THATBENNYGUY'S PROFILE
thatbennyguy
1612
I am CashmereCat now.
~~~
Twisted baubles replace my brain and I am toxic yet nice. There's a lot to me, but also not a lot going on up there, they say. PM me because I love attention, I do interviews, I do reviews, I do stuff. Here for the long haul. Gotta hustle.
I'm working on whatever I'm working on, and I love RPG Maker games that aren't traditional RPGs. Puzzlers, interactive stories, but nothing too abstract that'll weird me out. Just give me a polished gem and I'll stare at it for days, marveling at the way the light reflects just right, inner inflections, potato top pie.
I want to make games with you.
~~~
Twisted baubles replace my brain and I am toxic yet nice. There's a lot to me, but also not a lot going on up there, they say. PM me because I love attention, I do interviews, I do reviews, I do stuff. Here for the long haul. Gotta hustle.
I'm working on whatever I'm working on, and I love RPG Maker games that aren't traditional RPGs. Puzzlers, interactive stories, but nothing too abstract that'll weird me out. Just give me a polished gem and I'll stare at it for days, marveling at the way the light reflects just right, inner inflections, potato top pie.
I want to make games with you.
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Do RPGs need a story?
author=grimm_reepar
With that definition, you could arguably say the Pong is an RPG. Did it have a story? No.
If you're going to stretch the definition of RPG to say any game with the player playing the "role" of a "character", then yes. Pong did have a story. The paddle is the main character, placed within the setting of a black screen. The dramatic premise is to hit the ball with the paddle. The circumstances are that the ball is moving at a velocity dictated by the place on the objects that it hits. There is interrelationships between pong paddle and ball on either side, plus the barriers of the screen. The inciting incident of the ball moving sets the plot in motion. It incites violent behaviour of the ball swiftly moving across the screen, threatening the death of the player's side of the screen that it is on course to touch. The main character must encounter obstacle after obstacle of the pong ball returning swiftly many times. The score goes up and down, and depending on that, either the main character is in an advantageous or a disadvantageous position in the setting. The main character has a progression towards his goal/objective, which was from the start to gain the most points by getting as many balls in the opposite side as possible. The resolution of the plot happens when the game is won, and the peak of emotional and physical action ends in a climax. The denouement is a brief period of calm when the player who wins is informed "Player 1 wins!" or "Player 2 wins!", and the state of previous equilibrium returns.
In that sense, Pong is actually a pretty epic story.
Edit: I guess what I'm trying to say is any visual/audio feedback as sensed by your senses tells a story of its own. If you put it in the purest sense of the word. We are being told stories all the time by our senses. Stories with setup, confrontation and resolution cycles, all happening at once, some even thousands of times a second. That is perhaps why humans enjoy a good story, because it reflects the cyclical nature of the world around us. Everything that begins at the top, rotates back to the bottom and then back up to where it started again. That's the beauty of life.
Do RPGs need a story?
author=Ilan14
Personally, what I like more about games, especially RPG's is their story.
If the gameplay is not great, I could ignore that if the story IS great.
I think that goes either way. If a game has bad gameplay but great story, I'll tolerate it. If a game has bad story but great gameplay, I'll tolerate.
I'd just like it better if it has both! ^_^
Are there any writing classes online?
I was wondering if anyone knew or could make any recommendation about if there are any online writing courses that are worth my time. I would like one that did not focus on the construction of plot, story and characters, but rather how to structure sentences properly and how to make your English more of a pleasure to read. I know that when I write for this forum or my university, I find myself making the same mistakes again and again, even if I'm not sure what they are. For instance, I've heard that ending a sentence in a preposition is bad. I have also heard some comments about my own writing (e.g. that I use too many commas, or structure my sentences weirdly). I'm not exactly sure how to remedy that, but I would like to know if there are any forums or online courses that will help make my writing more readable. I imagine there may be some kind of service where I can send in a sample of my writing, and a qualified expert can suggest changes to my writing style. That is, if such a service exists.
