Game Information

Mechanics Story Background

Features

• Over 14 hours of gameplay
• Involving, non-traditional story
• 256 colors @ 320x240 resolution
• 5 graphics layers
• 5 member party support
• 30 group items support
• over 50 art cels
• Player Skills and monster Special Attacks
• Save anywhere

The Core Engine: verge (link) Diver Down has been developed and tested under many variations of the verge engine, but in a nutshell: it was started in v1, developed in v2, and released in winv2 (as well as v2). It is fully supported under DOS, Win9x, Win2k, and WinXP. The verge2 engine is not just an rpg kit where values, art, and text need to be plugged in. As opposed to v1, v2 requires the developer to program all the game functions in a native C-like scripting language. Basically the engine serves as a powerful starting point complete with a tile engine, map editor, game engine, and an interface for controlling the sprites and other variables. From there the developer is free to do as he wishes, whether it be creating an rpg or a side-scroller. The basic buzz is that you can create any Genesis or SNES game with it but it requires decent programming knowledge.

The Custom Engine My original idea for the PURGE kit was to create a VC library that would retain the power of v2 and restore the ease-of-use of v1. While I feel I accomplished this I decided not to release the kit because it would detract from the originality of my game. Also, there is little demand for and less actual productivity from custom verge libraries. Still, the source and documentation of almost 100 functions is packaged with the game. There are basic graphics routines to blit and animate to 5 different layers onscreen. The management system provides support for the party, inventory, skills, menus, shops, and more. There are more control features for better entity support and custom music/map commands. And the battle system has been painstakingly worked on to provide a true dynamic experience.

Story The original, non-traditional story of Diver Down will draw you into the dark. The inward struggle of one man and the mystery of his circumstances are the underlying themes throughout. There is great emphasis on character development and motive. Nothing is ever certain until the end as plot twists keep you one step behind the game.

You take the role of Drek, a knight who wakes up in a dungeon without his memory. To further aggravate the situation, you are immediately assaulted by a high-tech trooper who blames you for the death of his unit. Although your surroundings are strange and you don't fully comprehend the stakes of what you are tied to, there is a vague familiarity of the situation that worries you. What terrors lie in the minds of men?

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Background

"Welcome to Minduul, a land long forsaken by its gods. A vast trove full of magicks unlike any ever encountered. A rich home for the fresh races that are born into it, and a cursed stage for the elder races to play out their final moments of life."

Setting

The world for Diver Down is set in Minduul, a rich pure fantasy setting. It is very much a medieval environment with castles and armies but there are technologies (specifically magic-based) that are unfamiliar to us. Minduul is a land far from the dark ages, but with magic as such a driving force of life the physical sciences were never as developed. There are two known continents and the story takes place in the Southern Region. The Kindred Wars rip across the entire continent providing a great backdrop to (not focus of) the main story.

Races

While there are stories of old gods and the Blessed races who lived under them, today's world is much more mundane. The new 'common' races are the humans, elves, and yithpin. Yithpin are considered true elves and are much shorter and thinner than humans. They are very social amongst their kind but sometimes look down on the elves. Elves are only slightly shorter and thinner than humans and can easily pass for them. There are not many other large differences between the races as many cultures exist between them, whether shared or not.

Magic

Magic is part of the very essence of the world - it breeds through life. All races have in them the inherent ability to manipulate the various energies of Minduul, but only those who practice at it can use this skill. The humans can harness the basic energy of life and the world; the elves can manipulate nature and animals; the yithpin rather focus in clans of the elements, having an innate connection with the forces of the land.

These skills are very much a subjective art. It is not known exactly what can and can't be done. Manipulation is often a practice of trial and error. The discoveries of the arcane sciences are some of the most complex fields of knowledge that exist.

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