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SURVEY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR GAME MAKER RPG ENGINE
Posts
Pasty
908
Pasty
View playlists
CloseHey, y'all.
I was given clearance to post this topic a while ago, but I wasn't able to get around to it until now (lazy).
I'm designing an open-source RPG design IDE for use with Game Maker Studio named gmRPG for my university's computer science Senior Design Capstone program, and I need a little bit of help determining where to focus the IDE, so I'm doing research into the RPG Maker suite in order to (hopefully) come out of it more able to apply that knowledge to what I'll be building during the semester.
What is gmRPG?
gmRPG is a planned toolkit for Game Maker Studio geared toward building role-playing games of all types in Game Maker. It will consist of an integrated development environment (IDE), constructed in C#/Windows Forms, that will augment Game Maker Studio's abilities in order to better focus them toward role-playing game development. gmRPG's engine features will be based on the Alcarys Complex codebase, and it will be licensed under GNU General Public License 3.0 upon its completion.
gmRPG's goal is not only to allow its user to build an RPG quickly and easily, but also to allow the user to utilize all of Game Maker Studio's features, which include:
- deploying a game to the following platforms: Android/Ouya, Apple OS X and iOS, Ubuntu Linux, Windows, Windows 8 Native, and Windows 8 Phone
- advanced features such as shaders, native compilation, networking, and cross-platform gamepad support
- an evolving codebase (for better or for worse) with robust QA support and a large community able to assist with the vast majority of programming and software problems
How does it work?
gmRPG works by letting the IDE hook into Game Maker Studio project .gmx files, which are built in the Extensible Markup Language (XML). It will load the game into memory based on the information in the project files, and then the user can use the IDE to edit their game. Saving the game will update the project files. At that point, the user can load the game into Game Maker Studio and compile their game.
Research Info
gmRPG is the capstone project for my BS Computer Science degree, and one step in the project is for me to research how to best design the IDE. You can find the proposal PDF for the project here.
Since I've been out of the loop for a while with regard to RPG Maker, one part of my research plan is to (obviously) use RPG Maker VX Ace and see how it works. The other part involves both a survey for general RPG Maker users and short research interviews of a few RPG Maker power users.
You can find a link to the survey here. Participation in the survey is completely anonymous - it doesn't collect any personal information besides an IP address. Be sure to read the header information of the survey before submitting anything! All it says is that your participation in this survey hinges on you not suing me back to the Stone Age if I incorporate your feedback into this project. If you're uncomfortable with my use of your feedback, please do not fill out the survey.
As far as the interviews go, I'm looking for up to five people who are technically competent with the use of RPG Maker. Naturally, showing me your technically complex projects increases your chances of being selected. I prefer VX/Ace power users, but don't think you're excluded from applying if you're proficient with XP or 2003. By participating, you give your permission for your feedback to be used in the project materials. This can include anything from initial design to final reports and presentations. Hit me up in this topic if you're interested.
Thanks for your help, and if you have any questions, feel free to let me know!
I was given clearance to post this topic a while ago, but I wasn't able to get around to it until now (lazy).
I'm designing an open-source RPG design IDE for use with Game Maker Studio named gmRPG for my university's computer science Senior Design Capstone program, and I need a little bit of help determining where to focus the IDE, so I'm doing research into the RPG Maker suite in order to (hopefully) come out of it more able to apply that knowledge to what I'll be building during the semester.
What is gmRPG?
gmRPG is a planned toolkit for Game Maker Studio geared toward building role-playing games of all types in Game Maker. It will consist of an integrated development environment (IDE), constructed in C#/Windows Forms, that will augment Game Maker Studio's abilities in order to better focus them toward role-playing game development. gmRPG's engine features will be based on the Alcarys Complex codebase, and it will be licensed under GNU General Public License 3.0 upon its completion.
gmRPG's goal is not only to allow its user to build an RPG quickly and easily, but also to allow the user to utilize all of Game Maker Studio's features, which include:
- deploying a game to the following platforms: Android/Ouya, Apple OS X and iOS, Ubuntu Linux, Windows, Windows 8 Native, and Windows 8 Phone
- advanced features such as shaders, native compilation, networking, and cross-platform gamepad support
- an evolving codebase (for better or for worse) with robust QA support and a large community able to assist with the vast majority of programming and software problems
How does it work?
gmRPG works by letting the IDE hook into Game Maker Studio project .gmx files, which are built in the Extensible Markup Language (XML). It will load the game into memory based on the information in the project files, and then the user can use the IDE to edit their game. Saving the game will update the project files. At that point, the user can load the game into Game Maker Studio and compile their game.
