Homeland (video game)

HOMELAND
Cover art
Developer(s)	Chunsoft
Publisher(s)	Chunsoft
Platform(s)	GameCube
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer (Online)

HOMELAND (ホームランド, hōmurando) is a role-playing video game for the Nintendo GameCube developed by Chunsoft and released in Japan only.

The game can be played offline in single-player mode or online in multiplayer mode over the internet or on a LAN. In online mode the player can assume the role of gamemaster and create an online game for up to thirty-five other players. It is one of only four titles for the GameCube designed for online play. It is unique among these games in a number of ways. It is the only one where the GameCube itself acts as the server, rather than the player using a central server. It is also the only online GameCube game that isn't a Phantasy Star Online title, and the only one not to get a release outside of Japan. Images of the game can be seen on the official HOMELAND website (in Japanese).

Gameplay

HOMELAND features nonlinear gameplay with branching storylines and multiple endings, and (especially in multiplayer mode) co‑operative gameplay.

The player begins by choosing his or her avatar (a boy or a girl) and giving it a name. Next there is an introductory sequence of events in which the player answers a few questions that will determine which two "mascots" the player will have from the start. A mascot is a sort of avatar that the player's avatar transforms into before setting off on an adventure. Each mascot has different attributes and skills, and more mascots can be acquired in subsequent adventures through the accumulation of "clear points" for clearing certain events. In one storyline however, the player does not select a mascot but enters the adventure world as the original avatar, named Bibi (ビビ) for the girl and Hal (ハル) for the boy.

Players begin each new adventure at level 1 and level up as they acquire experience points. A distinctive feature of HOMELAND is the ability of players to join hands and form a chain in order to combine their stats and special attributes. Communication is displayed as voice bubbles coming from the player characters (PC) and from the non-player characters (NPC). In weakened characters the background color of the voice bubbles changes from white to yellow and eventually to red when they are almost defeated. Distant voices appear as smaller voice bubbles near the edge of the screen. Players can be equipped with weapons, shields and accessories, and can carry a very limited number of items.

Co-operative play

Players in a multiplayer game are not able to battle each other. Instead they benefit from assisting each other to fight battles and achieve common objectives. Some storylines cannot be completed without coordinated actions by a number of players. When players join hands to form a chain the lead player in the chain is in control and is the only one able to attack or to receive damage. This tactic provides a useful way of quickly levelling up a player who has just entered the game, and may be essential in a storyline where a particular attribute is needed to provide an immunity and not all of the players have that attribute. It is also possible to use the chain as a shield in order to prevent the leader having to battle too many monsters at once. Each member of the chain can "unjoin" at any time and continue independently.

In an offline game the player can summon their other mascots to come and assist them as though they were other players. These mascots become their companions and are controlled very effectively by the game's AI. The companions will follow the player around and assist in battles by fighting and – depending on their skills – by restoring the player's health. Companions can be equipped with weapons, shields and accessories, but cannot carry items. When a player logs out of a multiplayer game (or is absent too long) their mascot remains in the game as a companion and automatically "gives" any key items that it may be carrying. If the player rejoins the game they automatically regain control of their mascot.

Communication

Players communicate in a multiplayer game via text messages entered using the game controller and a menu-like visual keyboard (the Keyboard Controller is not supported). This method is very slow at first, but becomes more efficient as the game remembers words and proposes them in a way similar to predictive text on a mobile phone. Messages entered in this way appear in the avatar's voice bubbles and are visible to all nearby players. There is also a way of broadcasting a message to all players anywhere in the game using a "shout" command.

Quester Park

Hovering in the sky above the homeland is a transportation and communication hub called Quester Park. It is a starting point for new adventures and is a convenient way of travelling from one region to another later in the game. Each town and village has an "altar" which teleports the quester to a corresponding "ramp" in Quester Park. Once a ramp has been unlocked in this way it is possible to return to that town or village from Quester Park by entering the corresponding ramp.

Storylines

Depending partly on the sequence of key events that are initiated by the hero, an adventure may follow one of a number of possible storlylines. Other factors that may have an influence are the number of participating players and, in one case at least, whether or not a particular adventure has already been "cleared". Each adventure begins in the quester's room and ends with a meeting with the "big god", who congratulates the heroes and heroines and hands out some rewards. After this the adventurer is returned to their room to begin again at level 1 but having acquired some "clear points" with which to buy additional mascots and accessories that can be used to personalise the mascots. In an online game the players are returned to the Quester Park first, giving them an opportunity to chat before logging out. Possible storylines include:

• Dream World (ユメの世界, yume no sekai) - notable for the giant flying "whale" (actually more like a cross between a whale, a catfish and a coelacanth) and a maze on a rotating cube. Finding out how to summon the whale is the biggest challenge in this adventure.

