The hardest game to make....ever
by Rojalee · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 04/10/2006 (2:20 pm) · 14 replies
A Fantasy single player RPG, with plans on MMO later.
What makes it different? Worth doing?
Here's my take on that question.
What made a game interesting to you? Not just at first (any serious gamer has newitis from time to time over a title) but what made you keep playing it?
1) Originality ... well you can throw that in the garbage can, cause it's all been done... or has it.
Everything can be looked at through a different microscope.
2) Playability ... the game should have a learning curve...where learners are able to keep their pants on
while getting whacked by a Goblin, but still have fun doing it. And higher levels can lose thier pants
while getting whacked by a green dragon...and have fun doing it.
3) Humor ... if done at the appropriate times, a little humor goes a long way to making a game fun.
(and isn't that the meaning of the word?)
4) Customizable ... your own character, who looks different and has different talents than the rest.
5) Balance... played AC/AC2, EQ, and SWG, each lost it's balance after a while and people all began doing
the same thing.
6) Make power leveling impossible, (well at least hard).. That was the largest grief heard of in MMO's.
If you think this may be something you want to work on... let me know.
My email is rojalee@yahoo.com.
I have recently purchased TGE and am looking into several Fantasy/Medieval packs to work with.
I understand that this may be the hardest challenge of all, but that will make it worth it.
I already have several ideas on how to make each character in the game unique in and of itself and am ready to share those with serious minded individuals who want to make a seriously good game.
To the programming trenches I go.
General Lee
What makes it different? Worth doing?
Here's my take on that question.
What made a game interesting to you? Not just at first (any serious gamer has newitis from time to time over a title) but what made you keep playing it?
1) Originality ... well you can throw that in the garbage can, cause it's all been done... or has it.
Everything can be looked at through a different microscope.
2) Playability ... the game should have a learning curve...where learners are able to keep their pants on
while getting whacked by a Goblin, but still have fun doing it. And higher levels can lose thier pants
while getting whacked by a green dragon...and have fun doing it.
3) Humor ... if done at the appropriate times, a little humor goes a long way to making a game fun.
(and isn't that the meaning of the word?)
4) Customizable ... your own character, who looks different and has different talents than the rest.
5) Balance... played AC/AC2, EQ, and SWG, each lost it's balance after a while and people all began doing
the same thing.
6) Make power leveling impossible, (well at least hard).. That was the largest grief heard of in MMO's.
If you think this may be something you want to work on... let me know.
My email is rojalee@yahoo.com.
I have recently purchased TGE and am looking into several Fantasy/Medieval packs to work with.
I understand that this may be the hardest challenge of all, but that will make it worth it.
I already have several ideas on how to make each character in the game unique in and of itself and am ready to share those with serious minded individuals who want to make a seriously good game.
To the programming trenches I go.
General Lee
About the author
#2
Quests need to be quick, and one after the other. Like in D&D I would like to play a scenarios/quest within about 2-3 hours and sometimes I wanna just hack and slash for 30 mins.
Any genre will do, in space would be great, time travel cool too. Wild west fun as well. Futuristic - blech - too much already.
How about WW1 or 2 rpg? Like you are time traveller back then or something - dodging and weaving the main action while trying to restore order to time/space.
Oh yeah, having a horse would be cool too - I'm sick of walking around - hell even a pack mule as a basic requirement when you start.
04/10/2006 (3:50 pm)
I want to play a single rpg that doesn't allow me too much freedom, because wandering around gets boring after a while. Quests need to be quick, and one after the other. Like in D&D I would like to play a scenarios/quest within about 2-3 hours and sometimes I wanna just hack and slash for 30 mins.
Any genre will do, in space would be great, time travel cool too. Wild west fun as well. Futuristic - blech - too much already.
How about WW1 or 2 rpg? Like you are time traveller back then or something - dodging and weaving the main action while trying to restore order to time/space.
