CS Mods you started working on, but gave up early in the process?

Well, I was going to post this on my profile, but I guess this thread is equally appropriate.

For quite a while, I planned on offering up my own continuation of Kaeso's mod Curly Brace's Story (working download link) with the working title "Curly Brace's Story Revived" (CBSR). Before I got into modding and joined these forums, I always told myself that if I did make a mod, it would be about Curly's side of the events of Cave Story. Kaeso's mod showed to be a good foundation to build on, so I was inspired to learn modding, join these forums, and "revive" Curly Brace's Story. Unfortunately, I've hardly set aside any time these past 3 years to work on it at all. So many higher priority projects have kept popping up these past 3 years that I've hardly made any progress on it. I began working on it in August 2012, and haven't really touched it since.

The original plan was to have the first release ready by April of 2012, and obviously that fell through. I've decided that I will not attempt to complete this mod because I've lately found a niche writing programs, and I think that focusing on that is far more productive for preparing me for my future career than making mods. The assembly knowledge I'd have gained from making this mod would have been beneficial, but becoming fluent in C++ and Python are a little bit higher on my priority list these days. That, and the idea of picking up someone else's mod instead of starting my own from scratch just doesn't appeal to me as much as it did 3 years ago. I am very sorry for those of you who were looking forward to this mod. I've been saying over and over again for over 3 years that it's going to happen some day, but it's not.

For those of you who are interested, here's a demo of how far I got:

https://www.mediafire.com/?x7pszft1pygkd3y

Kaeso's original mod only completed 3 of the 8 planned chapters. My plan was to have the first release show my personal changes to the first 3 chapters, and then future releases would add on chapters. But I barely got past making my changes to chapter 1; the changes end right when you get to the ancient cave.

 

Ama

 

Bring back misery story

 

EDIT:

#BringBackMiseryStory

 

Whelp, I'm finally going to officially announce the crap I've left in the back-burner and release it/them within a month or so.


If I don't follow up this one time after I had said it would be done a full year ago I want everyone to ban me.

 

Too many... I'm a very lazy person.

 

May as well list one more:

-Rip in pepperoni-
Wind Story
2015-2015
Died of shittyness.

 

I bumped it. Sue me. I was working on an Cave Story mod that was basically straight-up Cave Story, but with an MLG makeover (ex. Quiet being replaced with The X-Files theme, smoking the "Life Pot", EXP being referred to as Doritos, reworked dialogue, etc), with one of my online friends a year ago, but it was canned since I lost contact with him, and I lost the files for the mod. Had it been released, it would have been my first mod.

Then again, the whole MLG/Montage Parody thing isn't really all that funny anymore.

 

Hell Challenge 2, it's down there somewhere collecting death.

 

The widescreen mod. I'll keep restarting it until I finish though. I think..

 

The widescreen mod. I'll keep restarting it until I finish though. I think..

That would be very useful. VERY useful.

 

I had a concept a few months back for a mod that took place on the island before the robots attacked it. You played as a robot who had been created by a Geppetto-esque man. The whole thing was supposed to be about the robot's free will and him making his own choices or whatever, but I only made about two levels for it.

 

Mine never really had a name yet, but the placeholder name was Mimiga Story.

This is an old spritesheet from it, dated around 2013-2015. The main difference was that you played as a a mimiga instead of Quote. It was around 1/4th complete when I stopped working on it, so I thought that you guys would like to see some of the stuff I had so far. I used an unused (Or at least I think it is, I've never seen it in my 5 playthroughs) mimiga sprite as a base and worked with it from there.

I'm honestly quite proud of this, since I took so much time testing it making sure it fit properly. I'm thinking about reviving it if anyone's willing to help.

<EDIT> Here's another asset, the textbox/HUD file. I tried to go for a cleaner look, but it ended up being a total pain to troubleshoot. I also have no idea if it works properly with bosses, so that's another issue...

 

There's New Story, which would've been my first ever mod with an actual plot (since CS++ was literally just CS, Boss Rush's pathetic excuse for a plot doesn't count, and How 2 Mod is a tutorial mod), but then I realized I can't actually write for shit.

Spoiler: Player sprites

The player was supposed to play as one those blue robots, but with Quote's body shape.

 

I lost my old Cloud Story files but here's another unfinished one from 2015,

I still would still like to tell the story I planned, but it'll probably look different than that prototype.
(Recording this gave me an excuse to try out the dll loader by Clownacy! I resized the sprites to 4K and added a photoshop filter. Also, tried out the Ogg music with random songs I had lying around. Started with a 1 meg data folder, now it's 1 gig. Hah... )

 

I lost my old Cloud Story files but here's another unfinished one from 2015,

I still would still like to tell the story I planned, but it'll probably look different than that prototype.
(Recording this gave me an excuse to try out the dll loader by Clownacy! I resized the sprites to 4K and added a photoshop filter. Also, tried out the Ogg music with random songs I had lying around. Started with a 1 meg data folder, now it's 1 gig. Hah... )

What a wicked looking mod. It's admirable how much space and how much atmosphere was applied here in some of those areas. I think I've caught you talking about this mod years ago, but I could definitely be wrong.

 

That looks awesome, X-Calibar. I remember you showing us some screenshots of some of your maps a while ago, and your level design style looked really cool. It was really neat to see it in action. Like Ralren said, the kind of atmosphere you had there is very much unlike anything that I've seen in a Cave Story mod before. I would love to play this mod some time.

 

Thanks guys. I truly appreciate the reactions!
@Ralren - You're not wrong. I had to look it up but, looks like I originally had the idea for this mod back in 2012 and made this topic "Something Stirs..." and posted about it on here. Though I ended up dropping it soon after making progress, since I am a cat (or is it a dog??) facing off with a laser pointer.
I occasionally changed things, and in 2015 I set a deadline. (long pause, roll eyes)

In fairness, I did do a lot of story related changes. Basically completely changed the direction again and again.
Actually I'll text dump a few old things for the curious, to get a feel for the world. These aren't the current version, but it's all somewhat related.

