Trigun RPG Maker Game

Okay, here's a rundown of our group chat today.

Graphics:
-Jeredu and Karaii are working together on graphic stuff. (I didn't really pay much attention to the details, sorry. So if you're interested in working on graphics, check in with those two.)
-I'm going to add posts to the blog soon-ish with info on battle graphics.
-I may also post with links to various RPG Maker tutorials and resources websites.

Misc. game notes:
-Game will have a few battles necessary for the plot. These will use the turn-based battle mode, but things like leveling-up, collecting items and gear, etc. will not be used in the game.
-Most gameplay will focus on exploration and puzzle solving.
-We'd like to make some kind of proof of concept game, about ten minutes long, to test out the look and feel and general gameplay. We haven't discussed any details.

Plot:

Intro - Wasn't discussed

Plant part missions - Three of them, one in which all the characters stick together, then they split up (V&W, and M&M) to grab one each. Once in pairs, they may be split up further, with game play swapping between the two characters to solve puzzles and navigate the environment.
- Vash and Wolfwood's environment is an abandoned power plant. At the end of the mission, the plant will collapse, going into a side-scrolling segment, with a fixed scrolling speed, in which Vash must navigate the debris to escape the plant.
-Possible ideas for the other locations (we haven't decided on which ones we want to use yet): 1) A maze-like desert canyon, 2) A cave system (possibly with sandworms), 3) The mansion of a wealthy (and snooty) old woman who collects plant paraphernalia and has the needed part, 4) A prison, complete with prison riot (and possible cameos of canon villains).

Ending: The ransom note holds a clue to the location of the baddies, so that one final, but brief puzzle is solved to reach the location of the climax.
-The plant in that location has been rigged with some kind of weapon (we haven't discussed what, exactly, this weapon is). The parts are needed to finish the job so that the weapon can be used. Que final battle, Vash and co. vs. bad guys and plant weapon. We want to lampshade the idea that the plant is a person, being forced to power a weapon and thus harm Vash against her will. Vash attempts to help her via telepathy, but a failsafe has been built into the plant forcing her to give power no matter what. In the battle, you face three villains, each guarding three parts of the plant (the parts you collected? some consoles? I'm not sure), so you have to defeat them, and then damage the machine behind them. Attacking the plant herself is not an option (or, if it is, Vash will protest), but she is still capable of harming you via her weapon. To make things more difficult, the villains are protected by some kind of force field, also powered by the plant, which protects two of them at any given time. Once they're defeated, the machinary needs one final blow to destroy the failsafe and free the plant.

Okay, I think that's everything. Thought-ripples and I, (and possibly Alnee?) are going to get on again this evening and do a little more brainstorming, so expect another post afterward.

Here's a few things from TR's and my second conversation.

-For the gang's first location, they'll be going to a cave with a sandworm as the boss battle.
-For the girl's location, they'll be in a town and help catch a thief and receive the plant part as a reward.
-We thought it might be a good idea to have the town the father lives in be a central point, and allow the characters to meet up there between quests. We'd like some mini games in town, for a fun break. We were thinking a target shooting game and a thomas race.
-We also had the idea for a bonus mini game. Kuroneko is hidden in each location, and finding him everywhere unlocks the game. The game is pretty much just a gag game and you play as Legato. We didn't really decide what the game should be, exactly, but we feel pretty strongly that it should involve ice cream.

I pitched one more idea to TR, and when she gets back with me, I'm going to write out a plot outline as detailed as we've got right now. Maybe that'll be a word doc people can download if they want it.

Forgot to add: I added a post to the resources blog with links to all the RPG Maker tutorial's I've collected.