Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
I stopped reading after that. I'm in. Sold. Make it about whatever you want.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Cosmic Star Heroine |OT| Alyssa's Chrono Phantasy
- Thread starter Cornbread78
- Start date
I stopped reading after that. I'm in. Sold. Make it about whatever you want.
Weltall Zero
Member
Damn. On one hand I'm bummed it hasn't sold well enough (yet), but on the other I have a feeling you'll see a big boost in sales once the Vita version is released, it's a very JRPG-friendly machine. Let's hope the game has some long legs too.
This is a bit demoralizing for me as someone who's making a game and entertaining the notion of living off it.
On the other hand, the prospect of having a semi-continuous stream of Chrono Trigger-like games in the future is extremely exciting. I guessed as much, thanks! Take all the time you want. I wish you the very best both with CSH sales and any future RPGs.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
I love that Bravely Default is included in here. BD and CSH are really the only two games where you ever NEED to use that Defend option. In virtually every other JRPG (especially Final Fantasy) it's a useless command and nothing more than "Waste a turn" button.
BD and CSH are my top two favorite combat systems in all RPGs. So no surprise they have that in common. They actually make the battles strategic. I'm playing through Dragon Quest VIII right now as well on the 3DS and there's just no comparison how much more fun BD and CSH are in comparison.
Same goes for Mother 3. Really loved that game's story and pacing and setup... but then you step into battles and same thing: the combat in CSH and BD outshines it with the amount of options and strategy in those games.
... I think it's amazing that this Indie dev game was able to come up with a combat system that is objectively more interesting and strategic than some of the most respected games in the genre.
HerroRygar
Member
Do you think it would be possible for your new engine to support the Switch?
I had originally just planned to pick up CSH on PS4 and stream to my Vita when I felt like playing off my couch but still at home, but now that I've had a taste of true hybrid gaming I am friending for more.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Our existing engine should support Switch. Switch supports Unity & Cosmic Star Heroine was made with Unity. The game is rather low on system requirements so it's not like the Switch doesn't have enough power. I'd love to get the game on Switch (after I'm done with the other ports), but I haven't been able to get a devkit yet. So yeah, if you want to see CSH on Switch anytime soon, let Nintendo know, because it's mostly on them at this point.
DiipuSurotu
Banned
Chrono Cross
Launching the same day as Bayonetta on Steam was a raw deal.
I'd still consider a soft relaunch as CSH Complete or something after you get your final patch out. Maybe do another modest sale at the same time.
Hopefully you guys do well during the Summer Steam sale. I think that this summer is relatively dead for big jrpgs, so perhaps that will help.
StereoVsn
Gold Member
Overall idea is pretty great. I wonder though if you could build an overreaching arc of multiple games which wouldn't quite be episodic but still have a common plot thread.
It seems like the game got buried during it's release period. Pretty much sandwiched between a glut of super highly reviewed big budget releases over the last couple months, on top releasing at the same time as Persona and Bayonetta on Steam. Worse still you had the Switch release to huge sales in the same time frame, and Nintendo has kept you(among other indies) off tbe platform. Tough stuff, I kickstarted and haven't even touched the game, so I can only imagine it had a tough time reaching the larger audience. Hopefully Nintendo gets their shit together soon, and you guys can get it on the Switch as well. There's a need of software there, and minimal JRPGs available for sure. Good luck to you and the team though.
Will do. Will definitely buy again if it's available on Switch.
HerroRygar
Member
Gladly. I'll try to come up with something that sounds sales pitch-y (e.g. "This studio has X many titles sold, raised Y dollars", etc.) and contact corporate with a plea to get their stuff together.
Dark_castle
Junior Member
Chrono Cross is easy enough that you rarely ever need to defend while stamina is low. Not to mention there's accessory like dreamer's sarong and vigora element later on.
FallenGrace
Member
Ah ok that does make more sense. I was just a little surprised as I had even seen you both mention Suikoden during development ha ha. Thanks for the response.The interview was actually with both me and Robert, but Robert wasn't able to answer the questions in time for the article. So as to the base, it's actually both; when it came to modelling the ship and its layout and how and where the main characters deliver sidequests, Mass Effect was the inspiration. Obviously the initial idea came from Suikoden and the support character recruitment / "base building" stuff.
The particular quote there for this section is missing a tiny segment where I asked Robert if he could fill in about the Suikoden influences, but since Robert was unable to answer the interviewer's questions at the time, it didn't get in there. I think the article's author (Joel) did a great job condensing all the stuff I blabbed about in answer to his questions though, to keep it concise
LandStalker
Member
Has the PS4 version been completely patched yet? I just had a crash on the first planet and there's a major issue with the battle test option. =
Finally got around to playing and completed it in around 13 and a half hours. Pretty sure I did everything except something about a bounty and VR. Great little game but the balance is messed up mid game. Once you can use void wave you can one shot nearly everything with the right set up. I could just not use it and I didn't most of the game. But the final hour or so I just nuked everything.
