strange way during development. 18 years ago, it started as a fan game as a long-dead online game known as StoneAge Online. But over the years, it turned into a game about the memory of the remaining players in a modern-day world in a bit fictional style. The story goes on both in the game and in real life.
After all, maybe life itself is just one big RPG. Men and women are merely players. As Shakespeare would say if he could play some D&Ds in the 16th century.

 

[Lovecraft's Ghost]

不復見故人，一來過故宅。
物變知景暄，心傷覺時寂。
池荒野筠合，庭綠幽草積。
風散花意謝，鳥還山光夕。
宿昔方同賞，詎知今念昔。

 

[orochi2k]

The first developer's diary of 2023 and it's the 100th week on Steam of this game.
But real life kicks in, another wave of the covid-19 outbreak is happening in Shanghai.
Thus, this week is focusing on some small features.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3668777900787876115

It's a new year. But, not everyone grows up to become what they once wanted to be. Some slowly turned into someone they once hated.

 

[orochi2k]

Along the way of the game's development, many other games cease to exist. Each time, such things happen, it makes me sad.
Unfortunately, Blizzard will soon shut down all their game servers in China. No more Starcraft, no more WoW, no more Diablo, no more Hearthstone.
Thus, this week I made my own Hearthstone of my game.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/5131322422011889912

It's not the first time I made a Hearthstone clone. 8 years ago, I made a joke with a Hearthstone developer. I told him I can make Hearthstone in one afternoon.
And, I made something quite funny. So, a lot of code is from this joke I made 8 years ago.


Of course, today is Friday in California Friday the 13th.
There shall be something special:

 

[orochi2k]

More and more people around me are infected with COVID-19 while I am still not.
Maybe being an indie game developer has immunity to the virus.

I am experimenting with a location with random encounters this week.
Meanwhile, push the main story a bit forward and get more cards in the in-game mini-card game.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3650764589018529930

One of the most commonly used items now also gets a dark secret of its origin.

 

[orochi2k]

Happy the Year of the Rabbits!

 

[Lovecraft's Ghost]

新年快樂

Spoiler

 

[nimateb]

Should post It on the main forum

 

[orochi2k]

Germany sending tanks to Ukraine is coincident with the tank character improvement of this week's update.
We got new items to nullify damage and even make its user unkillable.
There is also a new faith tenet that directly increases the defense value of a believer.

Other major updates of this week include:
Some silly cards for the Year of the Rabbits mentioned above.
Area expansion in Egypt.
A gift system to improve relationships with certain characters.

(A bit more dangerous mummy enemy that is certainly not as harmless as their normal counterparts. At least, they have big axes. But, unfortunately to them, some people may want to loot those big axes. )

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3650765224112941315

 

[orochi2k]

This week's main focus is on a UI to display the main character's relationships with various other characters they met along the way of their stories.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3668780256982699359

Decision matters as the result may have an impact on who will become friends or foes.
Maybe there is more than friendship in some of the relationships.

 

[orochi2k]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3668781065752995469

This week's update includes:
The progress in the main story, some potatoes, more interactions with a succubus, new ways to say prayers, scientists start to gain devotion by crafting items, and something for Valentine's Day.

 

[orochi2k]

DD#109 Our world has many flaws, there are tyrants, there are dictators, and there are mad men waging wars. Everyone deep down is waiting for such a world to end, to build a better one. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3668781714289762418

 

[orochi2k]

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3677789357675316623

A year ago, Russia started its invasion of Ukraine.
A year ago, I declared my support for Ukraine.

A year later, Ukraine still stands.
A year later, my support continue.

Thus, we get quite a few weird contents this week.

 

[orochi2k]

DD# 111 It's about Pet Fusion (The function can all the way be tracked back to StoneAge Online), Persona Masks (Well, maybe I just stole it from Persona ), and a rebellious mad scientist. (A returning self-claimed supervillainess currently doesn't have enough money to do the world domination.)
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3674412292091490265

The masks basically allow pets to be turned into equipment.


And some memes just for fun:
(<<Crusader King>>)

(Homelander <<The Boys>>)

 

[orochi2k]

DD#112 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3650769027772332928
This week, there are more contents that fit in a mad scientist theme. (Mainly in alchemy and chemical.)


But, there is also something else that just sneaked in.

 

[orochi2k]

DD# 113 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3680043140515268460
The opening of the Floor of Philosophy.
With new enemies:

New loots:

And new faith tenet:

 

[orochi2k]

DD#114 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3705939572697565460
This week's updates are about some horror stories in a desert, including slavery.

 

[orochi2k]

DD#115 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3728458656550313471
The bad news: I was in the hospital
The good news: I'm back.
Still recovering. Thus, not many supernatural activities, more on the "normal" side of the world.

Also, I have my nurses to thank.

Meanwhile, it may be better to just lie down and play some less intensive games such as Gomoku.

 

[orochi2k]

DD# 116 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3728459452104078745
As a lesson from pervious hospital experience, I think it's important to get a bit more healthy diet. Thus, we now have more vegetables to grow and cook.
Meanwhile, there are also some other content updates.

 

[orochi2k]

DD#117 https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1519140/view/3711571517467296291
I did something a bit crazy this week. Based on a player's previous choices, the story can develop into 4 different paths. 3 times more work than usual, but it feels fun.

 

[lightbane]

Gotta admire this dedication of yours.