Author Topic: Advice Thread  (Read 11022 times)

Offline Vanni

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Advice Thread
« on: 2012-September 08, 22:33:16 »
Some of the competitors have lots of experience in game development or just on something specific, while others are the opposite, so I thought an advice thread could help new developers with their projects. :D

I'm not saying you have to tell everything you usually do, just some tips and tricks that you think are usefull. :)

Now I really need some advice: I've started a project some time ago, but background graphic is slowing down everything.
I'm trying to recreate some buildings (like Fluttershy's Cottage) in RPG Maker, but it's not working. :(
Can you give some advice on how I could do it? :P

Offline To Coool

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #1 on: 2012-September 09, 00:09:22 »
If its tilesets you need help with, I suggest http://pixel.oceansdream.net/ that tutorial as it is very comprehensive and has multiple parts. I learned all about tileset creation from that. If that's not what you're after, then I dunno what to say. :-\

Offline Vanni

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #2 on: 2012-September 09, 00:25:34 »
It's better than expected! :P
Thank you!

Offline Wishdream

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #3 on: 2012-September 09, 18:07:00 »
Well, depending on what RPG Maker you have... There's always a way.

One is to make everything in the background. All the tiles of the map are made into the background except the upper layer like the trees. Make it a fixed parallax which is a script on RMXP, RMVX and RMVXA.

Tile it yourself in a background using Photoshop or any image program. The advantage of this is you can use custom graphics and pathways to make it look very professional.

After that, set it as background then add the upper layer over the background. This should help on speed.

I don't see why would the background image lag the game though unless you but an extremely large vector.

Here's actually an example of that, I used it as a battle background. It's my old channel, you can easy my early stages of development there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj2ZxS4Wmjk
« Last Edit: 2012-September 09, 18:14:26 by Wishdream »
Wishdream - Game Developer, Lead of HeoLiX
Game Maker Mentor and Teacher, FM2k2nd Developer, Game Art Designer and Natural Java Programmer
Also, called the Death Developer of the GMC
Part of the IGDA Manila

Hmm... Need something from me? Just PM me okay?
Entered Ludum Dare 2 times.

Offline To Coool

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #4 on: 2012-September 09, 18:29:54 »
Well, depending on what RPG Maker you have... There's always a way.

One is to make everything in the background. All the tiles of the map are made into the background except the upper layer like the trees. Make it a fixed parallax which is a script on RMXP, RMVX and RMVXA.

Tile it yourself in a background using Photoshop or any image program. The advantage of this is you can use custom graphics and pathways to make it look very professional.

After that, set it as background then add the upper layer over the background. This should help on speed.

I don't see why would the background image lag the game though unless you but an extremely large vector.

Here's actually an example of that, I used it as a battle background. It's my old channel, you can easy my early stages of development there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj2ZxS4Wmjk

This method is also really good, it can help attain higher levels of quality.

Offline AnsisMalins

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #5 on: 2012-September 10, 12:30:02 »
My advice is to use a real development environment instead of tools that claim to make game development easy. They just replace the real complexity of code with the bullshit complexity of the tool. Look at the Mane6 and how much crap they have to put up with from Fighter Maker. I honestly believe they would've been better off recruiting some coders instead.

If you learn, say, Python or C#, you know how to program. You can move on to a different language or tool relatively easily. If you learn Whatever Maker, you know just Whatever Maker and nothing else.

Offline Vanni

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #6 on: 2012-September 10, 16:46:14 »
My advice is to use a real development environment instead of tools that claim to make game development easy. They just replace the real complexity of code with the bullshit complexity of the tool. Look at the Mane6 and how much crap they have to put up with from Fighter Maker. I honestly believe they would've been better off recruiting some coders instead.

If you learn, say, Python or C#, you know how to program. You can move on to a different language or tool relatively easily. If you learn Whatever Maker, you know just Whatever Maker and nothing else.

