Harvest Moon: Meadow of Dreams- Background artist wanted!

[Anoel]

Hello all! I am Anoel and I am working on a Harvest Moon fan game! This game is called Harvest Moon: Meadow of Dreams, as decided by voting.

Background artist wanted!
So, anyone want to help me out? I need a background artist! I think I counted about 50 different places that need backgrounds. And with seasonal and time variants, that's a lot. And I can't pay anyone. But, if you want to help, let me know!

The fifteenth version of the beta is up for download and testing! *phew*
http://www.mediafire.com/download/jr34g ... _v15.5.zip
That is the link to download. It is a zip file. In it is the executable, and a folder containing hidden save files. You may or may not see the hidden files depending on your computer and account's settings. You may need to hit "Run" on a dialog box that comes up when you run the .exe file.

To transfer your old saves:
Copy the save folder from the old version of the beta to the newer one, and be sure to overwrite the newer beta's save folder.

Here are the versions you can't transfer between (on account that I changed something):
4 (and before) to 5
6 to 7 (restructured how the crops work)
7 to 8 (I added a fridge and cabinet)
8 to 9
10 and before to 11 and 12 (changed the save around)
Other than that, I think you can transfer your saves. Let me know if I'm wrong.

New in v15!
New art is here! The very nice SilverHyena of the Lemma Soft Forums has drawn new character art! Everyone has pretty, new art now!
You CAN transfer your saves from v14 (tell me if you have an issue) and everything should work fine. Please check it out!
Quick update:
I fixed an issue that caused the save function to go off multiple times in a row, and added a load button to the menu. Enjoy!

Older stuff:

Spoiler:

Stuff in version 6:
Adoption! You and any sort of spouse will be able to adopt a child!
Watermill and windmill functions! I don't have flour or canned goods making in yet, but dairy processing and seed making is in!
The constantly ticking clock is gone! Now, when you talk to people, work in your field, and interact with your livestock time will go forward.
And I redid some of the gifting functions.

New stuff in version 7:
Fixed some glitches.
Restructured how the crops work. However, nothing should be different on the outside. Tell me if there is, please!

New stuff in version 8:
Fridge and cabinet!

New stuff in version 9
More events!
Bug fixes.

New stuff in version 12:
More NPC dialog!
All marriage candidates have their heart lines in.

New stuff in version 13:
You can buy a bigger barn and coop, and a pond!
Grains! (Wheat, soybeans, and buckwheat.)
All villagers have affection level lines!
Everyone has liked and disliked gifts!
Blue feather is in!

New in v14!
I redid the user interface! Now instead of windows appearing and disappearing there's one window with everything you need on it! And you can access your bag and save from anywhere! You CAN transfer your saves from v13 (tell me if you have an issue) and everything should work fine. Please check it out!

Please note that it works the best if you keep different versions in separate folders.

I swear to you all up, down, forwards, backwards, sideways, inside out, and half way through that this does not contain anything harmful to your computer! So please download and test out everything.

Also, if you choose to unzip it to a new folder of the same name, it might work better. What this option is named will depend on your system and what you're using to extract the folder.


Harvest Moon: Meadow of Dreams will have, in regards to farming:
random, alternate color crops
rare, giant crops
super rare, giant, alternate colored crops
(eventually) three season grains
all the crops that were in (More) Friends of Mineral Town and DS (Cute)

It will have, in regards to romance:
22 individual marriage candidates
different gender preferences for each candidate
the option for same gender marriage

This game will NOT have:
A full graphic interface (like the original games). Instead you will click buttons to do almost everything.
Natsume or Marvelous's support
adventuring elements like in the Rune Factory games

Meadow of Dreams will eventually have:
three season grains (as mentioned above) They're in!
a storyline about helping four minor deities regain their powers
a fishing mini-game (it's in!)
full mining (also in!)
a (M)FoMT-like cooking interface (hopefully, actually probably unlikely)

Other information:
The name of the town is *drum-roll* Azure Town! As determined by about a third of the voters!

Under here is information about the marriage candidates.

