Rules Ideas That Don’t Deserve Their Own Thread

[Archeia]

Post here if you have a small element you want feedback on – a “singular” idea, if you will. This is for posts that don't deserve their own thread.

 

[Jakegamer217]

Hope i'm doing this right

Hello? I'm looking on feedback on how to start my story that I will make a game, for now I want to focus on the story before I start making the game.

I have some ways to start the story though I don't think it should be used, one is to explain a part of a war that happened thousand of years ago, the only thing I dont like is that its really used in tons of stories, and it wouldnt be as I call it "Original", another is a dream, though I don't like that one alot, another way is I can start with just a normal day of school (I'll just think how to pull it off) and then the characters start talking, and finally a way I think I start the story is with a piece of a memory of my character running and then seing his back and his eyes close, its close to the other one, only I think is different.

Should I use any of the ones I mentioned or you have any better way to start the story

 

[Redeye]

@Jakegamer217
I don't know, you didn't give that much info on your story at all. The only thing that intrigued me was the Thousand-year-old War. You don't have to give the player a wall of text to explain the War that happened, but perhaps you could show a flashback of the War happening as foreshadowing for the events to come in your story. Bonus points if you make the war flashback playable.

 

[Archeia]

@Jakegamer217 It's a bit hard to understand what you want to do especially without context.

But if you want a good example of how something similar can be executed, in Velsarbor, there is like this "war" that happens before everything else (or it's in media res, I can't tell). And you play an integral part of the war and end in a cliffhanger before proceeding to the main story. It's one of the most hype intros and I highly recommend checking it out:


also here if you want to see the original complete german version. It's a bit hard to find one without someone talking.

If I were to give a suggestion, I'd remove the "Text" Intro all together and go straight to the action.

 

[Jakegamer217]

Sorry, didn't think the story should have been explain, plus its still in development though I indeed have an idea of what is gonna happen.

I think the flashback of the thousands year old war can actually work, and to be honest, i'll never be planning to do a wall text, and making a part of the war flashback playable could work, the only problem is, the war is one of the biggest mysteries in the story and game so I cant release to much information, so the war flashback can work, though making it playable its going to be hard, though right now I just got an idea, like just now meanwhile typing this, a way I maybe cant make the war flashback playable at the beginning, though they can be other war flashbacks in the game, and that will be playable, so thank, I think i'll love ideas and prototypes, I need opinions of people about the story, and game.

Just noticed, I shouldn't have used explain, i'm not explaining the war, its a mystery, though I indeed think the action part is a good idea for the flashback intro

 

[nomotog]

I have a base building idea that I am prototyping out that I want to get some thoughts on. The concept stems form the idea that games don't do enough with their over-world and one of my ideas is letting players place their own buildings on the over-world.

Story/Setting

Spoiler

The setup is that the player is part of a mission to colonize a new planet that went bad. When your ship was meant to land, but it crashed instead. (Fault of the games bad guy who comes in on the second act to destroy the things you built.) The hull of the ship was filled with prebuilt structures that were meant to be set up inside the colony, but when the ship was crashing all the prefabs spilled out and you have to find them and place them in order to boot strap the colonly.

The Mechantic

Spoiler

The mechanic is actually kind of simple. You will find different items called prefabs (in shops, in chests, on monsters, ect) that you use anywhere on the overworld to create what is basically a tiny one building town. (When I first had this idea you would have been placing down full multi building towns, but having it so you place one building gives you a lot more control over the setup.) After being placed, the prefabs will offer you lasting benefits like being a shop, inn, or questing hub. (Your overall progress is tied to what buildings you have placed with new abilities unlocking after you find the right item in the right prefab shop.)

For example, you might kill a giant sand worm and find that they had eaten what should have been colony's power-plant. Now that you have the prefab you can find a nice place to put it and so you will be able to buy energy recharging power packs from it.

That is the core idea I am still working on what exactly I want to do with it. (Or if the idea is really that appealing.) One thought I am very unsure about is the number of rules that the player should have when placing prefabs. I think if they are allowed to place unlimited prefabs anywhere they might just paint the over-world in nothing but healing stations making everything pointless, but I do want the players to be able to use prefabs to cheat the world a little. Go ahead and set up poison control right in the poison swamp. I currently lean to letting the player place most prefabs on any open tile. That is any tile without mountains/trees/enemies. With some select prefabs being only allowed on specific tiles. solar panels only on desert tiles for example.

