What do you struggle with in design?

[Shinma]

Where do you feel that you are weakest? Does mapping take you forever? Get stuck on dialog a lot? Maybe creating puzzles?

Conversely, where do you feel you excel?

 

[Dalph]

I'm pretty good with mapping and character design and decent in almost everything else (I'm basically the Jack of All with the tool).

My main complaints are:

1) I'm not an artist (but I'm currently working on it)

2) I'm lazy

 

[supercow]

yeah im bad at mapping took me a long time, but i guess im much worse at scripting.

i guess im excel in drawing sprite/tileset ...or at least i hope so

 

[DustyCat Media]

Weakness:

1. mapping( dungeon design,towns)

2. monster design. I can't draw monsters. when i do draw one, it looks too cute to be scary

3. spriting (i tried this once, I didn't like it)

4. Coloring. I'm a hit-and-miss with this one

Where I excel: 

1. Dialogue. I like writing stuff. 

2. Drawing. I was an artist first. It's easier to conceptualize, to sketch

3. Looking for plotholes. Yes. lol. I like to ask why and I think there's a reason for everything.

 

[That Bread]

I'm all good in the writing department, but puzzles I find it hard for me to even start. I guess its because I just don't know how I should start. I can't sprite, script I tried spriteing and its very monotonous, as for scripting... lets just say I looked and I was overwhelmed. I am working on makeing my art better, but for the time it is poor compared to the art in the game.

 

[Arin]

Weaknesses:

1. Mapping.

2. Trying to make my game stand out from the rest by putting in a bunch of mechanics that either don't work or are too confusing to grasp.

3. Cutscenes. GOD I HATE CUTSCENES.

I guess where I excel:

1. Plot.

2. Umm...something else here....

 

[Pern]

My weakness is any type of art. I can't do it myself, so I depend on free resources people so generously provide on sites. I make do with pre-designed facesets/busts/pixel work ect to make my game. Scripting is also a challenge for me but I haven't done too much of it yet to find out if it's truly a weak spot. I can say, though, after many many hours and many redos, my mapping skills have been improving greatly. My dialogue and story is ok too.

 

[Stridah]

strength:

1)Mapping

Weakness:

1) complicated events

 

[Bonkers]

My weakness is definitely mapping.  I know what is suppose to be present and what looks ascetically pleasing, but not how to arrange it in a way that will allow the player to functional well.

My strengths are dialogue and artwork.  I can hold people's interest in a story with elements and the people involved by making them visually and verbally appealing.  

 

[Dalph]

A lot of people seems to have problems with mapping, maybe I should consider doing a good tutorial for it, especially for villages & cities.

I forgot to say something specific in which I excel particularly,  the creation of villains, I have a lot of good ideas for their development.

 

[Archeia]

My issue is puzzles ._.)

I don't really like them unless it's ala Legend of Mana or Valkyrie Profile (even then there are times I want to scream bloody murder at VP). So making them not too samey or out of context can be a bit jarring.

 

[Zoltor]

My issue is puzzles ._.)

I don't really like them unless it's ala Legend of Mana or Valkyrie Profile (even then there are times I want to scream bloody murder at VP). So making them not too samey or out of context can be a bit jarring.

Go play Lufia 2(has byfar the best execution of puzzles in a RPG), and the original two cart Golden Sun game. After playing those, you'll love the idea of puzzles in a RPG.

To topic: My main problem is, I'm not a artist(not talking about mapping, as I'm great at mapping, I'm refering to creating resources from scratch), so I need to have someone else make the  icons, sprites, and such.

 

[Blade]

My weakness is everything related to creating resources.

And my strength is in balancing formulas, stats and making sure characters' skillset are to the point, smooth and dynamic.

 

[Mr. Detective]

I don't get the hate with cutscenes. I understand that when they are bad, that would create frustration, but it seems like you guys hate them in general. Or maybe I am wrong? You know you're not playing Contra or Cod, right?

Oh, yeah. Puzzles... I have an event in my game where the players must solve "something" to open a door. I just tossed in a math problem. XD

 

[Shinma]

It's neat to see that most of the responses so far are relatively similar. Most seem to be a bit weak in the mapping/art department, but strong in dialog and ideas.

On the plus side, mapping is something that is pretty easy to pull up a bit with some practice. We have a wonderfully helpful community here, that love to offer help. (Dalph, any tutorials you feel like doing on mapping, I am sure will be greatly appreciated!)

I looked at some of my maps, even the ones that I thought came out pretty well at the start, and I compare them with some of my new maps. I can see big differences. I have always wanted to learn some form of artwork, which I just don't have the talent for. Even after taking 3D modeling classes in college!

As for me, when I get going I do pretty well at mapping now. I feel I do pretty well in dialog, and I can do some nifty things with eventing. While I can't write scripts, I have gotten a little passable at being able to read the scripts.

I do pretty well at balancing encounters and have made a spreadsheet that I will be sharing with the public soon.

Music... yeah, I can't make it at all, but I can visualize where it should go in a game.

For those of you that have trouble with cutscenes... do you just hate them altogether, or hate trying to make them?

 

[T.Bit]

My issue is - "OH MY GOD ANOTHER IDEA!"

Too many ideas that are distracting. Also, writing can also be a problem; more specifically starting to write. It's so hard to get started and I end up putting it off so that I can play with maps and events. Getting the ball rolling is always the toughest part.

 

[Zoltor]

My issue is - "OH MY GOD ANOTHER IDEA!"

Too many ideas that are distracting. Also, writing can also be a problem; more specifically starting to write. It's so hard to get started and I end up putting it off so that I can play with maps and events. Getting the ball rolling is always the toughest part.

Lol I know that feeling, I am a writer, and have tons of different stories to build off of, but choosing one of dozens is hard. It took me a few days just to think of a starting point for the game(and not much else).

However now that, that's done, the story should develop smoothly on its own.

 

[Yato]

I struggle with pretty much anything creative. I'm just not a naturally creative person, and if I did not have someone who is to work with, I would have no drive to make any projects. I'd rather just sit back an be told what to make. I enjoy problem solving (for the most part). I'm quite happy to make and test scripts/events until they are working perfect.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

I struggle with the program. Seriously, you actually put me in charge of RPGMaker and I am the slowest person on the earth when going through the database or event commands. I hardly have reason to touch it anymore since that is largely Rach's department and we always team up.


I excel at most aspects of art, character design and development, and writing. My mapping is--getting a lot better than it was. :>

 

[Shinma]

My issue is - "OH MY GOD ANOTHER IDEA!"

Hahaha, I do this too! So much that I end up getting overwhelmed and nothing gets done. That is why for my current project I have placed pretty tight constraints on myself to ensure it gets finished.

@Racheal & Makio - I agree, things are a lot easier when you have at least one other person involved. I like to bounce ideas back and forth until they get refined. You two seem to have a great team make-up though! One for the creative side, and one for the logical side!