[To be named] Porting Phantasy Star Zero to Godot

[kion]

Wanted to post something i've been working on in the background for a while: psz for godot (needs a name).



The project is poorly split across the following repos:
1. https://github.com/DashGL/psz-asset-viewer uses apicula to extract the assets from the rom
2. https://github.com/kion-dgl/psz-sketch use threejs to break out the assets to try and build viewers for all of the assets
3. https://github.com/kion-dgl/psz-godot where the actual gameplay is being implemented

What i have so far:

I went ahead an implemented a simple version of the game that runs with terminal graphics to get a subset of the game with most of the systems
- creating a character
- deleting a character
- selecting an existing character
- item shop
- weapon shop
- tekker (adapted from custom shop)
- storage
- guild counter
- field

Gameplay is where things get really janky, i have a test scene with a humar fighting three ghowls, but to cover the scope of the gameplay all of the combat currently just text on a screen to mock out spawns and drops.

The goal is to replicate most of the psz experience while doing the bare minimum to try and adapt the story telling of pso. the player isn't the hero, they're just a hunter that signs up for the guild. Kai and Sarisa are characters you work with in quests from the guild, not main characters that pull you along for the main story. I'd like to lean into the western punk style and grit a little more. We could have message packs from dead hunters leaving their last words.

Release is here if anyone wants to test out the tiny amount of content i have so far: https://github.com/kion-dgl/psz-godot/releases

Edit, some other resources i forgot to add:
- https://github.com/SonicMastr/godot-vita repo which has a godot to vita pipeline. i might need to test backporting it from 4.5 for this.
- https://github.com/scurest/apicula repo which handles exporting nds assets
- https://github.com/DashGL/ArchiveUnpacker repo that handles the zpr compression format for psz

 

[doopliss]

omg if u could implement a quick menu we would be golden

 

[kion]

omg if u could implement a quick menu we would be golden

that should be something i need to implement anyways for debugging. i should be able to manage something for quick weapon switching and being able to add more techs.
i finished getting all of the stages ported over. grid system for stages is working, added place holder gates and loading triggers. right now there are random graphical glitches on the stages, and i need to fix the waypoints for entering / exiting stages.

 

[Varista]

Call it Phantasy Star Zed

 

[kipsauce]

"Zed" is cool tbh

 

[kion]

> zed

i'll keep it in mind. i'm trying to find something that fits the theme, or just sounds classic.

Quests

I have a simple quest editor working and the ability to run through it.

my thinking is that quests can be more structured and fields could have more of the random element to them. what i like about being able to edit quests is it allows to more effectively use the map because it causes the player to specifically go somewhere for a key or to unlock a fence.

Story Changes:

One of the objectives i have with the game is to make it more pso-like in its storytelling. with psz kai and sarisa are the main characters and you're just along for the ride. i want to copy the quest format of pso, so you're just a normal hunter and kai and sarisa are characters you meet in the quests you take.