X-Tra Dimension (Calling All Help)

[Ishapar]

On 8/26/2016 at 11:44 AM, jcbluejr01 said:

I'm thinking of having the game begin with her coming into the X-Tra Dimension through a rocket ship, with the already possessed residents successfully shooting it down, causing it to bring her into Bosko's world through SOME means of "re-programming". This is also how she meets him BTW...

So is Bosko's world inside the X-Tra Dimension?  And this re-programming: is this done by her magic or something else?

 

Note: I don't mind lending a hand with any voice acting if needed.

[jcbluejr01]

1. Technically, yes. Mind you, it's deserted, but it still kinda counts.

2. Reprogramming is a natural ability for the monsters. After all, that's their purpose, other than trying to hurt and possess Miki, and possibly the other two...

[Ishapar]

Do you think you can clarify more about these code monsters and their reprogramming ability?

[jcbluejr01]

Just now, Ishapar said:

Do you think you can clarify more about these code monsters and their reprogramming ability?

Basically, to us, the player or any developers, these monsters are basically just sentient bugs or glitches, with a purpose.

 

Their ability to "reprogram" a being is essentially possessing them through some means of mind control. While the people they possess still have their personality, so they don't seem like mindless robots, their intentions all switch to attacking Miki, and the other characters.

 

At least, that's what I've got so far...

[Ishapar]

Thank you for the explanation.

 

Another topic:  Miki, Bosko, and Phineas

Are all three characters playable in this game, or is MIki the only playable character?  If they are playable, what is unique about them in contrast to Miki (who has the ability to use magic)?  Will there be other playable characters to join the team?

A more technical question:  how are you planning to show the character's health?  Is it just going to be an hp bar with numbers, a heart system, something else?  Will the health be different when roaming through the X-tra Dimension in contrast to battling a code monster or other creature?  How does a character replenish their lost health?  If all the health is gone, will it be a total game over?

[jcbluejr01]

Just now, Ishapar said:

Thank you for the explanation.

 

Another topic:  Miki, Bosko, and Phineas

Are all three characters playable in this game, or is MIki the only playable character?  If they are playable, what is unique about them in contrast to Miki (who has the ability to use magic)?  Will there be other playable characters to join the team?

A more technical question:  how are you planning to show the character's health?  Is it just going to be an hp bar with numbers, a heart system, something else?  Will the health be different when roaming through the X-tra Dimension in contrast to battling a code monster or other creature?  How does a character replenish their lost health?  If all the health is gone, will it be a total game over?

1. Since the story's mainly focused on these 3, and since it's an RPG, technically yes, they're playable, though I'm actually coming up with a fourth character to join the party later on...

 

2. The differences between the characters are basically their stats. Miki, being the lead, has her stats balanced. Sure, she has the most usage of magic, but she's decent enough for attacks as well. Bosko, while knowing a bit of magic himself, is a bit more on the defensive side, since he's her main partner throughout the game. Phineas, on the other hand, is more on offense, since he doesn't know any magic, but can use a variety of weapons, including a laser gun he built from the beginning (as I said before, he's the equivalent to Jeff from EarthBound).

 

3. Since the game is an RPG, health will probably be displayed through numbers and such. And yes, similar to a lot of RPGs, there's a lot of ways to heal, either through Miki's magic, or healing items such as food or drinks. As for characters falling, basically, if one character falls because they're out of health, there are ways to revive them, either through magic, or the overworld. However, if ALL party members fall because they get damaged too much, it's an instant game over.

[jcbluejr01]

1 minute ago, jcbluejr01 said:

1. Since the story's mainly focused on these 3, and since it's an RPG, technically yes, they're playable, though I'm actually coming up with a fourth character to join the party later on...

