HELP: WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO MAKING AN OTOME GAME?

[フリークェンシー]

What are the steps to making an otome game? With a twist...

I'm new to game creation, and so of course I want the best for this project even if it's my first. I know how to use a few simple codes, I have a story to start, a MC in mind and character concepts on the table. But I have no idea where to go from here or how to start?
So what are the steps to making an otome game (and here's the twist) using the RPG Maker VX Ace?

I know I'm not using the traditional Ren'Py, but I want more RPGs with female main characters at the helm. And I also want to focus more on the story and less on art.

EDIT: Thank you everyone

[Rozume]

If you look around you'll find basic advice for game development. A lot of them reiterate starting simple, knowing your scope, etc, etc. There are no proper ways to develop a game, but there are things that make the development process easier. Unfortunately, a lot of it you have to learn on your own.

Since you're new to game creation, it's really best to gauge what you're capable of doing and what you're willing to do or learn. Also keep in mind that developing any game is a lot of work and takes tons of persistence to even finish it. Furthermore, if you want to make a decent game then you will need to plan ahead.

If you want to make a game, then you must first find the resources and ways to do it yourself. There is no guaranteed blueprint towards making a game and no one will hold your hand through the process. Many will try to point you in the right direction, but it is up to you to figure things out yourself.

[Starshine]

I don't think this forum caters to RPG MAKER VX but they are somewhat similar. Only different mechanics, I have used both and if you'd like to know more about RPG MAKER I would suggest reading the official forums they have everything written down you need to know. It's all about events with RPG MAKER. With Renpy it has more to do with codes and not getting an error message.

[SundownKid]

There is a lot of general game making advice at PixelProspector: http://www.pixelprospector.com/

[Starshine]

According to information here: http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php ... date-help/

You'd probably have to use choice events, if you were to make a game revolving around dating/romance:

text:
Girl : Oh Hi! How are you?

choice 1
response: Ok
choice 2
response: What ever
variable relationship = relationship - 5
choice 3
response: Great!
variable relationship = relationship + 5
end




Here are some websites which will help you, also just to note some of the people from those websites are most likely on this one too, only the ones currently active on those websites are the ones who will know an awful lot about the said subject:

RPG MAKER VX ACE FORUMS:
http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/

RPG MAKER VX/ACE
http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php ... resources/

[Enigma]

Well I'm using RPG Maker for my game, and though it's pretty heavy on the RPG side it does use some VN-like scenes. So I've got a few tips

1. Ths standard size of a VX Ace map is 580x444 so remember that when making sprites, I'm sure you could probably expand the view in some way but I don't know of a way myself.

2. What I've done so far to display characters is have the "Player Character" be transparent with a second event to display the pictures, I set the picture's background as a parralax in the map editor and then just don't map anything on top of it.

3. As Starshine mentioned, choice events are your friend.

[フリークェンシー]

1. Ths standard size of a VX Ace map is 580x444 so remember that when making sprites, I'm sure you could probably expand the view in some way but I don't know of a way myself.

2. What I've done so far to display characters is have the "Player Character" be transparent with a second event to display the pictures, I set the picture's background as a parralax in the map editor and then just don't map anything on top of it.

Sorry to bug you. About the Mapping size you use, will that be the size of with the window when people open the game? Or will it have the standard black border around it?

[Enigma]

1. Ths standard size of a VX Ace map is 580x444 so remember that when making sprites, I'm sure you could probably expand the view in some way but I don't know of a way myself.

2. What I've done so far to display characters is have the "Player Character" be transparent with a second event to display the pictures, I set the picture's background as a parralax in the map editor and then just don't map anything on top of it.

Sorry to bug you. About the Mapping size you use, will that be the size of with the window when people open the game? Or will it have the standard black border around it?

The black border is my own fault I forgot to update my picture size after using a scrpit that changes the screen resolutionf. Normally you wouldn't get that. I play a lot of fighting games so I've conditioned myself to ignore borders...and I'm a little dumb.

I think I messed up with the default I mentioned earlier too. it's not 580x444 it's 544x416. Sorry about that.

With the script I'm using though, the maximum supported resolution is 640x480, and at present my game is set to 640x416 (which I need to fix). The script I'm using is this one if you're wondering , it's the Yanfly Engine Ace you'll have to poke around in it a bit if you want to change the resolution (it's hard to miss though) if you increase the resoultion to 640x480, remember to make your map size (in tiles) 20x15 instead of 17x13.

You might want to browse the other scripts there too if you're planning on having battles or just want a few other cool features (I'd reccomend Gab Window, doing it with no sprite is a good way to do back ground chatter in a second text box at the top of the screen).

[フリークェンシー]

(I'd reccomend Gab Window, doing it with no sprite is a good way to do back ground chatter in a second text box at the top of the screen).

I never knew about that, good looking out. I'll use this for instructions and hints .