Sim Game Mockups: HUD and Chibi Maker

I have made up a few mockups for my sim game. The first one is the HUD. I have three that I am toying with and I am not sure which is the best one to use.

 

 

 

 

 

Next up, I have the chibi maker mockup.

 

You do not need to have a coat of arms if you do not want it. The red circles are things required and the white circles are optional.

Please feel free to comment on what you like, dislike, think I should change, etc.  The clothes will probably be set to one whole outfit like the Sims 1 was. This is due to the fact that the chibis are small and I’m not sure how much having separate shirts, bottoms, and shoes will do. If you wish to have them separate, please let me know and I will go ahead and try to make them separate.

 

Sim Game: Construction Mode Floor and Chair Test

This is a video showing off the construction mode. It is in very early development and is not yet implemented into the Sim game yet (this is on a different project file).

 

 

 

Sim Game: New Outline Page

I have created an outline page of everything I am wanting to add to the game. Please feel free to give me feedback on what you like, think I should change, what I should add, and what I should remove.

 

One of the things I’m struggling with right now are the houses.

I am using EST- Build and Decor as a way for people to build their homes and to add them on the map. However, this causes problems with when transferring out of the house and onto the new map. I can’t rely on a bunch of variables sadly because I do not know how many homes people will be creating for their map.

This leads to a bigger issue. The inside maps themselves. I need a way to use the same map for multiple houses so in game, it looks like they are the same structured houses but have different decorations and such that the player has placed down.

If anyone has any ideas at all on how to fix these problems, please let me know. 🙂

Sim Game: Sneak Peak of the Aging and Building Items

This is my first update of my Sim game. 🙂

I am still not too sure what direction to take this game, so I’m still very interested in hearing ideas and feedback for it. First up, I will show you a bit of the aging system. These are place holder sprites, and I’m really interested in making my own, but do not want to do so yet until I get a better idea of what direction I’m taking this game.

This is how your chibi will typically age.  There are 7 life stages and possibly an 8th one.  The Will system will be in the game so you can set up to have one of your children inherit your trade.

The time system is also in place (which is why the screen looks orange) and there will be seasons/weather as well.  There will be birthdays and holidays, and I will probably try to add the zodiac signs if you’re interested.

I do plan to make a personality system and a relationship system. At this point, I am not going to have the option to make custom chibis due to the fear of the file size folder, but I will if people really want it. 🙂

This game is still in the very early stage since I’m still trying to think of what all to add to the game.

Here is a sneak peak of the building objects. Still in the very early stages and I am more than happy to hear feedback on what I should change or what you like about it.

 

For the rest of my videos, I will switch to a less annoying choice sound effect. It was really low in the video editor and didn’t realize how loud it was. 😛

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I also need feedback on how big the file size would be before the game turns you away.

 

If you say yes, please reply and explain the max file size you are willing to download for the game. 🙂

If people are not concerned about the size of the game, then I will be more willing  to put in the features I’d like such as the custom chibi making, objects and buildings changing through the eras, and more objects.  If they do have a limit to the file size, then I need to figure out what to cut out and what to keep.

Thank you so much for taking an interest in my project and do not be shy about telling me things you dislike or like. Also, please give ideas and suggestions so I can get an idea of what people would like out of a simulation game.

 

 

Comedy Guide

When I took theatre, my teacher said that comedy was the hardest genre to write. I have to agree with him on that.

Not only is writing comedy one of my weakest areas in writing, but there is such a thin line you can walk with it. This guide is mainly what my teacher taught me, but please be aware that I’m not the best when it comes to comedy writing.

 

One good feature of good comedy is intelligence and wit. This can be very difficult to accomplish, which is one of the reasons why most modern comedies use “dumb” characters and slapstick jokes.

Does this mean that those comedies are bad?

Of course not! But there does need to be a moderation of how much of it you use because the audience/player can get irritated or annoyed. This is the thin line I was talking about. You want to make the player laugh or at least smile, but you do not want to get to the point of being annoying, unless you have a scene that requires the player to feel a short term irritation in order to follow through with the joke.

 

One of the more difficult parts of comedy is what is a joke and what is offensive. My teacher gave a heavy warning to not rely on stereotypes for humor since it’s a cheap way to try to get laughs. However, I see it as a bit of a gamble instead of being a “cheap” way to get laughs. There is a better change of someone getting upset instead of laughing.

So, how do we get the best laughs?

The answer is through characters and surroundings.

 

With the characters, the better developed they are, the better the humor can play off them. If you have the humor compliment the personality of the character, then the humor will come off natural.

One way to do this is to have two characters with contrasting personalities try to get through an event. Or, even more simple, have a conversation. What you’re aiming for is to have both characters well developed enough that they have chemistry in order to carry the scene and the joke.

