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History Repeats Itself: A Caliross Analysis (obviously, spoilers ahead) (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-28 16:31:18
Imported:
2026-11
Tags:

Content

So, here is my first post looking back on Caliross, as voted for in the last poll. The first few steps were quite mundane: after working on RAGS games for so long, I wanted something a bit more open, where players could move around the maps, have more interactions, and where things wouldn't be spelled out to the players so blatantly (every available action is just a click away in a RAGS game, and while you could "hide" stuff, it felt like you were almost cheating the players at times with opaque interactions to achieve the result).

RPG Maker ended up being the engine of choice, since it would make everything I wanted possible, while being fairly easy to use (and CHEAP, since I didn't really have much money to waste). I don't have a programming background, and even if I had it, I think a one-man team needs to focus on speed above all else, or you'll never get anything done in time (imagine for a second, if you will, a SLOWER development cycle for Caliross).

The next part was figuring out the gameplay in more detail and the story. I hadn't done a fantasy setting yet, and I had just finished TOTDC 1 (which is a sci-fi game), so the choice was easy on that front. I wanted to avoid a total clichè with the plot, and I figured that a "wannabe historian/archeologist" wasn't really overused in fantasy (I am sure they do exist, but they seem rare). I also wanted a story that wasn't full on chosen hero/save the world kind of stuff, so I came up with the big bad being (mostly) in the distant past, which also seemed appropriate for the historian angle. Tying it all together and making it more personal was the Shapeshifters' angle, which also gave me an excuse to toy around with some unique powers for Erica. I don't remember for sure, but I think the idea for the final chapter wasn't fully formed yet (rescuing your uncle from the demon realm or the exorcists trying to summon demons) but I already knew I wanted the twist with the shapeshifters being linked with the demons.

For the historian angle, I think I was partly influenced by playing La Mulana around that time, but most of the gameplay and world setting are inspired by other games like classic 2D Zelda games, with a mix of japanese and western RPG sensibilities thrown in for the rest. The idea to have the main protagonist not lose after being hypnotized, was kind of a pet-peeve of mine. It feels like games often end when things are just starting to have fun. Of course, it's more work to let the game continue (especially if factions are involved, as is the case in Caliross), but I really wanted to do it. Honestly, I think I could have done better on that front (some factions have vastly more content and hooks, compared to others, and not all individuals necessarily have interesting paths or things for you to do), but I think it's still more than most games provide on that front.

Anyway, it's with all these scattered thoughts in mind that I started working on the game. I didn't have prior experience with RPG Maker, so I did some minor testing first, but I honestly threw myself into it very quickly (perhaps too quickly). Still, my previous experience with other games did help a lot, and while in last few years I might have been a little overwhelmed by the scope Caliross reached, I think back then I didn't do too bad.

It's worth noting that Caliross wasn't my very first idea for the after TOTDC. I had ( and I still have) various fantasy setting ideas, but for one reason or another, Caliross felt the best fit at the time. I think it panned out just fine, but who knows what it could have been if I picked a different route?

I'll wrap things up here for now, I think this gives a good summary of what was behind the origins of the game. If you have questions about the development, feel free to throw them my way, and I'll try to answer them in my next post. The focus next time will still be the first few months and the related decisions I made, but I can always jump forward or backward to answer some questions at the bottom of the post. ^_^

Comments

KTRGames

Very cool read. I was honestly a very on and off player throughout the years. I think yours was one of the first RPGM games I played for erotic content so I went in thinking this is how other games usually are. But I was wrong, nearly every other game didn't give you any of the themes you had, nor the freedoms to progress through them to come out the other end. Like you explain here. I started game development in RPGM because of your game (and a few other big RPGM titles) but yours left the first impression on me. I quickly found out the limitation in tools and how much work you put into it and the next time I played Caliross, it was an entirely different experience. Yes it suffers from some limitations but what you were able to do in the big picture, I don't think any game really rivals and I don't say that lightly. Not even something like SKA. There's a part of me that wants you to continue working on Caliross and season the existing content with variety of ways things can happen and multiple cgs with different dialogues. But I also understand the allure of closing up shop and working on something different. So hopefully you'll be active and we'll see some new project down the line because the talent behind Caliross can't be replicated. Sorry for text wall.

Sheeplike

"The idea to have the main protagonist not lose after being hypnotized, was kind of a pet-peeve of mine. " This is so well put and something that I think really sets the game miles ahead of almost every other hypno game!!! Having played lots and lots of these things it's continually surprising how often people miss out on the hottest part of hypnosis AND the best way to tie it into actual gameplay. Your implementation is truly, genuinely masterful and I can't wait for your next project

PickerPatron

It will be interesting to learn how you approached the design of the sprites, maps and protagonist in the next instalment, especially since you said you knew nothing about RPG Maker 😅. There came a point where small sprites weren't enough, and you needed drawings and artwork, right? I wasn't familiar with the game La Mulana. Having looked it up, it seems to be one of those old Metroidvania games full of complicated puzzles. Maybe I'll end up giving it a try 🫠😅.

mdqp

Thanks for the kind words. Knowing others appreciate my efforts makes it all the more worthwhile. RPG Maker allows you to do a lot despite its limitations, and thankfully the community also created a lot of scripts to add or expand functionalities (back in the VX Ace days, most scripts were simply shared for free, although nowadays you get lots of paid ones too, which has its upsides and downsides). At some point, you need to call it a day. The more you work on a project, the harder it is to add content (you need to be vaguely aware of what's in the game already, to avoid repeating yourself, which naturally means you start taking more time both thinking about new content and re-evaluating what's already in the game). RPG Maker is also more annoying to maintain as the size grows. I think I achieved most of what I wanted, and in many aspects I did more than what I planned, which is why it took so much time. I want to do other projects too before I really start getting old. XD By the way, good luck with your games, whatever the projects might be!

mdqp

Thanks! It's certainly something that takes a bit more time and planning, but I believe it's worth it in the end. I do think I could have done a better job in some aspects, but the semi-open world nature of the game was also another layer of complexity, and it was my first time going for these ideas on an engine I wasn't familiar with, so I can't complain too much. I guess many devs don't want to deal with the possible branching, but I think that's also an aspect which makes things more fun (having choices make the outcomes more meaningful, even if they are small changes in the grand scheme).

mdqp

I guess that's something I should talk about, good point. I will also be able to talk about some of the mistakes I made early on, related to that. I will say, a lot of the early choices were made with my tight budget in mind, or I probably would have used art from the get go. La Mulana is a nice game, but some of the puzzles are really bizarre and obtuse, and it's generally a hard game, so consider this your fair warning. Having said that, I think the game also has some brilliant designs and ideas in it, which is why it stayed with me. There is also a sequel, but I felt it was more punishing, so I didn't complete that one. I should try getting back into it, to see if I can get past the hump.

Lucy Westenra

Caliross is still my favourite h-game of all time, and this is exactly the reason why. The playable game overs are the BEST!