GENERICA - [RMVX..?]

Posts

I've been toying with the idea of creating another RM2k3 game in the Old School school of thought, similar to Hero's Realm, but with even a more retro look and feel. I was going to use Dragon Warrior IV chipsets and a combination of DW 1 - 4 charsets, music (midis) and monsters, (or at least that style - though I'm no pixel artist).

Before I get much farther, it occurred to me that this concept might make a fun Community Game. So here I am, throwing this out there - test the water, so to speak - to see what kind of reception this would get.

Are you interested in making an Old School RPG community game?

Naturally, I have a dozens of half-formed ideas floating in my head, and I've compiled a huge list of classes and class concepts and have some rudiments of a half-baked story and I will flesh out these ideas when the time comes, but I realized that I'd like someone else to bounce ideas off of. Taking it one step further, I saw that the simplicity of the traditional RPG concept really lends itself to a multiple input/community game, espcecially for the design phase.

Some of the concepts I'd like to see implemented:
  • Multiple playable classes (I <3 Classes)
  • Plenty of skills useable OUTSIDE of battle - lockpicking, stealth, lore/identifying items, persuade (conversation options), etc.. etc.. (borrowing heavily from the KOTOR concepts, but in a fantasy setting)
  • Plenty of skills inside battle, too
  • maybe a CBS? In the DW style, of course.

Anywho, if there isn't enough interest in a traditional RPG community game, I'll probably end up doing it on my own. I'd even love to work with people to hammer out the design of these systems, skills, spells, monsters, story, etc.. and I'd go ahead and make the game from the design specs.

Thoughts?
WIP
I'm not comfortable with any idea that can't be expressed in the form of men's jewelry
11363
I don't have any particular ideas, but I approve of this project.
I'll shower you with love if you use Etrian Odyssey monsters.
It's... just... crazy enough... to work!

I don't want to join in, but I'll watch from the sidelines. Good luck.
author=Forever An Ill Fate link=topic=67.msg867#msg867 date=1182368526
I'll shower you with love if you use Etrian Odyssey monsters.
Join the team and make your voice heard!

author=Chartley link=topic=67.msg869#msg869 date=1182369792
I'm down for it, sounds fun.
Excellent.

I'll maybe post something here tonight concerning the ideas running through my head, and you guys can rip them apart add your own helpful inputs!
I'm willing to contribute to brainstorming. I don't know if I'd be very useful as a full-on member of such a community project, though. I'm a writer-type, and this doesn't sound like a game that would rely on dialogue and plot as a driving force. I'm not so great with tinkering with mechanics, classes, monsters and skills. If you want a guy to help with plot and dungeon design, I'm willing to contribute.

I actually had a comedic premise for a exploration/skill learning based game occur to me today. Basically that the protagonist has absolutely no desire to be heroic, but is forced into it by having every opportunity to lead a mundane life snatched away from him. Not totally original, but I figured that if I wanted to make a game without much plot direction, that would be an amusing way to get things rolling without bogging the game down with a lot of plot significance.

You probably already have something in mind, though. But I thought I'd throw that out there anyway just in case.

I presume this is going to take place at the IRC channel?
author=Mewd link=topic=67.msg871#msg871 date=1182371741
I premise this is going to take place at the IRC channel?

The IRC channel is usually dead. Right now Holbert and I are in there having a Vanilla Ice vs. David Bowie argument.
Actually, one of the biggest stumbling blocks I ran into was that I have absolutely no good stories in mind.

What setting would have 4 (presumably) heroes just waiting around to choose classes, ready to embark on an epic adventure to save the world from pure evil? Not much comes to mind. I would love a deeper story than the King summoning you on your 16th brithday and instructing you to "follow your father's footsteps and kill the dreaded Demonlord. By the way, you can make a party at the local tavern."

P.S. Vanilla Ice is better.
author=kentona link=topic=67.msg873#msg873 date=1182372380
P.S. Vanilla Ice is better.

You suck.
WIP
I'm not comfortable with any idea that can't be expressed in the form of men's jewelry
11363
I think we should establish what you mean by "community game". Is that a game that involves our personas in the game (like Easy Mac), or just a game built by the community?
Dude, David Bowie danced with Muppets in Labyrinth. You can't deny that gives him a serious edge.

Something I need to ask: Are you wanting 'blank slate' characters, or pre-determined characters? Somewhere inbetween?

The protagonist is usually easiest to make a clean slate, since they are typically, in effect, you. If you give the player a lot of options, the game's leader is only an avatar for them.

