Beginners' Lounge - First Projects

[Ellie]

Beginner's Lounge: First Projects

In the near future a new area of the site is coming. The Beginners' Lounge is aimed entirely at people who are new to their respective program (RMXP, for example).

In this section will be the First Projects forum. The aim of this forum is to learn - by posting a link to your project, or information about it - help will be at hand to talk you through the smaller steps that you are unsure of and basically get you making games with the program.

If you feel your project better suits this forum, please post a link to it here, and once the forum is created we will move it for you.

Prospective rules:

Spoiler

Beginner's Lounge: First Projects

In a nutshell

• Not a project whoring forum
• Aim for teaching and learning
• Games don't have to be good
• Info on your level of expertise, game description/info, and two screenshots
• No "game is good" "game is bad" responses
• Games here aren't supposed to be industry-leading, keep that in mind

Aims of this forum

This is not a project whoring forum. The games made here are not supposed to be "good". The sole purpose of the Early Projects forum is to allow beginners to make games without harsh criticism that isn't deserving of what they are trying to achieve. In other words, projects posted here are designed to learn to use the maker.

Therefore though, the people making the projects themselves need to realise this. The idea is to allow you to make a game like you want to without having to know everything. By means of help and criticism we aim to teach you the works, so you can get a game completed. Don't expect to create an industry-leading game first off.

If you want to make a serious game then visit the Project Discussion forum.

Minimum requirements for a thread here

Information about your level of expertise. Absolute newbie? Oldbie who wants to learn more?

A description of the game you are creating. May include storyline, a list of features, and what you want to learn from the game.

Two screenshots (minimum), for analysis.

A demo may be helpful in teaching you but is not required.

When helping a beginner...

Understand that the projects here are first projects. People come here to learn, not to make the next industry-leading game!

Criticism is fine as long as it is tailored to the level of expertise and the project at hand. Criticising the bad storyline of an absolute beginner is unecessary and counter productive.

All the same, stroking egos doesn't help. "Good job", "Well done", doesn't exactly help a newbie learn much. Teaching is the aim.

Any problems?

Private message a mod, gmod, or admin; or report the post at hand.

Template

You do not have to use this posting template, but it helps.


Maker: Name of the maker you are using (the program)
Level: Your level of expertise (absolute beginner, etc)

Description:
A description of your game. What are you trying to gain from making it? What's the basic plot, what do you do in the game? Who are the characters? How is the game played?

Screenshots:
Preferably at least two screenshots for analysis. (How do I make a screenshot?)

Demo:
Optional; preferably not encrypted



How do I make a screenshot?

First open the thing you want to take a screnshot of.

Press "print screen" on your keyboard (might be "prnt scrn").

Open Microsoft Paint, press Ctrl+V (or paste).

Drag the edges of the image to fit the screenshot.

Go to http://bb.xieke.com or a similar image uploader. Upload your image.

Paste the url with

 

[Velocir_X]

I have a curious question,
what if the so-called "first project" is simply the developer's first released project,
the developer already has experience with the maker, and wishes his "first project" to be outstanding...

Where shall he post then?

 

[Ellie]

If it's a serious attempt at a game it goes here. The beginners lounge is for those who specifically want to learn from their first game.

 

[Firgof Umbra]

I very much approve of this new forum. I think it'll be great for everybody concerned.
:thumbsup:

 

[archerRin]

I love the idea of this forum. But Im not sure if my project would be better off there.

I have a curious question,
what if the so-called "first project" is simply the developer's first released project,
the developer already has experience with the maker, and wishes his "first project" to be outstanding...

Where shall he post then?

ahh.. i have like 3 weeks of exp with the RM engine but I want my 1st project to be outstanding. I guess its a serious attempt then. ~_~

 

[Firgof Umbra]

Mm, I'd say your project is still very much a Beginner's Lounge game. Even if your aspirations are very high (which I am glad they are, that's fantastic) and it's a serious attempt, I'd go to the BL instead of PD. Mainly because you want to learn as much as you can from your first game, project discussion looks to be shucking that and won't be so much about learning how to make games. Unless you're ready to be judged against titles like Star Ruler, which is a very serious title, or some of the other larger and bigger projects.

