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Ninjuit
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Hello, my name is Ninjuit. I'm 15 years old and have been RMing for about a year and a half now I'd say. People tell me that I'm pretty good, but seeing as I've not released anything (everything is based on how I talk, helping people, my maps, etc) I still consider myself a beginner. :D I'm working on a project called Blade's End that is under Siifour Studios (which is the name of my "company" or Dev Team). I'm pretty well versed in the language of video game design so if you ever need anything, or any help, feel free to PM me or something. I will be happy to help you (if it is within my ability).
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Blade's End
Thank you. The game starts in the northern reaches of the world where it snows a lot. Eventually you'll get to more areas with different climates like in any RPG. I just haven't mapped them yet :V
Filesize and Expansion Packs
post=122998
I hacked rm2k3 so that it accepts .flac audio and then I uploaded at least five complete squaresoft soundtracks into my game (only around 4 songs are used), I hope you guys enjoy the download
I wouldn't be surprised if someone has actually done that.
Filesize and Expansion Packs
post=122800post=122798They are linked up.
Why can't you link up expansion packs?
The way The Way did chapters worked out really well though. Each was a standalone project, but you could bring your stats over and each project had it's own areas and whatnot.
This is what I want to avoid. I was hoping for a system that would allow you to transverse the entire world, even after progressing to a new chapter. Regardless, both systems can work (mine a bit less since it's conceptual, but yeah :p)
post=122802post=122801It'd be pretty simple to take the older game, add more content, and tell people to copy their save over.post=122800Wrong kind of linked up, bub. They can't be linked if each is a standalone. I meant one single game, has this been done?post=122798They are linked up.
Why can't you link up expansion packs?
Each was a standalone project
I'm also trying to avoid the chance that a major engine update will occur in this new updated game, thereby messing up your old save file and forcing you to start over.
Filesize and Expansion Packs
Aha, thanks for reading and giving your critique on the uhm, issue? The reason I wrote thing is because I still hear a lot of people moan and complain about filesize of projects and whatnot. More so, it's more of a concept for my project since a lot of the stuff is custom and I calculated that the size may end up kinda huge.
-Oh don't worry about hurting my feelings or something lol, I didn't put such an insane amount of thought into this. It was just a little concept that I had thought up not to long ago for my project in case the filesize got massive due to an OST by my composer and a ton of custom art and picture based interfaces. Like I had said before, I wrote this mostly because recently I heard some people bitching about filesize and their connections. Usually the connection issue pertains only to people who live outside of the US and whatnot.
-See, the thing is, there are still a lot of people who don't have an amazing internet connection. I, personally, have an amazing connection, so it's not a problem to me at all. I was just thinking of a "possible" way of breaking down enormous projects into smaller bits if the need came up. It also comes down, occasionally, to "Does my file upload site allow me to upload this 300MB, custom everything, behemoth of a game?"
My idea of breaking down the game in smaller segments based on filesize is a concept for just some extreme cases of massive filesize that can't be reversed by any other methods. For example, my game will likely end up with around 90 songs of an average of 2mb a piece. That translates to 180 mb of music. Then there is the art. I haven't done an exact calculation, but I'm saying art may bring in a minimal of another 25 mb. So that's a 200 mb project. For people with a slow, or horrible connection, that is one less download for the developer in most cases.
And for breaking it up into segments after the game is complete. I just thought of this to try and avoid making massive changes to the engine after you've released a chapter and thus nulling the save file or something. It happens, and it annoys the crap out of me. There is always the option of breaking the game into separate downloads, but giving them all to the player at one time, allowing him to come back whenever to download the next segment. Which imo, might actually be a decent idea. They could even download the whole thing at once (another option).
I also understand that 2k3 games are very small, this was more generalized towards RMVX and XP, the former of which I use.
P.S - Good design on the part of the developers during pre-production of a game can make episodic releases in the "traditional" manner almost perfect. But game development is iterative and things happen so this is just my idea. The idea of a 15 year old kid just chillin with his RPG Maker. xD
post=122789
I see that you've put some thought into this, but it's a little misguided?* I suppose that there are people out there that don't have a good enough internet connection to wait for a 70mb download that can't be paused/resumed later, but that's not exactly a huge file. Now chapter/episodic based releases for other reasons are a completely different matter.
