Chronicle Games's newest idea

[The Smurf]

yes, as of right now, i'm the only Chronicle Games employee (hey, i needed a company name 'cause i was planning on making more than one game). i figured i'd come up with some new material as "Genesis Chronicle" is about to be wrapped up.

Here's what i've got so far (it's not much, but):

i haven't decided whether or not to make this a sequel to "Genesis Chronicle", but as of now it's not. the son and daughter of the mayor of a small town were kidnapped by a mysterious identity, and taken to a hideout. the hideout is run by a very clumsy and not-to-bright lackey. YOU are the son and daughter (your party) and the game begins inside the hideout (instant action). you must fight your way through, defeat the lackey, and make your way back to the village. your village, however, is destroyed.

your quest is to find out who's behind this, and why, and what they want. How i'm gonna drag that out i have no idea, but i'm open for suggestions.


-the smurf

[Neo Samurai]

I'd say add a lot more detail to the hangout/village/etc. I'd advise to not let the village get destroyed, however. It seems like you just started this, so please stay away from that. It's been done in pratically every RPG I've ever played.

[The Smurf]

yeah, i see your point. then maybe the mayor (their dad) is killed? i don't know, i thought it up after having a similar dream the night before (weird, especially since i don't have any siblings )

it's is definitely WAY rough draft-age, but i think it's not a bad foundation...


-the smurf

[Neo Samurai]

That does sound much better, but the death of their father sounds vaguely familiar. Have you seen the Grand List of Cliches? I use it myself for references to make sure my game isn't overrun with cliches. It is very helpful.

If you'd like to see it, go here.

[Deleted]

The way you're going about making the story seems to largely be the problem. Coming up with one paragraph of an intro, and then 'dragging out' the rest of the story isn't going to result in a very good story (most likely). I refer you to this big quote. It will help if you read it.

Me-
"I recommend splitting up the different categories in your plans so that they are easy to find later. What I did was (this is largely before RPGM2 came out too):

General Notes to Remember - things like, "name the abilities well, for example call it Blizzard Strike and not Ice Slash and Thunder Flare instead of Bolt 3"

Beginning basic overview - basically, the VERY first thing you write, don't go into any detail, something simple like the general flow of the game, this one isn't really important unless you just came up with the basic story idea and want to write it down in case you forget it (later you'll probably look at this in total awe at how much your game's changed from your original idea)

Characters; Personality, Background, and player's Understanding - what is each character like and through their background (which I like to reveal a while later after the character joins) why are they like this, and thus how the player can understand, believe, and possibly relate to these characters. Whatever other information here that arises because of their story is also taken into account (such as something like hometown). Note that very minor characters like 'main character's mom' or something don't need this. This is more for your main characters. If you're having trouble making characters with depth I recommend thinking about your life, what's happened to you, and how it's shaped you to be who you are now. Also, do not simply 'base a character off someone you know' because sooner or later that person will change, you'll find out what you knew of that person wasn't the whole story, etc. and you'll be left with a character based on a fake idea of a person that never existed as you thought they did.

Characters; Extra Information - (this one isn't totally neccessary) Whatever other information about the characters such as age, hometown, etc. I recommend you wait on this part till you're done with the one right above this since the characters' story will determine what this stuff should be.

Characters; Stats, Abilities, Equipment, etc. - Basically, all the gameplay aspects of the characters like their stats (I recommend doing specific numbers), their abilities/how they learn them (this one varies a lot from game to game), what they can equip, etc. Note that later when working on your battle system plans your battle formulas and character stats will go hand-in-hand in balancing everything out well. Expect to re-do the characters' stats 4+ times or so.

Specific Cutscenes not gone into detail but overviewed - Write down every cutscene you think of, use dialogue where needed and summarize others. Put all your cutscenes in the right order and connect them from A to B to C etc., and you'll have a perfect plan for what happens in what order (more than just 3 key parts in the story not connected, then later connected with very weak/lame reasons (leading to disbelief among the player)) and what the player does in what order, what cutscenes and locations you'll have to make, and from there you can move onto the next part. If you find yourself having trouble connecting two parts of the story together do NOT force out some weak connection, give it time and wait and you'll randomly come up with a good idea of what to do in between point C and E (or whatever). Do not be afraid to go for several weeks or more without adding anything to the story. (this is the longest part - it's the whole story planned pretty thoroughly)

World Map/Game Flow Plan - Draw a simple map with the different locations where they need to be (this will save you a lot of trouble editting the difficult-to-use-well map editor in RPGM2) (it'll be a long while till you get to this one probably, but don't worry, it goes real quickly)

Gameplay; Battle System - Your game may not, but most likely will have a battle system. This will end up being a result of which battle system you think will be best for your game and that you are most capable of making in RPGM2, and in making fun (people at the boards will always be there to help you at least)

Gameplay; General - Lots of info such as, approximately how many battles per dungeon/half-dungeon/final-dungeon, if you have dungeons or not (like in the case of a Tactical RPG like Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre), etc. This is much more general notes to think about and remember and not specific details about the game.