Thanks in advance :)
Edit: I am willing to pay money.
Thanks in advance :)
Edit: I am willing to pay money.
All talk, no play
Good answers, unity. Very down-to-earth.
This brings up another question in my mind, and it's something that is more practical and less theoretical than the other questions: to what point should you say that a piece of art is done? Whether it be an entire game, or a tiny sprite, or a game mechanic. To what degree of near-perfection should you stop and say that it is good enough? Is it relative to the amount of time that a person would spend on it, or the value that the developer/player places in that element?
What part of creating a game, or anything else, makes you happy? Is it the process of creating, or the enjoyment of the finished product? If it is a combination of the two, where on the sliding scale are you? And is there a place on the sliding scale where a person would find ultimate happiness from developing? Can you, as a person, choose your place on that scale via your mind?
Edit:
And I guess that "doing what you want to do" is both admirable and sane. Good reply.
author=unity
I can't be a perfectionist. The games I make will never be 100% what I want them to be. But I can't keep refining every little detail indefinitely. I have to settle because part of the fuel for my creativity is actually seeing progress. Everyone's got their own limits. And I feel like if I can get the game done, if one or more of those imperfect parts still pokes at me afterwards, I can try to fix them then. If they're too ingrained into the game, I can try to do better in a future game. Everything's a learning experience.
This brings up another question in my mind, and it's something that is more practical and less theoretical than the other questions: to what point should you say that a piece of art is done? Whether it be an entire game, or a tiny sprite, or a game mechanic. To what degree of near-perfection should you stop and say that it is good enough? Is it relative to the amount of time that a person would spend on it, or the value that the developer/player places in that element?
Ultimately, I feel that you have to get joy from the Gam Mak itself. If you're making it for any other reason than making it is either fun or fulfilling in some way, then you can't guarantee your own happiness in regard to making games. And the reason I can keep going on a project is that making it continues to make me happy. If that makes sense.
What part of creating a game, or anything else, makes you happy? Is it the process of creating, or the enjoyment of the finished product? If it is a combination of the two, where on the sliding scale are you? And is there a place on the sliding scale where a person would find ultimate happiness from developing? Can you, as a person, choose your place on that scale via your mind?
Edit:
Unity
I break it up like this: I could either be creating "stuff" or consuming "stuff" that others have made. Either way, time will pass. I will age. My life is limited. I'd rather spend much of my time creating because I feel driven to do so. So the question isn't if its admirable or sane. It's just what I want to do, in my case.
And I guess that "doing what you want to do" is both admirable and sane. Good reply.
All talk, no play
You make perfect sense, don't worry.
Let's assume that there are at least 2 types of creator's motivations for creating stuff:
Creators in the real world always have a combination of 2 of these traits as motivations. It's a sliding scale between appeasement of players and the satisfying feeling of having created something. But where do these two worlds intersect? There is a point (and I have experienced this myself) where the creator is only satisfied with their development if they believe that players will be satisfied when they play it. Most of us derive satisfaction from the actual development of a game, but I am not happy with my development process when it doesn't reach the standards that I hope that it would, thus it is an option to deem the process a waste of time. It's a relief that I almost never choose that option.
So my question is - if the person will theoretically never be able to find the full joy that they are searching for in the creation of anything they pursue - is it worth the journey? Or would their efforts best be spent elsewhere? Can a person ever know if they will never reach their goal? Is the pursuit of an impossible goal admirable or even sane? I know these are tough questions, and for some of them I am being the Devil's Advocate, but I would like to hear people's answers.
