Project FoM - Indie JRPG in development

[BishopB]

We are 8 game indies making a Western JRPG (us all being European and all.) We have just started to share our work on our development blog, and would of course love feedback on what we are doing.

Here is the commercial sales pitch of what we are trying to achieve:

Story Driven Quests

Engaging and humor filled quests and multiple dialogue options penned by Lori-Ann Cole, of Quest for Glory fame, which will keep you hooked on the story, waiting to see what will come next.(Lori-Ann Cole is one of my heroes and miraculously she has agreed to help us out!)


Character / Party System

Simple, intuitive and solid character level progression system which lets you build up your characters. As the game progresses you will be able to recruit a party of up to six characters, including the player character. Your party will grow stronger and get better weapons and spells to use in combat.


Combat

Intense and intriguing turn-based combat, where you have to fight adrenaline packed fights with your party of varied characters, against packs of foes across game world. Combine party members into pairs for greater tactical advantages. Together with a unique combat element based on crystal energy, the player will find new and old systems working in perfect harmony for a fresh JRPG combat system.​

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Farming & Crafting​

Cultivate and harvest your own Spuds for ammunition and potions, and mine for special crystals from the Crystal Mines to make varied and powerful amulets which will boost the characters in your party.​

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My team has been posting on the blog for a while, but the traffic we get makes it feel like they are posting the stuff for our selves. I know that the blogging-motivation is proportional to the number visitors and comments, so please help me keep them motivated to continue to share what we do.

 

[J1M]

Based on this pitch, your artists are doing all of the selling.

Sell me the story by telling me its theme, not that you will have one. Also don't care who is writing it, since there is a solid track record of established writers writing terrible game stories. If it isn't Amy Hennig, their name doesn't matter.

Make it obvious that instead of random encounters, enemies are visible on the map like chrono trigger. If that isn't the design, change it.

Intense and intriguing turn-based combat, where you have to fight adrenaline packed fights with your party of varied characters, against packs of foes across game world. Combine party members into pairs for greater tactical advantages. Together with a unique combat element based on crystal energy, the player will find new and old systems working in perfect harmony for a fresh JRPG combat system.

You should utilize those writers you have to redo this god-awful paragraph. Nobody who likes turn-based combat looks to it for 'an intense adrenaline rush'. Everyone claims to be unique. Most people are lying or wrong. Don't say it, prove it like you did with the farming/crafting section.

EDIT: Also, I would like the option to turn a piglet follower into a bacon item that gives Salty +1. You can decide what the salty stat does for each class.
EDIT 2: The implication of your first piece of concept art is that asians are short subserviant pig-people. While hilarious, I'd change the lettering on those buildings if I were you.

 

[BishopB]

Thanks J1M!

This was exactly the kind of input I was looking for - though I hoped for a more positive response.
I agree with you in all your comments though and I certainly want honest feedback.

We don't have the complete story at this point of course, so it is hard to use for selling the game.
The game design (the game play) is in the process of being written while we prototype ideas and mechanics.

It has been decided that we will have visible enemies while exploring the game world and we are thinking to give the enemies cones of vision so that you can try and sneak behind them.
We are also contemplating on allowing other interaction with enemies outside of the combat screen. E.g. that you can trigger a pile of rocks to fall on an enemy causing it either to die, or to be wounded when you go into combat.

You should utilize those writers you have to redo this god-awful paragraph. Nobody who likes turn-based combat looks to it for 'an intense adrenaline rush'. Everyone claims to be unique. Most people are lying or wrong. Don't say it, prove it like you did with the farming/crafting section.

I'll try to delete that part now and replace it with something more sensible.

The Hogbunny can be replaced with other companions if you don't like him. We have not decided on how many companions you will have to choose from in the game yet.
As I have no clue what the Japanese words mean I will get the artist to edit it. No pig-people implications were even thought of, much less intended.

Edit: I can't edit the original post. :-(
-B

 

[laclongquan]

Have you played Legend of Mana yet? Your game smells like it. At least in the art scenes. I like your art scenes.

The farm and crafting section you could learn, copy or plain steal I dont care which. LOM make a great game based on that and I say you could go not far wrong to follow it.

For story, I think a story based on great characters work better than a story based on a great story. Focus on characters, their personalities, their own line of quests, and make the main story become a braiding of all those lines.

 

[BishopB]

Thanks, I have not played Legend of Mana. It looks gorgeous though. I guess that will be my vacation entertainment.
Finding good systems that work in other games is key as I see it. No shame in that.

I agree, the characters makes or breaks the story, that goes for books and films too.

-B

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

This was exactly the kind of input I was looking for - though I hoped for a more positive response.

That depends what you mean by more positive response, if you mean more replies then Codex Workshop is the wrong subforum to advertise your game. On the other hand if you mean that the people here didn't immediately start giving you blowjobs on arrival - because you're a developer, even an indie - then sorry, this is not that kind of a forum.

