[RMVX] Ace Academy: Practice through Roleplay

[Titanhex]

[Disclaimer: Please note I am not suggesting this be created on the RMWeb Forum. Rather it's a discussion and gauge of the kind of interest a project like this would receive. The discussion of it's design, merits, and benefit to the RM Community and what you would like to see on this personal project I am beginning to undertake. I am not recruiting right now, just getting a headcount to validate it as an idea.]
 
[Disclaimer 2: While I am trying to increase awareness and interest in my own personal project, I truly hope that others will look at the merit of this idea and create their own version, or come up with other ways to improve the RM community itself with interactive, community building projects.]
 

NEWS!​

Ace Academy's official forums are up, and we're taking Student Enrollment til June 9th 18th, 5PM MST.

Is Ace Academy right for me?​

Before reading this long post you probably want to know if Ace Academy is right for you. Well, here's 4 reasons why it might be.

Do you want to learn how to do more with the software?

Ace Academy has tutors and extra-curriculars, both which aim to teach you how to develop assets for RMVX Ace. You get to choose what you learn, and where you specialize. If you don't want to learn art, you aren't required. The only requirement is that you learn how to make a game in RPG Maker VX Ace, and that's what we're all here for, right?

Do you want motivation to practice using RPG Maker Ace?

We encourage practice and try to make sure you're getting feedback from fellow students and teachers. There's incentives to practicing while at the Academy. We want you to keep making small games and game assets so that you learn as much as you can. When you create your next game out of Ace Academy, you will be far more consistent with the quality of your work.

Do you want to build ties in the community?

Ace Academy is very interactive. You will be doing a lot with your fellow students, and showing off what you can do and what you've learned. You'll show off your dedication as well. Your fellow students will become your friends and allies, and who knows what you can do together once you leave the Academy.

Do you enjoy Roleplay?

We're not roleplay exclusive, nor is it our top priority. But we have amazing features and tools that encourage it, and we believe that by Roleplaying your character with others, you'll learn a lot about subtext and dialogue, and break your comfort zones. It's also a great way to exchange ideas and work as a team.

Do you want to get your name out?

Ace Academy is not just about learning or roleplaying, it's also about exposure. By creating stories, having laughs, and making your experience at Ace Academy truly feel like a game, you will be entertaining people who have nothing to do with the Academy. They may come to watch and laugh with you, to be amazed at the story your character shows off. The expose you wrote. The romance you developed with another character. I will be getting people outside the community to come check out your games, and talking about what happens on social media.

 ​

An Excerpt of the Project's Past​

 ​

So back in the Spring-Summer period of this year I came up with a great community activity. The idea was based heavily off of "Academy of Heroes" from Deviant-Art. I had a lot of help from positive members around RMVXAce.net and slowly the project got fleshed out. Unfortunately I couldn't lend the time to get it started. It had to be shelved, much to the sorrow of interested members.
 
I have come across a lot of free-time. So, I am returning to discuss a project like this and figure out if it would be worth starting.
 

Introduction to what it is​

 ​

Ace Academy is a simple concept on the outside. Encourage people to practice using RPG Maker through Roleplay. That is, taking on the role of a single characterto tell a story. This does not necessarily mean forum or chat based roleplay, but those are tools available to develop your character.

Instead of creating full fledged, overly complex games, Ace Academy wants it's member-base to create resources and make small games centered around the time spent by their character as a student at Ace Academy. Being a student at Ace Academy is a lot like being a student at a magical academy. (Think Harry Potter)
 
These small sessions of creativity and creation are great ways to measure your progress as a game developer and improve your comfort with the game making process, all while creating a fun, interesting story that your peers will see and comment on.  This is perfect for anyone from beginner to intermediate in skill, or anyone wanting to learn a new skill in the game making process. For experts in any process of development, it's recommended that you lend your help to the "Tutoring" staff.
 
Ace Academy will have lessons centered around the game making process that students can do, in some cases just giving them direction for practice, and in other cases providing valuable information they can utilize. Tutors provide these lessons.
 

How it works​

 ​

I'll start by explaining some of the base concepts that make up Ace Academy, and then walk you through the life of a typical student, from entrance to closing ceremonies.
 Ace Academy has a Headmaster, who oversees all the lessons and students and makes sure Ace Academy runs smoothly. Then it has the Teachers, who will administer in-game lessons to students and assign a a theme for player-students to create a game from. Then we have Examiners who assist the Headmaster, come up with extra-curricular activities, and give the "End-Semester" exams. Finally we have the Students who participate in the lessons and exams while enjoying their dorm life.
 
