Idea...

[Tempus35]

So I have an odd idea...

Wouldn't it be interesting to have an RPG based on Social Phobia. That is you would level up as you went out and did things etc.

Anyone interested....

If so I would be up to making it, I would need help with art though for sure, maybe programming, depending on what engine we use.

 

[davidburke]

i couldn't help you with any of that stuff but i'd give it a try

 

[Tempus35]

Been looking into engines, I was trying to find some that are not only free but that aren't in need of a programmer, at least not on more then I am. So far not tons of luck, but I will continue.

Also the two choices that would be best is RPG style, or adventure. Both have their advantaged and issues.

 

[Tempus35]

i couldn't help you with any of that stuff but i'd give it a try

Thanks for the offer, I am going to check out more resources, before I commit to this one.

 

[Anomaly]

It shouldn't be too difficult if you were to go the 2D route, SDL could be put to good use there, provided you have a fairly good understanding of some language (C++, Python, etc) and decent skill with an image editing program.

 

[Tempus35]

It shouldn't be too difficult if you were to go the 2D route, SDL could be put to good use there, provided you have a fairly good understanding of some language (C++, Python, etc) and decent skill with an image editing program.

True, but my proficiency in either of those is low, more so in programming.

 

[Scrabbl]

interesting idea!

Do you have a portfolio / website? I'd be interested in checking out what kind of projects you've worked on before.

 

[Scrabbl]

btw my day job is intern programmer.. and I like to draw, and I'm pretty good with photoshop & have taken a course in graphic design. I love the idea of making games but I also realize how difficult it is in practice.

 

[Tempus35]

interesting idea!

Do you have a portfolio / website? I'd be interested in checking out what kind of projects you've worked on before.

At the moment the only website I have is Slugs which is a forum for another game I am working on. Slugs has been in the works for sometime, but it has a working level, at least mostly and art is coming for it.

As for other stuff to show, sadly I don't have anything, that is I would have stuff like map projects from Warcraft III where I made custom tilesets and made maps, I would also have random data otherwise. But the harddrive that help all that fried on me, and I mean fired, the mechanics completely messed up.

I did take 2-3 years of game design at college, before I switched to a new degree.

And as stated semi above, I have worked on mods in some games, and just random stuff like trying to program, making art, my avatar I made.

 

[Scrabbl]

You did game design. that's cool!

I think your idea could totally work. although personally I'd like to see a more humorous take on social phobia in the game, because to me, games should always focus on the fun parts of real life. SP by itself is not very funny. Dealing with SP can be depressing but the game could make fun of it and perhaps make it interesting. hmm maybe you can do something like a Silent Hill world where the PC's SP makes him enter a hellish place where all NPCs turn into monsters that the PC has to avoid, and if he could calm himself down then he will be able to return to the normal everyday world. maybe the main plot of the game shouldn't even be about overcoming SP but overcoming SP would just be a side effect of completing the main quest. So that's my 2 cents.

I think whether you're choosing to make it RPG or adventure.. the main thing to worry about for now would be the storyline. I feel that a good story and good dialogues is the the main selling point for any adventure / RPG game. do you have a story in mind alredy? tell me more about it.

 

[Tempus35]

You did game design. that's cool!

I think your idea could totally work. although personally I'd like to see a more humorous take on social phobia in the game, because to me, games should always focus on the fun parts of real life. SP by itself is not very funny. Dealing with SP can be depressing but the game could make fun of it and perhaps make it interesting. hmm maybe you can do something like a Silent Hill world where the PC's SP makes him enter a hellish place where all NPCs turn into monsters that the PC has to avoid, and if he could calm himself down then he will be able to return to the normal everyday world. maybe the main plot of the game shouldn't even be about overcoming SP but overcoming SP would just be a side effect of completing the main quest. So that's my 2 cents.

I think whether you're choosing to make it RPG or adventure.. the main thing to worry about for now would be the storyline. I feel that a good story and good dialogues is the the main selling point for any adventure / RPG game. do you have a story in mind alredy? tell me more about it.

