Help with Gameplay/Mechanics

[Dorian Black]

Okay, I'll just level with you here. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, have a big project I want to showcase, and it would really help if I had some more people around me who could tell me how to make this game work, and dress it up with a few bells and whistles.

Here's what I have so far: The game--which I don't have a title for (I do, but it sucks)--is divided into three different themed campaigns: Fantasy, Modern (which is IMPOSSIBLE to figure out!!!), and Sci-Fi (Races are easy enough, but Classes....there's a reason I can't do this alone with the limited knowledge I have), all of them share the same basic stat formulas, the same basic controls, the same basic everything but the enviornment, the classes, the races, the weapons, armor, everything else is all themed around the setting to feel organic.

I don't have a lot of details about what to do with a game like this and I really, really need someone who can help me figure this stuff out. If I had any idea what I'm doing, I wouldn't be desperately asking for help understanding how to make a game like this work.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q98ub3z2337wf8a/AAD3ImY00HJUs6XK1PTvD08fa?dl=0 (this is the revisionist work for everything I have gameplay-wise) https://www.dropbox.com/sh/tk7dffhtmpim9qk/AADZLj-OnC_3VNn938mC1HPxa?dl=0 (this is all the data I have on the Sci-Fi setting so far, which is why I could use a little help; unforetunately, most of my data on Modern is incomplete).

 

[Snorkack]

Judging from your docs you really seem like you have no idea what you're doing. You haven't made a game before, have you? So here's my advice: Ditch this project and instead
1. Learn how to write a proper design document
2. Pick an easy to get into programming language suitable for gaming like pygame, c#,... and start programming really simple stuff: Pong, Snake, Arkanoid, Tetris,...

Welcome to game development! One of the biggest beginner's mistakes is to start with projects that are too big and complex. they will fail almost guaranteed and will discourage you to continue with this hobby.

 

[FuriousGamer87]

I agree with Snorkack.
Make a few simple games first to get the basics down. Pong is a good first game to get your feet wet.
Since you are posting in this forum, I am assuming you are planning to focus on RPGs right?
Then focus your experimentation on things like database, functions, memory pointers, and arrays.
You also need to practice some stuff on visual and audio too.

Good luck.

 

[Dorian Black]

Judging from your docs you really seem like you have no idea what you're doing. You haven't made a game before, have you? So here's my advice: Ditch this project and instead
1. Learn how to write a proper design document
2. Pick an easy to get into programming language suitable for gaming like pygame, c#,... and start programming really simple stuff: Pong, Snake, Arkanoid, Tetris,...

Welcome to game development! One of the biggest beginner's mistakes is to start with projects that are too big and complex. they will fail almost guaranteed and will discourage you to continue with this hobby.

You realize this is EXACTLY why I'm asking for help. I need a partner who can help me with figuring all of this out. I don't know what I'm doing and if you aren't here to help, then you're part of the problem. I've had this exact same issue many, many times; asking for help, and everyone doing nothing but saying I should just give up and leave. I! NEED! HELP! That's why I posted this!

 

[Dorian Black]

I agree with Snorkack.
Make a few simple games first to get the basics down. Pong is a good first game to get your feet wet.
Since you are posting in this forum, I am assuming you are planning to focus on RPGs right?
Then focus your experimentation on things like database, functions, memory pointers, and arrays.
You also need to practice some stuff on visual and audio too.

Good luck.

Yeah, thanks. Super helpful; if you aren't going to be on board and help me, then why bother? I said RIGHT IN THIS POST and I quote, " I really, really need someone who can help me figure this stuff out. If I had any idea what I'm doing, I wouldn't be desperately asking for help understanding how to make a game like this work." If you aren't going to be the person who wants to be my partner and work through how to make the mechanics work, then we have nothing to discuss.

 

[Keldryn]

Nobody is telling you to give up and leave. They are telling you to put this big project aside until you have a few smaller, simpler projects under your belt.

And they are right.

