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WHAT AREAS OF RPG MAKING REALLY HINDER YOUR PROJECT?
Posts
Solid89
126
Solid89
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CloseAfter working with RPG maker for quite some time, I always find myself running into the same problems. My question is, What part of rpg making do you find to be the worst? What really slows you down? and how do you get through that process?
(I apologize for the similarity to the topic about which maps really drain your motivation to make, but I'd like to discuss the most un-motivated areas of game making as a whole.)
For me, I really enjoy making systems. I love doing battle systems and menus. I love writing stories and character ideas. After I get all this mapped out, I always run into a brick wall. Graphics kill me, and working within the boundaries of chipsets kill me. I find it the hardest to keep a consistent graphic design throughout the game unless you make all custom graphics. Which for one person is really overwhelming. Mapping is also a motivation killer for me. Unless I am doing simple rooms or something of that nature, I always find it such a challenge to get it the way I want it to be. Especially when it comes to towns or cities, and certain dungeon areas.. And world maps. >_> The mapping and graphics always seem to be where I stop and lose motivation, and then take a break, and eventually jump to a different project that in theory, seems easier to make in that department. Then rinse and repeat, and I find myself not wanting to settle so I try to outdo what I have already made, and then I get lost in the revising process.
What is the hardest area for you, when making your game? How do you go about solving that issue? Where do you draw the line between settling for something and realistically setting limits for yourself?
(I apologize for the similarity to the topic about which maps really drain your motivation to make, but I'd like to discuss the most un-motivated areas of game making as a whole.)
For me, I really enjoy making systems. I love doing battle systems and menus. I love writing stories and character ideas. After I get all this mapped out, I always run into a brick wall. Graphics kill me, and working within the boundaries of chipsets kill me. I find it the hardest to keep a consistent graphic design throughout the game unless you make all custom graphics. Which for one person is really overwhelming. Mapping is also a motivation killer for me. Unless I am doing simple rooms or something of that nature, I always find it such a challenge to get it the way I want it to be. Especially when it comes to towns or cities, and certain dungeon areas.. And world maps. >_> The mapping and graphics always seem to be where I stop and lose motivation, and then take a break, and eventually jump to a different project that in theory, seems easier to make in that department. Then rinse and repeat, and I find myself not wanting to settle so I try to outdo what I have already made, and then I get lost in the revising process.
What is the hardest area for you, when making your game? How do you go about solving that issue? Where do you draw the line between settling for something and realistically setting limits for yourself?
Putting monsters/enemies that launch you into a battle on a map has always been the most tedious and boring thing for me. Even though it can be a relatively quick ting to do,I always save it for last when making a game because it absolutely kills my motivation to work on it otherwise. To this day, I still don't understand why I find it so awful when there are plenty of other things that could be considered more tedious, I just do. Same goes for item/chest/treasure placement.
sbester, do you enjoy mapping in general? If so, you should try to do drafts of your maps on paper and include monster/chest placement there, and then map the actual areas to reflect the treasure; maybe a chest with a nice sword is put on a tiny island in an otherwise dry cave.
Itaju
89
I hate actually setting up story scenes for my game.
I love making them when it still shows up in my overall game storyboard "well this is where you meet the antagonist for the first time".
But I hate writing what they talk about, where they have to be and actually set up the scene in the maker.
I don't really like mapping and setting the world together, but I love creating new areas in terms of graphics and design, I love to make enemies, characters, I just don't like to adapt them in the maker.
I think creating story scenes slows down my game the most as I feel myself procrastinating a lot by creating new items/graphics or stuff like that.
Doesn't meen my story will be terrible as I hate to do it in the maker. In fact I love to have it done and I prefer on completing them in a good way. I just don't like tho process of doing so.
I love making them when it still shows up in my overall game storyboard "well this is where you meet the antagonist for the first time".
But I hate writing what they talk about, where they have to be and actually set up the scene in the maker.
I don't really like mapping and setting the world together, but I love creating new areas in terms of graphics and design, I love to make enemies, characters, I just don't like to adapt them in the maker.
I think creating story scenes slows down my game the most as I feel myself procrastinating a lot by creating new items/graphics or stuff like that.
Doesn't meen my story will be terrible as I hate to do it in the maker. In fact I love to have it done and I prefer on completing them in a good way. I just don't like tho process of doing so.
Back when I used RM2k3, the only enormous hassle was setting up important cutscenes; I attempted to create very dynamic scenes where characters moved, paused when they talked, jumped, emoted, etc. What I should've done was plan the scene out better beforehand - writing out Move Up/Downs, emotes, dialogue pauses - but being rash and reckless I just jumped in without planning ahead and ended up revising each scene over and over again.
