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This article was originally posted in eZine issue 2.
Some of you are probably wondering ‘What is a RMXP Episode?‘ Well, a 'RMXP Episode' is not a game. It is a story, much like watching an episode of a TV series, but instead uses the RMXP game engine as a vehicle for its plot. It is similar to a 'choose your own adventure' game, only there is no choosing; you simply watch one long cutscene.
Andy6000: Why did you think up using episodes in the first place?
SK (SK): Well, the idea is not originally mine, though some people tend to stick me with it. I originally saw the concept of using an RPG maker as a medium for a fanfic, with a game called 'Maranda' for RM2K. It was a Final Fantasy III(VI) fanfic, by a guy named Brickroad. He also made a Chrono Trigger 'fanfic' in the same fashion, called “With His Fathers Sword.” It was something I always wanted to do, but I could
never do what I wanted with RM2K's interface. It just didn't have the freedom to use the kind of cinematographic techniques I wanted. So this was a long time coming.
Psgels (P): Well, mainly because yours and Kitty's were such a big success, and I had this story in my mind for quite a while.
VE (VE): I've always liked the idea of creating a "movie" of sorts. I love the visual direction side of RPG creation and I think the whole "episode" thing could open up a whole new realm of possibilities.
TREG (T): I thought of using episodes in the first place when I was informed that there were several people I knew were making them. They pretty much harangued me into the idea, though I'm finding I like it.
Lene (L): Because SK and Val [VE] were like "Do it!"
Andy6000: What advantages over a normal, playable, RMXP game do these episodes have?
SK: The biggest problem I face in my playable games, is giving the player an opportunity to play! Story and characters always takes priority for me, and sometimes it's difficult to remember that I can't bore people to tears between cutscenes. But, with Akasha Seal, I can get by and make no promises about interaction, balanced battles, or bug-free systems. P: It means less work for the creator, when looking at custom scripts, battle systems, etc. The creator also isn't bounded by the fact that random battles, or other kinds of interactions with the player have to encounter, thus having more freedom. I also see that the episodes individually don't take too long, so someone can just watch it whenever they like, instead of playing a very long game/demo.
VE: I think the episode method allows for more freedom in the story. You can do pretty much whatever you want with it, and you don't have to worry about being tied down to any main characters or gameplay elements. T: The advantage over normal RMXP games is that, quite frankly, I'm a lazy little bastard and it's much easier to fake a battle scene using events than with an actual script.
L: The fact that you're able to see a completed result in a shorter amount of time. Plus you can be lazy about the more tedious aspects of RMXP.
Andy6000: Do you see these episodes as opportunities for more intense story usage, or graphical usage?
SK: Most definitely. There are simply some things you can achieve with an episode in which you aren't acting through the role of the main character, that you can't in a game. It allows you to have a main character who has secrets that are unbeknownst to the watcher...Things that would influence the player if they knew. But since they have no part in the main character's actions, the main character can still surprise them.
SK (Continued): And as for graphics, it's a godsend to be able to create new tiles without having to worry about how the player will move around them, passabilities, and the dreaded priorities.
P: Well, it does give the opportunity for more intense story. Inthe way of the episodes, the plot doesn't pause because the player needs to navigate through dungeons, which allows for faster story pacing, which allows for (if used well) more Intense storylines. About the graphical usage: I believe that the episode will cause much less lag than an actual game, and that means that the creator can use the resources and graphics more free.
VE: I think it's a bit of both. The episodes certainly allow more graphical freedom, since less time needs to be spent on gameplay, scripting, databasing etc. But I think the focus of these is definitely on the story.
T: I see these episodes as a chance to use flashy cell-shaded explosions and lots of cool bloody effects to make up for the fact that my storyline is a weak rehash of Metal Gear Solid thrown in with cheesy music. After all, if you can't make a great and interesting storyline, make them ogle the pretty effects.
L: I see the episodes as more geared towards conveying a well-developed story. While graphics are nice, I don't think a lot of these episodes will feature original graphics, but rather try to make the most out of the RTP as possible without going overboard.
Andy6000: There seems to be a sort of grudge against voice acting in these episodes. Is that just starting out constraints time, or is it for another reason?