-Oh don't worry about hurting my feelings or something lol, I didn't put such an insane amount of thought into this. It was just a little concept that I had thought up not to long ago for my project in case the filesize got massive due to an OST by my composer and a ton of custom art and picture based interfaces. Like I had said before, I wrote this mostly because recently I heard some people bitching about filesize and their connections. Usually the connection issue pertains only to people who live outside of the US and whatnot.
post=122791
The "expansion pack" or "episodic release" idea seems to be spreading, I think Mog is doing this, and Lennon is doing this with his game.
And about filesizes... The only games that really are massive are ones that use large mp3 soundtracks. My game has 100% custom everything, including soundtrack and this is going to make the filesize pretty large.
But honestly, aren't we all past like, dial-up now? (except TFT) I didn't realize this was so much of an issue anymore. Downloading a couple hundred MB isn't really a problem at all for me.
Also, honestly, if you have the game completely finished, I wouldn't recommend splitting it up into sections or demos. It'd be a lot easier to just release it all at once--I would strictly only do this if I wanted to release the game in episodic sections. I mean, that just feels like building up unnecessary hype. If you've got it all done, might as well release it and have it off your hands. Also, if you do have it done and release it in segments, you are forcing some players to wait even though they know you are finished.
And a few comments about this:Finally, they download the expansion (20 â€" 40 mb again)and rinse and repeat until the game is complete (a maximum on 3 to 4 months is recommended for the main story arc, allowing one extra release 2 weeks after the final expansion for end game content for players who are yearning for more).This sort of sounds specific to some super ambitious "epic RPG" project, which I heavily recommend against. I've been part of this community for 8 years now and most such "epic" projects have dropped. You've gotta have a goddamned team or some people to back you up if you are going to set a deadline for yourself every month. I don't mind setting a single deadline, but setting multiple deadlines one month apart is not a wise idea.
And "players who are yearning for more" -- I've heard that's basically what FFX-2 is, and that it completely sucked.
Other than a few criticisms I have, I do like the idea of an episodic release (like Neo Lescia) but I would definitely not split up a game into episodic releases merely based on filesize--only because the game would take a while to make, and you wanted to already release playable segments. There are other ways of decreasing filesize, and if a game is worth it, I wouldn't mind a large filesize anyways.
EDIT: Basically what GOG said about filesize. Generally 2k/3 games that use .midis are only 4 or 5 MB, and the larger ones, with .mp3s, tend to range from 20 - 30 MB and I don't play XP/VX games (because they 99% look the same) so I don't know about their filesizes.
-See, the thing is, there are still a lot of people who don't have an amazing internet connection. I, personally, have an amazing connection, so it's not a problem to me at all. I was just thinking of a "possible" way of breaking down enormous projects into smaller bits if the need came up. It also comes down, occasionally, to "Does my file upload site allow me to upload this 300MB, custom everything, behemoth of a game?"
My idea of breaking down the game in smaller segments based on filesize is a concept for just some extreme cases of massive filesize that can't be reversed by any other methods. For example, my game will likely end up with around 90 songs of an average of 2mb a piece. That translates to 180 mb of music. Then there is the art. I haven't done an exact calculation, but I'm saying art may bring in a minimal of another 25 mb. So that's a 200 mb project. For people with a slow, or horrible connection, that is one less download for the developer in most cases.
And for breaking it up into segments after the game is complete. I just thought of this to try and avoid making massive changes to the engine after you've released a chapter and thus nulling the save file or something. It happens, and it annoys the crap out of me. There is always the option of breaking the game into separate downloads, but giving them all to the player at one time, allowing him to come back whenever to download the next segment. Which imo, might actually be a decent idea. They could even download the whole thing at once (another option).
I also understand that 2k3 games are very small, this was more generalized towards RMVX and XP, the former of which I use.
P.S - Good design on the part of the developers during pre-production of a game can make episodic releases in the "traditional" manner almost perfect. But game development is iterative and things happen so this is just my idea. The idea of a 15 year old kid just chillin with his RPG Maker. xD
Filesize and Expansion Packs
The fated battle between RMer and his content. Filesize.
What can be said about filesize? That it affects everything from the demographic you are targeting to how many downloads you will get from the average PC users of the internet? Indeed it is so, and that is where my story begins.
