| paleface [sys=PC; cat=Roguelike; reg=JPN] |
| | | Free Java-based Wizardry clone.
English web version: https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/html5/Javardry01/Javardry_eng.html
Wiki (JP): https://freegame.gamewiki.jp/javardryintroduction1/
Software page (JP): https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/javardry.htm
English Windows version direct download link: https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/down/Javardry01_eng.zip
Windows version requires Java: https://www.java.com/en/
The artist
https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/5887541
apparently
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2395150#scrollTop=510
made the art available for other games too; a couple other games on Steam using the art are
Demon Lord Reincarnation
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2395150/Demon_Lord_Reincarnation/?snr=1_5_1100__1100
(looks like Javardry clone but stylizing the graphics in b&w and adding screen shake : P)
and
Buriedbornes
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2153310/Buriedbornes__Dungeon_RPG/?snr=1_5_1100__1100
Free-to-play Japanese (I think) but in English mobile-first(?) loot RPG where you just pick the next dungeon room to go to with some hints as to what sort of room it might be.
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So anyway in Javardry you assemble a team of adventurers from the inn and go into the dungeon outside of town and fight monsters in the mazelike dungeon, I think. Monsters pop up out of nowhere and you fight using a simple menu system. You can get beat up pretty fast and party wiped, is about all I know so far. ^O)^ |
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| | | | They are some lovely character illustrations though. The 3D dungeon crawling part is quite flat and ugly. ; ) |
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| | | | You can also switch the textured (sorta : P) 3D view to old-school b&w lines. You have to hit Enter to open doors and stuff. |
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| | | A similar thing is
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1308700/Wizardry_The_Five_Ordeals/
oh and I think it uses some of that same art gallery, too. |
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| | | The software page says the game is mostly to show what can be done with the editor, which can also be downloaded; and says the editor is almost impossible to use--but then they hedge and say well, you can get used to it. ^ _^
My machine translation of their page says the English version of their "Scenario #1" is machine translated.
There's another Japanese wiki with what might be reviews of scenarios users have made with the editor: https://wikiwiki.jp/javardry/ |
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| | | I think the creator said something about dungeon floors being up to 20x20, with up to 16 floors per dungeon. I think Scenario #1 may be just one dungeon. There's no mention of an English version of the editor which may explain why I haven't found a trace of any user-made English scenarios, but there's a very active Japanese scenario-making scene, as far as I can tell from the looks of that second wiki.
For instance, there's a scenario called "The King" https://wikiwiki.jp/javardry/The%20King?word=the+king that is a 164 MB download and from the looks of a YouTube series on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLmCNIOzZHI&list=PLsrGGJWGYiEU-BumuwsyRhIN8Vnv-DiHj&index=1
has loads of areas and custom graphics and stuff. |
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| | | | In The King you can get basic menu and status messages to be in English by renaming data/defaultMessage_eng.txt to data/defaultMessage.txt -- but the story stuff and scenario-specific menu items and like monster names and a lot of other stuff is still in Japanese. |
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| | | | Also, for The King I couldn't get the keyboard key assigned to "Map" (m) to work, so I was basically instantly lost on the first floor of the first dungeon. : D |
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| | | | "Wizardry: The Five Ordeals" is also a Japanese dev! |
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| | | Oops that link about "apparently" the artist making the art available was
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2395150/discussions/0/5294588689495276809/
And from the looks of the Steam handles for the Demon Lord Reincarnation team, they may be Japanese as well--had thought maybe German or some other European team since the story names are German-ish or something. |
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| | | Wiki entry (Google Translate): https://freegame-gamewiki-jp.translate.goog/javardryintroduction1/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%9CWizardry
Online manual (Google Translate): https://thu-sakura-ne-jp.translate.goog/games/JavardryManual/manual.htm?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp |
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| | | | The Japanese wiki has 30 scenarios listed, including Scenario #1 (the only one with an English version as far as I know), whose title ("Proving Grounds of the Sword Master Overlord") is a nod to the title of the first Wizardry game: "Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord." |
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| | | | Actually the full title is "Javardry #1: Proving Grounds of the Sword Master Overlord." |
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Wizardry noob plays the English scenario of the free Java-based wizlike, Javardry.
Full title of the single available--as far as I know--English-language scenario is "Javardry #1: Proving Grounds of the Sword Master Overlord," a nod to the first Wizardry game: "Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord" (1981).
The classical midi music is NOT stream safe, oh well--gotta rev share Benedictus and Kyrie eleison. : P And I'll have to 2x the scale to get YT to give the vertical ratio video at least 1080p, oops.
