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Every RPG with active skills has a method of learning them. Some games you just learn them as you go. Sometimes you can level up your skills to improve them. Some games have a Skill Tree and Skill Points. The list can go on and on, but today, that is exactly what I want. I am currently developing a game, but I am unhappy with how my characters learn skills. I'd like you, the community's help to expand my mind and see what exactly I could do about this. I also hope that this thread will help others too. If this thread can document 10s or even 100s of ways character growth/skills can be managed, then I will be extremely pleased. Moving along. I have given Job Points (currency that buys skills essentially) the most thought, however it encounters a common problem that most skill management systems encounter. In the end, grinding is the solution to getting many skills, or at least certain skills when you really need them. This isn't really a problem for a lot of games, but I am aiming for a goal here. It's enough that grinding will level up your character, and the stat improvements that occur are enough to help make something easier that the player was having a hard time with. However, I don't think skills should follow this trend. At the same time though, I don't believe that the skill learning system should be something that irritates the player because of the restrictions placed upon it. The last thing a game should to is legitimately frustrate the player. What can I do to make a player rely more on their acquired skills, both in game, and from player experience, than just grind when they can't beat something on their first couple of attempts?

I`m not sure if someone already made this question but here it goes... Hello fellow forum members, Kotori-chan shall present a single Question (that may branch out to multiple questions): "What defines an RPG?" RPG stands for Role Playing Games. But it has multiple types and different meanings for the players who actually played or made these type of games. I have stumbled across multiple types like JRPGs, ARPGs or Action Role Playing Games, Tactical RPGS, MMORPGs and more (I know there are alot of variations and names for them). They all have RPGs in their names but what are they all in common? What are the things that make a game called an RPG? Is there any fundamentals and steps in order to make your game an RPG? If so, what type may it fall? What`s your definition about RPG? What makes an RPG bad and good? So many questions and so many variations of answers... I have opened this topic so that we could share our ideas on what really defines an RPG. It could help us in our game creating methods if we really know why are we making a game in the first place. (Inspiration? xD) Ok, I`ll start mine: Note: Respect each others opinions and reasons since we are all here to share ideas and information rather thsn throwing morning stars and grenades at each other XD

Hi Hi Hi all! So lately I've been running into RPG games where mostly the person would just focus on the story and a little few off sidequests just to add a little variety into the game. So I decided to add something else like when you finish the story , there would be more challenges after the main story and grand achievements like when you finish story mode, you can unlock a new party member on your team. But I like to hear from you guys, what would you put in a post game activity? Now I know you guys will be like "it depends on your game" but let's say I'm trying to get the general golden rule for most post story activities. or.... Have you ever tried to put stuff to make your game more last longing and enjoiyable? If so, what would it be? Comments, opinions and ideas will be noted and welcome!

Ok, so i had this idea fishing in my head for the past few months and im thinking i want to make this idea a reality, so far i got the concept: "It is a time of turmoil for mankind, the Earth is but a barren wasteland, deprived of all its rich resources. The human race have long since abandoned their home in search of a new place to call their own. After years of searching the vast deep reaches of the galaxy, the end for the human race seems inevitable… …Suddenly, they receive word from one of the scout ships. A new world has been found, and the human race begins its quest to colonize the newly found planet they have dubbed “Archaiaâ€. But little do the humans know, Archaia is not uninhabited. The planet is home to you and your people, the Golahks, and you will not give up your planet and its valuable resources so easily…" Think the movie Avatar, where the humans are the enemies. i think its a nice twist for a game. i was thinking instead of the blue aliens, i could try and do something like the opening scene of the latest star trek movie. the white humanoid characters who are not too advanced yet. its just a concept and i'd like any ideas of how i would implement this into an rpg. I know i dont want the batte system to be your typical dungeon crawler with heavy random encounters. I don't think the main character race would be going into a lot of dungeons and such, unless of course they needed to retrieve some artifact? idk, lol i've just been pondering. as for graphics, i was thinking of doing most of the world graphics myself, which i know would take months. Archaia: Planet Rich in radioactive deposits of uranium. Planet is covered in radioactive plant life. Coloured plants, and coloured water. lots of different land masses, each with its own race of golahks. And maybe cutting the game into chapters so im not too overwhelmed, release each game as maybe an hour long chapter...

Hey guys! I've been lately reading a few tutorials, just by curiosity, and I came across many things I actually never thought of putting into my game. You know, these big implements that make a game much more interesting. Here I'm thinking about relationships, children, homeowning, day/night cycles, etc. I thought it could be interesting for all of us to make a big list of all these things that many big (commercial) RPGs have (I'm thinking a lot about Skyrim). You know, these things that either make us take a break of the non-stop questing and fighting, or things that just enhance everything, mostly to make the game more realistic. So I guess I'll just start the list here and see where this goes. I'm very eager to see new ideas you guys might come up with Also, if you see an idea you like but don't know how to put it in a game, just ask So here's what I've got: -Day/night cycle (with time of day) -Relationship (wife/husband) and children -Pets (figthting companions?) -Buying houses -Crafting in many forms (weaponsmith, woodcutting, mining, etc.) a bit like runescape -Fishing (and cooking?) -Various minigames [EDIT] -Horseback riding -Character change (different char at difference place) or transformation (warewolf/vampire/sheepman) I hope you guys come up with good stuff!

I wanted to get some feedback on the current plot I made up for an RPG game.