Thirty minutes of pre-planning would've saved me hours of revision. It's a lesson you've gotta learn somewhere, right?
Thirty minutes of pre-planning would've saved me hours of revision. It's a lesson you've gotta learn somewhere, right?
Mr_Detective
60
1. Mapping : This is, hands down, the biggest problem for me when it comes to working on my game. I could spend over one month for just 2-3 maps and still have to go back to fix them later. :P
2. Balancing the characters : This is a bit more on the math side, so it is less complicated than mapping. What makes it really time consuming is that you have to test all of your characters to make sure none of them are overpowered. ;)
3. Writing a good story and letting the players know where to go : The story must be unique and has a great hook without cliches. Writing dialogues can be fairly easy unless someone sleeps through their English classes in school. However, the players need to have a hint of where to go without telling them flat out.
This is not Call Of Duty and the creator doesn't have to hold their hands and walk them through the entire game. Also, this is a truly original and inspiring story :
"Your name is Ralph or *Name Box appears*, and you are the chosen one to protect your kingdom. However, you have amnesia after your girlfriend banged you on the back of your head for peeking at her while she was taking a shower. You have to find your way to the demon king, with these other random freaks, and use your magic to kill it with fire. At the end, the demon king is defeated, but he sets off a nuke and the whole world is destroyed."
Well, that was a good story. :D
2. Balancing the characters : This is a bit more on the math side, so it is less complicated than mapping. What makes it really time consuming is that you have to test all of your characters to make sure none of them are overpowered. ;)
3. Writing a good story and letting the players know where to go : The story must be unique and has a great hook without cliches. Writing dialogues can be fairly easy unless someone sleeps through their English classes in school. However, the players need to have a hint of where to go without telling them flat out.
This is not Call Of Duty and the creator doesn't have to hold their hands and walk them through the entire game. Also, this is a truly original and inspiring story :
"Your name is Ralph or *Name Box appears*, and you are the chosen one to protect your kingdom. However, you have amnesia after your girlfriend banged you on the back of your head for peeking at her while she was taking a shower. You have to find your way to the demon king, with these other random freaks, and use your magic to kill it with fire. At the end, the demon king is defeated, but he sets off a nuke and the whole world is destroyed."
Well, that was a good story. :D
Pyramid_Head
16
Dialogue writing, to an extent, I mean, I love writing the characters dialoge, and fleshing them out, letting their personality traits shine through in cut-scenes... but I always write too damn much! In a lot of my older games (which will never EVER see the light of day) I always do the "repeating something that only needs to be said once fifteen times"
Oh, and mapping caves... I hate mapping caves. I can never get 'em right. they always look too awkward and artificial.
Oh, and mapping caves... I hate mapping caves. I can never get 'em right. they always look too awkward and artificial.
author=Itaju
I hate actually setting up story scenes for my game.
This is my thought exactly.
When it comes to eventing a long scene and writing the dialogue to make it flow and fit, that's what gets me.
And doing the inside of buildings.
hereisnowhy
418
Mapping. Mapping, mapping, mapping. I would rather sit and tweak game mechanics and add new quests for months straight than add huge new areas to my game. It kills me.
I need to be in the zone to do anything with RMing. Mapping, drawing, LPing, events, writing-
if I'm not in the mood, I won't do it. Otherwise it sucks.
Also, I try not to jump projects. Ever. I have, like, a million interesting ideas for rpg maker,
but the day I jump a project is the day I quit this hobby. It will never work for me so I'll never do it.
I find drawing and/or writing to be a good drop-back, if you will. For some god forsaking reason I can't make a boss today, I'll just hobby myself with some artwork or something in the realms of writing. I tend to role play my characters, instead of REALLY writing. Because REALLY writing is boring sometimes :P
Nanowrimo? For me? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuhahahaha~
And honestly, if I'm so much as thinking about my project, I'm still getting something done. Minor? Yes. Major in the long run? Sexy! <3
if I'm not in the mood, I won't do it. Otherwise it sucks.
Also, I try not to jump projects. Ever. I have, like, a million interesting ideas for rpg maker,
but the day I jump a project is the day I quit this hobby. It will never work for me so I'll never do it.
