CodeWalrus

Development => PC, Mac & Vintage Computers => Topic started by: pimathbrainiac on January 30, 2016, 04:19:38 PM

Poll
Question: What type of movement engine is best?
Option 1: Camera centered on player votes: 7
Option 2: Screen-by-screen votes: 0
Option 3: Hybrid votes: 3
Title: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on January 30, 2016, 04:19:38 PM
Hello! This semester, one of my classes is a directed study. In other words, I get to do something I want to do, and there are gradable checkpoints every week or two. As the title of this post suggests, I'm making a JRPG. I have a story concept, but I don't have a name atm :P Below I'm going to put what the assignments are and when they are due-ish (since it's okay if they are a day or so late, according to the teacher).

  • Stats Outline – A plan for what stats characters may have, how they affect battles, and how stat growth occurs when leveling up (1/22) complete (http://1drv.ms/1OYiDNS)
  • Character Outline – A plan for a cast of characters, both party members and NPCs, and certain character attributes about them unrelated to state | In addition, create classes and plan how they affect stats (1/29) complete (http://1drv.ms/1OYiryf)
  • Movement Engine Outline – A plan for the mechanics of the movement engine (2/5) complete (http://pimathbrainiac.me/movementengine.svg)
  • Event Engine Outline – A plan for the mechanics of the event engine (2/11)
  • Battle Engine Outline – A plan for the mechanics of the battle engine (2/19)
  • World Map – A map that includes the entire explorable area of the game, as well as the placement of events and NPCs (2/26)
  • Midterm – Present the entire plan for the game (3/4)
  • Story – A written version of what the story will be in the game (3/18)
  • Create movement engine (3/25)
  • Create tile map – A computerized version of the world map, including events and NPCs (4/1)
  • Create event engine (4/15)
  • Create battle engine (4/22)
  • Implement Story through events and dialogue (4/29)
  • Write and implement music "loops" – 60-120 second pieces that repeat and set the mood for various areas (5/13)
  • Final – Present the finished game (5/20)
I'll update this post with the assignments as they happen (later today for the first two). The full story will be view-able, so I'll put it in layered spoilers. I won't give the story concept until then, so when I release the characters, you won't have any background >:D

All things considered, I didn't have time to put art in my schedule so either
A) I'll have to get art off Open Game Art (And make the game open source)
or
B) If one of you guys is willing to do art I'd be willing to credit you (and give you a share of the profits if I decide to sell the game instead of just open-sourcing it. That is tbd).

[spoiler=movement engine flowchart](http://pimathbrainiac.me/movementengine.svg)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: novenary on January 30, 2016, 04:35:59 PM
Sounds fun, it would be great if I had a schedule like that for my projects. Otherwise I just mess around. :/
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: c4ooo on January 31, 2016, 02:50:43 AM
Quote from: Streetwalrus on January 30, 2016, 04:35:59 PM
Sounds fun, it would be great if I had a schedule like that for my projects. Otherwise I just mess around. :/
Yep ^.^ ; cant wait till my classes require me to write RPGs :P
Good luck pimath, hopefully you can get the highest grade in the class :D
(will walruses be included btw?)
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on January 31, 2016, 03:25:52 AM
Edited first post to include links to the current planning documents.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on February 01, 2016, 07:00:12 PM
Bump!

Poll the masses time! This week I'm working on the design for the movement engine. I know it will be 2D and tilemap-based. I would like to know whether or not people like the screen being centered on the player (like pokemon), the screen being area-by area (like Zelda 1) and the player moving on the screen, or some sort of hybrid (like LoZ: The Minish Cap). Adding a poll.

Also @DJ Omnimaga what do you think of the stats/calculations? Do you think they're reasonable? You have experience here, so your input would mean a lot.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: novenary on February 01, 2016, 07:38:14 PM
I prefer a scrolling map personally.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 07:16:47 AM
Sounds like an interesting school project. As for camera movement hybrid might be better since you might want to have separate maps sometimes, such as when you enter a dungeon or if a particular area is huge and needs to be split into multiple parts.

As for the stats they seem fine to me (although resistance should be renamed to reflect that it's magic defense maybe).

As for the damage formulas, they seem fine, but only as long as weapon/magic upgrades offers significant benefits. For example, if you buy a new sword and all it does is 1 extra damage then that is problematic. Of course it also depends of what is the max damage, though. If you plan max damage to be something like 10 or 99 then high increases between upgrades aren't necessary.

