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How you deal with getting worse at something?
author=CashmereCat
I wish you were right, but this is a case of me actually revisiting my previous work and discovering that some of it was better. Some, not all! But some of it was. And that creeps me out more than a little bit.
I've had something similar happening. When I looked at maps of abandoned projects, I noticed they were often better looking than in my current project. They contained more mapping errors, but any place that didn't have mapping error looked way better. Currently I'm going trough how I approach mapping to try to identify the culprit. I have made some headway, so maybe analyzing the difference in how you work now and how you did work back then will help you as well?
My first game, story suggestions?
author=kingdomcome
...video game logic.
Fair enough. Handling strategy that way worked for the Suicoden series. After all, it's very unlikely that an RPG writer is a strategist him-/herself. Just be aware that video game logic is a rather fickle thing. Sometimes everyone ignores it. Other times you wont hear the end about how it doesn't make any sense.
My advice is to not draw too much attention to plot points that uses video game logic. If you give the players a quick and rough overview of what Cresini did, they will probably accept a few holes. However, if you identify a Cresini strategist who came up with the idea or someone calls it a clever trick, you are drawing attention to the fact that strategy should not have worked. It also helps a lot if you game focuses more on Johnathen's and Mia's relationship than on war strategies.
Whatchu Workin' On? Tell us!
Copied and pasted an on screen encounter system from another game. It had a load of events, switches, variables and common events, but it sure beats trying to recreate the system from scratch. The job isn't completely done, I haven't modified pieces of code that need to change between this game and the one I copied from. That is, except for a script call which would crash the game since it refers to a method that doesn't even exist in the new game.
My first game, story suggestions?
author=kingdomcome
Cresini is much stronger, the mapping layout will be Ferna is a very Mountainous region, with that fort being the only real entrance, it was well built but when your dad took troops to your village(Paeni) the fort didn't have enough manpower,
also the reason Cereni knew is tied into Mia's and Raine's backstory.
The Cresini knew what? That the general's wife and child lives in Paeni? They can know that, but can they know how the general will act? For example, instead of sending a lot of soldiers, he could have sent a small elite group of soldiers to covertly extract his wife and child.
I like the idea of Johnathen's father making a poor tactical decision, but I have a hard time believing the Cresini could in advance predict how he would act. Even if they could, there are other problems, namely how the Cresini managed to get the soldiers into Ferna in the first place.
A fort is the only convenient entrance to Ferna and it's close to a country with vastly superior army. With that in mind, the Fernans would not staff the fort with merely a couple of hundred soldiers, they would make sure a large part of their total army is in the fort or close to it. Now if Cresini manages to move a couple of hundred soldiers over the mauntains, the general could have sent enough soldiers to destroy them without leaving his fort understaffed. Cresini would have to move such a large army over the mountains that it cannot possible be done covertly. Ferna would know about it way ahead in time and since such an undertaking is apparently doable, the Fernans would have already have made plans to deal with that strategy.
The Customer (Or The Player) Isn't Always Right.
The fun part however is figuring out how you should change something. If twenty players says something is too hard, making that something easier is perhaps in order. However the question still remains how much easier you have to make it and by what means you should make it easier. Best case scenario, you can solve the problem by explaining you game better.
A let's try could in theory help here. They let the developer see what the player is actually doing. I said in theory, because most let's tries seems to have been made by a select few people who play RPGs poorly.
A let's try could in theory help here. They let the developer see what the player is actually doing. I said in theory, because most let's tries seems to have been made by a select few people who play RPGs poorly.
Whatchu Workin' On? Tell us!
Fixed most of the status screen. Luck is no longer displayed, but Hitrate and Evasion is. Doing this on VX ace took way longer than doing something similar on VX.
My first game, story suggestions?
Changing the mom killers from bandits to soldiers look like a good idea, they tie far better into the story.
If you have a mute character, his actions should speak loudly. Unless you're a good spriter, it's hard to use body language and have him point at things. You can have other characters speak for him, but that will make him look passive. I suggest you start thinking how you can make his actions convey his will. That or break the muteness early.
It seems strange that a prince would betray his country for that. I would suggest that the Cresini king is also misruling his own country. That would give the prince more motivation, he wants to free both Ferna and Cresini.
