MAKING A GAME

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So, it's been a while since I did anything with RPG Maker *cough* go download Fenrir *cough*, and now that my degree's pretty much finished I wouldn't mind making another game in RM2k3. Why 2k3? Because I know 2k3, I'm familiar with 2k3 and I can make 2k3 dance however I want it to, well, almost. Plus, using 2k3 keeps things niiice and casual for me.

I've got a couple of ideas floating around, a few ideas for simple systems. I'd love for you guys to pick them apart for me.

I've been debating an open world, versus say, a three act linear story. The linear story would not be void of side quests and exploration, but you would get subtle hints before completing the last main bit of story for Act 1 that you won't be able to go back and finish any of Act 1's side quests or even access some of Act 1's areas after Act 1's completion, if this makes sense.

I recently completed, and thoroughly enjoyed, Mass Effect 1 and 2, and while I think it would be too big a task to make large changes in the story based upon your decisions as can happen in Mass Effect, I do think it would be neat to play on the whole Paragon/ Renegade system. For the uninformed, it's an old and basic system where you choose how to reply to people and a statistic changes depending on your answers making you more of a dick or more of an angel. Mass Effect took it further but I like the basic concept and I think I could use it to change people's reactions to you and maybe force a dickhead player to approach a mission in a different way to an angel player. I think it would also be fun to put the lives of minor characters in your hands and have small reprucussions later based on your choices, but nothing huge or complicated.

May I apologise now if this sounds a little jumbled, I'm literally typing while I think.

Time period struck me. Classical RPGs set in the past are done and dusted, but it is incredibly easy to find resources for such titles, and I already did a game set in the future *couch* go download Fenrir *cough* so it would be nice to do a more traditonally styled RPG, and this includes random encounters.

For me, I like random encounters, so long as there isn't one every two steps. I believe that there are still people who love to hunt these creatures down and grind against them, or try and force that one rare drop item from a group. I did consider, for the less hardcore, an arena, where you can fight stronger monsters and earn EXP more quickly. Maybe you would have to pay or complete a side quest to open this arena.

For the dungeons, I would be looking towards Zelda for inspiration. Zelda has you dodging arrows, spinning flame wheels, using switches to change layouts of rooms, using certain items in certain areas... Smart but familiar puzzles that grow in difficulty. These are the kind of dungeons where, despite what I said earlier, I would turn random encounters off. It would just be you, and the puzzles and cavernous maze of the dungeon. If grinding were neccessary I would place a 'spawning pit' near the boss room that was known for giving birth to local monsters so players could grind without having to leave the dungeon and come back.

I think I need to really narrow my ideas down and write a design document. I have a plot. It is not finalised yet. I have the rough ideas, characters, locations and how they get from one place to another, but some of the details are missing, there are gaps in the storyline, a few characters need personalities tweaking and ultimately I need to decide whether to be open world or more linear Act based before I can start writing scripts or anything.

What do you guys think?
I'd say if you have that spur of enthusiasm to make a free roam RPG then go for it, though when I was intending to do one it took me a very long time of planning and thinking things through to make sure I wasn't going to start a lost cause project.
Strike while the iron is water under the bridge, I say! If you feel enthused enough to start a new project, do it!

As for RM2k3, I have no problem with it. Just know that RMVX is virtually identical to it in almost every respect (I was actually a little underwhelmed by how similar it was) but it has fixes to some of the glitches in RM2k3, like battles pausing if someone uses a link to event battle command.
Since there is technically a way to convert 200x Resources to VX (with a little bit of work on it) there's more reason to use VX.
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Just know that RMVX is virtually identical to it in almost every respect (I was actually a little underwhelmed by how similar it was) but it has fixes to some of the glitches in RM2k3, like battles pausing if someone uses a link to event battle command.


Well, of course it is, Kentona. You and Craze a getting pretty redundant about the subject, as it is.

Sam's familiar with 2K3, so it doesn't surprise me that he isn't going to use VX...shouldn't really surprise anyone else.
tardis
is it too late for ironhide facepalm
308
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Well, of course it is, Kentona. You and Craze a getting pretty redundant about the subject, as it is.


where was the part where he was jumping down sam's throat and being a dick about it? seriously, point it out. i must have missed it.
Definately taking the advice of strike while the iron's hot. The plot I have in mind suits a three act story better, but it wouldn't be impossible to do as a free roam game, but then, a three acts tory would essentially be making it as three seperate, smaller games, yet in the plot there'd be no reason to return to certain areas and plenty of reasons why you wouldn't be welcome to return (maybe I've said too much).

As for VX... I never warmed to VX's mapping, and I know a lot of people say this, but I'm not just talking about how blocky the presets look and only having one chipset. I could easily and happily make one giant chipset with everything I needed, but I noticed when I last gave VX a chance that it likes to make assumptions while you're mapping as to what should overlay what and I really didn't like that. It's not that I disrespect anyone who uses VX, and it's not that I think it's a bad program, nor am I too stuck in my roots to give it a chance, I just tried it and didn't think it was for me.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
then use XP





if you make a free-roam game without self-switches you are the biggest idiot

(hey tardis, here's your throat-jumping!)
I think I have enough 2k3 cred to make an earnest recommendation about VX.

Anywho, as for settings, there are more than just fantasy or sci-fi. Why not make a game set in a native american-esque setting? We need more RPGs about Braves and Warriors with tomahawks.
Hexatona
JESEUS MIMLLION SPOLERS
3702
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I think I have enough 2k3 cred to make an earnest recommendation about VX.

Anywho, as for settings, there are more than just fantasy or sci-fi. Why not make a game set in a native american-esque setting? We need more RPGs about Braves and Warriors with tomahawks.


Shameless plug
post=140610
where was the part where he was jumping down sam's throat and being a dick about it? seriously, point it out. i must have missed it.


He wasn't...and neither was I.
Seriously...simmer down, Tardis; I'm not trying to start anything.
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What happened to the Fenrir sequel?!

:(


It went through planning, then went through planning again, then a bit of a rewrite, then an engone change, then a graphical facelift, then a bit of kicking and screaming, then a bit of "Oh hell, I have uni work I should have been doing..."

It's currently scheduled for release when I next visit either of my parents for a holiday with a laptop in tow and remember how boring those guys are.
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