The Outsider Who Loved Gensokyo (RPG/VN Project)

[Jeremie]

This is basically a new thread about the game that I've posted a good while ago. The progress on the game slowed down considerably around the time I focused on Eientei but since then, updates have been a little  more consistent. I post updates on YouTube with links to the game. Basically, this is to allow players who'd like to try it to go ahead, to let me know about mistakes or to let people watch the story without playing the game. This post will be edited whenever the game gets a new update.

The plan of this project was originally to simply write a super lethal "Choose Your Own Adventure" text-based game. Eventually I felt going for a more visual approach might be better so I experimented some visual novel programs until I found a limited amount of resources. I eventually found a large amount of RPG Maker XP sprites and since I had experience with 2003 and VX, I ultimately went that route while also going from just a VN to a RPG/VN hybrid. The game is still in it's demo phase and while it's been worked on for years, I'd still say it's a rather simple project due to simplistic map designs and battles although some fights have certain gimmicks and mechanics. The main story is slowly getting closer to it's conclusion with the default endings. This is also a non-profit project.

There are many things in term of older content that will be eventually modified such as older maps, switching older portraits with newer ones or remove some earlier oddities such as Daiyousei being in Keine's school.

Basic Premise

An outsider is is lured into Gensokyo unknowingly as he follows Yukari near an old shrine. Almost immediately, he is attacked by Mystia Lorelei. Fujiwara no Mokou rescues him at the last moment and she soon realizes that he's an outsider. As she brings him to Keine who she says will answer his questions, he notices various oddities that are part of the world. He spontaneously decides to explore Gensokyo, much to the disbelief of a few characters who warns him that exploring the land as he pleases is an extremely dangerous thing  to do. The player soon gets to decide whether he follows the warnings given to him or not.  The decisions will affect whether the player initiates VN paths or the RPG route. Currently, only the latter is available although it is currently incomplete.

In the RPG route, the protagonist, with the help of Reimu goes to visit Yukari's residence because he wishes to know why she lured him in Gensokyo.  Yukari claims that he's the current emissary from the outside world, a tradition that happens every 200 years. An outsider goes to Gensokyo as an emissary to bring gifts and/or present their respect to the various important figures. Most emissaries who completed their duty then returned to their land and did their efforts to spread the legends of youkai to encourage civilizations to fear and respect them. In exchange, the youkai of the land would make sure that no incident within Gensokyo will ever put the outside world (surrounding regions originally) in danger. Emissaries are also typically known by youkai as individuals who bring change to Gensokyo. The changes can be insignificant just as they can be overwhelming. The first emissary actually managed to be well-liked by the youkai and thus they rewarded them with a wish. The wish became part of the tradition as well but it certainly wouldn't guarantee that it could be granted...

The protagonist according to Yukari and Ran is an exception. He has no relation to the former emissaries. Ran speculates that it is fate that made it possible. The emissary of a new generation, the outsider is granted a treasure that will protect him from the dangers of Gensokyo whenever he does not battle but ultimately, he is bound to the spell card rule unlike previous emissaries. That item also seem to have strange side effects around certain individuals. This side of the story focuses on the interaction of the outsider with the people of Gensokyo as he travels in this RPG-styled game. There are also some individuals that would like to take advantage of the situation...

The story of this route focuses on the interactions of the protagonist with the large majority of the Touhou cast. There are also various things brought up related to the premise such as the history of previous emissaries and information about certain emissaries. While it mainly focuses on the protagonist, Touhou characters also interacts between each other and scenes also focuses on them. The primary goal of this RPG is to try to expand on Touhou's canon while attempting to be loyal to it. As a result, I also try to remain informed and updated on official Touhou content.



RPG Route

The game allows the player to explore Gensokyo. Initially, the game is linear but it eventually becomes less linear after speaking to Eirin and Tewi inside Eientei. While the game has a large selection of recruitable characters, it is also set so that bosses can be soloed if no characters are ever recruited. Bosses will fight as they normally would as soon as one character is recruited and they will use their stronger attacks.  As the player recruits more characters, more events become available and the same happens as the player follows the main story, especially after a certain incident has been taken care of. Some of the events allows to increase or decrease relationship points with the characters or to even lose or gain special points that'll affect the ending. There's also a few side quests that allows to get items, equipment and skills that'll help the emissary in his quest. Rinnosuke's store also upgrades as you complete more events. Completing the first half of the incident fully unlocks all store items.

In term of tone, the game has it's serious bits although it also has it's share of more lighthearted and silly moments. In term of romance, once a player completes the final special event with a character, they're locked with that character (although they're warned before that) and their actions will decide whether they get the bad, normal or true ending. The game has mild swearing, a tiny few innuendos, too many references to Touhou and other games and perhaps a little bit of suggestive themes but it contains no explicit content. There's also no "harem" endings planned.