Spoiler: The original idea

In the peaceful kingdom in the sky…

“Hey! Raven! Aya’s waiting for you.”
…
“So… when are you going to propose?”
*sweatdrop*
“Hah! You can’t fool my eyes, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other… I think everyone else knows it too.”
“You better hurry. She won’t wait forever, you know.”
“We’re all rooting for you!”

Peaceful days… On the island floating in the sky… the world felt right.

But, a simple errand for the king and the chance meeting of a stranger will set fate into motion.

Dark clouds are gathering…

And the original ending to that plot:
(Which was made before the rest was thought out.)

In the darkness Raven follows the kidnapper to an evil cave... It seems haunted as a skull follows his progress. At last he discovers a terrible ancient ruins... the Demon's Lair. Danger at every corner, reeking of death he follows deep until finally discovering the huge sacrifical altar...
There Hope's dad reveals himself. The sacrifice has taken place, Aya is gone. He unleashes the demon within him and the greatest battle occurs. With his dying breaths, he explains the situation... The altar is actually a one-way portal to the prison of the Demon.
Heading off, there is no return. He appears in a strange unfamiliar place, with words floating into his head... A humming sound fills the air... Sirens announce "Phase I Complete" and realization of the circumstances comes. He transverses the prison encountering obstacles and automated weapons. He comes across a room unlike the others.
Inside are terrible steel giants with an overwhelming aura. Recalling the legends of titans that sundered the heavens and earth in the battle to defeat the demon, he continues on... Deeper in, he encounters a door filled with dread... "Demon Containment." Deciding to see the dreaded imprisoned monster that has caused so much... he enters a massive room... Filled with... coffins? He cannot see inside the fogged glass... and then he sees Her. Aya is inside!
As he shouts in confusion, he decides to break down the glass... and the bare Aya? falls to the ground... But, something is wrong. She stands up... and the lights grow dim.
Raven finds himself manipulating the console and in unconscious bursts discovers freeing all of the endless coffins... All are Aya-Alex... but not her... All goes dark. Awakening with a headache, the room is deserted, and the place is errily quiet and in ruins... Backtracking the steel giant room reveals broken destroyed bits of machine... and a small light ahead... And then he sees it. Outside... A red hazy sky... Black clouds of ash. Endless fields of ruin. Burning soil. A melting sea... He realizes this is earth. And then it strikes him, what he has done. Endless dispair and responsibility overwhelm. He released the Demon. It was trapped, confined to the clones of Alex. She was designed to split and imprison the Demon. He had doomed... Suddenly he was standing in front of the glass coffin about to strike... It was all a vision. He gasps in horror and relief and determines the truth, the other coffins all contain a Alex...
Leaving the chamber, he eventually finds his way to the central command... and there Aya awaits... He shouts her name several times as he rushes forward and she shouts in surprise as the spell over her breaks... Security activates and attempts to terminate him.
At last they are reunited and she is freed. A breathtaking moment... Holding each other close. Suddenly the alarm sounds announcing "Phase 3 Initiating, final dimensional shift...
There is shock, they were too late, the system has already begun the final phase shift. They have to destroy the central core to stop everything. It's the only way left. (Earth begins to appear in the background)
She leads Raven to an armory where two hyper dimensional guns are taken. Spurs on drugs. They rush to the central core and at last come face to face with the final security system. After a harsh battle, the core explodes and the pair are left in a completely dark chamber. Raven asks what is going on... where are you Aya... She is silently sobbing. They won. But destroying the core shut all power down.
The door won't budge and the gun won't work. Only the faintly visible earth lights the room. She tells him the truth, and that the dimension will collapse soon, taking them and the demon into oblivion. She says she is sorry for everything, wishing she had never... but he takes her firmly and expresses his thanks for their lives together.
She asks him to stay with her until the end. They comment about the world they saved. So close... It gradually fades and it grows dark. They spend their time talking and he proposes... and she says yes in tears. They gradually become sleepy from lack of oxygen among other things... She lays in his lap and finally he closes his eyes...
But, a light awakens him. Before him shines another Alex softly in the dark. Before he knows it the froom is filled with a number of her sisters. He tries to wake Aya but, they tell him that the failing dimension is affecting her and she will not wake. They tell him to remember the prophecy Hope told him and visions flash before his eyes. The Steel Giants were their final hope, and his ticket to saving them. They thank him for always protecting their sister and showing her a life they never knew. They cannot be saved, but Aya and Raven still can escape.
The place is falling apart around him, but the door opens and he carries her with new strength.
The prison is breaking down and reality and physics are unfolding before his eyes. But, he flees to the Steel Giant chamber and finds one machine still unaffected. The door opens and he puts Aya inside and shouts to her with all his might as the dimension collapses... "Aya!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And in a flash of light, the world disappears...
... Back at the kingdom, Hope and the others are sadly rebuilding... when suddenly a bright meteor flashes / streaks across the sky close by... They look up and know instantly...
On the warm grassy hill, he slowly opens his eyes... And there smiling infinitely is Aya. Its just like how they first met. Roles reversed. "Hey..." Close by lay the giant and on the hill of memory they had returned. She had been dreaming. Of when they first met. She had wished with all her might to return... and so they had.
The dialogue continues as their friends come running... and from there a endlessly happy tomorrow awaits.
The End

Spoiler: Avalon's Hope version Act I

Avalon’s Hope

Opening happens at what point? I guess after… the prelude.
Should it show the dream? Or should it briefly tell the history?
Should the opening be automated? Waking up, walking around, talking to people… Going about daily life. Practicing, seeing people, living life. While it’s showing the intro, scroll with any introductory text… Who she is, about her life, this island…

The festival of the Hunter is coming up. We’ll be greeting her as usual. Everyone is busy. Hope is busy preparing too. She’s helping with the preparations, she’ll be taking over the priestess role in handling the ceremony after all… …maybe. She’s not a priestess though. She wants to join the Hunter on her quest to cleanse the world of shadow!

