Unforunate Delays

Hello everyone!
I apologize for the lack of updates. There have been some unfortunate delays. A family medical emergency has forced me to leave the country and head back home to America for a few weeks, so I won't be working on the project during this time.

Thanks for understanding,
Jerrel

New Concept Art : Tunics, Swords and More

G'day happy Hyrulians. The sketches above depict the initial concept designs for the alternate Tunics, as well as the alternate Swords, Shield, and Power Bracelet. Of course, if you are looking for the full surprise of a new adventure, drink a Poe and forget that you saw this article and the concept sketches.

Do keep in mind, these sketches were drawn in a moving vehicle so things are pretty rough and all around very sketchy. If you are curious to how the Alternative Swords work in Ballad of the Windfish, simply imagine how the Giant's Knife and Big Goron Sword functioned in Ocarina of Time. The four alternative swords in the game will beome available after accomplishing certain sub-quests and reaching certain points in the story.

Each sword has a unique style, strength, and speed. There is one spot in Link's inventory, so only 1 alternative story can be picked up, but they can be swapped and traded at any point by visiting various locations through Koholint Island.

The Mirror Shield will also have an new function. The Mirror Shield replaces the Hylian Shield in the inventory, and now uses up the Magic Meter whenever it reflects anything 'magical'. When the Magic meter runs out, the Mirror Shield reverts to the Hylian Shield. This feature may end up being a unique first to Zelda games. The magic>shield function has been implemented to take advantage of the newly-incorporated Magic Meter, which can also be upgraded a fair bit.

The alternate shield takes it's own unique slot in the game inventory, but is not required to compete the game. The Spike Shield allows players to flip, stun, or disarm certain enemies who would otherwise be extremely difficult to deal with. The Spike Shield can also deal damage to most enemies, but it can break from exposure to fire or magic.

Power Bracelet is no longer an 'equipped' item, and has evolved into an 'auto-use' treasure. The "Lv2 Bracelet" is replaced by the "Magic Bracelet", and allows Link to pick up much larger, heavier objects.

Now, for the hot topic!! Following Twilight Princess' cue, Ballad of the Windfish features alternate Tunics which not only change color, but style as well. As seen in the figure above, the Ocean Blue colored tunic features silver plating and a copper mesh-type chain mail with a white undershirt. The Lava Red tunic is adorned with heavy, gold armor, dark chain metal above a charcoal colored undershirt.

The concept swords feature the Zora Sword, Ancient Sword, and Royal Sword. The upgrades of the Hyrulian Sword will all remain pretty close to the original sword's design. The Ancient Sword will be a giant, longer-range, slow weapon, capable of dealing massive damage, while the Royal Sword performs like a light, swift saber, dealing less damage than the Hyrulian Sword, but is capable of being wielding with blinding speed. The Zora's Sword will be more of a balanced sword and serve a magical, mysterious function!!

The Concept Sketches depicted in the figure above remain just that: concept sketches. Designs for the objects may face numerous adjustments before implimentation in the game, and some may not even make it into the final product at all.

Feel free to share your thoughts through comments and the Chatbox in the NavBar to the right!

Thanks!
Jerrel

The Sound of Music

Greetings!
Yes, it has been a while since the last real 'update'. Why has it taken the author so long to get any work done? The author has been working on progressing his real-life career aspects, so making non-profit fan games has taken a back seat. Also, due to a still-running Diploma Course in Software Development, the author, yours truly, has gotten sick of programming. That's right!! The course I am in is so poorly designed and executed that I'm quite fed up with programming, and need some time to recover my programming stamina.

6 months and this programming course will be done forever. Joy! Life will be amazing.

For project supporters, I'd like to give you the head's up of what I'm working on. I'm concentrating on 3D modeling for a while (as 3D modeling has nothing to do with programming, alright!), so images of the Siren Instruments can be expected soon. I will also be modeling Link's alternate swords (similar function and mechanics to Big Goron sword, etc.).

For textures, I may be working on the ocean and sky backgrounds, making the environment more detailed and pretty. Cloud/wind effects will follow later.

If I'm going to program anything soon, it will be adding Bow Wow as a functional item.

When I get a few more items added and add more textures, I will be posting a 'minor' demo update for anyone curious to try.

Thanks for the support, stay tuned!!

Jerrel