Need Ideas for a Game

[Moon Rabbits]

RPGs being so hard to create is generally overrated. At first I thought it was difficult too and opted to not make an RPG until I garnered some experience. However, I managed to make a complete RPG-text-based battle system all on my own. To be quite honest, RPGs only seem difficult because of the many stats/skills/magic, but many people don't take into account that most action or platform games have advanced physics systems, something most traditional RPGs generally lack.

As for the story, I have some pretty original ideas myself. And no, they aren't clichéd overused tropes that many people use. Just wait and see.

A text-based battle system is far easier and less nuanced than actual, animated battle systems. Not to mention implementing enemy AI and so on.

Platform engines can easily be tile-based, and unless it's a game based around physics in the gameplay (ie. Crayon Physics) you could probably get away with some pretty simple run/jump stuff.

There are also several very professional and well documented physics engines available for many different platforms.

[SwordFighter_Dago]

RPGs being so hard to create is generally overrated. At first I thought it was difficult too and opted to not make an RPG until I garnered some experience. However, I managed to make a complete RPG-text-based battle system all on my own. To be quite honest, RPGs only seem difficult because of the many stats/skills/magic, but many people don't take into account that most action or platform games have advanced physics systems, something most traditional RPGs generally lack.

As for the story, I have some pretty original ideas myself. And no, they aren't clichéd overused tropes that many people use. Just wait and see.

A text-based battle system is far easier and less nuanced than actual, animated battle systems. Not to mention implementing enemy AI and so on.

Platform engines can easily be tile-based, and unless it's a game based around physics in the gameplay (ie. Crayon Physics) you could probably get away with some pretty simple run/jump stuff.

There are also several very professional and well documented physics engines available for many different platforms.

An animated battle system is really nothing more than a text-based battle system with animated sprites and added effects played at the right moments. Also, because rgps tend to have many skills/stats etc. they generally lack any real interactivity. If you've ever created something with RPGmaker, you know how the trigger system works. Compare that to constant gravity calculation, enemy movement patterns, advanced collision and robust level designs that platforming games require.

Combine that with the fact that the narrative determines how interesting an rpg is. Someone who is good at writing stories is also good at creating an interesting rpg experience. This is what, in my opinion, makes an rpg more favourable for a beginner than other genres. Except arcade games, but those are typically small-scale games void of any depth.

[BG-57]

Are those characters you actually came up with? And Conceptual storyline things? Post them on the forums! And Skyblade, I'd like to see what you had. Maybe you could help us!

Project: N00b | The next epic RPG!

The first three were all my own idea; Sophia and Penumbra as well. Lot and Cassandra were originally conceived by my brother. I tried to post them but I wasn't allowed.

RPGs being so hard to create is generally overrated. At first I thought it was difficult too and opted to not make an RPG until I garnered some experience. However, I managed to make a complete RPG-text-based battle system all on my own. To be quite honest, RPGs only seem difficult because of the many stats/skills/magic, but many people don't take into account that most action or platform games have advanced physics systems, something most traditional RPGs generally lack.

As for the story, I have some pretty original ideas myself. And no, they aren't clichéd overused tropes that many people use. Just wait and see.

A text-based battle system is far easier and less nuanced than actual, animated battle systems. Not to mention implementing enemy AI and so on.

Platform engines can easily be tile-based, and unless it's a game based around physics in the gameplay (ie. Crayon Physics) you could probably get away with some pretty simple run/jump stuff.

There are also several very professional and well documented physics engines available for many different platforms.

An animated battle system is really nothing more than a text-based battle system with animated sprites and added effects played at the right moments. Also, because rgps tend to have many skills/stats etc. they generally lack any real interactivity. If you've ever created something with RPGmaker, you know how the trigger system works. Compare that to constant gravity calculation, enemy movement patterns, advanced collision and robust level designs that platforming games require.

Combine that with the fact that the narrative determines how interesting an rpg is. Someone who is good at writing stories is also good at creating an interesting rpg experience. This is what, in my opinion, makes an rpg more favourable for a beginner than other genres. Except arcade games, but those are typically small-scale games void of any depth.

Yeah I know all about triggers.

As for interactivity I think character interaction is a big part of what makes me like a game. If I want just to kill stuff I'd play Doom.

[Moon Rabbits]

RPGs being so hard to create is generally overrated. At first I thought it was difficult too and opted to not make an RPG until I garnered some experience. However, I managed to make a complete RPG-text-based battle system all on my own. To be quite honest, RPGs only seem difficult because of the many stats/skills/magic, but many people don't take into account that most action or platform games have advanced physics systems, something most traditional RPGs generally lack.

As for the story, I have some pretty original ideas myself. And no, they aren't clichéd overused tropes that many people use. Just wait and see.

A text-based battle system is far easier and less nuanced than actual, animated battle systems. Not to mention implementing enemy AI and so on.

Platform engines can easily be tile-based, and unless it's a game based around physics in the gameplay (ie. Crayon Physics) you could probably get away with some pretty simple run/jump stuff.

There are also several very professional and well documented physics engines available for many different platforms.