I find drawing and/or writing to be a good drop-back, if you will. For some god forsaking reason I can't make a boss today, I'll just hobby myself with some artwork or something in the realms of writing. I tend to role play my characters, instead of REALLY writing. Because REALLY writing is boring sometimes :P
Nanowrimo? For me? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuhahahaha~
And honestly, if I'm so much as thinking about my project, I'm still getting something done. Minor? Yes. Major in the long run? Sexy! <3
author=InfectionFilesI am the same way until I put on the musics.author=ItajuThis is my thought exactly.
I hate actually setting up story scenes for my game.
When it comes to eventing a long scene and writing the dialogue to make it flow and fit, that's what gets me.
Managing game state transition is just about the worst thing in the world.
That, and I dislike adding content. Constructing systems is much, much more fun for me.
That, and I dislike adding content. Constructing systems is much, much more fun for me.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=FlyingJester
That, and I dislike adding content. Constructing systems is much, much more fun for me.
Man, I feel the opposite. When I'm starting a project, I open up RPG Maker and there's no game to work on, so I just kind of... don't work on a game. I can imagine the systems I would want, but moving them from my imagination to game code is too daunting, to the point where I would often rather just download scripts that are sorta close and cut any features I would have to make myself. Meanwhile, once I'm rolling and have all the systems in place, continuing to roll is extremely easy, and I can make new content alllllll day. As long as I'm making that content in RPG Maker and not Photoshop, because screw graphics.
It just suddenly occured to me that this thread could be an excellent way of forming a team. Hi, I'm LockeZ, I hate coding systems and I hate making graphics. I love designing character skillsets, designing enemy and boss fights, and making cut scenes. I don't mind mapping or testing. Does anyone who hates some of the things I love and loves all of the things I hate want to team up and make a project? I will be available in 2073 after I finish making the graphics and systems for my current project, or you can help me out with that one.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
I'm allotting six months of procrastination for every week of work, due to how much I freaking hate graphics. I hate them that much.
Every few months, I forget that I hate them, and make some of the graphics I need for my game. Then after spending twenty minutes getting an NPC's arm to look right or an hour making a battle animation for a single skill, I remember. And go back to working on my text-only game.
Every few months, I forget that I hate them, and make some of the graphics I need for my game. Then after spending twenty minutes getting an NPC's arm to look right or an hour making a battle animation for a single skill, I remember. And go back to working on my text-only game.
Sana
678
Let's see..what hinders me? Well there's the dialogue for one thing. Definitely not my strong point, at all. Another would be..parallax mapping. Sure, it makes plenty of games look neater, and prettier, but the amount of time it takes when you're someone lazy like me? Oh dear.. D: (Even a small map, like below 30 x 30 can take me awhile if I'm unsure of what to put in it beforehand.)
It also takes me awhile to set up boss battles, making sure they're plenty difficult as I like a challenge, but not so OP where you get nuked in the first few turns, or time consuming that takes you hours to kill the damn thing. (Yiazmat welove hate you~)
It also takes me awhile to set up boss battles, making sure they're plenty difficult as I like a challenge, but not so OP where you get nuked in the first few turns, or time consuming that takes you hours to kill the damn thing. (Yiazmat we
author=LockeZauthor=FlyingJesterMan, I feel the opposite. When I'm starting a project, I open up RPG Maker and there's no game to work on, so I just kind of... don't work on a game.
That, and I dislike adding content. Constructing systems is much, much more fun for me.
That's a lot like how I feel when the systems are done. I have a battle system, a map engine, everything built...but no content to speak of. And then I get tired of the test screen, and nine times out of ten I just package up the scripts to use later.
At least it leaves me with a lot of reusable scripts.
Scalytank
462
Lets see...
- Writing the basic game things like mapengine, event system, and the editor itself (non rpgmaker project), to manage events, and do mapping :D (Its done now however, this was the greatest challenge in my entire life so far, regarding scripts...)
- Optimizing my scripts, to run at maximum performance (I have this "performance OCD", and I always want to script something the absolutely fastest way)
- Writing pathfinding to work flawlessly... Or any other complex script or math. Its done now but meh...
- All the custom graphics.. This is the main one I "hate" to make :D
- Writing the basic game things like mapengine, event system, and the editor itself (non rpgmaker project), to manage events, and do mapping :D (Its done now however, this was the greatest challenge in my entire life so far, regarding scripts...)
- Optimizing my scripts, to run at maximum performance (I have this "performance OCD", and I always want to script something the absolutely fastest way)
- Writing pathfinding to work flawlessly... Or any other complex script or math. Its done now but meh...
- All the custom graphics.. This is the main one I "hate" to make :D
