Is the first enemy encounter area in your game a forest?

[Beregon]

My first completed game has a forest as a very short tutorial level, then it goes to town, then another forest as the first real level.

My second completed game only takes place in one location, a college campus during winter and starts in the MCs dorm room. Part of the ending cutscene takes place in a forest though.

My third completed game starts in a village, has snowy forest as the first enemy area, then an icy cave as the second area.

I also had a typical fantasy RPG project in MV that had the most work put in it out of my MV projects, however, I've abandoned it after the release of MZ. That one started in a forest cabin, the first area with enemies was a forest, the second area was a large mountain with caves, where there was a small forest area before you reach it, the third was a large imperial army encampment. I've planned to have atleast two more forest areas with enemies in that game, a spooky, dark forest area and a fairy forest one.

The other MV project where I had some amount of progress started in a mansion and had a large hedgemaze outside the mansion as the first enemy encounter area, with a forest as the second one.

I guess I just really like forests.

 

[Frostorm]

My 2nd dungeon is a forest or at least the 2nd dungeon I'm working on. The 1st dungeon is going to be a cave. I may shuffle them around in the end, but I'm basically going through all the tilesets at my disposal and creating dungeons for every environment. However, forests come in various types. There are bright forests w/ colorful flowers and there are dark mysterious forests with lots of vines and stuff. I think forests are a staple in any RPG, especially in a medieval/fantasy setting.

 

[Bendyizzt]

In my game, the first monster you fight is in the 'Everglow valley'...

 

[RachelTheSeeker]

Prologue will be a forest, first "real" dungeon is a cave. Eh, I have my reasons.

 

[Elissiaro]

I think I vary stuff a lot, but then I have a lot of ideas that turn in to unfinished projects too.
Let's see what games I remember...

*One of my earliest games starts in the MCs inn room, first encounter in a town.
*Another early game, maybe my first? I'm not sure. Starts in MCs bedroom, first encounter in a cave you find in a well.
*One of my later games, like a few years ago, First map is an ancient ruin, first battle is in another area of the ruin.
*Yet another game. First map is in a resturaunt, first battle in a cave.
*Then we have the game I should be working on right now... First map in a carriage, first battle in a forest.
*And, this is the game I'm currently working on. First map in bedroom, first battle in forest.

 

[Andar]

ever heard the saying "never trust a statistic you haven't faked yourself"?
the original report mentioned in the first topic is about exactly that....

unless the starting town/village has more than one dungeon (and they rarely have), the second group of encounters will be while traveling from that town to the next area. and since fields with open views rarely have dangerous animals, there is a very high chance that that will be forest (or cave in case of travelling through a mine).
That has nothing to do with imagination or lack thereof, it has everything to do with the methods of travel available in medieval or fantasy societies.

That said, for years it was a staple for every western RPG to start in a cellar or sewers hunting for rats, which took the place of the common slimes in most eastern RPGs.

 

[Binder28]

My first "encounter" area is a forest with some underground caves in it...So I guess I've just mixed the two most common trends together lol...

But I think that more important than the area is what happens in the area...There a difference between going to a forest to get a flower and going to a forest to save a lost alchemist from an archangel that was corrupted by a lovecraftian God....just trowing it out there you know?

 

[Kokoro Hane]

Depends on the game I am making.

My first RPG, your technical first "enemy" encounter is on the beach when sparring your trainer. But after that, your real first enemy encounter is in a cave dungeon. There's actually no forest areas explored in the game.
My second RPG, first enemy encounters are on the world map. It's very low on combat, and the only "enemy" in a forest is a chicken in a cutscene lol.
My third RPG, however, yes, the first area you find enemies IS, indeed, a forest. And it's only in these forests there is any battles (when not counting a cutscene of banishing an enemy at an inn).
My fourth RPG, the enemy encounters happen inside a hedge maze, and only in the tall grass.
My WiP fifth RPG, first enemy encounters are at a mountain pass. No forest encounters in this one either.
My other WiP RPG, so far, I have no forested areas you visit, and as of now, I have no plans for a forest.

This is quite an interesting discussion.... looking at all my games, I have done forest encounters before, but so far it's really only in one game, and my third one at that lol. And so far, none of my starting maps are forests either. If a forest shows up at all, it's further in the game.

 

[Featherbrain]

The very first encounter is in your dad's living room, which is a cave. Your dad gets queasy around filthy mammals, so you have to handle his latest pest problem while he gives out of touch commentary and advice that's the exact opposite of what you should actually do.

The first map with unscripted combat is a much scarier cave, with even filthier mammals! At least if you're following the story and common sense; otherwise technically it could be a beach or a swamp, if you're wandering beyond your level in search of your very first game over!

 

[Mystic_Enigma]

Technically, yes, but it's kind of a moment in a dream...

 

[Kirri]

I chuckled when I saw the "No... but my second map is a forest!" because I thought I escaped the question from the topic title.

 

[ryuugonana]

Technically speaking in my game, it's "Woods" which would still count, but the player has free reign to go to other places, so technically their first encounter good be on a beach or in the beach's cave. There's nothing wrong with starting in the forest however in my opinion. It's familiar and easy to build off of.

Also I'm doing "on map" encounters, so you could go through the woods without fighting anything at all tbh.

 

[kaukusaki]

My first encounter area is a training dungeon. you bash on rats, bats, spiders and slime creatures. the second encounter area is a mine and the third is a forest.

 

[Fauxworks]

Guilty as charged

 

[lianderson]

With a name like Wooden Ocean, it would be wrong of this one to NOT make the first area a forest! In fact, the game has many forests! You get a forest, and you get a forest! Everyone gets a forest!

 

[Lihinel]

NO.*
*and by that I mean yes.

 

[AccolourChris]

I always assumed most RPGs/JRPGs use forest for their first true "Dungeon" simply because starter mobs are normally wolves, slimes, orcs, imps, ogres. It just makes sense for it to be a forest to start with if the world consist within that same kinda universe. Hell, even the one I'm working on now has the player plow through people in a forest just to get to a tower within it o.0