What I want to suggest though is to not start too big or complex, so you can meet your deadline.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Unicorn on February 04, 2016, 07:59:24 AM
QuoteWhat I want to suggest though is to not start to big or conplex, so you can meet your deadline.
DJ and other peoples RPGs :trollface:

Kidding aside, this sounds like fun! If you make it free besure to give us  download!
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 09:00:22 AM
Well to be fair, just to show how much of an hassle an RPG can be to create, have you noticed how despite my experience in TI programming, only two of my RPGs have armor/protecting equipment? :P
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on February 04, 2016, 06:28:24 PM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on February 04, 2016, 07:16:47 AM
Sounds like an interesting school project. As for camera movement hybrid might be better since you might want to have separate maps sometimes, such as when you enter a dungeon or if a particular area is huge and needs to be split into multiple parts.

As for the stats they seem fine to me (although resistance should be renamed to reflect that it's magic defense maybe).

As for the damage formulas, they seem fine, but only as long as weapon/magic upgrades offers significant benefits. For example, if you buy a new sword and all it does is 1 extra damage then that is problematic. Of course it also depends of what is the max damage, though. If you plan max damage to be something like 10 or 99 then high increases between upgrades aren't necessary.

What I want to suggest though is to not start too big or complex, so you can meet your deadline.

Thanks for the advice! It probably won't be that big or complex for school purposes, but when I continue it past school, I'll expand it.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on February 17, 2016, 06:57:44 AM
Have you gotten any progress on this, by the way, pimath? Also, I don't remember if I made ROL1 map draft before writing down the storyline and planning the rest of the game, but it can be hard to gauge how large the game will be when you draw a tilemap, since you don't know how many dungeons there will be and if they will all fit there. You could probably make an empty world map with some dungeons scattered here and there, then if you realize the game will be longer, then slowly add more dungeon spots. Also it can be hard to decide of the map layout before knowing the story, since you will most likely have locked paths at first, requiring your map layout to be a certain way.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on February 17, 2016, 11:25:00 AM
Yeah, I've made some progress, I've just forgotten to post about it. This week I'm working on the battle engine. I'll post some flowcharts for the two weeks previous when I get the chance. Thanks for reminding me.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: aetios on February 17, 2016, 08:15:20 PM
I would recommend a hybrid scrolling movement engine: You would have multiple tilemaps and at the borders of them you scroll to the next map.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dudeman313 on February 23, 2016, 01:02:17 AM
How is this going so far, pimath? Will we see screenies?
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: pimathbrainiac on February 29, 2016, 07:50:52 PM
Quote from: Dudeman313 on February 23, 2016, 01:02:17 AM
How is this going so far, pimath? Will we see screenies?

It's going. I've been falling a bit behind, but I should have most of the planning/flowchart stuff done by the end of the week. I just updated the first post to include the movement engine flowchart.
Also no screenies because I'm still in planning stages :P
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 01, 2016, 04:07:35 AM
I hope you can get a good score from this and I also wish you good luck for the programming part, with as less bugs as possible.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dudeman313 on March 02, 2016, 11:24:39 PM
By camera centered on player, do you mean like if the player was in the middle of the screen, you'd see his back and his surroundings in front of him(Sonic Robo 3D), or is it like Minecraft?
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 03, 2016, 06:17:37 AM
Basically, the character always remains in the middle of the screen and never moves from there, even when he reaches the edges of the map (kinda like in the first 4 Final Fantasy games).
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dudeman313 on March 03, 2016, 11:45:22 AM
Quote from: DJ Omnimaga on March 03, 2016, 06:17:37 AM
Basically, the character always remains in the middle of the screen and never moves from there, even when he reaches the edges of the map (kinda like in the first 4 Final Fantasy games).
I've never played those....
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: aetios on March 03, 2016, 01:00:48 PM
Well, play them. They're video game history!
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dream of Omnimaga on March 08, 2016, 09:49:26 PM
I agree, they're also a great reference for later if you ever want to make your own RPGs. Many people get stuck during RPG development because they have no clue about how RPG battles work in general or how damage is often calculated.
Title: Re: Unnamed JRPG - For School Project
Post by: Dudeman313 on March 08, 2016, 09:55:44 PM
When I ever find time or a way I can without getting in trouble, I will.