What is your method with coming up with the resources you need?

[chungsie]

Do you think ever the sky is the limit? And whatever resource you need or want you will obtain?

When you make a world to play a game in, what sort of features from landmasses to landscapes, do you try to achieve?

I try to think of things about a culture or group of people, and organize my thoughts with having multiple influences for say a conglomerated society, or towards the notion of isolated populations. Which works fine for creating a story, but when it comes to the actual resources, I feel like a deer in the headlights. What is a good way to figure these things out?

 

[Rhaeami]

With RPG Maker stuff in particular, I get the general idea of the game I want to make, and then I leave the details up in the air (like exactly what kind of city is visited or precisely what sort of hazards are filling the dungeon). Then, I can see what resources are actually available and use them as inspiration to fill in the blanks. Sometimes I start the process even sooner and let it inspire actual plot progression or mechanics; for instance, the presence of both normal and destroyed versions of several things in the VX Ace RTP was part of the inspiration for my last game to feature time travel.

 

[Kes]

'Game Mechanics Design' is for discussing aspects of game play at a more conceptual level. Resources are not a mechanic.

[move]General Discussion[/move]

 

[Azmor]

If you are writing something light hearted about a fantasy world, you don't have to explain why for example the warrior is able to do some magic with his sword. He simply does.

But if you want to explain it, you would have to think about another class name, as he is not just a warrior but rather a spellblade, so you should change his background story, to a more fitting one as he had to learn those spells somehow.

The more you try to explain, the deeper you can go. You could do that process to the infinity. So stop on a level where you think it is enough and keep the player guessing what could be the source of his power.

The same way I design characters, the same way I design the world.

First you got forms, then you make sketches out of it, then you think about the details you add to the sketch: What is the character wearing?
What does everyone wear in his homeland?
What is their fashion?
How is the fashion related to the cultural idea? Is his clothing fancy, if yes, then his country could be rich. If his clothing is simple but practical, perhaps his people are perfectionists and minimalistic.
Does he have some special body proportions, like strong leg muscles which comes from walking down and up the hills of his hometown, etc. pp.

I hope you got it.

 

[chungsie]

If you are writing something light hearted about a fantasy world, you don't have to explain why for example the warrior is able to do some magic with his sword. He simply does.

But if you want to explain it, you would have to think about another class name, as he is not just a warrior but rather a spellblade, so you should change his background story, to a more fitting one as he had to learn those spells somehow.

The more you try to explain, the deeper you can go. You could do that process to the infinity. So stop on a level where you think it is enough and keep the player guessing what could be the source of his power.

The same way I design characters, the same way I design the world.

First you got forms, then you make sketches out of it, then you think about the details you add to the sketch: What is the character wearing?
What does everyone wear in his homeland?
What is their fashion?
How is the fashion related to the cultural idea? Is his clothing fancy, if yes, then his country could be rich. If his clothing is simple but practical, perhaps his people are perfectionists and minimalistic.
Does he have some special body proportions, like strong leg muscles which comes from walking down and up the hills of his hometown, etc. pp.

I hope you got it.

I tend to be pretty adapt at creating a reasonable and believable character, thanks to my experience as an author. However, when I write about a world, I am able to vaguely imagine things about it, in a way which may remain understandable to me and the reader, but the actual image is up for the imagination of the reader to dictate, i.e. more of an abstraction in writing then in art for me.
'
I try to focus on what I can do for the most part, but there is always some aspect to a world that escapes me, as I am unable to actually decide what all is on it if I sit in front of a software like gimp or photoshop. If you give me paper I can describe it as best as I can. Maybe I'm more of a wordsmith then an artist

@Rhaeami Oh definitely RTP is a great place to start I feel. I believe that there are some ideas I have that require more than what the RTP offers, in terms of architecture or textures for world things. For instance, I have an obsession with different colors of grass I already have three different grasses that aren't green planned out for some territories in my project I have decided to take on. Not to mention I have some liquids I want to see in Ace, like nitrogen oceans and the such, things that aren't earthly really I suppose.