She’s very serious in her training. Serious. Seriously serious.
She gets to know the lay of the place, talking with everyone.
Apparently the area where they are setting up is pretty dangerous. Unstable caves. It’s supposedly really old. But, they’ve taken some precautions to secure the cave.

Tomorrow is the big day after all. The island will touchdown, and the festival will begin.

But, that was only the beginning…

During the festival, soldiers attacked. Scattering the peaceful serene atmosphere… What was going on?!
Hope couldn’t allow anyone to be hurt… She stood against the soldiers... showing them the result of Avalon’s training. She was really incredible, despite her young age… But then the Black Knight came forward.

Unlike the others, this guy was dangerous. Too dangerous. She quickly found herself cornered by this monster.

The soldiers quickly regained their composure as she fell to the black knight. She did not surrender however, and took a chance to switch to a second weapon she had hidden. It was no use. Her death was at hand…

“Someone…”
And at that moment, there was a flash of light, and a huge crash, and an overwhelming presence.

The Hunter, had finally arrived.

Her prayers were answered. The hero of her dreams, of tales told… This was her first time seeing the legendary hero… the Hunter. So… beautiful.

… But…

The hunter merely ignored her. Ignored the knight. She instead turned towards the soldiers, and said something…
“Ark. Unseal.”

And then she disappeared. In a blinding flash of light, and an explosion the Black Knight found himself alone. His mighty soldiers had been dispatched in the blink of an eye.
The legend was real.

But… the damage the hunter caused, brought the cave in upon itself. Before they had a chance to think, the ceiling began to crumble.
Run! But, there was no time. The hunter was long gone, and the entrance disappeared in front of their eyes. This place was done for…

The ground gave way, and the knight and the girl fell deep into the dark earth…


…

When she came to… she was miraculously unscathed. It was deep in the dark cavern. No way back up… She didn’t even know these tunnels existed underneath the summoning area. … She would have to hope to find another way out of these caves. But, she had lost her weapon in the cave-in… huh?
“…ugh…”
Someone was in the rubble?!

She quickly made her way to the source of the sound, and saw… the black knight. Pinned by the debris, and out of her reach.
…
The arrival of the hunter did save her from this evil man… But…
Could she really just leave him here to die?
…
(YES/NO)

YES
…
That monster tried to kill me before. He’s probably already done for…
“ugh…”
Time to leave…
“…wait”


NO
…
I can’t just leave someone to die like this… I’d be no better than him… I should at least try something…
“Hey!”
“ugh…”
“Hey?? Mister… Are you alive??”
“Uhh… somehow… I’m in one piece.”

Urrrrrrrrrgh. She moves the large rock in the way.
Some small rocks fall…

“Careful…! This place could crumble at any moment…”
Digging her way, bit by bit, she finally uncovers the Knight.

“Wha… You?”
“Hang on… We can’t stay here any longer, this place is unstable.”
“…”
“Get ready… push when I lift… Don’t dawdle!”
“… Okay.”

“Now… push!”
And with a good push, the knight is unpinned, and the place begins to collapse again.
“Quick, hold on to me!”
She helps the Knight up, and they quickly escape the further collapsing area.

…
Once the dust clears, she helps the wounded monster knight.
“…”

“I can’t see a thing now… With the complete collapse of that room, all the light is gone…”
…
I’m scared… I saved this evil monster, and I’m stuck in total darkness.
“…”
What do I do… I… I… don’t like the dark…
“… Hey.”

“Ah!!”
“… ouch.”

“S-sorry…”

“…”

“This… this isn’t how I imagined I’d die…”
*shaking*
“… Calm down.”

“How am I supposed to calm down…
We’re… we’re going to…!”

“I can see.”

“…Huh?”

“…If you just calm down, I can see clearly in here.”
“But… you… does that mean my eyes are…?”

“Relax. I can see in the darkness. It’s a magic we soldiers are given to aid our fight.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“…Amazing…”

“Ugh... looks like my leg is really bad…”
“And I can’t see a thing…”

“…We have to work together… If we want to survive.”
“mmmhmm”

…
“Why did you attack us?”

“…”
“We never did anything wrong!”

As they make their way through the cave, they encounter many obstacles, but one by one they work together to overcome them. She supports the knight, and he guides her through the darkness… She becomes very fatigued from supporting his heavy body, but tries not to show it…
…
“… Ouch… I don’t think I can go on…”
*gasp*
“…What?! You can’t give up now…! We’ve come this far, and I think we’re on the right track and…”
“No, I just need to rest for a minute…”
“Ah.”
…

There’s a place just here…
She lets the man down, and finally relaxes…
She lets out a big sigh as she sits…

He smiles in the darkness. She worked so hard to bring them this far.
His wounds really weren’t too life-threating surprising… His body heals faster than a normal person’s body anyway. Though, his broken leg would need healing to recover.

At last, after sleeping for a short time, he wakes her up and they continue.

Then at last, that’s when they come across a large chamber… with… light!
“Light! I see light ahead!”

A large area, bathed in soft light. Light that emanated from the very rocks… It was a sacred place…

Wow… She helped the knight to the waters edge, and looked at the crystal clear waters in relief… Amazing…

And then in the reflection of the waters she finally saw the monster knight’s face... for the first time clearly.
Ah… He’s…

“What’s the matter?”
“…Your face…”

“Hm?”
“I was expecting something… a little more…”

“…?”
“Monster-like.”
“Huh?”
“Evil. Ruthless. Large brows; an angry looking face!”
“… Sorry to disappoint.”

She couldn’t help to be at least a little taken in by this turn of events…

“Ah… No, I mean… you’re… ”


But, before she could finish her train of thought…
“Quiet.”
“!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
He covered his mouth with his hands roughly, and she struggled with all kinds of new worries floating through her head.

