How do you plan an RPG?

[evil cabbage 9]

Out of curiosity, how much effort do you put into planning your RPGS?

 

What level of planning is nececary. I find it helps to write a short narrative.

[Polraudio 122]

Tell you the truth i dont do any planning. Its all made up at random but they fit together so well it seems as if i planned it all.

[Tomo2000 60]

I plan the first few things, then some things here and there that are important to the storyline, then everything else along the way. Sometimes I have friends such as FormlessTree, Polraudio and Leon to help with some ideas, too.

[Noob Saibot 38]

It's like riding a bike. I just get on and go!

[Tomo2000 60]

Until you get Writer's Block, which is like you bike falling apart and waiting god-knows-how-long to get it fixed and ready to ride again.

[Noob Saibot 38]

I never get writers block. Maybe just not motivated to write. But in those cases I just read books or watch movies based on the genre of what I am working on and I become motivated again.

[evil cabbage 9]

I didn't realise that most people didn't actually plan out that much of their RPG. I am kind of like you guys. I would like to be a person who writes a 20 page storyline, 2-3 paragraphs on each character's personality and draws every single map before they even go near a computer, but sadly I can never be bothered. However when I make my game, I tend to split the game into "blocks" of content beteween storyline events. What I will do is I will do all my mapping for one block first and then the eventing. This makes me put more effort into the mapping, as I know I can't event until ALL the mapping in the block is done.

[Lyricalias 1]

For my current project, Sanam, I wrote the story for about five years (from when I was ten or so to now) and eventually started making an RPG out of it. Note that I wasn't just writing the story for the game itself, I was writing the entire game world and all of its issues. And also, when I was younger, I was obviously bad at writing these things, lol, so most of my work suffers.

 

When I got older, I revised all I had written for the events of Sanam, following Zack's story. I'm revising all the other stuff too, not changing it completely, just fixing up the plot holes and general stupid stuff.

 

However, now that I'm older, I'll continue writing out my games before making them, as I feel more in control and I don't lose faith as much. I write out the scenarios, enemies, characters and all that, and then how the events fit together (now that I already established my whole world and its locations for the most part).

[Leon 55]

For me, I get a general story synopsis, see what type of characters would fit best, and sometimes, worst in the situation. Then, I choose the systems I wish to employ, followed with the equipment and item lists. Essentially, I get virtually everything but the maps rough-drafted before actually opening RmXP. Of course, i have like, 3 years worth of resources to call upon to assist me.

[Noob Saibot 38]

I didn't realise that most people didn't actually plan out that much of their RPG. I am kind of like you guys. I would like to be a person who writes a 20 page storyline, 2-3 paragraphs on each character's personality and draws every single map before they even go near a computer, but sadly I can never be bothered. However when I make my game, I tend to split the game into "blocks" of content beteween storyline events. What I will do is I will do all my mapping for one block first and then the eventing. This makes me put more effort into the mapping, as I know I can't event until ALL the mapping in the block is done.

 

Well I don't plan anything even when it comes to writing my novels. I don't have the time to sit and make notes when I could be doing something. I only create notes after I have made something (e.g. wrote a few chapters in a novel) to keep myself up to par on what I am doing, have done, need to do, etc.

[Ragnyrok 3]

Funny to see a lot of people are like me when it comes to planning. lmao.

Perhaps that's why I've never really gone much farther than releasing a Demo of a project I've been doing.

Oh well.

 

More recently, though...I have began to think about at least rough-drafting a large Game World for all my projects to take place in...

But, I have hardly enough time as it is.

:D

[solshadow 0]

For me, I get a general story synopsis, see what type of characters would fit best, and sometimes, worst in the situation. Then, I choose the systems I wish to employ, followed with the equipment and item lists. Essentially, I get virtually everything but the maps rough-drafted before actually opening RmXP. Of course, i have like, 3 years worth of resources to call upon to assist me.

 

Ditto :D I wish I were the type of person to sit down and write out full backgrounds for my characters but I tend to let them evolve as the story comes along and it always works out.

[FranklinX 37]

I normally think of a story and plot before starting anything. Sometimes that can take awhile. As I make the game I will edit the story to make the story better. Next comes making graphics and setting up scripts.

[Derseren 6]

(New user here) I'm a writer who just does a little bit of composing and tooling around on the side, so I already have a lot of plot ideas for RPGs. I'm making one based off of my novel and another just to learn how to do cutscenes. I'm really into plots and writing more than actually programming the levels, so I tend to spend time doing either that or composing music for the games.

[FranklinX 37]

Welcome to the forums Derseren! :biggrin_002:

[Ragnyrok 3]

Just thought I'd mention...

I started an actual planning process for my newest project.

So far, mostly everything is written free-hand. I have about 4 or so pages front and back...All of it very detailed...