One big add I am flirting with is if I should do a kind of colony management system where you have to manage different resource bars like food or power. I am unsure about this because I don't know what else id adds other then complexity.

 

[Twitch]

Hello all, as I am unable to post in the Plot and Character Feedback thread (https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/plot-and-character-feedback.63636/)because it says "Thread Status: Not open for further replies", I am making this thread asking for some plot feedback. Please do not burn me at the stake!

I am working on the first game in my Another Fairy Tale series, called Just Another Fairy Tale. This naming scheme will allow me to create future games, such as Yet Another Fairy Tale, Not Another Fairy Tale, etc. Just Another Fairy Tale will use the RMMV program.

Here is the overall "plot" that I have figured out (the names are just placeholders, and not the actual names):

Spoiler: Plot

The game starts off with Father reading to Main Hero a storybook (called Another Fairy Tale) about Old Hero and a group of Legendary Warriors. The tutorial kicks off with the Old Hero serving as a squire to a Knight and the Knight teaches the Old Hero about combat. Several chapters later, the Old Hero is a mighty warrior and leads the Legendary Warriors in battle against evil. The last chapter(s) of the book covers the Old Hero and Legendary Warriors' final battle, in which they defeat the Great Evil and are never heard from or seen again. This ends the tutorial.

Some time later the Main Hero stumbles around somewhere, comes upon a statue of a person, and closely inspects it. Once the Main Hero comes within close proximity of the statue it shatters and reveals a person inside, who turns out to be one of the Legendary Warriors. Legendary Warrior A states that the only reason they could be awake is because the Great Evil has awoken and that they must go find the other Legendary Warriors. The Main Hero asks why they have to go along, and Legendary Warrior A explains that since the Main Hero woke them, they are the only one that possesses the ability to wake the other Legendary Warriors.

Further into the plot they come upon one of the Statues, but it has since been shattered and destroyed, killing the Legendary Warrior. However, this Legendary Warrior was the only one to have a spouse and child before the final battle alongside the Old Hero, so their power was passed to their descendant.

Later in the plot the Party comes upon a Statue, but nothing happens. It is later revealed that the Legendary Warrior has been awake for some time, but it is unclear why they were woken before the others (I have a good reason for it). The current Statue was recreated to replace the one that was lost when that particular Legendary Warrior awoke. It is explained earlier in the plot that the majority of the World praises the Legendary Warriors and their Statues and treat the Statues as sacred ground, hence why the Statue was recreated long ago.

At some point in the plot one of the Legendary Warriors die, as what happens in most good stories, and their power passes on to another who joins the Party. This is a later talking point.

My ideas for game/battle mechanics are as follows:

Spoiler: Game Mechanics

Each Legendary Warrior has their own class, and each serves their own niche. Some are pure tank, healer, or dps. Others are damage and buff/debuff, strictly buff and debuff, or a true hybrid.

I have been reading about how to use the TP bar and convert it into a "Limit Breaker"-type system, which I will do. At the start of battle each TP/LB gauge starts at 0 and fills throughout the battle via various means. Once it reaches 100 the "Limit Breaker" will be activated and able to be used.

Another battle idea that I want is a type of "super form" that can be activated in battle and is reminiscent of the PS1 game The Legend of Dragoon. A bar fills during battle, and once filled the character's "super mode" can be activated. This will change their sprite and grant access to abilities that they normally do not have. Just like in The Legend of Dragoon the bar count can be leveled up to increase how many turns it lasts (unknown maximum at this time, maybe keep it to 5). Each count of the bar is equal to how many turns the "super mode" is active. I currently have no clue how to make this part possible, so if anyone has any suggestions or can point me in the direction of some useful tools I would be most grateful.

Now I am discussing a talking point from the "Plot" section:

Spoiler: Lore

What makes the Legendary Warriors who they are and why are they the only ones who can stand up to the Great Evil? It has to do with that they are immensely more powerful than normal people of the same "class". For example, a normal mage (even a highly-trained one that could be called the most powerful in the World) pales in comparison to a Legendary Mage. The normal mage's strongest spell could be a large fireball the size of a small house, but the Legendary Mage could call upon a city-burning firestorm from the sky with very little effort. A mighty woodsman can chop down ten trees with one swing of their axe; a Legendary Woodsman can cleave a mountain with one swing of their weapon.