SK: I think voice acting is a good thing... But it just isn't for me. Akasha Seal's cast is far too large, there are going to be too many episodes to keep VAs for such a long haul, and to be honest, I want everyone to be able to hear the character's voices in their mind... And I don't want a VA to change their opinion of the way they think a character is. Brickroad didn't need voiceactors to make Maranda an interesting movie... I don't think Akasha Seal needs them. If I were to go that extra step, why not just make the episodes in flash? I chose RMXP as my series's engine because I like the feel of it, it's not something I want to stray too far away from.
P: The fact is, that all these voices need actors. And if you have a bit of a big cast (which I happen to have) it seems nearly impossible to record all of it. Another reason is that my episode plans to take about twenty minutes. If all the dialogue in that would be saved in an mp3 file, and that for each episode, then the size of the file in total would be enormous. Especially when you want to have good quality.
VE: I don't see anything wrong with voice acting, but I think it would be very time consuming and draining, especially when you can convey just as much emotion using a powerful musical score and written dialogue.
T: I'd say voice acting is tremendously difficult to coordinate in unison with your events and actions on the screen. Besides, I haven't seen the voice actor who can do my dialogue with a straight face.
L: Nope, I could probably swing voice acting in my episode if I really wanted to. Maybe in a later episode when I have more story written out. The problem with voice acting is that you need to prepare a lot of the script in advance before holding auditions and things like that. If you don't have a script planned out then you have a very good chance of losing your voice actors' interest.
Andy6000: What do you say to nay-sayers who make the accusation that RPG Maker XP is for making games only?
SK: I think they need to get their heads out of their collective butts. =^n_n^=
P: I'll say that RMXP was designed to be an RPG maker. This doesn't mean, however, that it can't be used for other purposes. there isn't anything wrong with typing between the lines. Furthermore, the episodes actually produce some worthwile results on short notice, instead of the ten-minute demo's you see all over the project threads nowadays.
VE: RPG Maker XP is a tool. What people use if for is their own business, and so long as people enjoy it, who cares. I say "Nay" to said nay-sayers! HA!
T: I'd direct them to go and deliver their arguments to VE. Last time I'll see them ever again.
L: Err...If it is possible to do something like this in RMXP, then I don't see why not? I mean RMXP wasn't made for MMORPGS and look what happened there.
Tags:
Posted under: Interviews
Read this blog post »
This article was originally posted in eZine issue 2.
Some of you are probably wondering ‘What is a RMXP Episode?‘ Well, a 'RMXP Episode' is not a game. It is a story, much like watching an episode of a TV series, but instead uses the RMXP game engine as a vehicle for its plot. It is similar to a 'choose your own adventure' game, only there is no choosing; you simply watch one long cutscene.
Andy6000: Why did you think up using episodes in the first place?
SK (SK): Well, the idea is not originally mine, though some people tend to stick me with it. I originally saw the concept of using an RPG maker as a medium for a fanfic, with a game called 'Maranda' for RM2K. It was a Final Fantasy III(VI) fanfic, by a guy named Brickroad. He also made a Chrono Trigger 'fanfic' in the same fashion, called “With His Fathers Sword.” It was something I always wanted to do, but I could
never do what I wanted with RM2K's interface. It just didn't have the freedom to use the kind of cinematographic techniques I wanted. So this was a long time coming.
Psgels (P): Well, mainly because yours and Kitty's were such a big success, and I had this story in my mind for quite a while.
VE (VE): I've always liked the idea of creating a "movie" of sorts. I love the visual direction side of RPG creation and I think the whole "episode" thing could open up a whole new realm of possibilities.
TREG (T): I thought of using episodes in the first place when I was informed that there were several people I knew were making them. They pretty much harangued me into the idea, though I'm finding I like it.
Lene (L): Because SK and Val [VE] were like "Do it!"
Andy6000: What advantages over a normal, playable, RMXP game do these episodes have?
SK: The biggest problem I face in my playable games, is giving the player an opportunity to play! Story and characters always takes priority for me, and sometimes it's difficult to remember that I can't bore people to tears between cutscenes. But, with Akasha Seal, I can get by and make no promises about interaction, balanced battles, or bug-free systems. P: It means less work for the creator, when looking at custom scripts, battle systems, etc. The creator also isn't bounded by the fact that random battles, or other kinds of interactions with the player have to encounter, thus having more freedom. I also see that the episodes individually don't take too long, so someone can just watch it whenever they like, instead of playing a very long game/demo.
