Trailer: https://youtu.be/cOLSHrnh2-Q
Best course to reach out to me to give feedback and report issues is over at my discord. Invite link below:
https://discord.com/invite/Bmm9GHSdWD
---VERSION 2.0.0--
- First official release of the "Second Mix" version of the mod. Introducing an assortments of updates to PC and enemies to the point that it could be considered a new mod. The most drastic changes include....
- New classes for every Djinn combination, including a couple that didn't previously exist in version 1 of Dawn of Djinn. -Stats remain the same from the vanilla game, but they all now have different names and different sets of Psynergy to reflect these titles.
- Party characters now have a different set of default classes and stats.
- A wide assortment of new Psynergy has been added between the new classes and equipment found throughout the game.
- Version 1 Djinn have either been rebalanced or replaced.
- Djinni Charms have been readjusted. Both in ability and locations they appear throughout the game.
- All previous enemies/bosses have been reworked, with new ones sprinkled in throughout the adventure.
- Lack of dialogue issue from version 1 releases has been fixed.
-In addition, dialogue both from within the story and with certain NPCs has been adjusted to better reflect Dawn of Djinn features. - A small handful of new NPCs have been inserted into Dawn of Djinn for in-universe explanations of Dawn of Djinn changes, a little extra diversity, and perhaps a new side-plot. -An optional patch in the "advance set-up" folder exists to turn dialogue back off and speed-up cutscenes if wished. Keep in mind this will also skip any Dawn of Djinn exclusive additions or modifications to the dialogue as well. -Visual bugs may occur when using the cutscene-skip patch, as it does speed through some cutscenes faster than the game can handle. Additional Bug fixes/rebalances/ mis adjustments listed on the release page.
"Golden Sun: Dawn of Djinn" is a ROM hack of GS1 that aims to create an experience where combat feels like a new Golden Sun game, while otherwise maintaining the core elements from GS1. This new "Second Mix" update aims to take this even further by expanding on new elements for players to play with from classes, to abilities, to enemies you face off against. In addition, this mod takes QOL features from the GS Randomizer, such as fast travel, while introducing new elements of its own. New NPCs and books are scattered throughout the land to ease you into changes this mod offers, provide hints, and more. The main story remains the same as the original Golden Sun, but fans may notice slight alterations in dialogue to abridge certain conversations or introduce a side plot or two.
A core mechanic that makes Dawn of Djinn stand out on its own merits is a new-mechanic to the series known as "Djinni Charms". They are Djinn who have not fully awaken, taking the form of an item equipped to your ring slot. Though not wielding their full powers, they can grant special Psynergy to Adepts when equipped. Only Adepts of the same element can equip them, so Isaac can only equip Venus Djinni Charms, Garret can only equip Mars Djinni Charms, Ivan can equip Jupiter Djinni Charms, and Mia can equip Mercury Djinni Charms. Furthermore, only one Djinni charm can be equipped to an Adept at a time, so you'll have to consider which charms will best assist you for each situation to get the most out of them. You'll find them throughout your adventure, either on the field or guarded by special Djinn Mimics.
A mysterious warden is also seeking out the Djinni Charms. You may encounter her during her travels, offering advice along the way.
New to version 2, each party member has their default stats and classes changed to give them a different feel from the original game. In addition, Dawn of Djinn features an entirely new family of Djinn to collect, unlocking a new assortment of classes and Psynergy. Certain Psynergy will even upgrade as you reach stronger variations of these classes. The equipment you collect has also been readjusted, if not replaced by brand new equipment. Featuring a vary of new trats for each type of weapon. Along with two brand new types of weapons, gloves and mitts.
When installing Dawn of Djinn, you will have the option between two patches; casual and veteran. While it would take too long to list every little adjustment between them, the overall differences are as followed.
Enemies will have stats closer to those in the base game. In addition, certain skills and abilities will be stronger, along with costing less Psynergy to use. This is the recommended mode for newer Golden Sun fans or who are just more comfortable with base game difficulty. Some optional areas may still pose a bit more challenge than normal.
Enemies stats are increased and Psynergy will cost more PP to use. Certain enemies and bosses may have new attack patterns all together. The base power of high tier summons have been nerfed, and other abilities may also be weaken, compared to casual mode. Essentially the difficulty of version 1 of Dawn of Djinn, with some rebalancing, aiming to have a similar feel to the challenge offered by Lost Age's hard mode. This is recommended for Golden Sun fans already familiar with Dawn of Djinn or who find base Golden Sun too easy.