Research Info
gmRPG is the capstone project for my BS Computer Science degree, and one step in the project is for me to research how to best design the IDE. You can find the proposal PDF for the project here.
Since I've been out of the loop for a while with regard to RPG Maker, one part of my research plan is to (obviously) use RPG Maker VX Ace and see how it works. The other part involves both a survey for general RPG Maker users and short research interviews of a few RPG Maker power users.
You can find a link to the survey here. Participation in the survey is completely anonymous - it doesn't collect any personal information besides an IP address. Be sure to read the header information of the survey before submitting anything! All it says is that your participation in this survey hinges on you not suing me back to the Stone Age if I incorporate your feedback into this project. If you're uncomfortable with my use of your feedback, please do not fill out the survey.
As far as the interviews go, I'm looking for up to five people who are technically competent with the use of RPG Maker. Naturally, showing me your technically complex projects increases your chances of being selected. I prefer VX/Ace power users, but don't think you're excluded from applying if you're proficient with XP or 2003. By participating, you give your permission for your feedback to be used in the project materials. This can include anything from initial design to final reports and presentations. Hit me up in this topic if you're interested.
Thanks for your help, and if you have any questions, feel free to let me know!
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
Pasty
908
author=yukipo
I participated.
What's the timeline on this capstone project?
The goal is to have something fairly usable and robust by the end of the year. (In fact, my grade depends on it.) I'm not even supposed to start working on this for another month, but it doesn't hurt to gather information and lay the groundwork beforehand.
author=DrMadFellow
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
I agree, and I'm exploring ways to make this kind of stuff easier. The overall goal is ease of use - since Game Maker is far more powerful and extensible than any RPG Maker product, they've got the complexity covered for people who want it, which allows me to focus on making this extension program easy to use. I'll be talking with students and faculty who have UI and usability expertise during the semester in order to facilitate this end.
Thanks for the feedback so far!
Milennin
2060
It's not really possible to answer the survey when it asks what's the single best/worst feature. There's so many things to consider, it doesn't work.
Instead of the survey I'll go with this quote.
author=DrMadFellow
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
Instead of the survey I'll go with this quote.
Pasty
908
Find, replace "best/worst" with "most favorite/least favorite". The question is more geared toward making sure things people really like and things people really hate float to the top for further analysis. I can still change the question wording, so I'll go ahead and clarify. Thanks for bringing that up!
Edit: I actually can't change the question wording, so please keep this in mind when answering.
Edit: I actually can't change the question wording, so please keep this in mind when answering.
I wish the best of luck with this project. Getting an early jump on things sounds like a good idea, since time will melt down quicker than you realize. I'm curious as to why this is due by the end of the year (is that when you graduate?). Hopefully, people will offer to be interviewed (you might to bold a thing or two here and there, since it is easy to miss the important info if just doing a cursory glance).
This project is for an undergrad degree? That's a lot of work
for something like that. I would expect this for something
like a Masters of PHD. The most complicated thing I ever had
to do in my BA was write a 10 page essay on Milton's Paradise Lost.
Completed the survey anyways.
author=DrMadFellow
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
I disagree 100%. Any game engine which lacks scripting capabilities is effectively worthless because you're confined to the built-in limitations of the engine.
CyberDagger
10
author=DrMadFellow
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
You had no such freedom. Everything you could do with 2k3 you can do with Ace without scripts. What you can do with scripts is stuff you couldn't do before. 2k3's limitations simply placed a ceiling on what you could do with the platform, so it was easier to use it to its full potential. It's not that 2k3 let you the complicated things easier, what happened is that 2k3 didn't let you dod the complicated things at all.
And if I may be brutally honest here, if you're not willing to learn a scripting language for the sake of your game, you have no right to call yourself a game designer.
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
You realize RPG Maker events are a scripting language, right?
They're just a shitty one that doesn't have many options.
They're just a shitty one that doesn't have many options.
author=CyberDaggerauthor=DrMadFellowYou had no such freedom. Everything you could do with 2k3 you can do with Ace without scripts. What you can do with scripts is stuff you couldn't do before. 2k3's limitations simply placed a ceiling on what you could do with the platform, so it was easier to use it to its full potential. It's not that 2k3 let you the complicated things easier, what happened is that 2k3 didn't let you dod the complicated things at all.
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
And if I may be brutally honest here, if you're not willing to learn a scripting language for the sake of your game, you have no right to call yourself a game designer.
That's a bit harsh. Programming and game design are completely different things. If I am unwilling or unable to figure out FL Studio, and thus cannot compose music (an important facet of a game), I can't consider myself a game designer either?
