Belly of the Beast (O.G. Version)

[Kain Nobel]

WANTED : Old Version of this Project

I'm just curious; did anybody ever downloaded the ancient version of this project? Would you still happen to have a copy?

I'd like to repost the old version for historical purposes. This has been lost. Good, bad or ugly I want to preserve it.

This project was launched a decade ago for some contest (I can't even remember who won but I don't think it was me.)

Lots of things have changed since then, and I'm now designing the 6th dungeon of this game - it is deadly, nasty and unfair.

My daughter wants to play the old version of the game (she hates the new version, too fast paced and difficult.)

The old version, as far as I remember it, used all default resources. I don't even think it used a custom menu or battle system, I think those were defaults too. The cast was definitely old RPG Maker XP stock. The only thing original was the music. Speaking of...

"Lightning Strikes!" Album Has Remade BEAST Tracks

My signature (at date of this post) has links to the "Lightning Strikes!" album; most of tracks on that album are remade versions of BEAST music with live guitars.

(NOTE : "Wicked Underground" is the only track on the album that remains unchanged. It is the same track that appears in the oldest copy of this game.)

What is the Current Version Like?

I've only released the 2012 version but I still work on this (mostly as a test bed, but it is a fully fleshed game too. An open experiment of sorts.)

I probably won't release a new version until REGAL is finished, because the two are intertwined. This can't be helped.

Changes Between 2012 and Now...

The newest version now has an original cast of characters, AT battle system (animated), the REGAL menu system, crafting and smithing, 6 mandatory dungeons, 2 optional dungeons, a semi-open world map, very light vehicle implementation, fully custom music and graphics (the soundtrack is roughly 4 hours). The story itself is really an afterthought, but I think the meta pans out to make for a decent tale.

Aside from some mandatory dialog (which I keep extremely brief), much of the story is gained through experiencing the events of the game and dealing with the clashing but complimentary personalities of the teammates while under pressure.

The New Cast Consists of...

Logan is a mostly silent protagonist, Mack is the leader of the pack, Alexis is a stoic problem solver, Nikki is the team crybaby, Luke is a foul mouthed jerk who would slap a grizzly bear, Vince is a traitor who must make amends, and the other 2 members (Johnny and Mysti) are supporting cast (I don't have much to say about them. They fight well, their stories and personas aren't fleshed out.)

Events From Where it Left Off... (Spoilers)

After exploring the interior of the Mt. St. Helladen volcano, and slaying the Hellrazer demon living inside, the game continues after the crew trigger a volcanic winter in the Eastern hemisphere of the globe.

Escaping from the erupting volcano, they wind up shipwrecked 600 miles of the coast of Helladen on the remote vacation island of Sinatra. Usually a bright and vibrant summer tourist destination, the Sinatra Mountains have been froze over and the team must make their way to to the snowed in beach town of Sindel. From there, their plans to contact The Crown for evac is thwarted by increasingly dangerous blizzard conditions, plus the villagers and tourists in need of rescue and assistance. Once the Shovel is obtained, survivors are to be dug out of the snow, doorways and windows are to be cleared, and luckily the crew get there before anybody resorts to cannibalism (whew!)

Once the crew rescues Old Man River, who gifts them with a Fire Stone, Climbing Gear and a Map, they have a living chance to venture out to the Sindel Salt Mines and climb Mt. Sinbad, which is an indoor / outdoor recreational dungeon with lots of climbing, swinging, jumping, slippery falls, snapping bridges, chaos and misery. Once they get to the top, they must await the Royal Blimp but they are confronted by The Berzerker, a screeching sasquatch angry at the abrupt and unexpected change of seasons and the disruption of his (or her) summer hibernation period.

(I'd be mad too if I had to shovel snow in July.)

That sums up Chapter 2. There are a total of 8 Chapters at time of posting.