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So, mostly for fun, but also because Ogor left, I've decided to try my hand at making my own game.
What's different from SS?
The biggest difference is that the game is not browser-based. This is because I lack any coding knowledge at all beyond how to use bold tags. The other big difference is that it isn't an MMORPG, but a JRPG (okay, technically it's a WRPG because I'm not from or in Japan, but it's gonna have all the makings of a JRPG).
So, uh, without coding, how are you making it?
With RPG Maker XP. Or rather, the demo of RPG Maker XP. If some interest is shown, I may buy the real version so I can continue using it for more than a month.
Wait, RPG Maker XP? Isn't that that program that stupid teenagers use because they think they'll be able to make a cool RPG, but actually they almost always suck?
Yes. Yes it is.
So Kenri, what can WE do to help?
Express any amount of interest in this topic. At that point I may or may not post a questionaire to determine what you want to see in the game.
Questions:
How should battles be done? I obviously lack the skills to get around the very, very basic turn based battle system, but I can deal with how you encounter enemies.
Choice 1: Enemies appear on the map, touching them starts the battle.
Choice 2: Random encounters. (Annoying or otherwise.)
Choice 3: No battles. At all. Only bosses.
Choice 4: Enemies only appear in "arenas" you can visit for the sole purpose of leveling up.
-The game has a limit of 999 characters. Knowing this, I can effectively have as many characters as I want in the game. How many characters should there be? (Note that I would not be at all opposed to having several hundred.)
-Should TFN users make cameo appearances as playable characters? If so, who?
-Should the game be plot oriented, puzzle oriented, exploration oriented, or what? (I'm not listing battle oriented because the battle system is very restrictive in terms of what I can and can't do.)
-Should the game be light-hearted, serious, humorous, just plain bizarre, etc?
-Regarding music: There's no way I can do my own. (Actually, there's one way, but it requires work on my end and I won't do it unless I get HUGE amounts of support.) So your options are three: No music (my personal choice), RPG Maker XP's sample music, or music stolen from other video games.
Go.
Edit: In the mean time, some screen shots!
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/8356/gamescreenshot1xn4.png
The first "real" area of the game. The enemies have been implemented using the "appears on the map and the battle starts when you touch them" method. This can be changed later if it's decided that we don't want it.
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/228/gamescreenshot2nb5.png
A "cutscene" early in the game. Shows the main villain (below the fountain).
I'd show off more screen shots, but something happens fairly early on that will definitely be a major "WTF" moment, and I don't want to give it away. <_<
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
Juggernaut, bitch.
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Burgess [Z?] http://blog.myspace.com/burgess51
I smell like smoke because I have walked through fire.
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
Juggernaut, bitch.
Anyway, here's some suggestions just based on my own little line of thinking.
battles
Either go with random, or with the enemies being seen on the map.
Orientation
I'd go with plot driven. Puzzles make me think of ugh no.
Characters
I'd go with quite a few, but not so many that there are some that are just thrown in for the sake of having more people, unless you have "Sir Not Appearing in this Game."
As far as having cameos, that's up to you.
Just as long as I kick ass.
Feeling
Going serious with a touch of humor which of course leads to bizarre isn't a bad choice. Worked for Earthbound. Of course, I think they had the formula backwards.
Music
Steal it.
...anything other than that I can't really think of right now, since I'm on Spring Break, and am not allowing myself to delve too deeply on things.
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Burgess [Z?] http://blog.myspace.com/burgess51
I smell like smoke because I have walked through fire.
Message last edited by Burgess on 3/12/2007 at 09:22:59 PM
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Working on the first major town. However, it's a port town, which leads to some problems - mainly, the ship graphics are, shall we say, lacking, in that there's no way to make a decent sized size not look like crap. I'm gonna be optimistic and say 5% done with this map.
I realize I should probably be working on the actual content before I implement fun little features, but I just couldn't resist doing one. So, a Fishing System has been implemented!
I also implemented a face system - basically, whenever dialogue shows up, there's a picture of the character's face. You'd think this would be in the game by default, but no, and you better be damn grateful, because this took several hours of hardcore surfing and registering for not one, not two, but THREE different message boards before I finally got a script I could use.
However, it's a very nice resource to have, and I also downloaded a "FaceMaker", a neat little Japanese program that allows me to make faces.