Students are separated into the four Houses of Club, Spade, Diamond and Hearts. Your new dorm-mates are your friends and allies who will encourage you to do your best. Why? Because each house earns points as they complete assignments and extra-curricular activities. At the end of the semester, points are tallied and the winners receive various prizes. The value and type of prize depends on the interest of the community and heads.
 
Extra-Curricular activities vary, but each allows you to practice RPG Maker in some way. It could be creating a puzzle, making a resource, or going on a quest.

Assignments are focused around the teacher's class and always involve creating a game, usually 10 minutes in length.

Further, there are Seasonal Events which vary from dances to competitions and everything in-between. If a seasonal event is decided, extra time will be given to players so they can participate.

There are also World Quests which will have some strong influence on the setting of the game, so participating in these is not only a great way to earn points, but place your stamp upon the world and really get into the Roleplay. Extra time is also allotted for these.

Then we have Homework which are optional in-world lessons done in the classroom. Teachers create and think up the lessons, which run the span of a short cutscene. When completed, you will learn a new skill for your character.

So what's it like as a student? Allow me to break it down.
 

Stat & Skill Progression​

 
Part of your character sheet involves placing stats on your character from RPG Maker's default stat settings. You are then allowed two skills.
 
As you progress through your semester you can gain various stats and skills from completing assignments and special extra-curriculars.
 
This can improve your character as you go along, making you a more valuable team member for Final Exams.
 

Life as a Student​

 ​

As a student you download the Enrollment forms. You then submit your forms, and if everything works out in your favor you're admitted into the Academy. Rejection reasons are listed. If you're rejected, simply make the necessary changes and try again. If you're accepted, congratulations!

Now you just wait for enrollment to end and the semester to begin. Once the semester begins, you check into your dorm. Checking into your dorm means posting in the introduction thread of your house and picking up the intro package. The intro package will contain a template game you can build on that has the various places of Ace Academy mapped out.

Next you're ready to go. You've met your fellow house-mates, and can do a whole moving in spiel with your character meeting other characters or whatever else you want as you await Orientation. Orientation begins with a game you download that explains the Academy both in character, as the headmaster, and out of character, through a narrative. Rules are gone over, layout explained, where you need to go, etc. etc. You have plenty of time. About 1-2 weeks of adjusting before "Welcoming Ceremonies."

This is a good time to check out the Extra-Curricular activities post. These could be "Create your room decor", "Show off your first day getting used to your new mates", "Create a theme-song" and "Create your own school uniform" to give examples. These don't have to be games, they can be creating sprites or tilesets, music, sounds, visual novels, drawings, or any other part of the game development process. No need to say you're doing it, just do it and submit it to the post before the time expires.

These aren't the only way the Houses can earn points though. Lets say there's a roleplay thread in your house forum where you and your buddy are baking a giant cake for ships and goggles. (tehe, censorship) Suddenly it turns into a huge fiasco and the cake comes alive! You decide to turn this into a whole game from your character's perspective. You'll earn some points for it.

Then you have "Welcoming Ceremonies". A game that explains semesters past, introduces the teachers, and explains a lot of ingame formalities straight from the headmaster.

Afterwards, you'll attend your two classes. The teacher will give you your assignment. These assignments must be completed in two months. Failure to complete an assignment on time is a loss of points. Failure to turn in an assignment is disqualification from any prize your house may win. Tutors are encouraged to focus on provided tutoring and help for assignments. Afterwards, there is a cooldown period of 2 weeks where you can rest up prior to Final Exams. From here, we have Final Exams, administered by an Examiner. These have a one and a half month completion date. Each team-member gets individual points, and the final project gets points as well. Failure to complete a Final Exam may result in being held back. Your points won't be tallied, and you will not attend closing ceremonies.

This is followed by another week of reflection, and for some catching up. Afterwards, Closing Ceremonies are had and the Houses points are tallied up. The headmaster announces the house rankings, gives out any other awards for the semester, and thanks all the students. Graduates are called up. Yadda yadda. Cooldown time occurs for everyone, then enrollment opens and it all happens again.
 
