RMN SNEWS - ISSUE #17

Finish your games

Seriously, that is the single best thing you can do to increase the impact of your work You want people to play your game, right? Well, then give them a game to play. Fancy screenshots, detailed character bios, lists of systems - all of these are just fluff when it comes to your actual game.

I often stress that having people play your game is of secondary importance to the idea that you should enjoy the process of creating a game as a hobby - and I still feel strongly that way - but you really ought to finish what you start. The sense of accomplishment is a great boon for yourself and your confindence. Having a finished game out there really changes your perspective, too. You much better appreciate the work of others and you increase your own self-awareness as a maker.

How to Finish a Game. Pointers on how to stay motivated. by Neok. Read it.






Solitayre the Reviewer has asked the taboo-question-of-the-year: Why do you play games? Actually, that wasn't so taboo. It is the insinuation Why don't you lazy bastards play more RM games?! that is taboo, and it cuts right to the core of RMN's userbase.

Except for the part where Karsuman said he hates all of us, the discussion has been quite focused and frank on the whys and why-nots when it comes to playing RM games. For most of us it boils down to prioritization, and unfortunately RM game playing falls somewhere between clipping toenails and cleaning the garage.

But who's onus is it to want to play RM games? I believe that the bulk of the responsibility lies on the maker and not the player when it comes to getting the player to play. And the first thing you should strive to do is make a game that is playable, and the second thing that you should strive to do it make a game that is enjoyable to play! Then you must showcase it properly and to whom you'd expect to be an interested audience and then take what comes. Be proud of what you made and don't get discouraged if you don't become some RPG Rockstar.

But that's just my opinion. I am a developer with a deverloper mindset. Many other people have differing opinions. Why not voice your own?






edchuy's Release Something! X marks the spot! Wrap-Up

In a huge undertaking, edchuy decided to play every single entry in Release Something! Day X and provide feedback. He kept the feedback on the release's respective blog or gameprofile but, conveniently for us, he ALSO consolidated his feedback into a wrap-up article!

edchuy, you are super cool for doing this.

Link: http://rpgmaker.net/articles/270/




Why does dying have to suck?

ChaosProductions asks, "Why is it bad to get a game over screen, and what can we do about it?"

This has led to a great discussion on how to handle failure in RPGs. Some welcome the idea of cutting out the useless chuff between your last save and the challenge that whooped your ass. Others hate the babying and hand-holding and expect real consequences for losing. Many are somewhere in between.

Dying sucks. Deal with it. (By discussing other alternatives in this topic!)







Who made it?
kentona

What is it?
Trials & Tribulations is about the adventure of an ancient RM2k3 user making the leap to the newer RMVX engine. Oh, and there is a game somewhere in there.

Why should you care?
If you ever wanted to try out RMVX without the hassle of actually trying it out, this game is for you! Follow along with the blogs as the creator incompetently jumps from one aspect of the game to another.






Who made it?
Overkill

What is it?
In Molasses Meow you are a cat named Molasses Meow. That about summarizes the game.

Why should you care?
It’s a fairly low-effort game, but it exercises a very eccentric cutesy pink art style. As catmitts says, "this is an excellent fucking game."



THEME: Shmup
"It is properly said, 'Shoot them up'" - Your Grade 3 English teacher

Textshmup by Overkill (him again?)
Intense flight: Componus by Mythril
U.S.G. A New Beginning by hima
SkyE by Anaryu
Over the Pacific-1944 by GameOverGames Productions

The shoot 'em up genre has kind of gone the way of the 2D platformer - no one really makes them anymore. But to the rescue is Play Something! where the shmup is featured.

1. You don't have to actually finish the game/demo, but of course you should get far enough as to where you can say you've actually played it.
2. You don't have to like the game/demo. You're completely entitled to think that the games you picked suck ass. And that brings me to my next point, and perhaps most important...
3. After you've played the games/demos you picked, give something back! This is the most important part of the whole thing! Not just a "Looks good", or "That was fun", give something more. Write a review (and submit it to the site even), post your opinions on the gamepages, list bugs you encountered, hell, maybe we'll even get something that I couldn't even have imagined. Surprise me.







boobledeeboo is RMN's resident elegant lady drawer (as evidenced by this image and this thread). She also has a really messy room.

In her own words...

RMN HISTORY:
Ummm hmmm...I can't remember how long I've been on this site, but I've been into rpgmaking since i was about 11. I haven't ever completed any decent games, but I like to help out with art and bits and pieces now, seeing as I've pretty much forgotten how to go about creating one! I considered trying to make one and learning it all again, but i just ended up caught up in work and such like.
I enjoy listening to other peoples endeavors with it though, and i joined the forum to involve myself with videogame discussions and whatnot(i'm not really a member of any other videogame forum).
And you're all so lovely.

PERSONAL BLURB:
I'm at College these days(chemistry, biology, maths and history), it drags a bit, and my chances of actually passing are debatable. I'm cracking down now though, hopefully it'll go alright. I have one cat called Blackurrent, which i call Blacky for short, and i used to have another called Fidget(but he went missing ages ago. we thought we found him once(dead, unfortunately) but after shovelling it into a bag we realised it wasn't him and put him back in the bush where we found him...which is actually really horrible!)
I have too many clothes, my room is just one big wardrobe. I have one brother. I'm not religous. I like the smell of permanent markers.

SPARE TIME:
I like to draw, play games, eat and sleep pretty much...my lifestyle is very exciting! I hang out with my mates as well, everything you'd expect to hear from a teenager i suppose.

FAVORITE FOOD:
If i'd been asked this 3 months ago it would've been quorn and mushroom pies, but they changed the recipe so it's all purple and yucky; it's even square in shape! Now it would have to be some sort of chocolatey something, i don't really mind. So long as it isn't dark chocolate. Actually kit kat and coffee is really nice, let's say that - kit kat and coffee.

FAVORITE SAYING:
I don't really have one I don't think

PET PEEVE:
People who have really short attention spans. Sometimes it's not a problem at all, but when i want to watch a film and they can't last longer than 10 minutes without having to start flicking popcorn or some other shit(i'm getting worked up just thinking about it hahah) it really annoys me.
Also, people who judge other people on their appearances or what they've heard about them.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:
I can lick my elbow.
And i've been to Glastonbury Fest 8 times.