Features Feedback

You already have a highly complex plan for relationships, now you want this as well. I honestly think that you need to do something much simpler all round as a short learning project - something very straightforward with a total of about 30 minutes gameplay from start to resolution, so that you get a handle on things before launching off into something like this. Maybe use it to test out one small portion of one of your systems, see what it's like in practice, get someone else to play it and give you feedback.

And when you say 'code it' - do you mean writing plugins, or do you mean eventing?

EDIT
Forgot to say

'Game Mechanics Design' is not for feedback on individual, specific projects. Once we have the new forum structure for Games in Development in place, life will be a lot easier. Until then...
[mod]Merging this with Features Feedback.[/mod]

@SomebodySomething :

I'm going to second Kes on this one. One of the best things you can do with an engine is to start by making what you can see how to make within the limits of the engine. Sure, it will be ugly, and might even be a complete mismatch of ideas (aka my first attempt at using this software). Then, once you get comfortable with that, then start to look at expanding from there.

As it is, even after using RPGMaker for 3 years, I'd still not want to try to make a game as complex as what you are suggesting at this moment. Maybe after I get 4 - 5 more projects under my belt.

This is a reply post for the Map stuff.

@Poryg You're right, but that doesn't really help much with making this map idea work?

@Kes The Map idea I'm going to be using in a different game I think. Yeah I do mean Eventing (I can't code at all sadly).

I honestly think that you need to do something much simpler all round as a short learning project - something very straightforward with a total of about 30 minutes gameplay from start to resolution, so that you get a handle on things before launching off into something like this. Maybe use it to test out one small portion of one of your systems, see what it's like in practice, get someone else to play it and give you feedback.

Click to expand...

You're right, that's a good idea to test stuff out but, before I do something I'd like to think everything out to as close as perfection as I can get so I don't waste too much time on something I might never use. Though, it's probably kinda silly I'm thinking like that, it's a good idea to test the ideas I don't completely understand in engine, just to see how they'd interact.

With this Map idea I did, I tried to set it up in engine a few days ago but I ended up getting stressed because I wasn't sure how to get it working completely, so I came over here for advice on if my concept for the map system was a good idea.

Anyways, new Forum set up hype!

@bgillisp I've already done that kind of test probably a year ago and I never really finished it.

This is a reply post for the Dating Sim game.

@Poryg

There's this thing called first impression. So I would make it instead that you would create your character from several available traits. Because some will think you're handsome, some will not... Those that will think you aren't their type won't ever enter a relationship with you (welcome to the friendzone)... And things like that. But it is pointless to make everyone's relationship the same. Or maybe boosts for future or something... Anything to keep it from the main hero just being a complete blank canvas with nothing interesting.

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I kinda thought of not having this mechanic in here to focus on other things, but you're right that it's a good idea to go for. I was kinda thinking of having this in as a way to build up stats throughout the game, but having the Protagonist start out with a build to pick from sounds like a somewhat good idea.

@nomotog

The thing I don't like about relationship simulators is how one directorial they tend to be. You have a single stat that is meant to scale from haters to lovers, but people don't work that way. You can love and hate someone at the same time not to mention all the other things people can be to you. Maybe split up the relationship stat into several different stats. Like you would have romantic love, friendship, hate, fun, hobby, ect. It gives the system more end goals and more depth. (Right now it seems like a lot of complexity to do just one thing?)

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Oh dang, you're right. That's a really good idea. I'll make a post about this later if I ever come up with any ideas for it.

It also sounds like a dialog heavy game so let me throw out a idea. Buying choices with a finite resource. Like lets say you have 30 charm points, you could spend 20 in order expertly flirt with someone you never meet before. The 20 points you spent are now gone forever and oh what is this a choice that requires 30 charm points to take. Maybe I shouldn't have flirted. It adds more weight to your choice as every choice now has a identifiable interaction with every other one you make.

Click to expand...

I hadn't really thought about that at all, but it sounds like a good idea to make talking have more weight. Maybe there could be like, a thing where..



One downside I could see to this is that, the Player might end up accumulating too many points by just not doing anything in a day or something. Plus this whole system might take away freedom from the Player to make their own decisions.

SomebodySomething said:

This is a reply post for the Dating Sim game.

@Poryg



I kinda thought of not having this mechanic in here to focus on other things, but you're right that it's a good idea to go for. I was kinda thinking of having this in as a way to build up stats throughout the game, but having the Protagonist start out with a build to pick from sounds like a somewhat good idea.

@nomotog



Oh dang, you're right. That's a really good idea. I'll make a post about this later if I ever come up with any ideas for it.



I hadn't really thought about that at all, but it sounds like a good idea to make talking have more weight. Maybe there could be like, a thing where..

