WHATCHU WORKIN' ON? TELL US!

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In between finals work, in order to stay sane, I keep popping over to my current project.

In which I've just scrapped about 90% of the story. I love the lockpicking system I have and really want to keep the whole "thief" aspect of the game, but making it seem like a "globe spanning treasure hunt" in a totally new setting is just a bad idea.

So, I'm currently thinking of how to integrate it into my existing setting the "Shackles of Varn" in an interesting way.

That and I'm looking into and ATB-cooldown battle system, since the game seems like it'll be best served as a solo or duo cast adventure. In fact, the ideas I'm coming up with make me want to keep using Yanfly's ATB system in future games, it's great.
author=Aegix_Drakan
In which I've just scrapped about 90% of the story.


You're taking the phrase "Murder your darlings" to extreme levels! I like it!
BizarreMonkey
I'll never change. "Me" is better than your opinion, dummy!
1625
Since being banned is on the charts of hard things to do like 'curing cancer' or 'defying the laws of physics' I'm gonna chill a bit and post some stuff I've been working away on during my sadly brief absence.

The last 5 days I've made loads of progress on I314, but I think the progress I'm proudest of is the faces.
Rolly
http://i.imgur.com/Uk4B6ju.png
Pep
http://i.imgur.com/atUxBHM.png
Tristy Ascended
http://i.imgur.com/FaBYpfy.png
Links because the standalone images are HUGE.
author=Merlandese
author=Aegix_Drakan
In which I've just scrapped about 90% of the story.
You're taking the phrase "Murder your darlings" to extreme levels! I like it!

XD More like realizing "Dude, this frankenstein's monster is a mutated monstrosity. I need to take it apart and put it back together in a way that its capable of functioning in society before it wakes up and murders the whole village", but close enough.

Basically, I just went "Do I REALLY want to make a whole new setting with whole new political intrigue and mythology including functional sun worship, and make a whole cast of people I'll never use again, AND make many whole towns and stuff...Or should I just condense the content and set it in my already EXISTING game world that I'm desperate to do more content for? ...I'll go with option B, thanks."

It's painful to axe a story you've started getting invested in, but if it's for the good of the game, and it improves the story, then you HAVE to do it. All that matters is the end product and whether it's good or not, really.

EDIT: Oh, and on the subject of "murdering your darlings", do you have any idea how painful it is to make a character you REALLY end up liking...And then you HAVE to kill them off because the story won't work otherwise because you planned that death from the beginning? It huuuuurts, bro. It really hurts. ;_;
author=Gretgor
author=SgtMettool
Plugging away at some spritework. I'm going for more Earthbound-ish proportions this time around.
I like this! What project are you gonna use it on?


He's going into a little something, yeah.

Gretgor
Having gotten my first 4/5, I must now work hard to obtain... my second 4/5.
3420
Having zero experience with actual design, I'm currently trying to figure out a way to keep a combat-less game entertaining in spite of needing to backtrack through vast maps. The problem is that, once every puzzle in the maps is solved, backtracking through them in search of secrets becomes tedious due to the lack of something to respond to. Any ideas?
@Gretgor: I'd have to ask what you feel the core experience of your game is. So... now I'm asking that. XD What is the core experience you think your game is providing?
Gretgor
Having gotten my first 4/5, I must now work hard to obtain... my second 4/5.
3420
author=Sated
Unless you're giving them items further down the line that allow them to open up new areas when backtracking (Metroid is a good example of this) then why are they backtracking?

That's exactly what I'm doing, actually. The players will sometimes have to backtrack with new capabilities in order to open up new paths, some of which lead to progress in the game's main development, and others which give out some secrets. The idea is that having the player find the right place to go, rather than taking the player by the hand and showing them what to do next, should be part of the game's experience. That, and discovering the secret stuff, which I plan to make as exciting as possible, spread around the maps.

