Full Games List
Featured Games
New Games
Media
Images
Blogs
Game Updates
Images Feedback Summary
Game Design Highlights
Tutorials
Articles
Scripts
Utilities / Plugins
Resources
Engines
Engine Bulletins
What is Makerscore?
Past Events
Achievements
Misaos
Forums
Chat
New to RMN?
Full Store List
RMN Music Pack (free)
Profile
Locker
Play ListsSVIEL'S PROFILE
Sviel
2006
Close
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.
Search
Filter
All
Game Pages
User Statuses
Ugh...JR 19 will "repeal First Amendment"? Srsly?
In regards to money buying elections, we're pretty well screwed there. The only way to do anything about it is to outspend the people who want to keep it.
Ugh...JR 19 will "repeal First Amendment"? Srsly?
This isn't...they're not about to repeal the first amendment by omission. There's a difference between a bill hitting the floor and actually having a chance of passing, and nothing that repeals anything in the Bill of Rights has a shot in hell of getting through.
At worst, it may have its language updated during discussion to quell w/e legal snaggles you're worried about, should they prove legit...but let's not pretend like it's even seen serious consideration yet.
Ted Cruz could create a bill to outlaw jews and get it this far, if he wanted. It just doesn't make sense to raise a fuss over a thing that decidedly has not happened.
At worst, it may have its language updated during discussion to quell w/e legal snaggles you're worried about, should they prove legit...but let's not pretend like it's even seen serious consideration yet.
Ted Cruz could create a bill to outlaw jews and get it this far, if he wanted. It just doesn't make sense to raise a fuss over a thing that decidedly has not happened.
Opinion on Fangames
A good game that is also a fangame is fine, but if there are 'considerations' due to the fangame status, people are unlikely to put up with them unless they're super excited about the material.
Rectifying Consumable Items
None that restore health.
Mana restoration isn't nearly as heinous, at least not in a system that isn't designed to be about long-term resource management. With mana, the level of healing stays firmly attached to the system proper, so it doesn't end up breaking design. In the same vein, there's another set of consumables that restore Whisper's other resource.
There's one consumable for raising downed allies, but it's not something that everyone will encounter in the game. It requires a bit of side-questing and then each has to be crafted individually.
This is, once again, to keep certain abilities (healing/raising/buffing) in the hands of the characters they were meant for. The game is designed to be beatable without such items, but if someone wants to put the work in, they should be all the more satisfying for it.
There are no items that gives buffs or permanent stat boosts. The first is to avoid overlap like the others, the second is because stat boosts are not a very interesting way to give the player power. If they're going to work to get stronger, it's way more satisfying to get an equip or a skill than flat, higher numbers.
Mana restoration isn't nearly as heinous, at least not in a system that isn't designed to be about long-term resource management. With mana, the level of healing stays firmly attached to the system proper, so it doesn't end up breaking design. In the same vein, there's another set of consumables that restore Whisper's other resource.
There's one consumable for raising downed allies, but it's not something that everyone will encounter in the game. It requires a bit of side-questing and then each has to be crafted individually.
This is, once again, to keep certain abilities (healing/raising/buffing) in the hands of the characters they were meant for. The game is designed to be beatable without such items, but if someone wants to put the work in, they should be all the more satisfying for it.
There are no items that gives buffs or permanent stat boosts. The first is to avoid overlap like the others, the second is because stat boosts are not a very interesting way to give the player power. If they're going to work to get stronger, it's way more satisfying to get an equip or a skill than flat, higher numbers.
DarkEnd Review
I recall them taking 2+ hits to kill, but, even so, it's still a good idea to remove it. Even if it only pops up on RNG trolling, getting a Game Over due to that would be even more frustrating than if it were expected. Like, losing a fistfight to a worm frustrating.
Exploring Bosses
Oh yeah, I read all of the articles on the site when I joined. I think you're definitely better than me at bosses, so it follows that a lot of this was heavily informed by those two.
I still re-read them every other boss q_q
I still re-read them every other boss q_q
Sizing Up the Holy Triangle.
When I was writing up the series of posts, I realized that I really needed to explain what I meant by the Holy Triangle's problems. It ended up being a post on its own, though, it really could have been a forum post too. I decided to keep it because I'm mirroring everything on tumblr and they don't have the forum to look at.