Gameplay; Features - This is very broad and varies a lot, but will include anything special that the player can do in your game such as a customizable leveling/ability system, mini games, private actions (look here: williampaladin.tripod.com for an explanation), anything special/additional to your battle system like limit breaks/etc. that the player can do (this will likely already be in the battle system part), sidequests, and more

Additional Plans - This varies as well, but includes stuff like item lists, equipment lists, what types of shops you'll have, and whatever else you see fit."

[The Smurf]

wow, very in-depth. i do really need to finish my first game before starting on this, but i will begin to think about it.

how about they return to the town and find it deserted (more motivation to find out who what where and why)

still have to think about it tho.


-the smurf

[Neo Samurai]

Don't rush things out. Take it nice and easy. you'll find you can create much better stories. I'm pretty sure I said this before, but write down stuff you'd like to see in your game. Then, choose what would work and cut out what wouldn't.

[The Smurf]

yeah i know. i'm in absolutely no rush, but i'm just trying to organize thoughts at the moment.


-the smurf

[The Smurf]

i'm probably going to make this game a sequel, but have almost no relation to the previous game. (think tales series). So it would be "The (insert main bad guy name here) Chronicle".

edit: "Coming up with one paragraph of an intro, and then 'dragging out' the rest of the story isn't going to result in a very good story"

i meant dragging out the search of who the assassin or whatever is. i need to think about this a l o t more before deciding on stuff, but, as always, i'm open for suggestions.


-the smurf

[Dark Knight Of Lodis]

As a personal opinion, I would never use the main bad guy's name in the title (it kind of takes away from the game in a sense that it takes away some surprise and wonder, unless it's a shorter game based solely on taking him out). But maybe something related to the main boss?

[The Smurf]

i dont know. that's what i did for the first game, as the main bad guy was Genesis. maybe i'll make it something really crucial to the game or something.


-the smurf

[Deleted]

Me-
"And, with the title, I would say make it somehow related to one or more major themes/messages/meanings/morals of the game. You can also make it have a literal meaning to the game. This is what I've done with Paladin. This leaves the player with a lasting reminder of what you wanted them to get from the game. (so in other words just wait till later in your game development to name it)"

I already posted this in your other topic.

[The Final Rune]

Dude, you're 1000th post!!!

[The Smurf]

"Me-
"And, with the title, I would say make it somehow related to one or more major themes/messages/meanings/morals of the game. You can also make it have a literal meaning to the game. This is what I've done with Paladin. This leaves the player with a lasting reminder of what you wanted them to get from the game. (so in other words just wait till later in your game development to name it)""

yeah, that's what i plan to fill the blank with.


-the smurf

[Neo Samurai]

If I were you, I'd make a title as soon as I'm done everything (either that, or when you get the main plot sorted out). The title is very important, but it really doesn't have to be used until you release the game.

[The Smurf]

i know. i'm waiting to find out what the most important enemy/item/character/idea in the game is.


-the smurf

[The Smurf]

heehee i got a good idea for how the game turns out.



yeah, like i'm gonna tell any of you!


-the smurf

[The Smurf]

mind telling us then? ;D


-the smurf

[vespuleth]

will, i completely disagree. and ive expressed it before. the game will draw for the player what memories stand out to him. if a person goes in to it thinking it will be a bad game because of the name, that is the players fault. we are always told to not judge a book by its cover, and age old prejudice never fails. however, its far more important to not name the game after the moral, because the moral is far more meaningful when the player picks up on it for themself.

[The Smurf]

personally, i don't try to send messages [purposely] through my story writing and game making. i create strictly for entertainment, and i don't try to change people's lives or anything.

"Sorry if that sounded harsh"

don't worry, i'm thick skinned

anyway, i'm not sure how i'm gonna title it yet.


-the smurf

[Deleted]

I know. (especially with games) I've learned that it's bad to assume stuff based on just a title. I'm not a fan of naming it exactly what the moral or message is, but something somewhat hinting to it. What I like doing most myself is making the title change in meaning for the player/reader from before reading/playing to after. Mostly I'm just saying I think it's better for the title to hold some meaning too and not just be the name of a tangible object in the game.

[The Smurf]

hmmm...making me think...on a friday night...not...good


-the smurf

[vespuleth]

sometimes, tangible objects can hold the moral of the story, directly, or indirectly.

[The Smurf]

hmmm...i still have to give it more thought


-the smurf

[The Smurf]

man, it's taking FOREVER to write the story of my game...it's hard to think up stuff like where they have to go next and why...and stuff... coming along fairly well, tho. havent even started ANYTHING with it on RPGM2 yet.


-the smurf