If you chose to use the advance set-up, there will be an add-on patch you can include called "Brutal Charm Patch". This will start you off with an optional piece of equipment for each of your party members known as the brutal charm/brutal key. This item decreases all your stats via a multiplier for as long as its equipped and does not affect your other equipment. It is highly advise to NOT use this equipment on a first playthrough. However, if you find veteran mode to not be enough of a challenge for you, this is the simplest way to add some extra challenge to your playthrough. Note this item has not been play tested in all battles yet, so its possible that some battles are impossible to beat with the brutal charm equipped.
- Occansional visual effects when using Retreat in the overworld. I believe this is a carry over from the Golden Sun Randomizer and if so, I'm not sure if I have the ability to fix it.
- Avoid can be buggy with it's new implementation. If one saves and quits the game while Avoid is still toogled on, they may have problems turning it back off once they reopen the game. Most consistant soultion I've discovered to fixed this from a player's end is to toogle it on and off, transition to a new area, toogle it on and off again. If done correctly, this will make it toggle like normal. As for correcting this problem from the creator side. I'm not sure if this is possible as the Avoid changes were carried over from the Golden Sun Randomizer and I don't have access to the orginal code. Best measure of avoiding this issue is to make sure it's off before saving the game.
- Various visual bugs if the cutscene skip patch is applied. Nothing that affects gameplay.
1.) Download either the casual or veteran patch of Golden Sun Dawn of Djinn.
- If you prefer more advance settings, such as auto run, cutscene skip, or starting off with the brutal charm, download the "Advance Set-up" zip file and view the Read-me file included in that folder instead.
2.) Have your copy of Golden Sun for the GBA ready
- Make sure you use a clean copy, patching something already patched is not recommended.
3.) Use Lunar IPS to patch of Golden Sun with the chosen version of Dawn of Djinn.
Veteran version is about the difficulty of Lost Age Hard Mode, while casual is around on the difficulty of base Golden Sun. Though in both scenarios, certain fights in optional areas may be harder than usual.
- First toggle Avoid on and off a couple times
- Transition to a new screen, either by entering a town/dungeon or entering the overworld.
- When you toggle Avoid off now, monsters should appear like normal. This bug most commonly happens if you save and quit while Avoid is still on. So turning Avoid off when not in use is a good way to reduce the issue.
While the ability to fast travel freely may allow you to access certain areas sooner than normal, certain in-game flags may result in you getting stuck if you travel too far off the beaten path. A common example of this players trying to get to Vault Cave immediately after learning Reveal. An in-game flag prevents this area from being accessible until after clearing Lamakan Desert, regardless on if you have Reveal or not. So if you find yourself stumped when going out of order, try going back to progress the plot through normal means to see if that alleviates your issue.
In the Golden Sun Randomizer Bilbin Barricade is removed from the game to create a fast travel point to Crossbone Isles. Since I took I crudely took the code for Fast Travel from the Randomizer to implement the feature into Dawn of Djinn, this carries over to Dawn of Djinn's equivalent as well. This cannot be changed without removing fast travel, so I do not have intentions on restoring this area back into the mod.
Unlike base Golden Sun, you can leave town after beating the final boss to take care of any unfinished business, such as clearing optional areas. When you are ready to play the credits, go to Babi's hidden boat per usual and use the Black Orb. Note that once you do, that is a point of no return so it is advise to make sure you reclaim any Djinn charms you may have "stored" in the artifact shop before triggering that scene.
The short answer: You can't. As of now, Dawn of Djinn is a standalone Golden Sun 1 mod. If you wish to play base Lost Age after words, I would advise only using either the Bronze or Silver password. As transferring items may glitch out your inventory in the process.
I do intend to still make some updates to Dawn of Djinn, especially if something critical pops up. However, I currently do not want to promise a Lost Age equivalent to Dawn of Djinn. I want to focus more time with Game Development, beyond modding. While I am considering a continuation into The Lost Age, I cannot confirm it will happen at this time. I have priorities at this time, so I rather not promise anything currently. Hopefully you'll understand why I'm conflicted about confirming or denying the future of Dawn of Djinn at this time.