Spoiler:

Katherine is the daughter of Henry the mayor. Her mother died when she was young. She lives with her father in the back of the town hall. She is bi.
Gerard is the local policeman. Cats don't like him. He rents a spare room in the town hall. He is bi.
Jason is the local crop farmer. Melissa the tailor is his grandmother and Kelly is his sister. He takes pride in his fields. He is straight.
Liz is the local animal farmer. Her father Fredrick is the town's livestock seller. She loves her animals dearly. She is straight.
Hiro is a fisherman. His twin sister is the nurse, Katsumi. He likes the ocean and cats. He is bi.
Chester is traveler who wandered in one day, and hasn't left yet. He's quite jaded. He is gay.
Akari was sealed in the caves a long time ago. Reese unearthed her by accident. She is fond of telephones and stutters. She is a long lost cousin of Tiesha the mage. She is straight.
Reese is an archaeologist. He's cheerful and fascinated by history. He isn't originally from the area. He is straight.
Tess is from a foreign land, looking for a certain item. She hangs out at the library a lot. She is bi.
Richard is the librarian. He is stern. He isn't originally from the area, but moved here because he aunt is the priest. He is bi.
Katsumi is the nurse at the local clinic and Hiro's twin sister. She worries aggressively and can ramble on. She is straight.
Thomas is the local doctor. He is relaxed but worries about the clinic's funding. He is straight.
Kelly works with her grandmother as a seamstress at the local tailor. She pokes herself with the needles a lot. She is bi.
Marie works with gems. She is cheerful and likes flowers too. She is gay.

All these are the regular candidates. The pairs that they will marry off to are as follows:
Katherine and Gerard
Jason and Liz
Hiro and Chester
Akari and Reese
Tess and Richard
Katsumi and Thomas
Kelly and Marie.

I'll add the specials later.

My helpers on this project (they are awesome and amazing and so helpful!)
Satoshi-kun, the character designer (also supplied a few names)
Hm5, potential artist
Ianaaika, colorist number 1 - not any more
SilverFire, colorist number 2 - not any more
Pshycho, dialog writer
BlueTrillium, also dialog writer

Links to some of my reference materials for this project:
My document of notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NPSzkdJdc1ToB72Q3s9YNYSRwViOKbKTh49VoOt33qE/edit?authkey=CLLQg6kN&hl=en_US
My basic map: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0Bx4GnYP6KK9OY2RlN2U1MWEtOGYxZi00ZTViLWEyNGQtNmZjZDVlYzFmYWQx&authkey=CIfUppUC&hl=en_US
Satoshi-kun's character sketches (old though):
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5uKkeum1RLhMmIzM2VkNjctYTNmNS00NzllLWFlZGQtYThhZmE2YmEzYjIy&hl=en_US (part 1)
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5uKkeum1RLhNGEyYjQ4YmEtNDMwNS00MjM4LWFhNGQtMjMxZTEwZDBjYmY5&hl=en_US (part 2)

I am currently working on getting festivals in. And other events.

Here is my to do / done list:

Spoiler:

Made a game-time clock. re-Done!
Make a basic layout for a field. Done!
Come up with all the characters. Done!
Calculate crop growing times. Done!
Make a functional crop farming system. Done!
Set up livestock purchasing. Done!
Set up crop seed purchasing. Done!
Basic livestock management code. Done!
Saving system Done!
Made a rucksack screen. Done!
Make place screens for:

• the bar done
  
• your barn and coop done
• your field done
• the bathhouse done
  
• the beach area done
  
• the benches done
  
• the caves/mine done
• the clinic done
• the downtown area done
• the forest area done
  
• the goddess of flowers' shrine done
• the « Harvest Goddess » of cooking's shrine done
  
• the « Harvest Goddess » of wine's shrine done
• the « Harvest Goddess » of music's shrine done
  
• the inn done
  
• Jason's farm done
• Richard's house done
  
• the library done
  
• the livestock store done
  
• Liz's farm done
  
• the mountain area done
• the mage's house done
  
• your house done
• the tailor store done
  
• the town hall done
  
• the witch's hut done
  
• wizard's house done
  
• the church done
• the doctor's family's house done
  
• the general store done
• the nurse's house done
  
• the gem-smith's house done
  
• the chef's house done
• the smithy done
  
• builder's house done
  
• Harvest Goddess's pond done
  
• Harvest « Harvest Goddess »'s peak done
  
• watermill done!
  
