• Add Review
  • Subscribe
  • Nominate
  • Submit Media
  • RSS

Moving Forward - Plans and an Open Discussion on the Direction of the Game

  • Ratty524
  • 06/07/2016 10:29 PM
  • 15110 views
So the public demo was finally released for this game after years of stalling, and currently the game seems to be met with mixed reception, which was partially expected given the shaky nature of which I handled things for the entirety of the event and for this game.

The question I have, and the one I'd like to bring up for discussion, is where to go from here?


  • To start off, the notes regarding spelling/grammatical errors/bugs and some poor design/mechanical choices are definitely going to be addressed. Speaking of which...



  • Many people have complained about the 2nd gyms' gimmick. Being that I am the same developer of Tina of the Stars, I should probably know by now that trying to make input-based minigames in a program centered around tile-based movement is always going to create poor results.

    I have two ideas to alleviate it in mind:
    1) The one that'll take less work: Slow down the cursor and not require as many dots to click in one session. I believe I tried this at one point during the creation of the minigame and I interpreted it as being too easy, but then again, being the developer, I also figured that the current state of the game was "just right." I'm the worst judge for this.

    2) Rework the gym's gimmick from the ground up. If so... What could I go with for a gym centered around yoga/fitness?



  • Originally, I didn't plan for any "flavor text" (such as reading books, looking at TVs, etc.) because out of personal feelings of them being unnecessary and assuming players wouldn't care. Judging from the few LPs I've seen of this game, I was definitely proven wrong.

    So, I at least plan on having some generic descriptions scattered about, but what about some extra flavor content?

    One idea circulating in my mind is to have TVs cycle through select "television series" that would provide some brief entertainment to players and open up the world a bit more, including:
    - "Wild Pokemon": A mock nature/documentary show that centers on wild Pokemon living in their natural habitat. Could also be something to give players hints on where to find Pokemon they haven't seen yet.

    - "Drama Core": A show with a set cast of characters that recreates/pokes fun of RMN's many instances of forum drama with the flavor of the Pokemon World.

    - "Ahremin Insider": Interviews with several key characters in the game, from gym leaders to the region's professor.

    Just to name a few. This could be something I could let you guys pitch in, as well? It would help sell this as a "community project" after all.



  • The Afropup line is currently the most controversial submission/design near the level of Jynx, but right now I'm honestly debating on what I could possibly do to satisfy the party that finds offense in the design, or even change it at all.



  • Lastly, I'd like some feedback as to what I should do with the goofy tone of the game. I've heard some who don't mind it, yet others who find it nearing the point of being juvenile (which is something I actually want to avoid) and un-Pokemonlike. My aim with this tone partially came out of the desire to play a Pokemon game that didn't take itself too seriously and allowed for some color/whimsy in the dialogue, in addition to referencing the atmosphere of RMN and catering to an older demographic than what Pokemon is traditionally aimed towards.

    While I admit there are many things I could tone down, I would like the community's opinion on how to handle this.




I welcome the opinions of both those who haven't played and those who have. Thoughts?

Currently, I'm addressing some of the bugs/spelling mistakes pointed out to me, doing some mapping for dungeons, and making a few more Pokemon battlers to complex the dex.

Posts

Pages: first 123 next last
iddalai
RPG Maker 2k/2k3 for life, baby!!
1194
Here's my suggestions. Remember these aren't rules set in stone, just suggestions :)

Where to go from here? -> work on finishing what you can of the main game and then go back and change what needs to be changed by looking at the big picture. BTW, sorry I haven't completed Mossrock Cave yet...

2nd gyms' gimmick -> I haven't played the new demo, I'm very sorry, but I can only play short games and non gameplay intensive games right now, so it's still on my "to play list". I'll probably have some idea about the 2nd gym once I play it.

"flavor text" -> It's a community game, so ask the community to write the flavor text, limit it to 1 text box, make a list of the objects that need it and have people pick an object and create some text.

Afropup line -> I like this line how it currently is, look inside yourself and think whether or not you find it offensive. You can either make a stand and keep it as it is or change it and keep changing stuff when even one person isn't satisfied. If you do change it, I'd change the smile of Afropup and the pokedex description. But I don't find it offensive, it's nowhere similar to blackface.