The power of the Legendary Warriors has to exist and must exist in the World. If a Legendary Warrior dies, their power is passed on. The primary way is through their descendants, as discovered in the Plot. What I would like some assistance with is coming up with a way that the power is passed on if there are no descendants. It could always be the cliche "one who is worthy" trope, but I would like to do something different. Since the Legendary Warriors are the first ones to receive this power, their power passing to another not of their lineage is a first.

Well, thank you for reading, and any constructive feedback is most welcome!

 

[bgillisp]

The reason it is closed is we have a new location for that, its Ides that don't deserve their own thread. Will attempt to move it over there for you.

 

[Twitch]

The reason it is closed is we have a new location for that, its Ides that don't deserve their own thread. Will attempt to move it over there for you.

I saw that, but from my understanding is that it was for projects that were out of the "only idea" phase and had some substance to them.

Edit: I see the new area that was not there the last time I visited the forums. That is why I defaulted to this area.

 

[LRDean_Socks]

@nomotog
Your idea kind of reminds me of those world building management games, but many are just a big look at the world where you place buildings, but don't to walk around. It sounds like in your case you will be able to walk around, is that correct?

Also, perhaps letting the put things just "anywhere" may be too loose, as you said possibly making everything pointless.
Perhaps you can build ideas that would force the player to be a bit more "strategic" with the placement.
So, I guess an example could be like with your power plant, it could be "required" or simply be more "effective" if placed near water, for power cooling purposes.
Or for healing stations, more effective when placed near it supplies source, herbs=forest. Then you could limit the amount of places that can be placed near those. So, you could have it where there is only so much forest area, but 2 types of buildings utilize it, therefore players have to decide what they want more of and how to get the most output from their placement.
That could bring a more strategic game play element to your world building, maybe.....

I don't play alot of those kinds of games, so this is just a thought.

 

[mlogan]

@Twitch The changes were implemented just a couple of days ago. You can read here about why we felt the changes would be best all around. https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/changes-to-projects-section.83359/

This thread is intended to replace Features Feedback and Plot and Character Feedback, as well as be open to other small things people are wanting feedback on. Hopefully once everyone gets used to the new layout, it will be beneficial to all.

 

[nomotog]

@nomotog
Your idea kind of reminds me of those world building management games, but many are just a big look at the world where you place buildings, but don't to walk around. It sounds like in your case you will be able to walk around, is that correct?

Also, perhaps letting the put things just "anywhere" may be too loose, as you said possibly making everything pointless.
Perhaps you can build ideas that would force the player to be a bit more "strategic" with the placement.
So, I guess an example could be like with your power plant, it could be "required" or simply be more "effective" if placed near water, for power cooling purposes.
Or for healing stations, more effective when placed near it supplies source, herbs=forest. Then you could limit the amount of places that can be placed near those. So, you could have it where there is only so much forest area, but 2 types of buildings utilize it, therefore players have to decide what they want more of and how to get the most output from their placement.
That could bring a more strategic game play element to your world building, maybe.....

I don't play alot of those kinds of games, so this is just a thought.

Yes you will be able to walk around in the over-world where you are placing all your buildings. Most of the game takes place on the over world map. (Walk around in, fight monsters in, anything else I can think of in. The root of the idea was to simply have the over-world be more interactive with more to do in it.) It's still an RPG. I don't want it to be a city building game.

I like your ideas of improving output based on placement. That can be a nice soft cap on it. I also could simply do a hard cap on some things by limiting the amount of prefab items the player can find. That might be easier. I don't want the prefabs to get too complex because it's only meant to be one of a few different ideas not the full game.

 

[Twitch]

@Jakegamer217
You can make your "tutorial" be a random battle of random nameless characters against random enemies to get the player used to the controls and battle system. For example, if the Great War was of goblins invading human lands, your party could consist of characters named Human Warrior, Human Archer, Human Mage, etc., and would be against Goblin Warrior, Goblin Mage, etc.

 

[slimmmeiske2]

@Twitch I like your idea to incorporate the tutorial into a tale that's being told. This way it won't feel out of place.
The plot seems generic mostly, though I'm intrigued by the statues and the lore behind it.
What I am wondering though is why you are calling it "Fairy Tale" when there doesn't really seem to be a reason so far. I might be wrong, but from what I've read "Legend" seems much closer to what you're describing than "Fairy Tale".

