Need Ideas for a Game

[Meat Puppet]

as a basic rule all good games have an abundance of ninjas and dinosaurs (and dinoninjas)

[NeoTifa]

I totally agree with puppet here, Magixion.

[qwertysaur]

Here is some advice that I find to affect how the game flows.

Avoid walls of text/dialog and long scenes of story text. They tend to take away from the game when used more then sparingly, as the player will likely get bored.

Don't rely on a single person to do anything that only he/she can do. Stalling production of anything will kill all interest on it.

Find at least three people who are good at spriting if your game is 2D.

Never have anything that requires full dependency on color based things. People who are colorblind play games too!

If you have more playable characters than space in a single party, come up with a way to use them all.

Try and have more then one Villain at once. or even a three+ faction system. Keeps the story interesting.

Define all in game terms in an easy to access manner. If you name a spell for casting Fire magic Suzaku's feathers, very few people will get the reference and not know what the spell does.

Write up the equations for Stats ASAP. It will be best to get it done with now.

Finally, avoid forced level grinding.

[NeoTifa]

...
Write up the equations for Stats ASAP. It will be best to get it done with now.
...

I've been working on that before I even knew Magixion was interested in teaming up (like 3 months ago). We are interested in more people joining in. Mag. is making a forums for this project so we can work together better. He hasn't sent me a link yet to it yet, but he's probably working on it now.

So far we have :

Magixion
NeoTifa
BG-57 (I'm pretty sure he got sucked into our subliminal messages)

[Wolf Kanno]

Which no doubt explains your admiration for FFT. One that I share, of course.

Damn straight, you remember that project Skyblade was working on for a sequel to the original FFTA? I loved those characters...

BTW: I love your characters, especially the general.

[SwordFighter_Dago]

Damn, this sounds amazing. Creating an old-school rpg with an original storyline and gameplay twists has been something I'd want to do for a long time.

Can I join this project? I have fair C++ skills, can make concept art (maybe even sprites) and have many original ideas. Oh, and I can also create the music. No good game without good music.

[Skyblade]

Course, I like moral ambiguity and forcing the player into decisions that have no heroic or "nice" spin to it. You are screwed either way.

Which no doubt explains your admiration for FFT. One that I share, of course.

Damn straight, you remember that project Skyblade was working on for a sequel to the original FFTA? I loved those characters...

Which is odd, because I am pretty much the exact opposite of that position, which is part of why I hated the original FFT. Not only did they try to press the whole "no good side" thing too much (which I thought was ridiculous), but Delita, a character who is as psychotic as they come, wound up winning.

I liked those characters too, I just wish I was better at writing dialogue for them.

[Magixion]

Damn, this sounds amazing. Creating an old-school rpg with an original storyline and gameplay twists has been something I'd want to do for a long time.

Can I join this project? I have fair C++ skills, can make concept art (maybe even sprites) and have many original ideas. Oh, and I can also create the music. No good game without good music.

We could use all the help we can get. If you are seriously interested, sign up at our forums and we can work something out!

Forums:
Project: N00b | The next epic RPG!

[Mercen-X]

Just had a dream in which I was playing some kind of sidescrolling beat-em-up with simplistic graphics featuring superdeformed sprites of Cloud, Leon (Squall), and Sephiroth.
I only got to play the part where Cloud and Squall had to fight Sephiroth and I watch them jump around and slash randomly (my thumbs were probably moving in my sleep) and then watched as Cloud performed three Clim Hazzard's in a row with the 3rd followed immediately with a Braver. Then I noticed a flashing bar at the bottom of the screen and immediately thought "LIMIT BREAK!" Cloud then performed Omnislash and leapt back as Squall swooped in to perform a quicker version of Blasting Zone that pushed Sephiroth off of the screen. Squall then performed a weird attack where he swung his gunblade and unleashed a giant sphere of liquid that seemed to have, I don't know, souls in it. It had to have come FROM Squall because it went after and ATTACKED Sephiroth!

[Wolf Kanno]

Which is odd, because I am pretty much the exact opposite of that position, which is part of why I hated the original FFT. Not only did they try to press the whole "no good side" thing too much (which I thought was ridiculous), but Delita, a character who is as psychotic as they come, wound up winning.

I liked those characters too, I just wish I was better at writing dialogue for them.

You are a good writer, at least what I've read.

Though I will never understand your dislike for moral ambiguity, especially when it can be somewhat argued that FFTA was filled with them.

[Moon Rabbits]

Unless all members of this project have created complete, working, small-scale projects, I doubt an RPG would get off the ground. Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but an RPG is quite possibly the largest, most ambitious project you could tackle in a 2D realm.

Think: not only do you need strong, multidimensional characters; an original storyline; interesting and unique weapons/magic; and a believable, fleshed out setting, but you also need an intense amount of different game mechanics.

Firstly, you need an "overworld" system to represent the world map. Essentially, you could use the same engine you use for walking around dungeons and towns, but most 2D RPGs opt for something like Chrono Trigger's overworld. Secondly, you need an engine for your dungeon crawls and what not. On top of that, you need a complex, multi-layered menu system that allows you to use items, assign magic, equip weaponry and armor, et cetera and so on. A leveling system is also essential, although you could just do the basic EXP = Level Up = slight stat boost, but that's boring and uninspired. Lastly, you need a battle system, and innovating there (especially in 2D) is rather difficult with the traditional RPG structure.