• windmill done!

Make it actually look like the crops have been watered. Fi-nal-ly done! (this was giving me trouble)
Get weather probabilities in. Done!
Get character's lines written in. got all friendship lines done!
Everybody's likes and dislikes. done!
Buy from peddler screen Done!
Buy food from inn screen Done!
Buy drinks from bar screen Done!
Buy from general store screen Done!
Hammer out schedules for people.
Mining system. done
Cooking system. got a preliminary in
foraging Done!
buying farm expansions decided it will be limited
fishing! done
Windmill and watermill functions. done!
grains and rice, purchasing and growing got the grains in!
special livestock feed - not doing anymore
events a constant work in progress
Marriage functions are done, but still need more unique lines
Kids - pregnancy functions are done, but still need more unique lines
Kids - adoption Functions done, but still need more unique lines

Plugs:
Satoshi-kun's game: http://moonlighttales.tumblr.com/ Check it out!

[Fretka]

If the main character or wife is pregnant, then she should have a big belly. In HM all pregnant girls look normal :/

[Anoel]

Now that's a good idea.
And double the stamina loss if the main character is preggers... Or should it be one third more stamina loss...

[Fretka]

1/3 would be fine.

[Anoel]

Yeah, probably.

[Jonahman10]

The Harvest Spring is shaped like Africa!

[Curimuch]

ITT people who think all pregnant women show signs immediately and gets weak easily.

[Fretka]

Nobody said they do.

[Curimuch]

Every single time this subject comes out, people immediately jump on the statements that female characters should get fat and round, should lose this amount of health because of it, their husband should do this and that, and then complain about how it's 'not realistic the games don't do this/haven't done it yet'. That's certainly saying it should and that people seriously think every woman turns into immobile baby balloons that need to be pampered. When prior to it, they were athletic hard working women, so it never made sense to add a handicap to the female protagonists to me.

[Anoel]

Well, there's the other extreme as well. In all harvest moon games that I've played, your character doesn't get any stamina docks at all, even when she's just about due. And the wives, so I've heard, don't look different at all. Both extremes of opinion are very possible.

...A compromise would be to make a small change to the sprite, have the portrait change gradually, and up the stamina dock from one fourth to one third gradually over the length of the pregnancy. How does that sound?

[Dougy]

Every single time this subject comes out, people immediately jump on the statements that female characters should get fat and round, should lose this amount of health because of it, their husband should do this and that, and then complain about how it's 'not realistic the games don't do this/haven't done it yet'. That's certainly saying it should and that people seriously think every woman turns into immobile baby balloons that need to be pampered. When prior to it, they were athletic hard working women, so it never made sense to add a handicap to the female protagonists to me.

i know this isn't really related in anyway, but are you a woman ? lol it as absolutely nothing to do with the topic, just wondering.

But....being pregnant at, like, 6 month and more, its kinda dangerous to work on a field, isn't it ?
And well, the girl is obviously going to suffer belly or back pain (my cousin was complaining all. the. time when she was pregnant)
so yeah, its kinda normal she works less and/or lose more stamina when doing think that will require her to do a lot of things.

Also, "prior to it", one baby on two was still born or died before 5, so....yeah. (not exact on this, but i think its something around this)

[lemo_the_lemon]

i know this isn't really related in anyway, but are you a woman ? lol it as absolutely nothing to do with the topic, just wondering.

Yes, Curi's a girl. People don't seem to realize coz she's so ROCKIN <3

I'd at least like my wife to get all round and preggery... I'd say 'and the female player char' but I've got work to do!

[Curimuch]

I'm female.

i know this isn't really related in anyway, but are you a woman ? lol it as absolutely nothing to do with the topic, just wondering.

Yes, Curi's a girl. People don't seem to realize coz she's so ROCKIN <3

*icon*

Anyways I've been around a lot of pregnant women who did a lot of hard work until their final trimester where they finally took it easier at home. They were also athletic types that had multiple kids and were just fine there were no complications or deaths. When I said 'prior' I'm talking about how healthy and active she was before.

[Anoel]

*watches the argument with worry* Lets get back on to the concept of wish list for ideal HM game, okay? Or something?

*worry worry worry*

[Fretka]

A merman should be a special bachelor.