Hey hey hey! Zachy here.
As you already could read on the title, this is a post dedicated to those beginner (or even advanced) users of RPGM, that could need some tips on the main points they should focus their game on.
(This will be a rather long guide, so I'll make a little Table of Contents. Like that, you can just simply Ctrl+F the chapter you'd want to see.)
1) Introduction.
This section is mostly dedicated to why I created this guide. And that is of course, helping other developers just like me, that are starting their roots on this engine called RPG Maker.
For a long time being, RPGM games have been hated by a lot of users, for their similarity (and not in a good sense). What do I mean by this?
There's games that have been described as walk simulators for a simple reason, and that is the monotony of their gameplay mechanics, wich are mainly based on walking through a nearly-empty map from a point A to a point B, so you can get a reward (CG scene, etc).
Unfortunately, this describes well a lot of games on the scene, since their gameplay doesn't have anything to contribute else than that.
The main reason why I'm writing this, is that you don't do another "walking simulator".
2) New is not always the best.
As some of the well-informated folks out there may know, there has been a lot of RPGM versions; with certain differences in their main tools and public orientation.
For example, here's a list of the different available RPG Maker titles (from oldest to newest):
So, what do I mean when I say "new is not always the best"?
I mean that you should not use RPG Maker MV just because it's the latest engine developed by Enterbrain. You should find an engine that fits your needs, and that is enough for the kind of game you want to make.
For example, RPG Maker XP is way easier to use for users that don't want to make custom scripts for their game, but RPG Maker VX Ace is more programming-oriented.
Here, I'll make a little list (of the best engines) for you:
I'll keep this point short, since I'm not that much of a story maker.
Always try to make your own story, and try to not have (way too much) influences on other's work. You may think that since the public likes it, if you do it too they will also like it; and while that may be true, there will be a point when that topic is going to get old and you will probably get bored and abandon your project.
So yeah, always work on something that entertains you, and that you really like. Don't worry, there will always be a person that shares your likes.
4) Improve your mapping.
This is a very important thing to keep in mind. Since your game will probably be mainly focused on walking, you've gotta make it a nice experience to the player.
Making big box-shaped maps is a big no-no in RPG Maker games; specially for insides.
Let's take this little house as an example. As you may notice on the first picture, the map looks awfully empty on the center, since it was made way so big that you couldn't distribute the furniture correctly.
You can solve this by making actual rooms, that you can decorate depending on what they are (bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms).
Let's see another example.
As you can see, this time we are looking at some kind of forest. The problem with the left image is that it looks awfully symmetrical, wich is something bad for mapping outsides, since nature is not symmetrical.
The right image is an example of how a forest should be made, with different trees, and a road that doesn't look like a red carpet.
5) Don't be scared to create new things.
Well now this may be most complicated point on this guide, but it's one of the most important things on a game, and that is innovation. If you have the ability to, you can try making new gaming mechanics, than can distract the player from the main purpose of the game.
These mechanics can include minigames, menus, crafting systems, and other cool features that may fit your game depending on its may genre. Try to do new things if you can, and your players may be the judges about it.
6) Don't focus solely on income.
(Hey now, I'm not trying to mention anyone here, but since it's a common problem I'll include it here.)
Please, don't see your fans only as a source of money. Always try to give them as much content as you can, specially if they are patronizing you.
Tell them when you're having problems and won't be able to keep working on your game for some time, and always keep in mind that they're taking the effort of giving you their money.
Please, don't be a Patreon Milker.
7) Hear both your fans and haters.
You may know that your fans feedback is something really important to improve, but you also have to take in mind that your haters may be an important source of ideas to improve a lot; because, there has to be some reason why they don't like your game, right?
You may use everyone's opinion to make a better game without going out of your main idea.
8) Set your own release dates (deadlines).
This looks very simple, but it is important, since it's an easier way to stay organized. This way, you can maintain your work at constant rate of progress, and also keep your fans informed on how ofter you'll be releasing updates.
Be careful to not be rushed because of this, though. Always set realistic deadlines, keeping in mind your capabilities.
9) Gameplay is better than porn content.
Actually, this is a kind of questionable statement, since they're two thing that complement very well each other. What I mean here, is that the way to get the porn content should be fun and entertaining to the player. Not tedious or boring.
This may vary depending on your game's genre, but the principle kinda stays the same.
10) Decide if battles are necessary.
The title is pretty much self-explanatory. You have to see if battles are going to contribute positively to your game's story.
There's games that use combats as a frequent mechanic, while it's unnecessary and very monotonous.
In the case you decide to keep combats in your games, you gotta make sure of doing a fair difficulty line, wich increases gradually and doesn't make any sudden jump.
Also, try to make the player use actual strategies, and not spam the Enter button everytime; choosing the attack command. Make them use skills (element weakness is a plus), heal items, or even the guard command.
11) Conclusion.
That'd be all! Of course, this guide is purely based on my opinion as a dev, and you may work as you like to. That's very important too.
Always remember to keep determined, and good luck with your projects! See ya later!
As you already could read on the title, this is a post dedicated to those beginner (or even advanced) users of RPGM, that could need some tips on the main points they should focus their game on.
(This will be a rather long guide, so I'll make a little Table of Contents. Like that, you can just simply Ctrl+F the chapter you'd want to see.)
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1) Introduction.
This section is mostly dedicated to why I created this guide. And that is of course, helping other developers just like me, that are starting their roots on this engine called RPG Maker.
