Continued from viewtopic.php?f=23&t=62181
The author: my name is Robert, I am 32 years old, I live in Sweden and I’ve always wanted to make games that were more advanced than the ones you could make with Shoot ‘Em Up Construction Kit, The Bard’s Tale Construction Set and Unlimited Adventures, all of which I’ve used extensively, for the C64 and Amiga, respectively.
However, I am much more of a writer than a programmer (although I’ve done some minor programming in Basic and HTML), and I can’t even draw a straight line, so I’ve had a lot going against me. When I found RPG Maker VX I thought I’d at least give it a go, and here I am.
I have a very extensive gaming background when it comes to RPG and adventure games, having played most of the games by Sierra and Lucasarts, as well as pretty much every RPG since The Bard’s Tale on the C64 up to Fallout 3 on my PC – not to mention the wonderful text-based games by Infocom.
I think that the story is always the most important part of any game, but also the one that most often is lacking.
UPDATE: VX wasn't for me, and I have instead started using XP. Scripting might be harder, but since I can't script and have to learn it anyway, it isn't a big deal. Mapping is SO much faster for me in XP, because it's so much easier to import tilesets. There's also a lot more content for XP, and since I'm a crappy pixel artist, that's another good thing.
Theme:
Synopsis:
The Setting:
The Game:
Some of the features will be:
- a deep and emotional story with real character development; forget simple hack 'n slash, here actions will have consequences
- a prelude including some episodes from Misaki's childhood, where we get to know her parents and Takaoo
- a side-view battle system, most likely SBS Tankentai XP
- several hours of gameplay (I would like to make it a 20+ hour game just to be able to make the player even more attached to Misaki and develop the story slowly, but that is a bit daunting for me, especially when working alone, so 5+ is a minimum)
The Characters:
Screenshots:
Title screen.
Misaki's parents' house, exterior.
Misaki's parents' house, interior.
Going to your godfather.
Your godfather's cabin.
Video:
Currently doing:
To do:
The author: my name is Robert, I am 32 years old, I live in Sweden and I’ve always wanted to make games that were more advanced than the ones you could make with Shoot ‘Em Up Construction Kit, The Bard’s Tale Construction Set and Unlimited Adventures, all of which I’ve used extensively, for the C64 and Amiga, respectively.
However, I am much more of a writer than a programmer (although I’ve done some minor programming in Basic and HTML), and I can’t even draw a straight line, so I’ve had a lot going against me. When I found RPG Maker VX I thought I’d at least give it a go, and here I am.
I have a very extensive gaming background when it comes to RPG and adventure games, having played most of the games by Sierra and Lucasarts, as well as pretty much every RPG since The Bard’s Tale on the C64 up to Fallout 3 on my PC – not to mention the wonderful text-based games by Infocom.
I think that the story is always the most important part of any game, but also the one that most often is lacking.
UPDATE: VX wasn't for me, and I have instead started using XP. Scripting might be harder, but since I can't script and have to learn it anyway, it isn't a big deal. Mapping is SO much faster for me in XP, because it's so much easier to import tilesets. There's also a lot more content for XP, and since I'm a crappy pixel artist, that's another good thing.
Theme:
the nature of good and evil. What makes an action good or evil? Forgiveness and revenge.
Synopsis:
Sixteen years ago, chaos spread in the empire of Moriyama. For no apparent reason brother rose against brother, son against father, daughter against mother; they became known simply as “The Othersâ€. Some became deformed, taking on the appearance of demon- or beastlike creatures. Families were torn apart, villages and cities laid to waste in the struggle, until two years later the Imperial Resistance (a militia-based army backed financially by the Emperor) managed to secure the island of Kitajima, home of the capital and a few small villages, fending it off against constant attacks. Over the years the attacks have dissipated, but lately children have disappeared, never to be seen again. Some say that the Others are to blame, but no one knows for sure.
Misaki is 14 years old, and lives in a small village outside the capital with her parents. They have a small farm and own a factory that makes parts for weapons. Life is as normal as it can be under the circumstances, until one night Misaki wakes up to the sound of gunfire. Her mother runs into Misaki’s room in the basement, locking the door before giving her a letter, a backpack and a gun and telling her it’s not safe to stay. She moves a bookshelf and reveals a hidden trapdoor leading into an underground passage. Misaki protests, but her mother insists that it’s too dangerous to stay, and promises that the letter will explain everything.
Misaki doesn’t understand what’s going on, and she starts crying and begs her mother to explain, but as the attackers start breaking down the bedroom door her mother forces her into the passage and closes the trapdoor behind her. Misaki has no choice but to run for her life.
She runs and runs for what feels like forever, until she can see moonlight ahead, and she finds herself standing in a small clearing in the forest. She climbs a tree and hides in the thick foliage, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is following her. As she opens the letter she starts to cry again, thinking about what just happened, and then she reads.
