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[IDEAS] WHAT DOES A RPG NEED?
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AlexAG
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AlexAG
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CloseWhat does a RPG need? Okay so this may seem like a dumb question but I was wondering what the community thought.
So feel free to comment down below on what a good RPG game needs.
Thank's! -Alex
So feel free to comment down below on what a good RPG game needs.
Thank's! -Alex
50 hours of gameplay and 250 custom systems, a relationship system, a weather system, a thievery system, a love triangle, wacky hair, 20 plot twisters, at least 3 ellipses per message box, bucketloads of humour, 4th wall breaking references, super slow walking speed (walking fast ruins the immersion in your beautifully handcrafted maps!), animals that make funny noises when you interact with them, and a condescending attitude towards anyone who dares critique your work, especially if it is unbiased, constructive feedback aimed at making your game better. You can't have any of that! It will only improve the game.
author=Neokauthor=CrazeBut not fun
gameplay and progression
It can be an RPG with being fun, technically.
Then again, if my numbers are going up I'm still having a little bit of fun.
You cannot manufacture any sort of universal fun. If your gameplay and progression are less frustrating than understandable, somebody will probably find it fun.
If you don't like making the game, toss it out.
If you don't like making the game, toss it out.
for fuck's sake this thread has IDEA in the name it should be put in Game Ideas & Design srsly
also topic is too broad and ill-defined to be useful
also topic is too broad and ill-defined to be useful
flapbat
1053
I disagree with Max. With all due respect (cause you're a cool guy, Max), who seriously gives a flying fuck? The topic allows for spontaneity and rambling, and that's fine by me.
I think more games need quality writing. Writing is an art, and like visual art, not everyone has that talent. Most games I've played have very unpolished dialogue and concepts. This is one area, aside from graphics, that really sets professional games above indies. In an ideal world, every serious game-making team should have a writer to make the game come to life!
Playtesting would be a nice addition to most games too ")
-flap
I think more games need quality writing. Writing is an art, and like visual art, not everyone has that talent. Most games I've played have very unpolished dialogue and concepts. This is one area, aside from graphics, that really sets professional games above indies. In an ideal world, every serious game-making team should have a writer to make the game come to life!
Playtesting would be a nice addition to most games too ")
-flap
suzy_cheesedreams
1480
author=flapbat
I think more games need quality writing. Writing is an art, and like visual art, not everyone has that talent. Most games I've played have very unpolished dialogue and concepts. This is one area, aside from graphics, that really sets professional games above indies. In an ideal world, every serious game-making team should have a writer to make the game come to life!
Agreed that more games (in this case rpgs) need better writing, but I don't think professional games are necessarily always better than indie games in this department. I mean... I've played big games that had pretty shitty writing.
A reason this unpolished type of stuff would be more common is the accessibility of free/relatively cheap game engines, I guess.
Anyway yeah, I'd like to see more rpgs with more imaginative plots & characters that push past mainstream rpg ideas. ...I also like a lot of the lame rpg tropes of yesteryear like spiky hair and noisy animals (who didn't like throwing chickens around in Wild ARMs?.
SO... I guess the writing needs to be imbued with personality, however that can be achieved. Some games come off really flat and boring, with no depth to the characters, no thought-provoking story - even if the game is purposefully simple, it can be much more memorable by virtue of having an endearing cast and entertaining plot.
I don't know what the exact elements of fun or likeable characters/plot are, so I'll shut up for now :P
I disagree with Max. With all due respect (cause you're a cool guy, Max), who seriously gives a flying fuck? The topic allows for spontaneity and rambling, and that's fine by me.
you're right flappy why have forum categories at all *eyeroll*
flapbat
1053
Categories are fine. But there's no reason to respond with hostility when making a point, unless you want to create bad PR for RMN and intimidate people away from the site :) Besides, it's not like these forums are exactly brimming over with hundreds of posts.
I like my nickname. I'm working on another dolphin game, just for you.
-flap
I like my nickname. I'm working on another dolphin game, just for you.
-flap
Roots
14
I think the real answer is "it depends", as everyone has different reasons and motivations for playing RPGs. Having said that, these are the three things I most desire in RPGs:
1) Great story and writing
I'm most interested in continuing to play a game when I'm interested in the story and I want to find out what happens next.
2) Character development
Even with a great story, stale and boring characters can really drag down the experience. I love having interesting and dynamic characters that I build a sort of attachment to.
3) Gameplay
Gameplay is really important as well. If you have a boring or tedious battle system in between story events, then only half the game is fun (whenever you're not in a battle). If battles are lame enough, I tend to stop playing before the game is finished.