 

2. The differences between the characters are basically their stats. Miki, being the lead, has her stats balanced. Sure, she has the most usage of magic, but she's decent enough for attacks as well. Bosko, while knowing a bit of magic himself, is a bit more on the defensive side, since he's her main partner throughout the game. Phineas, on the other hand, is more on offense, since he doesn't know any magic, but can use a variety of weapons, including a laser gun he built from the beginning (as I said before, he's the equivalent to Jeff from EarthBound).

 

3. Since the game is an RPG, health will probably be displayed through numbers and such. And yes, similar to a lot of RPGs, there's a lot of ways to heal, either through Miki's magic, or healing items such as food or drinks. As for characters falling, basically, if one character falls because they're out of health, there are ways to revive them, either through magic, or the overworld. However, if ALL party members fall because they get damaged too much, it's an instant game over.

I also forgot to mention, each character has their own health bar.

[Ishapar]

Looks like you're getting a good idea of your gameplay.  Anything else you want ideas for?

[jcbluejr01]

7 minutes ago, Ishapar said:

Looks like you're getting a good idea of your gameplay.  Anything else you want ideas for?

Lay whatever ideas you have on me. 

[Ishapar]

Before you go about planning all the story details, I believe you need to be able to know your beginning and end.  You have shared with us your beginning: do you know how the story is going to end (no need to post the synoposis)?  If you have both the beginning and the end figured out, then we can start brainstorming for ideas to throw into your story.

[jcbluejr01]

1 minute ago, Ishapar said:

Before you go about planning all the story details, I believe you need to be able to know your beginning and end.  You have shared with us your beginning: do you know how the story is going to end (no need to post the synoposis)?  If you have both the beginning and the end figured out, then we can start brainstorming for ideas to throw into your story.

I've been considering two different endings for the game, actually...

 

The portal the monsters came from leads to a very corrupted world. I don't really have a name for it yet, and I'd like to brainstorm that with you as well, but I do have an idea for it. Basically, any ideas and even assets that were (and could be) scrapped from the game, could make up the land in that world.

 

However, the game kinda shifts to a darker tone there. Since the monsters LIVE there, and see the characters as a threat, instead of wanting to just possess then, they actually want to KILL them, since the final boss lives there, and they know our protagonists are here to find the source of the X-Tra Dimension going rouge (after all, it IS the last area). Plus, at this point, there's really no point of return until after the final boss, who is currently unnamed at the moment.

 

Now, here's my idea for two different "endings". Basically, after the characters beat the final boss, I've been thinking of a Metroid-ish escape sequence where the characters have to escape the corrupted land before any point of exit will be lost.

 

The Good Ending is them escaping back to the X-Tra Dimension and living their lives happily, as everyone's back to normal.

 

The "Bad Ending", which is actually a game over sequence, is if they DON'T escape in time. Basically, everybody's back to normal, but are saddened due to the fact that the characters pretty much sacrificed their lives to save the day. Luckily, with that ending, it works like a game over sequence, so you get to start over from the escape sequence.

 

What do you think? Did I go a little too far in detail?

[Ishapar]

Nope!  You seem to know your ending.  You have both bookends.

[TheRedStranger]

What could help you with your design is to actually look into Table-top games. Seeing rules/mechanics play out with players in a live setting gives you a good feel of what they find exciting. You can also practice and sharpen your skills and creating challenges and interesting settings,  balancing the "crunch" (mechanics) and the "fluff" (the narrative and aesthetics). It's good practice because it will have you focused on the whole macrocosm of your work, the end results rather than the microcosm of each line of program. It helps you think bigger and broader and hones your design skills. Most famous RPG's afterall glean their mechanics from classic D&D.

[jcbluejr01]

21 hours ago, TheRedStranger said:

What could help you with your design is to actually look into Table-top games. Seeing rules/mechanics play out with players in a live setting gives you a good feel of what they find exciting. You can also practice and sharpen your skills and creating challenges and interesting settings,  balancing the "crunch" (mechanics) and the "fluff" (the narrative and aesthetics). It's good practice because it will have you focused on the whole macrocosm of your work, the end results rather than the microcosm of each line of program. It helps you think bigger and broader and hones your design skills. Most famous RPG's afterall glean their mechanics from classic D&D.