Lastly, while some characters have relationship points to earn with, they don't have special endings. You basically befriend them instead.



As pictured above, the battle system is quite simplistic and is turn-based.  Most bosses have simple patterns but a few will punish players for just using standard tactics or not equipping element resistance. Party members have their own abilities and some specializes with physical, magic, healing, buffs and/or debuffs. Certain powerful abilities are unlocked through certain actions while also progressing in the main plot.

Current Concerns/Issues/Notices

- The game is definitely not devoid of typos. I work on updating them during recording but it's clear that there's still some earlier in the game. English isn't my first language so it doesn't help in some cases. I also plan to work on fixing whatever I can while also fixing the original use of "..." to go from a dialogue box to another for what is currently is in use.
- A few maps have been updated but many of the earlier ones will be modified as well.
- As stated above, older portrays will be changed to the ones used in more recent updates at some point. I am currently focusing on the main story and a few side events.
- Lots and lots of placeholder music. I'm currently looking into options regarding that subject but there hasn't been much luck on that so far.
- A few characters have very few skills and therefore aren't too great for battle eventually. Most of them are still fine though. A few examples of characters with few skills or weak ones includes Alice, Sanae and Kogasa.
- Due to the somewhat non-linear aspect of the game, it's possible to go towards dangerous areas early. There is however several portals to escape dangerous areas such as the underground/underworld which is roughly level 40-45 (technically, it could probably be reached around lvl 25)
- Soloing in a certain way can cause the player to instant lock a relationship with Youmu. This could be handy for those who wants that but it also ends the solo run.
- Positive and negative feedback are very welcome. Letting me known about issues in the game allows me to fix them so that they hopefully don't repeat in future updates.
- Soloing the incident still results in having a temporary party. The party includes Reimu, Miko & Tojiko.

Link to Demo & Videos

http://www.mediafire.com/file/8ttn6v3dlnio63x/The+Outsider+Who+Loved+Gensokyo+-+Shinki.rar

This is the latest version of the demo. It contains the first half of the incident and goes all the way to the second section of Makai.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmI-ZNxfCdk

This is the latest video update that focuses on Ichirin, Yoshika and continues the events in Makai.

Recruitable Characters

This is the current list of recruitable characters (in order of ID). Several of these characters have special endings planned for them. Some won't be getting any mainly because in their case, they'll have a VN route to cover their story more appropriately. Endings aren't planned to be big and huge but to properly end the stories. I do wish to stay realistic with my goals.

- Shizuha
- Aya
- Meiling
- Eirin
- Komachi
- Marisa
- Mokou
- Momiji
- Nitori
- Patchouli
- Ran
- Reisen
- Sakuya
- Sanae
- Tewi
- Youmu
- Yukari
- Byakuren
- Kaguya
- Hatate
- Prismriver Sisters
- Kasen
- Parsee
- Yuyuko
- Kogasa
- Yuuka
- Reisen II
- Mystia
- Shou
- Tenshi
- Iku
- Minamitsu
- Keine
- Alice
- Reimu
- Chen
- Miko
- Tojiko
- Ichirin
- Yuugi

Current total: 40

A few more characters are planned, Letty, Satori and Koishi being among of them. Others are being considered such as Cirno, Kagerou and Suika.

Current progress

Part 72 focuses on Shinki's introduction and also adds Yuugi as a recruitable character. Part 73 will focus on areas inspired by stage 4 from Mystic Square. Satori will also become recruitable.

[Your Everyday NEET]

This is my first 3 hours impression of the game.

The story and is premise is pretty good. Unlike every other player-created protagonist, The Outsider actually speaks and contribute much to the story. The story (for now) is pretty lighthearted and interesting, it's The Outsider traveling all around Gensokyo, meeting everyone, and generally be nice to everyone that isn't asking a fight or being a dick (if he met someone with that criteria, then he'll become vicious). But along the way, you got a hint that the previous emissary isn't as nice as The Outsider and tried to destroy Gensokyo DitR style. It makes me wonder if this game is inspired by Diamond in the Rough.

The battle is as simple as you can get from RPGMaker XP. At early part of the game, random enemy is pretty irritating and hard. Enemies with stunning attack could potentially stunlock you and kill you before you can act. Once you get party member and leveled them up, the random encounter can be beaten with just breathing and mashing Z. And bosses were surprisingly difficult (this is from someone who first tried NoR True Final Boss), I died to Alice 3 times, forcing me to grind like madman and stockpile lots of items. But since Marisa skyrocketed her levels ahead of everyone and even The Outsider, as long as you have SP, she'll be curbstomping their butt... Provided the boss doesn't kill her in 2 hits. Even so... Bosses always drains most of my resources.