If you keep asking for help and nobody wants to help you, then you are probably asking for too much and offering too little. If you need help with all of the technical aspects of the game and all you bring to the table are ideas and a couple of design documents, then it is frankly a lousy deal for your "partner" who knows the technical stuff.

And to be honest, "help me with this hugely ambitious project, I have no idea what I'm doing" is a gigantic red flag that screams "STAY AWAY" to anyone who could help you figure it out. You're vastly underestimating how much work you're asking someone to do for you.

You may very well consider my response unhelpful, but I'm simply being honest with you. Build half a dozen simple games and then start thinking about an RPG.

 

[Snorkack]

Stop being a little bitch. Noone is going to help you with an attitude like that. Figuring stuff out by yourself is one of the most important skills you need to program.

 

[Telengard]

The thing to realize is ideas are a dime a dozen. They're the easy part. Making the idea come into reality is the hard part.

There are only two kinds of people who matter in development: the money men and the builders. The only people who can just pass off an idea and have others do all the work for them are the money men who are paying people to make their vision come true. To be a builder, you have to show your willingness to commit to the toil and time needed to learn the skills to produce something worthwhile.

You have to decide which you want to be. Come to the table with money or skill, and lots of people will leap to help you. Come with neither, and you only get advice.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Sup Bryce

 

[Dorian Black]

Allow me to repeat myself: I'm looking for someone to help me with gameplay mechanics. IF I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING, I WOULDN'T BE HERE!!!!!! I need a partner or two to help walk me through the process of how to make my game work. I have a few concepts and ideas, but I NEED HELP!!!! If no one is going to help, then you aren't be part of the solution! I have tons and tons of skills so jump on board and help me out here by at least telling me where to start or GTFO. I've put up with this exact same thing far too many times, and I'm certainly not being pushed off another thread again!

Abandoning the only project I have to my entire legacy is NOT and NEVER WILL be an option!!!! If you aren't going to help, then we have nothing to discuss, period.

 

[Night Goat]

Why do you think anyone will do your work for free? Especially with that attitude...

 

[Zarniwoop]

This will end well/hilariously. Subscribed.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Ah, the "I am the ideas man" gamedev meme.

 

[Keldryn]

 

[Ninjerk]

 

[JamesDixon]

Allow me to repeat myself: I'm looking for someone to help me with gameplay mechanics. IF I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING, I WOULDN'T BE HERE!!!!!! I need a partner or two to help walk me through the process of how to make my game work. I have a few concepts and ideas, but I NEED HELP!!!! If no one is going to help, then you aren't be part of the solution! I have tons and tons of skills so jump on board and help me out here by at least telling me where to start or GTFO. I've put up with this exact same thing far too many times, and I'm certainly not being pushed off another thread again!

Abandoning the only project I have to my entire legacy is NOT and NEVER WILL be an option!!!! If you aren't going to help, then we have nothing to discuss, period.

Game mechanics are actually the easiest thing to do. I suggest that you pull your head out of your ass and listen to what people are saying to you. Until you do then no one will take you serious, especially with an attitude that you've displayed.

Want to learn game mechanics for an rpg? Read as many different pen and paper rpg rule systems you can. Once you have done that then you can understand what goes into making a computer rpg game system.

 

[Galdred]

Actually, I think you should fist do a Pen and Paper version and test it on with some of your friends. If the PnP is broken, the CRPG will be too.
When you and them have fun after the 10th iteration, you can then convert to a computer game.

 

[Ninjerk]

Intensify your efforts to find helpful programmers, artists, and writers, and avoid forums full of losers like this one. This is YOUR game idea. How could it be bad?

 

[Galdred]

BTW, do you want help refining the mechanisms, or turning this into a working CRPG?
The former might be easier to get help for, but the later would be impossible.
BTW, your system sounds like a JRPG inspired one, so maybe RPG maker and its tutorial would be a good start.

 

[Durwyn]

HAY GUYZ !

MAKE ME A GAEM OR UR DICKS.

