Totem Force [Released!]

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Have you ever watched the anime about a group of teenage superheroes who band together to save the world from supernatural (or at least large and scaly) threats? Or, for that matter, Power Rangers, which is basically the American version of the live-action version of that anime? Have you ever wondered why the protagonists did what they did, when a different action might have been far better? Would you like to help them choose those actions? Then Totem Force is the game for you!

On a more serious note: Totem Force (thanks to @Prof_Chaos for suggesting the name) is my first attempt at a CoG-style game, and will be a gentle homage to, and deconstruction of, the above genre. You play as the leader of a group of, well, teenage superheroes, who have to juggle school, family life, and saving the city on a regular basis (Episode 1 is pretty much just an origin story, though, so this is somewhat toned down). The story will (hopefully) look at cliches common in this genre, and give the players the chance to respond to them in unconventional fashions.

(Link removed, please see post-release thread.)

While I would appreciate comments listing spelling and grammar mistakes (no, really) and bugs, what I’m really looking for are questions like “Why didn’t character X do Y?” or “Why couldn’t I do Z?” (I will admit that sometimes the main character has to take certain actions, especially in Episode 1, but it would be nice to know other actions that people think would be appropriate in the circumstances). Also, if there are any clichĂ©s of this genre that you’d like to see addressed in the game, please let me know.

Thanks!

Official character art, by @Curious_Boy; may contain spoilers

Kay

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Anara

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Chi

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Ryu

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Akira

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295 Likes
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Just change the ‘www.’ part to ‘dl.’ on the link

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Thanks; is that better?

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I actually meant for you to copy the link into your search bar then change it to ‘dl.’ but @ParrotWatcher already changed it, BTW can’t wait for more.

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I really enjoyed what you have so far it’s awesome

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Sounds cool. Given the cliches of anime, I assume shouting will make me stronger?

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@Shawnheatherly
That would depend on your Will stat, but ideally, yes.

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Another question I have is whether everything makes sense to readers. I mean, obviously most of Episode 1 concerns Totem and the GRF, so it won’t really be completely explained right now, but if there are things you think do need extra explanation, please let me know.

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That’s really cool, waiting for moar. Are our powers fueled by fighting spirit ? If it is, shouting definitely makes you stronger, frowning does as well.

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@NotGoingToGiveUp
Yup, that sounds about right. More seriously, yes, you can only play as a “hero”, and, at least initially, a reasonably idealistic one. However, as the game goes on, you should be able to make more anti-heroic decisions (although I haven’t decided yet just how dark they’ll get). After all, you know what they say about “good intentions”.

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Interesting first chapter. It might be fun if there were some customization options regarding the powered form. Just a thought, not sure how practical that would be to program. Also, I’d hope for choices regarding weapons eventually, though Sammy and Kay picking their own is to be expected.

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@BunBun299
At the moment, the appearance depends on Totem’s form, but I might give the player more direct input in a later version. Weapons (to appear in Episode 2) will definitely be chosen by the player.

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I really hope to see some Kamen Rider references in this eventually. :grin:

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It’s not really an important bug, but when you initially load it/click the link, it shows you the first page twice (it also gives you two “next” buttons, one of which doesn’t do anything).

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@bomsasa
I’m afraid I have no idea why it does that. Fortunately, it’s not game-breaking, but I’ll look into it.

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The first episode is great and I like the foreshadowing dream sequence. It drawed me right into to the story and makes me read more. When I saw that there could be a talking cat for your guide I thought immediately of Sailor Moon :grin: and, I can’t explain it, but I imagine the cat to have a ginger and white fur. What I missed was, because of your Manga/Anime setting, a stat of being “chivalrous” or “perverted/a player”. The only glimpse of being able to flirt was the interaction with the nurse. (If I interpreted the third choice right as being this.) The only negative point I have is at the beginning of the second part, I couldn’t figure out where my MC was supposed to be. So, maybe a little explanation, it doesn’t have to be a whole paragraph, just a sentence to set the location :slightly_smiling:.

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I like it, but I’m not a fan of splitting power. I don’t like the idea of becoming weaker. You become less effective then you should be.

2 Likes