To many characters here. Never thought I'd say that but for such a short game there really are to many. Some are to similar in battle. It's cool they force you to at least try each character. But Clarke and Finn I found zero use for and added nothing to the story. I liked the singer girl and used her every chance up until the bug guy come along and does everything better. Sue I used until the bounty hunter joined and I liked more. The gun girl I never really used and the mage is good but didn't really fit my party type. The drone girl was my favorite and Dave I eventually put in my party.
Interacting with things was annoying sometimes since I'd have to rearrange the character to talk to some people. If I used a computer terminal it canceled the auto run. I experienced a few graphical glitches when trying to set abilities and nothing would pop up.
Great game and I look forward to the next game.
To many characters here. Never thought I'd say that but for such a short game there really are to many. Some are to similar in battle. It's cool they force you to at least try each character. But Clarke and Finn I found zero use for and added nothing to the story. I liked the singer girl and used her every chance up until the bug guy come along and does everything better. Sue I used until the bounty hunter joined and I liked more. The gun girl I never really used and the mage is good but didn't really fit my party type. The drone girl was my favorite and Dave I eventually put in my party.
Interacting with things was annoying sometimes since I'd have to rearrange the character to talk to some people. If I used a computer terminal it canceled the auto run. I experienced a few graphical glitches when trying to set abilities and nothing would pop up.
Great game and I look forward to the next game.
Finally just started this after finishing up Persona 5 and Mass Effect: Andromeda. I was going to wait for a Vita port, and I still do wish there was one since my fiance will soon be playing ME:A on my PS4, but I thought what the hell. So far the battle system is really amazingly well done. I'm on the heroine difficulty and it's keeping me on my toes, yet fair. Love how it forces you to use a variety of skills throughout every battle so nothing feels like you're just conserving your good stuff against trash mobs. At least so far. Art style is really cool, especially the environments and the OST is good so far, too. Script could use a bit of work, but it's not bad.
CortexVortex
Banned
3 hours in and damn, this game is good. And by "good" I mean "fucking amazing". Really charming aesthetics, great soundtrack and a brilliant battle system. I'm currently playing on Heroine, which is perfectly balanced in my opinion.
This game made me realize how much I miss these kind of RPGs...
This game made me realize how much I miss these kind of RPGs...
you're pretty good to go I think
Rollo Tomasi
Member
Anyone know where to find the 'Bomb' item? Besides the Hyperizer its the only one I'm missing. Unfortunately it doesn't look like I can go back and get the Hyperizer so I"m wondering if that's the same case for Bomb.
Finally had some free time and worked a bit into the Steam version and loving it so far.
I did notice a typo in one place, though maybe it has already been fixed in other versions or is already known about: I'll spoiler it since it is the name of a thing that people might not know about if they haven't started the game.
Playing on Heroine difficulty is really fun so far. Been trying to do all the random side stuff I could find. I found the one battle
very tough and it felt really good when I was able to finally get a strategy that worked for that fight. Loads of fun so far.
I did notice a typo in one place, though maybe it has already been fixed in other versions or is already known about: I'll spoiler it since it is the name of a thing that people might not know about if they haven't started the game.
When you are in the Astrea HQ the Menu screen lists the name of the location at the bottom as "Araenu: Astrae HQ". I gotta assume Astrae is a typo for Astrea.
Playing on Heroine difficulty is really fun so far. Been trying to do all the random side stuff I could find. I found the one battle
against the "cat" at the fair
Finished.
Loved it. All thriller no filler, cant beat that really. Marked out big time fighting
but lol if you beat them you're basically god mode and can beast the rest of the game. I beat the last few bosses all in 2-3 turns.
Would love a sequel but sure ill always support anything zeboyd puts out.
Loved it. All thriller no filler, cant beat that really. Marked out big time fighting
Cthulu and Dem
Would love a sequel but sure ill always support anything zeboyd puts out.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Lots of really positive words about Cosmic Star Heroine from Easy Allies here: https://youtu.be/1FCGFfCLpP0?t=2h20m16s - raves about the battle system, compares it to Shovel Knight in that it's not just a retro copy but it takes retro as a starting point & then makes something new with it.
InvincibleNeviam
Neo Member
I'm having a blast with this game so far and have been recommending it to everyone. The only Zeboyd games I didn't get super into were the Penny Arcade ones because I don't follow the source material. If I ever grab a PS4, I'll crossbuy and replay it in a heartbeat!