 

[BishopB]

LOL, no, I had just been off this kind of forum long enough to forget the bluntness that you so perfectly demonstrated.
(My forum title "Barely literate" is quite fitting. Anyway, I find the bluntness quite refreshing.)

My purpose here is to get feedback to make a better game. I don't believe that sitting locked up in a black box for 18 months is the best way to go about things.
Also, I believe advertisement of the game at this point is most likely pointless - we're way to early in the process.

 

[laclongquan]

Aaaaactually, if any care about honest contribution, Codex Workshop make most sense. It wont attract too many of the casual crowds as the other more glamourous subforums. And any serious gamers with good contribution will look at this sooner or later.

Of course, if they want attention drawn like a good PR tactic, better to put it over there.

 

[BishopB]

I'd rather have quality over quantity at this pont, so I'm quite happy here in Codex Workshop.

 

[J1M]

Thanks J1M!

This was exactly the kind of input I was looking for - though I hoped for a more positive response.
I agree with you in all your comments though and I certainly want honest feedback.

We don't have the complete story at this point of course, so it is hard to use for selling the game.
The game design (the game play) is in the process of being written while we prototype ideas and mechanics.

It has been decided that we will have visible enemies while exploring the game world and we are thinking to give the enemies cones of vision so that you can try and sneak behind them.
We are also contemplating on allowing other interaction with enemies outside of the combat screen. E.g. that you can trigger a pile of rocks to fall on an enemy causing it either to die, or to be wounded when you go into combat.

You should utilize those writers you have to redo this god-awful paragraph. Nobody who likes turn-based combat looks to it for 'an intense adrenaline rush'. Everyone claims to be unique. Most people are lying or wrong. Don't say it, prove it like you did with the farming/crafting section.

I'll try to delete that part now and replace it with something more sensible.

The Hogbunny can be replaced with other companions if you don't like him. We have not decided on how many companions you will have to choose from in the game yet.
As I have no clue what the Japanese words mean I will get the artist to edit it. No pig-people implications were even thought of, much less intended.

Edit: I can't edit the original post. :-(
-B

Edit button is above your post near the time stamp.

From what I can tell, English isn't your first language and you have a good attitude about feedback, so I will try to elaborate a little.

When I said that you should talk about the theme of your story I meant you can hook someone by having a strong theme. There is another indie project out there that has a story and gameplay revolving around death. The idea is you start off god-like and as the game progresses you become weaker and weaker, symbolic of the ageing process and a subversion of normal game expectations. Interesting stuff, but probably not appropriate for your game.

Perhaps the central theme of your story is friendship. The way it starts innocent and matures as you grow up, how it is sometimes lost, and the unbreakable bond between a boy and his pet. I don't know, maybe all you have right now is a generic save the world story. The point is that a strong theme is interesting.

I like the cone of vision idea. Sounds fun.

I like the hogbunny. It looks cool, and from your screenshot it was implied you would have multiple of them as companions. I was mostly joking, but the idea that you could sacrifice one of your companions to make another stronger is an interesting (and very dark) choice.

I don't know what the japanese characters on those buildings mean either. The problem is that it looks like kanji and the way the picture is structured the pig is from the community on the right. You should change them to a new set of glyphs that is limited to your game world.

 

[laclongquan]

Six characters you say? And you can only control one with one pet. You prolly can make 6-7 class, so that each character can have a chance at one and player can rotate among all classes.

Also class and estimate of application to your pet
Straight up melee: your pet is of this class prolly. It make for a sturdy combatant, so they can last reasonably long in combat. Shield your more fragile class character.

Fragile long ranged attacker: possibly one variant of your pet's class. It's fragile so your character may have to babysit it better and more careful. Although both master and servant make for a pair of dangerous onehitters (either they are dead before they get close and we are dead)

Nuker magician: like wizard mage of DnD who focused on destruction spells.

Disabler magician: ditto, but focus on status spell, Area of Effect.

Petmaster: whose abilities focus on making pet stronger. Kinda like druid.

Your battlefield look too small to make use of stealthy scout.

 

[laclongquan]

On the art

I suggest that you make 3 female characters:

one wild girl (amazone) though not necessary a fighter
one studious girl (with glass and frilly clothes?) but not necessary a mage
one noble girl (leather clothed, cat ear dominatrix?) petmaster

 

[BishopB]

J1M : I'm too noob to be allowed the Edit button. I guess it might show up after I level up by posting lots of replies.

Yes, unfortunately my English syntax gives me a way faster than I wish - I'm Norwegian.
Having burned my fingers on a previous project where we focused too much on the story before the gameplay, we are now trying to flesh out the game play first. We also don't have any skilled storytellers in-house so I went about and tried to get one I had enjoyed previously. I like your suggestion to avoid the cliche story - save the world. I'll pitch it to the team - I think they will like it too. (We were going for an Epic story arch as you presumed *blush*)

Cone of vision and more stuff to do outside the combat might work to help tell a good story - at least that is the idea so far. Some enemy encounters might be impossible, forcing the player to have to sneak around or use some kind of cunning to continue. (We will have to prototype this of course)

@Iaclongquan. We will have to keep the scope very tight so we are planning on max 3 players in the party with 3 protectors (the smaller ones like the Hogbunny). The Protector won't do any damage, but is a healing/buffing extension of the pairing party member.
We intend to have 3 main classes to start with.