Generally, Indie games made in engines such as Game Maker, Torque, Games Factory 2, Multimedia Fusion 2, etc target people who are randomly roaming the internet and looking for something to do with their boring ass lives and thus are very low in filesize; ranging from less than 1mb to 40mb for your casual games and 50 for larger ones. But RPG Maker is a strange beast. We are usually confined to our small (or vast, depending on if you Community Hop like I do) demographic of RMers. DESPITE our smaller demographics, a perplexing inversion occurs with something else, and that gentlemen (and the one or two women) is one of the single defining factors between an RM game and a regular Indie game. The filesize of an RM game is equivalent to that of the largest prehistoric behemoths. :|
There is however a reason for this. RM games are usually RPGs, and as RPGs, RM games require many resources: "Custom Art", Custom (Stolen) Music, Custom (Ripped) Tilesets, and a shitload of sprites. Some of these resources never even get used, but as an RMer we say, "Why the hell not?" and throw that sucker into our game's filesize anyway. However, this "tactic" that us RMers have will almost always backfire, causing our games to get lower...and lower (if even possible) downloads than the general 20 pity downloads we get for our life's work (In my experience, it's 1 download to every 100 views for all those random RM projects floating around and significantly higher if your topic looks nice or if you are well known in the community (extra points for nice screenshots)).
BUT ANYWAY! Where am I going with this? Nowhere. That is absolutely correct. My real concern is fixing this problem for my game, and hopefully inspiring similar tactics for other games of a similar generation.
The way I plan to "reduce" filesize, is simply an illusion, one that the gamer probably shouldn't know about, but since we are all (to an extent) Game Designers here, "Why the hell not?†let me just throw my idea out there.
-Chapter Based Releases (Expansion Packs)
-What did he say? Did he say expansion packs? Yes sir (or the occasional ma'am), yes I did, but first... I believe that breaking RM games into chapter releases is a good idea, however, not in the traditional sense. Generally, chapter based games are standalone projects. This meaning that each individual chapter starts in a new place in the story and anything not pertaining to that chapter is gone. If you missed something in the last chapter, "Oh well, you're screwed. Get over it and play my game that's not even compatible with your last save so you'll have to start over anyway." It's almost like having 20 billion disks when playing a console RPG. Just you have to purchase (purchase here is equivalent to download) each disk, and none of the disks have backwards compatibility with the last games save so you pretty much start from scratch. OR. Something so "epic" has been added that the game developer says, "You may as well play it again, since I've changed the story to something ‘better'.†Only better means it involves less story and more scripts and lag.
-So my idea is pretty darn simple. Why not just use chapter based games in unison with expansion packs, expansion packs however, in the way that they are defined. To “expand†the game.
-Many people oppose installs of RM games, I know people will flat out NOT PLAY YOUR GAME (hint hint) if you are forced to install it. They ask, “Why am I installing a game when it's perfectly fine for me to just play it in the folder I downloaded it?†I agree, however, sometimes something similar to an install may be required. Regardless, I digress.
In my system, you download the base files. These files include the files required for the very first chapter (however, at the same time it includes all of the scripts, maps, switches, events, etc for the entire game) nothing more, nothing less. You download the game and then play it to completion. HELL, if you really want to, play it past completion, maybe even level your bad-ass up a little (though level caps are required to prevent a broken system) completing all those (lovely) sidequests that the developer left for you. Then, exactly one month later, BAM a brand new download, an expansion pack. Click the “install button†choose the place you want to “install†the new files (the main project folder), wait about 35 seconds and BOOM, you are playing Chapter Two. It couldn't get any easier. But how exactly do the deep intricacies of this system work? AND WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH FILESIZE?!
Firstly, it doesn't have much to do with filesize at all. It just gives the player an illusion of a smaller filesize, since he/she is downloading smaller files in a somewhat distant timeframe. For example, the main download is say, 40 MB. This download includes a lot of important files, including the physical content (music and art) for chapter one and all of the general content (Maps, scripts, events, switches, database, save file systems, dlls, etc). Then they finish chapter one, and then “wait†(the point here is to give enough content to keep them busy for their wait in the primary download/expansion). Finally, they download the expansion (20 â€" 40 mb again)and rinse and repeat until the game is complete (a maximum on 3 to 4 months is recommended for the main story arc, allowing one extra release 2 weeks after the final expansion for end game content for players who are yearning for more).
Simply put, the system works like this.
- Download base file that includes…
o All the system files required for the game as a whole (Map data, Script data, Event Data, Switch Data, etc)
o Art and Music (and whatever else) for Chapter One, or whatever you wish your first release to be.
- Then play the game, complete the game, wait for the next release (the expansion that includes…)
o ONLY the Art and Music required for the second chapter or portion of your game.
- “Drag and Drop†the required files into the main folder.
- Continue your game playing.
- Rinse, Repeat.
