The Official Aldorlea Games Forum

This is the place to post your feedback about Onyx. You can download the game here:
http://aldorlea.org/onyx.php

The game is very long but maybe by now someone has had the chance to finish it!
So if you've got 5 mins, please fill this funny questionary!

Just copy/paste the questions and answer below them!
Since the questionary is big, to avoid any stupid loss due to internet connections stopping (I've been there lol), maybe copy it in a word document and save it before sending - just a recommendation.

Your opinion about Rowan?
Your opinion about Tyber?
Your opinion about Homard?
Your opinion about Arthur?
Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names?
Your opinion about the story and dialogs?
Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations?
Your opinion about the game's title screen and music?
What was your favorite moment and why?
Which characters did you choose for your main 4?
What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare?

Your opinion about Rowan? Cute, spunky and hiding a tenderheart
Your opinion about Tyber? Loyal to a fault and one great companion until the desert
Your opinion about Homard? Oh ye words of wisdom.... Just loved his commentary!
Your opinion about Arthur? CAMELOT!!!!!!! My knight in shining tarnished armor
Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names? Rowan-Rowena, Tyber-Tyberius, Babs (Babette), Raven, Samantha, Homard-MadHater and Arthur.
Your opinion about the story and dialogs? Interesting to be able to follow along the storyline (especially since no quest log or journal) with some moving dialog interspersed with some hilarious commentary
Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations? Oh man...if I wasn't leveled enough... Other than that, got to play with some new monsters and truly loved the Night Fall and Deadly Emanations! They were/are my favorites
Your opinion about the game's title screen and music? LOL always lovely artwork! The music kept tension throughout the game. Loved feeling pumped up in that last dungeon! (I needed it)
What was your favorite moment and why? In the mindscape with Rowan talking to her mom. The support of the group with there for her, along with her dad.
Which characters did you choose for your main 4? Rowan, Tyber, Raven & Arthur
What's the game's best/strongest sides? In the dungeons...after clearing a section, you could go back to double check if you missed any secret rooms (still missed a lot anyway )
Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare? yup yup. It's got Sylia beat for the dungeons...HUGE HUGE HUGE! Other than that, it's got it's own unique flavor, twists and turns, and enjoyed this break before I tackle the cubes

Your opinion about Rowan? Good, mainly used skills: Moonshine and Moonlight.
Your opinion about Tyber? Good, mainly used skills: Mass Brawl. It was a toss-up between whether I used Samantha or Tyber. A good physical attack character.
Your opinion about Homard? Good, mainly used skills: No Brains and Aura Wave.
Your opinion about Arthur? I never used him.
Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names? No.
Your opinion about the story and dialogs? Often quite funny, but occasionally went on a bit.
Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations? The one negative thought I had about the monsters was that there was no indication which enemies were suffering from effects. It also didn't seem as though poison worked as it has done in other games. I don’t think I’d seen the monster graphics before and it all seemed quite original. Generally, they seemed about the right strength for the level of my team.
Your opinion about the game's title screen and music? I turned off music on another game and it stayed off for this one and I never turned it on again. The title screen was good, but, honestly, it’s not something I’m that bothered about.
What was your favorite moment and why? Nothing immediately springs to mind.
Which characters did you choose for your main 4? Rowan, Tyber, Homard and Baba.
What's the game's best/strongest sides? I liked the fact that the monsters only regenerated once you left the overall area, rather than when you left the screen. It was also a lot simpler (less complex rather than easy) because of having no side quests; I think a few would have been good though. Being able to equip all my characters with Double XP equipment helped a lot.
Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare? I have played Opaline, but I can’t remember much about it to be honest.

Rowan- great character with an unusual sense of humour- hard core outside- soft center, great spells
Tyber - down to earth, took everything in his stride, accepted hardships and what life threw at him, very diplomatic -used his "mass brawl skill" a lot
Homard- depression took its toll- found solace in unreality - when lucid he was a character to be reckon with esp his humour
Arthur - lived to his ideals even if they were wrong- redeemed himself in the end - would have liked to learn a lot more of his background
Did not rename any characters
Great story- epsecially the dialogues - not run of the mill type
Spells were very helpful and a varied selection across the board- the monsters were interesting - needed spells and good levels to beat some of them
Best monent - in the memory hall - learning the background of some of the characters and giving an insight to them
PARTY - Rowan, Tyber, Ravan and Homard - used Samantha until I got Homard, but used Rowan Tyber , Homard and Arthur at the end
It is up in the top but still would put all of the Laxius Series first+::

I'm enjoying the game, but the lack of side quests is disappointing. There's no point to talking to the NPCs as a general rule because they rarely have anything to say that is related to moving the story forward. I still talk to all of them, just in case, but it gets boring. I think the battles are fun and challenging, and I do like the spells the characters have in this game, but overall I feel like all I'm doing is battle after battle, without really accomplishing anything satisfying.

Just my thoughts.

Your opinion about Rowan?
At first I didn’t know if I liked her or not…she was pretty grouchy, but as time passed and I got to know her better and began to understand her I did come to like her and care about her.