View attachment 71206

One downside I could see to this is that, the Player might end up accumulating too many points by just not doing anything in a day or something. Plus this whole system might take away freedom from the Player to make their own decisions.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't have the ability to bank points because they might end up with too many. It's just easier to balance the math when you only need to look at one day or one week. (A idea I had after my post was for the type and number of points you get in the day to be based on the clothes you put on.)

SomebodySomething said:

@Poryg You're right, but that doesn't really help much with making this map idea work?

Click to expand...

Indeed it doesn't, however this time we're talking about too huge and unconcrete mechanics to give much advice.

It is very difficult to quote, since it is a picture, so I will only react in words.

First of all, I'm not sure what to expect from what you described. I know it is a grid based movement that is like on the field... However, lots of information is missing. What would be the goal? Or is it sandbox?
Having the game randomize every square would indeed take a very long time. However, you can effectively shorten it by separating the map to segments and then randomizing these segments when you're about to enter them for the first time. This way the only thing you'd have to deal with at the beginning would be randomizing segment order (if you wanted to have unchanging segents with only randomization of the order of the containments - if you want a completely random map, this falls off), impassable terrains and setup of the beginning segment. It would also be up to you if you want segments to be 100% randomized (which could create some weird situations) or have segments with pre-inputted date (like this segment will contain two villages and a smaller town, this will contain lots of forests, etc.) and just randomizing their order (of course it wouldn't really make anything shorter, but by separating one huge thing into segments you make the illusion of it being shorter, because of human's reaction time of 0.15+ s).
As for the tip system, that wouldn't be difficult to implement. It is a grid system, grid has coordinates. You can instead of "Go north and north-west" say "go to 7,4 to reach my grandma's house"... And then be a good villain and rob her grandma.

Not much more to say about it. You can use hero names to access some written stuff more easily... Or you can use Yanfly's message macros plugin.

In the game I'm thinking of making, I was considering implementing a relationship/faction management system. You play a prince who, in part 1, is trying to make friends with people who won't dump him back in the castle (he's running away to avoid meeting his betrothed). In part 2, the stakes raise because you're interacting with actual kingdom factions, not just people, and things get a bit more complex. All the management is supposed to have a payoff in the last third/fourth of the game, where factions and people you have good relations with will provide you benefits during a war that occurs.

My question is, what do you think would be the best way to implement this system? I know variables are important, and I'm probably going to hunt down a plugin that will allow you to see your relationship "values" easily (like, in bar form; I'm sure you could easily have a place that reads out the bare numbers too). More than just the implementation, though, I'm wondering how it'll fit into the gameplay as a whole. So far, I'm visualizing my game as a bit visual novel-like (with some exploration elements), which could make the switch to actual combat during the war a bit jarring. What do you think? (Things are very much in the elementary stages right now, so sorry if things are really vague.)

@Sami-Fire64 You can always make a narrated combat, I don't see any particular problem there.
I have seen something like this. There is a game called Long live the Queen on Steam. That one has pretty similar system, your relations with people influence lots of things like whether they send assassins or help in war... Whether they wish to let you rule... Except there the relations aren't exactly the most important thing, the most important thing is to reach coronation.
As for plugins to show the relationships easily, I suggest considering pixi instead of a plugin

@Poryg Narrated combat might help, but I think that's one thing I'll have to see when I actually start making things and get a better idea of how things go. I know of Long Live the Queen; that might actually be a good model to look at, so thanks for pointing that out to me. What is pixi, though?

PIXI is the 2D graphic rendering software RPG maker operates on. May not be the easiest to use, since it is javasript, however using pixi you have full control over how you want to show something.

Alright, got a concept, tell me what you think:

Disclaimer: this project is 100% just to get back into the groove of rpgMaker since it's been a few years and to get used to the js plugins in MV. I'm a web developer by occupation and work in js quite a bit, so I'm looking forward to being able to actually use my career skills in my hobby. Thus, this is made to be a simple game, but must involve me getting down to brass tacks and making a plugin.

The Idea:
Create a battle system plugin that ties in the elemental affinity of the area the battle takes part in. This elemental affinity affects the effectiveness of elemental skills/spells AND enemies and the party can shift this affinity. The affinity is set up on essentially an x/y axis, thus the current affinity is a point on a graph, and you cannot have all the affinities at max. The goal is to move the current point on the elemental graph to maximize your party's effectiveness while minimizing the enemy's effectiveness.

Additionally, at certain points of the graph, rare extra-powerful abilities are unlocked. Thus, balancing the graph is very important, but very challenging. As elemental abilities are used by allies or enemies, the point on the graph shifts slightly.

And here are some visuals:

Let me know what you think! Would you play it?

[mod]Now that the Ideas and Prototypes Forum is up and running, this thread is being closed.[/mod]

If you think that you have not yet received feedback on ideas you have posted here, go to the new forum which is here. Please read the Rules carefully before deciding between posting in "Ideas which don't deserve their own thread" which Archeia will be opening shortly, and starting a new separate thread.