 

Teaching RPG Maker​

 ​

This idea is centered around getting better with RPG Maker and learning how to use the software, create resources, and create working games. Teaching is an integral part of that.
 
The student-players are taught how to create the resources that make up a game through extra-curricular assignments and tutoring.
Tutors leave lessons and help students either create a game or create a resource for an extra-curricular activity.
 
These are the main subjects the Academy chooses to focus on and will offer most their tutoring for.
Level & Puzzle Design (Eventing, Mapping Focus)
Battle & Balance (Scripting, Eventing and Math Focus)
Pixel & Brush Art (Character, Icon and Tileset Resources)
 
However there may be extra assignments that cover:
Music & Sound (Sound Resources)
Features & UI Design (Scripting)

There are certain things that are learned simply through participation. Writing and character development definitely arise simply from interacting with the Academy. Examiners have a pretty good chance to hone their plot design skills as well. You can learn a lot of the base things about making your own game through extracurricular activities too.
 

Teachers, Tutors and Examiners

Teachers are encouraged to be examiners or tutors alongside being teachers. However it's not a requirement. The only responsibility of a teacher is to come up with the game-theme of the assignment and provide an introductory game to the class. They play and score the assignment. It's encouraged they do a little Roleplay and interact with students as well. They can be tutors.

Tutors are not part of the roleplay. They're focused on teaching the various aspects of game development in their particular field of expertise. They help come up with extra-curricular activies. Tutors can also be students, teachers or examiners.

Examiners are a minor part of the roleplay. They provide the game-theme of the Exam (Field Training in-RP) and provide the introduction game to the Field Training exercise. They also hep come up with extra-curricular activities, and grade and score the Final Exam. They can be tutors too.

Teaching in Roleplay​

 
Faculty in the Roleplay environment teach any of the magical and physical practices listed in the "Magic" section. The Faculty will give an assignment, and a small game must be created from it.
 
Students must choose two subjects to learn.
They will have two months to complete the games from both subjects. Average length of 5-10 minutes.
As the player completes an assignment, they are rewarded with stats and a skill from that teacher.
 
 

Enrollment Form​

 
An enrollment form is just the necessary stuff to make sure you can start at the Academy. You put down your sprite-sheet, character name, gender, age, desired house, beginning stats and bio. Optionally you can put your character's face graphic in along with strengths and weaknesses.

Anything else you add is up to you.

Spoiler

Setting & Conflict​

The setting is very open to just about all types of characters. While we prefer characters with typically humanoid qualities, deviation from this is acceptable.  Mainly we want to make sure you will be comfortable developing this character and that it will have a lot of room for growth.
 
The setting is jRPG styled modern. The world is full of multicultural people, of different forms of technology and influence. Mainly it's focused on a modern-magical feel. Nothing as extreme as sci-fi or medieval, but it covers a lot of the things in between.

The Academy itself is situated between woods and mountains, and experiences all the seasons. The large city, known as Haven, is a train-ride away. This allows for a lot of design and interpretation on the part of students.

But the Academy was designed with a purpose and conflict, to allow for story development. The Conflict is simple enough.
 

Conflict​

The world upon which the Academy sits is prone to corrupting influences of hatred, malice, despair and destruction. This dark, negative energy fuels a malicious plane know as the Abyss. Fortunately the Abyss is sealed away, but the seal begins to erode as the plane gains influence, and eventually the corruption takes hold in the world and breaks free. Normally it just corrupts inanimate objects, disfiguring them into malevolent creatures called Djinni. These djinni attack people and try to feed negative energy into the world. To destroy them, the object itself must be cleansed or destroyed.

Examples of Djinni:
 

There are also rare instances of the spill overcoming people. In these cases, it lies dormant after taking root in them, and can take them over at any time, turning them into dark, malevolent Djinn form at will. A cleansing ritual must take place to remove a Djinn from a person without hurting them.

Magic is one of the most dangerous forms of power. In this world, magic is called Nether. It lies in the nether plane, and is conjured from there. It must be controlled though. When conjuring nether there's a chance that the unpracticed and unskilled may dig too deep into the nether and extend past it. The Nether plane attaches to the Abyss, and when you over-extend, you pull the dark energy of the Abyss up with the nether.