Your opinion about Tyber?
I liked him from the beginning. I thought he made an excellent friend in the storyline and even more than that as time passed. I would like to have seen more details of their story in the ending though.

Your opinion about Homard?
A very interesting character that was an unexpected surprise. I would like more of his back story like in the font of memories. I used him a great deal because leveled up he had a great variety of spells!

Your opinion about Arthur?
I found him to be quite a zealot until someone he cared about made him rethink his values. He was a very strong character in term of attack and spells. I thought he was a man of honor that had strong convictions that were misdirected, but he was able to make of for it in the end. If I said more, it would be a spoiler.

Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names?
I have tried that in the past, but not this time around…it gets really confusing when asking questions/following the guide. I might change them on my next play through.

Your opinion about the story and dialogs?
I enjoyed the story overall and found the dialogs amusing. I really enjoyed the humor in the dungeons that were enormous. I would have like a little more depth in the story about Rowan and Tyber, but then I am a sappy romantic at heart. I found the final scene very interesting.

Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations?
I thought there was a good variety in enemies to fight and that the animations were neat, but I turned them off after a while, to speed up the battling process once I was leveled up.

Your opinion about the game's title screen and music?
I would have like the title screen more if it wouldn’t have been cut down…it looks like Rowan is wearing a little shoulder wrap and nothing else on my screen because the “lace” on her dress was cut off. I enjoyed the music while playing the game.

What was your favorite moment and why?
I had several actually…one was when Rowan was talking with her mother ranting about being tired of being alone and her mother told her she could have chose to live in a different place…she realized why she didn’t want to move which was Tyber. It made me think of times in my own life when things are frustrating and I am reminded of why I am doing what I am doing and not just “moving” to a better place…there is purpose in it.
Another one was when Rowan wanted to use the Mao to make her life “right”…there have been times when I would have changed things to make them “right” but it is those things that usually make us the stronger person we are today that we never would have been without those things. There are more, but they would be spoilers.

Which characters did you choose for your main 4?
Tyber was always in my party and I tried to use all the other characters equally, until I got Arthur. Then I used Rowan, Tyber, Arthur, and Homard.

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
I loved that you could save anywhere, but missed having a lot of saved places. I enjoyed the weapons and armor for the characters and that items aren’t too expensive or leveling isn’t too hard, especially with the double xp. I really liked the sense of loyalty that the characters had for Rowan and each other. I thought the humor really added dimension to the game and amusement in many unexpected places.

Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare?
Yes, I have played the other games. I found this one to have been a little darker in the story. The main character was harder to like in the beginning for me, but as I said she grew on me. I don’t think I liked it as much as Opaline. I did enjoy the weapons and items that we found such as the emblems and metals. I thought they provided a unique way and variety to equip the characters.

Your opinion about Rowan?
A bit hysteric, but with a good heart. She still cares for people who hurt her.
Also, she might not do the biggest damage of all party member, but her confusing, paralyzing and sleeping spells were extremely useful.

Your opinion about Tyber?
He was very patient with Rowan and has obviously loved her for quite some time.
A strong warrior, and his Mass Brawl spell was extremely useful against group of enemies.

Your opinion about Homard?
My favorite character. His carelessness and comments were really funny.
Plus, he has lots of great spells and enough mana to cast them frequently. What a pity he was slower than most of the enemies.

Your opinion about Arthur?
A strong warrior with powerful spells, but after all the murders he obviously committed, it was kinda hard for me to sympathize with him. He saved all in the end, though.

Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names?
The original names were ok for me, so I kept them.

Your opinion about the story and dialogs?
The story was good, but not suprising. On the other hand, the dialogues were great. I especially loved some of the apt remarks about the map design.

Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations?
Standard, I would say. Millennium games are better at this.

Your opinion about the game's title screen and music?
Title screen is ok, the music is epic.

What was your favorite moment and why?
Not exactly one moment, but I just loved all the party banters and jokes. For example something like this:
Raven: I hate these enemies, they cast the same spells I do!
Tyber: Yes, they are like you. Except from they do everything better.
Raven: Now that was completely unnecessary!!

Which characters did you choose for your main 4?
Rowan, Tyber, Raven and Homard.

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Good dialogues with many funny remarks and some clever ideas for spells and battle system, such as speed modifier for spells.
Also, of all the games I've played so far, Onyx has probably the best Secret Rooms placement. I found over 40 on my first playthrough, even without walkthrough.

Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare?
Onyx is a bit of "mixed bag". Maybe it was only a problem of Hard difficulty, but I felt that the fights difficulty varied too little. It's great to have difficult battles, but there should also be easy ones. In Onyx, I had to use spells every single fight!
Overall, the party was extremely magic-dependant, so for example playing without Rowan and her sleeping / paralyzing spells was just painful. Also, the game would probably do better with invisible fights, because the enemies placement seemed to be way to repetitive, too. Just narrow paths blocked by enemies. Add the not so great stuff in chests (apart from Secret Rooms) and in the end, dungeons often felt more like a chore than a fun - something I haven't experienced in any other Aldorlea game.
To sum it up - good story and dialogues and some cool ideas, but because of the mapping and battles, the game is only "ok", not "great" or even "awesome". Sylia and Opaline were better.

