I’m in the process of writing a novella, also entitled Ars Magia: Genesis. It is a tie-in with the RPG Maker VX game, also currently under development.

Below is an interactive live demo, where you can read the complete Prologue. The full screen (and easier to read) version is viewable here.

I’m not sure which came first, novella or game. Perhaps they developed together, as they do go hand in hand. The novella sets the scene for the game and the game continues where the novella ends. That said, I wrote the plot and basic outline for the novella a while ago, then translated it into game format and, as development began, the story – more a preface to the game – evolved.

The novella is far from complete yet, but scheduled release date is March 2011 – if everything goes according to plan. Major updates to the novella will appear here in addition to the game progress.

Ars Magia 1: Genesis (AMG hereinafter) is a forthcoming game I’m creating using RPG Maker VX, which, admittedly, has now become my favorite creator.

AMG is not really a “new” project, since I started it way before The Gladiator Project (currently on indefinite hold). I lost interest in AMG for several reasons, including a complete lack of RGSS knowledge, and thought I’d lost it forever. I found it on an ancient CD, which had been gathering dust in the attic, so decided to rekindle its flame, placing TGP on hold. Since then, however, my knowledge of RGSS – while still limited – has improved a great deal.

As the game is in its embryonic stages at the moment, there’s not much to say about it, so here’s a sneak-peek slideshow. If the images are too small, click the diagonal arrow in the top right-hand corner for a full screen view.

The aesthetics are messy right now, but I’ll be tweaking and expanding them, especially the Status and Equipment screens. I’ll post more thorough updates (including credits and credits) later.