Sorry your browser is not supported!

You are using an outdated browser that does not support modern web technologies, in order to use this site please update to a new browser.

Browsers supported include Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Internet Explorer 10+ or Microsoft Edge.

Newcomers DBPro Corner / Tip for Writing RPG games...

Author
Message
Fluffy Paul
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 16th Dec 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 27th Dec 2002 13:57
One of the best ways that I have found to test RPG games is to put all the rules and stats and game mechanics down on paper and then invite some friends round for a tabletop roleplay session with dice and pencils and pizza and so on.
This way your rules get a through testing and people can often suggest ways of improving them if they're not quite right.

The advantage of testing everything like this is that you don't have to write a line of code, you get to socialise and when you're happy with the rules you can pretty much program them into DB/DBPro without having to make things up as you go along (and therefore risk getting lost in a mess of code when you change your mind on something when you're halfway through).

Of course you can do this in a chat room if the people geographically near you aren't into roleplaying or think it's weird. The "tabletop simulation" approach will work for any genre of game, only testing the concept behind a shoot-em-up or flight sim is a bit boring.

Oh, and the first thing I do when I start a new project is go and buy a pen and note-pad for it. I write the project's name and concept on the first page (e.g. Ravensgard - Nordic styled multiplayer RPG) and then blu-tac the pen to the front cover so I don't lose it and will always have a pen handy if I wake up at 3am with a fantastic idea to add to my game!

Reemmber: being organised is half the battle. Good organisation means that you're less likely to get lost in a project and are more likely to finish it. And we all know that unfinished projects don't make you feel good, get you respect or get you paid (or whatever it is you were programming for). The only thing an unfinished project is good for is learning - and that's never a bad thing.
Kenzenray
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 22nd Dec 2002
Location: India
Posted: 1st Jan 2003 15:52
The TIP you have given is really methodical. I really appreciate it. Have you written any RPG games in DB or DBPro which I can download ?

Thankyou
Fluffy Paul
21
Years of Service
User Offline
Joined: 16th Dec 2002
Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 16th Jan 2003 15:45
This year I have been working almost exclusively on my university project - a customisable real-time tactical action game in DBPro.
Unfortuntely the University own the Intellectual Property rights to everything I do for them so I would be breaking the law if I made it available to the public.

However, I knew this before I started so I made sure that, out of all my ideas I kept the best two for myself and did the third best for University!
I've been working on the other two in some of my spare time but they're not ready for action yet. However, one of them is a fantasy RPG that I am producing with some friends from the University Roleplay and Wargame Club and the other is a freeform vehicle pilot/trading game I am working on with one of my best friends (who happens to be a very talented C programmer) who has written two 3D engines from scratch. Together we developed a custom 3D model format for his University Project.
These other two won't have much work doone on them until the summer, though.

Login to post a reply

Server time is: 2024-05-17 06:21:40
Your offset time is: 2024-05-17 06:21:40