Keeping the spirit alive?..

[bluntsword]

Wiimeiser, patience is key in requesting resources. People are busy and may not be able to fulfill your request. Plus, it's just a request. Unless you're willing to pay someone, you'll just have to wait.

Sorry no one has stepped up, but that's just how it is sometimes.

+rep

Well thanks! Back on topic:

I like to write down ideas. History, background, possible plot points. Sometimes being organized just means getting the thoughts on paper!

[Little Psycho]

I wants to play games!!

I hope you will try my demo out at a later date and give me some feedback! I have done around 20 maps so far, and 2 quests..

GIMME TEH LINK!!!!!!
Please?? Can I haves?? 

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

GIMME TEH LINK!!!!!!
Please?? Can I haves?? 

Hehe well I havnt put anything up yet, but I plan to post in the new Project thread later on when I have some things organized. Im not sure if I want to put up the things I have done so far, and I need to write down everything for my "New project" thread. Might put up the demo there at a later date, with lots of other information as I go along. So Ill make sure to link to that thread to you when Its up ,if you want me too of course! 

[Little Psycho]

GIMME TEH LINK!!!!!!
Please?? Can I haves?? 

Hehe well I havnt put anything up yet, but I plan to post in the new Project thread later on when I have some things organized. Im not sure if I want to put up the things I have done so far, and I need to write down everything for my "New project" thread. Might put up the demo there at a later date, with lots of other information as I go along. So Ill make sure to link to that thread to you when Its up ,if you want me too of course! 

A project thread is enough for me to give some feedback already!! Also, claim the second post in the topic for updates or whatever, always useful!!
Some screenshots can get you loads of feedback as well

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

A project thread is enough for me to give some feedback already!! Also, claim the second post in the topic for updates or whatever, always useful!!
Some screenshots can get you loads of feedback as well

Im gonna take some time to really get the project thread down, and try put up as much information as I have at the moment, including screenshots
Im really thankful for the link you provided me, on guidelines on making a project thread. Gonna use it alot when I start making my own! And by the way, how will I be able to claim the second post? Do you mean so I can edit that post when I have new information and such?

[yuyu!]

And by the way, how will I be able to claim the second post? Do you mean so I can edit that post when I have new information and such?

Yessir! :> After posting your main thread post, you should make a post saying "reserved" or something.

I've heard that helps, too~

[Adorkable]

I personally wouldn't worry about 'skills' so much for a first game. The maker is WYSIWYG for the most part and you can make a great game without having to know advanced formulas.

I would just focus more on originality. Have original spell names, original characters, don't copy off Final Fantasy (unless it's a FF themed game, and first games probably shouldn't be that anyway), make your own music.

When you turn a cliche on its head (like say what Buffy did, ie the general thought 'women are weaker' and thus gave them super powers, etc.) - it makes people wake up and think of something new. You don't have to be weird just to be weird, but new ideas make ppl think of new things.

Though a solid foundation is also important. Have a city/world that's relateable and likeable. My english teacher once told us to be 'pithy.'

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

I personally wouldn't worry about 'skills' so much for a first game. The maker is WYSIWYG for the most part and you can make a great game without having to know advanced formulas.

I would just focus more on originality. Have original spell names, original characters, don't copy off Final Fantasy (unless it's a FF themed game, and first games probably shouldn't be that anyway), make your own music.

When you turn a cliche on its head (like say what Buffy did, ie the general thought 'women are weaker' and thus gave them super powers, etc.) - it makes people wake up and think of something new. You don't have to be weird just to be weird, but new ideas make ppl think of new things.

Though a solid foundation is also important. Have a city/world that's relateable and likeable. My english teacher once told us to be 'pithy.'

Im a bit lost according to the skills as it is.. I dont have any clue on how I will balance my game. To be honest, math was my least favourite subject in school, and I have never been a bright student when it comes to formulas and such. I guess my only chance for a balance game will be to playtest alot, and to scale the skills by adding a.atk x random number - b.def or something.. Im making my own animated skills and the once I have done so far is turning out pretty ok.

The story of my game, might be a bit cliche, focusing on one specific person that has the most amount of impact on my worlds fate, but with a little twist that I hope will be kind of interesting. The story is also centered along an ancient civilization, that you will get to know about as the game moves on. That is the base of my story so far, but inbetween I will do my best to add some originality and to keep my world very dynamic when it comes to the people living there and so on.

Im working on my story for now, and the world that my game will take place in. Adding laws, culture and beliefs for the different locations in my game. Im also working on adding some backstory up to the events that the current world is facing.

But balancing my game will be my biggest issue for sure..

While Im at it, I sure could use some opinions on how you guys build up dialouge, with the information that you created for your characters. My characters will be very different from eachother, and have seperate viewpoints on the world they live in, and this will lead to alot of tension between my characters. Thats the basics I have so far, and I hope I can build something decent around that guideline.