“Shh… something’s coming.”

That’s when she finally realized the danger she was in.
Something huge… was moving.

“Wh… what do we do?”

“… without my weapon…”
… The Knight looked around… quickly surveying the area…
“There.”

“If we can climb quickly, we may yet survive. Now go!”
Thus the race for survival began. It was very hard on her, but she rushed ahead helping him along.

They made it far, but it was no use… It caught up.

“It’s coming…!”
“Go! Leave me!”

“Eh..? No! We’re making it out of here together!”
“You fool…! I’m your enemy! If we make it out of here I’m going to kill you! So, go!”
“No! You won’t! I won’t leave you…!”
“Stubborn girl…!”
…
“It’s here…!”

The terrible creature stood before them. Once again… she faced the end of the line… There was little they could do against this thing… even if they had a weapon…

That’s when it happened. A strange darkness swooped over the scene. Making a terrible sound.
“Ahhh!”


“Wh-wh-what is this…”
Whatever the shadow and the sound were… it completely overpowered them. Something far more terrible had come out… sending the large monster fleeing… and from the shadows came…

“… a… cat…?”
A small black cat comes out of the shadows, and walks up to them.

“meow”

“Wha…”
“Ha……”
“Ha…Hahaha…”
“…You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“Meow”
The cat walked up to them…

“Aw… How did you wind up down here little one…”
She picks up the purring cat and hugs it.

“… Did that little thing really just scare off that… monster? I don’t get it…”
“Oh you’re such a good kitty ;D”
*Sigh*

“There’s just no way…”

“…”
“So… what was that about killing me when you get out of here…”

*choke*
“Ahhh… Well… Maybe I was being a bit harsh…”
*Wack*
“ouch!”

The cat jumps out of her arms, and walks ahead…
“Huh? Kitty?”
“Meow”
“I think she wants us to follow.”

“She…? Well… sure… let’s follow the cat…”

And so after a short walk through some glowing passages, the cat leads them to…
“…Sunlight!”


And at last they make their escape from the dark, and return to the light, once more…

Chapter 1 End.
Demo end.

They make their way together to the outside, stepping out into the brilliant sunlight. From behind them, the cat that guided them disappears into shadow.

Lost in the jubilant moment, and saying a prayer for their strange luck. They emerge together, both alive, both unexpectedly changed.

The knight looks into the sky, and sees that the island has already departed again for the skies.

The girl looks to the cliffs and castle ahead, knowing everyone will have been worried about her.

…

This is only the beginning of a destined meeting. Enemies thrown together into a situation that required their cooperation to survive. But, what awaits them now?
Can they stay like this? What happened to the soldiers? What became of the Hunter? And what was that strange cat?

Their journey has only just begun…


Chapter 2 returns next Spring 2015.


Chapter 1 – Shadow in the Dark
-End-




There was concern over the events that occurred that day.
And when they heard about what existed in those caves, they turned pale.
They should be empty. And that cat… What does it mean…

Due to the botched summoning ceremony, they could not communicate to the hunter, and establish any relations. Now they cannot tell what will happen…

Dark times are coming…
Was the attack on the ceremony on purpose…? The Black Knight seems to not know the reasoning … But, the timing… was too…

Avalon has always guided the hunter, assisting the hunter in maintaining balance, by keeping an information network on the darkness that prevails in the world. But, now… What will become of a world, where Shadows can run rampant.

They need us to seek out the hunter, for only we have seen what the hunter looks like. We made contact.

Spoiler: Pandora's Box version Act I

NOTE: All the details may be subject to change...
[Items in brackets might be replaced]
(Items in paranthesis are probably optional thoughts, etc.)

NightShade: Pandora's Box



[Maybe scroll down from the blue sky?]
Watch a short intro where you see kids playing, at the iconic hill outside of town, it's a sunny day and the clouds are below ground level...
There's a tree, a sign, and green hills with kids running around.

(The cutscene shows a snippet of what kind of scripted cutscenes to expect.)

Shortly into it you are given control of one of the children. A brunette girl. The other kids will probably run off the edge of the screen.
You stop and are given control because something catches your eye. Maybe there will be a sparkle near the tree? And/Or a black cat that comes out.

Before you reach the tree, you might choose to investigate the town sign. (Is there a flower there?)
"Welcome to Avalon" It might say... (Possibly ambiguously shaped like a tombstone...)

(There might be dialogue, and something else that happens here, before you scoop up the black cat... your black cat!)
And perhaps a kid comes back onto the left side of the screen and tells you to hurry up! They are going to leave you behind!
At some point during the exchange your name is actually said, "Hope." The main character's name is Hope.

And you exit left stage~

Fade out...
Maybe center print: Act I: Pandora's Box

Now you've arrived in town. Perhaps there will be a quick dialogue with the friends (kids), before they move off to the left. After a second of freedom to move around, someone shows up from the right to remind you about training. You will be reminded that she will have a diary in her inventory that will automatically update to help you track your current objectives and what has transpired so far from her point of view. It might contain older entries as well, to give a bigger picture. But, basically, it's a peaceful everyday life.

(Some mechanic ideas to make lots of dialogue more manageable: Add HEY! popups to people that have something new to say. Or at least the important ones?
Add a skiptext option to speed text along, perhaps togglable through an inventory item.)

You have a few options besides some basic exploration of your surroundings. You can go with the kids, and learn more about your daily life and surroundings here. Get to know your friends a bit and maybe learn more about yourself. Perhaps there will be a mini-game they will play? You might see the castle in the background...

Cutscenes with the kids will probably take place on the edge of town to the left. Maybe where crops, etc are.

On the other hand you can pick training with the adults or older kids. They might teach you new mechanics, how to survive, and facts or history about the world. There might be some gameplay training as well.

[Depending on which you choose, I might track player choices and give a point to either shadow or light wherever appropriate player decisions come up.]

