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New Article: Your Intro Sucks
I agree with the article on many, many points-- but I also disagree with it on several, as well. I do acknowledge that introductions (above all else) need to exist in order to enthrall the player within the game experience, and having them be long-winded and non-interactive will work against this goal. However, I don't think this is to say that the use of introductions can completely be cast aside, which is essentially what I gathered from this article:
I admit that we certainly do not have the luxury of thinking and planning the way that commercial RPG developers do. Most players, myself included, will realize that they've spent money on what they're playing through and they know it's professionally made… so they'll end up laboring through it (as with the long, long opening of FFXII) until they get to the “good parts,†even if the first few hours are a little boring.
I think it is significant to never, ever, throw too much information at the player during the introduction, as generally- they will have a harder time absorbing it, as this article mentioned. I, however, also believe that there needs to be SOME feasible set of events revealed... enough for the player to bite their teeth into, and appreciate what is going on. If the first hour or so of the game, if you keep talking in riddle and/or unspecific bits of information, it will probably end in the player's frustration, rather than the kind of effect you wish to establish by doing things this way. (This doesn't take gameplay into account, however).
Much as the article stated, I feel that the best forms of intros are fast-paced... but also moderated enough to avoid overwhelming the player, as well. It should catch your attention right off the bat, but not appear as though it's going out of it's way to do so.
If the introduction is long and boring, I won't have a whole lot of feasible motivation to continue playing through the game. But likewise, if the game is absent of an introduction, my incentive for continuing may be less than if there was a fully-stimulating sequence to get me into it. Balancing how things are presented is more significant, than say, the overall length of it... which is basically how Brickroad seemed to phrase it here.
A good read on the whole, though.
If you take nothing else from this article, let it be this: the best intro in a videogame is the closest thing to no intro as possible.
I admit that we certainly do not have the luxury of thinking and planning the way that commercial RPG developers do. Most players, myself included, will realize that they've spent money on what they're playing through and they know it's professionally made… so they'll end up laboring through it (as with the long, long opening of FFXII) until they get to the “good parts,†even if the first few hours are a little boring.
I think it is significant to never, ever, throw too much information at the player during the introduction, as generally- they will have a harder time absorbing it, as this article mentioned. I, however, also believe that there needs to be SOME feasible set of events revealed... enough for the player to bite their teeth into, and appreciate what is going on. If the first hour or so of the game, if you keep talking in riddle and/or unspecific bits of information, it will probably end in the player's frustration, rather than the kind of effect you wish to establish by doing things this way. (This doesn't take gameplay into account, however).
Much as the article stated, I feel that the best forms of intros are fast-paced... but also moderated enough to avoid overwhelming the player, as well. It should catch your attention right off the bat, but not appear as though it's going out of it's way to do so.
If the introduction is long and boring, I won't have a whole lot of feasible motivation to continue playing through the game. But likewise, if the game is absent of an introduction, my incentive for continuing may be less than if there was a fully-stimulating sequence to get me into it. Balancing how things are presented is more significant, than say, the overall length of it... which is basically how Brickroad seemed to phrase it here.
A good read on the whole, though.