TBH, I'm not really into the whole D&D thing... I'm not exactly the kind of guy to go way too deep into what he's playing. Sure, there can be a lot of tips of inspiration from that, but to me, in order to do that, I kinda have to go knee-deep into what I'm playing. And in the case of D&D, that can take MONTHS for me...

[TheRedStranger]

57 minutes ago, jcbluejr01 said:

TBH, I'm not really into the whole D&D thing... I'm not exactly the kind of guy to go way too deep into what he's playing. Sure, there can be a lot of tips of inspiration from that, but to me, in order to do that, I kinda have to go knee-deep into what I'm playing. And in the case of D&D, that can take MONTHS for me...

If you do not garner that conviction then you will not succeed at this game or anything in life. Imagine if Steve Jobs or Louis Pasture were "knee-deep" in their endeavors. We'd be talking on rotatory phones right now and still be dealing with polio. 

To quote Max Depree: "We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are." You are going to have to think really, really critically about game design and mechanics to make an engaging game that is not a mere carbon copy of something else. Here is a resource for you: https://www.youtube.com/user/McBacon1337

My invitation stands. You can only learn by doing, collaborating, researching, and overall getting out of your comfort zone.

[jcbluejr01]

Just now, TheRedStranger said:

If you do not garner that conviction, then you will not succeed at this game or anything in life. Imagine if Steve Jobs or Louis Pasture were "knee-deep" in their endevours. We'd be talking on rotatory phones right now and still be dealing with polio. 

To qoute Max Depree: "We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are." You are going to have to think really, really critically about game design and mechanics to make an engaging game that is not a mere carbon copy of something else. Here is a resource for you: https://www.youtube.com/user/McBacon1337

My invitation stands. You can only learn by doing, collaborating, researching, and overall getting out of your comfort zone.

I guess you're right...

[TheRedStranger]

1 hour ago, jcbluejr01 said:

I guess you're right...

I am. And I think it's time for you to rise to the challenge creatively and starting exploring the arts and collaborating with us more and more. Something tells me you will enjoy it.

[F07E]

9 hours ago, jcbluejr01 said:

TBH, I'm not really into the whole D&D thing... I'm not exactly the kind of guy to go way too deep into what he's playing. Sure, there can be a lot of tips of inspiration from that, but to me, in order to do that, I kinda have to go knee-deep into what I'm playing. And in the case of D&D, that can take MONTHS for me...

if its not your thing, its not your thing. you dont have to force yourself if it doesnt appeal to you. it may help in some regards, but its not necessary reading if your passionate about your ideas and what you want to do with them.

[TheRedStranger]

1 hour ago, F07E said:

if its not your thing, its not your thing. you dont have to force yourself if it doesnt appeal to you. it may help in some regards, but its not necessary reading if your passionate about your ideas and what you want to do with them.

Says someone who has not done it... As someone has used it to help people creatively and socially (and seen excellent results), I can attest of it being one of easiest and engaging ways to get a good feel for the craft without pressure. Many other methods just make you feel, well...lost like he is feeling now. He needs to have fun with his passion, to learn by doing and tinkering with more than just a computer screen screen full of code. He needs to see the mechanics work first-hand and get a feel of gaming. It's like practicing your sketches rather than reading a book merely about art. This can help him see the big picture and open him to possibility.

 I have actually used RP professionally to help my autistic clients learn empathy and socialization skills as a CLS worker. Be careful saying "not your thing" to new promising things. It can be the maximum of stagnate thinking, F073.  We must always be willing to try new things and get out of your comfort zone to better ourselves. And that push from someone else can really help, that's why we have parents, professors, and coaches after all. That's why we show our stuff and share our dreams in the first place, to be propelled to fulfill those aspirations, even the ride is a bit bumpy. Again, you will never know what you are missing until you experience it and learn from it. If you don't believe me just ask Wulfsbane or Mike, such tutelage has helped them as writer's as well (so did good writing prompts).