Wow, I guess just discussing things really helps me with my imagination on art.

 

[Sharm]

I can make most of the resources I need, but I enjoy using existing resources as part of the development process too. I could make a whole game around a single tile that inspires me. I think that unless getting custom resources is easy for you, that this is a good way to develop. It's going to be cheaper that way, both in time and money, and shortening the development process is a good thing.

 

[bgillisp]

For me, I do one of the following:

1: See if it already exists in a free to use commercially format (I don't touch ones that are not free to use commercially).
2: Pay someone to make it.
3: Make it myself (unlikely to happen as I draw like a 6 year old).
4: Redo my scene so as to not need the resource anymore
5: Do without the resource.

Realistically, those are your only options too. I've heard someone else sum it up best this way "Pay for it to be made, make it yourself, or do without it."

 

[umbralshadows]

I make most all my art stuff. .. I don't care if its bad (got a be bad first ta get good). I'm learning ta make music stuff on toppa that. Thouh its fine ta find/buy resources. I do that with some music.

 

[Another Ned]

To me: Always research early (no matter how cursory, I usually do this after I've written down initial ideas or sketched them or both). Collect reference, maybe create a moodboard for various areas to reference when creating/editing assets or making maps, or even while writing. I read about stuff in our world here that can enhance what I made up and adds to it, or changes it entirely. Sketching, both with words and with pens to get an initial idea of whatever it is I'm about to create. I find creating things a lot easier if I already know what it's supposed to be and have fleshed out the basic design (no matter if it's a whole map or a window for building type 2 in map area A).

I can imagine that this is also useful when looking for existing resources or commissioning someone to create them, etc., since things like moodboards are supposed to function as a guide.

Deciding on an art style can help with things, too. The more stylized it is, the more you can let the player's imagination handle (usually, at least). If your strength lies in words, use those to create strong visuals for the player -- in their imagination, with the graphics acting as a guide.

There's probably something I've forgotten, but I should post this before I rewrite it to death. x"D

 

[chungsie]

To me: Always research early (no matter how cursory, I usually do this after I've written down initial ideas or sketched them or both). Collect reference, maybe create a moodboard for various areas to reference when creating/editing assets or making maps, or even while writing. I read about stuff in our world here that can enhance what I made up and adds to it, or changes it entirely. Sketching, both with words and with pens to get an initial idea of whatever it is I'm about to create. I find creating things a lot easier if I already know what it's supposed to be and have fleshed out the basic design (no matter if it's a whole map or a window for building type 2 in map area A).

I can imagine that this is also useful when looking for existing resources or commissioning someone to create them, etc., since things like moodboards are supposed to function as a guide.

Deciding on an art style can help with things, too. The more stylized it is, the more you can let the player's imagination handle (usually, at least). If your strength lies in words, use those to create strong visuals for the player -- in their imagination, with the graphics acting as a guide.

There's probably something I've forgotten, but I should post this before I rewrite it to death. x"D

wow, that is solid advice I wish one day to have developed good art in my own style that is still being birthed

I will certainly use this for future reference.

@Sharm I can understand that. For me, part of being human is standing on my own, which some may know is not possible. So I try to make up for the reality of being given help by providing what I can to others. So maybe it's not just that I need a rock in a sheet for aesthetics, but that maybe others want that rock as well.

@bgillisp that perspective is certainly down to earth and to the point. I think there may be other options for people then just what I am suggesting. For instance maybe there aren't the right tiles for something, but there are for parallaxing. I think maybe add: learn to make it.

@umbralshadows agreed on that. I think consistency and authenticity is more important to even a story, then say a recognizable character or resource that clashes with the rest of the world.

 

[kaukusaki]

I plan everything in advance before I touch resources . once the world building and details are filled in I can then focus on graphics. If it don't exist I make it myself. When pressed for time I purchase needed assets. Otherwise the RTP is nothing more than a giant template lol