"The goofy tone of the game" -> choose an audience and stick with it. You can't please everyone. Personally I enjoy the tone of the game as it is. As I said before when I played the previous demo, the game feels just like playing a Pokémon game.
Blobofgoo
Legs are a burden. Return to snek.
2751
I second the community flavor text idea by iddalai. We would really just need a basic description of the scene of an object.

And you could always say, "I need 20 trash can descriptions. Go." It would be a lot like the RMN tagline.
The gym .. yeah, I mentioned I would rather have it a rhythm minigame, but seeing as the input would still be delayed, I am not sure if it would help to make it less frustrating, unless you could trigger and test it to perfection.
So you hear a beat on a low-key relaxing tune, then repeat tune without it and have to input it. It's probably not feasible I know, haha.
Meditation is a lot about inner observation, so I don't really see an easy solution to make that into a minigame.
Making it easier should work too, since the actual challenge in the gym should be the battles.

For flavor text .. I love love love the idea of having different Television programs. Makes the world feel alive, and it can be all kinds of fun.
(I was following the Shows in Harvest Moon with vigor)

I think a few changes would be lovely to make it better (most importantly that annoying chick). I don't think you need to change the overall direction of it, though.
Also, since I forgot to mention it in the review, I LOVED the kids talking about their awesome shorts before fighting. It was wonderfully out there, and it was great it was done in a complimentary style. So the first line was strange, and then meeting more kids I was laughing.
NeverSilent
Got any Dexreth amulets?
6280
I don't have a lot of useful ideas that haven't been suggested already, but I support asking the community to contribute to the flavour text writing. You can always weed out bad suggestions before actually implementing anything. The TV shows also sound like a great idea to me.

Personally, I would not be averse to a change of the Afropup line's colour, simply in order to prevent future misunderstandings. Sometimes, you just have to accept that something you created allows for an unintended and unfortunate Interpretation, and adjust your work accordingly.

Regarding the tone of the game, I would personally suggest something a little different: Try to reduce the amount of ridiculousness and (potentially offensive) exaggeration, and instead have the humorous aspects focus on RMN related things - but in a way that does not make the writing nonsensical to other people playing this game either. Inside jokes are generally fun, while jokes about profanity, drug abuse, sexual harrassment and mental illness can easily go awry. A certain level of silliness is something we can expect from this type of game, but it's always sad to see humour degrade into superficiality. (Yes, I do think the "Noob Cave" should be renamed to something less stupid.)

In general, however, the best thing to do is to keep asking for and receiving feedback from the community on your decisions, and to be open to criticism and ready to change things based on it. Which is an attitude I already know you are capable of, since you've shown it repeatedly in the past, and you made this blog asking for feedback to begin with, so making this remark was redundant and unnecessary and I apologise.
I've seen that, for the 2nd gym gimmick, a lot of people don't realize they don't have to get all the marks in one go. The cursor rewinds and you can retry it without losing the marks you've already got. Maybe pointing it out in some way? Also giving some space for error, like three mistakes before you have to redo it. That way you can also re-balance it so if you get three mistakes, it gives you a penalty, such as throwing you back, into a bottom floor, or a random encounter.

About the flavor text, yeah, community. Since Blobofgoo mentioned it, I also was thinking how about throwing some RMN taglines, just readapted to trash and pokémon.

Afropup... I think making it a light brown could work. I did this just to try out the idea, and did a shiny coloration just because xD (the shiny is an autumn coloration, pretty straightforward I think).


And whatever you do to the game's goofiness I hope the drunk sailor stays as he is. I mean, I want him to run over boulders and all that silly stuff. Maybe just not over swimmers, heh!
I enjoyed the game up to where "Yeah this is where it ends." Part came up.
The gimmick was a bit annoying, but I started to get the timing down so I has no idea what to say about dat.

I do like the humor but it can be lessen to a level where others may enjoy the game even though each of us have different tastes for humor.

I was not really wasn't offended with the Afropup I being black myself never even thought of the design it resembling closely to Jinx, but yeah if you feel the need to change I'd have to agree with orochii's light brown color right up above me.

In response to Kylaila. I think there is a leader of the shorts Youngsters at some point in the game.

Also, please no get rid of Scurvy he's suppose to be a drunk sailor even though we don't know what to do with him.

Good luck, Ratty524!!
Jeroen_Sol
Nothing reveals Humanity so well as the games it plays. A game of betrayal, where the most suspicious person is brutally murdered? How savage.
3885
I don't remember the boat section very well anymore. I know he ran over people, but not much else.