Hello Everybody, this is a small thing that I am working on. I would like your thoughts on this. Its not a full blown idea its simply small lore and an overview from one of my games explaining various things from the world I am trying to create. Overview: The Setting Year: 2020 The company known as Zetra Corp. have made great strides technologically. Helping everyday life by making it simpler and easier. Zetra Corp. have been secretly working on a weapon, and that weapon has drawn the attention of spies and of certain Secret Organizations. Lore: Please keep in mind these are small lore that I have come up with in order to try and enrich the world I am trying to create. Agents of HADES: Secret Organization Their goal is control, and they will do all they can in order to achieve their goals. They own many secrets and powerful weapons. They are always on the search for powerful weapons and ally to increase their power. Zeturite: Precious Stones: Special mineral discovered by Zetra corp. Its a mineral infused with an unknown source of malleable energy called Omega Wave. This a rough draft of things I came up with for my new game. Before working on it some more I would like to know what you think up to this point.

Hello! My first idea was rejected, lol You guys made me realize that my writing was bad And thanks to that, I want to try again So I thought of another one. Please see if this is good enough for a game. If not, I'll keep on trying I haven't thought of a title yet. So if this one is accepted, please help me think of a title Thanks! Note: Young Children are aged 3-7 years; Infants 7 months to 2 years; Babies 0-6 months ------------------------------------- Title: ------------------------------------ Plot: Long before God created Eve, He has given Adam a wife, a woman named Lilith. Lilith lived with Adam for weeks, before noticing that Adam does not treat her as his equal. He complained to him, but he answered, "I'm the male, therefore I'm more superior than you." Enraged by his answer, Lilith tried to kill Adam but failed. God, having known of this, banished Lilith from the Eternal Garden, and sent two angels to keep Lilith from entering it. Lilith hid, never to be found again. But, one day, she appeared on the Tree of Life, as the serpent who made Eve commit the first gravest sin of all, eating a fruit from the Tree of Life. After eating it, Eve convinced Adam to eat too. He took a bite and the truth was revealed to them. God was so enraged and banish the two. Lilith was able to escape before receiving God's wrath. But before escaping, she swore to God that one day she will appear again to kill young children, infants, and babies and eat their soul, trapping them into the eternal limbo. ---------------------------------------------------------- Three years after the 5th Transition of the Ages (Age of Virtualization), hundreds of millions of young children, infants, and babies around the world were found dead on the day of Virtuo (formerly celebrated as Christmas), but the new-born son of Ezreal (one of the only two remaining exorcist in the world), and the young children of the remaining Christian followers, lived in exchange for their lives. The parents of the deceased children around the world protested and called the church names, and blame them, telling that it was their fault that their young children died. The head of the only remaining Christian church, Last United Church, answered back, "We warned you thousand of times about an upcoming disaster. But you refused to believe and called us blasphemous to your so-called religion, 'Virtualism'. Although the church is angry for being treated that way, they still followed the ways of the dying religion, they sent the youngest and the only remaining exorcist (before the other only remaining exorcist died to save his son), and his three chosen companions (those three are the most powerful holy magic practitioner), to find and kill Lilith, in order to save the souls of the children killed by her and protect the lives of the future children, which are yet to be born. ---------------------------- I think this is it for the summary of the beginning I'll post the bio of the of the characters tomorrow Thanks again!