After a day of training or playing [force one or the other? or let you do both?] ... it's time to head home since it's getting late.
Perhaps there will be a way of tracking time. An inventory clock pendant? Might have an additional function later...

At the end of the day, you return home [the black cat returns too?] and meet "Mom" and might have some cutscenes with her, with a meal, information/reflection on your choices, [maybe a story too?] before going to bed. She might remind you to write in your diary to track your dreams when you wake up. And then you sleep...

And that night... you're flying through a city. It's dark... endlessly dark... spires and towers... But somewhere, within that darkness someone or something is calling out to you.

After a transitional cutscene, take control as you are leaping swiftly along the rooftops. It might be an extra optional challenge to not end up falling... When you fall, you'll end up in the streets, wandering the black city. You might be able to explore somewhat, and a voice will continue calling to you. Come... Come to me... This way...
The empty streets should make you lonely somehow...
The dream ends with a cutscene that warps you in flashes closer and closer to the voice and a closed door.

You awaken with a start... and write down your dream. And it's another bright and beautiful day outside as the sun shines into the room...
Small cutscene, and you're set back on a colorful positive note after the darkness of the previous dream.

Today you have more training and/or time with friends. If I force one or the other the first day, this will give you a chance to do the other with some differences. If you choose training though, you'll be interrupted at one point by your friends. So you'll be forced to spend some time with them today.

You'll talk with them more while heading to some new place. It might be a place that's off-limits, or something they discovered. [Perhaps there will be a quake or shaking at some point on the first day, that reveals something new for them to find...] You'll eventually find some buried ruins, the roof of a house? And a way in? But, it's dark and too deep to risk falling in. It's already getting late. And one of the kids has rope at home, and either you or one of the other kids is really interested in seeing what's in there, so you agree to secretly return that night. (Might be a forbidden area, which is why they would go at night.)

The day continues like yesterday, and you spend time with "Mom", get ready for sleep. But, instead of sleeping, the kids arrive and you sneak out.
It's dark at night, but the moon is large and bright. You return to the uncovered ruins without issue. With the rope everyone descends...

It's like a buried house. Random items are scattered about. Was there a fire? The kids comment on what they are looking at, and you find something... [Is it a teddy bear?] It's burnt up and damaged, but still easy to identify. When one of the kids sees it, they act strange. The [Teddy?] is given to them, as they hold onto it... There might be an awkward silence... It's getting cold... time to head back.

That night...

You dream of flame. Of villagers running... hiding... Something was coming...
You were there... The darkness was coming... But, before it reaches her, someone... not her mom... [but perhaps similar?]... grabs her, and leaps away.
In the distance she catches a glimpse of the "Warrior of Light"... the Hunter. But you are carried somewhere dark and quiet...
Sobbing into her arms as the fight rages on in the distance, you say a name? Raven...?

You wake up in bed, unsettled, teary eyed. [Your black cat is there?] You want to see "Mom", but when you find her... she's standing on the balcony looking somehow... distant.
Unapproachable, even though she's just there... [Do you for some reason mutter that name again? "Raven". She spins around and shouts "What did you say?!"]

"Oh... honey... I'm sorry... you startled me..."
After a more typical dialogue you head back to sleep... holding onto your precious black cat...

It skips to morning... it's a bit dark out today...
Maybe something is bugging you about that dream and the ruins you found. So eventually you meet up with your friends and they lead you back.
Except... the entrance is gone. When you ask your friends, they have no clue what she is talking about. You describe what you found, and eventually get to the part about the [teddy]. The friends only know of one [teddy bear]. Their friend's [teddy bear]. They pull it out... it's the same one... except it's pristine. No damage... not burnt...

This causes a distortion in your surroundings... That's impossible... Yesterday we... You get wrapped up in the paradox and run away from them, as they become hard to hear, lying about not being there... Before you know it, you've returned to the black city. The place you always dream about...

It's empty... so quiet... but there's a voice calling out to you. Hurry... find me... (Come to me...)
You end up walking a fair ways in the dark city. Climbing, jumping over somewhat dangerous gameplay obstructions. Through several areas. But, as she approaches her destination...
She walks a step and ends up falling... instantly forcibly returning to "reality" as she has fallen into a small pit. Apparently she had wandered/daydreamed/sleep walked all the way to the Castle?? She had always seen it from a distance, but it looked so worn now up close...
And she couldn't go back... the pit was too deep.

She was pretty dirty now... Even if she called, nobody came... There was only one way to proceed...

And so you go further into and enter the castle. As more distortions begin to appear. Room after room you cross back and forth between the black castle and the ruins... Hearing the voice... beckoning.. There would be people... on the way, but they would disappear as she approached...

(Insert lots of gameplay parts)

Further and further she went...

Until at last...

She arrived at.. the throne room.
She arrived at.. the black tower.

On the throne there was something...
A letter? (this might not be what it actually says... but reality and distortions...)
["To my beloved [daughter?], if you should find this, it means we are... [dead]]

At that moment, she returns to the dark tower, where the voice beckons... clear as day. The closed door is open... And a black box is up ahead.
Climb, climb, and at last reach the box. You feel compelled to open it... You can't stop yourself...
Is it curiosity? Is it being controlled?

*there's a voice echoing somewhere*
"Don't! Stop! Don't open it!"

But, it's too late.
It's .
Open .

THE VOICE STOPS
THE VOID RUSHES OUT

[Does it swallow her up?]

...
From far away, darkness flashes into the day. A hidden island appears in the sky...
People on the surface see it appear... there is murmuring... And some [black knight] is shown watching the horizon...

And elsewhere...

END ACT I?

(That marks half of the mod. Or basically the first complete release/demo. You are missing out on a lot of the lore and detail that I'm planning for the game, but this is the main story of the mod. Act I is mostly about exploring and getting a feel for the world. Act II is where the combat begins.