Anywho, I only have lightweight knowledge of RM VX/Ace, but I was decent in 2k3. If you find yourself lacking interviewees, hit me up. (but try to find others first)
TheNecromancer
3160
author=Saileriusauthor=DrMadFellowI disagree 100%. Any game engine which lacks scripting capabilities is effectively worthless because you're confined to the built-in limitations of the engine.
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
He didn't say anything about removing or limiting scripting in any way. He just wants to be able to use most of the core functions without scripting. I tend to agree. An engine can easily do that, while at the same time having scripting power for those who want to use it.
This is an interesting idea, I suppose I could take the survey in it's just a few questions. I might be interested in the interview thing. I only know 2k3 atm, but I know it well.
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
Survey is only 8 questions.
Avee
5794
I've been slowly getting into using Game Maker for a while.
I'd like if the engine offered the implementation of a bunch of typical RPG elements (i.e. experience, stats, skillsets, menus, equipment, etc.) easily as long as I can still make the main gameplay system (i.e. the genre = action, strategy, shooter, roguelike, etc.) whatever I like using the regular features of the engine.
The wrong way to go about it would be to include a default, generic RPG battle and exploration system like those of the RPG Maker suite. I hope this is not what you're aiming for. Let's have "GM do what RM don't" if you know what I mean.
In any case, I wish you much success with this project.
I'd like if the engine offered the implementation of a bunch of typical RPG elements (i.e. experience, stats, skillsets, menus, equipment, etc.) easily as long as I can still make the main gameplay system (i.e. the genre = action, strategy, shooter, roguelike, etc.) whatever I like using the regular features of the engine.
The wrong way to go about it would be to include a default, generic RPG battle and exploration system like those of the RPG Maker suite. I hope this is not what you're aiming for. Let's have "GM do what RM don't" if you know what I mean.
In any case, I wish you much success with this project.
author=Link_2112author=SaileriusHe didn't say anything about removing or limiting scripting in any way. He just wants to be able to use most of the core functions without scripting. I tend to agree. An engine can easily do that, while at the same time having scripting power for those who want to use it.author=DrMadFellowI disagree 100%. Any game engine which lacks scripting capabilities is effectively worthless because you're confined to the built-in limitations of the engine.
Please dear god don't make this engine entirely reliant on scripts to be any good. I hate not having the freedom I had with 2k3 because "just script it yourself" Is a thing now... Not all of us want to learn scripting languages.
This is an interesting idea, I suppose I could take the survey in it's just a few questions. I might be interested in the interview thing. I only know 2k3 atm, but I know it well.
This is exactly what I meant, I fully support having a scripting language, and i've already been able to do some cool things because of it.
author=CyberDagger
And if I may be brutally honest here, if you're not willing to learn a scripting language for the sake of your game, you have no right to call yourself a game designer.
Dude... are you serious right now? I have spent thousands of hours planning, writing for and drawing my maps. What gives you "the right" to say that just because I don't want to learn a scripting language I have "no right" to call myself a game designer. So if I may be brutally honest here, bite my shiny metal ass. :-3
Pasty
908
Wow, this thing blew up! Anyway, a couple things:
Separating the scripting from the "easy" aspects of this program will be virtually impossible. After all, Game Maker's drag-and-drop functionality is just GML commands assembled into a palatable interface geared toward novice programmers. Expect to have to "dip into" the scripting side at some point (this is true with anything complex, really). But I'm inclined to think that the IDE itself will omit scripting, for the most part. If you really want to muck around in the engine, just open up Game Maker Studio and do it that way. It'll be way easier on you (and I promise to make everything super-readable)!
That being said, at no point will I intentionally attempt to hobble the program in a way that shuts novices/non-scripters out. I actually have a few UX ideas I'd like to burn on this project that I haven't seen done in other game design programs, so this is as good a chance as any. Examples:
The database (RPG elements) will probably be the easiest thing to construct, and is probably the thing that will go in first on the backend. A program like this should allow for as many or as few components as the user desires. If I want 15 equipment slots for each character, I should be able to define that many in the IDE (in addition to setting item filters for each slot) without cracking open Studio and copy/pasting code. If I want three, same thing. If I want a hundred or even a thousand stat variables, I should be able to make that happen very easily in the IDE.
Also, if any major gameplay systems are included, and I'm not willing to comment one way or the other on that just yet, they will be completely optional. They will be able to be turned on or off at the click of a button (though only one can be on at a time for obvious reasons) and their GML will be compartmentalized so that the associated resources are easily removable.