Making Johnathen's dad a general is a good idea. That given an explanation to where Johnathen learned to fight and why he's involved in an event that can affect two kingdoms.
That said, the general doing a poor tactical decision can not be the difference between the invaders being beaten back and them completely taking over a country. First of, the Cresini cannot possible know that the general will make a poor tactical decision. They would not invade unless they thought that they would win regardless.
Second, in order for Cresini to completely take over Ferna, their army would have to be much stronger. If Ferna has 20,000 soldiers and Cresini 25,000, that would not be enough of a difference. The reason for that is because there's other countries. Once Cresini defeats Ferna, they must have enough of their army left to defend both countries from their neighbors. Therefore, Cresini must have a vastly superior army. This also means that Ferna would have lost even if Johnathen's father didn't try to save his home village, it's just that they would have done so later.
That said, even if the poor tactical decision to try to save the village wouldn't have changed the outcome, Johnathen's father would still be shunned. Chance is the Fernians would turn him into a scapegoat.
author=kingdomcome
...to create a semisilent protagonist, after her death your character (Johnathen) doesn't speak for nine years, this eventually will become a scene where Mia is badly injured and Johnathen yells "MIA!" breaking the nine year silence...
If you have a mute character, his actions should speak loudly. Unless you're a good spriter, it's hard to use body language and have him point at things. You can have other characters speak for him, but that will make him look passive. I suggest you start thinking how you can make his actions convey his will. That or break the muteness early.
...Teru is the Cresini prince who believes Ferna should be restored, Serena and Selena are his faithful attendants, he heads the rebellion against his own country...
It seems strange that a prince would betray his country for that. I would suggest that the Cresini king is also misruling his own country. That would give the prince more motivation, he wants to free both Ferna and Cresini.
...but after that raid, ur border fort to the east falls, and Cresini invades...
Your dad was a general and was shunned because he tried to save your village, this allowed said fort to fall.
Making Johnathen's dad a general is a good idea. That given an explanation to where Johnathen learned to fight and why he's involved in an event that can affect two kingdoms.
That said, the general doing a poor tactical decision can not be the difference between the invaders being beaten back and them completely taking over a country. First of, the Cresini cannot possible know that the general will make a poor tactical decision. They would not invade unless they thought that they would win regardless.
Second, in order for Cresini to completely take over Ferna, their army would have to be much stronger. If Ferna has 20,000 soldiers and Cresini 25,000, that would not be enough of a difference. The reason for that is because there's other countries. Once Cresini defeats Ferna, they must have enough of their army left to defend both countries from their neighbors. Therefore, Cresini must have a vastly superior army. This also means that Ferna would have lost even if Johnathen's father didn't try to save his home village, it's just that they would have done so later.
That said, even if the poor tactical decision to try to save the village wouldn't have changed the outcome, Johnathen's father would still be shunned. Chance is the Fernians would turn him into a scapegoat.
World Remade
The story seems interesting so far in that I want to know what happens next and what's up those rifts. I can't recall hearing about them in MotW, so they should be something new. The villain felt a bit weak though. MotW villains were pretty good at coming with arguments and counter arguments. This villain however barely even tried.
Combat was rather fun. I liked the battle system. Every battle is however the same (the only exceptions was whether or not there were enough physical attackers to warrant using Brace) which is fine for the beginning so you have time to learn, but it won't be for later on.
Taraja seems to have the weakest skillset. Shade got used 95% of the time.
The techs are physical, but Taraja has higher magic stat. Quick attack cannot miss, but neither can Shade. That it's convenient to finish of enemies with only a few HP left isn't really important. Once you killed one enemy, the danger is over and saving AP is no longer important. Shadow Cut ignores defense, but so does Shade. Shade doesn't (at least shouldn't) ignore magic defense, but against every enemy I tested the skills against, Shade was always the most cost effective.
She can revive, but Taraja is the frailest character, so if anyone kicks the bucket, it's likely she.
Darkness is in the demo at best a convenience. Battles are practically won as soon as you kill one enemy. Multi-target skills don't help towards that purpose. I can see multi-target skills getting more tactical use with some clever design though.
Rustek on the other hand, had a very good skill-set. All except Slash and Smite serve different purposes. I can however see even those two skills being good in different situations if battles becomes more involved. The fact that Rustek has equal physical and magical attack helps.