Corrupted magic and fuels the power of the Djinni. Unskilled magic users may become host to a Djinn if they try to conjure magic recklessly or for malevolent purposes. Over-exertion and negative emotions are the number one reason why the Abyss is pulled up with the Nether. It's preferred that magic is never used in human to human combat or war, but these conflicts are inevitable within the world.

Thus the Academy teaches people how to properly use magic and combat the Djinn.  There is also a fear that a seal may break before it can be purified, and a great flood of Abyssal creatures and Djinni will poor forth. The Academy helps train for the important procedures of combating, purifying, and sealing.
 

Magic​

Guidelines for Magic do have to be written, both to sync up with the conflict and to avoid power issues. However, the system largely tries to be interpretative and allow wiggle room for the creative. There are also many other magics in the world, fed from other planes, phenomenons, or mysterious forces. However, these magics are rarely delved into, and often abstained from, for very good reason.

The elements contained in the Nether are Fire (Includes Lightning), Water (Includes Ice), Wind, Earth, Light, Shadow. Then we have physical practices. Ninpou, Weaponry, Combat Tactics, Beast Mastery, and Alchemy.
 

Light magic can purify a land, person, or object, which reduces the Abyssal influence. Shadow magic seals away the Abyss until it can be fully purified and released. Alchemy nullifies nether, which is vital in stopping renegade magicians, weakening Djinn who have inhabited nether-fused objects, and preventing people who are hosts to Djinnis from fueling the Abyssal influence in the area with their tainted nether magic.

The other magic is combat magic, which is used to fight Djinni, along with the physical practices, almost all of which have some sort of Nether involvement. Infact weaponry is not just swords and bows, but engineering as well.

Combat Tactics covers espionage and warfare.

Ninpou covers stealth and unique magic-infused augments.

Weaponry is a mix of an artisan skill to create normal and nether-infused weapons against Djinns and the practice using those weapons.

Beast Mastery is the training and bonding of magical and non-magical creatures by a caregiver.

Alchemy is important to break down Magic, Djinn physical forms, and concoct various elixirs, acids and potions. It's useful to nullify magic too. Alchemists are vital to stopping renegade mages.

Interested?​

I hope you are! We can use as many people as we can get. If the idea is greenlighted by me, there will be plenty of room for Teachers, Examiners, Students, and just helping hands for production.
 
If you're interested please let me know here or in PM. Don't just lurk, speak up! The more who show interest the more that can happen.

Please use this BBC code in your signature to spread the word:

[font=helvetica, sans-serif][font=georgia, serif]A[/font]ce [font=georgia, serif]A[/font]cademy: [font=georgia, serif]P[/font]ractice [font=georgia, serif]T[/font]hrough [font=georgia, serif]R[/font]oleplay[/url][/font][url=http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/20887-rmvx-ace-academy-practice-through-roleplay/#entry199169][i][font=georgia, serif]Come Join![/font][/i][/url][/color][/size][/center]Or copy and paste the banner here:

[CENTER][SIZE=14px][COLOR=#000000][FONT=helvetica][B]A[/COLOR][/B]ce [B]A[/FONT][/B]cademy: [B][FONT=georgia]P[/FONT][/B]ractice [B][FONT=georgia]T[/FONT][/B]hrough [B][FONT=georgia]R[/FONT][/B]oleplay
[URL="http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/20887-rmvx-ace-academy-practice-through-roleplay/#entry199169"][IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5536575/Pictures/Ace-Academy.gif
Come Join!​

 
Former Brainstorm Sessions Leading up to the Academy:
Original Topic: http://www.rpgmakerv...rough-roleplay/
Design Document: http://www.rpgmakerv...s-this-is-okay/

 

[deaddrift]

lol how much is tuition?

do you think i can get in on a basketball scholarship?

any co-ed dorms?  <---- very important

and if you kill Dobby i'll never forgive you.



good luck with you idea man!

 

[Kes]

Good luck with this.  I think it is an excellent way for people to really get to grips with all aspects of game-making in a creative and supported context.

 

[Xortberg]

I am so down for something like this. I'm already attempting something similar on my own, in that I'm making a series of smaller projects to learn various skills separately before trying some big one, but it's hard to keep productivity up without some kind of motivation.

So yeah, count me in if it ever takes off. 

 

[Ruby]

If people are willing to help out in other ways as a "teacher" are you interested?

I could possibly help with the Pixel Art & Brush classes. "Miss Ruby" I like the sound of that.