Hi there, I've worked on/off for my project, Eve of Perception. (I think there's a few demos about, but I ended up putting them down due to trying to do too much too fast. I'm using mostly RTP outside some SE and BGM or minor sprite edits). For some background, this is close to the end of my novel series, but I've always known/imagined it worked better as a game. I'm a huge fan of JRPGs, so you may see some cliches in there but a lot of it is built upon backstory from the books, since this game is all about their afterlives. I hope it works well as a stand alone as any references are eventually explained. I've noticed some of my problems are how much information to give out a time. I tend to over-explain. One of my main concerns was that there are 12 playable characters plus a secret character. I know I have to give them all unique personality, so I've attempted to do so as well as make them all intergral to the plot at some point. I should probably explain my story ideas and the characters, though, huh? The story revolves around Matthew, a boy who is remembering bits of his living life. He has two friends, Meru and Pirro, who live with him at an orphanage in a tiny village. Four years prior, most of the adults left to go to war and never returned. The enemy in that war are the Witches (best described as a race anomaly and rare), especially one in particular named Puppet who conqoured the castle that the Reapers called home. Since her appearance Heaven and Hell have collided, resulting in monsters, environmental changes, and side-swapping between Angelics and Demonics. I haven't decided on a code name for the "main" antagonist, but he ends up being the hero's father and Puppet ends up being his mother. The antagonist breeched the Earthly world and Heaven, trying to find the soul of his wife for reasons I've yet to explain. I've tinkered with calling him Origin or Sorcerer, but his real name is Evin. There's a bit more backstory to the game, because after Heaven and Hell collided to make Perception (limbo), of course the two sides wouldn't get along. Lucifiel, Belial, and Leviathan are some of the major badguys. A man named Alec from one of the character's pasts is as well. Well, God was nowhere to be found. God is protected by the Valkyrie, named Kreeno, who weilds the Lance of Longinus. The Demonics slowly began to take over the 4 archangels: Michael, Raphael, (Lucifiel), and Sandalphon. When only Sandalphon, a Reaper named Dream, and Kreeno remained, they decided to play it safe and reincarnate themselves so that they could come back when their side had gained strength via a resistance group (started by the reapers) named Icterid. So they were reincarnated. The whereabouts of the Lance remain unknown. A note about the Lance as well: it is the tool that can rip open the worlds between Heaven and Hell and Earth. So Evin has used it before. Now, the game begins in the village of Conception, where Matthew, Meru, Pirro, and some of the other orphans are playing. It goes fine until Ketal hurts Marta's feelings by telling her that their parents will never return. Meru is very defensive and ends up revealing her mysterious powers. Ketal calls her a witch and makes her begin to question if she belongs in the village. Pirro, Matthew's best friend, loves Meru. Matthew and Meru really have no interest in one another (unless you want them to, later). Ketal sets out into the forest to prove Meru is the reason their Forest Elder, Minos, has gone insane. The group catches him sneaking out in the night and follow him. Halfway through the forest is a cemetary where Ketal reveals his father never made it past the forest and was killed by Minos. He blames Meru and Minos for his father's death and goes to kill the him. The group follows and rescues Ketal, but when they return to the village the Demonics have attacked and burned the village down. They are hunting witches, specifically a "catalyst". Alec, the leader of the raid, is a rogue angel. He takes Meru and Pirro, and then Dream, the reaper from the past, shows up and saves Matthew, taking him back to a hideout a few days away. There's a lot more story past this, but this is essentially the first hour of the game. Here's a breakdown of the characters: Matthew - the main character (he later finds out he is a witch, the first male one in fact). He uses mostly physical attacks and is strong with dark and weak to light. He's pretty quiet and usually only speaks to ask questions and stays focused on his goal. He doesn't mind doing things, but he doesn't feel pressured to go save a farmer or whatever if his friends want to. Meru - I guess she would be your main mage. She starts with a healing spell. She is the opposite of Matthew in attributes. She's pretty stuck up but likes to defend others. She craves change and attention. Pirro - He's one of my weakest characters. He is strong with earth. Matthew is his best friend and Meru is the love of his life. He would do anything to help them, even if/when they turn on him. I guess he defines himself through others, but is generally a food lover and a comedian. ShindoW - She's an angel with undersized wings. She's looking for her younger brother, Shane, who was murdered when they were alive. She's had a long life that led to her suicide and a lot of unresolved issues with other characters. She also wants to help Matthew since they knew each other in their teenage years. Dream - A Reaper and prince of the reaper village. Reapers can turn into grackles (blackbirds). They are said to appear when someone is about to die. Dream is very flat spoken and cold, but mostly because of the trauma his people have suffered. He hates all witches, no matter if they appear good or bad. He will focus mostly on passive skills, states, and debuffs/buffs. Meloni / Sandalphon - ShindoW's foster father in life. He's generally an angry person, but was also a cop in his past life. He's recently awakened in Perception and has direct ties to Matthew, ShindoW, and Scott. He's very religious and is forced to cope with what his side has done in the war. He is an optional character. If you don't recruit him, he will be an enemy. He has strong phsyical and magical attacks. Angel - ShindoW's soul mate. She was killed in a storm when they were young. She's a Healer. She is a kind hearted girl who realizes she has no problems... so she solves other people's problems. She is glad to finally be reunited with the woman she loves. Scott - ShindoW's older brother. He left her on Mel's doorstep after the two siblings had run away from home. Scott eventually succumbed to scizophrenia after a long career as a rock star. He killed most of his friends/family and wound up in an insane aslyum where he met Meloni. (The leader of that asylum is now Belial, fyi) In death, he mostly seeks redemption. He is a chain smoker with a sarcastic attitude and womanizing personality. He specializes in physical attacks. Star - The mother of Scott's children. After an explosion they were seperated and Star took the name Melody because she had forgotten who she was. When they re-met and remembered one another, Scott killed her. Now, she is the Queen of the dragons, an ancient race (I haven't expanded upon them yet). But she is looking for a lover to make her King and continue her great race through a pilgrimage. She is very outgoing and loud and a bit of a country girl. She uses Summons. Kreeno - the legendary Valkyrie, protector of God. She used to be a male friend of Matthew's in school. Her reincarnated personality often conflicts with her ethereal one. For most of the game her Shell/Body and Extract/Soul are seperated. This is another main thing with the plot. Duckie - Duckie is Matthew's little sister, the one Matthew feels he is searching for in the beginning of the game. When he was looking for her it led to his premature death. Duckie is a lonely girl who spends most of her time around her brother. She idolizes her mother, for the worst. (Their mother is abusing them due to cancer in her brain. Unable to cope, this was why Evin felt her soul was gone. He unlocked a way into the afterlife to find her "good" soul again, in the process creating witches.) Duckie is the reincarnation of the Lance and she uses tarot cards. I'm not sure how to implement these yet, but maybe some sort of button press system? Olivar - The least fleshed out character. He's Alice's cat. You find him being robotisized by the Demonics, which gave him the ability to fly and communicate. He's just a cute, fun character. Alice - The secret character. In another reality, she is the daughter of Angel's rape. Matthew is her brother. She is a magical girl who scours time and space seeking the ultimate Witch. She is very relaxed but focused. She will be hard to recruit, requiring a number of triggers, but basically makes the post-game a synch for those that want to do everything with ease, as well as unlocking her own ending. As far as the battle system, here's how it's laid out: There's Life Points and Aura Points aka HP/MP. Soul Points are earned on level up (and you heal on level up) which you use to increase your base stats as you see fit for any character. Want 3 tanks? Go for it. Of course, starting stats fluctuate due to their natural role in battle. There are Physical and Emotional skills. Some characters learn one, others both. Emotional skills tend to focus on healing/attack, while the other is mostly buffs/attack. There are 6 types of magic: Pyromancing, Aeromancing, Geomancing, Aquamancing, Holymancing, and Necromancing. Characters learn Auras (skills and spells) through Books. This book can be used on any character capable of learning the spell. You will gain several for the basics, but there are also special ones exclusive to the characters, as well as combo attacks. Auras can be combined for super charged skills. I'm aiming to make the enemies have some thought required. Each dungeon will basically prepare you for the boss in terms of levels and skills needed, but still require unique strategy. I want the dungeons to be just difficult enough to squeak by. You can save anytime and heal on level up to make it easier. Anyway, I guess I'm looking for thoughts? Opinions? Is something really bad? Let me know Finally, I do have nearly the entire story planned (I'd say 50% + the ending), so let me know if you guys would like to see the complete story so far.

