What do you need to make a Good RPG?

by Lobo Sun Oct 24, 2010 12:10 am

Break down everything you know about an RPG and list what these kind's of games need to be enjoyable.

Anything you wanna list just go ahead and give it. Share your thoughts!

What should a developer add?

What should a developer not add?

List what you think would be a good idea for a game.

by anegge Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:38 am

What genre of RPG?

by Lobo Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:41 am

Classic Turn-Based....?

by anegge Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:59 am

I presume you mean jRPG.
But there are also wRPGs, Rougelikes, Tactical RPGs, and Wizardry-style dungeon crawls.

by Lobo Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:06 am

Funny I was gonna say that at 1st.... Didnt think you could consider JRPG a "Genre". I see it as more as a Style Classification

Anyway yea... A True JRPG....

by anegge Sun Oct 24, 2010 3:24 am

Well, I would basically give opposite advice for a roguelike that I would for a jRPG. Plus, I guess you could have meant paper and pencil.

I'll write something up later.

by Alexandra Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:19 am

Can't view your link. It's something awful, and I'm not paying 10 bucks to use a forum.

by anegge Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:27 am

[quote="Alexandra":2ghwydz0]Can't view your link. It's something awful, and I'm not paying 10 bucks to use a forum.

I wasn't aware it was the time of the month that they block outside viewers. Sorry.

The thread was "Don't grind in modern RPGs. Don't do it."

by Alexandra Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:28 am

It's cool.

I had an SA account once, years ago, but I stopped visited and my account got shut down. Ah well, never used it much anyway.

by **Kelsea** Sun Oct 24, 2010 12:45 pm

[quote="anegge":2jkm5aft]Well, I would basically give opposite advice for a roguelike that I would for a jRPG.

What are Roguelike RPGs?

Heres my list of DOs and DON'Ts, aimed at jRPGs

MAIN CHARACTER
-Don't make him/her generic, completely unimportant and uninteresting (example culprit: FF 12)
-Don't make him/her a mute (example culprit: Suikoden 4)
-Don't make their moral compass as straight as an arrow

SIDE CHARACTERS
-Don't have over 10 of them... Games that have done this can not concentrate on the side plots of the individual characters in your party (example culprit: Chrono Cross)
-Don't have the side characters join your party because the main character is "Super awesome, a great leader and well worth sacrificing their life for"
-Do give the side characters alternate agenda's that either differs from the main character or does not involve the main character.

VILLAIN
-Don't make the villain evil just cause, they should have a purpose that just happens to involve evil deeds for them to succeed
-Do give the villain some sort of connection to the main character
-Not a do or a don't, just a note that the villain character is as important as the main character. A moral compass straight as an arrow in the opposite direction is not always best...

BATTLE SYSTEM
-Do try to minimize player button clicks when selecting basic attacks
-Don't force on the player an auto attack system, it takes away the feeling of being in control of the fight (example culprit: FF 13)
-Do try to weave more strategy into battles then just "Hit fire monster with ice attack"
-Don't force random attacks everywhere apart from towns (or at least give an option to aviod them)

LEVELING
-Don't have levels or stats that go into the hundreds or tens of thousands respectively (example culprit: Disgaea... I think? )
-Do keep a tight control on leveling up versus difficult of enemies... If done properly there should be no need for a grind of any kind in the game
-Do add some variety to stats building and class of characters

STORYLINE
-Do have an attention grabbing event right at the beginning of the game
-Do place the main character in situation where their sanity or moral fibre are brought into question
-Do work in side plots that do not neccesarily invovle the main character, perhaps a side character

MUSIC
-Do give the title screen a theme that rocks (and is preferably hum-able)
-Do give the charaters memorable theme tunes

Hmm, sure there is more stuff, maybe I'll add to this later