Murder Mystery ? Good Genre ?

[DannyBuzzin]

Well ive seen a lot of fantasy rpg's about but I was wondering if a muder mystery or kind of game where society melts down and you have to solve a load of puzzles to find out why trippy stuff is happening(if you know what I mean) would be an interesting game genre to work on.

what does anyone think ? :]

 

[regi]

I've always enjoyed mystery/puzzle games, that would certainly be an interesting break from all these cliche fantasy plots nowadays. Now that I think about it, RM is even pretty suited for that kind of game. I say go for it! :thumb:

 

[DannyBuzzin]

Yeah :] dont get me wrong though the fantasy games I do enjoy but they are all the same kind of feel. Im just thinking of a story line or plot now haha :] come to think of it, a CSI game would fit this genre quite well, but I dont think thats the road il go down, maybe though :]

 

[Brewmeister]

I think it's a great idea. In fact there was a group here that came up with a "Murder on the Orient Express" concept but it kinda fizzled out. It would have to be very well thought out to maintain a balance between impossible to solve & boring. But if well done, I think it would be a hit.

 

[mawk]

I'd play it. something that relies more on deductive reasoning than level grinding would be a welcome break from the kind of projects the greater community's been bogged down with for a long time.

if you're thinking of making sort of an adventure game, it might be an idea to check out Adventure Game Studio (AGS) or the Wintermute engine. they're not quite as simplistic as rpg maker, but they're far more functional for that kind of game.

 

[DannyBuzzin]

Those too engines looks pretty awesome, but the graphics would be a chew on I think, when I have a bit more experience and knowledge about game making il try them so il keep them in mind :] rpg maker xp or vx seems the choice atm reson being as you mentioned, they are simple and easier to use for a beginner.

I like the old point and click style of the others though, its like old myst games or the longest journey :]

 

[DannyBuzzin]

What do you think of this, for a basic storyline to elaborate on ?

Spoiler: Storyline

Basic Story Line: In the past two months there has been a number of mysterious dissappearances in the town of luxworth. People are losing their trust for each other and some are afraid to leave their homes. You play the role of Gerrard Fisher, an investigator working for the police in order to find out what is going on. Using your intellect and logic you must collect and piece together clues to unravel the mystery behind these dissappearances solving puzzles along the way.

 

[Mundane]

I attempted it, and failed. It's amazingly fun to write, but making the gameplay interesting is the hard part. You have to find the perfect blend of interaction with the story and the characters. I say go for it!

What do you think of this, for a basic storyline to elaborate on ?

Spoiler: Storyline

Basic Story Line: In the past two months there has been a number of mysterious dissappearances in the town of luxworth. People are losing their trust for each other and some are afraid to leave their homes. You play the role of Gerrard Fisher, an investigator working for the police in order to find out what is going on. Using your intellect and logic you must collect and piece together clues to unravel the mystery behind these dissappearances solving puzzles along the way.

Anything of that nature can work. What you need to focus on is figuring out all of the killer's motives first. In a way you're solving the crime backwards. Ask youself:
-Why is the suspect killing?
-How is he performing the murders? And do they relate to his message?
-Does the killer have a message? Or is he plain crazy?

Once you've fleshed out the ideal murderer, your Investigator Fisher should be a very round character. He should have one if not two prominent flaws, whether in psychology or physiology. If he's the stereotypical intellectual bad ass investigator, discovering these clues will appear to have less significance.

 

[DannyBuzzin]

yeah thanks man :] ive been putting together some ideas for it :]

 

[Pokémaniac]

You could always try a hybrid murder mystery.

With the game I am currently making, I realized I loved mystery games(I've beaten every Phoenix Wright game and both Professor Layton games), but I also love traditional RPGs. So I wove it all so the mystery guides you into battles and such. The mystery itself introduces gameplay mechanics that work for the traditional RPG parts.

But that's also because puzzle games aren't the sort of thing I want to make. If you think you can make enough interesting and fitting puzzles to stall out the story, go for it!

You need a strong cast of characters and lots of plot twists to pull it off. I had a hell of a lot of fun tangling my story, fixing up plot holes, making characters and working them into the mess, adding layers and layers and layers. Just remember though - at the end, explain the crime step by step so that the player/reader can see how it all fits together. If you have a bad ending, the player will forget all the fun they had getting there. (I was fairly disappointed with the ending to the 2nd Prof. Layton for instance, as it was a little bit obvious, a big cop-out and not very logical.)

 

[gunga1]

It could be super-duper awesome or it could be just plain horrible. A lot depends on the atmosphere and as such you might need custom graphics or more likely music and sound effects. As I see it the gameplay would mostly involve running around in a relatively small area finding clues and interrogating people, while every now and then a new body pops up. Of course there could be a few minigames and puzzles sprinkled around between you and hidden evidence. Picking locks and the sort.

RM* would work just great for that sort of game really, since all you need is moving around and messages. You'd just have to hide all the stats and equipment screens from the menu unless you're going for a battle system of sorts, which I think would be hard to implement while keeping up a tense and mysterious atmosphere.