- End game expansion.
- Wreak the rewards of an epic system and an illusion of smaller filesize.
This is all just a concept put into article form and I would LOVE some feedback on the idea, and possibly some tips and pointers. It's probably been done before and I don't know, but I have never seen it done and here is my article about it.
Ninjuit~
NOTE - For this system to work and be successful, all pre-development work has to be done on the game prior to releasing the base version. This will allow the game to operate smoothly and so that save files do not become a problem.
NOTE+ - I recommend having the game completely finished before releasing the base demo. Then splitting the content into chapter releases, and choosing a timeframe in which to release the expansions.
What can be said about filesize? That it affects everything from the demographic you are targeting to how many downloads you will get from the average PC users of the internet? Indeed it is so, and that is where my story begins.
Generally, Indie games made in engines such as Game Maker, Torque, Games Factory 2, Multimedia Fusion 2, etc target people who are randomly roaming the internet and looking for something to do with their boring ass lives and thus are very low in filesize; ranging from less than 1mb to 40mb for your casual games and 50 for larger ones. But RPG Maker is a strange beast. We are usually confined to our small (or vast, depending on if you Community Hop like I do) demographic of RMers. DESPITE our smaller demographics, a perplexing inversion occurs with something else, and that gentlemen (and the one or two women) is one of the single defining factors between an RM game and a regular Indie game. The filesize of an RM game is equivalent to that of the largest prehistoric behemoths. :|
There is however a reason for this. RM games are usually RPGs, and as RPGs, RM games require many resources: "Custom Art", Custom (Stolen) Music, Custom (Ripped) Tilesets, and a shitload of sprites. Some of these resources never even get used, but as an RMer we say, "Why the hell not?" and throw that sucker into our game's filesize anyway. However, this "tactic" that us RMers have will almost always backfire, causing our games to get lower...and lower (if even possible) downloads than the general 20 pity downloads we get for our life's work (In my experience, it's 1 download to every 100 views for all those random RM projects floating around and significantly higher if your topic looks nice or if you are well known in the community (extra points for nice screenshots)).
BUT ANYWAY! Where am I going with this? Nowhere. That is absolutely correct. My real concern is fixing this problem for my game, and hopefully inspiring similar tactics for other games of a similar generation.
The way I plan to "reduce" filesize, is simply an illusion, one that the gamer probably shouldn't know about, but since we are all (to an extent) Game Designers here, "Why the hell not?†let me just throw my idea out there.
-Chapter Based Releases (Expansion Packs)
-What did he say? Did he say expansion packs? Yes sir (or the occasional ma'am), yes I did, but first... I believe that breaking RM games into chapter releases is a good idea, however, not in the traditional sense. Generally, chapter based games are standalone projects. This meaning that each individual chapter starts in a new place in the story and anything not pertaining to that chapter is gone. If you missed something in the last chapter, "Oh well, you're screwed. Get over it and play my game that's not even compatible with your last save so you'll have to start over anyway." It's almost like having 20 billion disks when playing a console RPG. Just you have to purchase (purchase here is equivalent to download) each disk, and none of the disks have backwards compatibility with the last games save so you pretty much start from scratch. OR. Something so "epic" has been added that the game developer says, "You may as well play it again, since I've changed the story to something ‘better'.†Only better means it involves less story and more scripts and lag.
-So my idea is pretty darn simple. Why not just use chapter based games in unison with expansion packs, expansion packs however, in the way that they are defined. To “expand†the game.
-Many people oppose installs of RM games, I know people will flat out NOT PLAY YOUR GAME (hint hint) if you are forced to install it. They ask, “Why am I installing a game when it's perfectly fine for me to just play it in the folder I downloaded it?†I agree, however, sometimes something similar to an install may be required. Regardless, I digress.
In my system, you download the base files. These files include the files required for the very first chapter (however, at the same time it includes all of the scripts, maps, switches, events, etc for the entire game) nothing more, nothing less. You download the game and then play it to completion. HELL, if you really want to, play it past completion, maybe even level your bad-ass up a little (though level caps are required to prevent a broken system) completing all those (lovely) sidequests that the developer left for you. Then, exactly one month later, BAM a brand new download, an expansion pack. Click the “install button†choose the place you want to “install†the new files (the main project folder), wait about 35 seconds and BOOM, you are playing Chapter Two. It couldn't get any easier. But how exactly do the deep intricacies of this system work? AND WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH FILESIZE?!