Do you have some sort of form available for willing teachers to fill out, or should we just guess at what exactly you want?

 

[Titanhex]

Thanks for the show of interest! It's definitely appreciated along with all feedback.

The more people who know about this and show interest, the more likely it is to happen. Like I said, if not enough people show interest it can't happen.

What other ways besides teacher did you have in mind?

I was actually considering a "Tutor Hall" for people to get help on the lesson teachers give. Unfortunately there's no way or reason to incorporate it into the Roleplay aspect of Ace Academy. However, if the teacher allows you could always be their understudy/aid/assistant, and have a character that way. But that's all something I would have to consider.

Right now there's no teacher form, since this still hasn't been proven to be popular enough to start.

With a little more interest I'll start a banner and sig icon (or if someone wants to volunteer one I don't mind *u*) and pass those out to show support.

Teachers just need to submit a character for the roleplay, the category they want to teach, and how they would like to teach it.

Examiners just need to prove their ability to review and fairly grade a game, and be able to help out where needed.

Details on those and changes may come at a later date.

 

[Titanhex]

Hey everyone, a few big updates to make!

First and foremost, I've changed the structure of teaching. I was looking at it, and decided  to more closely model the education system the way they have it in AoHC, which is what this idea is heavily modeled after.

Basically this would mean separating the Teaching from the Roleplay. I feel like they'd be better off as separate and strong rather than together but weak. Putting the Teaching of RPG Maker into the Roleplay makes things very messy and convoluted. If I separate them, and use the Roleplay and game-like features of the Academy to encourage learning and practice than they seem to work better.

So here is what I'm proposing. Players get to choose their stats when they submit their Enrollment Form. They also get to have two skills. When they complete a class, they learn a new skill and receive stats. This makes them more valuable members when they do quests and exams. Also, as upper-classmen they are a lot stronger should they return to AoHC to learn more.

The class lessons would be geared towards making a game centered around the teacher's assignment.  The games would be simple 5-10 minute games and you'd essentially have two months to complete them.

Tutoring and extra-curricular activities become the new method of learning how to make your own resources. Tutors provide tutorials and help with completing extra-curricular assignments. This lets you pick and choose where you want to focus, and encourages practice.

I'd make the Roleplay faculty teach either a magical element or a special skill category in the universe. This way you can sort of build the character the way you like.

I've also made a sig banner. I hope you'll spread the word of this and help it get off it's feet! It should be a lot of fun, and a great way to improve the community in a fun and playful manner.

[font=helvetica, sans-serif][font=georgia, serif]A[/font]ce [font=georgia, serif]A[/font]cademy: [font=georgia, serif]P[/font]ractice [font=georgia, serif]T[/font]hrough [font=georgia, serif]R[/font]oleplay[/url][/font][url=http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/20887-rmvx-ace-academy-practice-through-roleplay/#entry199169][i][font=georgia, serif]Come Join![/font][/i][/url][/color][/size][/center][B]EDIT:[/B]

Because I've been asked, I decided to show a Rough Draft of the Registration form:

[SPOILER][IMG]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5536575/Pictures/Reg%20Form.png[/SPOILER]​

 

[Titanhex]

Just keeping everyone interested up to date. This project isn't anywhere close to dead. Still getting headcounts. Currently receiving artwork for the project from interested individuals.

There's not a lot of buzz here, unfortunately. So I will likely open this up in RMVXAce.net and test it out there. The admins are also more willing to work with me from there. I think once people start seeing it in action and witness how fun and engaging it can be, it'll start increasing in popularity and viability.

You can still show your support for the idea and join in here, and I'll keep you all up to date with it. We can still discuss it as an idea over here as well.

Likely this will be presented back to the admins over on Ace.net and they'll discuss with me what kind of forum structure it can receive.

I'll start the Academy's production phase after Christmas (Creating the resources for it), shooting for about a month at the most out to get the project into post-production and set-up, at which point we'll start sign ups for teachers and then students.

 

[vanillacoke]

Will it be 100% noob friendly? Easy to follow lessons for students with little to no experience whatsoever?

 

[Titanhex]

If you're 100% noob I don't think this would be a good starting point. Just like if you're completely new to drawing AoHC wouldn't be your ideal starting place. Practice for the software comes after learning the basics.

