MAKING GAMES PRETTY

Because we all want more subscribers

It's been a while since I wrote an article for this site. This time I'm going to take a look at the aesthetic appeal of a game. They say write what you know, and I do indeed know how to make my games look visually appealing. So, I'm going to outline a few pointers for both noobs and veterans alike on how to set your games apart from the 1000s on this site.

Point 1: And probably one of the most important. - Parallax mapping does NOT instantly equate to a good-looking game.


See, you can still make pretty maps in the editor.

Yes, it's probably nice to have to freedom to use a 100 million resources at your disposal to make that phantasmogoric map and get a thousand 'likes' for it, but what purpose will it serve in-game if it is plagued with passability errors? Or just shoddy design in general? I've seen some pretty awful parallax maps across various forums, and those designers probably haven't even grasped the basics of general level design.

A good map equates to one that the player can have ease of navigation ( which is why I tend to loathe 99.9% of all parallaxed forest maps; you can hardly see the player character. And it is even worse when the map has a dark tint >< ) while still being easy on the eyes without being cluttered ( another thing parallax maps suffer from ). Which brings me to my next point.

Point 2: KISS ( Keep it Smart and Simple )


Kiss me, menu.

Whether you're designing a snazzy menu, new windowskin or just designing a map, keep it clean, but not empty. Remember, your first goal is to relay information to the player, then they can 'ooh-and-aah' at your fancy graphics and epic maps. Also, use a readable, san-serif font. Not only does it give your game an extra level of polish, but makes it easy on the eyes as well ( how many well-known commercial games use overly fancy fonts...? ).

Regarding readability, don't ever use a yellow-tinted windowskin with white text. Just don't. Or use green text on a red background.


Just no. Not only is map god-awful, but that font+red windowskin. Ick.

As for logos, keep them relatively simple. One of the worse offenders I've seen of logo design are a) either it uses an unreadable font b) uses far too many Photoshop effects or c) all three.

Use the Show Picture command instead of a windowskin. Make the text-box transparent, then make an image with the same dimensions as the regular windowskin and viola, you have a neat-looking message window. It can be used for bust-portraits as well.

Also, take a look at any of Archeia's games ( like the above screen )to get an idea of how to KISS.

Point 3: Don't abuse lighting effects

What it says on the tin. Too many maps are ruined by that awful lighting script by Khas for RMVXAce and it appears in 99.99% of all horror games made with that engine. I'm guilty of using too many overlays/ sunbeams for my maps as well ( see Enelysion >< ) but I've since ditched them. Why mess up a good-looking map with excessive lighting? Also, USE TINTS. Both myself and SnowOwl have devoted an entire tutorial to it.

Point 4: Be consistent

Please, don't go out of your way to make a super fancy title screen to lure potential gamers when you're using the default RTP and maps. It comes across as being lazy and inconsistent. But if you do make that gorgeous looking title screen, try to keep the level of graphical polish throughout the entire game.

Valkyrie Stories, although ultimately a flop, pulled this off extremely well with gorgeous ( parallaxed ) maps and one of the most beautiful menus I have ever seen. It also inspired tons of clones, but what it really did was raise the bar on how we present our RM games. It even inspired me ( along with Adela Isra and Linus ).

Point 5: Spray those bugs!

Yes, one that many of us are guilty of. We fail to test our games thoroughly. Even if it takes you 10 hours to test a half-an-hour demo, do it. It will save you a LOT of time in the long run in your never-ending goal to release a full game. And of course, will create a good, possibly long-lasting effect on the player.

So, those are my guide-lines for designing attractive-looking games. Even if you're not very good at it, like all things in life, it takes practice, and take the plunge. And reap the rewards in the long-term. One last important point. At least try to keep the gameplay interesting and writing at an acceptable level as well. I've only covered but one facet of game design, after all.

This is Luchi signing off. Until my next article ( and 30 MS >:D ).

Posts

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It’s funny how both of us haven’t written an article in like ages - and then here we are, top of the article submission list. Yay! *fist bump*

Anyways, this is a pretty good read from someone who prides herself on pretty looking visuals and luscious map making. But it’s also nice that to know, even from someone like you, that all of this is pretty much useless if the maps are too dark to navigate through or if there’s a ton of clutter on the screen or the graphics clash too much with what’s going on making it rather impossible to see what you’re doing. Even menu making should be simple and not cluttered enough for it to be extremely daunting when the player first opens the menu up. Also, it shouldn’t be really super slow or extremely laggy to navigate through, as that also causes more frustration. (I hate when menus are slow!)

And, yeah, I hate it too when you download a game here with a fantastic, epic looking title page and great looking screenshots only to play something that’s mainly all RTP and stuff and doesn't match anything at all from before, lol. I’ve played a couple of games on here that’ve done that to me in the past.

But good read; it’s nice food for thought.
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
I prefer the Keep It Simple Stupid version of that acronym. It's just biting enough that it won't drag you down, but very sternly remind you not to go overboard.

I'm curious: since you hate Khas' lighting script so much, how would you handle lighting in a very dark area? Since you seem to have ditched overlays, plugging your lighting effects article may not answer all the questions some would have. Would you just leave it to tints and smaller overlays that don't obstruct your path forward?

Other than that, great article, Luchino! The only think I would add would be near the end about bug testing. Find others to test the game along with you. They can and will catch issues that you wouldn't because you're so used to playing the game.
@Addit: I was thinking the same thing when I saw that you had written another article. *fist bumps back*

@Nova:
I was going to use the 'Keep it Simple Stupid' but I felt it was a mite derogatory.

And I've only ditched lighting overlays for external areas (i.o.w, nixing the sunbeam aka 'Ara Fell' effect). Personally, I feel subtle lighting can convey the setting and feel of a game far more effectively than the harsh lighting I see in virtually every single game that uses that script. Ambient lighting in real life just doesn't work that way.

Here's an excellet tutorial by Lotus_Games showing how to get that ambient lighting effect without silly scripts.

http://rpgmaker.net/tutorials/625/
This is a good article you wrote there :D

What would you tell to a person (aka ME) who wants to use Parallax maps because she dislikes tile-drawing and RTP and wants to draw the maps by herself? (Basically because I'm an artist and I don't want basic things...)
I'd say go for it. =) Anything to make your game unique-looking. And let's face it. We need more Sunset over Imdhals and Wilfred the Heroes.
^ That's something I can agree with XD
Thanks :)
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