Seriously good job with the thread title. I've never heard of this game but the title drew me in. I skimmed through a YouTube video and it looked like something I'd be interested in - old school style JRPG in a futuristic sci-fi setting, but I was still looking for more to really seal the deal on purchasing and eventually playing.
And this did it. I don't know when I'll get around to playing but I'm a little hype about this game now when ten minutes ago I'd never heard of it.
And this did it. I don't know when I'll get around to playing but I'm a little hype about this game now when ten minutes ago I'd never heard of it.
You know.. we actually intended the 4 difficulty options to imply that there's not a "normal" difficulty, but rather 2 "normal" difficulties; a slightly easier one and a slightly harder one (Agent and Heroine).
I strongly recommend people play on Heroine personally.
Heroine has been a great balance so far. I've died a few times but that was mostly because of my own dumb choices. Haven't had to grind or do extra battles either. Everything seems fair and winnable but still dangerous.
Seriously, you guys knocked it out of the fucking park with this battle system, and I kinda hope the next project you do just steals it again and expand/experiments.
I was a backer, but I just started playing this a few days ago on my PS4 Pro. Twice now, after putting the console into rest mode, I got the triple beeps and it wouldn't turn back on unless I unplugged it first.
Great game so far, but definitely going to wait until all the bugs are cleared up before continuing.
Great game so far, but definitely going to wait until all the bugs are cleared up before continuing.
jetsetnickradio
Member
I got stuck on this part of the map in the PS4 version. I had to quit to the main menu and reload my save. I had recently saved, so it wasn't a big deal, but I thought you guys might want to know if you're still working on patches.
I love the game, btw, and I'm glad you've been supporting it with lots of updates
I love the game, btw, and I'm glad you've been supporting it with lots of updates
Finally bought this, my SO is playing it while I watch. A couple of hours in (just finished
) and the game is great! Playing on Heroine difficulty, was a bit tough at first but figuring out the hyper/recharge loop was incredibly satisfying. All the auxiliary systems (equipment/abilities) compliment the main gameplay loop well. The writing is charming and well-done (my partner is incredibly trope-phobic and she hasn't had any complaints yet!), all the characters so far are great too. The main game art is awesome and I wouldn't be surprised if someone told me it was straight out of the classic JRPG era. Soundtrack is kickin' too, again very classic feeling but the
theme especially impressed me by being different.
The only thing I can say I'm not a huge fan of are the cutscenes. A few of them are okay but some feel like they go on way too long or are past the limits of what you can make look good with limited frame animations. The larger portraits also feel a bit off and make some designs look worse than they are (the combat UI mid-sized portraits are great though). These are minor nitpicks though since the game looks so good overall.
I'm also not 100% sure about the Style subsystem. We seem to be breezing through without really paying it too much mind. Maybe its more necessary on the hardest difficulty or comes more into play later?
Excited to play more!
the giant robot battle
nightclub
The only thing I can say I'm not a huge fan of are the cutscenes. A few of them are okay but some feel like they go on way too long or are past the limits of what you can make look good with limited frame animations. The larger portraits also feel a bit off and make some designs look worse than they are (the combat UI mid-sized portraits are great though). These are minor nitpicks though since the game looks so good overall.
I'm also not 100% sure about the Style subsystem. We seem to be breezing through without really paying it too much mind. Maybe its more necessary on the hardest difficulty or comes more into play later?
Excited to play more!
Style is basically an escalating buff. The more style you have, the harder your attacks hit (I think it might also make heals more effective) and the more likely your status effects are to take effect on enemies.
You can lose style by being reduced to 0 HP (onHeroine difficulty, you lose 50 style and get one more move at negative HP) and by moves you will learn later in the game with the "Break" property. Break moves knock your style back down to 0, but are very powerful moves. Using one at an inopportune moment can cost you dearly, but using them well can lead to some crazy damage output.
Enemies also gain style as fights go on, increasing the amount of damage they do to you.
Yeah I got the basics of the system -- what I mean is, thus far, we haven't really felt a need "manage" it like we have the other systems. It goes up readily enough just through regular gameplay that the skills to boost style in various ways (Grind on Dave, Solo Act on Lauren) feel pointless so far. The fact that enemies gain style and power at the same time makes us less interested in a prolonged fight, giving rise to a "death is the best crowd control" feeling aka why boost style when I could be damaging / other support options and gain style at the same time.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
v1.15 is now live on Steam! (uploading to Humble Store at the moment, PS4 update will come later but not today).
Patch notes:
It is now easier to talk to people (less finicky positioning required to bring up Talk command).
