pocari1985-blog

[pocari1985-blog]

An in-game scene from my game ‘La brújula de Zaza’.

[pocari1985-blog]

My second game: ‘‘La brújula de Zaza’‘

Hi everyone.

I’m working on my second full project, a rpg called ‘‘La brújula de Zaza’‘. It is a game set in the modern era, in a small city. The game is almost completed and it features custom pixel-art, animations and sprites. It is being made in Rpg Maker VX Ace.

The game is in spanish, but I would be so happy if it was translated to english :).

You can check the progress in my game in this forum (in spanish):

http://www.rmakercom.net/t3019-zaza-no-konpasu-la-brujula-de-zaza-vxace

[pocari1985-blog]

Some real screenshots from my game; Water Manà Crystal in action and a late scene in the story ;).

[pocari1985-blog]

Truth

Game "developers" uploading artwork and portraits from their games, but never showing their actual game, neither gameplay/in-game screens.

[pocari1985-blog]

I have reblogged this time ago ... But I think that there are so many games, uh ... Lazy games, that ABUSE of using the horrible and generic Rpgm' assets ... Yes, they are pretty awful and it's not excuse saying: "i'm bad at drawing/spriting"... Excuses!

my biggest piece of advice for anyone making an rpg maker game on an at least somewhat serious level is to avoid using the default graphics. if you’re just making some little game for fun then who cares, obviously the default graphics are there for you to use them, but like. if it’s something that you want to attract an audience or something that you want to sell or put up on steam or whatever then you should try to avoid relying too heavily on the rtp

change the character sprites, change the environments, change the ui, change the character mugshots, change the font. at least use some other less common public domain assets, or edit the rtp graphics or something. recolor shit, add custom lighting effects to environments, anything. obviously, this has advantages for you as a creator, since it gives you more creative freedom. but also, when looking at rpg maker games there’s no bigger red flag than seeing someone use the default rtp graphics with no alterations whatsoever

you don’t have to have the most beautiful graphics ever–lots of popular rpg maker games have crude graphics (penpals, space funeral, etc.)–but putting a little effort into the visuals goes a long way

again, if it’s some casual little thing that you’re making as a hobbyist then it doesn’t really matter. i’m not gonna make you put a bunch more effort into something you’re just making for yourself or to entertain your friends. you do you. but this kind of thing is important for larger projects, especially ones that you want people to pay money for. i’m kind of shocked by how many games get released on steam with the default graphics, and i could be missing out on some good experiences just because they’re visually identical to hundreds of other games

[pocari1985-blog]

Good tips! Making a game is serious stuff, well, making a decent/good game!

hey I was wondering if you had any like.... tips about how to start off with RPG Maker???? i've always wanted to try something like that but I was always really intimidated by it??????? but seeing all the progress you're making on Ghost Hospital is really cool and makes me want to try and dive into that as well, so I was wondering if you had any good advice for someone just starting to game dev????????...

WELL

Make yourself a goshdang production schedule. If you know you wanna get this done first, give yourself a general time to be done by. It’s good for keeping yourself motivated, even if you don’t stick strictly to it. If it’s a personal or passion project, don’t feel like it’s a solid, unchanging thing. Your life comes first, and if it turns out that stuff needs to be pushed back, just push it back. Don’t push yourself too hard.

If you’re going to use MV, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DOWNLOAD YANFLY’S CORE ENGINE, MESSAGE CORE, AND BATTLE ENGINE CORE AND GET THEM PLUGGED INTO YOUR GAME AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. They’re not ESSENTIAL, per se, but they make your game look and play a LOT smoother, and therefore make testing and programming a lot easier, and there’s way more plugins out there if these don’t do everything you want them to do.

You CAN use default assets, but going to the effort to make custom assets goes a LONG way. You make your game instantly more memorable, and you get a lot more value to your game. That being said, there’s no shame in using default assets if you’re doing it well, there’s no shame in buying premade assets from the RPG Maker store, and there’s no shame in using other people’s assets (wether free, bought, or commissioned) as long as due credit is given.

DON’T WORK ALONE!!! This is a mistake that I have made and I have QUICKLY learned from it. If you want to try and do everything by yourself, go for it, but there’s a REASON that most games are made by teams- it’s a lot of work, especially if you’re planning on using mostly custom assets. Even if you’re just planning on using premade assets, it’s still generally a good idea to have other people wililng to help you out. Just having someone to bounce narrative ideas off of, help you build puzzles, or playtest your game can go a long way. If you take NOTHING else away from this, just remember that having at least ONE OTHER PERSON working with you will help immensely.

RPG maker is really easy to pick up- that being said, though, it’s still a good idea to get yourself an idea of what you’re doing. Watch tutorials, play other people’s projects, read threads of people asking for advice, do some research to see other ways people have worked around the premade system to get cool things to happen if you don’t know how to program or don’t have the time or interest in learning how to do so. Research is important, my guy.