2006 Releases - Master List
I attempted to gather a list of (playable) games released in 2006 for the Misaos, after speaking to WIP about it. Hopefully this wasn't already planned by someone else, and if so, I apologize. Not nesscessarily in any order:
Angelic Awakening (Skiefortress)
Reminisce (UPRC)
Axis Saga (Skiefortress)
MindFlare (Aznchipmunk)
Tales of the Fallen
Beloved Rapture (BlindMind)
Legacies of Dondoran (Harmonic42)
Balmung Cycle (The Magi)
You And I (Tears123)
Runelords: Aramentus Rising (Kentona)
Western Story (Dyne)
Legend of Lux (ZTaimat)
Eldritch - Demo2 (Legion)
Under (the_man)
Love and War: C'est Lavie (Admiral Styles)
Mystic Legends - Rebirth (Skiefortress)
Grave Spirit (Zohaib)
Rainbow Nightmare Prologue (Twinfoxtails)
Till We Meet Again (Orig)
ONYX (Yeaster)
Dragon Kingdoms: Birth of a Legend (VideoWizard)
Metul Vonner (jeffro12)
Carpe Diem: The Living Flame (Linkforce)
Return to Avon (Ryouko)
Take Down: Lambs of Destiny (Dudesoft)
Final Fantasy Empires (Blitzen)
The Gate (Tiki)
FFVII - Omega Vangelis (Sephiseraph)
Hotmog: Mana from Ghana (RPG)
Metal Tears (Meiscool)
The Burning Grail (eSNo)
Demon Seal (Brad)
Book of Three (tredtredtred)
Radiance (Dragonium)
Eternity Edge (ZeroX5)
Wilfred the Hero - Demo2 (Maladroithim)
Heroes Gate (Rahl)
Dante's Cave (Coxo2005)
Lost Land Legends (J-Man)
Genesis: A Tale of Millenia (RyanTheRpg)
Iron Gaia Part II (Legion)
Valcon Sky (Ephiam)
Dreaming of You (Glimmer Glass)
Shadow (Brad)
Wolf's Gaze (Bluhman)
Remedy! (Corel)
Climbar (Lazrael)
KRYBERIA (Eddie)
Shadowgate Awakens (Vortex Games)
The Amazing Adventure (FlareNUKE)
Summoner's Quest (Blackwind_Rider)
Final Phantasy XXX 2 (Big Mr. T)
Dooms 4 (Big Mr. T)
Sexy Sex Show Off 2 (Big Mr. T)
The Rose Chronicles (Legacy001)
Hero's Realm (Kentona)
Gates Of Evocation (Chesire Cat & Malad)
Backstage II (Legion)
Wyesse- Revamped (Strangeluv)
Prophecy of Aries (Eternal Dragoon)
Time Guardians (Rin)
Kingdoms of the Lost: In Dreams (Clalgyr)
The Oval Portrait (Orig)
RPGCookin (Big Mr. T)
Xantris (ReporterJason)
Hammerblow (KellstErik)
Shining War (numbskull)
Dragonsong (FInal Frontier)
Finding Forever Eden (Rowen)
Anastasia (Orig)
Kinetic Cipher (Again) #3 (Brickroad)
Amazing Adventures of Professor Fitzworthy (Christophomicus)
Zephyrus And the Kingdom of Heaven (Rue669)
Phylomortis: Avant-Garde (RPG Advocate)
Age Of Reason (Slim_Thuga)
Worldsong (Craze)
The list is obviously incomplete. If anyone knows of any developers that were mistakenly left out, or missing games, let them be known here.
Angelic Awakening (Skiefortress)
Reminisce (UPRC)
Axis Saga (Skiefortress)
MindFlare (Aznchipmunk)
Tales of the Fallen
Beloved Rapture (BlindMind)
Legacies of Dondoran (Harmonic42)
Balmung Cycle (The Magi)
You And I (Tears123)
Runelords: Aramentus Rising (Kentona)
Western Story (Dyne)
Legend of Lux (ZTaimat)
Eldritch - Demo2 (Legion)
Under (the_man)
Love and War: C'est Lavie (Admiral Styles)
Mystic Legends - Rebirth (Skiefortress)
Grave Spirit (Zohaib)
Rainbow Nightmare Prologue (Twinfoxtails)
Till We Meet Again (Orig)
ONYX (Yeaster)
Dragon Kingdoms: Birth of a Legend (VideoWizard)
Metul Vonner (jeffro12)
Carpe Diem: The Living Flame (Linkforce)
Return to Avon (Ryouko)
Take Down: Lambs of Destiny (Dudesoft)
Final Fantasy Empires (Blitzen)
The Gate (Tiki)
FFVII - Omega Vangelis (Sephiseraph)
Hotmog: Mana from Ghana (RPG)
Metal Tears (Meiscool)
The Burning Grail (eSNo)
Demon Seal (Brad)
Book of Three (tredtredtred)
Radiance (Dragonium)
Eternity Edge (ZeroX5)
Wilfred the Hero - Demo2 (Maladroithim)
Heroes Gate (Rahl)
Dante's Cave (Coxo2005)
Lost Land Legends (J-Man)
Genesis: A Tale of Millenia (RyanTheRpg)
Iron Gaia Part II (Legion)
Valcon Sky (Ephiam)
Dreaming of You (Glimmer Glass)
Shadow (Brad)
Wolf's Gaze (Bluhman)
Remedy! (Corel)
Climbar (Lazrael)
KRYBERIA (Eddie)
Shadowgate Awakens (Vortex Games)
The Amazing Adventure (FlareNUKE)
Summoner's Quest (Blackwind_Rider)
Final Phantasy XXX 2 (Big Mr. T)
Dooms 4 (Big Mr. T)