I agree with the humorous outtake, I was thinking most of it would be humorous in many ways. I was thinking more RPG at first since there then can be a level up system, for overcoming things, etc.

As for a story, I am lacking some there, I am still thinking on it, but I am thinking that as you said it wont be completely about SP, that is that with be an undercurrent, say for the main character, and will affect decisions he/she makes, and as the game goes that character overcomes it, etc.

Ok so for the humor, have you played over games like DOTT, Sam & Max, Monkey Island, Space Quest, etc. I realize all of these are adventure, and maybe a hybrid between rpg and adventure is still better. I say these though because they all take very humorous stances, and were quite fun to me. I would like these as an inspiration in humor.

 

[Scrabbl]

DOTT, Sam & Max, Monkey Island, Space Quest, etc. I realize all of these are adventure, and maybe a hybrid between rpg and adventure is still better. I say these though because they all take very humorous stances, and were quite fun to me. I would like these as an inspiration in humor.

no I haven't played those games before. I haven't played many adventure or RPG games at all.

I agree that a mix of rpg and adventure sounds nice. that's what I'd go for. RPGs are fun but I really enjoy the rich story & character development that adventure games offer.

And yes I think the game should be humorous and shouldn't take SP too seriously.

I'd say the story is the most challenging part of designing this game. And it would be the first part that I\d tackle before I move on to the other aspects of the game. This way I can get a sense of what style of graphics and gameplay design will suit the story..

I'm a terrible writer. But I could help brainstorm some ideas.. I think it'd be fun if the SP player character had some sort of a useless super power. like the ability to become invisible, but he would lose this power as he gets better at coping with SP and become more confident in himself, but at the same time he would gain other super powers that would represent this change, such as abilities to influence the external world in some way to help solve quests etc.

I really am hopeless when it comes to making up stories lol. But let me know if you ever need help with the 2d graphics.

 

[Tempus35]

no I haven't played those games before. I haven't played many adventure or RPG games at all.

I agree that a mix of rpg and adventure sounds nice. that's what I'd go for. RPGs are fun but I really enjoy the rich story & character development that adventure games offer.

And yes I think the game should be humorous and shouldn't take SP too seriously.

I'd say the story is the most challenging part of designing this game. And it would be the first part that I\d tackle before I move on to the other aspects of the game. This way I can get a sense of what style of graphics and gameplay design will suit the story..

I'm a terrible writer. But I could help brainstorm some ideas.. I think it'd be fun if the SP player character had some sort of a useless super power. like the ability to become invisible, but he would lose this power as he gets better at coping with SP and become more confident in himself, but at the same time he would gain other super powers that would represent this change, such as abilities to influence the external world in some way to help solve quests etc.

I really am hopeless when it comes to making up stories lol. But let me know if you ever need help with the 2d graphics.

I am not much better at times but I will try, One thing I was thinking of is that we should have some type of complex conversation system. I think this because not only will it be more dynamic but it would allow more choices and more effects of those choices with characters throughout the game.

As for the story, I wonder if we can't find someone that is more talented within this forums, I will post a message about it.

Also you wouldn't happen to chat via some messenger, MSN, yahoo, gatlk?

 

[Scrabbl]

Right... so we need to find a writer - especially someone who is skilled at writing DIALOGUES. I think dialogues are really difficult to write well, because you have to really take time to observe what people say in conversations in everyday life. And even if you have a good sense of real life conversations, there is still more to it when it comes to actually writing the script. Because scripted dialogues cannot simply be a word for word transcription of real life dialogues.

I know I'm stressing "story" a lot over game mechanics, engine, graphics audio etc. It's because I think the story is the one thing that will make your game stand out over the rest of the pack. Nobody else has made a game about SP before. So your plot will be unique for sure. Another reason that the focus should be on story is that it's really hard for us hobby developers to come up with exceptional graphics or gameplay or audio etc. I'm sure it won't be bad but it just won't be competitive with today's mainstream standards lol. A well-written story is the one thing we can have though.