Here is a mistake that I learned from: Give yourself a pre-production period where you make your concept art and your story. Give your story some wiggle room. When this is done, THEN you make your game. You can make your assets as you go (like I’m doing, I have a lot of placeholder assets atm). That wiggle room is important because you ARE going to get new inspiration and ideas as you go, the average game development cycle isn’t a weekend-long game jam, it’s usually at least a few months. If this is a personal or passion project, there’s more leniency on this, especially because these tend to take longer by default and you can just do stuff as you go a bit more.

Make what you LIKE. If you’re not satisfied, there’s no shame in scrapping it or shelving it and starting from scratch. Don’t make things only to follow a trend or fill a niche, make something that YOU want to play, and if it happens to follow a trend or fill a niche, so be it. Make the games you want to see in the world.

That is. all I can think of at the moment. Other game devs feel free to add your own tips or tell me that I’m an idiot lmao

[pocari1985-blog]

Pilar de Cuarzo. Uno de los escenarios opcionales del juego. Mmmm, existen otros dos lugares màs donde se levantan estas esteucturas milenarias. Qué guardaràn en su interior ...?

[pocari1985-blog]

Be kind!

“That Project’s been inactive for a while.”

And you’re curious to know if the project is still “on” or not! 

The best way to find out is to just ask. Try making an open-ended question instead of an assumption as assumptions may give stress or anxiety to a Dev.

Assumptions: Is this project dead? Did you quit? Wow, I knew you didn’t have it in you :/. Etc. 

Assumptions can be discouraging as it may lead Devs to think you and many others view them in a poor light and or gives them stress and pressure to churn out posts faster. Remember that this is their project, and that they’re sharing it with you. They are not obligated to share, but they have decided to. Also remember that they are making this project using their own time and resources. They also have lives outside of their projects. And that is more of a priority than game-making. (Priority: Health, Mental Health, Food, Family, Education, etc. etc.) 

Open-ended: How’s the project going? How is progress? Etc. Open-ended questions allows the Dev to answer how they want, with what they’re willing to share, and not feel pressured or feel as if they’re viewed in a negative light. It’s more “free”, and it’s more relaxed. 

So! (Idk how to close this.) Here’s my tidbit on how to find out if a project is cancelled or still on-going or on hiatus. Just ask. 

[pocari1985-blog]

I suffered this too. Remading everything you created until then is not a funny thing.

REMINDER TO ALL RPG MAKER GAME DEVELOPERS

Back up your game files, there are lots of ways you can store your data in case if it corrupts. Witnessed two projects in 2016 lose all of their files due to corruption and it is never a pleasant site to behold.

[pocari1985-blog]

Awesome :)

[pocari1985-blog]

Avoid default, Go CUSTOM! :)

my biggest piece of advice for anyone making an rpg maker game on an at least somewhat serious level is to avoid using the default graphics. if you’re just making some little game for fun then who cares, obviously the default graphics are there for you to use them, but like. if it’s something that you want to attract an audience or something that you want to sell or put up on steam or whatever then you should try to avoid relying too heavily on the rtp

change the character sprites, change the environments, change the ui, change the character mugshots, change the font. at least use some other less common public domain assets, or edit the rtp graphics or something. recolor shit, add custom lighting effects to environments, anything. obviously, this has advantages for you as a creator, since it gives you more creative freedom. but also, when looking at rpg maker games there’s no bigger red flag than seeing someone use the default rtp graphics with no alterations whatsoever

you don’t have to have the most beautiful graphics ever–lots of popular rpg maker games have crude graphics (penpals, space funeral, etc.)–but putting a little effort into the visuals goes a long way

again, if it’s some casual little thing that you’re making as a hobbyist then it doesn’t really matter. i’m not gonna make you put a bunch more effort into something you’re just making for yourself or to entertain your friends. you do you. but this kind of thing is important for larger projects, especially ones that you want people to pay money for. i’m kind of shocked by how many games get released on steam with the default graphics, and i could be missing out on some good experiences just because they’re visually identical to hundreds of other games

[pocari1985-blog]

Games that look like sweets! :) keeping the eye in it!

Menu (Update)

Hello to everyone again! Today I want to talk a little about the Items System in Lenin - The Lion. First of all, let’s introduce the Menu, right? (Sorry for the gif in bad quality, i’ll improve it and edit >

Well, this style of limited items pleases me more than long, stuffed inventories of heavy and disjointed things.

Another cool thing is that Lenin’s backpack is his Menu, and he can only access it if the backpack is in his possession! So be very careful with it, okay?

Ordinary Items have optional functions for the plot and for in-game situations. In fact, some may be important, but they will never be crucial to the progress of the game.

As is customary, Key Items are those required for certain actions within the game, taking the character to the next parts of the story. In addition, Lenin may have one equipment in possession at a time - which is not only necessarily for battles, but for situations in which he must use it.

Besides these items, it looks like there’s something else in the backpack, right? Well, maybe those Keychains are something cool to have in the game - and who knows, maybe even important!

