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Designing a [Minecraft] RPG system

Started by July 01, 2014 02:45 AM
11 comments, last by Navezof 10 years, 6 months ago

Hello all!

For a while now I've been working on a Custom RPG Minecraft server. For this project I've been working on my own RPG System, and it's been evolving for months now.

I've been surfing the interwebs looking for an RPG game that has something that's based on my system, to no avail.

I'm assuming this is due to my system being a horrid and confusing mess, but we shall see! Here's a summary:

There are three races the player can pick from: Elf, Mage and Dwarf

Each player has different Attributes or Stats, which are Strength, Defence, Agility and Magic.

Each player also can pick Skills, or abilities, such as Heal, Frost Arrow, Lockpick or Flaming Blade. (There are many of these)

Unlike most games I've seen, your race does not define what skills are available to you: your race simply gives you simple perks (such as +10% Strength).

Skills are usable depending on your stats though - examples are "Ice Tomb: Lvl 3 MAG, Lvl 2 STR", which of course means Enabling Ice Tomb requires the player to have Magic at level 3 or more, and Strength at Level 2.

Skills can be crafted, bought (from both server and players), traded, dropped by monsters, and given/used in quests.

You can easily refund stats to pour into another stat.

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This system is nice just because it allows a player to want to be a "Tanky Dwarf" at the beginning, then switch to a "Fire Mage" afterwards.

I'm also thinking of allowing the player to pick a "build", which would make the game pick the skills/stats wanted automagicaly, instead of the player picking them - examples of builds could be "thief", "Ranger", or "Healer".

One thing you'll notice is that this system is relatively simple for any n00b to play - and you'd be right. I'm not favorable toward a game which requires you to reset your character once you figure out how to spend stat points!

So, is this idea any good? Any ideas how to make it better?

Thanks for reading!

-JoshCamas

The Minecraft part bug me a little as I don't really know about minecraft custom server and their limit, but anyway, there is my suggestions.

Your system ressemble the Elder scroll's minus the skill system. Which seems rather cool, btw. It would be even better if you could craft your own skills. For exemple you take a "Throw arrow" skill and mix it with a "Poison spell" skill to make a "Poison arrow"

And I think the system of Kingdom of Amalur : Reckogning could easily apply to your game. Unlocking classes as you spend points in the different stats.

In Kingdom of Amalur you don't choose a class but you can unlock them as you spend your skill point in your skill tree. With 5 points in the Strength skill tree you unlock the Warrior class, which give you a big bonus of health and strength. And with 5 points in the Mage and 5 points in the Warrior you unlock a battlemage which give you a little bonus in health and a little bonus in mana.

This way the classes are more like rewards, and encourage player to experiment to unlock more classes.

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I don't know much about Minecraft, but I do have an affection for RPG rule systems -- starting in the early 1980's with a second-hand D&D Monster Manual. I highly suggest you take a look at the following free PDF:

http://www.autzones.com/din6000/textes/semaine13/Kirk%282005%29.pdf

It is called RPG Design Patterns and it does a fantastic job at spelling out various RPG systems and how to effectively use them. I can't emphasize enough what a treasure-trove of information this PDF has been to my designs!

As Navezof says, you are describing something very close to the system used by The Elder Scrolls games, particularly Morrowind. I have fond memories of playing against type and creating the biggest, strongest, Orc-ist sneaky rogue that has ever been! It was tough, but he got there! I think you are definitely on the right track and I look forward to reading more about your progress.

Indie games are what indie movies were in the early 90s -- half-baked, poorly executed wastes of time that will quickly fall out of fashion. Now go make Minecraft with wizards and watch the dozen or so remakes of Reservior Dogs.


Your system ressemble the Elder scroll's minus the skill system. Which seems rather cool, btw. It would be even better if you could craft your own skills. For exemple you take a "Throw arrow" skill and mix it with a "Poison spell" skill to make a "Poison arrow"

Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking!


