Skantily clad amazon warriors

Every RPG I''ve played (and that''s a lot) has a certain weirdness factor to it. A plot hidden under the main plot. A conspiracy. A subplot. Something that keeps the game intriguing. Have that. I like that.

Have different characters join you on your quests, but only for a little while until they accomplish their goals. Have a couple of quests that must be completed to win the game. After these guys fight in those battles with you, they can leave via a number of means. ie: They are killed in the battle dramatically, they leave on good terms, they feel you betrayed them, etc.

Final Fantasy II did that a lot, and it was kind of neat how your party got rearranged every so often. Don''t go wild with it though. That would get annoying if you get a kick ass party, only to have it ripped apart because all of the NPC''s were completely out for themselves and left you.

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1. Remember good thing come to those who try. As your progressing through the game dont just throw in the good items during boss battles or in any place they have to get it unless ther incredibly stupid. You should have to get them, not have them come to you. I find in a lot of RPGs if you took 5 different peoples saved games (all in the same spot) they would all have the same equipment. Make it so you get all the good items in mini side plot things or secret areas. Thats what kept me playing Diablo 2. You had to work to get good things. That way instead of sitting in one spot for an hour leveling up to get stronger you could do funner more interesting things.

2. Try to make the combat more interesting than in most RPGs, make it so ther is actually some strategy involved. In most of the RPGs iv played you can get through any battle just by repeatedly preesing one button for about 10 minits. Interesting combat is a must, since it takes up a lot of time in rpgs, and since its turn based strategy is prety much the only way. Have options in battle like Defend, wher that character tries to block any atacks on any party members. And dont make all the spells just hurt the person. Diablo 2 had pretty varied spells. U need sumthin like that for skills and spels. Combat needs to be fun.

3. Dont make it so you have to play for another hour to find a save spot. Ther was a discusion on thread here on saves and everyone agreed that the best system would be: You Could save and exit at any time, but it would be more like taking a break because when you loaded it you would start wher you left off and the save file would be deleted. So you couldnt be cheap and do things like save before you get a random special item. then reload if you wanted a diff one and so on. Then ther would be designated save spots and if you died or really did somthing wrong youd just load up ther. and it wouldnt be very convinient. So that you will not want too die very often die.

4. And of course an excelent story. Twisty too.

Thanks for the idea on saves AP. I hadn't really though to heavily on how I has going to set that up but have a two tiered system would present some interesting possiblilties. How would you guys like a level editor setup. Would you want to be able to make your own worlds or would would you prefer to have my game world have "hotspots" were the end user could link on extensions. Maybe a combination of both? What do you think?

[edited by - Jonbca on August 13, 2002 6:26:28 PM]

I love 2D RPGs Anyway, I love lots of variety in RPGS; in the story, spells, items, enemies etc... Surprises along the way as well. Realistic characters, that are well developed; with great personalities and their own unique attitudes.

Aren''t you guys forgetting about the secrets in the game?
I''ve played lots of Rpgs and what I really like about them are the secrets.I remember spending a couple of days searching for this hidden treasure located in a shrine which really annoyed me.
If your a hardcore gamer like me,secrets really boosts the fun factor of a game.

Here's my wish list for RPGs:

1) A character advancement system that makes sense. My sword ability should get better unless I use it. Similarly if I use my sword once but never again for a couple months my skill should get rusty when I do go to use it. This also means that my stats shouldn't just go up for no reason. If all I ever do is swing a sword my intelligence shouldn't get better.

2) Stats that makes sense - if my strength is below normal I shouldn't be able to carry as much as the barbarian with the biceps as big as my legs.
3) A combat system that makes sense - I shouldn't be able to get in as many attacks with my 2 handed sword as the thief next to me does with his dagger. That thief shouldn't be able to damage a knight in full plate mail very easily no matter what his skill unless you have location based damage in place.

4) A good story line with plot twists and subplots and good quests. If I want a hack n' slash dungeon crawl I'll go play Dungeon Siege or Diablo II.

5) Character interaction with realistic characters - if I want to try and hook up with that maid I saw in the market I should be able to. I should be able to insult that pansy noble into a duel. If I go around a town killing people in broad day light in front of witnesses I should end up in jail or with a price on my head.

6) A living, breathing world with an economy. Part of this means no gold just lying on the street or in barrels. A banking system that also allows me to rob the bank if I want to and can get away with it.

7) A game that makes me afraid to just charge into a room blind when I'm low on health.

8) Good monster and NPC AI.

9) A good party system that allows me to script or otherwise FULLY control the members. Although this shouldn't be needed much if number 8 is done right.

10) Realistic rewards for the difficulty of the quest. 100 gold for killing a dragon? Come on, get real (unless 100 gold is a fortune in your world)

I'm not asking much am I?! :D

[edited by - Machaira on August 13, 2002 11:23:10 PM]

hmm lets see...

1. Give Almost useless things more of a purpose.. if you have a huge world and the only things that you can interact with is a few levers that open doors the only stuff you can use is stuff that really matters to the quest add stuff in like playing a panio when the player tries to use it or turning lights off or something like that. not a must but can add detail to the game

2. I agree with everyone about the making things out of stuff like sewing hides to make armor that is a nice touch.

3. Don''t have it so you gain a level and all your guy did was beat stuff up with a sword and some how have him get 6 spell casting points or something like that make is gradual like if you fight you get lots of strength and some dexterity and if you cast spells you get more magic abliltiy and stuff and if you doge then you get dexterity if so on that is really importand its dumb if a player can just stop and say I''m sick of beating things up with my sword I want to use a bow and you pick it up and your a grand master with it.

4. adding to my last point don''t limit the players to spesific weapons make them start with skill in one but don''t limit them to it alone. that is very bad aspect of most console rpgs.

5. Have lots of dialog but not lots of dialog some players Hate dialog that is meaning less, I bealive they are those who are just trying to beat stuff and then brag about it in the most case but it is nice to becable to have a chat with characters in another world and get more information about that world but if you don''t want it then you don''t have to get it, like with dialog choses, I would would leave it as (Ask more about ...) or (End the conversation) tho because lots of players don''t like the limited choces of beging a mean character but haveing to say stuff like "Well I have to go see ya later." they would like to say "You not worth my time you slug!" or something like that that is a problem with lots of the baluders gates and other d&d games for computers.

6. don''t make the player work alot to get into the plot make it so the player can see it with out digging for it, That I didn''t like about morrowind you had to find the plot for it to work. and I never did! heh. got bord of the game to fast.

well I guess thats all I can think of. good luck!

No reason to post, but I may as well. I kinda feel like it.


No FF game I''ve played has ever fixed the problem of walking along some long path, with an annoying enemy encounter at every step. FF3 was horrible at it. FF7 was terrible at it. FF10 was even worse. Well, FFTactics was better at it, but that''s a completely different game.


Pretty much no RPGs are under my roof except Metal Gear Solid 2 and Zelda 64. I''ve given up and hate almost all of them.