For our CompSci BS, we have to take on something computer science related. I took this on myself (we're allowed to choose what we want to work on), and I figure it'd be more interesting than developing an iPhone shopping list app. :)
December is just when the project needs to be turned in. Nothing special. I'm hoping that the GML codebase I already have will provide a good path to something that will satisfy my program's requirements by December. It doesn't have to be finished, but it DOES have to work, even if it's only limited or one-way (from gmRPG to Studio) support. Think of it as a "proof-of-concept".
EDIT: Just read a survey comment about tile snapping. gmRPG will be designed from the ground up to allow the player character to move using either strict grid snapping (Final Fantasy), loose grid snapping (Zelda), or pixel-based movement (Mana, Chrono Trigger).
Separating the scripting from the "easy" aspects of this program will be virtually impossible. After all, Game Maker's drag-and-drop functionality is just GML commands assembled into a palatable interface geared toward novice programmers. Expect to have to "dip into" the scripting side at some point (this is true with anything complex, really). But I'm inclined to think that the IDE itself will omit scripting, for the most part. If you really want to muck around in the engine, just open up Game Maker Studio and do it that way. It'll be way easier on you (and I promise to make everything super-readable)!
That being said, at no point will I intentionally attempt to hobble the program in a way that shuts novices/non-scripters out. I actually have a few UX ideas I'd like to burn on this project that I haven't seen done in other game design programs, so this is as good a chance as any. Examples:
- Alcarys Complex's debug mode had the ability to "draw" certain cutscene staging directions (moving and facing, mostly) while in the game and output them to a script file. I'd like to be able to extend that to everything in the engine.
- I'd like the map editor to have a feature that visually "links" your teleport events to the map they're pointed at, so users can easily identify and correct spatial disparities between maps. See this mockup for what it could look like. This is pretty advanced, though, and I don't expect it to make the cut before December.
- People using an event interface should be able to write a line of GML and include it as an event. For instance, you could use the "Draw Rectangle" dialog to draw a rectangle to the screen, or you could define a new GML event with a command like draw_rectangle(32,32,64,64,1); and both would yield the same thing. Lines only! If you want functions and full scripts, you're better off opening up Studio.
author=Avee
I'd like if the engine offered the implementation of a bunch of typical RPG elements (i.e. experience, stats, skillsets, menus, equipment, etc.) easily as long as I can still make the main gameplay system (i.e. the genre = action, strategy, shooter, roguelike, etc.) whatever I like using the regular features of the engine.
The wrong way to go about it would be to include a default, generic RPG battle and exploration system like those of the RPG Maker suite. I hope this is not what you're aiming for. Let's have "GM do what RM don't" if you know what I mean.
In any case, I wish you much success with this project.
The database (RPG elements) will probably be the easiest thing to construct, and is probably the thing that will go in first on the backend. A program like this should allow for as many or as few components as the user desires. If I want 15 equipment slots for each character, I should be able to define that many in the IDE (in addition to setting item filters for each slot) without cracking open Studio and copy/pasting code. If I want three, same thing. If I want a hundred or even a thousand stat variables, I should be able to make that happen very easily in the IDE.
Also, if any major gameplay systems are included, and I'm not willing to comment one way or the other on that just yet, they will be completely optional. They will be able to be turned on or off at the click of a button (though only one can be on at a time for obvious reasons) and their GML will be compartmentalized so that the associated resources are easily removable.
author=kory_toombs
This project is for an undergrad degree? That's a lot of work for something like that. I would expect this for something like a Masters of PHD. The most complicated thing I ever had to do in my BA was write a 10 page essay on Milton's Paradise Lost.
Completed the survey anyways.
For our CompSci BS, we have to take on something computer science related. I took this on myself (we're allowed to choose what we want to work on), and I figure it'd be more interesting than developing an iPhone shopping list app. :)
author=edchuy
I'm curious as to why this is due by the end of the year (is that when you graduate?).
December is just when the project needs to be turned in. Nothing special. I'm hoping that the GML codebase I already have will provide a good path to something that will satisfy my program's requirements by December. It doesn't have to be finished, but it DOES have to work, even if it's only limited or one-way (from gmRPG to Studio) support. Think of it as a "proof-of-concept".
EDIT: Just read a survey comment about tile snapping. gmRPG will be designed from the ground up to allow the player character to move using either strict grid snapping (Final Fantasy), loose grid snapping (Zelda), or pixel-based movement (Mana, Chrono Trigger).
noellechan
529
Took the survey, and looking forward to what you have to offer with the program! I personally know very little Ruby (or any other language) so like what was said before, it would be nice to have lots of features that can be implemented without scripting. I'm not sure the "look" you're going for, but have you thought about looking at RPGs that have been made and successful to draw ideas for features to include?