People now stop walking/running when in conversations.
Fixed a bug where cutscene subtitles could sometimes spill over to other cutscenes.
Fixed a bug where killing a Bag Man and other enemies simultaneously to win a battle could stall the game.
Fixed an instance where Dave's programs didn't load immediately when he rejoined the party, causing issues if his programs were used before the load happened.
Fixed some instances where a character's walk/run state could get incorrectly stuck after examining/talking until the player tapped the run button.
Fixed a secret passage in the mansion where in certain situations you could get stuck in the wall.
Fixed some elevators soon after getting Clarke that were missing back walls.
Fixed a casino battle stall that could occur if battle was initiated when standing in a certain area.
Reduced damage on Void Blast, Void Wave, Null, and Black Hole for better gameplay balance.
Effect has been reduced on Hyper Awareness for better gameplay balance.
Miscellaneous minor fixes.
For the next game, I'm considering an overhaul of the style system - making style shared by the party, having burst abilities cost 100% style instead of all style, and replacing Desperate mode with Insanity mode and having it cost Sanity points (shared by the party) instead of style.
Patch notes:
It is now easier to talk to people (less finicky positioning required to bring up Talk command).
People now stop walking/running when in conversations.
Fixed a bug where cutscene subtitles could sometimes spill over to other cutscenes.
Fixed a bug where killing a Bag Man and other enemies simultaneously to win a battle could stall the game.
Fixed an instance where Dave's programs didn't load immediately when he rejoined the party, causing issues if his programs were used before the load happened.
Fixed some instances where a character's walk/run state could get incorrectly stuck after examining/talking until the player tapped the run button.
Fixed a secret passage in the mansion where in certain situations you could get stuck in the wall.
Fixed some elevators soon after getting Clarke that were missing back walls.
Fixed a casino battle stall that could occur if battle was initiated when standing in a certain area.
Reduced damage on Void Blast, Void Wave, Null, and Black Hole for better gameplay balance.
Effect has been reduced on Hyper Awareness for better gameplay balance.
Miscellaneous minor fixes.
For the next game, I'm considering an overhaul of the style system - making style shared by the party, having burst abilities cost 100% style instead of all style, and replacing Desperate mode with Insanity mode and having it cost Sanity points (shared by the party) instead of style.
yeah, there's not a whole lot of need to manage Style until you get the Burst abilities.
Happy to hear that it's one of the things being looked at for the next game, since it was one of the less interesting parts of the system, even though I love how it forces fights to escalate, encouraging the player to end fights sooner rather than relying on slow, drawn-out healing cycle strategies.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Hyperduck just put the soundtrack up on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlvXGetzr0FAMdcz1QGCJHSv-UZ-QmGLa
You can also buy the soundtrack from them via Bandcamp: https://hyperduck.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-star-heroine-original-soundtrack
You can also buy the soundtrack from them via Bandcamp: https://hyperduck.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-star-heroine-original-soundtrack
LandStalker
Member
Rob, any word on the below? I've been playing on PS4 and wasn't sure if the following was fixed on the latest patch?
I've had crashes on the first planet, right outside the factory where there's a major issue with the battle test option. Enemies sometimes spawn off screen and results in freezes sometimes.
I've had crashes on the first planet, right outside the factory where there's a major issue with the battle test option. Enemies sometimes spawn off screen and results in freezes sometimes.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
Where exactly are you using the battle test option? Can you send me a screenshot?
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
I'm thinking the bonus dungeon patch is going to come out sometime in July. I really want to get the Vita port out next month so I'm probably going to focus on that now. And currently the bonus dungeon patch was just going to include a couple of mid-game character sidequests, but now I'm thinking that we should probably throw in a "harder than final dungeon" endgame content as well which would take some extra time to set up.
i'll gladly take that.
LandStalker
Member
I'll post a pic next time jump on my ps4. It's literally right outside the factory doors with the 3 frogs and two turrets.
SupraDarky
Member
I'm absolutely enjoying the game (about to head to the 3rd planet after finishing the Police HQ sidequest), but the bug I have with party members lagging behind constantly hurts the great pace. Them lagging behind is nothing more than a visual annoyance until you get into a battle and have to wait for them to slowly catch you everytime. I tried forcing resfresh rates and closing all web browsers to no avail. Thankfully it seems only a few people have this bug.
Apart from that, everything is really solid. The presentation, atmosphere, music and battle system are top notch. The Breath of Death and Cthulhu cameos are a great touch too!
Apart from that, everything is really solid. The presentation, atmosphere, music and battle system are top notch. The Breath of Death and Cthulhu cameos are a great touch too!