Total Play Time Random Encounter Multiplier?

[kanis999]

Hi Guys,

I've been making me game so far without random encounters so that I can flesh out the core game events and maps first.

I'm curious how much longer you think the game will take to play through once a healthy dose of random encounters are added please? No need to think hard, just shout out a quick gut feel please.

The core events + boss fights take 5 hours to navigate through right now, and I'd say about 3 hours of that is spent navigating areas that will have random encounters. What do you think those 3 hours of random encounter areas really equate to?

My goal is for the game to be about 30 hours long, and I'd say I'm 33% done.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Narcissus]

Hard for me to get an idea for how long that would take, since the rate of encounters would matter a ton. If I can go 50 steps without an encounter, chances are it will be pretty close to your original 3 hours.

If I have to battle a mob every other step though, I dare not think about it, *Shudders*.

Assuming you go with something reasonable, like say every 20-30 or so steps, I guess it could add 5-10 hours depending on what the player does.

 

[kanis999]

Hard for me to get an idea for how long that would take, since the rate of encounters would matter a ton. If I can go 50 steps without an encounter, chances are it will be pretty close to your original 3 hours.

If I have to battle a mob every other step though, I dare not think about it, *Shudders*.

Assuming you go with something reasonable, like say every 20-30 or so steps, I guess it could add 5-10 hours depending on what the player does.

Oh true, I also hadn't considered if they're making wrong turns constantly, they're not only exposing themselves to more walking, but more battles too. So as the impact of right vs wrong turns increases, so does the width of the range in terms of how long it will take.

I'll play with it soon. Just wanting to get a feel as to whether or not I'm meeting the scope I had intended in terms of game length, and it sounds like I'm meeting that goal

 

[Narcissus]

Oh true, I also hadn't considered if they're making wrong turns constantly, they're not only exposing themselves to more walking, but more battles too. So as the impact of right vs wrong turns increases, so does the width of the range in terms of how long it will take.

I'll play with it soon. Just wanting to get a feel as to whether or not I'm meeting the scope I had intended in terms of game length, and it sounds like I'm meeting that goal

Yes, I hadn't considered the possibility of wrong turns either, though I don't know enough about the game to really tell if that would have been an issue.

I also feel as though you should be cautious about random encounters. While they can add to your game in terms of length, they can also be a source of frustration, and some players will simply start escaping battles if they feel they are running into them too often. While I enjoy grinding and random battles, I feel that you may want to add more content outside of random encounters if you want to extend the game's length. I don't know how linear or open-ended you're planning on making this game, but some stuff on the side would do wonders in terms of both length and still keeping players interested.

 

[amerk]

Hmmm... as an estimate... if you balance the game so no amount of grinding is needed, no less than 25 to 30 steps per encounter, each non-boss battle can be completed within a few turns, player can run through without having to farm for XP/Gold/Loot, or return to villages to stock up or restore at an inn -- I'd estimate the length would be extended to about 1.5 to 2 times the current time.

If you alter any of the above to make it harder or more of a grind, you're probably looking at anywhere from 2.5 to 4 times the current time.

If I remember correctly, I read that a lot of the older rpg's could be beaten in about 1/3 the time if it weren't for the battles padding out the game play. So 3x the current length may about right.

 

[kanis999]

Hmmm... as an estimate... if you balance the game so no amount of grinding is needed, no less than 25 to 30 steps per encounter, each non-boss battle can be completed within a few turns, player can run through without having to farm for XP/Gold/Loot, or return to villages to stock up or restore at an inn -- I'd estimate the length would be extended to about 1.5 to 2 times the current time.

If you alter any of the above to make it harder or more of a grind, you're probably looking at anywhere from 2.5 to 4 times the current time.

If I remember correctly, I read that a lot of the older rpg's could be beaten in about 1/3 the time if it weren't for the battles padding out the game play. So 3x the current length may about right.

Thanks a lot, very informative and got me thinking about new concepts, which is even more important. By saving random battles to the end of development, I've avoided some important questions that should be answered early in the project, such as "how much time should be spent grinding?" or "can you run away from a lot of battles and still be strong enough to win"

Yes, I hadn't considered the possibility of wrong turns either, though I don't know enough about the game to really tell if that would have been an issue.

I also feel as though you should be cautious about random encounters. While they can add to your game in terms of length, they can also be a source of frustration, and some players will simply start escaping battles if they feel they are running into them too often. While I enjoy grinding and random battles, I feel that you may want to add more content outside of random encounters if you want to extend the game's length. I don't know how linear or open-ended you're planning on making this game, but some stuff on the side would do wonders in terms of both length and still keeping players interested.

I totally get what you're saying about the fighting becoming frustrating. I definitely want to keep the PITA factor to a minimum hehe. I don't want to arbitrarily increase length if it isn't fun.

I think I want to make the game in the manner that Amerk described as extending length by about 2x, and then do as Narcissus suggested and be sure to include plenty of non-battle content. For this game, random battles are more meant to slow you down a little than to be difficult. Bosses and puzzle navigation will be the primary challenge, and while you are getting lost in puzzles, you should acquire enough xp to beat the boss incidentally (provided you discover the "trick" to beating the boss).

Based on my estimate of being 33% done the canon plot and it already taking 5 hours without randoms, the final game will be over 20 hours even with sparse random battles. So basically, it's long enough to be considered a "legit" game, which was my main concern!

 

[Mage Heart]

Based on my estimate of being 33% done the canon plot and it already taking 5 hours without randoms, the final game will be over 20 hours even with sparse random battles. So basically, it's long enough to be considered a "legit" game, which was my main concern!

What do you mean "legit" game? Dragon Age 2 was a "legit" game and on a mosey I beat it between 7-10 hours with doing some sidequest.

 

[kanis999]

What do you mean "legit" game? Dragon Age 2 was a "legit" game and on a mosey I beat it between 7-10 hours with doing some sidequest.

Good point, that's a rather "sketchy" term to use, isn't it?

I mean full-length game. I suppose nobody can say what full-length is, but I want the game to be roughly as long as the SNES classics (chrono trigger, final fantasy 4,5,6, dragon quests).

The shortest RPG I've played that's pure RPG genre is at least 15 hours. I've never played Dragon Age.

 

[Mage Heart]

I understand. I am shooting for 2-3 hours with my game but that's because I have never actually completed a project yet. I get distracted a lot.

Back on topic I think even 15 hours is a decent time depending on story and gameplay of course.

 

[kanis999]

I understand. I am shooting for 2-3 hours with my game but that's because I have never actually completed a project yet. I get distracted a lot.

Back on topic I think even 15 hours is a decent time depending on story and gameplay of course.

Haha yeah well the time is arbitrary and unimportant compared to how fun it is. I'm sorry if I accidentally  made you feel like your game "isn't long enough", cause that's not true. I'm just chasing high play time in my game because I think my friends will take it more seriously if it is comparable in length and scope to the SNES games we played growing up.

+ I've been planning this game for the past 15 years. There are 15 years worth of plot points to get out lol.

 

[Mage Heart]

Oh no, that is fine. If I tried to make a game 30 hours that project would be scrapped by now. Someday but not today.

Good job having a mindset to tackle a big project. Hope you get your results you are looking for.

 

[kanis999]

Oh no, that is fine. If I tried to make a game 30 hours that project would be scrapped by now. Someday but not today.

Good job having a mindset to tackle a big project. Hope you get your results you are looking for.

Haha thanks, well I'll be the first to admit that RPG maker is consuming my life. It has been all I focus on in my free time for the past 3 months. Best of luck on your project as well!