• Micro (ミクロ, mikuro) - instead of defeating a final boss, questers must participate in a quiz about the game. Some questions must be answered within a time limit, making this one of the hardest adventures to clear successfully. It is called Micro because the questers' mascots must become miniaturised to be able to enter a maze near the end.

• Demon People (魔族, mazoku) - a multiplayer adventure. It is unusual because some of the questers must become evil and try to catch the others.

• The Tale of the Hero and the Demon King (魔王うと勇者の物語, maou to yūsha no monogatari) This is an offline adventure which does not require the quester to transform into a mascot to enter the game world - instead it begins in the "real" world. It has many puzzles and mysteries for the quester to solve making it one of the most interesting and longest adventures. It is unlocked by clearing the Demon People adventure. It is about events that took place 100 years before the Demon People adventure.

• Darkness (暗闇, kurayami) The game world is plunged into darkness, and the quester must find and catch a ghost before the light will be restored.

• Jailbreak (脱獄, datsugoku) An online, multiplayer adventure in which the questers are imprisoned by the robot people and must try to escape. Cooperation and co-ordination are essential.

Online Mode Configuration

screenshot

The Network Settings dialog looks like a separate application.

A Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter (DOL-015) is required for multiplayer mode on the internet. The GameCube Modem Adapter (DOL-012) is not supported. The online option does not become available until the first adventure has been completed offline. This ensures that the player has learned how to play before participating in a multiplayer game.

The network connection settings are configured in the game and saved in a Network Settings file on a Memory Card in slot A. The file must be saved on the same Memory Card as the HOMELAND game save file. Although the Network Settings dialog is accessed from within the game it looks like a separate application - it has a completely different visual style and uses kanji text while the game uses only kana.

Settings

The following types of connection are supported:

• DHCP connection (automatic and manual configuration)
• PPPoE connection (automatic and manual configuration)
• Static IP address

A typical configuration on a home network would be DHCP with automatic assignment of the network parameters. Manual DHCP configuration requires the primary and secondary DNS to be entered. A PPPoE connection requires in addition to this the internet service user ID and password, and whether or not to save the password. A static IP address connection requires the IP address, subnet mask, default router, primary and secondary DNS to be entered. The network connection can be tested from a menu option before going online; error code [21003] indicates a successful connection.

An additional requirement since the official matching server was shut down is to change the connection method so that instead of connecting automatically to the matching server the player is prompted to enter the IP address of the destination GameCube that is acting as a game server. This is done in the game by saying #change connection (#せつぞくきりかえ) to the "angel" (テンシ, tenshi) NPC that appears from the closet in the quester's room. This only has to be done once as the change is saved to the Memory Card. This change also makes it possible to play a multiplayer game on a LAN.

To be a gamemaster the player must select the "god" (かみさま, kamisama) mascot. For other players to be able to connect to the gamemaster's GameCube over the internet it must be accessible through port 9003 on a global IP address.

Terms of Usage

Before setting up the network connection the user must scroll down through the displayed terms of usage and agree to them by clicking on the "I Agree" button at the end. If the user is a minor then the network connection settings must be entered by a parent or legal guardian. The terms of usage are concerned in particular with responsibility for any misuse of the user's internet service user ID and password. This information, if entered, is stored on the Memory Card and could possibly be intercepted by someone else if a WaveBird Wireless Controller (DOL-004) is used to register. For this reason Nintendo recommends that a standard Nintendo GameCube Controller (DOL-003) is used to register this information. The user must keep the Memory Card that has this information stored on it in a secure place and accept full responsibility for the use and management of the card.

Online Etiquette

• Players should not post the IP address of another person's game server on the internet (such as in a forum);
• When joining a game, it is good manners to ask the other players which storyline they are following before initiating any events that could affect it.

Beta Test

photograph of a detail of the disc label

The beta test disc has the words TEST DISC (テストディスク) on the label.

A limited beta test disc was made available for testing the multiplayer system before the official release of the game. It can be recognised by the simple monochrome packaging and user guide, and the disc is labelled TEST DISC (テストディスク). The first adventure ends when the player reaches the next region in the game.

External links

• IGN page
• Official HOMELAND website (in Japanese)