This is also not exclusive to D&D too mind you. Any form of RP could help you understand game design and narrative without getting bogged down in the technical aspects of computation. You get to see how people react to what systems you create, dialogue you make, adventures you craft, first hand. Once you see that it helps understand who you can use "crunch" and "fluff" together to evoke the feelings and thoughts you desire in the player. 

I am going to do you a favor, JC. I will give you some simple systems to work with that you can perhaps Game Master over. I think it would be fun to actually use a simple RP system like Fate or Open Legends and build of the ideas around it. You could actually get a feel for your world by having an RP built in the game's universe perhaps. With the Fate system you could do that easy. Ask VHS to Skype you the core rule books for Fate. I bought them a couple of days ago so people could do just this. If that's a bit too much you can always start as a player first in a game. Come to think of it, this is how I build all my friendships (and co-writers/artists), by working or goofing around creatively with them, Mike, Bytor, Wulfsbane, and even Nagol (who has been friend since fifth grade.) I can tell you its worth it from experience.

[jcbluejr01]

On October 23, 2016 at 5:40 AM, TheRedStranger said:

Says someone who has not done it... As someone has used it to help people creatively and socially (and seen excellent results), I can attest of it being one of easiest and engaging ways to get a good feel for the craft without pressure. Many other methods just make you feel, well...lost like he is feeling now. He needs to have fun with his passion, to learn by doing and tinkering with more than just a computer screen screen full of code. He needs to see the mechanics work first-hand and get a feel of gaming. It's like practicing your sketches rather than reading a book merely about art. This can help him see the big picture and open him to possibility.

 I have actually used RP professionally to help my autistic clients learn empathy and socialization skills as a CLS worker. Be careful saying "not your thing" to new promising things. It can be the maximum of stagnate thinking, F073.  We must always be willing to try new things and get out of your comfort zone to better ourselves. And that push from someone else can really help, that's why we have parents, professors, and coaches after all. That's why we show our stuff and share our dreams in the first place, to be propelled to fulfill those aspirations, even the ride is a bit bumpy. Again, you will never know what you are missing until you experience it and learn from it. If you don't believe me just ask Wulfsbane or Mike, such tutelage has helped them as writer's as well (so did good writing prompts).

This is also not exclusive to D&D too mind you. Any form of RP could help you understand game design and narrative without getting bogged down in the technical aspects of computation. You get to see how people react to what systems you create, dialogue you make, adventures you craft, first hand. Once you see that it helps understand who you can use "crunch" and "fluff" together to evoke the feelings and thoughts you desire in the player. 

I am going to do you a favor, JC. I will give you some simple systems to work with that you can perhaps Game Master over. I think it would be fun to actually use a simple RP system like Fate or Open Legends and build of the ideas around it. You could actually get a feel for your world by having an RP built in the game's universe perhaps. With the Fate system you could do that easy. Ask VHS to Skype you the core rule books for Fate. I bought them a couple of days ago so people could do just this. If that's a bit too much you can always start as a player first in a game. Come to think of it, this is how I build all my friendships (and co-writers/artists), by working or goofing around creatively with them, Mike, Bytor, Wulfsbane, and even Nagol (who has been friend since fifth grade.) I can tell you its worth it from experience.

If you say so. I've been wondering about the RP scene for a while now, and while it may not be my kind of thing (I'm not a very descriptive person, mind you), from what I'm hearing, it sounds like it can really help in this sort of situation. I'll see what I can do with this "Fate" thing whenever I get any chance, like a weekend or something, or whenever I feel most comfortable or ready to do this...

