WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT? (GAME DEVELOPMENT EDITION)

Yup yup! I believe it. I don't think I've worked on a game where I didn't have to fight off overscoping :P

From your blog it sounds like WAUTAH is coming along pretty well, too :) I'm glad! I still haven't had a chance to play LA yet, but hopefully I can sneak it in there before your next game comes out, haha.

I need some help, actually. If people could discuss this with me, I'd love it.

I've been rather unmotivated to work on my game recently, partly because I've bit much more than I could chew regarding the technical complexity of its RM2K3 execution (I'll eventually get it over with, but still), but mostly because I'm not even sure it's going to be enjoyable for the players anymore. The concept I'm using is an action-less adventure game where players have to solve puzzles and explore the environment in order to progress, and occasionally uncover new abilities that allow them to open up previously inaccessible areas, some of which may contain secrets.

The problem I'm having is that everything becomes rather monotonous after all puzzles are solved, due to the lack of anything to respond to in real time in order to stay "alive", since it's impossible to get hurt or die. The only thing standing between the player and success are puzzles (which are hopefully going to be challenging and fun enough), but once they're solved, the player's left with maps that they can traverse through easily and monotonously, save for the occasional blocked out area that the player can eventually come back to when they acquire a new ability.

Since I don't intend to make the game a horror game (especially because good horror is very hard to achieve), I'm assuming I can't include Ib-like monsters and traps in it, because they'd feel out of place as heck.

Anyways, kinda bored, uninspired, and I'd really like some ideas. I already made the maps a lot smaller, and am currently using an overworld instead of an open world to make navigation less annoying.

@Gretgor: I'm playing through Undertale again, and one of the things that just came to mind was how, when you revisit ahead, things are different. For example, in a Neutral or greater playthrough, you'll see the NPCs you encountered standing around on the map, and they'll talk to you, or mention a secret, amd whatnot.

Maybe that's something you could tinker with when the players are revisiting old maps.

author=Red_Nova
Gretgor, this article might be somewhat helpful to you, as it sounds like you're in the situation that Artie describes. My favorite recommendation in the article, and something I personally need to do more of, is take the time to play other people's games.

As for your specific issue, are you still working on Kiddos Puzzcade? I don't recall that game ever needing an open world format. Is there some reason you wanted to implement one? Or is this an entirely different project?

A different project, but using the same characters. I still didn't make a project page because I don't have any presentable screenshots. It's going to be a lot more exploration and adventure based than KP, but with some of the same mechanics as it.

Thanks for the link, by the way :) it does help.

author=LockeZ
I've got a pretty dumb idea about a way to totally screw up normal RPG combat, and I'm pretty sure it will be an unplayable disaster. The Game Swap Event seems like a perfect opportunity to try it out while avoiding responsibility for my actions.

I'm interested - now the question is if you make someone suffer through your garbage game design and have them keep going with it or if you throw a wrench into someone's perfectly good project by completely ruining it with your idea.

One recurring problem with RPG Maker ABSes is facing direction issues: you usually have to be facing an enemy in order to attack them, but moving around to dodge their attacks often results in facing away from the enemies, and moving back to a direction where you can attack can result in harm, since (if your ABS doesn't include custom movement) you end up having to take a step towards the enemies just to correct your direction.

I've been thinking about the following solutions to this recurring problem, and I'd like to know what you guys think of those:

1 - Pokémon/Startropics-style controls, where tapping a directional button only changes direction, and only holding it down results in walking.

2 - A way to lock the character's facing direction towards an enemy, kinda like Z-targeting in 3D Zelda games.

3 - Trying to have as many 4-directional attacks as possible, so that not facing the right direction is not that big of a problem.

4 - Chimera Report-esque action style, where the player actually chooses the action they're gonna take through a menu that interrupts the battle.

5 - Using Powermode or similar to mouse-target attacks.

Which of these ideas (or combination of ideas) do you guys think is the best?

@Pyramid_Head
It's not tricky at all. You can lock facing your character while being able to move, so you can create a strafing button (toggle or hold). Alternatively you can make a button that turns direction without moving the character.

@Gretgor
Don't go for mouse targeting for ABS. I suggest using option 2. Option 1 will feel clunky no matter how well you do it on 2k3.

author=Pyramid_Head
I've been thinking... At the moment, with my game, when a character gains a stat bonus, they gain a bonus of 3. and I've been thinking of recent if I should increase the bonus to 5 or 7, what do you guys think?

I've also been toying with the idea of allowing each character to equip more than one weapon type, allowing for that extra smidgen of customization. sure it'd make for extra work, but I have this sneaking feeling it would benefit in the long run.

If that made the Birch Forest section easier, I'd say "go for it".

Yeah, that's similar to Chimera Report. It's an interesting concept, and certainly makes for very fun games, but I think I'm going to opt for something simpler that doesn't need pause-interruptions for every action.

I'm looking into implementing Z-targetting, hopefully it will turn out cool :D