I need some help for coming up with a basic plot for a game. You play as a boy named Jun and it is his birthday. [At the end of the game, it is revealed that he's dead.] The only thing I can think of is him going to the store to get things to bake a cake. It's supposed to have an eerie feeling, like OFF or Ib. Here's a picture of Jun. Any help would be appreciated. Sorry for extreme lack of info.

Hello! So I am planning to make a game for my school project. First few scenes of the game is about the life of the main character as a student He does a concert (PLayer plays a mini game and needs to success to proceed) The main antagonist wakes from his deep slumber then causes chaos on the world The main character travels to a realm where he needs to defeat the enemy/ies there After he finishes the game A second arc option appears on the menu So what do you think? Do you think this is possible? Thanks! Feedback and Advices are appreciated.

Uh hey My idea was at first to create a Trading Card Game on the web I changed it now to fit (better) the RP VX Ace Kizuna:::Ties That Bind A colorful adventure TCG where players, their troops, and the creatures (that were captured into cards) can soul tie with each other to sparkly transform into beings of power and stop an evil guy who has a massive inferiority complex because people mistake him to be a female all the time and other things Platform// RP VX Ace + Web when I can code or hire a scripter to make available how to send some information to and from web Target// Anybody that likes some fun cartoony stories and Japanese manga art Maybe mostly younger girls um Goals for now// Create a hook with some animation and artwork and outline of ideas to get support Develop a small demo around how the TCG part works and introduce basic controls and features Make a Kickstarter to get funded The Player// They will sign up on the web and download the base game in RP VX Ace In the game the player can customize their appearance and some of their personality which will make their game a unique experience The player can play through the basic story and collect cards via the game A GM will play as the main villain on the web and those that want to can interact with him under their avatar and download the new content (dungeons and challenges) he throws out by upgrading the game with the free expansions Purchasable expansions and cards, card bazaar and player trades, One on One PvP will come when we can get something to handle web It will be kind of like those web games like Dragon Breeding only with TCG adventure so not an MMO but just a multiplayer community like that Story// We haven't got to far on this part but we know that for some reason the creatures are entrapped in cards and the players and their troops must soul tie with them in order to unleash the powers against the villain Maybe the villain wants to turn the whole world into a board//card game just something fun and a little darker story can go under it later The villain's name is Faize Malyxaria and he attempts to appear very serious but he looks androgynous and gets mistaken for a girl at all times which makes him lose his cool and we can see he has an inferiority complex The TCG// I will write up this later but there will be cards also for items and "areas" that have been captured into cards and not just creatures It will play some what like YGO with modes but it will have some strategy and tactics on it too like board games a little Sometimes the games will have differing objectives depend on the battle the player faces It's not all about knocking out their opponent at all times I will write more later Does it sound interesting or OK ..... And yeah I am still looking for more people to help with it Uh Yeah

So I figured instead of having 10 different people post different or possibly the same question and having it get answered with a bunch of comments. It would be much easier to have a poll set up to receive and document these particular answers. I have set up a Poll or form via Google documents, asking a variety of question that may help many people decide what kind of game they may wish to produce. Assuming we get enough responses it would be extremely helpful to many people. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xX7sVwlT2EUQjni10mHPp_pyT43DV1GKPkyZ9AnrxB8/viewform There are 12 questions. 1 question if forum name (Optional) 10 questions are required questions 1 question is anything extra you feel like adding If there's any important questions you feel should be added let me know and I'll add them in. If you wish to review the responses given the link below will bring you to the responses. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As94gBFKqP1jdFdEbU93WF95MVNKdjVxVWtBYUtBLVE&usp=sharing