But beware, we will tell you outright your game sucks, your art sucks, why are you even posting anything around here, your game (or you) isn't ready for project discussion, and you should go to the BL if we think you'd be better served there; sometimes in not quite as nice wording. Don't take us for granted or to bounce ideas off of, please, and we'll get along fine.

 

[archerRin]

Mm, I'd say your project is still very much a Beginner's Lounge game. Even if your aspirations are very high (which I am glad they are, that's fantastic) and it's a serious attempt, I'd go to the BL instead of PD. Mainly because you want to learn as much as you can from your first game, project discussion looks to be shucking that and won't be so much about learning how to make games. Unless you're ready to be judged against titles like Star Ruler, which is a very serious title, or some of the other larger and bigger projects.

Basically, if you feel like you're ready to be judged professionally and open yourself up to criticism in all your facets of design, then I would welcome you to PD. Any serious designer I give my kudos. Designing a serious game takes a lot of effort, energy, and knowledge but you must be ready to take your licks if you're not ready to go professional-level.

A lot of projects in PD I just... can't spend more than five seconds looking at. They're not even a month or four months in development. Heck, we're a year and a couple of months into developing Star Ruler and we just -recently- announced it and started marketing. If you feel like you're up to having people like me judging your title and giving you the hard knocks and not pulling their punches, you should feel more than welcome here.

But beware, when I say hard knocks and no pulled punches I do mean we will tell you outright your game sucks, your art sucks, why are you even posting anything around here, and you should go to the BL if we think you'd be better served there; sometimes in not quite as nice wording. Don't take us for granted or to bounce ideas off of, please, and we'll get along fine.

Ok look, out of how many projects are professional, industry standard level in PD anyway? Its mostly indie game makers. So if you say, PD is only for pro level... then like 95%+ of the projects posted here would be moved to BL.

 

[Firgof Umbra]

Well, right now a lot of games are still mistakenly posted in PD that don't really belong here anywho. Games who only have the barest minimum of requirements to be in PD or games being done by people who still don't really know what they're doing when they say to themselves 'I'd like to make a game'. Look around and I'm sure you'll see them.

Indie game makers can be professional, industry-standard, very much so. PD I think should be host to people who are serious about making games and are really ready for the criticisms and so forth PD can often bring. We're looking more for 'projects in good development, which have been in development for a while, or are being handled by someone we know is going to carry the game to the end'.

I don't PD should necessarily become 'elitist' and only host "professional grade" stuff. But I do think it should be a bit better focused on providing people less advice on how to make a game and more advice on how their game design sucks or is flawed, or is awesome and should be kept. And currently we're being a bit schizophrenic by switching back and forth between.

I also revised the above post.

I would also like to extend an apology for being perhaps a bit overbearing. When you wrote you had 3 weeks of experience with RM, I can't really say I could put you in any other place other than BL. As you are a beginner. However, if you have prior experience with making games in other engines and so forth the situation changes a bit. It becomes less of a trouble that you don't know how to make a game, only that you're not just yet used to using the RPG Maker engine. In general, if you feel your experience far outweighs your ability to make RM do stuff for you or is sufficient enough that you can find ways around certain eccentricities found in RM than I don't see any problem at all with that sort of person posting their project in PD.

 

[archerRin]

I don't PD should necessarily become 'elitist' and only host "professional grade" stuff. But I do think it should be a bit better focused on providing people less advice on how to make a game and more advice on how their game design sucks or is flawed, or is awesome and should be kept.

Okay that's a more rational notion. Although I personally would prefer the critiquing feedback in PD rather than people giving advice on how to make a game.

 

[MCsephiroth13]

Are you sure this new forum wouldn't degrade a beginner? If I was a beginner and had to post my project there, it would immediately make me feel that my game was inferior and I would almost have no motivation to continue making it. What I'm trying to say is, everybody likes for their games to be as good as everyone else's, but with this new forum, it would be hard for them to imagine that. Maybe it's just me though, but I think it would probably help if it was called something else like "First Project" forum, but the name is probably not the issue.