I would expect months, if not years to be invested in a project like this. Instead, especially if these games are for your portfolio/resume, I would choose various, smaller projects which you could feasibly accomplish within your time frame (someone said you were graduating in December?). Centre these projects around a "gimmick," a specific game mechanic that will be used throughout the entire game. Take games like Gish, Crayon Physics, Fez, or Braid - all of these games have an original and endearing concept behind them. Multiple small projects will also exemplify all your skills rather than just your RPG making skills. Maybe throw some procedurally generated content in there, too, it's all the rage these days.

If you insist on an RPG, don't go with the lame "giant empires, rebels, evil forces" setup. Do something unique. Also, the way the characters level up should definitely have some sort of choice involved (think the Sphere Grid of FFX).

[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.

[Skyblade]

Which is odd, because I am pretty much the exact opposite of that position, which is part of why I hated the original FFT. Not only did they try to press the whole "no good side" thing too much (which I thought was ridiculous), but Delita, a character who is as psychotic as they come, wound up winning.

I liked those characters too, I just wish I was better at writing dialogue for them.

You are a good writer, at least what I've read.

Though I will never understand your dislike for moral ambiguity, especially when it can be somewhat argued that FFTA was filled with them.

Well, thank you for that.

One of the things I liked about FFTA was that it had characters fighting to do what they saw to be right, even though it cost them a lot personally. While (as my theory of Ivalice shows) their decision may not have been the best moral decision in that case, they chose to do what they thought they should despite it eliminating all the happiness the dream world brought them. Their decisions were not forced from lack of choice, but from their inner strength. At any time Marche could have quit and gone along with the rest of the world, enjoying the clan and living for the moment. But he knew what they really meant, and that, though it pained him personally, he had to try to do the right thing.

In FFT, however, your characters just instill one psychotic dictator in place of another. Marche would have fought Delita as well, and made him come to his senses. He would have done his best to ensure a just and lasting peace, and fought anyone and anything who threatened it. Which is why he is one of my favorite heroes in the series. Ramza just didn't have the inner strength to go that extra mile, to fight his own friend for the good of all.

Oh, and apologies to all of Ramza's adoring fans.

[BG-57]

Okay, I was driving through Boston today and several character ideas came to me:

Professor Al Avrid was once a humble academian and alchemist, he retired to a small village that was attacked by an enemy country, using artifical homunculi as suicide soldiers to release deadly flammable spores that leveled much of the town. He has spent years plotting revenge. Although he looks like a harmless old man, he has a precise mechanical mind capable of concocting deadly schemes. He prefers avoiding melee, using a small crossbow if corned.

Flechette Omicron was created from the remains of one of the homunculi that attacked the Professor's village. He's made its spores far more deadly and planned to send it to kill the leader of the enemy country. But over time he has developed affection for his creation and has begun to worry if he has become as evil as his foes. Beginning as a souless automaton, Flechette has gradually gained a humanlike disposition. Although neuter, it has also gradually taken on a female appearance. Very literal minded and ruthless to everyone except the Professor.

Xero was a enemy soldier badly burned in the attack by friendly fire. Although left for dead, the Professor has nursed him back to health. Heavily scarred in mind and body, he has rejected the country he once served and now loyally assists the Professor in his schemes. He wears a demonic onii mask and fights with a sword in combat. Xero has a paralyzing fear of fire and can beserk in battle.

These characters would make good enemies or proto-enemies, as the case arises.

Some extant characters I mentioned earlier. Place names and characters can be changed of course:

General Lot is the regent of Aetheria. He waged a brilliant campaign to defeat the enemy country of Effluvia, subjegating its capital. But he was haunted by the victims of both sides, especially civilians. As the Controllers of Effluvia brought tribute to him, one brought a small child instead. This was a war orphan, who the controller instructed he should raise as his own daughter to atone. That he has done, and although noble and strong, he is affected by a strong guilty conscience. He weilds the magical Sword of Tears, which feeds on despair.

Cassandra Lot is Lot's adopted daughter. She has turned 16 and wants to make a name for herself as a soldier of Aetheria. Naturally Lot is overprotective of her and relutant to let her endanger herself. She is spunky and cheerful, although insecure in her position. She knows nothing of her Effluvian origians, but is drawn to the Effluvia's Ambassador to Aetheria.

Sophia Maxwell is the Ambassador and a Controller of Effluvia. Effluvians are looked down upon by Aetherians (who think of them as uncultured pagans). She is widowed and is strongly attracted to Lot, who cannot consort with her due to their duties and station. She has also taken a shine to Cassandra and dotes on her and her dreams. Sophia wears an eyepatch to hide a self-inflicted wound.

Penumbra Albecross is a necromancer who wears a veil that hides most of her face. She is powerfully and malevolently intelligent, and is involved in several nefarious schemes. But when she encounters Cassandra, she is struck with the notion that she is her long-lost daughter, Amber. Her one sentimental weakness threatens to derail her meticulous plans to gain power.

[NeoTifa]

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!