Sexy Sex Show Off 2 (Big Mr. T)
The Rose Chronicles (Legacy001)
Hero's Realm (Kentona)
Gates Of Evocation (Chesire Cat & Malad)
Backstage II (Legion)
Wyesse- Revamped (Strangeluv)
Prophecy of Aries (Eternal Dragoon)
Time Guardians (Rin)
Kingdoms of the Lost: In Dreams (Clalgyr)
The Oval Portrait (Orig)
RPGCookin (Big Mr. T)
Xantris (ReporterJason)
Hammerblow (KellstErik)
Shining War (numbskull)
Dragonsong (FInal Frontier)
Finding Forever Eden (Rowen)
Anastasia (Orig)
Kinetic Cipher (Again) #3 (Brickroad)
Amazing Adventures of Professor Fitzworthy (Christophomicus)
Zephyrus And the Kingdom of Heaven (Rue669)
Phylomortis: Avant-Garde (RPG Advocate)
Age Of Reason (Slim_Thuga)
Worldsong (Craze)
The list is obviously incomplete. If anyone knows of any developers that were mistakenly left out, or missing games, let them be known here.
We Did It First screenshot thread
Some horrible attempt by me to use lighting effects:
Probably for the better that I can't pull them off very well, though. I should be working on my project instead of fooling around with stuff on the side, hehe.
Probably for the better that I can't pull them off very well, though. I should be working on my project instead of fooling around with stuff on the side, hehe.
Your Priorities
In terms of the games I play, it varies. I tend to pick up a variety of games for a multitude of reasons. While generally I'm inclined to be a fan of games that harbor an interesting storyline-- I rarely would discredit a game without one, (Mario, for example) as long as it is enjoyable.
I feel that a game should focus on what it can do well and not try to be something that it's not, and use its draws to interest the player effectively. It all really depends on how nesscessary the particular element may be within the game itself... not whether it is a universal priority of mine.
However, since I presume this discussion is in regards to our own games-- I would have to say that I most definitely DO focus myself in specific areas more than others, as much as I'd hope for a balance. My concerns are rather superficial, to be blunt about it. Presentation is of utmost importance to me, as are the characteristics that go along with it (Competent Map Design and Atmosphere, An effective/ambient soundtrack, and an overall cinematic experience).
Storytelling also has precedence for me, but I generally aspire to deliver an emotional and engaging experience rather than a convoluted plot or nonsense symbolism.
I feel that a game should focus on what it can do well and not try to be something that it's not, and use its draws to interest the player effectively. It all really depends on how nesscessary the particular element may be within the game itself... not whether it is a universal priority of mine.
However, since I presume this discussion is in regards to our own games-- I would have to say that I most definitely DO focus myself in specific areas more than others, as much as I'd hope for a balance. My concerns are rather superficial, to be blunt about it. Presentation is of utmost importance to me, as are the characteristics that go along with it (Competent Map Design and Atmosphere, An effective/ambient soundtrack, and an overall cinematic experience).
Storytelling also has precedence for me, but I generally aspire to deliver an emotional and engaging experience rather than a convoluted plot or nonsense symbolism.
The story planning process
author=WIP link=topic=4.msg15#msg15 date=1180839865
I usually just write out of a plot I think would be enjoyable and varied, and keep filling it in with details.
Basically this. However, my initial ideas generally never end up how they were intended-- both because of the limits of RPGMaker and my own flawed storytelling ability. I have the ending and other significant plot-heavy game events planned out for all of my projects, but concerning how I plan on getting there with them, I tend to make things up as I go along.
Games - Tester
Games - Other
