I am taking this survey type thing on a few websites to see what fans of games want in their game. I'm asking those of gaming and non-gaming websites (mostly or only by forums) over probably the next few weeks. I would like to make the best video game possible, and I have so many ideas. I am not with any gaming company I am not making it anytime soon, I'm simply a listless dreamer. If you say an idea that I would like to use on here I will not steal it. instead I'll contact you in hopes of permission. If you would like to help me with my ideas, contact me, and I'll take any help possible. I want to make a 3d action rpg, but any input is helpful. I believe to do something good, learn yourself on the topic as much as possible. thanks to wikis, youtube, and forums, I can, but I mostly know trivia, so I'm asking you, the gamers. I am 17, and have played the Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Metroid, Kirby, Starfox, Earthbound/Mother, Fire Emblem, Sonic, just to name a few to give you some idea of what I do, as you can see I play mostly nintendo and nintendo-esque games. Go into detail about any of these: -characters -plot -music -minigames? -items -enemies -music -sidequests -bosses -nostalgia -gameplay -innovation -graphics -design -exploration -etc -what do you like and dislike about every game? -what is your favorite . . .? -what would make it better for you? -what other games do you like? -the best game would . . . -what makes a good game in general? -anymore details you feel like adding are appreciated. Please go into as much detail as possible, I don't mind reading. Thank you for your time and effort.
Characters: They need to have a good background. If you don't let the players connect with them on at least a few levels then they aren't going to be very good. Whether it be revealing their entire history right off the bat or over most of the length of the game, it's good to let the player know who it is they're playing as. Plot: A very detailed, in depth plot is key. If it doesn't have a good storyline, I probably won't even touch it. If you'll look at the storyline of Doctor Who, how some things that happen might seem unimportant then turn out to actually play a key role in the plot. That's an example of a good plot. Music: The music depends on what type of game. For an RPG you'll definitely need fighting/action music. You might also needs some dramatic music, or happy music. You'll need music to match the mood of the current scene to help with ambiance. Mini-games: They're fun, but not necessary. Maybe for certain events. If you ever played Legend of the Dragoon, if you'll recall the little fair/carnival had mini-games you could play. It wasn't really important, just something the player could enjoy. Items: Health Restoration is an important item if it's going to be a fighting rpg. You'll need cool weapons and accessories as well. You don't want to make it too easy for players to acquire all these items though, especially if you're going to have "legendary" items. Like one hit kill items. Make the players work for it. Perhaps adding a feature of "carry-over" to a new game once you beat the old one would be nice as well. Enemies: You want to make sure the enemies have a nice design, while also matching the players level. Obviously, putting a lvl 99 monster where a lvl 1 player would be is not going to be a good idea. You want to give them a challenge, but too easy or too difficult will be an extreme turn off for the players. Sidequests: They are ideal for players who want more. Be it more exp/lvl, more money, or just more to do. Sidequests are always nice to have. Bosses: You don't want to throw around bosses so casually. A boss should be an enemy the player works his/her way up to. You shouldn't be facing a boss every five minutes. Span them out, and definitely make sure they are part of the story progression/plot. Nostalgia: This isn't necessarily something you can put in a game. Most of the time, but not all, there needs to be history in order for nostalgia to occur. Players might get a sense of nostalgia after playing a game several years later, when they think "Wow, this brings back memories." Gameplay: Gameplay is a must. If the gameplay is "crap" no one is going to want to "play your game." The controls shouldn't be too complicated, but oversimplifying them could be just as bad. Figure out what kind of style you'll be going for, then follow through with a gameplay style to match. Innovation: Creating the "next generation" of RPG may or may not be a difficult feat. It depends on how much money you have, what kind of team you have working on it, and how much time you can put into it. To create an innovative game, you'll need to go beyond the boundaries that have been set by prior games. Make something no one has ever seen before. Innovation should be every game designers goal. Graphics: Mario, Zelda, even Final Fantasy. Those were games people loved and still love to this day. Looking at them now, the graphics weren't that great. Honestly, in today's gaming society, if you try and throw another Mario Bros into the community, you'll probably not see great results. Graphics are a definite must have. If the graphics aren't great, you'll lose a large number of potential buyers. There's not much use in creating a good storyplot and gameplay if you're not going to have the graphics to back it. Design: Basically the same as graphics. The overall layout of the game, both system wise and graphics, should be appealing to the player. Exploration: Maps are a definite must. If every map generally looks the same in both appearance and size, it isn't going to be much fun. You'll need diversity, and lots of it. Even when creating the insides of buildings, you need to be diverse. Basically, "This one had blue wallpaper, so lets make this one wooden paneled." Basically, everything I've just said it how I feel about games. As for games I like: Legend of the Dragoon Final Fantasy Star Ocean Kingdom Hearts Sly Cooper Resident Evil I know not all of these are RPG's but they all hold certain things that I like and most meet or exceed my expectations.
Breaking it down into categories can be helpful in fine-tuning aspects of a game, but it definitely says something that teams of up to 300 people working on a single game can turn out a flop like Epic Mickey. More than anything, games should be cohesive; all the elements should work together to achieve the same goal. Characters of the Super Mario franchise would feel out of place in Final Fantasy, for example. Granted, the Final Fantasy team has successfully put together an exceptional Mario game, but that's another matter entirely. I like to apply Kurt Vonnegut's rules for writing a short story to every creative outlet under the sun, and game design is no exception, especially since there is such an emphasis on holding the consumer's attention: Not all of these translate cleanly to gaming, but it's not hard to extrapolate a related set of guidelines from them: If you waste a gamer's time, they will at best stop playing and at worst write a nasty review about your game or return their rental. An unlikable player character is a quick way to get on the player's nerves. It's very difficult to craft a game with no clear-cut goal or something to achieve. You're basically relying on the player's creativity - or, in less flattering terms, making them do all the work. CPU memory, and the patience of gamers, is valuable; do not waste it on characters, levels, items, etc. that needn't be there. Whether an overarching story or a single level within a game, if it meanders about too long, it's likely to lose the player's attention. A game without challenge is a game that will soon be forgotten. Know your demographic; RPG fans don't want a racing game, and FPS fans don't want good games an action-adventure game. Don't hide essential functions of the game or plot details from the player. They should not have to earn the right to understand wtf is going on. And, of course, no regurgitation of Vonnegut's rules is complete without his oh-so-famous follow-up remark: In the end, none of these rules are binding, as long as you understand why they are in place and only break them with a purpose in mind. Not hard to think of developers who've done that, is it? Marcus "Notch" Persson comes to mind; pretty sure Minecraft is as aimless as gaming gets, but in a way that's part of the charm. A rough set of guidelines should inform decisions in every facet of a game's development. Should your characters all be deep and thoughtful individuals with their own little quirks and charms, or should they be very simple and serve a mechanical purpose, such as providing a tutorial or introducing a new level? Will your soundtrack be full of stirring ballads with many movements, or will they be short, catchy tunes that enhance gameplay without overshadowing it? Many approaches lead to a game worth playing, so you just have to figure out which one works for you, or else mix elements from a few different ideas. If you have a particular idea or a game genre in mind, I may be able to follow up with more specific advice. I'd only call myself well-versed in a few genres, though.