Yes, you can't be more right.
But! I'm doing this just for fun, mostly with my friends, and none of us know any programming language, or is even in programming at all. What I'm saying is: learning an actual language is better, but as of now learning it isn't worth the time spent doing it.

*interesting things*

Can't exactly do this for some reasons, but it still gave me some ideas.

Offline Wishdream

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #7 on: 2012-September 11, 03:00:27 »
My advice is to use a real development environment instead of tools that claim to make game development easy. They just replace the real complexity of code with the bullshit complexity of the tool. Look at the Mane6 and how much crap they have to put up with from Fighter Maker. I honestly believe they would've been better off recruiting some coders instead.

If you learn, say, Python or C#, you know how to program. You can move on to a different language or tool relatively easily. If you learn Whatever Maker, you know just Whatever Maker and nothing else.

This doesn't apply to Game Maker though. I learned from Game Maker's DnD then to it's GMLanguage then to Java then to C#.
It's how you program the game and not what tool you use.

Check RPG Maker, learn from event scripting then move on to it's RGSS, then move to Ruby the move to Python then move to Java then to C#. Do research first before you can say it's all bullsh*t. Some environments do have some coding involved.

 Yes, there is limitations but that doesn't mean you can't make a game because of it.

Even it's limited, my professor told me that "Every environment can be pushed to it's limits, you can surpass it. You just don't know."

Also, some tips coming from my professors.

If you are just starting out:
* use existing game engine
 * start with 2D -- if no experience in 3D assets
 * use pre-existing art assets as placeholder, while team artist authors new ones
 * don't mind sound FX, bg music for now -- if not required by game

Coming from me from a meeting for game devs:
* Make a priority checklist and make a flowchart how your game works. Another flowchart for how your materials are passed around.

Just for everyone who keeps failing:
* Prototype early. Fail early. If prototype is great then improve prototype. If not, move to next idea.

Working on a team?
1. make the project unforgivably small in scope. if possible just clone something with 10 to 20% new on top of it.
 
 2. use Trello + dropbox to make each people's progress visible to everyone
 
 3. make sure to aim for a WIN every 2 weeks at least so morale can be sustained. 90% of these project fall through because the members get 'ningas kugon' or flake out.
 
 4. there needs to be a leader, someone who can push/pull(bad boss/good boss)  the other members

There we go~
Wishdream - Game Developer, Lead of HeoLiX
Game Maker Mentor and Teacher, FM2k2nd Developer, Game Art Designer and Natural Java Programmer
Also, called the Death Developer of the GMC
Part of the IGDA Manila

Hmm... Need something from me? Just PM me okay?
Entered Ludum Dare 2 times.

Offline To Coool

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #8 on: 2012-September 11, 04:55:07 »
My advice is to use a real development environment instead of tools that claim to make game development easy. They just replace the real complexity of code with the bullshit complexity of the tool. Look at the Mane6 and how much crap they have to put up with from Fighter Maker. I honestly believe they would've been better off recruiting some coders instead.

If you learn, say, Python or C#, you know how to program. You can move on to a different language or tool relatively easily. If you learn Whatever Maker, you know just Whatever Maker and nothing else.

My main problem with this statement is that you're suggesting that you cannot learn anything from a maker. I first started off with Java when I was 9 and it was hard. I thought it would be easier. So I picked up RM2k3 and used that for a month. I went back to Java and because I learned so much from RM2k3 and it was much easier. While RPG Maker may not teach actual programming, it does teach a lot of the logic behind a game which is very important.

RPG Maker is what has helped me to learn C; without it, I'd still be dabbling in Java possibly.

Offline AnsisMalins

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Re: Advice Thread
« Reply #9 on: 2012-September 11, 20:42:24 »
I will admit that makers can spur interest in the field. Like a toy car makes you want to become a racer or truck driver when you grow up. Well except with gamedev you can skip the growing up part.