Hi everyone, This is my first post, haha. I came across this website about a fortnight ago after talking with a friend about my ideas and have been thinking about making an account and post since then, so here it goes! I've been thinking about creating a series of short stories using RPG maker Vx Ace (and eventually a longer one with the help of my afore mentioned friend, because I'm not particularly good at complex stories, but he is). Before I can get started, I need a world and setting. Without this, I just constantly hit a roadblock, even with simple game ideas. I have been mulling over something recently though. I have an idea for a world, but I need some feedback about it. My idea is that of a dark, low(ish)-fantasy version of the real world, circa 800AD-850AD. The dark ages. There are not a great deal of records from this period, so I feel that I could take a number of liberties to try and flesh out a low fantasy version of it. Much of the world will initially be based off of Europe and the Middle East at the time of the Carolingian Empire(and its fall in the 840s). Magic will exist, but within rather rigid constraints. Not everyone will be able to throw ice bolts or cast curaga on a party. Only priests and Shaman-like characters may use these rather rare gifts. There were a lot of religions around at this time. Each religion will have a few gods(or in the case of the Abrahamic religions, just one), I plan to add a mystical, magical aspect to each religion though. the Abrahamic god for example might grant healing / anti-undead magic, but Norse, Celtic or Slavic gods might grant elemental powers, while Zoroastrianism may grant an assortment of fire based powers. Priestly, or Shamanistic characters in the stories may receive these powers. I'd also like to prevent the likes of elemental magic being used indoors at will(Think of it more like controlling aspects of the weather). If Shaman characters want to do so, they can carry a limited amount of runic stones imbued with the powers. I want a world that can be used for both light hearted tales, and rather dark stories of intrigue and backstabbing. With a world as varied as one based on the Dark ages, I think this may be possible. I'm a bit sick of seeing elves and other fey in the traditional light, and want to subvert that trope by bringing the concept back to the fact that the Anglo-Saxons and other Germanic tribes thought they were demons who caused nightmares and addled peoples minds. There won't be any kind of saving the world type events. The world is bigger than the stories it contains. it persists even when the characters die, kingdoms rise and empires fall. However, these times were one of great change, and I want to leave it so that some stories can go off on a fictional "what if" tangent from real events(and this fictional world will diverge accordingly). I plan to include Celtic, Germanic, Islamic, Slavonic and Norse mythology in this world, but I know a lot of that is often already overused to the maximum already. I'd plan on being very careful with mythology for that reason, unless an opportunity came along to subvert a common trope. When it comes to planning out the stories for the world, I'd plan on doing some research on the region that the story will take place in and then work from there. Anyway, those are just some ideas I have been throwing around in my head for a world. I'd still have a fair bit more to think of, but I'd really appreciate any feedback on these ideas. A lot of my inspiration comes from 2 western RPG/Strategy games, Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods and Mount and Blade:Warband(specifically the fantastic Brytenwalda mod). Its just a period in time that really interests me. Every time I'd play those games, I'd think about how little that setting(along with the late Roman) is actually used. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Hi there. I have just recently purchased RPG Maker VX Ace and there's a rough story that I created in my head a few years ago that I want to try to make a game. First of all, I'm not sure where to start, because there are so many things to sort out. Where should I begin? A rough sketch of the storyline from beginning to end? Characters? Battle/skill system? Artwork or music? Maps? Scripts? Does anyone have any tips on the order these things should worked on? Anyway, I want to make an RPG that is a bit of a send up, a light parody, or a figurative "middle finger" to the stereotypical RPG cliches, but of course, it will be mostly tasteful, and (hopefully) not vulgar nor crass about it. I've been playing RPGs since I was in the womb and I'm sick to death of the cliches, so I wanna do something a little different. It deals with slightly mature themes. So the first part, or "prologue" of the game will be deceptively cliche. I'm going to include as many RPG cliches as possible. The main character (I'll call him "Adam" for now, have not settled on a name yet) is just an average unassuming young man (about 16. I normally hate teenager heroes but there's a point to this). Has a childhood best friend Chester (purposely cliche name). There is a prophecy says the end of the world is coming and during troubled times the "fated chosen one" will come forth and bring salvation to the world. The end of the world is imminent and natural disasters and other weird things are happening. The world is Earth-esque, with a mixed setting of modern technology (TV, computers, video games) with some fantasy stuff. Think Breath of Fire 3, or somewhat FF7ish. One day a meteor strikes town, Adam is in its direct impact zone and the meteor smashes a crater in the town. Everyone else in the hit zone dies, except for Adam. He develops magic powers (magic doesn't exist in the world) and is heralded as the "chosen one". Anyway, as the chosen one he is told to go to so and so as per the prophecy to save the world. During his travels he meets (read: rescues) an amnesiac girl named Sarah (deliberate cliche name) whom is a priest/healing ho, whom shortly recovers her memory and (among being a runaway princess) is a priest of the local church sent to escort you to your mission blah blah. Anyway, the ritual is to take place on Mt so-and-so and is an extinct volcano. Upon reaching the mountain top and defeating the demon king or whatever (like a supposed final boss) he will get to save the world. This is where he learns to save the world he will need to sacrifice himself, conveniently by tossing himself into the volcano crater. At this point Adam refuses, saying the world is not worth saving (before this point he sees various scenes about the selfish, corrupt and evil act by humans during his travels). At this point, the end of the world has started, the volcano starts erupting, sky turns red, etc etc. Chester and Sarah tries to give him encouragement and he still refuses. Chester and Sarah now both turn on him, saying the mission must succeed at all costs and the end of the world must be stopped, if Adam doesn't jump they're going to make him. They both rush at Adam, and all 3 tumble into the volcano. The world then gets destroyed. The next scene is inside a harem/tent. An Arabian sultan-esque merchant is drinking his wine sitting down, talking to someone off screen, whom is responding back seductively. After a little innuendo filled banter, with suggestion that the unseen person has removed items of clothing, a girl bursts through the tent door with a pair of guns, demanding the merchant hand over the gems. The camera then pans outwards and you see the person the merchant was talking to was Adam, stark naked (but standing with his back to the camera, we're being tasteful here, people!) and unfazed by what's happening. After the girl grabs the gems she yells out to Adam to grab his gear and get out. Turns out they're working together. Next scene they're riding on camels through desert-esque landscape.The girl's name is Lilith and she's Adam's partners in crime and they're not above stooping low as per the merchant incident. Through their banter we learn its been 2 years since "end of the world" (no fancy name for it yet) and they make a living through robbing/stealing. 