I'd suggest picking up a few tutorials and learning some stuff, perhaps over the course of a month, before jumping into the Academy. I recommend all participants understand conditional branches and switches at least.

It's a great resource for networking, practicing, and learning new and more advanced things from and for people of all skill types.

I'm sure if you're willing to learn, you'll be able to jump in by the time this starts up.

I also wanted to say that I'm going to break open Adobe Illustrator soon here and work on some of the artwork and banners. I think it's gonna look great. The banner will update automatically in people's signatures.

After I'm done, I'll start working on the admission sheet template and the templates for the maps. I'm hoping we can funnel in some more interested people, but I've still gotten a few responses about it.

I'll keep everyone updated as often as I can and post work done here.

UPDATE: New Artwork in Progress!

Here are the emblems of the Four Houses.

And here is the emblem for the Academy with the houses around it:

 

[Titanhex]

Hey everyone, just pointing out the new Artwork for the Academy. I'll be working on a better enrollment form soon here. Perhaps a nice crest for the school itself.

As well, a quick clarification to the rolls of Teachers, Students and Examiners has been added. Here it is:

Teachers are encouraged to be examiners or tutors alongside being teachers. However it's not a requirement. The only responsibility of a teacher is to come up with the game-theme of the assignment and provide an introductory game to the class. They play and score the assignment. It's encouraged they do a little Roleplay and interact with students as well. They can be tutors.

Tutors are not part of the roleplay. They're focused on teaching the various aspects of game development in their particular field of expertise. They help come up with extra-curricular activies. Tutors can also be students, teachers or examiners.

Examiners are a minor part of the roleplay. They provide the game-theme of the Exam (Field Training in-RP) and provide the introduction game to the Field Training exercise. They also hep come up with extra-curricular activities, and grade and score the Final Exam. They can be tutors too.

Also thanks for the interest and support that you all provide. A newer and better looking banner has been added. If you want to show your support please add the banner to your signature with the tags provided in the code box at the bottom of the first message.

 

[Titanhex]

Hey all. The concept is moving along. Templates are being worked on, which are a large core of the concepts concreteness. Without the templates you really don't know what you're doing or making.

Right now I've just finished the 4 houses interiors. I'll need to make the Academy exterior and the Academy interior. That will finish off the templates, which will only leave the final touches on the artwork. From there we go into the recruitment phase while working on the forum structure, and finally acquisition and then opening. It'll be around one to two months time.

So all that aside, I wanted to present the houses. Developing them, I got a strong sense of what kind of people each house may attract.

There is no hard or fast rule to the house system. Anyone can be anything they want. Most are simply drawn to the style the house exudes, the color, the former members or any mix or match of those elements.

To lay it down, while decorating the houses, I've found that some have a certain personality. But never be afraid to mix it up and jump into a house that may not have originally been your style.

Spades feel more cool, relaxed, comfortable and laid back. They're simple. They're also into nature, having a green thumb to help them tend to their House nature garden.

Hearts are dramatic. They love sculpting, playing, acting, writing, sewing and fine arts. They fall towards extravagance and enjoy walking the statue gardens of their House.

Clubs are stoic, contained, calm, and hard-working. Beneath the exterior they can be passionate, but they show it in what they do more than who they are. If they seem single-minded it's only because their passion drives them to the end goal. They love to see their reflection and contemplate in the mineral gardens of their House.

Diamonds are studious, learning, adaptive, and energetic. They love to push the limits and test boundaries. Their minds often wander and take them to new places. They may not have a garden, but their House art gallery and library makes up for that.

Often times a student may find they fit into two houses very well. It's best not to overthink it, and go right into the house that your gut tells you.

 

[Randomness5555]

Sounds great! Though it also seems a little complex. So while i'm interested I have a few questions.

Q1: Are you going to take everyone through the enrolment process? You've put a lot of stuff in the first post but it isn't that clear. (Edit-re-read it and it's not so bad.) Just make sure to let us know when it's starting

Q2: How many people are interested so far (Roughly)

Q3: What's a good baseline for initial stats?

And last Q4: Can I be in clubs? Please. They have the best room

 

[Titanhex]

Haha, glad to see you're interested. Let me do my best to answer your questions.

A1: I'll be sure to explain the enrollment process when enrollment opens up. I don't want anyone being confused when they submit their application. I'll be sure to mention the date of enrollment at least a week in advance.