Agreed, but that's why it can be problematic if nothing else is done with combat. It's a starting point, not a cover-all philosophy. In MMOs, like you mentioned, there are widely varied roles that cater to individual fantasies. In RPGs, since the focus is on overall strategy rather than individual characters, that approach isn't enough.
Yeah, supports are so tricky...one has to make other characters powerful enough to feel good on their own, but weak enough that the support doesn't break the game with every buff. And, of course, the support is rather difficult to make satisfying if their partymates are gone.
But baking support skills into every role has issues too. It's easily the class that took the most time to craft for me.
author=Crystalgate
The main draw of the holy triangle is in MMOs where it makes it easier for the player to cooperate. With five people, where say four of them has diverse skill sets and can perform multiple roles at varying proficiency, it can be hard to organize the party unless those five people have played with each other a lot. But with all characters fitting either one of the three trinity roles, it becomes much easier.
I don't think it has anything to do with making the character interaction or the combat meaningful, it's just there to make it simple.
Agreed, but that's why it can be problematic if nothing else is done with combat. It's a starting point, not a cover-all philosophy. In MMOs, like you mentioned, there are widely varied roles that cater to individual fantasies. In RPGs, since the focus is on overall strategy rather than individual characters, that approach isn't enough.
author=synbi
To add: The black sheep of the Holy Triangle family is the Support role, whose function in the group varies widely between games, but generally speaking they provide many useful buffs/debuffs and other utility that benefits the whole group. The Support(er) makes fewer appearances as its own distinct role though, because the kinds of abilities a Supporter would use are almost always baked into the other classes' rotations to make those roles more interesting and varied to play.
Yeah, supports are so tricky...one has to make other characters powerful enough to feel good on their own, but weak enough that the support doesn't break the game with every buff. And, of course, the support is rather difficult to make satisfying if their partymates are gone.
But baking support skills into every role has issues too. It's easily the class that took the most time to craft for me.
Making the story into a journey
Well, that's interesting...computer had a near death experience and posted again 15 minutes later...k...
Making the story into a journey
If that happens, it means you've gotten way ahead of yourself in writing the story. If you were to write the story in outline format, with the major plot points as headings, each one should be tied to some form of gameplay. If that's not the case, rewrite the story until it is.
E.G. Pokémon Any Color
-Player ventures into TALL GRASS and is given some POKEMON by an OLD GUY
-Player seeks out GYM LEADER for BADGE.
-SOMETHING BAD happens involved TEAM _____.
-MORE BADGES.
-ELITE FOUR.
Other plot points, like 'PLAYER fights RIVAL' are in there, but are optional. Things like 'PLAYER'S MOTHER gets sick and he/she visits her in the hospital' are not there because they add nothing to the game, unless you have to 'FIGHT stuff to find the CURE.'
Thus, when approaching it, it's best to have a firm grasp of gameplay so that the story is written around the gameplay. Trying to stretch it around later may result in boring stretches or stuff the player does not care about.
Remember, translating a book into an interactive experience is not as foolproof as building one from the ground up.
E.G. Pokémon Any Color
-Player ventures into TALL GRASS and is given some POKEMON by an OLD GUY
-Player seeks out GYM LEADER for BADGE.
-SOMETHING BAD happens involved TEAM _____.
-MORE BADGES.
-ELITE FOUR.
Other plot points, like 'PLAYER fights RIVAL' are in there, but are optional. Things like 'PLAYER'S MOTHER gets sick and he/she visits her in the hospital' are not there because they add nothing to the game, unless you have to 'FIGHT stuff to find the CURE.'
Thus, when approaching it, it's best to have a firm grasp of gameplay so that the story is written around the gameplay. Trying to stretch it around later may result in boring stretches or stuff the player does not care about.
Remember, translating a book into an interactive experience is not as foolproof as building one from the ground up.
Interaction and Characterization in Combat
That's true, though I expect people here would have better feedback, so I want to make sure I get rid of the obvious stuff first. I'd hate to make dumb mistakes and get feedback on those; rather, I want criticism of my best.
That said, it's probably still a good idea to start sooner rather than later...I'll see about posting something after the weekend.
That said, it's probably still a good idea to start sooner rather than later...I'll see about posting something after the weekend.
Games - Tester
Games - Other
