This may help some:
"I'd say to me the best intro scene would be one like in Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PS), which was what I was going for until I decided not to.
My advice is not to make an intro scene till after you've done lots of other things, so that your intro scene won't be the first cutscene you make, and therefore will be better. My other advice is not to start a game's story from an intro scene. Start planning out the whole thing from start to finish (at least important parts and map design with locations) in your head/on paper/on microsoft word (and get feedback before starting to create it on RPGM2 as to not waste your time on a bad/cliche story).
For help with getting started, read through these posts by thelastbigfall and myself and the articles by KingSpoom at the rpgmmagizine:
thelastbigfall - "Well here is my Process AND Problem in a nutshell:
As most of my ideas are of the serious variety, i tend to usually end up working on more of an epic type game/story. I usually notice that a lot of my plot is influenced heavily by what i am reading at the time, or even an excellent movie (or game) that i have seen (or played) recently.
I tend to lean toward somewhat fantastical, though based in realism, ideas. For example the last big thing i was working on was called House Angelis.
*i may eventually post the plot outline here*
House Angelis's idea was gleaned largely in part from 17th and 18th century sciences. Namely Alchemy. In addition i tried to incorporate similar ideas that circulated at the time, such as mathmaticks (how it was spelled), astrology, dynamics, and basically the pre-cursors to all the scientific methods we now have. Namely the studies of Descartes, Newton, Hooke, and others.
I digress.
My advice to you is to look to what you enjoy. No matter what media it is you muct have had ideas at one point along the lines of "I liked this about that movie" or "This part of the game was AMAZING." I am not saying you should take them and copy the same aspects, but rather you should look at WHY you liked them. What about those ideas spoke to you. From there try to develop something unique. You will find MANY people of the opinion that nothing is unique anymore, that everything has been done and is now cliche. I disagree. You might find many similarities in games/books/movies but there still exists something to set them apart.
To break down my recommendation to you further... First develop a general history or timeline, then flesh out your main characters. From there start envisioning what it is you want the story to say, to eventually do in the end.
In the beginning all you need is just that, a beginning. From there you have unlimited time to tweak, add, and subtract from your original idea. It is all a matter of finding a balance.
I talk too much.
And THAT is why i will never finish House Angelis..."
myself - "Start with an overall view of how the game will be played (not story).
My now over 150 page written game started out with this
"Overview - 1 main character, 1 main story, 6 or more parts where the story and what the main character does splits in 2 paths and later comes together, 1 of those parts is how to enter a castle or mansion and determines out of 2 alternate characters which 1 will join, 1 is near the end of the game, 1 main character, 3 other always join characters, 4 pairs of alternate characters (8 characters), private actions (1 point of view), 13 characters total not counting - if there are any - temporary joining characters."
Now not all of that is true, but it was my beginning, and I'm sure your beginning won't end up being all true in the end either.
Then I would say, start conceptualizing different characters overview - such as a young 19 year-old man that likes to check out the ladies a lot, or an older 26 year-old man that likes to eat a lot and knows a lot about food and cooks a lot and well. Right now, these two characters are very flat- because they can be summarized into a simple one sentence statement. There are four types of characters (this I learned in my English class)
+Flat - basic character, can easily be summarized into one statement, has no depth (recommened for: minor characters)
+Round - character with many different personality traits, has depth to them (recommended for: main characters)
+Static - unchanging through out the game (recommended for: minor or main characters)
+Dynamic - changes significantly in one or more ways throughout the course of the game (recommended for: minor or main characters)
So be very careful how the characters develop, and by all means make all the main characters Round.
Quick example: Chrono Cross: Pushel - a stupid pink dog with poor speech (yet is still a dog that can talk)
Flat: Bad for a main character
Personally, most people do well on the background's of characters but not the personalities. Try to make them fun and interesting in some way. I rank the personality above all else when dealing with characters.
For the story, this is what I did.
I started out with an overall idea. Main character learns of mysterious Big Bang, goes out to find what it was and how it can be stopped, and finds out (I won't say yet, but have something planned for here too). Slowly add in more and more parts that often have nothing to do with each other.
Quick example: FF9: The thief gang capturing the princess, Zidane getting romantic with Dagger, Zidane saving Blank later in the game, Steiner trying to take Dagger back to Alexandria, Vivi learning his past, finding out about the black mages, and finally the important part of the story: Kuja and (I forget his name) and saving the world. They're many different parts in the story that often don't have anything to do with anything.
or
Quick Example: Star Ocean 2: Meet Rena, get romantic with Rena, try to find way back home, go to Cave with Celine to find artifact, get artifact appraised, meet Ashton and the dragon, Clik getting destroyed, Lacour tournament of Arms, going to the cave because Bowman wants you to, go through the Hoffman Ruins, fight at the front line, go to El, and (you know what happens).
Eventually you'll have enough ideas (write them down in semi-detail so you don't have to remember them all). Then it's time to try to put them together. Map it out on paper. Does this because this, then this because this and meets blank, learns blank from blank and decides to go blank, does this to get to blank and meets blank, etc.
**Learn the ways of RPGM2 before thinking up features to your game.**
Then start thinking up features that'd make your game fun. Remember to in your mind think out the basis of how you'll do them so that you don't have to give up an idea once you're commited to it.
Then check out an article by KingSpoom in one of the more recent (I think the last one) RPGM Mag Issues at...
I like how he talks about a theme because my game's full of themes. You may start out with a simple overview and story, but eventually you'll probably get to the point where you want to send a message to the player (or multiple messages). I know I do...
Sorry, one more thing.
*******Don't EVER be afraid to scrap anything you've though of/created. I am still changing things (sometimes big things) in my game and it's storyAayear and a half after starting it. Also, it took me about two months of coming up with story ideas to get to the one I'm on. I scrapped a total of 4 game ideas within the two months before starting on Paladin.
And don't ever plan sequels to games before you're done with them, especially if the sequel is just named "The Return of (main bad guy)." If you have a prequel or sequel, my advice is to make it after making the original and to make it INdirectly related to the original."
KingSpoom's articles -
www.rpgmmag.com/issues/issue_4/guides_advice_faqs.html_____ I know it's a lot to take in, but that's all my advice."
