The Give-A-Tip Thread

Everyone who has ever tried to make a game has probably needed help or advice as some point of their life, be they beginner RPG Maker users or veteran game designers. But with a bit of outside help, looking at examples of what people have done so far, some trial and error, and just plain old good experience though, most people can usually figure out some simple tricks to the trade and good things to keep in mind for improving on their next game project. What went wrong last time, what worked for you this time, what do you feel needs to be improved upon and how do you think you can do it better, etc, etc.

So here's a question for game creators of intermediate skill and up. If you could give new beginners to game creation one single piece of advice from something you've learned about making games, what tip would you offer to them?

there are so many things ppl improve each fail try...

Ahm, my biggest is like...thinking of something, and when starting doing it, after all planned, i just feel it aint just "as pretty as i was imaginating it", or so "possible to realize exactly how i was thinking", and due to that, giving up of the project.

Always double check grammar and spelling. There's nothing that says "I don't care enough about this game to exert any effort" quite like spelling mistakes.

If you want smooth skin, wash it with baking soda and water!

About making games, Irock, not about what you in your private time.

Oh, sorry.

If you, like most people, find that you're unable to finish any games you start, plan simpler/shorter games that you know you can complete in a small amount of time.

And make your games visually pleasing with consistent graphics.

Also pay attention to detail.

If using VX or XP to make a complex game, use scripts, but not all possible scripts. Only use the scripts you really want to use, not every script you come across and think "OH THAT'S COOL". A good thing to do is write down what you want before you start looking for scripts, and only get them. Little utility scripts will probably be okay.

If you feel like you can't fit everything into your game, try to create restrictions for yourself and challenge yourself to work around them.

Don't try to please every person that tests your game because if you do it will turn out to be their game not yours so might as well let them do the work.

Don't think of overly long stories and setups, keep it short, keep it simple, that way it can be finished in good time and wont bore people entirely. long games are made by teams of  professionals, always keep that in mind.

There's a few bits of advice already in here that can be summed up into a simple to remember thing:

Plan.

But also be flexible. I think that's important too. Sometimes you come across a problem, but sometimes the solution requires you to think outside the box and change your approach.

And I know it says one piece, but here's another: be strict on yourself. It kinds falls into the "Plan" idea; you need rules - the stricter those rules the less chance you have of falling off the rails. But remember to be flexible in case the track you're on is a dead end.

So in essence:

Plan
Be strict on your rules
But be flexible.

When using the database and switches/variables, leave space between 'sets'. For example, you want healing items to be immediately accessable, so at the top of the list of items. Leave space for more than what you put in in case you want to add more later on. If you have ten healing items, add another five or more spaces before you start another type of item. Same with skills, weapons, armour, etc.

Name all switches and variables that you use so that you don't get messed up with them. For example: "CForest: Chest 01" Don't be afraid to leave some spare ones between sets in case you need more so that they are all together. It will save you a hell of a lot of trouble tracking down newly made items and switches/variables.

Also, only add what resources you use to the project. If you have a bazillion mp3s/midis/sounds/pngs/etc that you haven't used, cutting down on size later on will be hard to do when you can't remember if you used a resource or not. Otherwise, have a list of them you used or when you use them, add * or - to the file name so you know it's been used in the project.

Do not bug people to death with help requests most people to be frank wont think your ideas are as good as you think they are until you show them some of your own work that proves it.

My own advice is to PLAY TEST PLAY TEST PLAY TEST.

Whenever you've completed a fair section like a new map or feature, test it out in the game to see how it looks. This will A) get you into the habit of saving your progress often in case of a sudden power outage or computer crash, B) let you see what bugs you still need to work out and things you can improve upon, and C) let you see exactly how the game looks so far. If something looks off in any way during your play test, FIX IT. Don't be satisfied until it's plays almost exactly how you imagined it to be, and never ever do the "Eh, that's good enough for now" or "That'll have to do". If something's wrong during your playtest, even the slightest bit, it is going to be off for the players too.

nvr giv up on urself

Or, really, just have patience and learn to do things the way you wanted them done

Push the Limits.

That means to learn what you're own personal limits are, and what the limits of your engine can do.  You can't know what you are capable of unless you push those limits.  But when you do push those limits, expect that at some point you will finally fail.  Use it as a learning experience, as it is just as important to know how NOT to make a game as it is to build a game.

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Autorun Events must always always always have a way to turn the Autorun Event off or it will cause games to freeze.

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Never pet a burning dog.

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The man who lives in the Glass House should change his clothes in the Basement.

Never pet a burning dog.

I found that in the hints section of Warcraft 2. I have a feeling you did too.

Either that or he knows Nightwolf and his habit of burning dogs.

Never pet a burning dog.

I found that in the hints section of Warcraft 2. I have a feeling you did too.

The best way to get rid of crabs is to shave!?  Er, I meant that Events can be used for Graphics as well, just uncheck Move Animation (XP).

Here's a tip about dialogue.