Oh and some additional details about the world you should probably know since you aren't talking to NPCs right now D: The following are details from the citizens perspective:
The world changed forever when "Shadows" invaded the world. A great battle between "Titans" and the "Demon" changed the face of the planet, creating things like the [floating island] the mod takes place on. Shadows are generally feared and show up in dark places and at night.
A shadow can suck people's lifeforce, and gain substance generally from negative experiences. People can become corrupted or even possessed... or so they say.

There's also the legend of the Hunter. A Shadow slaying "warrior of light", that wanders the world defeating the Shadows. A golden warrior that never ages with a sword of light. He/she is a popular legend.)

Spoiler: Pandora's Box Act II

NightShade: Pandora's Box

Act II:

In a massive dark room with ominous lights, systems light up one after another...
A soundless voice thunders.
<<Awaken. Rise Hunter.>>
...
...
The central machine retrieves a capsule from a vast darkness.
Brought to the central podium, it opens.
<<Alexandria, it is time.>>
Within the capsule, she begins to stir. A golden haired female of undetermined age rises.

...?
"Ark?"

<<The Shadows corrupt the earth, and the darkness waits for none to spread. Your mission is to capture the darkness, and return and imprison it.>>

Without pause she responds.
"I understand."
"I will not fail you."

A cutscene plays as the Hunter prepares herself, obtains her equipment and rides a platform, passing swiftly through the strange facility she awoke from. Beacons activate and deactivate automatically to guide her through the fortress; not that she needed them.
In short order, she arrives at her destination. A Steel Giant before her, lit and open, beckoning her within.

Once situated, information appears as the Giant comes to life:
*ARK has confirmed Target has been located at coordinates 234-245-23 ...
Shadow determined to be of unknown type.
WARNING Ark cannot determine the exact type, proceed with caution.
Primary Mission Type: Investigate
Secondary Objective: Capture Shadow*

"Good morning Hunter," the giant seemed to tell her, as it came to life.
Teleportation had begun. The world shifted, as they broke through to the other side.

...
Nothing but deep blue, the moon and countless stars before them... and below a shining planet awaiting.
And there in the sky below was her target. A floating island.

"Hunter, what will you do?" the giant seemed to ask.
She opened the cockpit and shouted back
["Leave it to me!"]

And she boldly stepped out into nothingness freefalling to the world below.

[Fade out...]
Act II: Pandora's Box

Freefalling to the island below... surprisingly, it grows darker as she approaches with thick clouds appearing. She slows her descent as the ground comes into view and makes a landing.

The island is dark and foggy... the plants are dead and the city is in ruins...
(At this point you are given a chance to explore the world you previously knew from Act I. Except, everything is...)

The atmosphere is grim and silent. What happened here?
(Insert details for exploring here.)

At some point...
Surprisingly, within the ruins a black cat appears... As you approach, it runs away, beckoning the Hunter to follow. And soon after...

Eventually you hear a shout! A kid is running away from attackers... It's one of Hope's friends. You rush to dispatch the attacking Shadows. However, your main weapon does not work here for some reason... You switch to close combat and easily dispatch the shadows...

After saving the friend, they tell you the others have been taken... he/she panics but might have useful information describing the situation. They might even recognize you as the Hunter...
It seems a terrible shadow attacked and everyone has disappeared...
(Need to really look over this section)
(At this point the Shadows have noticed your presence. And the once silent areas are crawling with Shadows.
There should be enough gameplay here to give you a feel for the vastly overpowered Hunter. Shadows don't really stand a chance... not yet anyway.)

(Also, at some point the Hunter will try to make contact with ARK, except communication is unexpectedly blocked as well... She's completely on her own, which is highly disturbing to her. There should be more emphasis on how big a role Ark plays. Ark's influence. Will add this in as I continue to work on this part of the mod.)

The shadows have destroyed the town... But, the town looks unusually old... There will be clues as you investigate...
Eventually you reach your destination, the only complete standing structure... The Castle. The cat may be following you most of this time [or leading you]. However, after reaching the castle there will come a point where the cat clearly runs away.

And just ahead in an ominous area... [is it the throne room?] the world warps and the Demon arrives.

[SO YOU HAVE COME HUNTER
I HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU. YOU ARE PREDICTABLE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, THIS TIME YOU ARE THE HUNTED!]

The Hunter rushes to fight the terrible monster in front of her... It looks familiar somehow... Actually, this entire situation feels familiar...
A short battle ensues... But... instead of an easy victory...

The invincible Hunter is swallowed into darkness. The very room turns against her with each blow against the demon. The shadows overflow dragging her down making it impossible to fight back without her primary weapon... She struggles valiantly... but falls into deep darkness...
HA HA HA HA NOW YOU TOO ARE MY PUPPET. WALLOW IN ETERNAL DARKNESS AS YOUR BODY DANCES TO THE BEAT OF DESTRUCTION.

Black. Now all that is left... is you...
Walking endlessly in either direction. No sound... Nothing to see...
It's cold... All alone, no voice comes out... There's nothing left...
-I'm sorry ARK... I failed you...-

But... An unknown voice speaks to you... "Will you give up?"
...
(YES/NO)

NO
And then the first of many tests to determine what you are begins.
Tests to determine what kind of hero you truly are... Are you a puppet? Or do you have a will of your own?
[Are you worthy of saving...?]

(Tests to be determined!! Their impact on the game is still to be determined as well...)
(However, your actions will speak louder than words... and should be tracked...)

And then... you awaken in a black city... That Black City. (Act I...)
"Find the girl..."

Within the darkness, stripped of your prior power, you wander the dark city...
Its inhabitants are twisted... but you will find allies as well as enemies...

(Once again a lot of gameplay to be inserted here X_X)

Within the darkness the Hunter must seek and find her... Find Hope...
Through the Dark City, your memories will be uncovered. The Hunter's memory of that ruined city and castle... Avalon. About the Demon too...

(Well depending on the test results...?)