Oh yeah, having a horse would be cool too - I'm sick of walking around - hell even a pack mule as a basic requirement when you start.
#3
AI NPCs...do you mean ones that follow you around, like a party?
Never played oblivion. But when the MMO comes, housing will be included.
To Andy Hawkins:
I have been a DM for over 18 years now...the setting will be fantasy, and will be my own current game world. However, I do like your idea. I would have quests, which involve traveling, talking, some combat, puzzle solving, etc.....then I would have dungeons, which are purely hack n slash. (Like a Bugbear cave etc.). However, in order to cap PLing...once you've killed a creature say 50 times, you will recieve no more xp for that creature.
04/11/2006 (6:57 am)
To Christian Weber:AI NPCs...do you mean ones that follow you around, like a party?
Never played oblivion. But when the MMO comes, housing will be included.
To Andy Hawkins:
I have been a DM for over 18 years now...the setting will be fantasy, and will be my own current game world. However, I do like your idea. I would have quests, which involve traveling, talking, some combat, puzzle solving, etc.....then I would have dungeons, which are purely hack n slash. (Like a Bugbear cave etc.). However, in order to cap PLing...once you've killed a creature say 50 times, you will recieve no more xp for that creature.
#4
04/13/2006 (1:03 pm)
Capping a player at 50 kills of a creature won't prevent powerleveling. I'm a bigtime powerleveler and would quickly move on to other stuff. I think somethign like that would hurt non-plvl players alot more. 
#5
04/13/2006 (1:31 pm)
Why not start with the simplest game to make....ever?
#6
Don't start with a grand Epic, start smaller, do a Peter Jackson thing and claw your way up to LOTR.
04/13/2006 (4:21 pm)
I was going to make a great game (read my .Plan) but then I said 'Screw That, it's hard' now I'm making a puzzle game and a third-person zombie killer. Much easier concepts.Don't start with a grand Epic, start smaller, do a Peter Jackson thing and claw your way up to LOTR.
#7
I'm taking small steps...
Going to start with a FirstPerson RPG/FPS hybrid....(hack n slash)
Completely develop the first mission/level as a village.
Then add character classes to the first mission one by one until I have all the classes configured correctly.
Then I will expand past the first village.
I'm being realistic. (I think)
04/14/2006 (8:02 am)
LOLI'm taking small steps...
Going to start with a FirstPerson RPG/FPS hybrid....(hack n slash)
Completely develop the first mission/level as a village.
Then add character classes to the first mission one by one until I have all the classes configured correctly.
Then I will expand past the first village.
I'm being realistic. (I think)
#8
I have to disagree with you.
Here is why....
There aren't going to be tons of the same level stuff around to switch to.
You wouldn't have fun trying to PL at all.
04/14/2006 (8:07 am)
@ JasonI have to disagree with you.
Here is why....
There aren't going to be tons of the same level stuff around to switch to.
You wouldn't have fun trying to PL at all.
#9
For instance:
1. Taking over the Dwemer ruin near Balmora at level 1 without increasing non main stats.
2. Retrieving the skull for the Necromancer and having to literally run in and out of the tomb.
3. Going to Solthsiem first, then once you get the ring of Hircine go become an assasin and do all the quests as a werewolf.
4. Beating the game while I was technically level 1.
The point is, that any time I powerleveled it was not nearly as fun. You cannot prevent powerleveling, but you could find a way to reward not powerleveling. For instance the reward could be the inverse of the skill capabilities. The higher the skill, the easier to complete a quest, the lower the reward. Someone can still powerlevel, but they would be losing something in the process. Give them something to lose.
04/23/2006 (1:19 pm)
The most fun I have had playing Morrowind was trying to do stuff before you are supposed to. For instance:
1. Taking over the Dwemer ruin near Balmora at level 1 without increasing non main stats.
2. Retrieving the skull for the Necromancer and having to literally run in and out of the tomb.
3. Going to Solthsiem first, then once you get the ring of Hircine go become an assasin and do all the quests as a werewolf.