You could have something like in Fallout or Baldur's Gate where team mates with distinct personalities join you depending on stats (Alignment, reputation, money, whatever) or quests (Do this guy a favor and he'll follow you to the ends of the Earth in gratitude)

Preset characters are easier to make interesting, because they can have distinct personalities, but if the entire party is made up of blank slates (see: Etrian Odyssey,) than you're just asking for an excuse for them to be adventuring. Which is much trickier, but by no means impossible to make interesting.

Do you have a preference, or would you rather try and work out the premise of the game before deciding on the characterization of the game?

If you're going for blank slate characters, how about this:

There was a big war to stop Generic Demon Guy. A big army went to go stop him, and LOST. Your group (Which you design, of course) is composed of survivors of the battle. You start out the game trying to just SURVIVE, because the world is now under complete control of Generic Demon Guy and is a place of complete danger. Your party has no delusions about being able to confront the demon (not yet, anyway) because he just decimated the entire army you belonged to. It gives you a non-leniar world to explore that can be approached in different ways. Quests would be readily available because EVERYONE is just trying to survive and you're this big attractive group of adventurers with weapons and skills who are able bodied to do what the common man can't. You have this big hopeless world, ala Fallout, with you as being someone who can DO something amongst the desolation.

That may still be too generic, but it can be fleshed out still. The villain can be toyed with to be more interesting.

Somebody give me an indication if I'm hot or cold with what you want.

author=WIP link=topic=67.msg875#msg875 date=1182373109
I think we should establish what you mean by "community game". Is that a game that involves our personas in the game (like Easy Mac), or just a game built by the community?

Right, that's what I originally thought. It would just feature rpgmaker.net members. But you mean a community wide effort. I am slightly interested. If these thing gets off the ground maybe I'll help with some general work or music composition. Though I'm not too familar with Dragon Quest music, I'd probably have to study it to be able to mimic it effectively.
author=Mewd link=topic=67.msg876#msg876 date=1182373978
Dude, David Bowie danced with Muppets in Labyrinth. You can't deny that gives him a serious edge.

YES. EXACTLY. THANK YOU.

eta: Also your game idea sounds really kickass.
Wow Mewd, that's way better than anything I came up with.

I have seesawed between both concepts you mentioned. Blank slate was how I approached Hero's Realm (for the most part) - All of the party members are completely blank slate, while the heroes are very minimally defined. You have come up with a pretty good reason to go adventuring, mind.

On the flip side, the other concept I was seriously considering was a set cast of 4 PCs, each starting out in a loosely defined base class, ie- 1 Rogue, 1 Magic User, 1 Warrior-type and 1-Completely generic (or maybe some sort of Creature/Monster/Pet). The characters would branch out into specific classes as the game progressed, but at the same time would have the advantage of having distinct personalities.

Alternatively, we could do the whole Job System approach, too. That's still on the table.

My only requirement/request is that we have lots o' class options (min/maxer possibilities! :P @ BR )

By the way, I meant a game built by the community.
WIP
I'm not comfortable with any idea that can't be expressed in the form of men's jewelry
11363
author=Mewd link=topic=67.msg876#msg876 date=1182373978
There was a big war to stop Generic Demon Guy. A big army went to go stop him, and LOST. Your group (Which you design, of course) is composed of survivors of the battle. You start out the game trying to just SURVIVE, because the world is now under complete control of Generic Demon Guy and is a place of complete danger. Your party has no delusions about being able to confront the demon (not yet, anyway) because he just decimated the entire army you belonged to. It gives you a non-leniar world to explore that can be approached in different ways. Quests would be readily available because EVERYONE is just trying to survive and you're this big attractive group of adventurers with weapons and skills who are able bodied to do what the common man can't. You have this big hopeless world, ala Fallout, with you as being someone who can DO something amongst the desolation.
This sounds totally awesome and I think we should go in that direction.
author=kentona link=topic=67.msg880#msg880 date=1182374606
On the flip side, the other concept I was seriously considering was a set cast of 4 PCs, each starting out in a loosely defined base class, ie- 1 Rogue, 1 Magic User, 1 Warrior-type and 1-Completely generic (or maybe some sort of Creature/Monster/Pet). The characters would branch out into specific classes as the game progressed, but at the same time would have the advantage of having distinct personalities.

If you do this in RMXP, you probably would be able to code a kind of "personality text system" which would take a generic block of text and color it depending on the character's personality.

You could actually do it in RM2k/3 too, come to think of it.

