HEDGE1'S PROFILE

I'm always impressed with the amount of work being put into this game. Keep it up!

Have you tried using OBS? It's free screen recording software, and I find it creates really clear video recordings and would remove the fuzz visible in this video.

If I were to give a suggestion on the video content, it would be to use a fixed width font for the time on the lower right so that it doesn't bounce around so much. Just a thought.

My games list program identifies the following types:
- 2000/2003 (it considers both of these as the same, but I could probably change that)
- XP
- VX
- VX Ace

I couldn't find a good way to identify MV, though I also didn't have a lot of examples to draw upon. I have zero examples of MZ.

If you haven't checked out the utility yet, I encourage you to do so. It was built to help with this topic.
https://rpgmaker.net/engines/other/utilities/216/

Still following this after all these years, and happy to see it alive!

Are you still making a custom editor for the mapping?

Very pretty game. I enjoy it when you share new screen shots.

Write! Write lots! When I took my creative writing classes at college, we were instructed to write 50 short stories in a semester. Reading and exploring what's already out there is really important, but you'll never get better at writing without actually doing it. For your 50 "stories" you could tackle maybe 50 different scenes in a game you'd like to write (doesn't have to all be in the same game). Or take an existing game (or games) and try rewriting scenes to make them better. I find older games have much more interesting plot ideas than they have quality of writing, if you need source material. As you write, choose a few scenes/stories you really like to refine into something better.

Work at character writing. Historically, RPGs were very much built around bland, one dimensional character tropes. And those can still be really effective in indie games (and I still enjoy them, personally). But if you're looking at writing for bigger companies, you'll need to learn how to create convincing and differentiated characters through dialogue. Try asking all of your characters the same question and see how they may answer differently. Or place them in the same situation and see how they behave differently. Will some succeed where others fail? You've just found an opportunity to merge game play and story.

One of the exercises of my writing class was to take one of my short stories and cut out 1/3rd of the words. It was done as the mid-term, actually, so the end result had to not suck. I tell you this because you need to be in the right mindset to really struggle through how to tell the same tale far quicker without the end product suffering. Really commit to that 33% reduction (even if it feels too harsh). The practice will be worth it.


Events and RPGs Specifically
Think about how a game is played. We talk about "plot" and "story" a lot, but really a game is a series of events. Go there, take that, beat him, save them, etc. Indeed, in early RPGs the only story-related positions were "Event Planners." Even FF7, who had two story writers, had 8 event planners. I personally think of events as what players do, and think of a good story as something that motivates a player to want to do those things.

Some things I consider for wants and motivation (using Star Wars as examples):
- Mystery (why did Darth Vader turn evil?)
- Discovery* (what is the force?)
- Protection (stop the evil empire / save Han Solo)
- Power (training with Yoda) <-- use carefully and sparingly!!
- Recovery** (Darth Vader isn't evil and I'll prove it!)
- Revenge (kill the emperor)

* I like to think of Mystery as solving old things while Discovery is learning new things.
** Recovery can be turning someone from bad to good, restoring someone's power, encouraging a hero to fight again, etc. Maybe I should call it Redemption?
*** Note that this is all motivation for the player, not the characters. Often they overlap, but not always.
**** I'm sure there are many other options for motivation than the ones I mentioned above.

author=The_freecs
The issue I'm having is thinking up a plot that can be stretched out into a games length organically, it's a lot more difficult then I initially thought.

From an event and want perspective, the beginning of the game is easy. Players are eager to explore the world and begin the story, so it doesn't matter what you tell them to do -- they'll do it. The end is similar. It is the climax. They finally get to take out the big bad and complete their quest. But the middle lacks such natural incentives. I think that's why its so hard and doesn't feel organic.

Another problem with the middle is that RPGs often require progression geographically in order to facilitate the standard game play loop (new equipment, new enemies, new towns, new NPCs, etc). So it is basically a question of "how many reasons can you give for player A to move to point B?" It is no surprise that this portion often feels repetitive and contrived.

Games have done all sorts of things to try to solve this. Some games convert into more open world adventures for a period of time. Many early games were basically long fetch quests (Crystals anyone?). Mini character arcs are extremely common. As are interrupting story arcs (big bad is still destroying the world, but your friend needs help!). But I don't find these concepts to be particularly effective, and indeed most modern RPGs I've experienced forgo them (though FF10 did a pretty fantastic job of its fetch quest, if I'm honest).

If you want to feel organic, my advice is to try to maintain an interwoven, layered narrative, with multiple "wants" active at any given time, and with events relating to something beyond themselves. And then solve some wants while constantly introducing others to give the player a feeling of accomplishment while maintaining the forward drive.

For my part, I also ask "why" concerning the elements I already have. Just solving a loose end can cause you to go into some very interesting places. I mean, The Lord of the Rings was literally started when Tolkien asked himself "what is the ring that Bilbo found?" And LOTR is certainly and epic plot if ever there was one.

Hopefully that helps. And good luck!

EDIT: I just realized there was probably a reason why you asked this question in the first place. Did someone tell you that you needed to read more? Are you upset at the quality of your writing and trying to figure out how to improve? Is it something you just "feel you should do"? I know Anime and comics have been the inspiration from some games. Is there a reason you feel those aren't sufficient for your needs? Are you really asking us what you should be reading to get better?