95% of the population have been wiped out, and weird things have been happening with the terrains. They walk past some walls have that a wanted poster of Adam. He goes and rips it off. They get ambushed by bandits, wanting to collect the bounty on Adam's head. This would be a tutorial fight I guess. Turns out he has made many enemies since his refusal to save the world and everyone wants him dead, hoping it would restore the world. After they rescue a farmer (or something) that was getting robbed before the bandits spotted Adam. He mistakes Adam for someone else. And when he realises he's not whom he thought he was, says there's a millionaire (or whatever the post-apocalyptic equivalent) in the next town trying to find his long lost son and Adam apparently looks just like him. Lilith gets an idea for Adam to pretend to be his son so they can get inside his mansion and rob him blind. So that's basically the intro, captured in cinematic detail lol. As for the characters: Main character "Adam" (name not set): About 18. It's not so much he's shy or introverted or antisocial, he's just very internalised and keeps most things in his head. He doesn't usually talk much, not that he don't have the social skills, he just doesn't like socialising with strangers, unless a mission requires him to (e.g., spy work) where he'll just turn on the charm, and then afterwards say "glad that's over". You'll also get to see his internal voice (think Squall but less broody and less of a loser), where he is very intelligent and very witty. His internal voice often breaks the 4th wall, yet does it subtly, as it won't directly communicate with the player but you've got to read between the lines. For example, in one event somebody will say he's broody, angst and antisocial, and his internal voice will say something like "Where did you get that idea from? Do I go around saying '...' or '...whatever' every 5 minutes? Oh, wait..." His internal voice will be used to voice something that everyone's thinking yet no one says anything, and he will take the piss out of cliche situations. Eg, in games/TV/films/everything when a bad guy got you cornered with a gun (for example), instead of killing you they always take their time and prattle on about something, most often divulging their plans. Adam will take advantage of cliches like these. He's not much of a hero, but not broody like Cloud or Squall. He comes off as selfish to others, but he believes in survival of the fittest and always looking out for number 1. Possibly bi, but not interested in romance. He's not fighting for anything in particular, as he's indifferent to most things. He is public enemy number 1, but his survival skills are second to none (being the "chosen one" makes you a cut above everyone else) and his favourite saying is something like "I just want to live a little longer". He never makes the mistake of misplanning, e.g., talking with someone about sensitive information while someone eavesdrop at the door (like many game/TV/movies) and call anyone that fail to be discrete or try to spy/eavesdrop on him "amateurs". His angle changes little later in the game, his motivation not so much, he just wants to be free, "true neutral" if you will, and don't go out of his way to stop villains unless he's personally adversely affected by their plans. Lilith (goes by Lil): Adam's side kick and about the same age. Most people will think she is loud and annoying. She is the opposite of Adam, she has no filter from her brain and verbalises everything she thinks. Her mouth gets her in trouble sometimes like accidentally giving away their plans (so Adam sometimes keep the mission intel with her on a "need to know" basis). It's not that she is ditzy, she's actually really smart and sometimes will just blab out a solution to the problem on a whim and realises it a few seconds later. She gets on well with Adam cuz he just switches off and sorta hears a muffled "mwwoooo mwwoooo mwwoooo". They have colourful banter, think Rose, Dorothy and Sophia (with Sophia being Adam's inner voice of course) from the Golden Girls. She loves jewels and is her motivation for everything. (And I'm thinking of using a gem-esque magic/skill system in game so that works out). There's no sexual tension with Adam cuz he's not interested, but she prefers jewels to men anyway. "Dad" (no name yet): The millionaire old man is the third party member. "Old" is relative, but he's about 45 and really good looking with a good bod, a DILF if you will. (This is the reason Adam had to be young else the "dad" storyline wouldn't be convincing). He's calm and collected. Adam and Lil manages to pull off the bluff (after much hilarity of course) and he accepts Adam as his long lost son. And after saying goodnight on the first night, he retires to his quarters and speaks to a mystery someone on the phone saying "target acquired". Ooooooooooh. The plot thickens. His mansion (rebuilt after the end of the world) is located on a plateau of sort, and the only entrance is through a monster infested underground channel, which serves as a natural deterrent for thieves. How is he able to live a luxury lifestyle after the end of the world? Think the great depression. While 99% of people suffered, those with extraordinary influence and wealth were still able to live an affluent lifestyle, and he's one of them. Is he really Adam's dad? Is he up to no good? Is he the end boss? All will be revealed hehe. Genesis: He looks just like Adam except blonde instead of orange hair (yes, Im making Adam a ranga!) Who is he? Is he the real son of "dad"? Anyway, influences for this game includes, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, and Xenogears, particularly the scene where *SPOILERS for Xenogears* Fei and Citan travels through a factory in Solaris where they produce canned meat. Fei was hungry so ate some, and Citan declined the offer. And afterwards Fei discover the factory used human flesh as the ingredient, and Citan knew it all along! I love how on the surface it looks seemingly normal and uneventful, yet hides a macabre secret. This is the feeling I want to capture in some of the events.