• Warrior (Melee - Defensive/Offensive progression)
• Ranger (Ranged - SpudGun focused progression)
• Mage (Mage - Elemental / Crystal focused progression)

The Protectors have 3 main classes but will have a secondary class with lesser abilities. All Protectors can be paired with each party member:

• Buffer
• Debuffer
• Healer

It's still very early and very inspired by FF13 so there is plenty room for input here.

We have added a loot chest in the combat scene, so the player can see the tier of the loot drop. I think it would be nice to have that kind of motivation and anticipation during combat.

 

[BishopB]

I suggest that you make 3 female characters:

one wild girl (amazone) though not necessary a fighter
one studious girl (with glass and frilly clothes?) but not necessary a mage
one noble girl (leather clothed, cat ear dominatrix?) petmaster

Hehehe, I think I can imagine how you would like them to look.

My AD is posting a new character concept piece on the blog now. I have added it below.
As you can see you got a female character (Protector class) but she is not as womanly as I imagine you would like.
(The other character is the Warrior)

 

[Terpsichore]

Could the main character not be an emo male teenager with spiked hair for once?

 

[BishopB]

Come on - it's a JRPG after all. Got to at least have one emo character, right?

You can choose to play the above guy as the main character if you don't like emo teens with spiked hair. There is even a female young adult to choose from.

 

[BishopB]

Just so you don't think I'm being an idiot - I'll be on vacation with very limited net access for 10 days starting today.
I will be checking in here as often as I can, but if my response is slow, please don't think I'm being rude.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Please make it at least reasonably challenging, too many JRPGs are cakewalks.

I would like some freedom of exploration, at least in the second part of the game.

Please make the walking speed reasonably fast.

Please keep cutscene lenght at a minimum, give an option to skip them, and make the dialogue speed fast.

Please allow to save anywhere.

 

[laclongquan]

I stress that the female figures are important. I dont want to run around looking at a male ass if I can help it.

 

[BishopB]

*agrees to both posts above*

 

[Jaesun]

But I like looking at male ass.

 

[villain of the story]

Why does he have a glowing penis and why is he showing it to a little girl/boy and why is the little shit touching it?

 

[laclongquan]

But I like looking at male ass.

Since I ask for 3 female out of 6, obviously you will have your choice.

 

[ForeverdarkWoods]

Please make it at least reasonably challenging, too many JRPGs are cakewalks.

I would like some freedom of exploration, at least in the second part of the game.

Please make the walking speed reasonably fast.

Please keep cutscene lenght at a minimum, give an option to skip them, and make the dialogue speed fast.

Please allow to save anywhere.

Agree on all of these. Would also like to stress that combat animations with spectacular light shows can be really cool in TB combat. The first time, that is. Or hell, maybe even the second and third times. The hundredth time you wish you could just skip them, and the two-hundredth time you want to pull your hair out.

Hell, if you look at Heroes of Might and Magic games they have this toggle for combat animation speed. Even having such would solve tons of issues present in JRPGs far too often. If I cast a fire spell with some regularity, I don't want to have to look at a super-ultra dragon of doom being summoned and sucking it's own dick for a good 40 seconds before the spell effect is applied every time I cast the spell.

I have abandoned a good few JRPGs because of this phenomenon.

PS. Every time you put in a sound effect, think about how often it will be used and how quickly they are going to get annoying. If it gets annoying quick, at least put in an option to turn it off.

 

[BishopB]

Please make it at least reasonably challenging, too many JRPGs are cakewalks.

I would like some freedom of exploration, at least in the second part of the game.

Please make the walking speed reasonably fast.

Please keep cutscene lenght at a minimum, give an option to skip them, and make the dialogue speed fast.

Please allow to save anywhere.

@Humaity: Thanks for good suggestions. I too like games that challenges my brain (Being an adventure gamer of the 80s my self.) Walkspeed - agreed, short cut scenes - agreed (they are a pain to make anyway).

About saving: We are considering the old school saving scheme vs. some kind of auto checkpont - or a combinaiton. (Personally I prefer the combination)

ForeverdarkWoods: We shall try to make graphics, animations and sounds so that they don't make you feel like killing yourself after the 3rd time. We are the first to look at the stuff a gazillion times so it's also important for our own sanity too.

laclongquan: We are mostly guys who develop the game and I believe most of us share your point of view on what we prefer to look at. I'll take the male/female ratio up with the team. In all fairness it should be 50% of each, but as we are really focused on the storytelling we might do the whole thing with one pre-defined character.

@villainOTS: ... She....He isn't...It's a glowing... *sigh* No point in arguing here...