Firstly, it doesn't have much to do with filesize at all. It just gives the player an illusion of a smaller filesize, since he/she is downloading smaller files in a somewhat distant timeframe. For example, the main download is say, 40 MB. This download includes a lot of important files, including the physical content (music and art) for chapter one and all of the general content (Maps, scripts, events, switches, database, save file systems, dlls, etc). Then they finish chapter one, and then “wait†(the point here is to give enough content to keep them busy for their wait in the primary download/expansion). Finally, they download the expansion (20 â€" 40 mb again)and rinse and repeat until the game is complete (a maximum on 3 to 4 months is recommended for the main story arc, allowing one extra release 2 weeks after the final expansion for end game content for players who are yearning for more).
Simply put, the system works like this.
- Download base file that includes…
o All the system files required for the game as a whole (Map data, Script data, Event Data, Switch Data, etc)
o Art and Music (and whatever else) for Chapter One, or whatever you wish your first release to be.
- Then play the game, complete the game, wait for the next release (the expansion that includes…)
o ONLY the Art and Music required for the second chapter or portion of your game.
- “Drag and Drop†the required files into the main folder.
- Continue your game playing.
- Rinse, Repeat.
- End game expansion.
- Wreak the rewards of an epic system and an illusion of smaller filesize.
This is all just a concept put into article form and I would LOVE some feedback on the idea, and possibly some tips and pointers. It's probably been done before and I don't know, but I have never seen it done and here is my article about it.
Ninjuit~
NOTE - For this system to work and be successful, all pre-development work has to be done on the game prior to releasing the base version. This will allow the game to operate smoothly and so that save files do not become a problem.
NOTE+ - I recommend having the game completely finished before releasing the base demo. Then splitting the content into chapter releases, and choosing a timeframe in which to release the expansions.
Screenshot Sesame Street (40th Anniversary Edition)
post=110799post=110662Hey, here are a few screens of Alundra to show you what I mean!@Feldschlacht IV - xD, how does it remind you of Alundria? (I looked up some screenshots and didn't really see much of a resemblance)Not graphically, but the level design of the screens that take place outside share a lot of similarity with the field/level design for Alundra's overworld, namely the way the cliffs are leveled and so on. It's hard to explain, at least it's hard for be to verbalize.
http://wolverinesoft.org/library/library14_files/image-008.jpg
http://media.strategywiki.org/images/7/75/Alundra_Cliffs_of_Madness.JPG
The way the cliffs are sequenced gives your game the appearance of an action themed Alundra/Zelda type game.
OH. Now I see the resemblance. xD That looks like a pretty fun game though. What is it for?
Screenshot Sesame Street (40th Anniversary Edition)
@Craze - You are right, when I have time I will go fix that.
@Drakonais - Awesome, that's what I like to hear :p
@blindmind - I have no idea why I do what I do. I just don't think that ALL cliffs are rounded so I mix in both :\
@Feldschlacht IV - xD, how does it remind you of Alundria? (I looked up some screenshots and didn't really see much of a resemblance)
@Anaryu - Well, I learned from checking out nice maps (recently a couple of Stormrider's maps, though my style is a little different from his) so I'm glad I could help. Also, thank you.
@Drakonais - Awesome, that's what I like to hear :p
@blindmind - I have no idea why I do what I do. I just don't think that ALL cliffs are rounded so I mix in both :\
@Feldschlacht IV - xD, how does it remind you of Alundria? (I looked up some screenshots and didn't really see much of a resemblance)
@Anaryu - Well, I learned from checking out nice maps (recently a couple of Stormrider's maps, though my style is a little different from his) so I'm glad I could help. Also, thank you.
Screenshot Sesame Street (40th Anniversary Edition)
Town p1
Town p2 (Both part of the same map)
A cliff
A Cave
And part of a forest like area
-These are all part of a VERY random practice project I'm working on. Nothing is planned...I just map as I see fit. I'm using nothing but Mack Tiles (and about 4 RTP flowers) to show what Mack Tiles (pretty much by themselves) can do, which is the purpose of this project. I know I'm not the greatest mapper yet (xD, it's a goal that keeps me going) I think that these are turning out well.
The project will be called Paradise Isle or something along those lines.
-The gameplay with mostly be roaming around the island exploring the locales (I'm keeping it small, like 50-75ish maps or so) and taking on small side-quests from the people who live on the island. The island itself has many mysteries and secret locations to keep people interested for a decent amount of time. It's not a prestigious project, but it's something I do to practice mapping.
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