And, I'm really glad I decided to finally sit down and actually plan out some ideas. It's worked very well for me, so far.

[Derseren 6]

Planning usually always pays off. I like to have a bunch of paper lying around that I can write or sketch ideas up and wallpaper my room with. I also have storyboards on my bathroom walls. (TMI not intended)

[Kiriashi 117]

You just gave me an awesome idea for planning Der.

 

I'm going to see if I can install a dry erase marker board on my wall, so basically I can use markers on the entire wall. That would be so awesome for making world maps and stuff. It also needs to be magnetic.

 

 

Hmm.... :whistle:

[ShinyToyGuns 29]

A good way to start out planning is to do some research into how professionals design a video game, and then take some tips from them.

 

Here are a few websites I've found helpful:

 

Designing video games for dummies (www.dummies.com)

 

Advice from Shigeru Miyamoto

 

The Tao of game design (Gamasutra)

 

You Got Game! Part 1: The Idea

 

You Got Game! Part 2: The Design

 

You Got Game! Part 3: The Document

 

You Got Game! Part 4: The Development

 

I hope these help you as much as they've helped me.

[Derseren 6]

Lol. I've never been called Der before, and I've used this screen name for years,

 

I like the feel of paper and ink, but whiteboard is good too. I have one, but it's an an awkward place to reach.

[Valdred 1]

I get lots of ideas all the time. When I think one is good, I think a bit to decide the rough storyline. Then I write a few pages with a story outline. Think a bit more, does some mapping, gather some resources, write a new improved story-outline then I repeat the last until I feel comfortable with the story.

[Derseren 6]

That sounds good. I've been meaning to do some writing about an idea I had. Writing a script seems really important before you jump into making the game.

[Valdred 1]

It is important. As long as you want it to be a good game ;)

 

 

 

 

 

[Derseren 6]

I just end up running into a lot of trouble with the art and mechanics of the game. Story and plot comes easy to me. If I could just get better at mapping and building the game I think I would have something to work with. I'm hopeless as an artist though.

[ZephyrX 1]

i think of a base concept for the game then plan out the game in sections. each section which a start and end(last boss of section) and everythign inbetween come's to me when i need it.

[Decadenttia 2]

I start with the story. I never do anything if I'm not excited about the story.

If it happens, all efforts seem insufficient to me. I can spend hours editting a tileset or drawing character sketches.

 

It helps me a lot to reserve a note-book for some details I musn't forget, like a concrete music (for an especial event), or write some recent ideas.

 

I reconize I devote -maybe- to much effort but that's the way I enjoy it. Surely I put details that my players will not find out.. but I know they´re here, and all the project gains soundness with them..

[AbnormalHairGrowth 0]

What I like to do is come up with a rough project idea, jot down what few concrete things I have for it, then put it away for several months while I work on something else. I don't forget about it, though - the whole time I'm working on other projects, I'll be thinking about the project in the bin, trying to figure out how everything should go together. It seems to be that the longer I spend working something out, the better the final product, as I'm liable to think of many more new and useful things over that period of time than I will if I rush into creating the project as soon as I think of it. This works especially well because a lot of my ideas to begin with are very sketchy, centering more around a theme or a particular starting point than an entire plot, and over time I can either flesh the plot out or scrap it and use the remains to improve something else I'm working on.

 

I also like to bounce ideas off my sister. She's usually got some advice that, if it's not quite what I need, can be worked into something useful and incorporated.

 

Another thing I do - which might seem like a bit of a tangent, but is actually very important - is try and accumulate new influences as I develop the story. Generally speaking my starting idea will be very simple, like "a tribute to Where's Waldo" or "a game with a ghost protagonist," and I may end up spending a lot of time just figuring out the main theme - which may or may not change later.

 

There is one other thing that I cannot stress enough, and that is to put yourself in the project. Not that you should write yourself in as a cameo (though you can do that if you want), but every game should have something in it that is personally significant to you - be it something you like, something precious from your childhood, or even something that brings you pain. (And I don't mean "something you saw in someone else's work and liked." Whatever this thing is, pour your heart and soul into it. Craft it from the ground up, fill it with detail, and tie it into your story. (That last bit is probably the most important. Don't use something that doesn't fit the theme or style of your story.) Some of the best games out there started out as extremely personal expressions - such as the Legend of Zelda series, which was heavily based on Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood fantasies. It's a fairly pervasive fact that anything you have an attachment to will end up turning out better-made and more relatable to your audience, and lend vibrancy to your project on the whole.

[Incongruous-Behavior 2]

I have templates that I use and fill out.

 

I also write stories for side-quests that I plan on using, as well as one longer story for the main plot.

 

I fill out character sheets for my characters, too.

 

Most of the time I never get around to this, however.