Super Robot Wars like game?

[Guest]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, I'm interested in making a visual novel with fights, in the style of Super Robot Wars (or Super Robot Taisen).
Do you know any program that would be useful for that? Thanks ^^

[Yuumeichan]

Umh, sorry, I wasn't logged in e_e'

[papillon]

It all depends on how exactly you want it to work and how much you know about programming...

[Yuumeichan]

Well I don't know pretty much anything XD; But I'm willing to learn it, and I'm aware that It needs time and effort.

How I wnat it to work.. let's see if I can make myself clear enough:

I was thinking of something like there are narrative parts, like a normal visual novel, and beetween the narrative part there are battles, that works like a strategy game (that is Super robot wars indeed or Final fantasy tactics), and I would want cut scene for attacks : D I would make the cutscene with pixel sprites ^^

[yummy]

Well from an ex-developper point of view...
This kind of game is really hard to code.
Unless you can get a hold on someone who's really skillful in programming, it'd definitively be some kind of unreachable goal.
You'd have to deal with multiple pixel art, various game engine issues such as A.I., events based on triggers and maybe unknown issues too... (such as your own mental sanity after you completed the first layer of graphic linking)

Sorry if I'm being somehow harsh or unpleasant.

Even so, you can try to turn the RPG maker engine (which is mostly based on a dedicated battle engine) into some kind of VN...

[papillon]

That would probably be the best bet if you don't have a lot of coding knowledge. I think people *have* made little dating game type things with RPG maker, haven't they?

I haven't used RPG maker myself and couldn't give you any tips on it. But it comes with a lot of art, I think, so it'd give you a leg up on getting started.

[dizzcity]

Turn-based strategy game. You don't want to use a visual novel or even an RPG engine for this if you can help it.

I suggest going to The Battle for Wesnoth and using their open-source engine instead. It's made specifically for that kind of game, and there are plenty of developers there who are interested in the same thing. Far easier to create narrative sequences and cutscenes in a turn-based strategy engine than trying to create a turn-based strategy game from a visual novel engine.

-Dizzy-

[monele]

This topic made me tick because that's one of the things I've been wanting to do. *big SRT fan*. But hmm... with experience, I would say it's pretty much impossible if you're alone to begin with. Coding will be hard... but most importantly, making the cutscenes will be incredibly difficult. If you're new at everything, you're in for a big disappointment ^^;... Maybe try to take one thing at a time? Either start making cutscenes with some animation program (or with a game engine if you really have to)... or try to see if you can make a simple tactical RPG without engines... just the "move, attack, end turn" part. Just see how much time it takes just for that... and I think you'll realize you'll need a *big* team to achieve this ô_o... (I mean, if you're trying for SRT quality).

If you want an example of what a doujin team has made :

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fpRCS7WDjb0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6FD-qMu8drk

No robots, but the game is a pure copy of SRT in terms of gameplay and concept.

[Yuumeichan]

I knew that game that's because I wanted to do a similar things, but with my own original characters :3

Thank you so much for all the answers, I know it will be difficoult, But I'm not new to pixel art and animations, I "only" need to learn programming! (As if that would be the easier part *lol*)
Anyway, My idea was exactly to startt with something simple of course, just to get in touch with the commands and all :3

Again, thank you all for the help ^^

[monele]

If you do get something to show at some point, I'll be interested ^^

[yummy]

You could try to first have a distinct idea of what you'd like to program then, because in the "beautiful world" or devs, if you don't plan first, you're likely to have to modify huge portions of code, either because they are obsolete or either the code being used requires too much memory... *Ahem* You might create something like a "cahier des charges" (Sorry I don't seem to remember the english term), which would list all the features you'd want to enable, such as characteristics...

For exemple:
A character moves X cases
A character has Y Hit Points
A character has Z Magical Points

And so on.

[DaFool]

You could start without having to implement X-Y positioning. That will save a lot of trouble...just keep it as a simple attack/defend kinda thing.

[monele]

"cahier des charges"

"Book of specifications" according to some webpage. I should have remember it from my lessons but eh... ^^;...

[dizzcity]

Design Document?

-Dizzy-

[monele]

I suppose that would be another name ^^. It might be *slightly* different in content though (one being a summary of what the client wants, the other a summary of what the company suggests as a solution?... *doesn't know*)