[LoganF]

Im a bit lost according to the skills as it is.. I dont have any clue on how I will balance my game. To be honest, math was my least favourite subject in school, and I have never been a bright student when it comes to formulas and such. I guess my only chance for a balance game will be to playtest alot, and to scale the skills by adding a.atk x random number - b.def or something.. Im making my own animated skills and the once I have done so far is turning out pretty ok.

If you aren't too sure what effect changing the formula will have, or don't want to go through tests to ensure balance in custom formulas, you could still make a few interesting skills that deal damage based on HP, MP or level, for example. These can be used to create skills that are a bit different, and are quite predictable on the damage they will deal.

So a skill which deals damage based directly on your current HP might look like:

Code Select Expand


#Deals 50% of current HP as damage
a.hp / 2
#or a.hp * 0.5 if you don't like divide

or maybe it deals damage based on how much HP is lost:

Code Select Expand


#Deals the difference in Max HP and current HP as damage
a.mhp - a.hp


Same could be done with MP. You'd want to set variance to 0 if you want the damage to be exact and not influenced by random modifiers. It's a shame that the quick formula thing is a little lacking and doesn't really reflect the things you can do with custom formula.

Another thing you could do, is get someone who has an idea about those things to help you out with skill design and balancing.

[bluntsword]

You know disturbed, I wish I could show my first couple of projects for rpg maker (*cough* 95 *cough*). Quite frankly they were terrible. From what I see of your mapping skills you have no reason to worry about creating a game you won't be proud of. And, in the end, that's the goal anyways.

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

If you aren't too sure what effect changing the formula will have, or don't want to go through tests to ensure balance in custom formulas, you could still make a few interesting skills that deal damage based on HP, MP or level, for example. These can be used to create skills that are a bit different, and are quite predictable on the damage they will deal.

So a skill which deals damage based directly on your current HP might look like:

Code Select Expand


#Deals 50% of current HP as damage
a.hp / 2
#or a.hp * 0.5 if you don't like divide

or maybe it deals damage based on how much HP is lost:

Code Select Expand


#Deals the difference in Max HP and current HP as damage
a.mhp - a.hp


Same could be done with MP. You'd want to set variance to 0 if you want the damage to be exact and not influenced by random modifiers. It's a shame that the quick formula thing is a little lacking and doesn't really reflect the things you can do with custom formula.

Another thing you could do, is get someone who has an idea about those things to help you out with skill design and balancing.

That sounds nice, I guess Its easier to estimate how much the damage your skills will deal with that kind of system right? At the moment I think I have a bit too high numbers as it is (in skill damage), along with the stats. What is your opinion on the stat system, is it better to have weapons that will increase the stats alot, and have a lower stat progression for the characters? At the moment my stats are doubled from the default swordmaster stat retribution. I like high numbers, as you might see so I want my skills to deal lots of damage, and my enemies to have higher hp. And lastly, is that hp formula viable for enemies aswell?

I have thought about asking someone that is more experienced with balancing aswell, hopefully I might find someone that can help me out a bit on that

You know disturbed, I wish I could show my first couple of projects for rpg maker (*cough* 95 *cough*). Quite frankly they were terrible. From what I see of your mapping skills you have no reason to worry about creating a game you won't be proud of. And, in the end, that's the goal anyways.

I hope you are right, and Im grateful for the kind words! And you are absoluteley right, thats the goal indeed


As a little bit of an update:

Im working on the final parts for puting up my new project thread, just need to take some more screenshots and present some of the characters. I hope I can get some feedback on there when Its up

[LoganF]

That sounds nice, I guess Its easier to estimate how much the damage your skills will deal with that kind of system right? At the moment I think I have a bit too high numbers as it is (in skill damage), along with the stats. What is your opinion on the stat system, is it better to have weapons that will increase the stats alot, and have a lower stat progression for the characters? At the moment my stats are doubled from the default swordmaster stat retribution. I like high numbers, as you might see so I want my skills to deal lots of damage, and my enemies to have higher hp. And lastly, is that hp formula viable for enemies aswell?

I have thought about asking someone that is more experienced with balancing aswell, hopefully I might find someone that can help me out a bit on that

Those will do the same for enemies. So if an enemy uses that same skill, the damage dealt will be their MaxHP - CurrentHP (ex: 12000MaxHP, 6000HP will deal 6000 damage). Because of the high numbers involved, it might better to make a copy of the skill and change the formula to balance it out. Or, make it a skill that is only used at certain times so that the player has chance to recover (failing to recover would lead to death but that's fine, that's their fault).

With the formulas, the "a.hp" or a stat based on "a" means the attacker (the one using the skill). "b" is the defender (the one being targeted). In the case of an attack which hits more than one, it's each targets individual stats.

[Dark_Metamorphosis]

Just wanted to say that my first New Project thread is up. So feel free to check it out if you want, and tell me what you think

Thread can be found here:
http://rmrk.net/index.php/topic,47396.0.html