A Community Project Options

[bulmabriefs144]

Niiiiiice work guys. I've added to the list of people involved on page 1 (I dunno if you can still edit stuff expires after a few days, so if it does I'll repost it). We still need coders and battle editors though. If you guys are indeed using XP (thank god it's not VX, VX sprites are beyond suck), I might not be able to help much since my free trial expired (yea, I'm a cheapskate), though you can have a code translator type who figures out what I'm trying to do. I might send a group of stripped down codes that you can fuss with.

This post has been edited by bulmabriefs144: Mar 19 2012, 04:48 PM

[shinyjiggly]

That reminds me, what sort of spriting style should we try to shoot for? I was thinking that we could use a custom one with rigid guidelines (and plenty of documentation on how to pull it off) so that this game can be unique out of the swarms of RTP (even though I have to admit that XP's RTP sprites do look pleasing to the eyes).
I can work on some prototypes for some directions that we could possibly take the overworld sprites.

[kayden997]

Just a reminder:

I've set up a dropbox folder... via https://www.dropbox.com
In order for me to add you guy (who ever is willing to work on it), just let me know via PM.
I'll need an e-mail address for this to work.

Not saying we have to start it now, but we could put document, pictures, ideas, and such in the folder.

[khachuchrian]

wowy!

ok so what time is this modern, I'm assuming?

it would be cool to have it set in feudal japan? and have still the same ideas but just current to that time but again just a musician.

[Titanhex]

Going for a custom spriting style looks more polished, but it also has the problem of not being readily available.

People would have a much easier time using a generator than editing a template.

[Albino Parakeet]

We don't have to use RMXP, though.

[kayden997]

Alright, then what are we agreed on?
Should we vote to see which is more favoured...

[Albino Parakeet]

You could set up a poll.

[shinyjiggly]

I'm back with three potential possibilities for the sprite style.

I can also make template clothing pieces for those that would like an easier time with spritemaking.

Then again, I have a feeling that I might be trying to push stuff a little too much. Saying that, I should probably let you guys decide fully what goes down next in terms of choosing a sprite style to use for a project as large as this one.

[khachuchrian]

freakin cool jiggly freakin cool

[bulmabriefs144]

Who here knows enough of Rpg2k3 and RpgXP code to convert one to another?

I released basically my leftover code from a more or less stripped version of my game (it has the world map, and that's pretty much it besides code screens). Pretty much any code you guys wanna use is there for the project (including an interesting fourth-wall attack at Swamp 2 battle). I came up with this package in like a few hours (making a cute RpgRevolution logo too), but it's basically a working code resource rather than something you actually should use directly.


http://www.mediafire.com/?78cznxwp9f28i3b

Other than that, about the only code-like thing I can do is Resource Hacker tweaking the logo screens.

Let's do XP. It's kinda easy to use, it's powerful, and the default graphics are good. Ummm, should we use side scroller scripts? Or the default facing enemy?

This post has been edited by bulmabriefs144: Mar 19 2012, 08:37 PM

[Kaust]

I don't think we need a poll; I asked for input on engines in the first post and everyone that responded to that said XP. If people want to use other engines, now would be the time to say, but theres no need for a poll (I've already kept a tally ). I would also vote XP, simply because I've seen the quality of RTP maps (also isn't there unlimited tilesets? in case people decide to make some unique tiles for their maps and for the dropbox generally).

@Shiny; I'm grateful for your input. Sometimes people are needed to push things just to keep them going and we wouldn't even be talking about sprites without you =] I like style2 the most.

[bulmabriefs144]

They've also got variable charsets I think. You might be able to have a giant troll as a main character.

Style 1 for me.

[Kaust]

Well we could do one thing I was thinking about in my game (where transformation was a part of the storyline) where the character just transforms and goes on a rampage. Not consistent with the other ideas, unless maybe we could have a bit where our character goes all grey and has the creativity sucked out of them (yup I'm totally ripping off the Yellow Submarine film here), but a nice little minigame to unlock? Either that or Whack-a-Mod xD

[vvalkingman]

Ok, so I added everything we've talked about on the forum into the design doc that's up on dropbox. I also talked about a few other ideas that I'd like to discuss in terms of gameplay design. Here are a few ideas that I'd like some feedback on:

FUN energy: This will be used as a currency for activating other playable characters and upgrade them as well as the player character. Now this can be used like Gold or I was thinking perhaps we use it as SP. You can a certain number of SP from winning battles, solving puzzles, finding pandora's boxes, etc etc. In order to unlock a character you want you have to sacrifice some of your max SP for them. Same idea when upgrading. This would add an interesting element to the game. Just wondering what people's take are on that.

Party Swap: Once a character is unlocked for use they are added to a list. The player can go through the list and pick up to two additional characters for the party. Similar to Paladin's Quest. Not sure if we want the player to have to pay a cost to put them into their active party or not.

