I'm trying to get the actual gameplay part of my game design nailed down, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to define the scope of the problem and where to start. Because _Xenallure_ is an RPG/adventure/dating sim I can't just find an existing game and modify their system. I guess I should be making a list of all the types of gameplay we are going to have: Combat Techniques, Equippage, Puzzles, Money Systems... but a lot of things I'm not sure what category they fit in. What would FF7's Materia be? How about collect-the-set items? Is an upgrade the same as experience? Is there more than one type of plot item? What about mini-games? So basically I'm very confused. o.O How would you attack the problem of designing the gameplay for an RPG/adventure/dating sim? What categories and subcategories of gameplay do you think there are? Anyone have an article or book on gameplay design or theory to recommend?

Have you played Fable?

Stare at the designs that you've written down and pick out the relavent verbs?

No, seriously: this is one of the methods of figuring out what requirements you have when given a problem, design, etc.

You might consider Chris Crawford's book, titled something about "Interactive Storytelling", ~US$35.

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Original post by bit64 Have you played Fable?

No, I unfortunately don't know anyone who has an X-box. Why?

Because it is an RPG/Adventure/Dating game, to an extent.

Hiya,

I'm a bit short on time, but hopefully this will help. I'm just going to list the titles I'm currently using in my design document. My personal method is to lay out all the items that you will need to consider and then expand on them as and when you have ideas. My design document isn't all that organised, but I find this method enables me to work wherever I am most inspired without having to worry about writers (or game designers) block.

So here are my titles for areas under consideration for my RPG, and I'm sure many more could be added to complement the list.


Overview
User Interface
Player skill vs Character skill
Levels
Combat
Player Status (Health/Mana/etc)
Magic
Environment
Skills/Skill table system
Statistics
Equipment
Background
Story
Role-playing
Player Vs Player
Death
NPC interaction
Trading
Crafting
Bestiary
Game Master System
Themed music selection

Anyhoo, I'm sorry that it isn't much more than purely a list of titles, but it's all I have time for at the moment, hope it helps!

Cheers,

Steve

it might be an ass-backwards way to go about it, but why don't you imagine a session in the game? think about how you envision it being played, and then pick out the key elements that you need. once you have that, you can break it down into subelements.

for example: you start the game and have a dialog that gives you an intro to the story, and maybe the character does something on its own. right there you have three elements: animated/playable character, scripted actions and dialog windows. now you're in a room, and there are objects in it. two more: maps and interactive objects. you use an object, and an inventory window pops up. element: inventory window. keep on like that until you've gotten a pretty good idea of most of the things that should be in the game.

as a sidenote: the order you come up with them is not necessarily the order they should be implemented in. maps, objects, characters, etc should probably be first, then menus and stuff. or whatever you feel is best. its your game :-D

I usually think in terms of Task to Perform, How to over come obstacles, and interactions. Then I design gameplay and interface accordingly.

For instance you says its and RPG/Adventure/Dating Sim so I assume there will date component to the game. How will you simulate a date? Will it be:
1)A stat check, which results in change to an affection stat.
2)A mini game or series of mini games that determine the results?
3)A conversation where the questions you ask and answers you give determine the results?
4)Traveling around the game world together and your actions and inactions determine the resuts

Those are just a few examples of the task date that come to mind. Depending on how you handle that task it will determine, skills, items, and stats.

Alot of the other question's you've asked will depend not only how you handle things but how you want the game mechanics to work.

For instance combat techniques and equipment could both work the same way in that they modify one or more stat of a given target. For instance a leather jacket might be case of when equiped +5 defense effect on self. While a flying sumo death drop combat technique would be -weight to -weightx5 health effect on target.

Alot of what you want to know will depend entirly on how you handle things and the mechanics behind them.

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Original post by bit64 Because it is an RPG/Adventure/Dating game, to an extent.

personally i consider it a serial killing game :)

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Quote:Original post by bit64 Because it is an RPG/Adventure/Dating game, to an extent. personally i consider it a serial killing game :)

Haha, I haven't played it that way yet, but I will soon.