Was "What will we do with the drunken sailor" playing in the background? Because if not, it definitely should.

As for Afropup, I think the recolour to a lighter brown looks good, and is faithful to the original sprite without being an unintentional sterotype. Not sure about the shiny being autumn colours, though, even if the original had that as well, because that is Toribush's shiny already.
Seiromem
I would have more makerscore If I did things.
6375
I'd be interested in putting in flavor text, I'm also interested in the Ahremin Insider's thing, who exactly is between gym leaders and professors?
Ratty524
The 524 is for 524 Stone Crabs
12986
I'm not sure about getting the community to pitch in flavor text for regular objects. Things like bookshelves, paintings, draws and the likes are very commonplace and I think it would be a bit too ambitious to try to get people to fill those out. It could maybe work if I put a submission cap on it, though?

I'm open to the idea of the community contributing to the television channels, though. The ideas I threw out aren't set in stone, and it'd be interesting to see what channels people would come up with.

author=Seiromem
I'd be interested in putting in flavor text, I'm also interested in the Ahremin Insider's thing, who exactly is between gym leaders and professors?

Probably E4 members (which I haven't solidified on the basis that they are based on RMN staff and I need to contact them about it) and maybe semi-important characters like Ms. Poffin, for instance? It's something I might need to make sure on.

Speaking of which, I should probably make the gym leaders planned for this game public despite having no good promotional material for em.

author=orochii
Afropup... I think making it a light brown could work. I did this just to try out the idea, and did a shiny coloration just because xD (the shiny is an autumn coloration, pretty straightforward I think).

Not bad! I feel as if the contrast between colors is a bit too harsh on the light brown fur. I'm still not sure on a color change to begin with, though, since wouldn't making it a "white" disco person carry the same stereotypes as their "black" form?
Yeah but for some reason no one has something against the idea of white disco persons (?). We can always make Afropup blue/purple-ish. Blue/purple-ish people doesn't seem to complain about Jynx.
White would probably get people complaining about white-washing. Besides, it probably wouldn't look good.


Personally I like the yellow-green version. Or the light-brown. It looks like bark, which being a grass-type, it could have. That and bark... woof woof. geddit?
I reddit and geddit xD! Yeah I like those two too :^3.

Also the white one gave me an idea. Winter Afropup for the shiny!
Kloe
I lost my arms in a tragic chibi accident
2236
I like the pink afropup, (though that's just because I like pink)

I think the community flavour text is a great idea, and will make it so much easier to add a ton of flavour text, we could even have an event!! :D



author=orochii
I reddit and geddit xD! Yeah I like those two too :^3.

Also the white one gave me an idea. Winter Afropup for the shiny!

Nah, to be a truly winter-based Afropup, his leaves must shed. XD BALD AFROPUP. GO GO GO.
What? No christmas tree edition?!

There's cool stuff going on here. I like libby's orangey brown thing.
Kloe
I lost my arms in a tragic chibi accident
2236
author=orochii
I call it... Nofropup.

Hahaha, so adorable! I just wanna add leaves on his little tree on his head!! SO CUTE! :D
Ratty524
The 524 is for 524 Stone Crabs
12986
My eye is going towards either the yellow-green one or the one in the center. Thanks, Liberty!

BTW this is what shiny Afropup currently looks like since it seems many people still aren't aware that the WIKI exists:




... Much darker and the final evo is gold. Yeah... Maybe we could replace it. xD

author=Kloe
I like the pink afropup, (though that's just because I like pink)

I'm tempted to do you a favor by making Afropup's shiny coloration pink instead of what I have going on right now, especially since I think it'll look fabulous on a Pokemon centered around groove and peace~!

As for flavor text, I think I can just make it a forum thread at this point. I'll have to draft stuff up to get it organized.

author=orochii
I call it... Nofropup.

You are a trip, man. xD
iddalai
RPG Maker 2k/2k3 for life, baby!!
1194
Oh man, I can only imagine Dragon_Quill's reaction if they saw that shiny!
Jeroen_Sol
Nothing reveals Humanity so well as the games it plays. A game of betrayal, where the most suspicious person is brutally murdered? How savage.
3885
Yeah, I saw the shiny had autumn colours on the wiki. I still think it would be cooler if that remained a Toribush-only thing though.
Pages: first 123 next last