Hoping to make your life's design a bit more dynamic!

Just a misc note that crossed my mind. This game seriously deserves a shrine once we get the patch done.
By the way Bill, I'll be sending files your way soon, so get ready to get busier haha.

It sounds like you've discovered what Recca and I know. All of our games are good or better, but this one is special.

After I wrote in all of Ritchie's latest submissions, seven out of eight characters played entirely from the beginning to the start of World-II. However, the eighth character, Mevious, was missing eleven strings (screens) in the transition between the final battle in the Star Relic and landing on the wharf in World-II. With a bit of searching, I found those strings in the Trade City Castle block of all places, Block 019, and got into my spot translation mode again. With a bit of effort, all eight characters are now totally written to World-II in English. As before, when Ritchie sends me Block 019 at some point, I will compare his work with what we have and make any necessary adjustments.

I have a few more details to attend in the present working ROM, then I will send you and Recca a V0.36, unless I need to leave for North Carolina on Tuesday. If that happens, I will be delayed sending it along.

Just for the tally books, we have 794,702 bytes remaining. I started with about 1,000,000.

Aye, this is indeed a unique game, one of my favorites in fact. I feel the same way about Record of Lodoss War. I'm positive that the experience working on that game will be just as pleasant as with Burning Heroes. So far, it looks as though Aretha II will be the next likely release, followed by Chaos Seed and Hourai High. I have a feeling that next year which is soon to come in the following months will be a great time for D-D translation releases. By the way, it's nice to hear that BH is coming along nicely!

You know, even though this probably is pure speculation on my part I thought I'd share something with you guys.

I played Square's Rudra's Treasure for quite some time, and looking at it and weighting in Enix's Burning Heroes now,
I can't help but think the first was Square's answer to the latter (Rudra was released a year later by Square).
Let me lay down some facts to help you guys understand my thinking.

Common points:

- Both games revolve around a multi-scenario environment
- The scenarios converge to a common end in both cases
- There is extra scenario unlocking on both cases
- Both games deal with destroying an unfathomable ultimate evil

Differences: (Burning Heroes / Rudra's Treasure)

- Main cast: BH = 8 / RT = 4
- Magic: Traditional per level up / Through 'Mantras' the player acquires or invents
- Animation: Large sprites, less frames / Small sprites, more frames
- Party size: Up to 5 characters / Up to 4 characters
- Battle control: Group control / Individual control


This is what I could remember from comparing both games.
In general Rudra seems to be ahead in the technical department while Burning Heroes seems to deliver far better storytelling and depth.
I'd like to hear you guys' thoughts on this, sorry if its offtopic altogheter but it was really itching me to post this up.

This game gives you pieces of answers in small doses scattered throughout, but at the same time, the confusion caused by competing interests keeps the picture somewhat muddled with red herrings.

Without spoiling, I will reveal that the wealth of this planet appears to be centered around commerce. Whoever expands commerce increases power. The primary centers of commercial power are the guilds on one side and the forces of the Merchant of Death on the other. The shopkeepers are caught in the middle - exploited by both factions, and neither will shrink from using force to expand, consolidate, and hang onto territory in World-I. The Merchant of Death seems to be tied to the Rouge Party, headquartered in World-II, and uses hybrid humanoid/animal/plant/monster lifeforms artificially created - called phantoms - the carry out his plots.

Finally, the castellans (political leaders headquartered in castles) are involved in all of this intrigue to various degrees, trying to save their fiefdoms from anything that threatens, as well as expand their power base and profits. Some castellans have dubious pasts and are involved with shady people in all of their wheeling and dealing.

In the background of all of this, World-I's Star Relic beckons atavistic warriors to come forward, test themselves, and try to gain the Cosmion power. In the Star Door chamber of the relic, legend says the planet will be destroyed if that door is opened, possible only with the Star Key that is said to be hidden somewhere in World-II. Others say the Star Door is really just a path to World-III, a floating continent at the epicenter of the legend.