VE: I think the episode method allows for more freedom in the story. You can do pretty much whatever you want with it, and you don't have to worry about being tied down to any main characters or gameplay elements. T: The advantage over normal RMXP games is that, quite frankly, I'm a lazy little bastard and it's much easier to fake a battle scene using events than with an actual script.
L: The fact that you're able to see a completed result in a shorter amount of time. Plus you can be lazy about the more tedious aspects of RMXP.
Andy6000: Do you see these episodes as opportunities for more intense story usage, or graphical usage?
SK: Most definitely. There are simply some things you can achieve with an episode in which you aren't acting through the role of the main character, that you can't in a game. It allows you to have a main character who has secrets that are unbeknownst to the watcher...Things that would influence the player if they knew. But since they have no part in the main character's actions, the main character can still surprise them.
SK (Continued): And as for graphics, it's a godsend to be able to create new tiles without having to worry about how the player will move around them, passabilities, and the dreaded priorities.
P: Well, it does give the opportunity for more intense story. Inthe way of the episodes, the plot doesn't pause because the player needs to navigate through dungeons, which allows for faster story pacing, which allows for (if used well) more Intense storylines. About the graphical usage: I believe that the episode will cause much less lag than an actual game, and that means that the creator can use the resources and graphics more free.
VE: I think it's a bit of both. The episodes certainly allow more graphical freedom, since less time needs to be spent on gameplay, scripting, databasing etc. But I think the focus of these is definitely on the story.
T: I see these episodes as a chance to use flashy cell-shaded explosions and lots of cool bloody effects to make up for the fact that my storyline is a weak rehash of Metal Gear Solid thrown in with cheesy music. After all, if you can't make a great and interesting storyline, make them ogle the pretty effects.
L: I see the episodes as more geared towards conveying a well-developed story. While graphics are nice, I don't think a lot of these episodes will feature original graphics, but rather try to make the most out of the RTP as possible without going overboard.
Andy6000: There seems to be a sort of grudge against voice acting in these episodes. Is that just starting out constraints time, or is it for another reason?
SK: I think voice acting is a good thing... But it just isn't for me. Akasha Seal's cast is far too large, there are going to be too many episodes to keep VAs for such a long haul, and to be honest, I want everyone to be able to hear the character's voices in their mind... And I don't want a VA to change their opinion of the way they think a character is. Brickroad didn't need voiceactors to make Maranda an interesting movie... I don't think Akasha Seal needs them. If I were to go that extra step, why not just make the episodes in flash? I chose RMXP as my series's engine because I like the feel of it, it's not something I want to stray too far away from.
P: The fact is, that all these voices need actors. And if you have a bit of a big cast (which I happen to have) it seems nearly impossible to record all of it. Another reason is that my episode plans to take about twenty minutes. If all the dialogue in that would be saved in an mp3 file, and that for each episode, then the size of the file in total would be enormous. Especially when you want to have good quality.
VE: I don't see anything wrong with voice acting, but I think it would be very time consuming and draining, especially when you can convey just as much emotion using a powerful musical score and written dialogue.
T: I'd say voice acting is tremendously difficult to coordinate in unison with your events and actions on the screen. Besides, I haven't seen the voice actor who can do my dialogue with a straight face.
L: Nope, I could probably swing voice acting in my episode if I really wanted to. Maybe in a later episode when I have more story written out. The problem with voice acting is that you need to prepare a lot of the script in advance before holding auditions and things like that. If you don't have a script planned out then you have a very good chance of losing your voice actors' interest.
Andy6000: What do you say to nay-sayers who make the accusation that RPG Maker XP is for making games only?
SK: I think they need to get their heads out of their collective butts. =^n_n^=
P: I'll say that RMXP was designed to be an RPG maker. This doesn't mean, however, that it can't be used for other purposes. there isn't anything wrong with typing between the lines. Furthermore, the episodes actually produce some worthwile results on short notice, instead of the ten-minute demo's you see all over the project threads nowadays.
VE: RPG Maker XP is a tool. What people use if for is their own business, and so long as people enjoy it, who cares. I say "Nay" to said nay-sayers! HA!
T: I'd direct them to go and deliver their arguments to VE. Last time I'll see them ever again.
L: Err...If it is possible to do something like this in RMXP, then I don't see why not? I mean RMXP wasn't made for MMORPGS and look what happened there.
Tags:
Posted under: Interviews
Read this blog post »