Greetings developers and artists. I have a few simple questions that I need some help with. My team and I are seeking to create an RPG of quite epic proportions. We may have actually bit off more than we can chew so-to-speak. While i can''t go into very specific details the basics are as follows. Game Features: - 100+ hours of game play - 20+ hours of FMV cut-scenes (think final fantasy) - Fully interactive combat system allowing for combo moves and blocks in a turn-based OR real time environment (think mortal kombat) - 5 Main characters that you play and develop both separately and as part of a group. - attribute and ability system based on collecting souls instead of experience points. (morrowind maybey?) - music from today''s artists and music videos based on the game. - bonus unlockable characters, videos, mini games, and more - a whole bunch of other stuff you don;t normally get with a game. - One VERY unexpected suprise that i definately can''t go into All of the games refrenced above, from final fantasy to mortal kombat have certain things that make them stand out. All games do. Have you ever played a game and said to yourself " man if this game had this other game''s combat system and yet another game''s attribute system it''d rock the game world?" well that is what i am trying to do. Take the best features, from the best games, across many genres of games, to make one incredible game. What i need to know is what will be the best way to start. I need to know what software i should use, game engine, anything that could make my team able to do this without breaking our wallets or our brains. Noone on the team is a programmer so until i get one i need to focus on the content for now. (unless someone out there from a major company wants to buy the idea and program it for us we''re kinda stuck in paper-and-pencil mode) any advice given would be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance. Tom Shea Lucent Reality Games

if you are able to do cutscenes you could work on my project instead

Either way...this project sounds quite successfulish but could use alittle bit of detail on what kinda game it would be...would it be a Final Fantasy style?? Those games are so popular I dunno if you could ever make profit of it (that sounds like what you are doing) FF games are unbelivable in graphics gameplay even music!

quote:
What i need to know is what will be the best way to start. I need to know what software i should use, game engine, anything that could make my team able to do this without breaking our wallets or our brains. Noone on the team is a programmer so until i get one i need to focus on the content for now. (unless someone out there from a major company wants to buy the idea and program it for us we're kinda stuck in paper-and-pencil mode)

This is the stage im at with my MMORTS altough i have started some graphics and sounds....

quote:
- 100+ hours of game play
- 20+ hours of FMV cut-scenes (think final fantasy)

Is the 20 hours of cut scenes gunna be all at once? (j/k :-D )...warning cut-scenes loose atention commonly..while they can be interesting and vital to a story line I would try to cut that number down to 5-10 (or increase the game play! (I do speak from experience :-P (I made a game with 2hours of cutscenes in probably 12 hours of gameplay and people complained)))


----------Edit's--------------
Edit 1: I dont remember
Edit 2: Hmm, added some gibberish about your cutscenes
Edit 3: LoL left out one bracket
Edit 4: added this Edit section
[edited by - maxd gaming on August 15, 2003 11:19:47 PM]




[edited by - maxd gaming on August 15, 2003 11:22:25 PM]

[edited by - maxd gaming on August 15, 2003 11:23:21 PM]

[edited by - maxd gaming on August 15, 2003 11:24:44 PM]

Hi, well if you haven''t already you should prototype your game. What I mean by prototype your game is to create a working pen and paper rpg where you can balance the gameplay through and through. Also, have you made a game design document? If you haven''t already done this, then you have a lot of work to do. You should also spend some time reading some game design books.

Frankly, a lot of the features you have suggested are very difficult to implement. A 100+ hour game takes uhhh years and years to make and more importantly balance. Not only that trying to find and cooridinate the hundred team members you''ll need to make your game doesn''t sound likely, especially if you don''t promise them any hard cash. I suggest that you scrap all the features altogether and make a small rpg, with a small team. I''m sure people would then help you, as for now your idea is too grand.

And one last thing, why a music video for your game??? Is it really necessary?

go for it. i''m trying the same thing in terms of a lasting gameplay experience and a fully interactive combat system. in fact, based on your barebones explanation, mine might even be more "epic", but i''m not gonna argue about that. i like the idea of attributes that aren''t necessarily based on experience. i''m using mostly energy-based attributes in a complicated multi-tiered system that i haven''t even figured out yet (colors and densities affect physical, mental and psychological processes in different ways is pretty much the easiest way to put it).

all the advice i can give is to stick with it. there will always be people like blahmaster who will tell you what can and cannot be done. don''t listen to them. it will be difficult, but still worth it. after all, my goal, and it seems like your goal as well, is to create a truly interactive experience, rather than a simple point, click, slay the dragon, save the girl-type of game.

oh yeh...

i would use a free compiler at first
then switch to visualstudio when it gets heavy

maya is the best modeling software that i've used*
its about $7000 for a liscensed version
so get the personal learning edition.
its free, but i don't know what limitations it has.