And I think the system of Kingdom of Amalur : Reckogning could easily apply to your game. Unlocking classes as you spend points in the different stats.
In Kingdom of Amalur you don't choose a class but you can unlock them as you spend your skill point in your skill tree. With 5 points in the Strength skill tree you unlock the Warrior class, which give you a big bonus of health and strength. And with 5 points in the Mage and 5 points in the Warrior you unlock a battlemage which give you a little bonus in health and a little bonus in mana.
This way the classes are more like rewards, and encourage player to experiment to unlock more classes.

While I dislike having a player choosing a class in the beginning of the game, this certainly sounds like a good way to get around it, and fits into my system - to allow the player to choose and change their character on the fly. I'll certainly look into this! (This is kinda like my idea for autobuild, but better!)


I don't know much about Minecraft, but I do have an affection for RPG rule systems -- starting in the early 1980's with a second-hand D&D Monster Manual. I highly suggest you take a look at the following free PDF:

Oh wow, 300 pages. I shall read!!! Thanks!

EDIT: There is also one huge gaping hole in my system. What does magic do!? This is a copy-paste from my design document so far:

Stats
Stats define the player's level and what Skills to use. The Stats available list as:
1. Strength – Defines amount of damage per hit
2. Defence – Defines the amount to remove from incoming damage
3. Agility – How much the player can dodge blows, as well as the speed of attacks
4. Magic - ???
As you can see, each stat affects the player, except magic.
I think I'll be removing magic from the list, I suppose. ._. Unless you guys have an idea....
And before you ask, having Magic effect "speed of mana regen" or something won't work, I think - this is due to mana not just affecting Mages but all races and all skills.... >.>

Of the races you named Mage seems to be the odd one. I would think mage is a class. As for dwarf and elf, maybe you should reconsider them.

The adventage of dwarves and elves is that they are established in gaming and players can guess what they are about, however they have been heavily overused, and Minecraft has always been praised for its originality.

I don't play MMOs because I would become addicted

Of the races you named Mage seems to be the odd one. I would think mage is a class. As for dwarf and elf, maybe you should reconsider them.

The adventage of dwarves and elves is that they are established in gaming and players can guess what they are about, however they have been heavily overused, and Minecraft has always been praised for its originality.

I mostly agree with you, although you seem to contradict yourself - You first say Mage is a odd race due to it not being a race normally, then say that Dwarf and Elf should not be used due to it being used often in gaming.

Although its true, Dwarfs and Elves are used all the time...

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I highly suggest you take a look at the following free PDF:

http://www.autzones.com/din6000/textes/semaine13/Kirk%282005%29.pdf

It is called RPG Design Patterns and it does a fantastic job at spelling out various RPG systems and how to effectively use them. I can't emphasize enough what a treasure-trove of information this PDF has been to my designs!

This looks like an excellent document. Props for sharing!

throw table_exception("(? ???)? ? ???");

Of the races you named Mage seems to be the odd one. I would think mage is a class. As for dwarf and elf, maybe you should reconsider them.

The adventage of dwarves and elves is that they are established in gaming and players can guess what they are about, however they have been heavily overused, and Minecraft has always been praised for its originality.

I mostly agree with you, although you seem to contradict yourself - You first say Mage is a odd race due to it not being a race normally, then say that Dwarf and Elf should not be used due to it being used often in gaming.

Although its true, Dwarfs and Elves are used all the time...

With the mages I meant that it is often a class (used very commonly as well) and it would be confusing to have them as a race. You probably think of a race of mages who are born with magic like in Harry Potter, but personally I would invent another word for it, just to make it clear that the people with magic is a race and not a class.

I don't play MMOs because I would become addicted
With the mages I meant that it is often a class (used very commonly as well) and it would be confusing to have them as a race. You probably think of a race of mages who are born with magic like in Harry Potter, but personally I would invent another word for it, just to make it clear that the people with magic is a race and not a class.

Seconding, especially since in the OP

There are three races the player can pick from: Elf, Mage and Dwarf

and

This system is nice just because it allows a player to want to be a "Tanky Dwarf" at the beginning, then switch to a "Fire Mage" afterwards.

means that the player would be able to switch the race. Although flexibility is fine, that possibility would counteract the identification with the PC, IMHO.

In that case in would be more like the magician of the Lord of the Rings. Even though they are more like physical deities (well, not in power) than a proper race.

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