Philoup

A.I. for your party members could be done. And you could set them at different A.I. style : -Healer -Defender -Support -Frenzy Attack -Observe and act ...ect I'll try to implement that in the sketch! For now I haven't done anything on VX ace but it's all starting to grow on paper.

I think that your request may be done just by bypassing the regular Battle System and common event. The hardest part is the choice proposition : Exemple : -Attack -Run -Cast -Punch -Jump -ect... You wouldn't want the player to get lost in subchoice menu... So that's why you could fit a system of ''assigned'' number to Various action like -Button 1 : Use potion -Button 2 : Punch Face -Button 3 : Kick -Button 4 : Cast Fire So when you trigger the enemy with the ''Space bar'' or ''Enter'' button, you could make a ''Counter'' appear, and depending on how much time it tooks to the player to push his ''Action Number'', you put a Bonus or Malus depending if it was fast enough or toooo slowwww.. I think I could sketch something that fits your need, If it's something you're interested in, I can give it a try. Good making! PS : Nice Battle System Idea actually

Like you said in exemple number 3, it's maybe a pseudo time system but you can also see it as a ''Dynamic Time System''. For sure it will bring the game to a more interesting level. I'm 100% in for Dynamic System. Dynamic/Hybrid system are the best because the use reality concept but they are adapted to the game. Using concept of real life is good but if it's a reproduction, it can sometime fall into SIMS alike game... Not bad at all but don't think that's what where looking a here. You could use a real time system that flow independently of the player's act, but like TheHarmp said earlier, it can stress the player... that's why you need to find a good balance of ''Time Flow'' A good exemple is ''Majora's Mask'' Really like that game where you can fully stretch, compress or even go back in time. Time System are often complicated to design because of the ''Day and Night'' concept... Exemple : in a town you can have full of NPC but at midnight I'm not sure that the kid will still run after the dog until 6 A.M....lol To end, I suggest my preference as ''Pseudo-Time System'', they offer more possibility and you may use longer or shorter time length at different moment of the game. If used well, this can bring your game to a completely new dimension! Good luck and good making. If any advice needed about eventing, writing down event or eventing system, don't hesitate to PM. Cya!

Since it's for school and you have a limited time, I suggest you start by determining the lenght of the game. For a 5 months works and a first project... I suggest you go for a 1 hours Game with some extra explorations maps. To begin, maybe you should write a story... if you don't want to go on complicate, just create a town, a village or a place where action is taking place. You don't really need a ''plot'' to make a game. Think of Tetris... Once you know where the game takes place, you can start writing down who's gonna be the character, try using realy life people, it's funnier and you may even put your teacher in the game. Go simple with 4 or 5 Main Character... so it doesn't get too complex with Dialog, characters movement and Interaction. I strongly suggest you buy yourself a physical NoteBook with paper... it works really well. Once the characters are done, let the action begin : Dialog, fighting, puzzle, teleportation, exploration, buying stuff, trading stuff... feel free to make anything happens, since it's your first game, let it be as original as it can be. Idea you can use : Story takes place in your own bedroom. You're sitting in front of paper, computer.. and you're explaining with message box that you need to write and create your own game for school.... Alright, you need a paper, so get out of the house and make the player buy a paper... and a pencil... Go back to home... problem, no more light! Make the heroe goes in the basement of your house to get some oil for the lamp... or just some fire... In the basement you meet an old fantome... or a zombie... or just a talking rat... You talk, you talk, blablablaaa... He tell you that he'll give you what you're looking for but he's hungry.... Now you must get some food for that ''guy'' downstairs... and on and on, if you need more inspiration, just ask, maybe I can help you too with the events. I know there's tons of tutorials out there but sometime you don't want to read THE WHOLE book just to realise that the little girl had brown hair... As you saw it, the exemple I just threw was really Linear like. And my advice is that you keep it the most linear possible so you don't get lost in event, fork condition and stuffs that would ruin your first RPG maker experience. If you success at ending your first RPG project, than I garantee you that all your future project will have better chance to see the light. So in big : -Short story -Linear process -Simple Quest or Action -Limited characters and few NPC -Take lots of note on the sheet -DoN't over Brainstorm or it'll end in a storm. And last advice, if you need help, Direct PM to Philoup! Cya! Good luck!

Great to read you. It will be my pleasure!

