Introduction to RPG Design Part 2
Creator: KingSpoom
You may be asking yourself "where do I start?" A relatively
simple question. If you do not have an idea for a main character
or plot already, then the setting is the most important thing to
make. If you already have one of the things mentioned above,
this will be the next step. The setting will set the pace of
the game as far as what the characters will be able to do.
It will give a basic idea of what weapons (if any) will be
used, what technology or knowledge is available, and what
the world will look like. A setting will begin to form the
basis for your game. There are advantages and disadvantages
to every setting. Past settings are the most common type
(specifically medieval) and can run into problems if you
are looking for original ideas. Modern settings generally
have less of an "epic" feel to them. Modern settings also
discard realism in many cases, allowing people to perform
superhuman feats, only to become feeble moments later
(although many games do this, it is more apparent in a
modern setting). Futuristic settings are more common than
modern settings, and for a good reason. In a futuristic
setting you can basically do what you want. Technology
can allow cloning, teleportation, and many other fantasies
as realities without totally discarding realism. On a downside,
futuristic settings confuse players on a constant basis, and
often try to handle complex stories beyond the creator's reach.
The right type for you should be easy to decide. It should be
the type that you have an idea for, or the type that interests
you the most. Writing about something that interests you will
yield a better game in the end.
The next important thing to decide is the game's linearity.
Linearity will be a helpful factor in determining how much
effort you will have to put into the game, and where it needs
to be placed. Deciding on your linearity before you start
your game will help it be organized and will allow efficient
use of resources. Linearity is a measurement of the amount
of options there are while playing a game.
There are two basic types of options that are given to
players. The first type of option, which I will now call
static options, don't have to happen. It is entirely up to
the player to trigger them, and the game will finish
unaltered either way. An example of a static option are
the weapons from Final Fantasy VII. The story remains the
same if you beat them, and you really don't receive a reward
for beating them (if you could defeat them, you could defeat
the end boss, which renders the weapons they provide unrewarding).
The other type of option is a dynamic option. These are the
real options, the ones that affect linearity. These options
often come in sets, and they usually can't all be completed.
However, some of them MUST be completed in order to finish the
game. For example, in FF7, while busting into the Shinra HQ
you can either sneak in through the back or charge forward
through the front. Each different option could yield a
different outcome. Each one of the options also contains
different pros and cons. The amount of options available gives
the game a lot of replay value and it allows the player to
change the challenge of the game by getting or not getting
certain characters or spells.
Here are the four types of linearity with a description and example.
- Completely linear game:
Description - Every time you play that type of game you will
doing the same thing in the same order, give or take the
minor details.
Example - Gradius (NES)
- Partially linear game:
Description - Often it involves a scripted beginning followed
by a couple decisions nearing the end. For this reason it is
often compared to a tree. Players will start at the trunk
(roots are usually avoided, but are sometimes individual
openings for players who quickly join together). Players
then follow the game path up the tree nearing the top
where the branches start. However, even though the player
can explore these "branches", he will eventually have to
return to the tree and continue the game.
Example - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
- Non-linear games:
Description - These games are huge, but often generic.
The player can move in and out of events in any way he
wants and can usually come about the end of the game in
several ways. However, the game still has a goal.
Example - Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)
- Completely non-linear game:
Description - In this type of game every possible option is
available from the start, often viewed like an open field.
Instead of focusing on one aspect, the game is about everything.
Example - Simcity (PC)
Each of the above types of linearity has certain advantages
and disadvantages.
Completely linear games:
Disadvantages
- Most people feel confined by the lack of options
- After one playthough the game becomes boring
- Usually rely on high difficulty factor to remain interesting
Advantages
- Easy to keep track of what is going on for both the player and creator
- Quick to make and fix
- Simple to playtest, so the game should be solid
Completely non-linear games:
Disadvantages
- Quickly overwhelms you with options, forcing you to make
choices with unknown effects
- Impossible to keep track of everything the player has done
- Devoid of life; Games feel like random pieces of scenery
thrown together
- Allows player to get lost in a giant world because of
excessive areas
Advantages
- Highly customizable, allowing the player to play how they want
- Easy to maintain challenges that are not combat based
- Allows a feel for a real world, and real world situations
- Style of gameplay will usually not leave players frustrated
Partially linear and non-linear games
Disadvantages
- Can ruin gameplay with excessive or flawed sidequests
- Sidequests can also lead to plotholes in story
Advantages
- Most popular and liked styles of games among the 4 above
- Allows players to make choices that affect the game
- Gives breaks from tiresome 'plot trekking' often and
at players leisure
Here are a couple tips to remember while thinking about linearity:
- Giving the player something to do besides following the
game's base storyline is a good idea, however, disrupting
the flow of the game or the plot to do so is not. Placing
a fun minigame in an average dungeon while the player is
hunting down a magical artifact may be fun; putting the
same minigame in the main villain's hidden lair while
the players are attempting to rescue an ally is distracting.
- The more non-linear your game is, the easier you must
make it to stay on track.
- The more optional stuff you have during the game, the
stronger your player has potential to be.
- Don't offer an option if there's no reason to take it!
Players don't like going out of their way to be greeted
with a dead-end. They will often think they missed
something and spend more time exploring an optional
area than they should, and for nothing.
The next article I have planned is going to be about plots
and their development. I will be giving a few examples
of plots that you can use at the end of each of them
(which should span 2-3 articles).
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