Nemesis (Classic 2001)

Intro:

The year is 2000.  Y2K is over and I've recently turned 15 while attending my sophomore year of high school.  Sitting at the family computer desk, just off to the side of the family room 42in tube tv, I spend my time browsing through obscure forums trying to learn everything I can about CG animation, creating FMV cutscenes as seen from my favorite PS1 games and trying to memorize every word in the basic codex programming language.  It was a memorable time of my life.  Except for one thing, my computer was a 486, running windows 98 and I could barely run 3D Studio Max.  Let alone program a decent 3d game using the state-of-the-art DirectX 3d wrapper...

Enter the parents.  Dad an aerospace engineer and mom a programming debugger.  Seeing my plight offer the deal of a lifetime, or at least it was at the time.  From start to finish, write, design, concept and produce a fully playable and complete game with the engine of my choice and they would help me purchase and build the PC of my dreams.  

Game on!

Over the next year I would outline, design and build an epic space opera JRPG using the one and only, RPG Maker 2000(yes, there was an English version at the time), 3ds Max, an electric typewriter, a dozen sketch pads and a ton of research into mythology and the story it was originally based on, Jason and the Argonauts.  The result, Nemesis Episode 1!

A party-based JRPG that follows Jason Talon as he tries to reclaim his home planet and the throne to the central galaxy of planets.  Caught in an explosion along with Jessie Reiner, gunner and healer, the two heroes are captured and brainwashed by a mysterious man who's motives you will have to play to be revealed.

Features:

- Full FMV opening Cutscenes (yes you heard right, 15yr old me spent months on his barely running PC creating opening cutscenes. see if you can spot the render error I decided to leave in because dang I'm not re-rendering everything for another 30 hours just to fix it)

- Hours of JRPG gameplay goodness, built with the original RPG Maker 2K, RTP and a few custom graphics (I would have put in more, but time, time is a cruel mistress)

- An original "cough" space opera with a hint of mystery and a dash of amazing twists and turns that are totally not cliche or have ever been seen before in other JRPGs from around the time (seriously, I'm serious, just trust me dude)

- Also included are some images of the original character sketches and game scripts from 2000-2001 (if there ends up being any interest, might scan all the scripts and include them in an update

Future Plans:

-Finish the fight! (the game I mean, I plan on remaking Episode I and continuing with II and III using a newer version of RPG Maker, got to put those 20+ years of skills and wisdom to some use...dang, 23 years, has it really be that long? My hair has gone so grey and my joints, you have no idea.  Waking up every morning, having to stretch for 20 mins just to get out of bed and reach for the extra strength Tylenol) 

Conclusion:

In the end I finished Episode I and my parents were satisfied with the result.  They were even impressed with the amount of scripting I had done, my Dad originally felt I was taking the easy way out using a pre-built engine rather than programming from scratch.  Funny enough, talking with friends at school, even they were interested, and I ended up printing CDs and cases, selling copies for $15 a piece.  It felt good accomplishing something of such a large scope in under a year and having it change my life for the better.  Those moments seem so rare now days, for myself and the people I see, going about their lives.  As a child it was always the big accomplishments, the big moments that we celebrated, bragged to our friends and family.  Seeking validation for the effort we worked so hard to achieve.  Now days it's the small things that bring us that same satisfaction.  Finishing a task at work, cleaning the dishes before the pile up.  Finishing a book and regaling our spouse with the moments that stuck.  Making your son laugh at a dad joke that only you get, but that doesn't matter to him.  Finally posting a project you started 23 years ago that you've been putting off for years because of another excuse you've convinced yourself of.  To get back into creating and telling stories like you used to do, with so much passion when you were still a teenager.  To finally change the status of just one, just one project on your excel list, the last few changes being the year in the title, to "Launched".  To just stop rereading this description over and over, and overthinking every minute detail and for go ram sake just...