Not a question of graphics I think... I know you're talking about ''what we like to SEE''' and in a video game it's really graphical... But it's not a matter of Crazy camera angle and stuff... unless you're not using RPG Maker or you're doing a big screen movie. What I think is the most important about the 30 first seconds of the game is to 'Fill' the mood. I mean : The Environnement, the music, the sounds, the colors, the light! You must totally catch the Player within the 30 first seconds unless he's gonna get lame and just skip that intro... (we don't want an intro to be skipped... that's too sad) (Maybe my explaination goes in the same way as Kidd the Maniac) I, the player, want to feel that something is going on. Really going on I mean. It's not a matter of ''ACTION''... unless it's an action game. If it's based on dialog and developping relation, catch me with some Scene ''ala'' Tarentino style. A good way to introduce a game is by thinking of the intro as if it's a movie. Try to get your inspiration in movies you like or you think would fit the ''MOOD'' of your game. Actually if the intro is too contrasting with the 'real beginning of the player taking action' ... maybe the player won't like it. But a contrast between the intro and the ''start'' may just unbalance the player and make him want to continue the game! Picking the curiosity is also a great way to catch up the player's attention. All about Catching up the Attention. Not needed to yell or scream or FLASH the screen... but you have to create a place, a mood, a feeling, an environnement where the player will feel something. It could be sad, really joyful, anxious, enigmatic, confusing!, annoying... disturbing or whatever but never let the player indifferent about the game... don't let the player get his own opinion of the game within the 30 seconds. He must not even think, all he needs is to travel 100000 miles and get really into the game! No matter what the graphic are likes... pokemon graphic, Final Fantasy 7 or Mist graphics... doesn't really matter. Well... I hope it help you. And before I forget, if your game plot is all written... than I think it's important that you leave some messages in your intro, some spoils, some hints. As subtile as you can get just to catch up the 'Subconscience' of the player. (I know it's a publicity tricks but it's something that people really like) Like Sughayyer said, (cause I read while I write) the AMBIANCE of the game. If you're ain't sure, I may propose you do a sketch intro, than an other sketch, than an other! And maybe you could make a demo of all your intro and make a poll for which one the Public did prefer. sorry my english really crappy... Really hope it helps you. I'll follow this topic for any news or comments, really interesting subject.

Really liked those games too! I had a saved game of the old blue version with 150 Pokémons... around 200 hours gameplay! For your project, it's a cool idea and I know there's a Huge ''Scripts project'' build for making Pokemon game. It's really close to the Pokemon style game. There is practically ever functions in those scripts. Here you go my friend : http://crystalnoel42.wordpress.com/pokemon-for-ace-kit/ I think it's called the Crystal Engine... there's loooooootttss of stuff as you will notice, but seems perfect for what you want to do. I know it can be done without scripting but should take like... some years of full time programming/eventing and variabling! If it doesn't fit your need, PM maybe I can try to see what I can do to help you. Good making and see you!

Opinions seems to be really divided, and that's good to read (see). But we can put the whole in an other angle by putting that in everyday life... Is War a nice thing in real life? Tons of innoncent killed... usually 2 clans fighting for territory, money or glory... or Conquest! We can surely affirm that War is REAL. War is concret and does exist... you know what's going on on our planet... USA, Russia, Arabic Countries... The worst war I think is Religion war... because they hide worst behind it. They hide secret alliance and corruption... All the times, the media as a hugly role to play... The Mass media determine who is the GOOD, and sadly who is the BAD. In a RPG I know it's totaly different : War is heroic War is romantic War is for the peace... And it's a bit true, there's no peace if there's no war, and vice-versa. I've talk a lot without even putting my own opinion. That's why I'll give it a try : I like war because I like Knights, Kingdom, Armies, Fighting, Glory, Winning, Romance... but I think that War is a subject more limited than ''Fantasy''. Fantasy is : Emotions Abstraction of War or Peace Blue, Red or Incolors Imagination Princess Hugly or Beautiful Sad or Happy True or False... I think, personnaly, that Fantasy is stronger than war. Fantasy is a ''Children'' subject if I can call it like that... and we ALL know that a Kid's mind is definitely most developped than an Adult mind, in term of Imagination... The only problem with child is that they need to develop their brain to express what they see in their mind... but the more they develop their little brain, the more they tend to be adult. That's why as ''Makers'', we must keep our child mind, like Peter Pan. And I'm sure that if we're here on a RPG Maker Community, that's because we have the power to do so! I don't want to destroy ''War'' as a RPG subject... not at all. But Fantasy as much more to offer. From what I think. Wo... lots of blabla! Hope it helps, my opinion is just an opinion, like every others. I liked reading all of yours too.

You're always welcome! I'd like to follow the development of your game so if anything new comes out, PM me so I can notice the evolution of your project!