 

[Dalton]

Are you sure this new forum wouldn't degrade a beginner? If I was a beginner and had to post my project there, it would immediately make me feel that my game was inferior and I would almost have no motivation to continue making it. What I'm trying to say is, everybody likes for their games to be as good as everyone else's, but with this new forum, it would be hard for them to imagine that. Maybe it's just me though, but I think it would probably help if it was called something else like "First Project" forum, but the name is probably not the issue.

Nobody is forced to post their project there. If they think it is up to it, they can post in PD just like anybody else does.
I think this forum would be a great idea, as people should take their time and learn to use the program. Hell, I am using RMXP for almost three years now and am just starting to make a project I am serious about. If people, were to get helpfull comments from the very beginning, they would become better quite faster I'd assume.
A forum that enforces such behaviour is a right step for me.

 

[Zekallinos]

Will you let people decide where to post their projects, or will you move some by yourselves (as moderators)? If so, what are the criterias?

Another thing is, doesn't that section risk being ignored?

 

[RATED-RKOFRANKLIN]

Mm, I'd say your project is still very much a Beginner's Lounge game. Even if your aspirations are very high (which I am glad they are, that's fantastic) and it's a serious attempt, I'd go to the BL instead of PD. Mainly because you want to learn as much as you can from your first game, project discussion looks to be shucking that and won't be so much about learning how to make games. Unless you're ready to be judged against titles like Star Ruler, which is a very serious title, or some of the other larger and bigger projects.

But beware, we will tell you outright your game sucks, your art sucks, why are you even posting anything around here, your game (or you) isn't ready for project discussion, and you should go to the BL if we think you'd be better served there; sometimes in not quite as nice wording. Don't take us for granted or to bounce ideas off of, please, and we'll get along fine.

In the information above it states comments like "you game sucks" are now allowed.

I have been working with the RPG Maker for about a year. I have VX since this spring. I don't work on it everyday and every week so there are things I'm still learning.

 

[silver wind]

Sounds like a good way to help beginners and encourage non-harsh criticism. But I agree with zekallinos, there's a chance that 'expert users' will ignore this board, so beginners won't get any good advices, unless they get them from other beginners.

 

[So fist]

Folks, there isn't going to be a forum re-sort when it opens. We aren't moving preexisting topics anywhere, unless the op thinks it should be there and we concur with that opinion. Having a project in the beginner's lounge is strictly voluntary. The people we want using it are people that are trying to learn how to use the engine and would like more specified support based on their project. Think of it more as an extended support forum with a bit more of a university atmosphere.

Its an attempt to allow beginner's a better learning environment for their first projects, so they can get feedback that will be more useful to their mastering the program. PD at the moment doesn't fill that hole very well. Projects that are obviously by beginners who just cracked open the software often receive very little attention and its pretty rare that they get advice that is helpful for their current level of skill.

Really its not about how long you've spent with the program, its really about how novice you are with it. If you are looking for help on how to do things in your projects its the right place. But like we said before its not an additional hype forum and like concept dev its not a recruiting zone.

 

[Zelfouz]

That's a great idea!

 

[MCsephiroth13]

But I agree with zekallinos, there's a chance that 'expert users' will ignore this board, so beginners won't get any good advices, unless they get them from other beginners.

I'd personally be there all the time. I would have no problem at all helping people out. What did you say!? I'm not an expert!? Eh, whatever, I'm good enough.

 

[Akuma209]

Well my first game isnt looking so bad its Eternal Freedom ( no one replies on the game here, but on RRR its well known ), and my side project is Final Fantasy Shards of Chaos ( i am all tired of Crystals ) lol

 

[Admiral David]

yea this is definietly a very good idea, posting in the pd is generally for those that are nearing completion of a game i'd assume, well anyhow i just need some screenshots now

 

[Nolund]

I think this is a great idea, and I will be very interested in taking part in this.