Wiki entry (Google Translate): https://freegame-gamewiki-jp.translate.goog/javardryintroduction1/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp#%E5%8E%9F%E4%BD%9CWizardry
Online manual (Google Translate): https://thu-sakura-ne-jp.translate.goog/games/JavardryManual/manual.htm?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Software page (JP): https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/javardry.htm
English Windows version direct download link: https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/down/Javardry01_eng.zip
Windows version requires Java: https://www.java.com/en/
English web version: https://thu.sakura.ne.jp/games/html5/Javardry01/Javardry_eng.html
Japanese wiki w/ 30 scenarios: https://wikiwiki.jp/javardry/
Art site: https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/5887541
Wizardry is an intentionally archaic series; Javardry's menu & structure is pretty much identical 1981 Wizardry, or maybe 1982 Wizardry II. But it has an auto-map which at least the NES versions of those games don't.
There's weirdness to the minimalism, like issuing commands to stay at an inn 1 person at a time, or not being able to save a poisoned char because you can't use your anti-poison outside of combat.
Need a thief to make money; later Mage spells can examine treasure chests but thieves, even lv1, can for free.
Have to remember to buy--and equip!--items for new char. If truly desp can make money by making new char, pooling their money elsewhere, then removing that char. Wondering if I should make town char to hold money so full party wipe doesn't leave me broke.
After playing I read up on party order and attack ranges; explains why my Mage in the back didn't have an attack option w/ his knife.
An "@" sign on the frame border to the right of a char means they have enough XP to level if you have them sleep at the inn. Have to sleep to recover spells!
1st floor 2 fight gave enough XP to level lv1 char to lv4!
Characters age--not sure how quickly, but the WizII NES FAQ https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/c64/955810-wizardry-knight-of-diamonds/faqs/42243 mentions "best to use your cleric to heal party members then have said cleric stay in the stables to recover their spell points. Although some aging will occur, it won't be nearly as devastating as staying weeks on end recovering large amounts of hit points."
To swap unequipped items: Inn, Inspect, Enter, Item, Trade, Shift+L/R
Looked more at Steam & there are a bunch of wizlikes, like the upcoming Demon Lord Reincarnation (stylized Javardry clone-ish, uses same char art), Buriedbornes (mobile game, also uses the art), Wizardry: The Five Ordeals (English ver of 2006 Japanese official Wizardry game), the Elminages, Mary Skelter: Nightmares, Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls, & other late Wizardrys. & loads of games maybe classified as the more cutesy DRPG genre https://www.reddit.com/r/DRPG/ --Etrian Odyssey etc.
I don't think Wizardry: TFO uses char art made for Javardry; TFO originally came out on PC in Japan in 2006--so Javardry art was prob inspired by TFO. TFO too was made as an editor for user scenarios. Its editor isn't available in English yet. Sounds like ~10 TFO user scenarios have English vers; they're dld'd through the game. Can control TFO w/ lots of keyboard keys instead of mouse. TFO doesn't have automap; map display is by spells. Its screen shake in combat isn't nearly as bad as Demon Lord Reincarnated.
I don't super-love the presentation of the other wizlikes I looked at; Javardry gets it spot-on!
Poked at the editor & "The King" scenario more but couldn't spot a way to open up the text to see how easy it might be to run through Google Translate or something.
Probably shouldn't worry about the other stuff, & just play the one Javardry English scenario & call it good--if I ever get that far! |
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| | | The monster art is free. Under "view profile" on the artist site mentioned above ( https://www-pixiv-net.translate.goog/users/5887541?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp ), it says
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I was making monster image free material for Javardry.
↓You can download all of them here.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzzUx0NE2xYAekdJTkhVTDNmZWc?resourcekey=0-xSXx1dWAGr9aYrT3qntYjQ
Monstre_basic ZIP is the basic monster group, and the rest is added. The dungeon image ZIP contains wall images for Javardry.
The material is completely free, and you are free to use anything even for commercial purposes. However, I ask that you take responsibility if something happens.
Please note that there are some Wizardry original monsters in the materials. The names are listed below, so please do not use them for commercial purposes.
Arch Demon
Air Giant
Lesser Demon (four arms) / Winged version is OK.
Greater Demon (Reptile version) / Skull version is OK.
Sidelle
Murphy's Ghost
Raver Lord
TDN
Orc (red color) / Other colors are OK.
Kobold (yellow color) / Other colors are OK.
Flack (Green color) / Other colors are OK.
No reporting is required when using the material.
Also, these materials can be freely processed, collaborated, redistributed, and fed to AI.
So if you can't download it in the future, someone please put it up as a substitute.
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| | | | The artist IS a porn artist, of course, which maybe explains how they can afford to spend so much time creating free super-high-quality non-porn art. |
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