Eventually your journey will lead you to her. Hope's own struggle to escape the Shadows after her. (The friendly inhabitants in the city will help you find her...)
(Perhaps the City has countless doors. Each leading to another possibility. But, gaining the trust of the inhabitants will lead you to her.)

When you arrive at the terrible Shadow chasing Hope, you must defeat it! (Boss time?!)
And at last, the Hunter and the Girl meet.

According to Hope... she recognizes you. Her dream... No, her memory... She and the villagers were saved by the Hunter...
But... (This next part might not happen right away... You might have time to journey together first.)

The Hunter remembers the village and the Shadow. [However, in her version, she did not find any survivors...]
(It's possible I might implement an entirely optional route/ending here. Depending on the previous choices, the Hunter might not remember, or remember as Hope remembers it. The whole remembering scenes as she journeys through the Black City will not happen for the Hunter in that case... It will greatly affect the ending. I really need to figure out Act II... lol)

At last with the Hunter united with Hope, they struggle together to unlock the black city's secret, and to find a way to return.
As time passes in their journey however, the Hunter will be affected the longer she is in the Black City. (She might slowly have her face pic, etc reflect that something is wrong.)

Hope may have her clock pendant still. It shows time in the real world... Not much time has passed in reality. The Hunter might begin to have flashes of consciousness from the real world as well. What's happening to her.
And it becomes a race to discover a way back home.
(I'm sensing some Hunter holding Hope gameplay!)

In the end if you regain your senses, you have the chance to disrupt the Demon's control...
Succeed and a true battle begins... And the wicked form of the Demon appears as well as Hope being held at the center of the terror.

(Details on the final battle are LOST TO TIME! You will have to play it ... after I make it ;P)

At last... with the girl separated, the Demon vulnerable. History will repeat itself. The Demon will be slain. And the Shadow absorbed into the Hunter...

(Again, all of this will radically change depending on the ending... Perhaps when I write it all out fully... You'll be the first to know xD)

............................
The Darkness will lift, and the lone survivor will be carried away from this place.

And at last the curtain rolls on the first story and game...

The ending scene will return you to the first area of Act I...
The hill from the intro, overlooking Avalon. And sure enough the Black Cat will make an appearance.
Together they stand overlooking the true state of the island, with the Shadows influence gone.
The sign, is actually a tombstone after all... [In memory of Avalon...]
And she pays her respects... (Who put it there...?)

The ending credits will probably vary depending on the ending you get, saying farewell to the island, what becomes of the island [The Steel Giant with ARK may return the island to the surface, restoring another bit of shattered reality]...
The Hunter will see to it that Hope is brought to the surface and properly tended to by the people who will recognize the Hunter [or Hope?], and at last the Hunter will return to the place she came from...

They may have parted ways for now... But they will always remember this meeting...
Into eternity...

The floating island continues to float in the sky... [or not].

END

Spoiler: Some additional snippets

... Demon

There is a legend of a terror
a monster that came to our world
enslaved our people
toyed with our souls
under its spell there was no hope
until the Titans appeared
steel giants that brought the world to ruin
but ended the demon's reign
Then they too disappeared
leaving the few survivors to start over
in a world that was unrecognizable
Still, we give thanks to those giants
for cleansing our world of evil

... Titan

Shattering the laws of our world
the giant raised a mighty hand
and the demon was split in two
a terrible cry
the demon would cause the land itself
to become a weapon for the demon
but nothing in this world can stop the giant

... Ark

Our world was a beautiful one. Death was meaningless. Love was eternal. We danced across the heavens in all forms.

Until the day we met Ark. The antithesis to our existence. It had absolute form. And it shaped everything into its needs. We were an unneeded virus to the cosmos. We infected worlds, and did not properly utilize the limited resources. Ark knew of the finite time and energy that exists in each universe. To accomplish its goals, we were bugs to be crushed.
But, we did not go down without a fight. In the end though, Ark was far too all-encompassing. And we are but individuals, with our own thoughts. So to counter Ark, we needed an escape. And we needed an all-encompassing deity capable of miracles, to defy Ark’s perfect cold world view.
Nyx was our last hope. A death cry of a race that had been driven to extinction. She carried the souls of the dead, and could evade the all-seeing Ark.

... Raven

The year is 200 AE, “After the End” as people like to think of it. The world we knew vanished in a war against gods and demons. Things we never would have imagined. Our very world shifted, and reality changed.
Nowadays, we’re back in the dark ages, still struggling to find our bearings. The very foundation of physics broke around us. Floating islands, mutated creatures, freak weather patterns… We can’t rely on the knowledge humanity had built. We were back to square one.

Still, we’ve survived in this new world, and doing pretty well. Built castles, and people are making new discoveries every day…

But, there is one major problem… Shadows. Remains of the demon, like ghosts, possess creatures and turn them against us. Some even can control people… It’s really a scary thing.

Our only defense is to stick together, and stay indoors at night.

There is one legend however, a warrior of light that goes around saving people, and slaying the demons. We’ve all heard the tales… Some don’t believe them. Some say he can fly. Some say he cannot die. Some say he’s a girl! There are no end to the fairytales. But, we all hope it’s true. At least someone is fighting these ghosts…

Who am I? My name is… Raven. Well. That’s not my real name, but it’s the name I’ve been given as a Black Knight of the King’s men.

We’ve been tasked with finding this legend who can fight Ghosts, as they’ve become a real problem. Our only lead is a floating kingdom, that is almost as mythical as our objective. Avalon. The kingdom in the sky. They are also a rebel kingdom that are a constant source of trouble. Unfortunately, finding this so-called floating kingdom, presents two challenges… Where is it currently? And how do we get up there?!

... Pandora

Chapter 1:
At the end of it all, the vision of Nyx, Queen of Darkness attacking one defiant shining light. A single girl fighting a hopeless darkness.

She fights, dies again and again... but keeps fighting on...
She is all, she is one...

