Game-making Steps?

[mighty-ikov]

Being a novice of RPG Maker VX, I am desperately trying to imprint my ideas into a game. Unfortunately, due to my short-attention span, I tend to stray from database, to mapping, to events, to characters, to starting a 2nd or 3rd game, and in the end, I accomplish nothing.

I would HIGHLY appreciate it if anyone who has finished a project could provide me with a series of steps to completeing a game, or a check-list. Preferably based on how you've completed your game! Thanks ahead of time.

[IAMFORTE]

Well, I've never finished a game.. then again, I've enver officialy started so there. I find it useful to first do a few maps, then complete the database, then begin eventing the story, creating maps as you need them.

[D&P3]

I used the default database until I finished my first continent, then I changed a lot of things in it.


My own steps that I take.

1) Story - Make damn sure you know where your game is headed.

2) Get any customizations you want to make out of the way - I used the default facesets for most of my game, so when I updated it to be custom, I had to literally go through each event and change the face graphics. Believe me, you do not want to do this.

3) Organise - As you get further into the game, you'll be created more and more things and this can clutter up your project. So you want to organise things as early as possible.
Example -


4) Loop any music you're going to use - I've done a few play throughs of other peoples games where the music wasn't looped, it feels weird having music fadeout and then return like that and it kind ruins the gameplay feel a little.

5) Do your eventing and maps - You don't need an explanation for this, but don't put too many events on one map because that lags the crap out of the game (You'll know if you've put on too many events, trust me)

6) Scenes - Now everyone is different when it comes to scenes. For me, whenever I'm making a scene, I put on music that can relate to that scene. So sad music for a sad scene or happy for a good one, etc. This makes my scenes look and sound better for me, and this might help you as well.

7) Have Fun - A lot of places in your game are going to be boring to make, but you'll be able to find some way to turn them into a fun place to event. Sounds weird? It's not, I've got some events that were quite fun to make, especially those that involve my characters playing music.

[IAMFORTE]

6) Scenes - Now everyone is different when it comes to scenes. For me, whenever I'm making a scene, I put on music that can relate to that scene. So sad music for a sad scene or happy for a good one, etc. This makes my scenes look and sound better for me, and this might help you as well.

I do that too : O or i try to use the music thatll be playign at that time, works like a charm

[AbsoluteIce]

6) Scenes - Now everyone is different when it comes to scenes. For me, whenever I'm making a scene, I put on music that can relate to that scene. So sad music for a sad scene or happy for a good one, etc. This makes my scenes look and sound better for me, and this might help you as well.

I do that too : O or i try to use the music thatll be playign at that time, works like a charm

As for me.. I just import my selected song into RPGMaker, and play it.
If it fades out, it'll loop again.. So I won't have to waste time by
trying to replay it again! but after that, I just delete the music file 

[DoctorTodd]

1. Plot
2. Scripting
3. Graphics
4. Audio
5. Database
6. Mapping/eventing
7. Bug fix
8. Finalization

These are my steps to completing a game, some times I a go ahead a step for a day then go back to keep motivation. 

[crow5derlock]

There aren't really steps to making a game, tips is a better suited word for it. Like they said try to get everything you need for a game as early as possible, otherwise things get sloppy and bugged. Also layout your actors in a way you can remember all of them, it'd be bad to be eventing and then have to close the event just to look at an actor's name. Storyline is verry important, if your storyline is incomplete its harder to make the game which drops motivation, and if its partly complete that's ok but not preffered. Don't change dialouge too much, it can really confuse everyone when two pieces of dialouge don't match up, not to mention looking for the event it was on. Don't rush things to the climax of the game, the last thing people want is to be in the first 5 minutes. of gameplay and have to deal with the big problem. Don't work on it 24/7 that's a big thing, too much work on one thing will fry you and all of your motivation when making the game.

That's all I have, so good luck.

[Thnap]

Post-it-notes. It may be old fashioned, but these handy little items of stationary have helped me more than you would believe.

Basically, what I do is I figure out the key plot elements of my project and write each one on a post-it-note. Then I stick them all to a piece of cardboard and keep it with me whenever I'm using RPG Maker. It works as a simple storyboard and I can easily move the sticky notes around as I'm developing, add in new ones and remove plot points I no longer feel are relevant.

Having a 100% rigid idea of your game's storyline progression is a bad thing as it removes a certain amount of creativity from the process, but by keeping a basic storyboard on hand at all times you are able to work toward each key plot point whilst minimising errors and inconsistencies.

[bluntsword]

Post-it-notes. It may be old fashioned, but these handy little items of stationary have helped me more than you would believe.

Basically, what I do is I figure out the key plot elements of my project and write each one on a post-it-note. Then I stick them all to a piece of cardboard and keep it with me whenever I'm using RPG Maker. It works as a simple storyboard and I can easily move the sticky notes around as I'm developing, add in new ones and remove plot points I no longer feel are relevant.

Having a 100% rigid idea of your game's storyline progression is a bad thing as it removes a certain amount of creativity from the process, but by keeping a basic storyboard on hand at all times you are able to work toward each key plot point whilst minimising errors and inconsistencies.

The last bit is great advice.  Let the creatively flow while having a basic idea of where you're going is great!

The other part is where I imagine you at your computer holding your mouse in one hand and a giant piece of cardboard with post-it notes all over it. lol

[Thnap]

The last bit is great advice.  Let the creatively flow while having a basic idea of where you're going is great!

The other part is where I imagine you at your computer holding your mouse in one hand and a giant piece of cardboard with post-it notes all over it. lol

Well I don't literally hold it. I actually have it stuck to the back of my door since I sit on my bed facing that direction. It actually really helps, although it is probably a weird idea.

[Fall From Eden]

The last bit is great advice.  Let the creatively flow while having a basic idea of where you're going is great!

The other part is where I imagine you at your computer holding your mouse in one hand and a giant piece of cardboard with post-it notes all over it. lol

Well I don't literally hold it. I actually have it stuck to the back of my door since I sit on my bed facing that direction. It actually really helps, although it is probably a weird idea.

The idea isn't that weird, actually. It's a well-known idea to many writers, although we've heard of using index cards more than Post-It notes (although they're functionally similar). Basically, you write down important plot points or pieces of your story on individual cards and then lay them out in front of you. This can help in identifying where portions of the story pick up or drop off in action (allowing you to create a nice arc and flow to it), and you can easily rearrange parts of the story to see how things are affected by the change. It's very useful.

In short, it's a fantastic idea for any kind of story-telling, and we highly recommend doing something like this.

[EvilM00s]

I wrote a tutorial on this very subject! Yoou can find it in the Tutorials Database if you'd like to read it.