Make your characters speak to one another, instead of just taking turns talking.  Do some studying.  Pay special attention to conversations you have with your friends in real life, so that you can figure out a nice way to present your characters when they talk.  Different people use different words to express themselves and convey their emotions.  Some people might say "chap" when others might say "man."  This is a crude example, but I think it's important for people to realize that there's more to the big bearded character than, "Gwa ha ha ha!"  and there's more to the lecherous old man than just, "Heh heh heh..."   Make your characters dynamic and unique.  In VX it's easier to get away with making your characters sound robotic because of the avatars, so make sure to remember that there are other ways to tell them apart aside from what they look like.

This is the best tip I can give.

On that note, I'd say more animated characters work better, but that would be promoting my last demo.  None the less, I think more animated characters tell stories much more effectively.  If you want to check out that demo, find the thread in this forum called "Once More, With Feeling", I'm too lazy to link to it right now.  People in Real Life also use Body Language to express what they are saying, which seems to be forgotten when people build games.

But for the record, I agree on what you said.  The dialogue between the characters shouldnt sound like it is coming from a writer, but from a person.  Moms call their kids "kiddo", but they dont call everyone "kiddo".  Every character should have a uninque relationship with every other character.  Two characters might not like each other and insult each other constantly, but they dont always insult the main character, or vice versa.

Great point!

Never fall in love with your first game, or your first several for that matter. The first few attempts you make at anything are probably going to be garbage. If they aren't, you're exceptional. They call people like that savants or virtuosos or something similar.

Get help from people you know that are older than you. I am only a teenager so to get a good view of what a good game is I may need to ask older gamers.

Due to my fond love of helping and offering advice (and talking a lot!!)... I think I'm gonna use spoiler tags.

A few tips for character creation:

Spoiler for:

-Don't try to overdo character names, stick with something simple, that rolls off the tongue in a catchy manner.

-Try your best to make characters visually unique, and stand out. This is arguable, but I find that a main character can often draw more attention if he/she stands out sometimes.

-Try settings up interesting attitudes and personalities. What helps me is very niche and strange, but I tend to give my characters personalities based off of astrology signs (I'm a somewhat experienced Astrologer). Look up a list of what each sign is like, and then base some characters off each sign. That sets guidelines for their actions, as well as how well they will get along with other characters, which is a little more of an advanced astrology method. If not, try writing down a number of traits categorized under stuff like 1.General Behavior, 2.What they love, 3.What they hate, etc. Then randomize them until you get a fit of what you think would be a neat mixture.

A Tip for Items/Weapons/Armor Creation:

Spoiler for:

-I tend to create armor & weapons as I test play through the game, so I can get a measure of what types of attributes to add. I classify weapons & armor by what they fit, i.e. magic-users, rogues, warriors, etc. And then for each "set" that I create (i.e. the starter set for each) I will limit the stats I include on the wep/arm to, say, 5 points. For example: I make a sword. I want swords to give AGI and ATK. I give it 2 AGI and 3 ATK, which equals 5. A staff would have like 1 ATK and 4 SPI. Idk, I just find that makes it easier for me to keep a good measure on them being equally useful.

Misc. Tips:

Spoiler for:

-Rather then giving each actor specific classes, skills, etc, I like to leave a lot of that work up to player preference. I like to use stat distribution scripts, so the player can set their own skills rather then me stressing over if my character may be too epic or not. Same with classes - I only use a few, and then I use a class change system. Or even let the player choose their own class. You may even consider letting them purchase skills, using a skill shop. Some of this stuff can be done with eventing, so using scripts is optional for those who don't want to

-Keep a "to-do" list of any bugs, or things you need to tend to.

-I read on another post here somewhere that making the most original game out there is not exactly easy. So, don't try too hard or beat yourself up over that. Try to use an idea that may be semi-original, but add your own twists and turns that make it transform into it's own thing. That's my opinion.

-Also, another thing I read somewhere. Try to keep a general grasp on your story. Don't be afraid to add little twists to make it more interesting, or things that may not even be all too relevant. I've noticed many FF games add random stuff along the way, kind of like real life. The game can't always focus 100% on the story, but should always go back to it. Side-quests help quite a bit here. xD

-Use effects. Throw in lots of things that make the game very interesting. A good example, in my opinion, is Omegaz (i think that's how his name is spelled?) quest demo. I laughed my butt off while playing that demo, even though shortly afterwards I learned about MA's quest system.

That's all I can think of! Some of my TIPS are mostly opinion-based, but I threw them out there in case they may help out. Good luck to all our new RPG users!!

-Keep a "to-do" list of any bugs, or things you need to tend to.

Because it adds to my own piece of advice:

I can't stress how much a to-do list has helped me with working on scripts. Not only does it remind you want you need to do, it can also help to find extra things you need to add to the list because of the way it breaks down the entire project into small chunks.

Definitely an important thing to have. Especially if you find it hard to remember lots of things at once or don't have a lot of time to work on projects.