A2: There are a lot of people interested. Roughly 40, I'm guessing. But who knows by the time enrollment opens up and we drive the advertising campaign for this even harder. What I'm sure of is that there are going to be some people who don't get in on the first semester.

A3: A good baseline is the default found in RPG Maker VX Ace.

A4: Clubs guy, huh? You're in good company. I'm more of a diamonds guy myself.

If you don't get in as a student, there's teachers. You don't really teach anything (Tutors teach the RPG Maker fundamentals). Teachers can roleplay with the students and other teachers. They decide what the skill they'll be bestowing on students does as reward for completing their class, and what stats the student will raise by attending their class. They also come up with the game theme that the student-players make for the class assignment. Their most important duty is to write a review for the games submitted for their class assignment.

I talked more indepth about this stuff in the more active forum for this on RMVXAce.net.  Let me quote it here:
 

Forgot to give a big heads up for everyone.

The initial run of Ace Academy will allow for 16 students. That's 4 per house. While that may seem like a fair amount, there has been a lot of interest shown in the Academy across various boards, and also from people who watch this post silently.

There is a very, very good chance that we will have to turn away some applicants. Of course there's room for teachers if you don't get admitted, and there's always the next semester.

I just wanted to bring this up so no one is side-swiped when this gets going.

There's no first-come-first-serve basis for applicants. However, applying early lets you make any changes you may need to make early enough to avoid the deadline crunch.

I'll be picking people on how well their characters are made, along with other factors.

It should be easy for you to relate to your character.

They should fit well as a young student.

They should fit into the setting. (There's plenty of leeway in the setting)

The more filled out your sheet, the better.

Make sure your sheet is accurate and complete.
 

There's also some blind things you won't have much control of, such as:

I will likely pick characters who can contribute to their house setting.

I will likely pick characters who can compliment or contrast their house-mates.

I will likely pick characters who are interested in learning complimentary and contradictory skills compared to other applicants.

I will likely pick student-players based on their background skills with the software to ensure semester exams are rounded.

Other factors I consider are enthusiasm and interest in the Academy leading up to enrollment, desire and willingness to improve with RPG Maker, room for growth, and how well they get along on the forums.

I hope this helps everyone with getting in. It may not be such a bad idea to figure out your character ahead of time, and participate here often.

If you don't get into your desired house, you may be allowed to join another house with the same character. You will be notified if this happens.

If you don't get in, don't feel bad. The next semester will likely have more rooms and be even funner, as the kinks will be ironed out. Also everyone is free to follow along and create their own non-cannon tribute games or watch and comment on the work people churn out.

Also, you can always sign up as a teacher and play along with people that way.

~Your Headmaster

Hey, I can tell people aren't sure when Ace Academy is going to begin or how they'll know. I figured now would be a great time to explain where we're at in development, and give a time estimate for each phase before we begin.  Rest assured on one thing, I will give notice a week in advance before I even accept enrollment, so you'll know exactly where we are when it happens.

So right now I'm jumping between creating the Template Project that outlines the physical locations in the Academy, and completing the final draft of the Enrollment form.

The Template project may take up to a month solo, as I'm editing some assets for it, including Tilesets. I have quite a few maps to work on for the template. Around 40 maps in total, and I want to set a good example with these while not raising expectations or time frames too high.

The enrollment form is a tough call. It could take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. I haven't started the design of it yet either, but some time with my sketchpad should fix that.

Following up with those I will begin work on a tutorial that will introduce people to the basics of the program. This will help those interested in participating but not quite up to beginner level. They can gain basic knowledge of the software and be able to participate in no time at all. I will also link several tutorials on how to add files to the character generator and link some character generator resources, that way people can create much more varied and interesting characters to submit. I will also ask around to see if anyone is willing to edit or create characters through the resource request/shop forums.  The tutorials will take about 5 days, the generator resources will take a day or two, and the shop will take less than a day.

Next, I will start work on more varied artwork to show support for various aspects of Ace Academy. The more enthusiasm and support you show for the Academy, the more popular it can become, the more we'll raise the cap for next time, and the more people you'll have to experience the Academy with. As well, showing support gives you a better chance of getting in

  The artwork should be complete within a weeks time.

