Visual Novels vs Life Sims vs Roleplay games

[jack_norton]

I made a blog post today: http://www.winterwolves.net/blog/2011/0 ... lay-games/
The percentages of each skill needed to make each game category are obviously not to be taken too much seriously but that's what I experienced so far, having done all 3 kinds of games.
In summary: don't attempt doing a RPG in Ren'Py if you care about your mental sanity

[PervertPrince]

I'd heard making an RPG in Ren'Py was a nightmare. Yup, something else to cross of my 'to do in Ren'Py' list XD

[Aleema]

RPGs aren't that hard to make (don't take my word for it, though, I love coding). Just make it in a coding language you're familiar with, and set limits to your system. Because it depends on how complex you want to make it -- Planet Stronghold was way too complicated, so there's your sanity problem. xD The hardest type of game to make in Ren'Py is anything action based, I think. Real time stuff should be done in pygame, but I still attempt it without it. =P

I also think Art and Story are just as important for RPGs as the other game types you mentioned. An RPG with a boring story is a boring RPG. I think we've had many threads on LSF about whether people prefer the story over the battle system, and there is no winner. People want both, and in quality.

[PervertPrince]

I'm new at all this visual novel stuff all together so I think I should wait a while before trying any RPG related but I would still like to at least attempt to make a game with some RPG elements. I also think art and story are jsut as important as the game itself. I've dropped many games because I hated the story even though the game play was great.

[jack_norton]

RPGs aren't that hard to make (don't take my word for it, though, I love coding). Just make it in a coding language you're familiar with, and set limits to your system. Because it depends on how complex you want to make it -- Planet Stronghold was way too complicated, so there's your sanity problem. xD The hardest type of game to make in Ren'Py is anything action based, I think. Real time stuff should be done in pygame, but I still attempt it without it. =P

Yes, and I'm so fool to try an action-RPG now well not really real-time though, but with more animation, sort of tag-team battles.

Is just a prototype for now anyway But to be honest I get a bit bored if I always do the same kind of game, though I'll definitely re-use Planet Stronghold or Always Remember ME systems for sure in future games.

I also think Art and Story are just as important for RPGs as the other game types you mentioned. An RPG with a boring story is a boring RPG. I think we've had many threads on LSF about whether people prefer the story over the battle system, and there is no winner. People want both, and in quality.

I know that is controversial indeed. I agree with you, but in the blog I needed to say what MOST people think. I know there is a very high percentage of people that cannot be bothered to read the texts and skip it completely. An user in my forums made me a very good compliment today: "the story was engaging enough that I stayed up way too late on several occasions because I couldn't stop playing. I liked it enough that I'm planning a second play-through for the opposite side."
However, for 1 that likes the story I had quite some comment of people that said was just "average" and many that asked question that made me obvious that they skipped through all the texts
There are many famous RPG that are totally lacking a good story or lot of texts (like Diablo 1-2, Torchlight, etc).

[redcat]

I wonder... is there any real-time action-based game made with Renpy yet?
Is it really possible (coding-wise) to make a "street-fighter-clone" game using Renpy? (I mean without embedding any Py-game in it)

[OtomeWeekend]

I think i saw someone that had coded a street-fighter like in ren'py but i dunno if its just a dream or imagination...or its true:D -shot-

[Wolfzau]

In summary: don't attempt doing a RPG in Ren'Py if you care about your mental sanity

Urgh, just what I needed to start my day.

Been ignoring the coding for now as I've been more focussed on writing and finishing all of the artwork but from what I read it seems like even after I've finished those two things it still means six months of hard coding.

Also, (from what I could gather from your blog) finishing more than four games a year

You sir, are a legend

[LVUER]

An advice then, if you want to make RPGs, use RPG Maker instead or at least Game Maker (the latter have free version).

@Jack_Norton:
Jack, that's a cute picture of a cute cat ^_^ I want to hug (or rather squeeze) him.

BTW, I'm pretty sure there is an anime/manga where the protagonist name his/her cat with Othello too...

[jack_norton]

I think i saw someone that had coded a street-fighter like in ren'py but i dunno if its just a dream or imagination...or its true:D -shot-

Yes I downloaded that game, was made with pygame, very impressive.
My game won't have such animations, is more like Kongai (if anyone played it, a flash game on Kongregate). I don't want to get mad (and spend an insane amount of money) to have all the 12 characters animated for a combat

Urgh, just what I needed to start my day.

Been ignoring the coding for now as I've been more focussed on writing and finishing all of the artwork but from what I read it seems like even after I've finished those two things it still means six months of hard coding.

Well as Aleema said, depends how you want to make it. With Planet Stronghold I made something really insane, but you can cut some parts and do something simpler. My other RPG (Undead Lily, screenshots above) is going to be much simple because:
- won't have a real inventory, just different weapons
- much less texts: not 55k of PS but more like 20-25k and less branching
- won't use special skills or have several solution for the same quest/mission
- will have a skill system but using a skill tree, so overall less balancing to do than with numeric values
- and so on...

[DaFool]

I agree. I downgraded my current project from an RPG into a "VN x Strategy" game. It's just simpler from a balancing perspective to just hardwire the stats and just hand-tweak each battle.

Jack, are you going to make an isometric RPG eventually?

[jack_norton]

Jack, are you going to make an isometric RPG eventually?

Well I'd like to, but I'm not sure yet WHEN also, I'm getting old & rusty so if I do that one I'll probably outsource coding, either only the battle system in renpy or the whole game like I'm doing with my 3d boxing game

[Wolfzau]

I agree. I downgraded my current project from an RPG into a "VN x Strategy" game. It's just simpler from a balancing perspective to just hardwire the stats and just hand-tweak each battle.

I never thought of that. That's actually a really good idea, would probably save me both time and money since I wouldn't have to pay for battle artwork.

Thanks for the suggestion

[redcat]

I think i saw someone that had coded a street-fighter like in ren'py but i dunno if its just a dream or imagination...or its true:D -shot-

Yes I downloaded that game, was made with pygame, very impressive..

What's the name of the game? Any links where I can download it from?

[jack_norton]

Don't remember sorry, was somewhere in this forums but long time ago...