Combat was rather fun. I liked the battle system. Every battle is however the same (the only exceptions was whether or not there were enough physical attackers to warrant using Brace) which is fine for the beginning so you have time to learn, but it won't be for later on.
Taraja seems to have the weakest skillset. Shade got used 95% of the time.
The techs are physical, but Taraja has higher magic stat. Quick attack cannot miss, but neither can Shade. That it's convenient to finish of enemies with only a few HP left isn't really important. Once you killed one enemy, the danger is over and saving AP is no longer important. Shadow Cut ignores defense, but so does Shade. Shade doesn't (at least shouldn't) ignore magic defense, but against every enemy I tested the skills against, Shade was always the most cost effective.
She can revive, but Taraja is the frailest character, so if anyone kicks the bucket, it's likely she.
Darkness is in the demo at best a convenience. Battles are practically won as soon as you kill one enemy. Multi-target skills don't help towards that purpose. I can see multi-target skills getting more tactical use with some clever design though.
Rustek on the other hand, had a very good skill-set. All except Slash and Smite serve different purposes. I can however see even those two skills being good in different situations if battles becomes more involved. The fact that Rustek has equal physical and magical attack helps.
Affinity System
How are triple techs handled? Will there be a counter for A-B-C or will the game check if each of A-B, A-C and B-C are high enough to qualify for the triple tech?
Anyway, once you learn a triple tech, you can no longer learn a new triple tech by using the same party combination. However, if you switch the party to learn a new triple tech, you no longer benefit from what you already learned. So, in order to benefit from the work needed to learn a triple tech, you have to stop learning new triple techs. The same goes with double techs once a pair has learned both of them. I'm not sure this encourages people to try different groups.
Then there's also the question of how double and triple techs interact with the skill upgrade system. For example, assume a certain duo has an effective damage dealing skill as one of their double techs. Could I then just not upgrade their offensive skills and instead just rely on the double tech for offense, that way get the benefit of having upgraded support skills without the penalty of not having upgraded attack skills? Of course, that idea would not work so well if I split those characters up, which may further create an incentive towards sticking to a certain party.
Anyway, once you learn a triple tech, you can no longer learn a new triple tech by using the same party combination. However, if you switch the party to learn a new triple tech, you no longer benefit from what you already learned. So, in order to benefit from the work needed to learn a triple tech, you have to stop learning new triple techs. The same goes with double techs once a pair has learned both of them. I'm not sure this encourages people to try different groups.
Then there's also the question of how double and triple techs interact with the skill upgrade system. For example, assume a certain duo has an effective damage dealing skill as one of their double techs. Could I then just not upgrade their offensive skills and instead just rely on the double tech for offense, that way get the benefit of having upgraded support skills without the penalty of not having upgraded attack skills? Of course, that idea would not work so well if I split those characters up, which may further create an incentive towards sticking to a certain party.
Skill Upgrade System
Having skills with entirely different functions will ease the whole "only use the skill you've level up" problem a bit, but it won't solve it entirely. If I focus on a certain character's offensive skills, chance is I will use its buff less the more I upgrade the offensive skills.
On the other hand, the player is guaranteed to upgrade the skills she/he plans on using the most in the first place. My suggestion would be to design the upgrade system so that upgraded skills are used more frequently, but non upgraded skills are still tempting to use in special situations. For example, imagine a Fireball spell. That spell would be the most tempting to use when there's a fire weak enemy. I imagine the upgrade system could be designed with the assumption that a player who doesn't upgrade the Fireball will only use it on fire weak enemies while a player who does upgrade the Fireball will often use it on fire neutral enemies as well. How that could be done is hard to tell with another person's project, but it should be possible.
You definitely have enough skills if you have double and triple techs as well.
On the other hand, the player is guaranteed to upgrade the skills she/he plans on using the most in the first place. My suggestion would be to design the upgrade system so that upgraded skills are used more frequently, but non upgraded skills are still tempting to use in special situations. For example, imagine a Fireball spell. That spell would be the most tempting to use when there's a fire weak enemy. I imagine the upgrade system could be designed with the assumption that a player who doesn't upgrade the Fireball will only use it on fire weak enemies while a player who does upgrade the Fireball will often use it on fire neutral enemies as well. How that could be done is hard to tell with another person's project, but it should be possible.
You definitely have enough skills if you have double and triple techs as well.
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