UNITY'S PROFILE

author=LockeZ
Consider abandoning the smaller features instead of the bigger ones. It seems like battlers that change based on status ailments and the exact timing of the defend command are not nearly as big a deal as having the CTB battle system.

That's true! Given that I've built my characters around the CTB system (the main character's uniqueness comes from getting to act more due to their AGI, for example), it seems silly to throw the system away because of smaller problems, especially since I've found workarounds for other problems (the defend command, for example, I got to work right).

My thought process was "I've spent so much time on these sprites for the battlers that I'll throw out the battle system before I throw out the side-view battles" but that's not exactly what I should be asking. The fact that your characters don't always kneel when low on HP or have shades on when blind is no reason to throw out the entire battle system. I feel a bit silly for even considering it now.

author=LockeZ
For example, I've got an almost flawless recreation of the Chrono Trigger battle system that I'm using in my RMXP game Iniquity and Vindication, except that the caterpillar system that goes with it is screwed up and the allies stop following you if you move diagonally up-right or up-left while hugging a diagonal wall. Despite several hours of screwing with the script I haven't been able to solve the bug. So I have to decide - get rid of the entire battle system, or get rid of the caterpillar system, or get rid of diagonal movement? Uh, well, I might have to think a little bit about the last two choices, but I know I'm not gonna get rid of the battle system over something like that!

Which just reinforces the point. When I played through the demo of I&V, I was so busy going "OMG Chrono Trigger battles!" that I didn't even notice the smaller issues.

author=Skie Fortress
I've thought up, prototyped, and then abandoned countless features from my projects. It's pretty funny actually looking back on it.

My usual thought process is 1. Does this seem like it would be cool and fun? 2. Is it feasible? 3. Will or will it not absolutely destroy the balance of the other features present?

If it passes all three questions, I'll usually toss it in. But sometimes, over the course of development, I'll end up coming up with a better, more streamlined version of the idea. Or something else to replace it entirely. Or other times, I'll end up finding some sort of loophole in my implementation, or otherwise find the feature no longer as fun as I initially thought it to be.

In any of those situations, I'll abandon the feature without question. But I wouldn't scrap the entirety of a working growth or battle system, just the things that might be hampering it. But then again, all situations are different, so there isn't a catch all solution.

Yeah, I think I'm looking at the wrong things to cut here. And who knows, I might, like you, find better ways of getting things to work down the line.

author=RyaReisender
Y'know "ability" is not really a limit as you can alwasy learn new stuff (like scripting).

I hate limitations in RPG Makers which is the main reason I'm making games with pure programming the past years.

Very true. But just as some people aren't as good at art and music, I've found that I just don't have the knack for programming anything beyond like QBasic or RPG Maker scripts. Which means I'll probably be better suited as a member on a game-making team than a solo developer. But I've got a big drive to create so I'm going to try to get at least a game or three of my own out, even if I have to depend on other people's scripting XD

I'm having to make a difficult decision and I was hoping to get some feedback from you all. I've been using a CTB battle system with my VX Ace game, and I keep running in to problems dealing with the fact that VX Ace works in "Turns" and my CTB system goes beyond turns while still using them. This is causing problems for me with just about everything battle-related.

I'm able to find work-arounds for most of the problems, but I'm still unable to fix a few things that I really want to work right, like having my side-view battlers display things like the low-HP animation and ailment animations (The CTB system will start them in those animations but they don't seem to want to stay that way).

Given my lack of any sort of scripting ability aside from following instructions in pre-made scripts, I'm thinking I might have to abandon the CTB system for this game, even though it was part of my initial vision for the project.

So I was wondering if others have had to abandon features to get games to work, and how you draw the line between what you want in your game and what you can actually get to work.

I've found a bug that's halted my progress. After returning to Gainer's home from underground, there was a touching scene with his mother, and then the screen faded out and when it faded in, I was stuck in a wall.

Totally. I can't tell you how many of these pages have helped me with my own design stuff.

Clearly, the blonde girl is the only one who knows the snow-fiend's tragic weakness to SNOW ITSELF.

author=kentona
I wanted to make a game off of the banner image, too. it just seems so epic. I'd call it There's Snow Stopping Us Now! and the 4 kids would have to defeat the deranged mutant killer monster snow goons.

Hahaha, I'd play that in a heartbeat.