BEHOLD THE HERO! (Subject to change)
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3384/namelesscs3.png
I'd totally hit that.
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
Juggernaut, bitch.
...me asking this question means that apparently you should be working for Square.
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Burgess [Z?] http://blog.myspace.com/burgess51
I smell like smoke because I have walked through fire.
Editor
Well, I was wrong. You can store 999 characters, but only 4 can be in your party. The rest are just stored in the game's database (I could theoretically make a really, really complex common event that would allow you to swap a character for another character from the database if you've already recruited that character, but that's way too much work).
So we're back to 4 characters.
...
HA! Yeah, right, like that would stop me. I found a script that not only gets rid of the stupid character limit, but also implements a cool tavern system to trade your characters for other characters.
Kenri: 1
RMXP: 0
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
DSB Moderator
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Mega Sonic
Endut! Hoch Hech!
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Anyway, I have a very, very basic story outline - actually, that's being too generous; I have the basic outline for the setting, and a few characters, but I haven't put everything together yet or figured out a main plot.
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
Provisional
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You suck! -Crowd
Your mother taught me how! -Kurt Angle
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2. *points to the sign up for a cameo topic* Make your character, you can be playable if you want or request to be an NPC.
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
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Or something.
I'm working on this, believe it or not. I'm at day 19 of my 30 day free trial. <_<; Hopefully I can make some money soon and buy the real game.
On more game related news, I'm working on the second town, codenamed Scary Place. As amusing as that name is and as similarly odd as my other area names are (see Somewhere Loopy), I will change it eventually. You can feel free to suggest something, but I'd prefer to name it myself.
Speaking of doing things myself, I'm relying on other people a lot for this game, especially when it comes to scripts. Right now I have three different party systems in place. Chances are at least one of them will let me have a 999 character party. <_<
I have also completed a "full faceset" for the hero of the game. This is something I never want to do again. Ever. Since the Facemaker program can't open previous files made by it (which, while sensible, is inconvenient), whenever I wanted to say, edit the character's eye color, I had to do ALL 12 FACES AGAIN. Bah.
I also forgot what color I was using for character's skin tone, also. I got close, but there is a slight difference. So the angry and sad faces are a bit orange whereas the neutral and happy faces are more pinkish.
I revamped the hero a bit. I don't know how I did it but I made him look more feminine.
I'd care more, but he's SOOOOO cute.
Coincidentally, my favorite Guilty Gear character is Bridget.
If the Facemaker has a failing, it's that it doesn't allow you to edit cheeks. I'd like to add blush or tears, but I can't. Meh. Oh well.
In more mechanic related news, I'm learning how to use fog and screen tone effects. It's a bit cumbersome but otherwise I've got it down.
Oh, and that cutscene at the end of Somewhere Loopy, the one that took me like a week to create. I'm thinking of getting rid of it. Mainly because it's kind of random and doesn't help the plot at all. And since the battle system sucks I figure the plot shouldn't suck too.
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"There are times when destiny calls forth a people and demands an action. Now is the time. We are the people. This is our action. Charge!" ~Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
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-Made a couple new "faces". Mainly because I was bored.
-Remade the cutscene at the end of Somewhere Loopy. It makes a lot more sense now, although it isn't as cool.
-Continued work on Scary Place, which has now been named Hallowed Hollow. It's a clever name 'cuz it's neither of those. The town's "groundwork" is done, including the mapping for most of the town's houses, including the really, really awesome Magi's Hall, a bar where you can learn about different types of magic and talk to a drunk mushroom.
-Made three cutscenes for the aforementioned Hallowed Hollow.
-Within those three cutscenes I've advanced the story a bit and introduced a main character.
-The main "quest" of HH is 90% done. It involves collecting three items - the Mushroom of Yesterday, the Seed of Tomorrow, and the Bloom of Now. They're, mostly, really easy to collect, although the description of the quest is vague.
-For PLAYTESTING AND BETA TESTING purposes only, I've changed all characters' default level to 50. This means that essentially you can OHKO bosses. It probably won't stick around for the final version of the game, but it makes playtesting a hell of a lot easier.
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"Who are the Jews in this metaphor?" ~Dr. Chase
Legend
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"Those are only my precious hands you're standing on." Black Mage
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"Who are the Jews in this metaphor?" ~Dr. Chase