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Sviel
2006
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It turns out that I really dislike words. Not surprisingly, I recently switched from a CS Engineering major to Creative Writing; practically left my degree at the altar.
I like fine-tuning mechanics and writing long novels on the beach.
I like fine-tuning mechanics and writing long novels on the beach.
Zoids | Whisper
A healer tries to piece paradise back together after tragedy strikes...or at least keep the shards from slipping through her fingers.
A healer tries to piece paradise back together after tragedy strikes...or at least keep the shards from slipping through her fingers.
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How do you make random encounters feel welcome?
author=Weary_Owl
That's an issue with poorly implemented touch encounters rather than the system itself.
An overlooked feature of touch encounters is that it limits the number of encounters on a map. If I want to safely explore every inch of it I can dispose of everything on the map and see the sights. If there's an infinite number of random battles I'm far less inclined to wander. It doesn't matter how good those battles are if I have to fight 20 of them on a map just to discover a dead-end or a treasure chest with 2 potions (I used 6 on the way.). If I want to fight more enemies I can reset the zone or visit a nearby area. If the game requires me to grind on the same spot that's a balance issue and if the game and battles are fun I'll want to progress not repeatedly experience the same fight.
Touch encounters help avoid unfun or redundant fights but they've also useful for picking what and when you want to fight rather than avoiding everything together. No one likes having their exploration and control slapped out of their hands because a random number generator has decided my experience could be improved by 2 slimes and a wolf. That could be the best encounter ever devised by man but I'm still going to be annoyed it didn't let me loot the chest 2 tiles away first.
I don't disagree, really.
Just, I think there's some overlap where touch and random are both pretty appropriate. Certainly, in the cases you laid out there, touch makes a lot more sense. To say that it is always superior would be harder to defend, though.
What should go in a character focused game
author=macblo
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll try and post something by Saturday since
I won't be able to do ANY work next week. Do you guys know about any
RPG Maker character driven games?
Illusions of Loyalty is a pretty good one, though it is more a game with strong characters than explicitly character-driven.
Incitement 2 also does a pretty good job in that regard.
Deimos is shaping up to be one, if you're ok with a demo. It's worth checking out just to see how they handle it, imo.
I'm also releasing one sometime tomorrow, provided disaster doesn't strike too hard.
How do you make random encounters feel welcome?
I feel like on-touch encounters don't really solve the issue...a good battle is a good battle either way. A bad battle is no less bad because the player had the chance to avoid it. Also, when there are touch encounters that I can't possibly avoid, they feel exactly like random encounters.
What matters to me is that the number of battles is kept at some respectable amount, no matter how they're delivered.
And, perhaps, the distinction between random/touch is better solved in terms of story rather than gameplay. I prefer touch when I want the player to place some importance on who they're fighting and random when the battle itself is the only thing of consequence.
What matters to me is that the number of battles is kept at some respectable amount, no matter how they're delivered.
And, perhaps, the distinction between random/touch is better solved in terms of story rather than gameplay. I prefer touch when I want the player to place some importance on who they're fighting and random when the battle itself is the only thing of consequence.
What should go in a character focused game
Dialogue is incredibly important here, usually. Take the time to make it sound natural, though, rather than just getting as much exposition across as possible. It's not helpful to stuff in more character development if the player isn't engaged with the character in the first place.
Also, character traits need to be consistent across all of the game's systems. That means that combat abilities need to affirm said traits or have a very good reason not to. In addition, if you have a support system such as Fire Emblem, make sure that Chatty Cathy and Silent Sam don't start sounding the same in the name of character development.
Then, make sure that the character's motivations match their personality. It may make the plot much harder to weave, but players will generally appreciate not seeing odd personality abandonment at crucial junctures.
Most importantly, make sure to keep your conflict close to home. Epic journeys are nice and all, but if the focus is on the characters then you need to be sure that they have a good reason to care about it all. Avoid trite things like revenge or being the 'chosen one.' Instead, create something personal...something that can resonate with players. They aren't playing your game to hear about some legendary hero, rather, they want to watch how your characters respond and react (and perhaps shape that response).
Also, character traits need to be consistent across all of the game's systems. That means that combat abilities need to affirm said traits or have a very good reason not to. In addition, if you have a support system such as Fire Emblem, make sure that Chatty Cathy and Silent Sam don't start sounding the same in the name of character development.
Then, make sure that the character's motivations match their personality. It may make the plot much harder to weave, but players will generally appreciate not seeing odd personality abandonment at crucial junctures.