So yeah, backtracking is kind of essential under those circumstances.

author=Merlandese
@Gretgor: I'd have to ask what you feel the core experience of your game is. So... now I'm asking that. XD What is the core experience you think your game is providing?

Exploring sceneries, solving puzzles to open up new paths, searching for secrets, unveiling a story as you go, and doing some side quests sometimes. Think about a "Metroidvania" but without any action involved, maybe something of a "Mystroidvania"... I should stop trying to make up a name for this.
Gretgor
Having gotten my first 4/5, I must now work hard to obtain... my second 4/5.
3420
author=Sated
In that case, I don't know why you're that worried. That's a good reason to have the player backtrack. If you're really worried about the backtracking getting boring then perhaps you could make it so that the new tools the player obtains open up short-cuts that reduce the amount of backtracking required?


The thing is, sometimes, searching for a place to use a new skill might take a long walking time, especially if you remembered that one awesome spot across the game map where you could use the skill you just got, and are eager to get there. In a game like Zelda, whenever you have to do that, you can kill enemies on your way to remain entertained, and imagining those vast maps completely enemy-less made me feel like it would be kinda boring.

The shortcut idea is something I'm already using, but something makes me feel like it's not going to be enough :'(
@Gretgor: What about something to increase mobility? I don't know if there's a term for this, but the skates in Wild Arms and the ability to roll using Rand's field ability in Breath of Fire 2 create an impromptu avoidance game for the player. It's like a self-imposed mini-game that makes traversing the area faster and more fun. I'm not sure if that'll fit with the tone of your game, though.
Gretgor
Having gotten my first 4/5, I must now work hard to obtain... my second 4/5.
3420
author=Sated
Why are you specifically worried about the player being bored when backtracking, but not when progressing forwards, giving that the maps are all going to require a long walk time?

I think you're over-thinking this a tad.

When progressing forward, there's usually going to be a puzzle to solve on the way, so there'll be something to think about. The problem is that there's literally nothing to respond to on the way back. It'd be easier if I just made a project page to show what I intend :\

author=Housekeeping
@Gretgor: What about something to increase mobility? I don't know if there's a term for this, but the skates in Wild Arms and the ability to roll using Rand's field ability in Breath of Fire 2 create an impromptu avoidance game for the player. It's like a self-imposed mini-game that makes traversing the area faster and more fun. I'm not sure if that'll fit with the tone of your game, though.

Sounds like a nice idea, and easy to put in practice as well!


Some gameplay test footage of paralaxing the foreground trash mounds.(need to extend the mound on left, as it doesn't hit the screen wall)
Ratty524
The 524 is for 524 Stone Crabs
12986
author=Dookie
Some gameplay test footage of paralaxing the foreground trash mounds.(need to extend the mound on left, as it doesn't hit the screen wall)

This looks so awesome! How did you do that foreground scrolling? O-o
author=Dookie
Some gameplay test footage of paralaxing the foreground trash mounds.(need to extend the mound on left, as it doesn't hit the screen wall)


This is the trashiest and most amazing garbage I have ever seen. :D Nothing looks recycled or reused! /garbagePuns

I like!
I honestly don't know how the paralaxin was achieved, some kind of image layering I guess. This is the my first project not using rpg maker, I have a guy programming the game while I focus on the artwork.

author=Housekeeping
@Gretgor: What about something to increase mobility? I don't know if there's a term for this, but the skates in Wild Arms and the ability to roll using Rand's field ability in Breath of Fire 2 create an impromptu avoidance game for the player. It's like a self-imposed mini-game that makes traversing the area faster and more fun. I'm not sure if that'll fit with the tone of your game, though.

author=Gretgot
Sounds like a nice idea, and easy to put in practice as well!

Not knowing what your world looks like, but having something like a warp spell might be helpful. Or a character can "draw a rune" or something on a wall next to a closed door, and then they can visit it via a spell later when they get the key/ability. I also like the skates/pokemon-bike/rolling idea. Can you add a horse, Epona-style? Ride a bird?