Let's assume that there are at least 2 types of creator's motivations for creating stuff:
- Those that create to appease the wants/needs of players/friends with a product
- Those that create because the process of creation/completion is fun/rewarding/satisfying
Creators in the real world always have a combination of 2 of these traits as motivations. It's a sliding scale between appeasement of players and the satisfying feeling of having created something. But where do these two worlds intersect? There is a point (and I have experienced this myself) where the creator is only satisfied with their development if they believe that players will be satisfied when they play it. Most of us derive satisfaction from the actual development of a game, but I am not happy with my development process when it doesn't reach the standards that I hope that it would, thus it is an option to deem the process a waste of time. It's a relief that I almost never choose that option.
So my question is - if the person will theoretically never be able to find the full joy that they are searching for in the creation of anything they pursue - is it worth the journey? Or would their efforts best be spent elsewhere? Can a person ever know if they will never reach their goal? Is the pursuit of an impossible goal admirable or even sane? I know these are tough questions, and for some of them I am being the Devil's Advocate, but I would like to hear people's answers.
All talk, no play
Do members of the RPG maker community spend too much time discussing development of games, and not enough time developing them? Do you think that discussing game mechanics with others dilutes the artistic integrity of your game, or do you like the open method of suggestion? If we created graphics and maps just to be like others, wouldn't we all end up with roughly the same game? Where does innovation come in?
I am of the understanding that collaboration is good, but if a developer becomes frustrated with their lack of progress in their game, or lack of innovation or general dissatisfaction of the game, what is at fault? Is it simply lack of ability? Will a person who has struggled to achieve an artistic goal, whether it be game making or not, ever achieve their goal? What is the optimal combination of components to spur on growth in this area? Or is it simply beyond one's reach?
An even more frightening question: if we realize that creating the thing that we want to create is beyond our reach - should we even try in the first place? Is the process fun enough to continue? Will "settling for less" be good enough? And is this notion particular to personal preference, or is there an objective statement to be made about the fruits of creativity not appeasing the ambitions of your own mind?
I am of the understanding that collaboration is good, but if a developer becomes frustrated with their lack of progress in their game, or lack of innovation or general dissatisfaction of the game, what is at fault? Is it simply lack of ability? Will a person who has struggled to achieve an artistic goal, whether it be game making or not, ever achieve their goal? What is the optimal combination of components to spur on growth in this area? Or is it simply beyond one's reach?
An even more frightening question: if we realize that creating the thing that we want to create is beyond our reach - should we even try in the first place? Is the process fun enough to continue? Will "settling for less" be good enough? And is this notion particular to personal preference, or is there an objective statement to be made about the fruits of creativity not appeasing the ambitions of your own mind?
The Screenshot Topic Returns
It'd be nice if you could create an autotile that makes the rock edge overlap the water, instead of create just a square water box. Also, I saw in the other screenshot that you have that you always tend to make houses look so small. Is this just because you like the simple style? Because it might look nice if you made it two-tiles-high and added a window or something. Just personal preference.
The Screenshot Topic Returns
@Yuna21 I gotta say, the map looks absolutely fantastic without tinting as well. The only couple of things that I can see is that the left side of the shadow of the second tree from the left is cut off. Also, the bottom edge of every tree's shadow is cut off (not sure if this is the tileset). I might even prefer the version without the tints xD. It probably doesn't suit the mood of the scene, though. Without effects it looks more bright, happy and vibrant. Whereas with the overlay you've got this kind of gloomy, foggy overhang.
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
Selicia: In Depths of Pain
This looks extremely stylish and very dark. I think I'll subscribe to this one. Your game page is also very smexy.
Also, if you need any help with puzzles, don't hesitate to call me. That's probably the only thing that I'm good at, and it seems a game like this could benefit from a couple of mind-bending puzzles. If you want to see an example, then just check my game "Quincy and Amber". Message me if you're interested, Liberty.
Also, if you need any help with puzzles, don't hesitate to call me. That's probably the only thing that I'm good at, and it seems a game like this could benefit from a couple of mind-bending puzzles. If you want to see an example, then just check my game "Quincy and Amber". Message me if you're interested, Liberty.