RPG Maker Forums
Introduction/About the Developer
Since I'm not a regular poster around here, I'd like to take a minute to introduce myself and the game I've recently begun working on. I've been working with the various iterations of RPG Maker on my own for several years now, but until recently never started a project that was anything other than for my own enjoyment. I came up with this idea not too long ago and have been fleshing it out ever since. Forewarning: I am still very early in development. I plan for this game to be a fairly manageable project (more on that later), so I don't expect it to take forever to finish or anything. But I do have to balance development with real-life commitments (I'm a law student), and the game is only now at the stage of being ready to be built. I've basically been working on organizing my resources and some preliminary mechanics, as well as carrying over some stuff I'm going to use from previous games I've worked on, and have now moved on to mapping.
Now for a quick overview of the game. The King's Bench is designed to be part legal simulation game (think Phoenix Wright but more true to real-life legal procedures) and part role-playing game (with some significant character building features). The player will begin as a student in the Royal Academy of Law, and the beginning of the game will be an introduction to the tools the player will need to succeed as a lawyer in the game. After graduating (completing the tutorial), the player will move into a new office and begin to practice law. Part of what players will need to do in their "law office" is study the game world's "law" before taking on cases. The game's time period will be somewhere between Medieval/Renaissance, and the trials will have a somewhat "flamboyant" medieval feel. In criminal cases the King's knights will prosecute cases on behalf of the Crown, while the player will face off against other lay attorneys in civil cases. The in-game "law" will be heavily influenced by American/English real life legal concepts, but obviously heavily simplified to make the game accessible to casual players. The game will progress through several major cases, with minor cases available for the player to take on on the side. I will talk a little bit more about the gameplay mechanics in the "Features" section. Each case will involve a preliminary preparation stage, some sort of negotiation stage, and, if necessary, a final trial stage. Throughout the process players will have full control over what they do and say, and their choices will have a direct impact on the way the case is ultimately resolved (more info on the "point" system that will drive this in the "Features" section).
The ultimate goal is for this game to be a highly-affordable commercial release. I have been doing my best to vet all of the outside resources I use to ensure that they are available for commercial use. I plan on releasing a beta build consisting of one complete case for free, and will at that time invite testers to bug test and check to make sure I haven't accidentally left in any resources which are not commercially available. After that I plan to release the core game, consisting of several major cases, and a multitude of minor ones, covering a variety of legal areas (the cases will be mostly criminal, with a few civil issues mixed in). You will note that many of the resources I am using are either RTP or modified RTP resources. I am also incorporating a number of different publicly available resources (ie. music) made by members of the RPG Maker community. Obviously full credits will be prominently featured in the game on release. Part of what I hope to show with this game is that it is possible to make unique and fun games with RPG Maker with minimal artistic ability. The excellent resources I've managed to gather from what is made publicly available by the community, along with minor edits I've done on my own, will more than suffice for my purposes.
Once the final, post-beta version is completed, I expect to release The King's Bench core game at a highly affordable price (probably $5), and then follow it up with DLC "Case Pack" releases that will expand the game's content. Long term goals are to add a couple different case packs featuring certain types of cases that may be of interest to different players (ie. a Criminal Case Pack, a Torts Case Pack, etc). And, if the game is successful, I'd like to look at expansions that allow the player to take on different roles in the Royal Judiciary, maybe allowing them to serve as Judge or Prosecutor.
Obviously that is all very long-term stuff that I probably shouldn't even be discussing now. In the short-term I will be 100% committed to achieving my primary goal, which is completion of the core game. I will keep a progress checklist updated below.
Story
Welcome to the Kingdom of Anglia. Five years ago the Kingdom's nobles forced King James III to sign a written constitution limiting his authority and establishing the framework of an independent judiciary. As the newly independent courts begin to exercise their authority, the Royal Academy of Law is established to train a generation of young attorneys to represent Anglia's citizens. You are one such prospective attorney. Your journey begins as you prepare to graduate from the Royal Academy and establish your own law practice in the town of Lancaster. Soon your first clients will begin streaming through the door, finding themselves accused of crimes or civil wrongdoing. Their lives and livelihoods are in your hands. Do you have what it takes to represent the people of Anglia before the King's Bench?
Features
- Completely driven by player-choice. Players will make decisions at every step of the process which will lead to a number of different outcomes for their clients' cases. Choose which witnesses to call, which evidence to present, and how to make your final arguments to the jury.
- Handle cases from start to finish; Interview witnesses, negotiate with prosecutors/opposing attorneys, try cases before a judge or jury.
- Simple and accessible legal system which will be entertaining to both hardcore and casual players alike.
- Freedom to choose the cases you take and the way you try them. Make tough calls that will alter the outcome of your case, and the entire game.
- RPG-style character progression which will influence the results of your trials. Players will gain skill in different areas of legal practice based on their decisions. These skills will influence the outcome of future cases.
- Behind the Scenes "Point System" to determine case outcomes: Player decisions during trial (as well as the decisions made prior to trial about what evidence to introduce and what witnesses to call) will contribute to the final point total that will influence the judge or jury's decision. Several different outcomes will be available in each case, based on what the player decides to do at each step and how many points the player earns by the end of the trial. The effectiveness of your strategy will be influenced by your character's skills and decisions.
- A simulation that will be accessible to all gamers but also strive to MAKE YOU USE YOUR NOGGIN. To make the best decisions for your client you will have to familiarize yourself with the in-game laws and legal system. Resources to help you with this will be available in the player's office and the game will offer enough choice to make you feel like you're putting that knowledge to good use.
Screenshots
I've posted one screenshot tonight, and many more will be following now that I've begun mapping. Please have patience and stay tuned. The game is still very early in development.
Town Court
The game will take players through the various different courts that compose the Royal Judiciary. This is a screenshot of the first court players will find themselves in, the local town court in the town of Lancaster, where the game begins. As the game progresses, the player will have an opportunity to try cases in higher courts and visit other locales. This screenshot captures the beginning of a criminal trial. In The King's Bench, the King's knights, such as Sir Thomas below, represent the Crown as prosecutors in criminal cases.
The game will take players through the various different courts that compose the Royal Judiciary. This is a screenshot of the first court players will find themselves in, the local town court in the town of Lancaster, where the game begins. As the game progresses, the player will have an opportunity to try cases in higher courts and visit other locales. This screenshot captures the beginning of a criminal trial. In The King's Bench, the King's knights, such as Sir Thomas below, represent the Crown as prosecutors in criminal cases.
Progress Summary: I have completed much of the preliminary planning and resource gathering. Currently my main focus is on mapping, as well as some Menu changes I need to do some significant work on. My very very very rough estimate of when to expect a beta would be somewhere in the 3-6 months range.
- Game Planning: 90-100%
- Resource Database: 80-90%
- Mapping: ~1%
- Scripting: 50%
- Character Design: 70-80%
- GUI: 25%
- Alpha Testing: 0%
- Beta Testing: 0%
Other Information
Website/Other Information TBA
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