And at the top... awaits Her. She who stands at the top, overlooking an endless swirling darkness pouring out, swallowing the light, and consuming everything in its path. She watches that insignificant struggling light coldly. Something changes, something is said, and she begins to turn around... and looks... right at... >me<

*scream*

She wakes up... Drenched in sweat ...

“Princess?! Is everything alright?”

"Ugh... not that dream again..."
She shivers uncontrollably, but her black cat purrs and comforts her...
“I’m fine! Sorry, I just had… a bad dream.”

Mmmmm... thank you, thank you... I know it's just a dream...
What is wrong with me...
*nudge* aha...

She puts on her robe, and walks to the balcony of her castle, and asks to the sky...
It's just a dream...

right..?

<But… then why did it feel so vivid…>

In the early morning light, the sun rises, as light returns to the dark world. Birds scatter into the sky...
And High, high up... into the clouds... oh so far away... dawn turns to light
as the sun rises on
a brilliantly bright Chapter 1 :

... ???

I wished for this. I wished for you.

I hoped you would come.

If you're reading this... then...
Remember. Remember everything.

You are our Hope. I pray that we meet once again.

Because this time... this time...

Is our last chance.

... Mr. Robot?

The AI. Kind of a strange one. Ugh SERIOUSLY? Do you guys even know what year it is? Has the world really fallen into such dismal circumstances? Are you some kind of cave men?!

"I'm a girl!"
UGhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

AHEM
Anyway. BAck on topic, check this out:
THIS is what happened to our world.

No it wasn't the Demon. The titans destroyed everything. WAIT A MINUTE
YOU ARE THE HUNTER!?
OMG. ARK KNOWS ABOUT THIS PLACE NOW.
FFFFFFFFFF

There's no time. We need to get you out of here ASAP
Here this way >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The big DEAL is that ARK is mastermind behind our world's demise!
The Hunter here works for ARK, and she has a connection to him.
So he KNOWS everything already.

"Can't you do something about it?!"
...
Maybe. But, not here. I'm detecting something approaching. And gods it's-
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<REXPLORSIOASN ASOJAOSJDOJ:SAJDJASJOAS EXPLOSION>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HURRY!

"What about you!"
...
Don't worry about me! I'll find you! Just lie low for a while...


*later*

... Someone's following us...
I'll handle it.

Move and it's over.
"SWEAT DROP"
"Wha-"
(Stares at the robot)
.....
.....
.....
"Sooooo, can you let me go now?"
"....Huh... that voice..."

"who is it?" "What the!?"
":3"

"What is that thing?!"
"How rude!"
"Sorry that I don't have a perfect body... -psh!"
"I had to make due with what I could scavenge!"

... Avalon?

What if The Princess lead the Hunter and Raven to believe her fantasy. What if she had the ability to manipulate minds as the Shadows do? If she wanted the Hunter and Raven to be friends...
What if Raven had come to kill or assassinate... but she instead changed his mind that he would save her... If Raven had sworn vengence and was ready to die. And the Hunter only lived to hunt Shadow...
What if she changed both of their hearts, by creating a story that they lived at that hill of memories.
Avalon... What if Avalon was a dream world that the Princess made? A dream kingdom that didn't exist anywhere else...
Would they hate her? When they found out... That everything was fake...
What if she was all alone, and just wanted to be free...

When they found out it was all fake,
Was Raven the enemy of the Hunter?
Bitterness returns, and the vengence between them?
"I'll deal with you next!" "Get out of my way!"
She slips... and falls...
"Hope...!!" "Hope!"
Did Night make the whole dream world happen? She catches Hope...
They find her at the bottom of the cliff holding Hope...
"Who...?" "Shadow!"
"..." She hands over Hope to the Hunter...
"You are the two most important people in Hope's life."
"If you turn on each other, then there is no Hope."
"... Who are you?" "..."
"Rhea named me Night..."
"...Rhea?" "Rhea... that name..."
"Princess Rhea?!"
"Yes."
This endless battle against the Shadow will never end, until all has been lost.
But, she might be able to change that.
What..?
She is the daughter of the enslaver.
???
The daughter of the one you call the Demon.
......?!
The Demon who controls all Shadow, turning them to monsters to do as he sees fit.
...What are you saying?
Shadow is not what you think... It is... Complicated...
Tell us! We must know!
...T.h...ere... is ... no .... tim.e....
...Please.... protec....
Night vanishes...
"Where did she..?"
"uhh..."
"Hope!"
"ouch... what... ! Don't fight!"
"It's okay Hope..."
"..."
"We're not... fighting any more..."
"Wha- Really? Honest??"
"Honest."
"I'm sorry... everything I've done.... I'm so sorry..."
"Hope..."

Enemies look uneasily at each other at the ominous news they've been given. At each other, enemies... Always. But... now...
If it was true that the King of Demons was still alive... And if that was the reason Shadows are violent...
And if she really was the daughter of the Demon King...
Could that Shadow really be trusted? Certainly no... and yet...

... Night


They weren't demons... or shadows...
They were shades... because, the shade is cool and comforting...
She loved that. We'll make sure everyone will remember...
We'll tell her story so that no-one will ever forget...

Nightshade

@HaydenStudios - If I ever make a commercial released game, the people here get free copies x)

Anyway, I really feel like I owe it to myself if no one else, to release at least one Cave Story mod with substance. It's been a chip on my shoulder for a while now. First with Cloud Story, then this unfinished mod. Cloud Story, the intangible prequel that can never be grasped. NightShade, also known as a poison. And the current version which may be the final name. Castles in the Air. Which also has a double meaning:

visionary unattainable schemes; daydreams.
"my father built castles in the air about owning a boat"

Whatever happens, I am constantly reminded that our lives are a ticking clock. If I'm going to do something, I'd better not wait for inspiration from the beyond lol.

 

“Hey! Raven! Aya’s waiting for you.”

Thats like 90% the same as "Raven and Ama" from Doors/Duncs abandoned mod.

But reading through this, it seems like you had a lot of ideas for things, could becone something with the time put into it.