Ex: The text is "Let's head for the tower!"

if character=good "There's the tower! Soon this region will be free from the warlock's evil grasp!"
if character=evil "There's the tower! Remember, a mountain of gold awaits whomever brings the warlock's head back to the king."
author=Erave link=topic=67.msg877#msg877 date=1182374247
Right, that's what I originally thought. It would just feature rpgmaker.net members. But you mean a community wide effort. I am slightly interested. If these thing gets off the ground maybe I'll help with some general work or music composition. Though I'm not too familar with Dragon Quest music, I'd probably have to study it to be able to mimic it effectively.
Yeah, for like 4 minutes. Seriously, it's just beeps and boops. :) I'm totally excited that we have a music composer here, though.

What we could really use is a pixel artist. (I mean, Ragnar is cool n' all, but who honestly wears pink armor?)

Anywho, here is a massive class list I made months ago:

Abjurer Protective spells
Alchemist
Amazon
Archer Target Bow
Assassin Kill Blades
Bandit
Barbarian
Bard Sing/Hide Harps
Battle Mage
Battle Medic
Battle Wizard
Berserker Rage/Leap Axes
Bishop
Black Mage Black Magic Staff
Black Wizard
Blue Mage Blue Mage Staff
Buccaneer
Calculator Math
Cartomancer Cards/Chance Cards/Dice
Champion
Chemist Alchemy
Cleric Faith
Conjurer
Dancer Dance Epee
Diviner Divination
Druid Druid Magic Sacrifice
Elementalist Elemental Magic
Enchanter Charms/enchantments
Engineer Tools
Fighter
Geomancer Geo Staff
Grey Wizard
Gunner Shot Rifle
Harlequin
Healer
Hunter Traps Spear
Illusionist Illusion
Jester
Joker
Kensai
Knight Cover Sword/Shield
Lancer Jump Lance
Mage
Mage Warrior Enchant Sword
Magician
Medico
Mesmer
Mime Mimic ???
Mindfreak
Monk Fight Claws
Morpher Morph
Necromancer Curse/Undead Wands/Totems
Ninja Throw Katana
Oracle Effect Magic Totems
Paladin Scepter
Pilgrim
Pirate
Pixie
Priest W.Magic/Faith Staff
Ranger
Red Mage Black/White Sword
Rogue
Saboteur
Samurai Toss Katana
Shaman
Shapeshifter Shapeshift
Skald
Soldier
Sorcerer Wild Magic Orbs
Straken
Summoner Summon/Call
Swashbuckler
Thief Steal Mug
Time Mage Time Magic
Trainer Capture Whip
Warlock Curse Wand
Warrior Fight Sword
White Mage White Magic Staff
White Wizard
Wild Mage
Witch Hex/Whammy Wand
Wizard Black/White Wand
Wizardslayer

I just tried to come up with as many class distinctions I could think of, and maybe a bit of what sets them apart. A lot are very similar, but its a start. I haven't played Etrian Odyssey or Final Fantasy III (don't have a DS) so you guys can bulk up this list and we can whiddle it down later. Or whatever, this is something to chew on.


author=The Real Brickroad link=topic=67.msg882#msg882 date=1182374811
If you do this in RMXP, you probably would be able to code a kind of "personality text system" which would take a generic block of text and color it depending on the character's personality.

You could actually do it in RM2k/3 too, come to think of it.

Ex: The text is "Let's head for the tower!"

if character=good "There's the tower! Soon this region will be free from the warlock's evil grasp!"
if character=evil "There's the tower! Remember, a mountain of gold awaits whomever brings the warlock's head back to the king."
I like this Evilness Scale idea. Just have a variable keep track of Evilness. 100 == Holy, 0 == True Neutral, -100 == Really Evil.

Maybe in conjunction with some sort of influence system between the "hero" and the other 3? Just an idea.
It really depends on how much freedom you want to give the player.

If the group has predetermined 'roles,' that expand and go in different directions, it might be slightly easier to balance. Making the player make everyone from scratch makes the player more possessive of the group, though.

Either way, I think you just want to give the player a sensation of control over their character's growth (And satisfaction by rewarding them with the abilities they acquire)

Personality arch types are slightly more reasonable for cutscene and dialogue purposes. However, if the characters are pure clean slates, than they really don't have to talk at all. Their (your) actions will define who they are. (NPCs reacting accordingly as everything you do could effect reputation stats)

Pre-set personalities are a lot more dynamic to write for, though. Having generic responses defined by stats make for characters who aren't quite as 'real' but it's still neat to see your actions having consequences in your characters behavior.

I don't know if you want to get bogged down by a lot of characterization, though. But I could go either way.
Some MIDI resources: http://www.woodus.com/den/music/midi.php
Some graphical resources: http://www.sfu.ca/~kentona/hero/dw/dw4.zip

Confirmed joined so far:
Chartley
Lega
Mewd (or so it seems)

WIP approves.
Brickroad might make a dungeon.

Generica sounds likea good name.