The letter was written by her parents, apparently some years ago. It explains that Misaki is not really their daughter. They found her almost fourteen years ago, when they were both members of the Imperial Resistance, in a raid on a village controlled by the violent Others. Their objective was to eradicate everyone, but when they found the newborn Misaki they just couldn’t kill her. They managed to sneak her out of the village and brought her home, bringing her up as their own daughter. The letter says that they were always afraid that the Imperial Resistance would find out that she was a daughter of the Others, and take her away or kill her. And now it seems it finally happened.
The letter contains directions to the only person her parents feel they can trust, Misaki’s godfather, an old former Captain of the Imperial Resistance who helped them smuggle her out of the village, and he is her only hope. She must get to him and let him know what happened.
Misaki is 14 years old, and lives in a small village outside the capital with her parents. They have a small farm and own a factory that makes parts for weapons. Life is as normal as it can be under the circumstances, until one night Misaki wakes up to the sound of gunfire. Her mother runs into Misaki’s room in the basement, locking the door before giving her a letter, a backpack and a gun and telling her it’s not safe to stay. She moves a bookshelf and reveals a hidden trapdoor leading into an underground passage. Misaki protests, but her mother insists that it’s too dangerous to stay, and promises that the letter will explain everything.
Misaki doesn’t understand what’s going on, and she starts crying and begs her mother to explain, but as the attackers start breaking down the bedroom door her mother forces her into the passage and closes the trapdoor behind her. Misaki has no choice but to run for her life.
She runs and runs for what feels like forever, until she can see moonlight ahead, and she finds herself standing in a small clearing in the forest. She climbs a tree and hides in the thick foliage, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is following her. As she opens the letter she starts to cry again, thinking about what just happened, and then she reads.
The letter was written by her parents, apparently some years ago. It explains that Misaki is not really their daughter. They found her almost fourteen years ago, when they were both members of the Imperial Resistance, in a raid on a village controlled by the violent Others. Their objective was to eradicate everyone, but when they found the newborn Misaki they just couldn’t kill her. They managed to sneak her out of the village and brought her home, bringing her up as their own daughter. The letter says that they were always afraid that the Imperial Resistance would find out that she was a daughter of the Others, and take her away or kill her. And now it seems it finally happened.
The letter contains directions to the only person her parents feel they can trust, Misaki’s godfather, an old former Captain of the Imperial Resistance who helped them smuggle her out of the village, and he is her only hope. She must get to him and let him know what happened.
What Misaki will eventually find out is that sixteen years ago something or someone tried to steal the souls of the citizens of Moriyama. They weren’t fully successful, but some unfortunate ones – the Others – succumbed to this evil. Not having souls anymore they can no longer atone for their sins and actions in the afterlife, and this made many of them start to turn to the dark side; even those who resisted their evil urges gradually became – physically – more beasts than men. People feared them, which in turn made the Others resent humans even more. This vicious circle of violence and intolerance ended in the civil war that has plagued the empire ever since.
Misaki will have to make difficult decisions throughout the game, more difficult the further the game progresses. Can she save the Others, thereby saving herself, and do they really deserve to be saved?
Misaki will have to make difficult decisions throughout the game, more difficult the further the game progresses. Can she save the Others, thereby saving herself, and do they really deserve to be saved?
The Setting:
Moriyama is an empire set in a fictional universe, a somewhat high-technological almost-dystopia. Computers and guns are widely available, but the infrastructure is lacking. Roads are usually little more than single-lane dirt roads, with paved roads being common only in and around the capital. In rural areas few people own cars, but tractors and other mechanical equipment are common.
Magic exists, but most humans don’t know about it, and even fewer use it, because of the great risks. Magic is very powerful, but using magic eats away at your soul, until you eventually become one of the Others, or simply go insane. This has become one of the most difficult challenges for the Imperial Resistance; the Others can use magic freely, since they are already beasts, but the Imperial forces cannot.
Magic exists, but most humans don’t know about it, and even fewer use it, because of the great risks. Magic is very powerful, but using magic eats away at your soul, until you eventually become one of the Others, or simply go insane. This has become one of the most difficult challenges for the Imperial Resistance; the Others can use magic freely, since they are already beasts, but the Imperial forces cannot.
The Game:
Some of the features will be:
- a deep and emotional story with real character development; forget simple hack 'n slash, here actions will have consequences
- a prelude including some episodes from Misaki's childhood, where we get to know her parents and Takaoo
- a side-view battle system, most likely SBS Tankentai XP
- several hours of gameplay (I would like to make it a 20+ hour game just to be able to make the player even more attached to Misaki and develop the story slowly, but that is a bit daunting for me, especially when working alone, so 5+ is a minimum)
The Characters:
Name: Misaki Etsuko
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Appearance: Misaki is short for her age (5’) but somewhat athletic (a result of spending most of her childhood playing in the woods surrounding the village). She has black hair that most of the time is tied in a ponytail reaching halfway down her back. Her skin is slightly more pale than her foster parents’, and she doesn’t seem to tan at all.