My complaints (nitpicks) for now is that traveling by foot is a pain because you move very slow and the game map is huge, plus the encounter rate is weird. The Game is freaking 1.5 GB, that's the biggest RPGMaker game I ever owned (And it also a pain to download since there's speed limit in Mediafire). Healing items seems to be underpowered and a little pricey. And lastly, major bosses seems to be waaaaay to hard to put down. They'll need 2-3 fight just to stay down, further blowing my resources. For example: here's a major battle from 2 prideful girls. The battle goes like this: Boss A, Boss B, then Boss A and B at the same time.

 Possible bugs found were:
- Some lines that repeat itself twice.
- Apple's description said it heals 75 SP. It isn't. It heals 70 SP.
- Sakuya, you're asking for a pocketwatch right? I just stole one from your room. Freaking take it so I can complete your sidequest.

[Jeremie]

This is my first 3 hours impression of the game.

The story and is premise is pretty good. Unlike every other player-created protagonist, The Outsider actually speaks and contribute much to the story. The story (for now) is pretty lighthearted and interesting, it's The Outsider traveling all around Gensokyo, meeting everyone, and generally be nice to everyone that isn't asking a fight or being a dick (if he met someone with that criteria, then he'll become vicious). But along the way, you got a hint that the previous emissary isn't as nice as The Outsider and tried to destroy Gensokyo DitR style. It makes me wonder if this game is inspired by Diamond in the Rough.

The battle is as simple as you can get from RPGMaker XP. At early part of the game, random enemy is pretty irritating and hard. Enemies with stunning attack could potentially stunlock you and kill you before you can act. Once you get party member and leveled them up, the random encounter can be beaten with just breathing and mashing Z. And bosses were surprisingly difficult (this is from someone who first tried NoR True Final Boss), I died to Alice 3 times, forcing me to grind like madman and stockpile lots of items. But since Marisa skyrocketed her levels ahead of everyone and even The Outsider, as long as you have SP, she'll be curbstomping their butt... Provided the boss doesn't kill her in 2 hits. Even so... Bosses always drains most of my resources.

My complaints (nitpicks) for now is that traveling by foot is a pain because you move very slow and the game map is huge, plus the encounter rate is weird. The Game is freaking 1.5 GB, that's the biggest RPGMaker game I ever owned (And it also a pain to download since there's speed limit in Mediafire). Healing items seems to be underpowered and a little pricey. And lastly, major bosses seems to be waaaaay to hard to put down. They'll need 2-3 fight just to stay down, further blowing my resources. For example: here's a major battle from 2 prideful girls. The battle goes like this: Boss A, Boss B, then Boss A and B at the same time.

 Possible bugs found were:
- Some lines that repeat itself twice.
- Apple's description said it heals 75 SP. It isn't. It heals 70 SP.
- Sakuya, you're asking for a pocketwatch right? I just stole one from your room. Freaking take it so I can complete your sidequest.

Thanks a lot for sharing your impression about the game. I haven't read DitR before but based on what you said, it would appear that my project went a different route once you get some stuff revealed about the previous emissary.

It's very likely I'll be nerfing some of the bosses. I've tested every fights to be possible to win around a level range but some of those earlier fights are a pain indeed. Alice and especially Prideful Two (20-25) or Phoenix & Sparrow (25) are a chore to beat because there's too many phases. The fact later bosses are rarely more than one round is more of a reason to modify that too. Still, certain bosses do have special strategies, resistances, requires you to have some resistances or serves as more or less beef gates (A certain Oni and a resident from another world).

Are you using the latest update of the game? I imagine you are but just in case, there's portals that pops up around various places for you to use as shortcuts. They appear once you visit certain areas and complete events that'll spawn them. They're in areas that are in plain sight. Thanks for letting me know about the apple (Strawberry it would appear) and the pocketwatch, the former will be fixed for the next version and I'll look into that sidequest for any issues. As for the size, yeah, the portraits are taking a pretty big amount of space.

Edit: Did you find the lid of her pocketwatch? Once you get it along with the watch, you should be able to complete the quest.

[Colticide]

So I decided to check out shrinemaiden forum out of randomness and I find an updated version of a game I really enjoyed! So happy this is back! I'll report back once I play it for a bit!

[Jeremie]

So I decided to check out shrinemaiden forum out of randomness and I find an updated version of a game I really enjoyed! So happy this is back! I'll report back once I play it for a bit!

I'm glad to know you've been enjoying it and I hope the updates will prove to be interesting for you. Please do not hesitate to share your impression about it!  :3

Part 71 has also been added just now. Ichirin becomes recruitable, Yoshika is introduced and Makai is continued. Makai will now become the focus of updates with the exception of a few more recruitable party members (Yuugi is next). Part 71 is most likely the last update of the year since I'll be taking a short break unless I decide to add a lil' something and if I have enough time to do it.