An animated battle system is really nothing more than a text-based battle system with animated sprites and added effects played at the right moments. Also, because rgps tend to have many skills/stats etc. they generally lack any real interactivity. If you've ever created something with RPGmaker, you know how the trigger system works. Compare that to constant gravity calculation, enemy movement patterns, advanced collision and robust level designs that platforming games require.

Combine that with the fact that the narrative determines how interesting an rpg is. Someone who is good at writing stories is also good at creating an interesting rpg experience. This is what, in my opinion, makes an rpg more favourable for a beginner than other genres. Except arcade games, but those are typically small-scale games void of any depth.

RPGMaker is a little less involved and far less advanced than anything you'd be producing in a C++ or other high-level language environment. Anyway, 2D animation, especially for RPGs where there are so many unique ones, is still difficult.

Also, if narrative is the only thing worth playing an RPG for, why not read a book? I'm sorry, but interesting gameplay, especially in an RPG since you will be playing it for at least 30+ hours, has got to be innovative and exciting ... not just menu crunching.

[SwordFighter_Dago]

RPGMaker is a little less involved and far less advanced than anything you'd be producing in a C++ or other high-level language environment. Anyway, 2D animation, especially for RPGs where there are so many unique ones, is still difficult.

Also, if narrative is the only thing worth playing an RPG for, why not read a book? I'm sorry, but interesting gameplay, especially in an RPG since you will be playing it for at least 30+ hours, has got to be innovative and exciting ... not just menu crunching.

Of course its going to be a pain in the ass to code. But that's what all games are that take longer than 15 minutes to complete. I still stand by the fact that making an interesting rpg is far less tedious than making an interesting platform game.

There are many, many games of either genre. Creating one has to have some unique features and presentation to make it stand out from the rest. This holds true for any genre that's been done to death. However, rpgs have the advantage of taking a tried and true formula, pasting on a few bells and whistles and present a rich and entertaining story. Platform games on the other hand, require more difficult assets. To make a platformer stand out from the rest, you'd have to be a master at level design, and come up with concepts that enrich the gameplay and work. Of the two, the rpg is definately the easiest to develop.

[NeoTifa]

Hey, BG-57, request to be a developer and you can. I thought you were already, sorry.

...or you could've posted them in the suggestions forum...

[KentaRawr!]

It seems like I was a little late, but I would like to make a suggestion. It seems like you guys are pretty set on making an RPG. What if you were to make an RPG that could also be considered a platformer, perhaps in a similar vein as the Prince of Persia games? The reason I suggest this is because of the increased interaction with the environment that kind of a set-up would provide. The environment of a game can be used to enhance the mood and feel of a game, and having a large amount of interaction with the environment offers more chances for the environment to change as the story does and enhance the mood and feel even more. For example, let's say you're on a chase of some sort in which you have to catch up to an NPC for some reason. The environment as you go through this area could offer the player more smaller obstacles to overcome as they run ahead, which would help enhance the feeling of quickness as the player hurdles over each obstacle as quickly as they can.

Also, having this emphasis on platforming could be used to make certain parts of the game challenging while still keeping the atmosphere of the area you're setting up. If you wanted that part of the game to be challenging without the platforming, enemy encounters would have to be set up, which would probably break the atmospheric experience of the area. Let's go back to the chase example. While the chase is going on, and the player is supposed to feel like they have to get to their goal as fast as they can, they run into an enemy encounter. That slows the gameplay experience down to a more tactical and strategic experience, and completely interrupts the speedy experience that was going on before.

However, you guys are going for an RPG, and if the game were to be made into a 2D Platformer, that would probably make RPG fans look at screenshots and say "This doesn't seem to suit my tastes." However, a traditional top-down view also wouldn't work particularly well for a platforming experience. If possible, I would recommend an isometric style. It's been proven to work well with RPG fans, and if you were to go with the Platforming/RPG idea, it would offer a decent view of the landscape for the player to play in.

Anyway, whatever you guys end up with, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I just wanted to offer my ideas.

Edit: Well, this probably ended up coming off as annoying since there seems to have already been some discussion about what genre it should be in. >_< My apologies if it came off that way.

[NeoTifa]

No thats fine. I have no experience with iso tiles, though, and we're tying to keep it as simple as possible for the first go around. After this we could either update it or make a sequel/new game alltogether thats iso and such. Remember, it's called Project:N00b for a reason

[KentaRawr!]

Ah, okay. n_n

[NeoTifa]

Do you have any storyline suggestions? If you click my link in my sig you can go through there and read what we got so far.

[Mercen-X]

Are you desperately hoping for a story and characters that haven't "been done?" If not, I'd suggest taking a look HERE.

[NeoTifa]

Hmmmmm interesting. You should post that in our forums under suggestions. Theres people from DIC on there too, so just posting suggestions here is kinda like cheating everyone else.

[BG-57]

Your ideas are welcome; and we're brainstorming at this point anyway. The winnowing process will be later, when we try to make a coherent script and game.

[NeoTifa]

We have to have a Sebastian though teh heh heh

[BG-57]

That goes without saying.

Some artwork of (L-R) General Lot, Ambassador Sophia, and the Necromancer Penumbra.