P.s. The controls also lacked a bit of "polishing" I'm used to from another games, such as "cycling" through charaters' spells (you can't continue from the last spell to the first one in Onyx) and so on. These are small things, but they can make a bit of difference in the end, too.

Your opinion about Rowan?
She’s selfish, impatient, rejected but still has a heart. She hates people she first helped cos they are ungrateful. I agree, sometimes it’s best not to help.

Your opinion about Tyber?
He’s nice, simple and patient. He reasons Rowan that sometimes you have to do what you don’t like for the greater good. A humble man.

Your opinion about Homard?
Funny with his cookies, when he answers “your funeral” when we choose him to fight as he’s done with fighting. He's a clown with weird words sometimes.

Your opinion about Arthur?
I noticed him when we discover his identity. I find weird he let his wife escape without him, he must have asked her and follow her. I didn’t see we can recruit him!!! I doubted a bit, I didn't come back to Nimu's grotto, that's why.

Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names?
Rowanme sounds good, Ravengyp for gypsy but not enough space, Bobamom, Homardie makes him cute.

Your opinion about the story and dialogs?
The story was static but then, it unfolded well. The starting text warns of the danger to hold the power but still, there’ll always be those who want to scorn people. I like the mystery to be solved. The solution was well found. Why to create the Mao da Gloria if the world relies on magic?

Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations?
I played in hard mode. I won’t do it again! It was hard lol.. There was too much battles, monsters respawn if you’ve left the zone. I like thunder, ice spells, night spells. Some monsters were hard to beat like the “.. air” at the seaside tunnel. I forgot their illogical names. Most monsters are compulsory, it’s a pain in the * .

Your opinion about the game's title screen and music?
Onyx: well applied to the lethal power the game deals with.

What was your favorite moment and why?
The memories of characters, I missed Samantha’s. I’d like to know her memory please.

Which characters did you choose for your main 4?
The 4 from the start cos Boba has good protective spells, Tyber is strong and the boss can be hurt physically.

What's the game's best/strongest sides?
Long games, I was fed up at the Covenwright Mountains but I kept going. I had to make some maps to track the main road. At the memetic cave I’d first explored for chests and it was good to follow footsteps then.
Useful equipment like Immunity medal, double xp and half MP items.I’ve made it in a bit more than 41 hours.
I can identify to Rowan being rejected so she leaves alone. It’s good she has Tyber to sweet her mood.

Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare?
I put it between the 2, more zones than Sylia, better story than Opaline.

Your opinion about Rowan?

Great attitude and sometimes says what I think when she is travelling with a bunch of people, I mean, come on she's on a quest and the people around are just doing everything to slow her down lol A great main character.

Your opinion about Tyber?

The strongest and very useful character, I really liked his love/hate/love relationship with Rowan and his story was amazing.

Your opinion about Homard?

Crazy, funny and useful. I just thought that his artwork didn't fit with all the crazy stuff he said the entire game lol but I really liked having him in the party for comical moments and his very useful spells.

Your opinion about Arthur?

Powerful, unfortunately I only used him in the final dungeon so I don't have much what to say. I know, he's Rowan's father but I just don't have anything else to say.

Did you rename your characters and if so, what kind of names?

Nah, I don't like changing character names in games.

Your opinion about the story and dialogs?

I thought that it was one of the most amazing stories of all Aldorlea Games, Shade (from Valkyria) was the one who made right? Congratulations, every part of where it has a conversation about the plot in the game were interesting and the background story of the characters were very interesting. The story was what kept me playing the game since I almost stopped playing because of the absurd difficulty.


Your opinion about the monsters and spell animations?

The spell animations were awesome, I really liked that there was almost no stock RPGMaker animation and I always loved using Rowan's Night spell, the smokes are something that I feel good to watch lol The mosnters were too hard and almost impossible, some I had to win by luck and that really should be fixed.

Your opinion about the game's title screen and music?

Beautiful title screen and great theme, an exciting theme to a very serious, yet full of humorous moments, adventure.

What was your favorite moment and why?

I think that it was when the party met the spirit at that font, the game got really exciting after that part. I liked playing with Tyber as a leader and after that we get to see more of what's behind the Nimrod.

Which characters did you choose for your main 4?

Most of the game I played with: Rowan, Tyber, Raven and Homard but in the last dungeon I changed Ravey for Arthur.

What's the game's best/strongest sides?

Story, characters and music. All in the best combination

Now I want to point that dungeons were unecessary big and most of the chests were ridiculous items that could be bought in shops, if Aldorlea is planning to do another collab with Valkyria, Indy should really mention Shade about that. Good items were only found in Secret Rooms.


Have you played other Aldorlea "collaboration" games (Sylia, Opaline) and if so, how does this one compare?


I would point this as the best collab, but the absurd difficulty don't let me because as much as I liked the characters and story for this game, the difficulty will probably be the reason I will never play this game again. I put this one as the third best. 1st being Sylia and 2nd being Tales of a Common Man.