Shining Force Alternate V3.1C Hotfix

Welcome! It has been a long process to get this mod to Version 3.0... But it's here and I hope you all enjoy it! This updated started as a small fix to some bugs that players were experiencing, and one idea sprang another, and you know how that goes But now, the largest and most ambitious update to date is now available for you all to experience. If you loved Alternate before, just you wait I appreciate everyon'es patience during this long development cycle!

BE SURE TO READ THE README FILE! It'll help explain a lot of the new changes/features.

So where do I begin to explain what this mod does? Well, in short, it's a complete overhaul to the game's balance and story. Too many to name without this page being a few miles long.

This mod is more of a "what if" kind of scenario. The usual story threads about stopping Dark Dragon is there, it's just how you do it will be different than the original Shining Force, some story changes are more dramatic than others. Characters that no longer join will be occupying other roles in the story, some are serious while others are funny and lighthearted (Gotta have some humor amidst the world ending and everything).

To download this mod, click on the yellow download button on the top right of this page.

You'll need an unmodified version (.bin file) of Shining Force to apply this patch.

It is also highly recommended to use Kega Fusion on PC or Retroarch(with Pico Drive core)on mobile if you have an Android Smart Phone.

You can use both Savestates and in-game saving to maintain your progress. Just to be safe, I recommend you make save states regularly... especially in battle, you never know


If you have any issues, please message me at my discord, in the bugs channel.





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Here is a quick rundown of some changes:

New Backgrounds(from Shining Force 2 and CD)

New sprites for both enemies and force members.

New weapon models and concepts



New Spell effects for staffs and spell users, like the iconic Blast from Shining in the Darkness!

New abilities and ranges for most non-magic users, even enemies use these.

Force members will have more presence/dialogue in select scenes.

Armor that can be worn that will give a small defense buff. There are only 3 normal armors you can find in the game. Be sure to look around and find the chests containing them! (You will also gain two unique armors through the story that will change the character's map and battle sprite it's meant for)

A new training feature!
People falling behind because they caught an arrow to the face and are behind in levels? No problem! Go to a priest and you can train them up to Maxine's level!

All icons have been updated!
Based on Alones'/Corsair's original set.


Poison will do more damage per turn than Vanilla... Keep those medical herbs handy! Yes, they both heal and cure status effects like poison!

And many others! The changes start from the prologue to the end cutscene after the credits, so be sure to see it all!

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The level cap and promotions:
There is no more promotion sickness, was I the only one annoyed in the original by it?

Unpromoted cap is set at 20... and you can't promote by normal means. The game's story will handle this right after the Waral battle. You'll see when you're there on how it works

You will still need to be at least level 10 to promote, so unless you are purposefully keeping a character's level down, you will have no problem reaching that number by that point.

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The starting team:
I won't give away all the party members, but perhaps the starting team will be sufficient since it's at the beginning anyway, not like it's spoiling much of anything.

Maxine:
The main hero, it wouldn't be an alternate universe without gender swapping the main character, would it? She's similar to Max in just about every aspect with one exception... Fire magic and melee abilities to choose from!


Erikin:
Yes, I'm in the game as a playable character... sue me He starts with Aura but he's not just about heals, he can pack a punch if you give him axes!


Diane:
Everyone's favorite pink haired archer. What? She's not your favorite? We'll see if your opinion changes late game in what she can do!


Alef:
I figured she didn't get much attention in the original, but she'll become your best magic damage dealer here in SFA! Her spells will be invaluable on the battlefield!


Mae:
The classic character with a small twist, she's human. Doesn't make any sense to you? Just keep playing and it will

Varios:
Yes, you heard me, Varios is on the force! He is one of your tanks that will help soak up most of the damage in the earlier battles.




If you run into any issues, please pm me at my Shining Force modding Discord and I'll investigate any bugs, should they occur.

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Honorable mentions to those who helped
make this possible:
To start, the main developers of this project:
Erikin:

Yes... myself. I was the main author of this project when I started modding back in 2018. And while I do alright, I'm not the best at any one thing... I'm decent with the SF1 Editor, but that's only part of the equation. I have always had a love for Shining Force and love creating new experiences within it and seeing everyone enjoy the game in a new light.
Xenometal:

Xeno came on board in mid-late 2018 and helped get SFA off the ground and quite simply made it the marvel it is today. Xeno is an excellent programmer and has done more for this mod than I could ever possibly explain! He has been behind all the new features you'll no doubt notice during your playthrough.


Lynx:

He is behind a good number of sprites/portraits you see in SFA. Most notably, he made Maxine look badass in her battle scenes! If you see something and go "hey, that's cool" there's a good chance he was behind it and deserves all the praise!

Meowth'spal21:

Her contribution to this project cannot be understated. Her dedication to artwork on portraits/map sprites/battle sprites, proofreading of dialogue and gameplay testing and feedback has been a really big help. I met her early on V3.0a's development, looking for help with Maxine's portrait and she has certaintly delivered and then some!
It's been a pleasure getting to know her and look forward to working with her in the future.


Rubixcuber:
His SF1 Editor made this whole thing possible. It has been a privilege and honor to use his tool to make this mod.

Ivan_Cal:
He made some great artwork like the 2nd background for the circus battle and Diane's unpromoted battlesprites.

Tyadran:
His knowledge of scripting and other facets to the SF1 Editor was invaluable, there are scenes that wouldn't have been possible without his expertise. His previous work inspired me to dive into Shining Force modding, and I am very grateful for his assistance.

Projectego:
He and Dan's(MrtheNoronha) amazing artwork is proudly featured here. Also, Projectego's (Steve) awesome SFmods website for the support and other resources.

Alones:
His icons are amazing and it is much appreciated for his support in having them featured here.

Corsair:
His artwork is truly a beauty to behold. It's a privilege to have him in this community.

Lobo:
He gave a lot of insight into story concepts and playtesting the mod for me.

JODRAGONRIDER:
Her work on Mae's look, adding that extra detail makes her very special in this mod. I can't thank her enough to brining her artwork to god tier levels.


Spriter's Resource:
I have found a lot of good resources for enemies and other sprites here. It has really made certain aspects of enemy design so much better. While I did rework a lot of resources, I do appreciate these guys for putting up these resources in the first place.
https://www.spriters-resource.com/genesis_32x_scd/S.html



Take care, everyone, and I hope you enjoy Shining Force Alternate!