Been a while since I've last written something, but I'm back! I keep on scrapping my projects and doing them over and over because I can't decide which of these concepts to use. The main reason is that I love the old-school J-RPG style (OLD Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Dragon Quest, etc). However I reckon game mechanics are important to hook up the player, and despite all the innovation we can add to such a game type, the "feel" remains the same. My game has a plotline and a non-linear approach (there are at least two solutions to every quest) and for me that'd work fine. But, sometimes, I think I should let go off the boundaries of level, equipment, etc... or maybe achieve an in-between. Too confusing? Let's pick an example: BloodNet is a very ancient game in a gothic-cyberpunk world where you are a vampire. The characters don't gain levels, they improve their skills as you use them (like hacking, combat skills, pickpocketting, their HP, etc). More often than not, a single hit is fatal to a character or NPC. But there are different kinds of armor: kevlar vests render bullets useless, refraction suits shields from laser, insul suits from radiation. There are reinforced armours that don't make you immune, but let you survive an attack. All this seems easy to implement technically, but what about the gameplay? Won't battles be simply boring or dreadful in such a system? And what would be the fun in dungeon exploration if you are able to simply avoid all enemy attacks with the right equipment? I'd appreciate all kinds of oppinions!

BIG QUESTION FOR GAME DEVELOPERS: What do you think of Visual Novels? For those a little free-range, should there be Achievements? Quests/Missions? Both? I'm kinda making a game and I think they might help, but I'm not so sure. I mean, those interactive story games are almost the same as visual novels, save method of presentation.

I was always a fan of the epic/sci-fi crossover, and few games did this better than the Phantasy Star series. The original series featured, in the course of four games, a very deep and solid universe. I figure the Phantasy Star Team (most of the people who worked on the first one also did the second and the fourth) moved away from the J-RPG format because it would be labeled "just another" Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. But maybe different mechanics could be added and the original J-RPG feel could be brought back, since the Algol Solar System (the setting of Phantasy Star) has a lot of room for plots at any given time (before PS I, interlude between 2 games, or after PS IV). Of course, I'm still working on my "dream project" (Tales of Adamah), but I figure that while I develop more skills and gather more resources, I could take on a side project for practice and fun. But, I digress. The point is, would people still play such a game? What mechanics could be added to make it more appealing for the newer audiences without losing the old feel of the traditional 8 and 16-bit rpgs?

Greetings all! I'm working on an idea for a new component magic system. The system would use a "chassis" (basically, a magic circle) that accepts a specific number of components. The order in which the components are put into the chassis determines the resulting spell. Example, Fire+Fire+Air may do nothing but a standard Fire attack, fire attack, and air attack; while Fire+Air+Fire may create Balefire, an attack which does significantly more damage. For those familiar with Legend of Legaia, it would be similar (in a very, very broad sense) to the combat system. The end result would be players trying various combinations and discovering what combinations result in powerful spells. Now we come to to the actual point of my post... I'm trying to determine what forces to use as components. Naturally, elements are the first thing to leap to mind, but with this being a new magic system, I was hoping to break away from something so associated with standard magic. Runes, Glyphs, or even Kanji come to mind as well, though using a Rune of Fire is only slightly less overdone as using plain Fire. Does anyone have any suggestions for good mystical or primal forces that would fit well into a component system? Thanks for reading through to the end. I look forward to any suggestions/discussion!

So I'm working on my game, trying not to overload on ideas and get so confused and tangled up that I can't make anything out. I've just finished a "background story" that is going to be the grounds for the game, and I wanted to get some opinions on it and a few other ideas as well. Here's the background, which is going to be displayed at the beginning of the game: "Long ago, mortals and their Immortal creators lived alongside one another in quiet peace. The Immortals provided fruitful harvests, remedied plagues, and protected the mortals from evil creatures. The mortals, in return, payed tribute to the Immortal by means of innovation, and displays of their worth. Celebrations were frequent and long-lasting, with feasts of harvests, and treats from the Immortals to feed the masses. This peace and friendship lasted centuries. However, the passing of time brought on a stark realization. The mortals, dying of old age at only eighty years old, envied the millenia-long lives of Immortals, and searched to find a way to mimic it. The Immortals despised the mortals jealousy and greed, but they too were jealous of the one thing that made the mortals unique- a Soul. Soon, all out war was waged. The mortals, through the power of their Souls, were able to exploit the weakness of the Immortals. It wasn't long until the Immortals numbered only twelve. Despite their numbers, the mortals were frail, and the Immortals used their combined power to bring an end to the war. With both sides beaten, a truce was negotiated. The Immortals were slowly fading away, and the remaining mortals still relied on them to bless the crops and heal their sick and injured. Thus a pact was made for a lasting peace. The pact ensured the Immortals would survive to guide the mortals, and that the mortals would never again rebel against their creators out of greed for their power. Every one thousand years, the Immortals would choose twelve mortals to succeed them, to maintain the peace, and ensure a mutual relationship without conflict. Three thousand years passed in peace and harmony, but the Immortals, nearing the end of their time, are on edge as a civil conflict among the mortals has erupted, and their existence may be in jeopardy." Afterwards, it will jump to a conversation between the twelve current Immortals discussing the dilemma. They will mention the main character, who is unknowingly one of the twelve chosen to become an Immortal, and the rebellious son of the King of one side of the civil war being waged, and then it will jump to him. I'm undecided how I want to introduce him and begin play. I could do the seemingly traditional "wake-up-and-adventure" beginning, but I was considering just beginning the character in the middle of leading a battle against the opposing army. I would appreciate any ideas, questions, concerns that anyone has. HUGE EDIT: warning, it's quite long That's what I've got for now, opinions and suggestions more than welcome, especially if you can come up with some ideas on personalities and motives among the Immortals I haven't yet developed. I'm working on the opening sequence and beginning portion of the game (introducing the player, other important characters, etc.) and will try to update on progress.

