Lost in Life

[Selan]

I was working on a game using RPG maker xp because i like rpg's and thought it would be nice to create my own. Then i realised that when you create a game... you need to do battle stuff and other stuff that makes a game fun. Well the thing i like least in rpg's is battles, i like storys!
Then i stumbled upon this lovely music created by our own little panda and i got inspired in telling a story instead of creating a game.
And that's why i made this thread.
So any critisism or positive remarks are welcome.

[CrystalDragonSpaceMarine]

I was working on a game using RPG maker xp because i like rpg's and thought it would be nice to create my own. Then i realised that when you create a game... you need to do battle stuff and other stuff that makes a game fun. Well the thing i like least in rpg's is battles, i like storys!
Then i stumbled upon this lovely music created by our own little panda and i got inspired in telling a story instead of creating a game.
And that's why i made this thread.
So any critisism or positive remarks are welcome.

Here is the intro i just created for the story i'm going to tell, it might change in the future as i'm just learning to work with rmxp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik4dv4DZQJw

Btw, any comments on typo's are very welcome!

Heh, that's how I got into writing. Loved video games and was like "it'd be cool to make these", but I had more fun with storylines/character designs.

But, theoretically you could make a non-combat game. It'd just be like an interactive storyline.

[akashayi]

I've gone through my RPG Maker phases. Spend hours on japanese sprite websites downloading resources, planning music, working out mechanics. Never actually finished a game at that rate. >.>

I hope you show us more as you keep working on it.

[charles]

Looks like a good start, but I always like a little info about the world and maybe the recent history before getting to the beginning of the current story.  Tho thats just me and such details might not be relevant to your story.

On a dark night.....
A nightmare came true.....
One village completely destroyed.....
And only one survivor.....
Who seems guilty of it all.....

Mom: Seara! Seara run!!!!!!!
Seara: Sis!! What happened to her?
Mom: No time, you need to run! Quick!
Seara: What's going on!
Seara: What is this nightmare?

Seara ran.... she ran as fast as she could to get away from what she had witnessed.
Without understanding what was going on...
She ran as fast as she could....
She was running in such a panic that she didn't even see who or what had hit her.......
What had happened?

Up to you but see if you like any of the changes I've put in the below.  Borrow, ignore or feel inspired at will.

On a moonless night, so dark that even the brightest stars failed to shine through...
A terrible nightmare came true.
An entire village, completely destroyed by the horror...
Would be survived by only one soul.
One soul, who escaped the terror...
One soul, who seems guilty of it all...

Mother: Seara! Seara run!
Seara: Sis! Wha... What happened to her?
Mother: There's no time, you need to run now!
Seara: Mom please no! This nightmare! Whats going on?
Mother: RUN!


Seara ran... she ran without turning back to see the horror that her ears witnessed...
Without understanding what nightmare consumed her home...
...and her family.
Seara ran with a fevor until a strike from an unseen assailant ended her dash...
and her terrified mind slipped into the calming darkness of sleep.

[CrystalDragonSpaceMarine]

I'm going to disagree with charles, actually, and recommend you don't jam too many needless description words in your exposition.

[Razzly]

Ooh, looks great so far! <3

Are you going to do the entire story with the little figures, or are you going to make larger animations for it? (In flash?) or maybe just drawings? Curious!

I noticed you ended up using 'Amin's waltz,' too! :] Awesome.

[Razzly]

Selan: Woo, requests! <3 No seriously, I'm super-happy to help. There's just one tiny problem. You see...   
Remember my dog? The belgian?
Well, she bit through the cable to my electric piano. This means I can't do any stuff of my own until I get a new one. I doubt they're expensive, but I'm a bit broke. If you'd just let me surf around stores and try to find the same kind of cable relatively cheap, then I'll see what I can do.

I have some old stuff, too. One could fit the 'nightmarish' bit, but I don't know how it'd sound looped. I think it should work, since the song starts and ends the same way.

EDIT: Also, some of the songs are themes I made for fun for my own webcomic (that's been on hiatus since 2008 and basically lost all its fans ._.) so don't be confused by the names.

[charles]

@Selan: *meh* no problem. Yours is great, I just figure it's better to provide some stuff that might inspire. *shrug* looking forward to the game.

[Razzly]

Awesome! Could you PM me your email so I can send you the MP3's? These aren't on my youtube.

[CrystalDragonSpaceMarine]

I'd make music if I had something to record/synthesize it with.

[Oddball]

Looking good so far Selan 

[charles]

OH CRUD! The girl did do it! 

Nah. Wouldn't have a clue but crikey wouldn't want to make her angry.  Nice work. There I was feeling all sorry for her then suddenly FWOOMH!

[Oddball]

Aye thats how its starts.by blowing up one little kitty.

[Razzly]

D:

POOR KITTY! Awww....

[akashayi]

Noooo, not the kitty T_T

[Valenthesial]

@Selan
Looks like a really cute intro. Would love to see more of it

At least in my opinion a "game" doesn't necessarily need to have a battle system, to be called a game or to be entertaining.
(Not that I do not appreciate good battle systems, I tend to play games just for that kind of entertainment even without a storyline whatsoever)

If you have a good story and can use this type of media to make the background atmosphere, you can make a good Kinetic Novel (No player interaction except for pressing "continue") or a Visual Novel - Having a story with multiple choices, which can branch the storyline according to the player's choices.

Some of those choices (usually those that aren't characteristic for the main character: too blunt when subtly is needed, too cowardly when heroism is needed etc) can lead to what is called a dead end in which the main character either dies or just fails to reach a good conclusion to the storyline due to his weak choices.

Either way, this is a really good way to show "what if?" scenarios as well as let the player feels he is in control of the main character and that he's playing rather than just listening to a story.

[Razzly]

I agree with Valenthesial. Ever played the "Monkey Island"-games? They're RPG's, but they have no battle system. It's all puzzles and dialogue. One of my favourite games is "the curse of Monkey Island."

[charles]

NOOOOOOOOO..... POOOR KIITAH! 

...So is it good to eat? 

You know, I just realised something.  You could totally write an entire story out and tell it with that thing.  How cool would that be?  You just write the whole thing out, take the video of it all and you've got a visual story... Not suggesting Selan should do that, just saying it suddenly occured to me that anyone could use it to just tell a story rather than run an entire game *shrug*

[charles]

...It is??? I thought you were just showing us the story intro and inserts to an actual game you were making SORRY 

[leana]

To a special person!
Nice poem...

Remember her in her good days when she was strong and beautifull...
Remember her for how brave and strong she was...
Remember her because she was a special person...
She'll never leave you, cause she has a place in your heart and those memories will never leave you!

Leana

[Foof]

The music is beautiful.  The game looks nice so far.  I'm working on one myself, though I don't have my free RPG Maker on this computer.  I want to make video games, but I can't program, so RPG Maker is my best shot at the moment.  Keep it up and don't give up on your game.