Most importantly, make sure to keep your conflict close to home. Epic journeys are nice and all, but if the focus is on the characters then you need to be sure that they have a good reason to care about it all. Avoid trite things like revenge or being the 'chosen one.' Instead, create something personal...something that can resonate with players. They aren't playing your game to hear about some legendary hero, rather, they want to watch how your characters respond and react (and perhaps shape that response).
How to write 300 words!
On one hand, this is a good list of bases to cover in a review.
On the other, someone who can't come up with 300 words is probably not going to improve much, regardless of help. But, in the cases where I'm wrong, the endeavor is made worthwhile?
On the other, someone who can't come up with 300 words is probably not going to improve much, regardless of help. But, in the cases where I'm wrong, the endeavor is made worthwhile?
Incitement 2 Review
I went light on plot and characterization because I did not get to experience it in the proper order and thus couldn't give a full review. I was liable to be completely off because I saw everything out of order, so I kept it general enough that I could be sure of my assessment. I am not, however, doing another playthrough for the sake of giving a review of characters.
Since you asked, though, I can give a brief look at them...just know that they could be better than I say when seen in context.
The dialogue is fairly solid. It's not amazing, but it gets the job done and is amusing at times. Nothing sticks out about it, negative or positive, save for a few scenes that may be slightly overdone and a few characters that came across with a marvelously distinct voice.
The characters themselves are mostly interesting. We learn enough about them to see what shapes them, but it's not done via exposition dump so it's actually a fun experience. There are a few instances where they may act out of character, but those are few and far between; likely the result of a poorly communicated idea rather than author hijacking.
There are two outliers, however. The main character is very boring and one of the side characters (Hesper) is leagues more interesting than the rest.
As far as the plot goes, I really can't say much. It doesn't take too much suspension of disbelief to follow and appropriately ramps up over the course of the game. Gameplay is tied quite tightly to the story and thus does not feel meaningless at any point. There's nothing all that new, really, but the old material is competently handled here.
Since you asked, though, I can give a brief look at them...just know that they could be better than I say when seen in context.
The dialogue is fairly solid. It's not amazing, but it gets the job done and is amusing at times. Nothing sticks out about it, negative or positive, save for a few scenes that may be slightly overdone and a few characters that came across with a marvelously distinct voice.
The characters themselves are mostly interesting. We learn enough about them to see what shapes them, but it's not done via exposition dump so it's actually a fun experience. There are a few instances where they may act out of character, but those are few and far between; likely the result of a poorly communicated idea rather than author hijacking.
There are two outliers, however. The main character is very boring and one of the side characters (Hesper) is leagues more interesting than the rest.
As far as the plot goes, I really can't say much. It doesn't take too much suspension of disbelief to follow and appropriately ramps up over the course of the game. Gameplay is tied quite tightly to the story and thus does not feel meaningless at any point. There's nothing all that new, really, but the old material is competently handled here.
Eerie persistance of first games
Sometimes, the characters are just going to keep haunting you until you get them out into the world somehow. Sounds like that's what you experienced.
Or, maybe, you just really like them? I have a few characters that I've worked with on and off for years. In a way, it was limiting at first, but over time I've built up a wide enough range that I can tell all sorts of stories with detailed characterization. Sometimes the characters are recognizable between works and sometimes they aren't...but as long as they fit, all is well.
Or, maybe, you just really like them? I have a few characters that I've worked with on and off for years. In a way, it was limiting at first, but over time I've built up a wide enough range that I can tell all sorts of stories with detailed characterization. Sometimes the characters are recognizable between works and sometimes they aren't...but as long as they fit, all is well.
It's (not) a Joke
Incitement 2 Review
The story is pretty well outlined on the game summary page, so it seemed rather redundant to go too much into here. In terms of quality, I figured that if I said it should be played for the story, that would effectively give it all the endorsement it needed.
That said, I would have gone deeper into it if I had not encountered the since fixed glitch that caused me to experience the game out of order.
At any rate, the main goal of part II is giving the dev an in-depth look at a play-through in order to help them make adjustments as they see fit. Part I should be handling the 'should I play this or not' question. What kind of information on the story that is not found in the summary would you like to see there?
That said, I would have gone deeper into it if I had not encountered the since fixed glitch that caused me to experience the game out of order.
At any rate, the main goal of part II is giving the dev an in-depth look at a play-through in order to help them make adjustments as they see fit. Part I should be handling the 'should I play this or not' question. What kind of information on the story that is not found in the summary would you like to see there?
Sleepyhead
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