For a long time being, RPGM games have been hated by a lot of users, for their similarity (and not in a good sense). What do I mean by this?
There's games that have been described as walk simulators for a simple reason, and that is the monotony of their gameplay mechanics, wich are mainly based on walking through a nearly-empty map from a point A to a point B, so you can get a reward (CG scene, etc).
Unfortunately, this describes well a lot of games on the scene, since their gameplay doesn't have anything to contribute else than that.
The main reason why I'm writing this, is that you don't do another "walking simulator".
2) New is not always the best.
As some of the well-informated folks out there may know, there has been a lot of RPGM versions; with certain differences in their main tools and public orientation.
For example, here's a list of the different available RPG Maker titles (from oldest to newest):
- RPG Maker 2000
- RPG Maker 2003
- RPG Maker XP
- RPG Maker VX
- RPG Maker VX Ace
- RPG Maker MV
So, what do I mean when I say "new is not always the best"?
I mean that you should not use RPG Maker MV just because it's the latest engine developed by Enterbrain. You should find an engine that fits your needs, and that is enough for the kind of game you want to make.
For example, RPG Maker XP is way easier to use for users that don't want to make custom scripts for their game, but RPG Maker VX Ace is more programming-oriented.
Here, I'll make a little list (of the best engines) for you:
- RPG Maker XP: Has a layer mapping feature, wich is awesome for users that don't want to use parallax mapping. It's also pretty easy to use without any coding knowledge. Uses Ruby as a programming language.
- RPG Maker VX Ace: Doesn't have a layer mapping feature, but has a lot more coding potential; being able to increase its resolution, using parallax mapping and other cool things. Uses Ruby as a programming language.
- RPG Maker MV: It's an "improved" version of RPG Maker VX Ace, wich increases its native resolution, but makes it heavier on older machines (to the point it couldn't even work). It also gives a lot of possibilities on programming, since it uses Javascript instead of Ruby (they're both good, but it's a matter of opinion).
I'll keep this point short, since I'm not that much of a story maker.
Always try to make your own story, and try to not have (way too much) influences on other's work. You may think that since the public likes it, if you do it too they will also like it; and while that may be true, there will be a point when that topic is going to get old and you will probably get bored and abandon your project.
So yeah, always work on something that entertains you, and that you really like. Don't worry, there will always be a person that shares your likes.
4) Improve your mapping.
This is a very important thing to keep in mind. Since your game will probably be mainly focused on walking, you've gotta make it a nice experience to the player.
Making big box-shaped maps is a big no-no in RPG Maker games; specially for insides.
Let's take this little house as an example. As you may notice on the first picture, the map looks awfully empty on the center, since it was made way so big that you couldn't distribute the furniture correctly.
You can solve this by making actual rooms, that you can decorate depending on what they are (bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms).
Let's see another example.
As you can see, this time we are looking at some kind of forest. The problem with the left image is that it looks awfully symmetrical, wich is something bad for mapping outsides, since nature is not symmetrical.
The right image is an example of how a forest should be made, with different trees, and a road that doesn't look like a red carpet.
5) Don't be scared to create new things.
Well now this may be most complicated point on this guide, but it's one of the most important things on a game, and that is innovation. If you have the ability to, you can try making new gaming mechanics, than can distract the player from the main purpose of the game.
These mechanics can include minigames, menus, crafting systems, and other cool features that may fit your game depending on its may genre. Try to do new things if you can, and your players may be the judges about it.
6) Don't focus solely on income.
(Hey now, I'm not trying to mention anyone here, but since it's a common problem I'll include it here.)
Please, don't see your fans only as a source of money. Always try to give them as much content as you can, specially if they are patronizing you.
Tell them when you're having problems and won't be able to keep working on your game for some time, and always keep in mind that they're taking the effort of giving you their money.
Please, don't be a Patreon Milker.
7) Hear both your fans and haters.
You may know that your fans feedback is something really important to improve, but you also have to take in mind that your haters may be an important source of ideas to improve a lot; because, there has to be some reason why they don't like your game, right?
You may use everyone's opinion to make a better game without going out of your main idea.
8) Set your own release dates (deadlines).
This looks very simple, but it is important, since it's an easier way to stay organized. This way, you can maintain your work at constant rate of progress, and also keep your fans informed on how ofter you'll be releasing updates.
Be careful to not be rushed because of this, though. Always set realistic deadlines, keeping in mind your capabilities.
9) Gameplay is better than porn content.
Actually, this is a kind of questionable statement, since they're two thing that complement very well each other. What I mean here, is that the way to get the porn content should be fun and entertaining to the player. Not tedious or boring.
This may vary depending on your game's genre, but the principle kinda stays the same.
10) Decide if battles are necessary.
The title is pretty much self-explanatory. You have to see if battles are going to contribute positively to your game's story.
There's games that use combats as a frequent mechanic, while it's unnecessary and very monotonous.
In the case you decide to keep combats in your games, you gotta make sure of doing a fair difficulty line, wich increases gradually and doesn't make any sudden jump.
Also, try to make the player use actual strategies, and not spam the Enter button everytime; choosing the attack command. Make them use skills (element weakness is a plus), heal items, or even the guard command.
11) Conclusion.
That'd be all! Of course, this guide is purely based on my opinion as a dev, and you may work as you like to. That's very important too.
Always remember to keep determined, and good luck with your projects! See ya later!