Bitch start with modding, playing various systems adaptations or reading PnP systems and prototyping as one, as other guys suggested. Trying to create a complex and balanced RPG system without prior deep knowledge on the subject and experience (which I assume you don't possess) is an arduous task, and even if you do, it might just be not fun aka shit (trust me, I've been there and many better than me also [see PoE]). As with almost everything it basically trial and error until you hit the sweet spot. Even the Codex Hivemind will not lead you through this maze when you're blind and have no sense of direction. At best you'll end in the pit with vipers which is where you are now.

 

[Obsequious Approbation]

10 years hence the Codex will come to rue the day its members refused to help shape the second coming of Grimoire. Choices and Consequences, friends.

 

[Cadmus]

I will help you, PM me your credit card details.

 

[Galdred]

You should first review your design and, for each topic, ask yourself what you want to achiece with that.
For instance, the game resolution system is critical, and should not be chosen randomly :
The available options are :
Fixed number of dice
-1 die roll + mod(D20) VS Target
-Several dice + mod (gurps) vs target
- percentage roll under skill(Ctulhu, warhammer...).

Dice pool :
N dice vs target number for each die (shadowrun, vampire) where N is the skill. In Vampire, target is fixed. In SR it depends on difficulty.

Additive dice systems
Roll and total bucket of dice and vs TN where bucket = skill(Star Wars)

Roll r dice total keep and total the k highest (L5R)

Other :
Roll n dice where n = skill, keep highest or second highest (Silhouette).

So first, decide what you want ti achieve in term of variance, low skill vs high skill, and pick your system, or tell us why you picked yours in the first place.

Using a computer doesn t change any of it. It just makes adding, and selecting random results easier.

 

[DavidBVal]

If that's your tolerance to frustration, you're not going to make a game, much less get any stable help (which looks like you need)

If you plan to code this yourself: sorry to crush your dreams. If you are not an experienced programmer, you're not going to make an RPG by yourself. Hold your breath in anger all you want at us "disbelievers", this is my way of helping you. I have over 20 years of experience as a programmer, and I've designed or tinkered with all kind of systems. I've invested 2,131 hours into my game already, and there's still hundreds to go. And it's not a super-ambitious project like yours, even. If you're not a programmer, how are you planning to have someone else doing that kind of effort for you?

Now assuming you want game design advice. Planning is nice, but no plan survives contact with the enemy. If it's turn based, play it as PnP / tabletop with friends. See where it fails, and where it is fun. Learn and improve it on each session. And by any means come here to ask specific questions, people here loves to show off how smart they are. Just don't ask them to do any work for you, because they won't (and shouldn't). Open a thread like "how to avoid firearms to be unbalanced in a mostly-fantasy setting" or "how many encounters until level up is adequate?", and I am sure you'll get a lot of good ideas.

 

[DraQ]

Game mechanics are actually the easiest thing to do.

Countless games out there say otherwise.

Judging from your docs you really seem like you have no idea what you're doing. You haven't made a game before, have you? So here's my advice: Ditch this project and instead
1. Learn how to write a proper design document
2. Pick an easy to get into programming language suitable for gaming like pygame, c#,... and start programming really simple stuff: Pong, Snake, Arkanoid, Tetris,...

Welcome to game development! One of the biggest beginner's mistakes is to start with projects that are too big and complex. they will fail almost guaranteed and will discourage you to continue with this hobby.

Alternatively pick a larger open source game project of your liking and start contributing.

This way you will get see how it's done without having to mess around with small arcade games that may seem pointless waste of time and without making noob mistakes that aren't immediately obvious as long as you work in small scale but will inevitably bite your ass once you try to repeat them in something bigger.

Yeah, thanks. Super helpful; if you aren't going to be on board and help me, then why bother? I said RIGHT IN THIS POST and I quote, " I really, really need someone who can help me figure this stuff out. If I had any idea what I'm doing, I wouldn't be desperately asking for help understanding how to make a game like this work."

And since you don't have even the faintest idea what you are doing, you are doomed to fail horribly, decide it's not for you and take up knitting.
Why would anyone want to help with a failed project?

(Also, you don't want to end up as knitting person, do you? )