You can also use your surroundings as a way to make humor. If a character is in a strange surrounding and out of their element, this can set up for some humor depending on how you play it out. You can use actions or even the character talking to one’s self as a way to further express the humor.

 

One thing you need to watch out for is how far you take a joke with two characters. It’s a very thin line from going to something being funny to being very spiteful. This can cause problems if the audience, instead of laughing, feels sympathetic towards the victim of the joke and see it in poor taste.

There are comedies that can pull off violence in comedy. If you do want to use violence as comedy, the best advice I can give on that is to make it as over the top as you can.

 

With parodies, the one important thing is to know the original source well. It’s also important to research the original source material to understand the environment and characters. To get a good idea of a good parody, I would suggest Young Frankenstein.

 

I hope this guide helps a little bit, and I’m sorry if it’s not as detailed as my other one. Comedy is my weakest genre in writing, so if you do have more questions, I can try to find some links on comedy writing to help you out.

[REQUEST] Epic Game Guide

When some hear “epic game”, they tend to think huge maps. While it’s true that a large map helps make the game feel epic, there’s a bit more to it than that.

Yes, that blue little square is my character.

 

What makes a game epic is the importance and the exploration. It varies from person to person on what makes a game “epic” since people have different tastes and different opinions, but I will try to explain what I feel makes an epic game.

 

Writing

I am a bit hesitant to do this part since I do feel there really isn’t a “right” and “wrong” way to write something. There is so much variation with writing that it’s difficult to make a concrete tutorial on this. However, I will write a guide for those who are really struggling with this section and need some inspiration or ideas.

Please do not take all this at face value and believe it’s the only way to write a story.

 

 

Make the NPCs Important

 

Source: Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask, Gameplay by MarioWorldHacker

 

If you’re going for the hero saving a town or world, it’s important to make it so that the hero has a reason to save these NPCs and their town. The best way to do this is to give a variation in dialogue and make them talk like how people in the real world would talk. Even if it’s in the Middle Ages, you can still look at books or movies from that period to get an idea of how people would speak to one another. Make them not only give you hints, but also show that they have a life outside of standing around and waiting for you to talk to them. Perhaps you can make a side story between three or four NPCs where talking to them will give out a scandal going on through the town.

Another way is to show the culture of the town. Maybe they have a different religion, or they have different ideals of what is taboo and what is acceptable in their society.

In short, the best way to make NPCs important is not to think of them like tools to get the player from point A to point B, but as unplayable characters who have their own life and stories.

 

 

Make the Goal Important

 

Source: Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons

 

What is the motivation for the player to complete this goal? The typical one is saving the world or stopping the antagonist, but sometimes it can be difficult to make that the only motivation unless the player cares about the characters. For making a game epic with the goal, there are different methods of achieving this. The first one is saving the world/village. The second one, which I like the most personally, is making the goal personal to the playable character. This gives the character a motivation to go out and achieve the goal and depending on the situation, can make the playable character sympathetic to the player. This will make the player root for the playable character and want to achieve the end goal.

 

 

The Explorer Protagonist

 

Source: Syberia, Gameplay by GamerZmaj.

 

One of the best ways to show that a world is grand is by having the protagonist view it as grand. One of the easiest ways to create this is to make the “explorer” protagonist.

This protagonist has a thirst for adventure and looks at the world with wide eyes. A protagonist can start off not being an explorer type and develop into that throughout the story. That would also give the protagonist some personal growth as well.

Other types of protagonists that work well in making an Epic game would be the Silent Protagonist and the Observer.

 

The Observer

 

This protagonist doesn’t have much character development and does not play much importance in the world. However, they are essential in being the eyes for the player to see the grand and vast world filled with various people. One of the most popular observer character is Nick Carraway from the Great Gatsby. Another one would be Watson from Sherlock Holmes.

 

The Silent Protagonist

 

This protagonist doesn’t have dialogue and doesn’t really have much to say at all. The purpose of this protagonist is usually to make it so the player is the protagonist. The most popular silent protagonist is Link from the Legend of Zelda series or Red from the Pokemon games.

 

Game Design

For this we are going to look at making the game feel grand.

 

Create Optional Side-quests

 

Source: Fable, Gameplay by VolitileGabe

 

Some players love side-quests and some hate them. My solution to this is to make side-quests optional. That will let the people who hate them skip over them and play the game for the story. The players who love them can get rewards such as money or a special item not needed to complete the game as rewards.

With side-quests, it’s important to make them interesting. Combining this with making the NPCs important, you can make the side-quest fit the NPC and maybe have it connect to their story. This will give a rewarding feeling for the player to help the NPC. You can even set it up that the NPC doesn’t ask the protagonist for help, but the protagonist can decide to do it any way as a kind gesture.

One important thing is to make sure that the side-quest mechanic isn’t too annoying or frustrating. It’s important to give a challenge, but don’t make it so that the player wants to rip their hair out with the quest. Don’t be shy about asking for beta testers specifically to test your side quests.