Other playable characters: This is wide open depending on those involved. The premise is that the characters dropped into the game are either effected by BOREDOM and must be given enough FUN energy to be available for the player's party or we could actually drop them into the story somehow as good guys or bad guys. Since we are still in the process of writing up a storyline, the option of dropping characters into the story is still available but after the storyline is “finalized” i feel like any characters that are added will have to be the first option, since it's the easiest way to add a character on the fly in my opinion.

What do you guys n gals think about that? Is there any other features anyone would like to bring up for this kind of game? Comments, critiques, etc?

[Kaust]

Spending fun seems illogical because it would remove your fun and therefore make you boring
I like the idea of getting your MP from battles, grinders galore really.
'finding pandora's boxes'- I have no idea where this came from, what these are, or why they are named so specifically (and seemingly irrelevantly).
If you're paying to unlock characters you don't want to have to pay to use them as well.

While I'm glad your enthusiastic about this you've gone off on a massive tangent and left the rest of us behind really. I mean I'm not even sure how this whole party system is working.

[vvalkingman]

Spending fun seems illogical because it would remove your fun and therefore make you boring
I like the idea of getting your MP from battles, grinders galore really.
'finding pandora's boxes'- I have no idea where this came from, what these are, or why they are named so specifically (and seemingly irrelevantly).
If you're paying to unlock characters you don't want to have to pay to use them as well.

While I'm glad your enthusiastic about this you've gone off on a massive tangent and left the rest of us behind really. I mean I'm not even sure how this whole party system is working.

Yea when left alone I tend to go OFF *whoooosh* anywho, I guess you're right about it being illogical. My mind set was that you were giving energy from yourself to someone else. Ex. I have a lot of fun energy and that guy got his drained...sooooo I give him some of mine and BAM he's back to normal. In my opinion it goes with the idea that when you're bored you hang out with your friends which is fun...something like that. But yea, it should at least be a currency like gold that we utilize.

Pandora's Boxes idea
This idea came from shinyjiggly mentioning that the source of the BOREDOM drain shouldn't be a crystal because it's too interesting looking. He said they should be like a plain box or something. So I just dubbed them Pandora's Boxes, doesn't have to be lol My mindset was that BOREDOM is concentrating the stolen fun energy into these boxes and using the energy for something boring...like powering a factory that is mass producing staplers *shrug*.

Party System Idea
In regards to the party system, we need something where we can drop random characters in and take them out without necessarily effecting the story. Paladin's Quest has two main characters and a good 30-40 mercenaries that you find throughout the game via subquests or simply paying them money to join you. In Paladin's Quest, you walk up to a bar and talk to the guy there and he'll allow you to switch between all the mercenaries that you've accumilated during the game, but you'll have to pay for them to join you again(well...depending on the subquests they might just join you for free). We can take out the part where they cost money to use them once you've unlocked them, but I feel the idea of having a list of characters you can access outside of the menu is alittle neater then Large Party swapping/switching.

All in all, I'm just shooting in the dark and seeing what people think about it lol no one has shot out any other ideas so I just kept going off on this one it's up to you really on whether or not you'd like to use this idea, modify it, or trash it. We can keep brainstorming ideas if you'd like. Just point us in the direction you want us to go

This post has been edited by vvalkingman: Mar 20 2012, 01:41 PM

[kayden997]

I believe we should have a variable in-game to determine the tone of the screen.
More grey = more bored people in that part
Less grey = less " "

[Kaust]

Thats a good idea Kayden
I've not played Paladin's Quest, is it an RTS? Seems like an RTS would combine well with Kayden's idea
I'm glad you're giving ideas, just at this brainstorming period I don't want things to be too specific to allow others to join in easier (though it'll be good if we can nail down some specifics)
How about renaming MP as fun, keep it as something we collect from battles (I really like that idea) and just have special attacks that reflects their fun with lots of colours
With the boxes I think they should be named something that reflects they are inventions of boredom rather than containing fun, but thats just my aesthetic, and is the sort of thing I don't think needs to be specified 'til later (though by all means keep providing all and any ideas regardless of this, we can still consider them later on =])

[vvalkingman]

Paladin's Quest is an old school traditional menu based snes rpg. It isn't the greatest of rpgs but it had some interesting systems, like magic costing health instead of mp and the party system I described.

Great idea, kayden! By RTS are you suggesting something along the lines of starcraft? or did you mean a tactics game like final fantasy tactics and stella deus?

edit:
If in fact you want to do a traditional menu based battle system, how would you like the characters to work? I mean, I thought the idea was to be able to drop a ton of characters in which would be references to people making the game, mods, staff, and cameos from people's projects. I can see this working with a tactics game too, it would just have a lot of playable characters to choose from similar to disgaea and stella deus. But as an RTS...unless you are wanting to make it something like suikoden, i'm not seeing us having the ability to drop in random characters and keep the balance in an RTS. But hey, totally up to the community

This post has been edited by vvalkingman: Mar 20 2012, 02:40 PM