With the support fliers out, I'll start speaking to the admin here to see what kind of arrangements we're able to make for Ace Academy and how I can set up the boards. We'll be taking a "who is interested" Headcount around this time. After all the boards are set up (Maybe 2 weeks time), I'll announce enrollment, supply the form, and take a week to unwind and relax. After that week I'll begin accepting enrollment forms as people will have had plenty of time to fill them out. Enrollment submissions will last for a week, then enrollment will close. For the next week I'll be naming off accepted applicants at about 2-3 per day. Afterwards, we'll have a list of teacher spots that need filling, and open up teacher enrollment.

Tutor application will be open from enrollment announcement all the way up til the opening of the Academy.

Examiner application will be open at the same time as Teachers.

Teacher applications will be open for about a week, and then we'll be announcing teachers for the next week after.

Finally, after everyone is aware of their acceptance and ready to go, we'll open up the first week of the Academy and go from there.

So it sounds like, doing this solo, I'm looking at about 3 months of time til the day the Academy opens. I know this might sound like a long ways off. But it's the most realistic interpretation I can give.

If anyone is interested in helping and is confident in mapping or graphic arts, I'm sure I could cut the time in half.

That is where we're at right now. I'm still excited for the project, and I know though it may be a whiles away, it's definitely on the right track and ready to happen.

 

[Randomness5555]

Alright, Thanks! Is the main thread on the other site? You mentioned you were going to try it there.

A few thoughts:

1: Hope I'm in the first group of students

2: Will having published some games on the forums help when they are picking the students? I sure hope not as I only discovered the joy of forums about a month ago.

3: Oh gods, I've got to draw a character. Maybe an 8 bit image for the face...though I've never tried to copy the RTP style... or do much editing in general

4: I bet hearts will be the girls house. I know that sounds mean, but still.

5: I wonder if there will be an irish theme to spades? Their green design would seem to show so.

6: You mentioned three months untill opening, but when did you first post that? How far off is it now?

and last:

7:LIES! There is no 7.

 

[Titanhex]

If I can muscle past the mapping everything will start speeding along. I find mapping to be tedious and even frustrating, especially with the default tilesets.

Just to help clarify some things:

@2: No, as this is aimed at practice and getting better, especially to help you get past the gap of skill between your first game and your second, having submitted a game is in no way necessary.

@3: The face is optional, and there's a built in face/character editor in RPG Maker VX Ace. Also, I will create a tutorial for adding resources to the generator. I will also see if anyone is willing to open up a shop to help people edit their characters for Ace Academy.

@6: If finish mapping in the next week (unlikely unless I just stop caring so much about it) we might be opening up by the end of the month or next month.

Unfortunately administration here on RMWeb has shown no interest (None of them ever replied to me when I mentioned it). So I'm going to be doing it on RMVXAce net. The admins there seem to be interested and optimistic about the idea. The main thread is there, and there's a lot more replies over there as well.

 

[Randomness5555]

Ok thanks. I'ma go create an acount over there then. Thanks for getting back to me so fast.

(BTW, my username there will still be Randomness5555.)

 

[Ellie Jane]

A few years ago my site ran this very thing, and it was really successful. It's something we've been meaning to bring back for a long time but just never get the umph. It's great to see that a similar idea is being done, and good luck with this; they're really helpful and some great things come out of them.

 

[Vinedrius]

Sounds fun and interesting, count me in~ Honestly though, I am a bit skeptical about the "roleplay" part. Some people may not want to roleplay all the time.Thinking about how your character would act or speak in a given situation while posting will likely slow down communication. It will be even worse for people who are not native English speakers. But I guess we shall see how it goes first.

 

[Titanhex]

Hey, no worries. The word "Roleplay" is actually used in the more traditional sense here. In that you are taking on the role of the character you create in order for you to make a game out of their experiences. Sort of like how "Roleplay" is used in Role Playing Game.

The idea is that you direct their life in this setting, acting and reacting to other characters and what is given to you. Just making a game about your character is Roleplaying. And since you're only controlling one character the term Role Play is quite accurate.

The social activity of Roleplaying such as Forum Roleplaying or Chat Roleplaying is going to be available, but optional, and will merely serve as a tool for the freeflow of ideas, narrative and character establishment.

You can simply PM someone with a scenario in mind and ask them how their character may react in that scenario if you want to create a scene or game for points, and that will work just as well.

Long story short, Roleplaying is optional. The Roleplay in the term "Practice through Roleplay" just means directing the role of a single character.