1) Great story and writing
I'm most interested in continuing to play a game when I'm interested in the story and I want to find out what happens next.
2) Character development
Even with a great story, stale and boring characters can really drag down the experience. I love having interesting and dynamic characters that I build a sort of attachment to.
3) Gameplay
Gameplay is really important as well. If you have a boring or tedious battle system in between story events, then only half the game is fun (whenever you're not in a battle). If battles are lame enough, I tend to stop playing before the game is finished.
Tsukihime
1770
In addition to the points made about gameplay, story, and character development, something else you should consider are miscellaneous activities.
Things that may have nothing to do with the plot at hand, such as collecting items, or becoming a master of some card game, or maybe taking on sidequests or exploring bonus dungeons.
They may all be used for any of the other purposes such unlock additional scenes that will further drive character development, or they may just be for challenge and sense of accomplishment (some people do like getting 100% completion, so make it explicit)
Things that may have nothing to do with the plot at hand, such as collecting items, or becoming a master of some card game, or maybe taking on sidequests or exploring bonus dungeons.
They may all be used for any of the other purposes such unlock additional scenes that will further drive character development, or they may just be for challenge and sense of accomplishment (some people do like getting 100% completion, so make it explicit)
author=CashmereCatoh god this made my day
50 hours of gameplay and 250 custom systems, a relationship system, a weather system, a thievery system, a love triangle, wacky hair, 20 plot twisters, at least 3 ellipses per message box, bucketloads of humour, 4th wall breaking references, super slow walking speed (walking fast ruins the immersion in your beautifully handcrafted maps!), animals that make funny noises when you interact with them, and a condescending attitude towards anyone who dares critique your work, especially if it is unbiased, constructive feedback aimed at making your game better. You can't have any of that! It will only improve the game.
But yeah, basically just have a well-written story, fun gameplay, developed characters and whatnot, maybe some unique aspects here and there to separate it from FUN FF/DRAGON QUEST/DISGAEA CLONE!!!!!!11 and you'll be good.
Sooz
They told me I was mad when I said I was going to create a spidertable. Who’s laughing now!!!
5354
Is this a question on what makes a game an RPG, or what an RPG should have to be enjoyable? The OP doesn't really make it clear.
emmych
817
author=Craze
You cannot manufacture any sort of universal fun. If your gameplay and progression are less frustrating than understandable, somebody will probably find it fun.
If you don't like making the game, toss it out.
Such good words <3
I'm also gonna add "characters I can care about", since yes sometimes games are fun, but I don't give a flying fuck about what's going on, so I quit after a while. I mean, obviously this doesn't always fly! I played through all of Tales of the Abyss while making fart noises and rolling my eyes and the awful writing just because it was super fun. It did, however, take me way longer than Arc Rise Fantasia, an equally fun game with equally stupid writing. ARF had way better characters, though, so I was more into it.
Basically I don't care if I'm punching god for the umpteenth time, just give me people I care about.
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
1) Sharks
2) Lava sharks
3) Sharks with sunglasses
4) Sharks that shoot other sharks out of bazookas
5) Additional shark varieties
Edit: I was searching for a previous post I'd made on this subject, and instead found this gem in a similar topic titled "What is the key to making a rpg most people will like?"
Edit2: Found the real post I was looking for.
But really you should go read all three pages of the old thread, which is about the same topic as this thread.
2) Lava sharks
3) Sharks with sunglasses
4) Sharks that shoot other sharks out of bazookas
5) Additional shark varieties
Edit: I was searching for a previous post I'd made on this subject, and instead found this gem in a similar topic titled "What is the key to making a rpg most people will like?"
author=LockeZ
Step 1: Make an RPG with first person shooter elements
Step 2: Play up the first person shooter elements as much as possible
Step 3: Remove the RPG elements
Edit2: Found the real post I was looking for.
author=LockeZ
Child of Light is a game that focuses on breathtakingly beautiful environments at the expense of almost every other aspect of the game. There are certainly games out there that some people will really enjoy and others will despise, because they focused on one area but ignored another. But when you reach a certain level of quality, even people who aren't normally attracted to that type of game are gonna be like, "...holy crap, this is great."
I feel like the designers of Child of Light really didn't feel like gameplay was a "must have" in their game at all. They just sort of left gameplay design out of their budget, and hoped that exploring the art would be interesting enough to make people keep playing. The catch is that: yes, they were right. It was enough even for a hardened soul like me.
The moral of the story is, if what you put in the game is good enough, you can leave out anything.
But really you should go read all three pages of the old thread, which is about the same topic as this thread.
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