Should I make my game 800x600 because of my sprites and styl

[ShinigamiKiba]

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Hey guys, I'm new here, but I'm working on an RMXP project with a slightly different art style from the majority of stuff out there.

These are all the sprites I've completed so far, not posting the sprite sheets, just single frames of all of my sprites:

Now, these look good to me and they look fine in motion in RMXP in 640x480, but people are telling me I shouldn't be redrawing my sprites after I resize them, let me explain my work process, I'll use the blacksmith guy for my game for this example, I have yet to animate him, I'm using him because is also a playable character at times.

First I draw my sprites at a reasonably higher resolution with my tablet:

Then I resize it to the right size for the game, in this case 175x175 and get this:

After I get the blurry sprite I clean it up and this is the final look the sprite has in-game
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So for the current 640x480 game I decided to go for this size for the bigger adults in the game.
Now, I'm legally blind lol so I don't really see how the blurry sprite is better, but it is I trust the people that told me it is.

But I DO see what would be a larger sprite for an 800x600 game looking better when not redrawn and just resized.
IF my game was running at 800x600, the sprites that are currently 175x175 would be 220x220, so this is what we get.

I'll use the Hunter's Guild boss for this example.

Tablet Drawing:

175x175 non cleaned up, blurry version

175x175 cleaned up, final look (looks great in motion and in-game to me)

220x220 blurry, non cleaned up resize:

So what should I do?
Go with the blurry versions(after editing them a bit more of course) at 640x480, find a way to run my RMXP game 800x600 or keep doing what I do now, cleaning up the sprites and making them lower quality because that may look better for 640x480?

Maybe it's best if I managed to somehow run RMXP in 800x600 and use the "blurry" sprites for my game? I really don't know at this point, as in Idon't know what would work best for RMXP.

 

[Guest]

;D

 

[Ellie]

Wow, I really like those sprites! Not often people make unique stuff :/

In terms of screen size I personally would choose 800x600. Keeps the sprites clean, and you get to see more. Plus, EVERYONE has a monitor resolution 1024x768 or bigger these days, might as well make the most of it.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

keep the sprites clean as in redraw them or just do a little clean up work but not redraw everything?

Like the 220x220 one I posted, should I keep it as is and just clean up the edges so it doesn't mess up the background's transparency or draw over it like I'm doing now with all my sprites?

And if I'm going to force RMXP to do 800x600, can someone tell me in detail how I'd go about doing that cause I'm no programmer or anything, I'm just a guy who draws stuff and knows some basic RM things.

I'll start actual development on my game after 50% or so of all my sprites are done and after I've made a bunch of backgrounds.

 

[Glitchfinder]

And if I'm going to force RMXP to do 800x600, can someone tell me in detail how I'd go about doing that cause I'm no programmer or anything, I'm just a guy who draws stuff and knows some basic RM things.

Without any scripting skill, you will have problems if you tried to make the game 800x600. First off, resizing the window is possible, but it isn't complete. For example, the window "blinks" at the original size for just a moment when you open it, before going to the new size. The next problem is that without some serious scripting, if someone goes to fullscreen and back, it will go to 640x480, instead of 800x600.

The rest of your problems are related to various aspects of the game itself. For example, anything that uses a window, be it the title screen, a text box, or the menu, will have to be altered or rewritten to fit the new screen size. Another problem will be that, if you are using the default battle system, you won't be able to place enemies across the entire battle screen, and will be left with an area to the right and to the bottom where no enemies will ever appear. Another problem is that certain other things, like walking around a map, will have to be rewritten.

I already have a script that could solve some of these issues (it doesn't fix the blinking, the windows, or anything from the first paragraph, but it will handle movement on the map, which is the hardest script-related portion to deal with, for most people) The script is unfinished at best, however, which is why I haven't posted it in the script board.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

Thanks for all the info man.
I was thinking of using a custom battle system for the game, but was going to worry about that later on.

I'm really at a loss now, work on these sprites and make them for a 640x480 game like I'm doing now, or work on them and prepare them for an 800x600 game.

Like, since I don't know programming, will I be able to just apply your script to RMXP when it's done and use the program normally like I do now without even knowing I made some changes to it?

 

[Glitchfinder]

Thanks for all the info man.
I was thinking of using a custom battle system for the game, but was going to worry about that later on.

I'm really at a loss now, work on these sprites and make them for a 640x480 game like I'm doing now, or work on them and prepare them for an 800x600 game.

Like, since I don't know programming, will I be able to just apply your script to RMXP when it's done and use the program normally like I do now without even knowing I made some changes to it?

If you apply my script, you will also need someone to rewrite every window in the game, to fit the new screen size. Aside from that, you should be able to use it normally.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

I see, would I be able to play the game for play testing with the non rewritten windows for play test purposes and if people on this board are interested in my game have someone here rewrite it and stuff?

I'm going to need a custom battle system too, so IF there's any interest in this game should I expect people good at programming in RMXP to help out?

Of course everyone gets full credit and everything.
I really want to make this game happen

 

[Glitchfinder]

I see, would I be able to play the game for play testing with the non rewritten windows for play test purposes and if people on this board are interested in my game have someone here rewrite it and stuff?

I'm going to need a custom battle system too, so IF there's any interest in this game should I expect people good at programming in RMXP to help out?

