Making an RPG
What you should know.
Today I have come to talk about making RPGs. In fact, this editorial is mostly about what you need to know to make one.
ANYWAYS(2), first lets talk about the time needed to make an RPG. In case you didn't know, RPGs practically REQUIRE to be huge and epic. That's the main problems with RPGs. As you know, the average Joe isn't going to be able to make a game as well as a proffesional RPG-making company (Square, uhh... and there's more). So how does one expect to make a game just as long? Not only that, but as you know you aren't going to continue the game unless it's looking good. So overall, you're looking at the effort of a professional team of REAL video-game programmers, and few can handle such a commitment.
ANYWAYS(3), another issue is the story. First of all, RPGs RELY on stories. If you don't have a good story, you're sunk. Even if you do get a good story, remember that the story has to be the backround for the game. Some stories don't merge with games too well, so consider that when writing a story. Another big problem is people getting tired of their story! That has something to do with my next subject, planning.
ANYWAYS(4), another big part of making an RPG is PLANNING. Just DO NOT make it up as you go along. You must have a story done before the game. You must have an idea of how characters will evolve, and what you will encounter in your journey. Planning is #1 when making an RPG, so make sure you get every aspect of your game down on paper before you start your game.
ANYWAYS(5), even if you have all of this above, you must have the klik programming knowledge to do just about EVERYTHING you need to do. You might think "Well, if I need help I can get it". But believe me, the game's programming will not run smooth that way. Eventually your game's programming will crumble like a house of cards, so remember that you alone must program your RPG, unless you're confident you and a fellow programmer can completely understand each other's work.
ANYWAYS(6), you've got to remember teamwork. Making an RPG alone is like... very very hard. You really need a team to do this. First of all, you need to be the programmer. The programmer is the founder of the group, and the leader. If you are not the programmer, you will not have a strong group. Remember, the programmer must also be the game designer. If not, the game designer may set goals to high for the programmer, or the programmer may not understand what the game designer wants. Here's the team you may find most useful:
-Programmer/Game Designer
-Music Artist
-Graphic Artist
That's pretty much the standard. Any more might mess things up. As you know, another programmer might just jumble and screw up the programming. Another music artist might cramp the style of the game by creating a completely different style of music than the other music artist. It's the same case with the graphics, you really only need one style. But remember, if you can get music artists or graphic artists that can work together with the same style, that's great. If you can find another programmer that can work well with you and you can understand each other's programming, that's great to. There is no set path here.
ANYWAYS(7), that's what you need to know to make an RPG! Remember these are all mostly variables, that can be changed, but this is what I recommend.
SO, if you do make an RPG, good luck!, and take this editorial into account!