 

[Twitch]

@Twitch I like your idea to incorporate the tutorial into a tale that's being told. This way it won't feel out of place.
The plot seems generic mostly, though I'm intrigued by the statues and the lore behind it.
What I am wondering though is why you are calling it "Fairy Tale" when there doesn't really seem to be a reason so far. I might be wrong, but from what I've read "Legend" seems much closer to what you're describing than "Fairy Tale".

Thank you for the feedback, @slimmmeiske2

I am not giving away too much of the plot just yet, so that is why it seems generic. But then again so is every story that revolves around, "evil threatens the world, go forth and vanquish it!" At least when you break it down to its simplest form.

I chose for the Legendary Warriors to become statues because I needed a tangible object to represent future party members, and the Final Fantasy franchise has claimed Crystals...

Spoiler: Statue Lore

At the end of the battle a long time ago, the Legendary Warriors became statues, to be woken by the Chosen One when the Great Evil returns. How or why the Statues got to different locations around the World is still a work in progress, but I am most likely going with they were moved so that they could be revered and celebrated by the people of the World. As with most things, the original intent has been lost and/or skewed over time.

I only used the term "Legendary Warriors" just as a placeholder; I will figure out what to call the people of yore that join the party. I decided to use the term "Fairy Tale" because it is generic and I am using it on purpose; the title Just Another Fairy Tale sounds generic yet unique at the same time. You have to ask yourself if this is just another fairy tale, or something else altogether?

 

[Vayne88]

Do you like "kill x sidequest" or "get item a"? or you want something unique?

 

[Shaz]

They are okay in SMALL numbers, but unique is always better.

 

[Vayne88]

They are okay in SMALL numbers, but unique is always better.

what kind of sidequest that considered unique for you?

 

[The Mighty Palm]

I like a sidequest that feels like it's own mini-storyline. (that doesn't mean it has to be long though.)
Something like find my ring or kill 10 bears is okay, but what really makes it unique is when you give a reason for it.
Like lets take those and expand on them, but keep them short and sweet. (Gonna spoiler this cuz I'm bad to ramble on)

Spoiler: SIDE-QUEST RAMBLE

Let's make an NPC and name her Sally. Sally's ring was stolen by a thief and she wants it back. The thief is hiding in a cave and she's offering a small reward of 1000g. Now that's a pretty basic side-quest set-up, and nothing more really needs to be added. It's functional. but is it interesting? Not really. So let's spruce it up.

Sally doesn't just lay it all out on the table when you talk to her. Give the player initiative. Make them feel like they're talking to someone and not being talked to. Let's say she runs the item shop.
Sally: Oh... hello. Looking for something? and add some dialogue options for
>Shop
>Is something wrong?
(this also helps keep the quest feeling optional. Side-quests shouldn't be forced upon the player imo but you do you.)
Inquire a little and she'll say that her ring was stolen, and that it was her grandmother's ring and irreplaceable. (this is super basic but it's an example)
>Offer to help find the ring
>That's too bad (again, to keep the player from feeling like they HAVE to do it and interrupt the main-game)
Accept the quest and she'll tell you where she heard the thief was spotted, but no-one will help her. Go there, defeat
the thief (or maybe talk him out of it, offer to pay for the ring, find out why he stole it, make him a pitiable fop that is just trying to make ends meet or a selfish jerk that doesnt care about emotional connections, and that he wont be swayed with a sob story.)
Get it back one way or another and take it to Sally. You could even refuse her reward. Not for anything special, just to make the player feel good about themselves. Like doing something right is it's own reward or whatever. Further humanizing the player-character.

and that's really the gist of it. You just gotta flesh out a set-up to make a quest interesting. Now if you repeat the same thing over and over
doing something like replacing "ring" with "sword" and "thief" with "troll" then that's NOT very interesting. but if you just treat your quests like
their own miniature stories then they ought to flesh out themselves.

And don't think for a second that you can't look to other games for inspiration. How did they do it? What parts did I enjoy? What parts didn't I like? and make your own interpretation.

TL;DR Any quest can be interesting if you use them as means of some worldbuilding or storytelling WHILE u use them to level up ur characters and get some sick gear. Just don't do repeatsies of the same quest setup more than 1-2 times.

 

[Kes]

We now have somewhere specific for asking about a single idea such as this.

[mod]Merging this with 'Ideas that don't deserve their own thread'[/mod]