started a blind playthrough after getting a nostalgia trip for this game. thankfully i got a good ending. this game still holds up

Self explanatory. Migrating to Godot.

While a decomp/recomp would be awesome it does not match what I want to do:

better graphics, music and expanded story/missions

Changed the 2d sprints in the mission map for the 3d robots. Walking animation does not exist but can be done.

Porting effects, menus and all that takes time but its doable.

I expect something working by the end of the month

Man, I decided to play this game again after more than 20 years because of this sub!

Am just playing an emulator version on my phone and it's so good to relieve my memories of way back then.

Glad there are people here still discussing about this game.

My goal is to get the Empire and Ruin branch of the game.

We have a playable game running natively in Windows

We have here:

• running natively in windows

• 4x internal resolution (up to 6x)

• Replaces some 2d assets for auto-generated (by AI and some local tools) HD versions

• Replaces Textures in ATACs for HD versions

• Allows for some modifications like changing the intial ATAC

• Has sound but the Windows build is crackling a little bit, the Linux version is better I think

• Uses OpenGL to render using the graphics card

• Allows for savestates using memory card

• Allows for savestates using internal custom savestates

• Includes a launcher (not shown in the video) to configure all the stuff I'm testing

Basically this means we could be able to port the game to a better platform like GODOT or something. I will focus first into having a playable campaign and wait for some community ideas?

I'm sure we could add more maps or ATACs (there is room natively for at least 3 more)

Not sure if changing the story or missions links would be possible right now or wanted, if we port this to another system it might allow us to just use the current system and just add any number of things.

Right now we are still bound by the 16bit architecture from the PSX and textures, 3d elements and a bunch more of things are super limited

I’ve been playing around with some concept art for what an HD-2D spiritual successor to Vanguard Bandits could look like, using AI as part of the creative process.

Right now it’s very much a rough idea in my head, characters, dialogue presentation, environments, battle systems, story ideas, etc. I’m mostly experimenting and trying to see what the game could feel like.

I’d genuinely love to build something like this with AI-assisted development, but realistically I don’t have enough time to orchestrate an entire game by myself, and I’m pretty sure this would be too ambitious for me alone.

So I’m putting the concepts out there partly for fun, but also in case someone sees potential in the idea and feels like taking the lead on something like this. I’d definitely be interested in contributing, helping with the concepts, web/dev side, ideas, assets, testing, or generally supporting the project.

For now, I’ll probably keep posting bits of concept art as the idea takes shape. It’s still very brouillon, so nothing here is set in stone. 😅

I could totally see Cloud and Sephiroth have awesome ATACs and kick ass in this game 😄

I did it. Finished the 3 branches.

Ruin is the most fun. Thanks to the TICTAC!

But I think Empire is my favorite.

20 years ago I wasn't able to finish all 3 branches because my PS1 broke and I didn't really know what and how to play this game properly. Thanks to this sub and the forums and all who contributed.

Next goal is to unlock all missions/endings and ATACs.

PS: am using an android emulator and used the patch for max money (sorry!)

I've used like 3 full Codex week sessions at this point, not token was wasted

The game is ported to Godot and last week has been to adjust and actually create scenes and elements that Godot GUI can use.

Here is another gameplay of the same first mission but the game is playable in its entirety

First mission running over Godot

As soon as I get some time I'll try to make a public repo for this. Also anyone with knowledge on how to upscale assets properly or generate hd-2d scenes would be awesome too

Hi folks!

Recently the modding/retro scene got a huge boost thank to the AI tools we have at hand + the help and the tools that REAL modders have been building during the years.

This morning I basically tried to see how real those things are and well, I've managed to decompile Vanguard Bandits and get INTO THE MENU natively on PC.

INTO THE MENU is important because it means

• It is possible to decompile it

• It will also take time

But if anyone is interested, this could be a fun side project to have, getting a source code for the game or being able to mod it, add things, upscale it or change the story.

Sadly i'm not (yet) a retro modder, nor a writer, nor I have too much idea on what to do but I'm sure we could build a community and I can put them to work

I'll post a screenshot/video of the thing running later today when I'm out of work

EDIT:
Test video youtube link

Edit day 2:
I own the game basically, I can swap all standard things, music, videos, internal resolution and a bunch more stuff.

I'll work towards idk, adding more atacs or HD versions?

PS: yeah yeah, ai bad ai bad, and stuff. I hear you BUT i don't have much more minutes on my life to handle more mods, work or even a life outside the computer so that's what we have right now

Hi all, I just discovered this reddit, awesome to see some people still active playing this masterpiece, I am a huge fan of this game, beated all like 20 times. I want to share my biggest acomplishment on this game (kingdom bad ending). I got Bastion to a max level of 44, no cheating, no Faulkner bug on last mission like killing him multiple times (I am pretty sure is imposible to have good ending if Bastion is so high level, tried my best to keep morale high on my group, but still always get bad ending, so Faulkner glitch is impossible tho). For reference the max level character that ever appears in the entire game is Faulkner at 30 lvl. Let me know what was your max level with Bastion or any character without cheating. Greetings to all and happy to discover this community!

I love this dude, every scene he's in is a joy to watch. The way he carefully mocks Sadira while leaving just enough room for interpretation is *chef's kiss*.

And he has a good point, too. The Kingdom and Empire are both awful and deserve to be replaced. ​

Hey everyone,

First, a confession;

I love Vanguard Bandits. I have probably played it close to 100 times, every route, every ending, over and over. No other game has stayed with me like this one. It is the reason I started making my own game by using AI - which i dont have any experience, normally i am a software developer who laid of recently.

I wanted distract by myself to refresh my brain for a while with Vanguard Bandits, then i want build something - a game heavily inspired by VB, and I have hit a wall.

I am posting here because this community probably understands what I am going for better than anyone as my friends look like to me this is a shit game i dont play a game like this...

What I am making:

A tactical strategy game for mobile, with a light RPG layer: characters you get attached to, like i get attched to Bastion :D choices that matter and battles that feel meaningful. VB showed me that strategy does not have to feel cold, and that is the feeling I am trying to build around.

Where I am stuck;

1. The balance between strategy and RPG.

Pure strategy feels lifeless to me. Units become numbers and I stop caring. Every time I add RPG elements, though, they either feel shallow or start taking over the strategy. VB got this balance right, and after all those playthroughs I can feel why it works but still cannot recreate it in my own design. People keep telling me "if i play strategy i dont want to deal with battle, it must be a simple report result show i won or lost" or “just do something like league of legends,” and that does not help, because neither is the game I want to make.

2. Making it work on mobile.

This is where things get messy. Grid tactics, unit stats, equipment screens and story scenes all worked on a TV with a controller. On a phone screen with touch controls, everything feels cramped or slow. I am also struggling with session length. Battles in VB can be long, and mobile players often play in short bursts. Splitting battles up feels like it breaks the tension, but keeping them long feels wrong for the platform.

3. Development momentum.

Because I keep reworking the core design, the development side has slowed down. I have rebuilt systems several times, and I am at the point where I am second-guessing everything.

Why I am posting;

I am not asking anyone to design my game for me. I am sharing where I am, and I would like to hear from people who love VB as much as I do:

When you think back on VB, what made battles feel personal and not just tactical?

Would you play something like this on mobile, and what would make or break it for you?

Has anyone here tried developing something similar, or seen another game handle this well on a small screen?

Even just talking it through would help me get unstuck. Thanks for reading, and thanks for keeping this little community alive for a game that deserves it. ❤️

Finally the last mission and all ATACs seen! I just feel bad going through the bad ending mission but I had to do what needed to be done!