4. Beating the game while I was technically level 1.
The point is, that any time I powerleveled it was not nearly as fun. You cannot prevent powerleveling, but you could find a way to reward not powerleveling. For instance the reward could be the inverse of the skill capabilities. The higher the skill, the easier to complete a quest, the lower the reward. Someone can still powerlevel, but they would be losing something in the process. Give them something to lose.
#10
I don't give a crap about leveling and getting stuff. For me... I need to make a difference in the world I am playing in. And that fake way of making you feel important doesn't work. You get some quest that sounds important and you do it and then as you are walking away you look over your shoulder to see the other 20 people who are doing it too. Talk about ripping you out of the moment of suspended disbelief.
I play single/multiplayer rpgs for this reason. They are everything these MMORPGs are not. AND you get to play with other people, but not so many that you are unimportant, and you get to work TOGETHER to accomplish something. ALL actions matter.
Now, this is just my opinion of MMORPGs and single/multiplayer rpgs. But I am mentioning it because I wish that instead of everyone trying to make MMORPGs and almost certainly failing in the end because you CAN'T compete with the giants MMORPGs. Why not make a small scale single/mutliplayer rpg that CAN compete and that you CAN make and that there is an ACTUAL audience for. I would buy it and play it.
My 2 cents.
04/23/2006 (1:53 pm)
I hate MMORPGs because NOTHING you do matters. YOU don't matter to the world. NOBODY matters to the world. You all just run around and do crap and it's meaningless. That's why I can play for all of 1 day and I get so bored out of my mind. I don't give a crap about leveling and getting stuff. For me... I need to make a difference in the world I am playing in. And that fake way of making you feel important doesn't work. You get some quest that sounds important and you do it and then as you are walking away you look over your shoulder to see the other 20 people who are doing it too. Talk about ripping you out of the moment of suspended disbelief.
I play single/multiplayer rpgs for this reason. They are everything these MMORPGs are not. AND you get to play with other people, but not so many that you are unimportant, and you get to work TOGETHER to accomplish something. ALL actions matter.
Now, this is just my opinion of MMORPGs and single/multiplayer rpgs. But I am mentioning it because I wish that instead of everyone trying to make MMORPGs and almost certainly failing in the end because you CAN'T compete with the giants MMORPGs. Why not make a small scale single/mutliplayer rpg that CAN compete and that you CAN make and that there is an ACTUAL audience for. I would buy it and play it.
My 2 cents.
#11
And I am making a single player RPG. ;)
04/24/2006 (3:03 am)
Agreed. I played WoW to lvl 45, but looking back, I can't think of any reason for my character to have done all those quests. Theres no actual story motivation for you to do anything, you just get plonked into the world and then people with exclamation marks over their heads keep asking you to kill X whatever or collect X something else. Bleagh. And I don't even remember any of the characters, if you could even use the word character to describe those quest dispensing static info terminals. I've cancelled my MMOG accounts and am never going back.And I am making a single player RPG. ;)
#12
Ok then..so I will focus on Engaging game play.
and try to leave the lewt peeps out of it. :)
04/26/2006 (5:22 am)
Hmm.Ok then..so I will focus on Engaging game play.
and try to leave the lewt peeps out of it. :)
#13
I would advise anyone who is developiong a Role playing game to first produce a compelling storyline. To me it seems silly to play a role when that role has no reason to exist.
04/26/2006 (6:36 am)
I am always amazed that 'Story' never seems to be factored in with this game ideas, it is always about the game play. Lets face it this gameplay has been done, Oblivion current holds the gold belt from this category and guess what they offer a very compelling story. The side stories are so compelling I have posponed the main story arch. I would advise anyone who is developiong a Role playing game to first produce a compelling storyline. To me it seems silly to play a role when that role has no reason to exist.
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