Personality: Misaki is curious but a little shy; a bit of a bookworm who can sometimes seem inconsiderate, not because she doesn’t care about others, but because she’s never paid much attention to the social game.
Misaki is the main protagonist of the story, born of the Others but still human. She lives in the village of Minato with her (foster) parents.
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Appearance: Misaki is short for her age (5’) but somewhat athletic (a result of spending most of her childhood playing in the woods surrounding the village). She has black hair that most of the time is tied in a ponytail reaching halfway down her back. Her skin is slightly more pale than her foster parents’, and she doesn’t seem to tan at all.
Personality: Misaki is curious but a little shy; a bit of a bookworm who can sometimes seem inconsiderate, not because she doesn’t care about others, but because she’s never paid much attention to the social game.
Misaki is the main protagonist of the story, born of the Others but still human. She lives in the village of Minato with her (foster) parents.
Name: Kumiko Etsuko
Age: 36
Sex: Female
Kumiko is Misaki’s foster mother. She used to be a member of the Imperial Resistance until she and Masato found Misaki. Kumiko and Masato resigned shortly afterwards and used their extensive knowledge of handguns to open a small factory that manufactures parts for weapons.
Age: 36
Sex: Female
Kumiko is Misaki’s foster mother. She used to be a member of the Imperial Resistance until she and Masato found Misaki. Kumiko and Masato resigned shortly afterwards and used their extensive knowledge of handguns to open a small factory that manufactures parts for weapons.
Name: Masato Etsuko
Age: 41
Sex: Male
Masato is Misaki’s foster father.
Age: 41
Sex: Male
Masato is Misaki’s foster father.
Name: Takaoo Ryuu
Age: 57
Sex: Male
Appearance: Takaoo is almost a caricature of a soldier; tall and athletic, he is still in very good shape even though he left the Resistance several years ago. His face and body show the signs of many battles with scars from shrapnel and claws somewhat disfiguring what used to be a very handsome face. His right arm is prosthetic from the elbow down. He has cropped black hair and is just over 6’ tall.
Takaoo is a former Captain of the Imperial Resistance. Kumiko and Masato were his subordinates, and they knew that they could trust him when they found Misaki and wanted to rescue her. They grew closer after that, and when they resigned, Takaoo helped them set up their business. He has been a close friend of the family ever since. He is Misaki’s godfather.
Age: 57
Sex: Male
Appearance: Takaoo is almost a caricature of a soldier; tall and athletic, he is still in very good shape even though he left the Resistance several years ago. His face and body show the signs of many battles with scars from shrapnel and claws somewhat disfiguring what used to be a very handsome face. His right arm is prosthetic from the elbow down. He has cropped black hair and is just over 6’ tall.
Takaoo is a former Captain of the Imperial Resistance. Kumiko and Masato were his subordinates, and they knew that they could trust him when they found Misaki and wanted to rescue her. They grew closer after that, and when they resigned, Takaoo helped them set up their business. He has been a close friend of the family ever since. He is Misaki’s godfather.
Screenshots:
Title screen.
Misaki's parents' house, exterior.
Misaki's parents' house, interior.
Going to your godfather.
Your godfather's cabin.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKGug4cunD4&fmt=18
Currently doing:
Mapping the first chapter while continually writing the detailed synopsis and dialogue. Examining XP scripts trying to learn how to script.
Making a title screen and composing title music.
Making a title screen and composing title music.
To do:
Pretty much everything. I have a lot more of the story fleshed out, but I didn’t want to post it here, because I would be spoiling too much. I will write detailed descriptions of all the main characters and a detailed synopsis/script of each act/chapter.
I need to learn how to do pixel art; I’ve done it before, I made sprites on my C64, but this is way more advanced.
I also need to read up on RPG Maker and learn how to make my own scripts.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew? I hope not. This is a long-term project, and a learning process. If I am successful in creating this game I have several more ideas that I want to turn into games. I’ll never be known as “that guy who does the awesome graphics†or “that guy who is the best script programmer in the worldâ€, but maybe I can someday be known as someone who knows how to write a decent story and actually make a game out of it.
Thanks for reading.
I need to learn how to do pixel art; I’ve done it before, I made sprites on my C64, but this is way more advanced.
I also need to read up on RPG Maker and learn how to make my own scripts.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew? I hope not. This is a long-term project, and a learning process. If I am successful in creating this game I have several more ideas that I want to turn into games. I’ll never be known as “that guy who does the awesome graphics†or “that guy who is the best script programmer in the worldâ€, but maybe I can someday be known as someone who knows how to write a decent story and actually make a game out of it.
Thanks for reading.