*i've never used max

get some books
c++/game design
psychology
sociology
etc



[edited by - syn_apse on August 16, 2003 2:36:47 AM]

How much do you have done already?

so far the stuff that''s done is as follows.

Equipment system
skills and attributes
leveling
magic system
music selections
character profiles

The stuff that''s in progress

stories and character relationships
flora and fauna
cultural aspects

Not started

Programming
Modeling
Battle system
balancing

- 100+ hours of game play
But can you hold the interest for this long? For a mini-rpg spanning one or two hours, some suckiness is fine, but 100 hours? The ones who can do that can be counted in an unsigned char.

- 20+ hours of FMV cut-scenes (think final fantasy)
You do realise how much work this equals? Even 1 hour of FMV cut-scenes is a daunting project, even for an experienced team.

- Fully interactive combat system allowing for combo moves and blocks in a turn-based OR real time environment (think mortal kombat)
Mortal kombat? With five characters? OR turn-based? What''s the deal with choosing between a turn-based game and an action game? Why don''t you just make two games instead?

- 5 Main characters that you play and develop both separately and as part of a group.
...

- attribute and ability system based on collecting souls instead of experience points. (morrowind maybey?)
So, what''s the difference? If there is no difference, why implement it? And, why post it as a "feature"? (OMG THIS GAEM IS SO LEET IT USAS TEH SOUL POINTS!!!. INSTAED OF TEH EXP POINTS!!!1)

- music from today''s artists and music videos based on the game.
So, whose fortune are you going to borrow to do this?

- bonus unlockable characters, videos, mini games, and more
Why don''t you make a good game in the first place instead? It''s like, "Oh yes, I''ll buy this game, YOU GET 5 OTHER DEMO GAMES WITH IT!!. FOR NO EXTRA COST!!)

- a whole bunch of other stuff you don;t normally get with a game.
Like? So far you''ve shown very little of your "idea", so how can we "help"?

- One VERY unexpected suprise that i definately can''t go into
Yay, this game is so good, it has an ENDING!!!!11

Take the best features, from the best games, across many genres of games, to make one incredible game.
Just because coca-cola tastes good, and tea tastes good, doesn''t mean that coca-cola in tea tastes good. A game does not need cool and shiny components, it needs a consistent feel and logical structure. When you buy an rpg, you don''t do it to play an rts for a few hours to save the village, and then enter and fps to break into some lair, and then a fighter to beat up the bad guys, and then a flight simulator.. you get the idea.

What i need to know is what will be the best way to start. I need to know what software i should use, game engine, anything that could make my team able to do this without breaking our wallets or our brains.
You should start with making an 1 hour rpg without cut-scenes, and you''ll see how tough it really is before you do something "real".

Noone on the team is a programmer so until i get one i need to focus on the content for now. (unless someone out there from a major company wants to buy the idea and program it for us we''re kinda stuck in paper-and-pencil mode)
You should learn programming, or hook up with a programmer and go through every aspect of the game with him. You''ll see that even though it is easy to come up with grand ideas, few are actually viable within a given budget and level of expertise.

TO DO BEFORE YOU START: 1 hour pure rpg, no cut-scenes. Then go through your ideas again, and with the experience under your belt, decide what you actually can do.

Well what Cestap sed is what I was getting at...I was just being less "mean" ...Anyways 20 hours of cines would be boring...very rarly do people watch the 5 mins of cines in games...i have beat diablo ii 10 times...not once watched any of the cines

you will fail

it cost to much

i''m use to this hype on rpg making scene
the best have made 4h of intense gaming that blow rpg in market with 10+ hours and has no cut scene

good things + good things doesn''t mean good things

miyamoto says "keep it simple and let him grow, complexity leads to problems, problems leads to weakness, weakness leads to failure, if you keep it simple it will grow slowly strong" that''s what he have learn from gumpei yokoi, it''s something you can learn from biology (you need bone to tie things together)

where is the main bone in you''re hype?? what''s the meaning of the game?? what''s the fun??

you must think of a overall game experiance at keep all things tie to this thing

is unlockable character add to your concept??

i use this trick too BUT it has meaning

u have to keep the meaning of feature

but u will failed

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
be good
be evil
but do it WELL
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>