 

Make Buildings Feel Big

 

I don’t mean that you need to make every building feel big. A variety is good for making the game visually appealing. However, making a big building will make that building feel grand and important.

 

 

Let’s look at this image here. This is for the typical chibi character. The building that is 3 squares high would be a way to shrink the area down. This is useful if you’re wanting to show a town that has limited supplies or is mobile. I recommend these for small huts and possibly little log cabins.

The 4 squares high is the normal building size. What I like to do is use this as the base as what the normal house size would be and then modify it to if I want to make the area feel bigger or smaller. You can even use this for an individual house to make it feel more or less important than the other houses.

The 5+ squares would be for large houses. These tend to be castles and mansions.

 

This method isn’t just for houses. You can use this for trees and cliffs as well.

 

The World Map

 

Let’s take a look at the world map from Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time:

 

It looks pretty massive, but in reality, it isn’t as scary as you’d think:

 

These are the main sections that I highlighted. This is excluding the dungeons, but it gives you a bit of an idea of how the world is divided.

And this would be the outline if we take away all the details.

 

 

The Little Details Matter

 

 

One of the best ways to make the game feel grand without making 500 X 500 maps is to make the world interactive. Not only make the tiny details, but add ways for the player to interact with them, even if it’s just having footprints in the sand. Small details and small interactions are important in the long run and can make the game feel polished.

 

 

The Importance of a Good Battle System

 

 

There are so many different types of battle systems you can do for RPG Maker. For an “epic” fantasy game, I typically enjoy an ABS system. This is a matter of personal taste though. You can use turn base or a strategic base battle system as well, but make sure you keep it balanced. If you have random encounters, I highly, highly recommend you either have on screen sprites so the player can evade them if they wish. Or, alternatively, you can do what Pokemon does and have it set to a patch of grass.

 

 

Deciding on Party Members

 

 

For an epic game, either having it be a single character/player or having the option of party members is completely up to you. If you do decide to go for the party members, make sure that they are just as interesting as the character/NPCs/world. Give them personalities and insecurities. Give them flaws and give them strengths. There’s a chance that a player will like one character over the other, but that’s a good thing! Different personalities are going to be appealing to one player but indifferent to another.

An example would be Power Rangers. When I was little, my favorite power ranger was the blue ranger, but my cousin liked the red ranger the most. His sister loved the pink ranger the most. Neither of these characters were better than the other, but having a variety to choose from made the show more appealing.

Having a variety of personalities, you give your game more options of people being drawn to a character, resulting in the player rooting for the whole team.

 

 

The Conflict

 

Source: Mario 64, Gameplay by SilentSlayers

 

For conflict in an epic game, the best ones I would say would be Person vs Person or Person vs Society.

 

Character Against Character: The character is in conflict with another character

Character Against Society: The character is in conflict with the rules of society. Can overlap with Character Against Character.

 

There are others you can play with, but these are the easiest to make the conflict feel grand. It also gives an idea of who the antagonist is so that the player can focus on the world building. If you go with character against character, I would recommend that you have it so the protagonist takes the antagonist seriously.

With this, I don’t mean that you need to make your antagonist a brooding serious and dark character if you don’t want to. You can have your antagonist ham it up and chew the scenery if you’d like. What I mean is by taking the antagonist seriously is to make them a threat to the protagonist. They don’t need to kick kittens in their free time and light fires to orphanages to be an antagonist. An antagonist is, in simple terms, someone to be an obstacle for the protagonist.

With that said, there are different viewpoints on what makes a good antagonist. You can make a truly evil character, or you can make a character who does bad things but has another side to them that makes them sympathetic. Whichever you decide to take your antagonist, I would recommend researching that type from other commercial games, indie games, or stories. Then you can decided what qualities you like, what qualities you want to change, and what qualities you want to drop completely.

 

 

Using Tones and Lighting

 

 

The obvious difference between making a game and writing a story is that a game is visual. You can use visuals and lighting to set the mood and to create the atmosphere instead of having to rely on just words.

Fog and Rain can invoke the feeling of dreariness.

Red can invoke the feeling of urgency or uncomfortableness.

Blue can invoke the feeling of calmness or melancholy.

Yellow can invoke the feeling of happiness.

 

Play around with the tint screen and try out various colors. If the tint invokes the emotion you feel is right for your scene, then that should be the tint you should go for.

 

 

Using Music and Ambiance

 

This is something that is a little tough for me to give advice on. Music and ambiance can be very powerful at completing a scene or area. The best thing I can recommend is listening to the music all the way through while having the game in play mode. For me, I just download a lot of royalty free songs and go through trial and error until I find what completes the area the most.

 

And that is my advice on making an epic game. You can find ways that are completely different than mine and still make an amazing epic game. These are just suggestions to help you get started and hopefully give you inspiration.