Greetings people of the community, I'm here with a crazy idea! The idea is below, all my other game projects are on hold while this is going on, I plan to create a game based around this community for now. The Idea: A game based completely around this community - You, the community will contribute the most to this project, I will simply create the game's skeleton in most cases. Notes: I already put my own character in the game, that character is the leader until otherwise stated. If you don't want to continue being part of this project let me know so I can create a scene to kill off your character and free up space, exceptions are characters which have yet to be added. If you want you can create a map or several for the game and send them to me, I'll add them to the world as I design it. You can create a title screen, game over screen and a window re-design if you like. Map Rules: No bland maps No maps full of empty space No maps bigger than 200x200 in size No pointless maps No convoluted maps You may create more than one map if you like, you MUST inform me of the purpose of the map otherwise it will be ignored as per Rule 4. Game Title: BlitzX Fill in the form which is attached as Character Form and send that to me to have your character or Antagonist added to the game. - Attachment: Complete a form based off the attached Game Ideas Guideline and send it to me to get your ideas in the game. - Attachment: Sprites MUST be setup according to this Attachment: This project will go on for as long as there are ideas being generated either by me or by you. REMINDER: This is a community-based game idea, don't be afraid to pitch in. Note: If you want to assist with development itself let me know and we can start forming a team of some sort. You can spend as little or as much time contributing in any way as you like, you don't have to contribute at all if you don't want to. Note to Mods: If this is in the wrong sub-forum I would appreciate it if you could move it to wherever it should be, I did check the guideline as it were for this sub-forum and as far as I can tell this thread is fine here. Some of you may wonder 'Why are you going for this kind of idea?' - The answer: I want to do something grand for the community! Call it a present or whatever you like - I just feel like doing this and I want it to succeed, simple as that. Note: Remember to state who to credit for any content you send me. I sure hope this all works out for the best. And... Development Team Wraith the Elusive Sgt Twilight Sparkle

I started designing this idea on RPG Maker VX but sadly went through some difficulties (laptop dead beyond repair) and now that I have time and a new laptop, I decided to buy RPG Maker VX Ace and start from scratch. Feedback/blunt honesty/criticism is much appreciated. If you hate it, tell me. . . Just tell me nicely and the carton of ice cream doesn't get hurt. In an age where mystical and terrible beings ruled the land There arose a wonderful legend of a great and powerful warrior A warrior that would defeat evil and conquer many lands This warrior would possess strength and vigor never seen before Or so what the legend had promised But then When are most legends true? . . . Grown from energies of the earth and sky, a mystical plant was grown within mist. Powerful beings and humans trembled at its power yet seek to possess it. This plant possessed the power to grant immortality or consume thousands upon thousands depending on the person who ate it. Wars were waged, friends became enemies, and peace was only a distant memory. The Delsmonians and Humans constantly battled for this power, ignorant of the thousands lost and buried. But one day the plant disappeared. Its energy not felt by the ones who craved it and soon became forgotten. Yet from the power struggle to seek immortality, many empires and kingdoms had fallen and risen. Yet. . . some still believe the plant is somewhere . . . Some place where no one who's will is weak can acquire it. . . . Summary: You play as Zemeria a young woman who gets kicked out of her house by her mother in order to find an item that she hid a long time ago. As you go on your quest you find out that many individuals, good and evil are also looking for this item and you're in a race to find it first. What you will do with it, you have yet to find out. Characters: Zemeria: A young woman in her early 20's that deeply loves her mother and agrees to go on a dangerous quest to find an item she has no knowledge about or what it may have to do with her future. Jandor: A malicious mercenary that once tried to kill Zemeria but decided to join her party but with what ulterior motives no one knows. (In this RPG you can't just walk in anyone's house, You have the option to use Jandor to break in and steal items from people. Just don't walk back in town with him after you do it!) Rob: A gremlin who shaped his teeth to look like a fu manchu in order to look "cool". He has the ability to heal individuals. That's all I have to post so far seeing as I'm still working on my maps. Your opinions matter to me!! Thank you!

Hello! I am in need of well...... an Idea to start of with Rpg maker Vx ace. I waaaaaaaas thinking about going all Contre Jour but, i dont know. I am just trying to create something that is IB+Mad Father. Something so Emotional and Focased On story! Well anyway. If anyone has any Ideas for me to use OR just wants to name theirs Please put in in as a reply to this Thanks. Contre Jour... hmmm. That is actually what I will be going for, a prince of darkness. GOT IT! .....probably.... Well yeah. Bye.

So I was thinking the other day of putting a minigame into my current project but couldn't think of anything that hasn't already been done. My current idea is to have the player basically button-mash the action key until times up then tell them how well they did and reward them acording to what they got, most likely in credits(currency) Heres a little incentive. If you guys can either: A) help me in creating a concept for a mingame Or come up with a concept for me I will put you guys on the list for the beta testers of my current project, and if you would rather something else we maybe could work out a deal. -HRforges