RPG Maker Forums

Ever make a boss in your game that you just dont know how to make interesting? Do you struggle with balancing difficulty? Are you stuck under what feels like a rut after fighting too many bosses? If so, you might have what is known as "RPG Boss Cliche Syndrome"! If you have RPGBCS, fear not. Some cliches are still really wonderful to experience and face off against. Some however, you may wish to avoid. 


Today, let us not stand on ceremony. Rather lets look at what CAN make for a pretty cool Boss Battle.


1. Engagement.


Your boss shouldnt be just an obstacle at the end of a dungeon. He shouldnt only appear for the sake of being skill fodder. Rather, have him appear throughout the dungeon/adventure and create hazards for the player along the way to the show down with him. This will create what is known as "dramatic tension" which will trigger once the player feels they really have a need to kill your boss. Do not make them appear too freauently however, as you do want to retain some of the intimidation.


2. Personality.


Believe it or not, the personality you give to a boss can almost make or break them (The other factors are atmosphere and stats).


My personal tropes that have made some bosses great are:


Silent Antagonist- this would be a right hand man or just a warrior defending his honor whom you encounter many times. Never once does he say anything until the very last encounter when he says something to conceed defeat like: "Enough! I fight for the stronger side" or etc... Do not make them completely silent however. If your game is mostly text for dialogue, consider making them say "...", as that will give the impression that they are watching and focusing on your every move.


The Clown- Beating the crap out of someone who previously was just mocking you because you were trapped helplessly in a cage is a good start. Next, make this person seem weak but in a twist, he turns out to be much stronger than they seems. Ok, wonderful. Now make them taunt the player! 


These are just possible.examples of things to practice.


As an extension of personality, do not forget to give your boss a Signature Attack! This will undoubtably catch the player off guard when they see an attack that they have never seen before and thus cannot be prepared for!


3. Atmosphere.


There is nothing quite like a duel on a bridge suspended over jagged rocks or a bottomless pit while it rains. Yes everything from music to environmental choices such as weather and time of day will make a tonne of difference than just fighting at the end of a cave or in a field (Heres to you THRICE Ganon!).


Would you want to fight a dragon in a field of flowers while the backstreet boys play "telephone"? Of course! If thats what youre into... Every minute detail you implement into a map, will matter. Even if it seems obscure.


4. Stats and 'THIS ISNT EVEN MY FIRST FORM, THIS WAS JUST THE SPLASH SCREEN BEFORE THE TITLE!"


For the last points I will toss in the air are the sponge bullets, and 8 formed, grotesque monstrocities.


Save the unfair stats like all statuses at once for your games Super Boss (a secret boss thats placed to test the players knowledge of the battle system.). Not every boss needs to take 67 hits, a boss can be really short and really work! Now of course there are joke bosses (normally people who talk tough and then die in one hit), and then there are bosses that can take up to 8 1/2 hours to kill (One really does exist in a Final Fantasy Game...). What you need to do is find a common balance based off of what level you suspect or have tested the party to be by the time they reach that boss.


With that I am going to take off.


But im curious, what makes a boss good in your opinion?