Of course everyone gets full credit and everything.
I really want to make this game happen

You'll be able to, yes. But most of the stuff will still display as though the game were at 640x480, until the windows get rewritten. As for interest in the game attracting scripters... I don't think you'll be able to get the really talented scripters to make a battle system without some significant incentive, and anybody who isn't significantly skilled and/or talented shouldn't touch a battle system, because that is a massive undertaking. IN fact, I know I'm one of the more advanced scripters remaining on this site, and I still wouldn't create a battle system for just credits in the game.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

You mean like people would actually only do that kinda stuff for cash
And here I was wanting to make a nice, freeware RPG for everyone to enjoy.

Guess I'll just stick to 640x480 then if money is involved even here, I guess I got the wrong idea about all this, thought it was all like an open source thing where everyone just contributes and makes cool freeware stuff.

 

[Glitchfinder]

You mean like people would actually only do that kinda stuff for cash
And here I was wanting to make a nice, freeware RPG for everyone to enjoy.

Guess I'll just stick to 640x480 then if money is involved even here, I guess I got the wrong idea about all this, thought it was all like an open source thing where everyone just contributes and makes cool freeware stuff.

Not necessarily cash. Some of the major scripters here might be wiling to trade scripts for something like graphics for their own projects. The reason that most wouldn't touch a battle system is that they are just way too complex, and require a lot of work to debug after actually building them.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

Well that makes sense.
I really don't know what to do atm, man, I want this to look good but I also want it to be functional and don't want to end up with a glitchy and buggy game which may or may not support 800x600 properly.

Should I maybe move to RMVX? I hate the limit on RTP in that one and my game has quite a lot of different places and if all goes well it's going to take course over 4 seasons, or at least 3 seasons so I'll need my bakcgrounds freedom and stuff.

edit: Also can RPGMaker VX play MP3s?

 

[Glitchfinder]

Well that makes sense.
I really don't know what to do atm, man, I want this to look good but I also want it to be functional and don't want to end up with a glitchy and buggy game which may or may not support 800x600 properly.

Should I maybe move to RMVX? I hate the limit on RTP in that one and my game has quite a lot of different places and if all goes well it's going to take course over 4 seasons, or at least 3 seasons so I'll need my bakcgrounds freedom and stuff.

edit: Also can RPGMaker VX play MP3s?

RMVX can play MP3's. As for the limits you face in XP, most of them are worse in VX. Especially mapping. Depending on what kind of battle system you need, the problems may be minimal, or it could be a massive undertaking. Without scripting knowledge, you won't know, so you could post at least the basics, to see what would be needed.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

I see, dude thanks for all the info.

I have a basic idea of what I want the battle system to be like, it shouldn't be too complex, but I'll worry about that later down the road when I finish the graphics, but now I can't make up my mind on what to do with the graphics.

Basically I was thinking of two types of battle systems, so whichever is easier to make goes.

A Tales of like battle system where all the characters draw MP from one source(that fox in the pic there). As you progress through the game, clear up areas and activate these things...(it's more complex story-wise than that but we'll keep it simple), she gains more power and evolves, her MP increases, she learns spells and so on. These spells can only be cast by certain party members, so in a way it's like they're the ones learning the spells, until half way through the game when things happen and the fox takes over as the main character and you get to solo with her for a while, then she gets all her spells and everything to herself and as you progress through this chapter she loses her powers over time. If possible I want to make it so the player can choose which spells to abandon during this time, you basically end up making her lose everything, it's just the way the story goes.

If a complex battle/spells system like that can't be made, I'm willing to settle for a normal turn based system, where the characters just draw MP from the same source for combos or magic casting, but without the player having realtime control over the combat or the ability to decide which spells to lose when that part of the story takes place.

But right now, I really just want to focus on the visuals and I could use any and all advice on that if possible.
I got a ton of sprites to make so I don't want to end up making like 50 sprites just to find out they were no good or something.

 

[Glitchfinder]

Is there any way you could describe how the battle system would actually work? So far, it's a fairly simple mod of the default battle system. (And, come to think of it, I seem to remember a post about a tales of battle system in the recent past) Depending on exactly how the battles work, though, it could change drastically.

 

[ShinigamiKiba]

Man I haven't thought about that much, I'm more of a graphics kinda guy so I want to get the graphics and atmosphere down first.

I might go with the turn based battle system instead of the tales of one if only because it's easier to do for programmers and it would mean less problems and glitches.

 

[Kingdom Ablaze]

i dont know anything about changing the resolution to the game(i just force mine to go full screen and change the moniters resolution to 480x640, looks good enough for me)but anyways if you do decide to try to go the 600x800 or what ever. id be will to try to fix all the windows for you. there are one or two that im not sure if i could do because i dont know much about math side.(for example some of the windows use crazy forumlas to find how much x and y should equal)but like i said im willing to TRY. i would love to see how this works out. i like your art and want nothing in return. im mostly interested in the results, and to see if im a good enough scripter to be up to the task. im going to school atm for software engineering, im in the navy tho so i slow work. but what do you think? wanna try? glitch can help with map stuff and ill try windows. is they any more problems that must be covered?

 

[WeaponOD]

If your concerned about them being blurry still, there is a way to resize them without losing image quality...