According to folklore, the floating continent is the wellspring of all mankind and also a place where all of man's sins will be judged. Most people believe that mankind has sinned so greatly, that people are beyond redemption. If the Star Door is opened, the people fear that God will immediately destroy the whole world as punishment. However, seven years earlier, Demon Jacko fell from the heavens, presumably cast off the floating continent - called Astralia (as in "astral" or pertaining to a stellar land). Jacko's villain mystique is built as a likeness to Lucifer - a fallen angel - who wreaks havoc on earth as Satan. A great battle took place seven years earlier, sort of a mini-apocalypse subject to be repeated. The hero is said to be Adam the Fighter (Ryuu's father who abandoned him). Adam mysteriously disappeared after restoring the peace. Jacko was physically separated into three star fragments and locked inside transparent spheres - called Jaballs (short for Jacko-balls) - and hidden away in dispersed locations throughout World-I.

With the reappearance of the glowing star in the skies, most people now fear that Jacko will return, open the Star Door, and cause the world to be destroyed. Others see the Star Door and Jacko as avenues and sources of power they can control and exploit for their own gain. Yet others just want to become heroes and win acclaim for themselves. In fact, the eight fighters have eight different reasons for fighting their way into the Star Door chamber, but doing so only sees their quarry flee to World-II. The end game of World-I sees all eight heroes board sailing ships and land somewhere in World-II.

This is how far we have advanced in English - to about the one-third point in the game. But World-II is huge compared to World-I, and the eight heroes appear to land in four different World-II ports. This means they will continue to walk different paths initially and occasionally collide with each other along the way.

I could have written this synopsis better, but I'm pressed for time. To date, however, I don't believe anyone has written any greater detail about this story in English.

Agreed, and this reflection could very well be in the BH project page, with some modifications, to aid players in understanding the world they are about to march into.

I completely agree with you on this Red Soul. I too feel as though Burning Heroes was Enix's answer to Square's Rudra no Hihou and I've also seen another person mentioning this on RHDN once too. The most similar parts as you said, are the multi-scenarios and the evil creature which wants to destory the world. By the way Wildbill, nice info for the BH world, it will surely be of help to players.

Spoiler alert:

In Burning Heroes, fear that mankind will be destoryed for its "sins" is the problem. Thoughout the game, the player will talk to people whom some believe this and others do not. From what I've understood playing this game, it's actually Deathwise who wants to do this.

In Rudra no Hihou, Mitra wants to destory mankind to replace it with a more superior race that will fight against "invaders from another planet" who want to destory Earth (or at least all life on in). A reason is not given as to why, I guess just for the sake of conquest. Remanents of older races such as the Reptilemen still exist, having survived the cycles of destruction and regeneration. They usually live in secluded places, hidden from civilianization. Some Rudras (god like beings), support the continued existance of humans where as others want them to perish. After beating Mitra, the party says that they will prepare for the coming of these invaders.

Spoiler end.

Overall, I like both games very much. Rudra no Hihou has somewhat better graphics, especially the way towns, caves and the battle sprites are designed. Even having said this though, I like Burning Heroes a little more for it's story, characters and battle system (you only control the main character, where as the CPU controls the other four party members). It's more fun that way and it also saves the player time. Just a side note, it would have been better if Final Fantasy II/IV and III/VI would have been made with Rudra no Hihou style graphics. Having enemies with no attack animation which only flash is just lame, it looks like an amateur game...

Every time I hear Jacko I think of Michael Jackson. Interesting stuff otherwise.

Is it just me or the backdrops in Burning Heroes look a little grainy in battle?
I figure it may be just on emulators though. Still I think Rudra only has a relative edge on BH graphics wise, more towards animation.


I prefer to issue individual commands myself, although the AI in BH is not dumb, so its a plus to let it do most of the work.


Even though FF6 is by far my favorite SNES one, and features quite good graphics, I have to agree that static enemy sprites give it a RPG Maker feel.
Incidentally FF3 is my favorite NES one.

Hee-hee... I don't think Demon Jacko has plunked any babies over rails yet, at least in World-I.