[TheRedStranger]

On 10/24/2016 at 10:55 AM, jcbluejr01 said:

If you say so. I've been wondering about the RP scene for a while now, and while it may not be my kind of thing (I'm not a very descriptive person, mind you), from what I'm hearing, it sounds like it can really help in this sort of situation. I'll see what I can do with this "Fate" thing whenever I get any chance, like a weekend or something, or whenever I feel most comfortable or ready to do this...

If you like Mike is making a new RP you could be in. Or, you can join one of the D&D ones to get a hang of it.

[Ishapar]

Just to let you know, I will be trying to lend a hand in Mike's new rp.  I have never tried rping before, and I admit that I am not a fan of D&D either: however, I do see this as an opportunity to try to work on broadning skills that could be useful in storytelling.  I encourage you to tag along (mostly so I won't be the only rookie) as you will be working with a couple of guys intent on working with each other to improve these skills.  You got a good group here to help you out.

 

[jcbluejr01]

11 hours ago, Ishapar said:

Just to let you know, I will be trying to lend a hand in Mike's new rp.  I have never tried rping before, and I admit that I am not a fan of D&D either: however, I do see this as an opportunity to try to work on broadning skills that could be useful in storytelling.  I encourage you to tag along (mostly so I won't be the only rookie) as you will be working with a couple of guys intent on working with each other to improve these skills.  You got a good group here to help you out.

 

Alright then. I guess on the weekend, or whenever I feel like I have the time (time has been getting a little tight on stuff like this...), I'll make sure I can participate in Mike's new RP, and see if it's my thing...

[Ishapar]

Sweet!

[TheRedStranger]

Any updates?

[jcbluejr01]

Just now, TheRedStranger said:

Any updates?

No, unfortunately. Things have been kinda slow for me, TBH...

[TheRedStranger]

On 12/16/2016 at 4:28 PM, jcbluejr01 said:

No, unfortunately. Things have been kinda slow for me, TBH...

The invite for an RP is still open.

[Ishapar]

When you want to discuss things again, let me know.

[jcbluejr01]

Figured I'd update this topic a little bit with a few pieces of concept art I've been drawing in the last few months.

 

 Some of these are still incomplete, btw.

[WarTraveller]

Eyy, it's looking pretty good so far!

[F07E]

Lovin the concept art, their designs are lookin great!

[Rick Tyger]

This program can be useful for tweaking code, should something need tweaking, or should a "maker" not have the full scope of what you'd like your variables to be.

Notepad ++

Also, if you're interested in just learning the basics of RP stuff or testing out RP characters or whatnot, I've got a topic in the RP section of the forums dedicated to that. This is a "sandbox mode" RP setup, so we can RP without breaking any serious RPs.

[jcbluejr01]

16 hours ago, Rick Tyger said:

This program can be useful for tweaking code, should something need tweaking, or should a "maker" not have the full scope of what you'd like your variables to be.

Notepad ++

Also, if you're interested in just learning the basics of RP stuff or testing out RP characters or whatnot, I've got a topic in the RP section of the forums dedicated to that. This is a "sandbox mode" RP setup, so we can RP without breaking any serious RPs.

Thanks for that extra thing for coding. I'm not entirely sure if it applies to the GameMaker language, but I'll give it a shot if anything needs tweaking.

 

As for the RP thing, I dunno, it just didn't really seem like my thing after thinking about it for a while...

[Rick Tyger]

No problem. I was introduced to Notepad ++ when I joined the KOL Mafia forums to try and learn how to make my own scripts for the Mafia client. It can read and save all sorts of file types. It's made learning to code much easier for me.

[jcbluejr01]

Aaaand Miki's expressions are finally done. For now, at least.

 

Tried my very best to make her as adorable as I can with each one. No wonder it took me a month to finish...

[jcbluejr01]

Finally got my first set of talksprites done, thanks to a guy I know from Starmen.net.

[Ishapar]

Sweet mate.