I don’t want to talk too much about it, it would be a spoiler! (:D

The menu is all styled in a very simple way, which pleases me a lot. However, it is still a work in progress (like everything here, right? - haha), so you can see changes soon.

And while I am here, let me talk about a less important thing in the game but I’m enjoying it a lot: some artistic references within it. It is not very grandiose, but as I study Art History, I want to bring some of this to Lenin in a comic way, as the pastiches are. :)

See you soon with more news! *O*

[pocari1985-blog]

Work in Progress. La Playa de Rue-Kandis. Siempre quise dibujar una playa para mi juego; con su arena, su mar ... Todavía estoy viendo como haré para currarme la animación del agua ...

[pocari1985-blog]

So sad ... ;"(

PLEASE DONT SCROLL PAST 

——————————-

Hey tumblr,

Above our pictured two good friends of mine @thejudge and @a-controlled-substance . 

Yesterday (3/3/17) at 3am, they lost control of their car on icy roads and were hit by a semi. @a-controlled-substance is in the hospital with a skull fracture, and @thejudge didnt survive the crash. 

This is a devastating loss for all of his family, friends, and fans, but most of all for his girlfriend.

Once she is out of the hospital, she is going to need lots of help piecing her life back together, and Im hoping we can get some support.

There are a few ways you can support.

One is to donate to their gofundme here https://www.gofundme.com/postwreck-recovery-fund-for-ashley

This gofundme will be used to help with medical expenses, housing, and other basic essentials so ashley can try to live her life as normally as possible after this.

Another is simply spreading the word.

Lastly if you all would be willing to play felix’s game “Home” and spread the word about the gofundme there, that would be great.

I know he was always a bit bummed that not many people played his game, and that the off fandom was dying, itd be great to see some support for it

Felix was a talented, kind individual who was taken away much too early. Words cannot express how horrible of a loss this is. 

——————–

Links

https://www.gofundme.com/postwreck-recovery-fund-for-ashley

https://rpgmaker.net/games/6361/

[pocari1985-blog]

People nowadays only talk about horrible fan games or uninspired horror games with cat girls and anime cliches, so, it is refreshing see a game like Leo and Leah in this list!.

So everyone's been talking about OFF lately

But what about all the other awesome RPG Maker games? Like…

Last Scenario

Kind of like the Tales of series (at least in the “building a plot full of RPG cliches, and then subverting the hell out of them” sense), but with less anime and more political intrigue and military operations. It’s also like the Tales of series in that there’s a bajillion secret bosses and dungeons (literally a bajillion.)

Also, one of the characters is a knife-fighting geologist.

A knife-fighting geologist.

Star Stealing Prince

HOLY FUCK IT’S SO PRETTY. LOOK AT THOSE SCREENSHOTS. IT’S LIKE…MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

It’s also one of the only RPGs where status effects are actually as good against enemies as they are against you. Even against bosses. Even against the FINAL BOSS.

Paradise Blue

Also very pretty, and uses the Final Fantasy V job system very well.

Hellion

Sort of an old-school dungeon crawler with bits of D&D.

Leo & Leah

Very weird and quirky…until it suddenly turns creepy as hell.

Space Funeral

Dracula likes to drink the blood and smoke the weed.

Aetherion

Okay, so this one’s sort of an incomplete version created for a contest, but MMMMMMMMMMMM THAT BATTLE SYSTEM. You know that part in an RPG where a boss is charging up a big fuck you attack and you gotta beat the hell out of him until stops? That’s every fight in the game.

I’ve also heard good things about Vacant Sky, Tales of the Drunken Paladin, Alter AILA and Master of the Wind, though I haven’t played any of them yet.

[pocari1985-blog]

I'm wondering if including some basic/easy puzzles in my adventure. I like the idea of jumping ... Mmmmm.

What kinds of puzzles can you implement into RPG Maker? I'm trying to make a puzzle RPG, and I can't think of anything other than boulder puzzles and code puzzles.

Sounds like you need to play some puzzles games to get an idea of what you can put in. That’s the best way to know what you can do with RPG maker: look at other games to get an idea of what the engine is capable of.

Here’s a few I can think of right now:

Password puzzles

Dialogue puzzles

riddles

Inventory based puzzles like putting items on pressure plates or using the right item on the right thing

memory games (like simon)

sliding ice puzzles

Lever pulling puzzles

jumping puzzles (jumping from point A to point B in a maze)

teleportation puzzles (not always a good idea.  hard to do without annoying the player)

Final boss blues discusses some basic puzzle types.  These three articles discuss making good puzzles in games, but there are tons more to be found out there.

[pocari1985-blog]

True! I also think you can make a good combat system with the default ones ... You only need to spicing up them a little (custom sprites,animations, battlers ...). The word "custom" is the "clave"!

you know for a game engine called “RPG Maker” you’d think we’d discuss RPGs more often