voidnotes.com

First posted April 20, 2020

I have a game I want to make. I have pages of notes and have worked out the mechanics. The only issues are visuals and building the darn thing.

I think could do it in Twine if I got my head around image embeds (I don’t want to have to host them somewhere else) and learn how to visit passages then go back to the plot.

Features I want/need for the game:

• Blocks of text
• Images
• Readable reference material
• Branching dialog with NPCs
• Inventory
• Events conditional on inventory

I like Twine but want to see if there is something more. And I have time on my hands (I started this in February).

RPGMaker VX Ace

Wow there is so much going on in this. I don’t need an exploreable world but it would be cool.

I played around using the default assets and realised the fight system would need me to develop a fight system. Everything would take so much longer, especially dialog.

Adventure Game Studios

Adventure Game Studio has been going since 1997. I messed about with it as a teenager with no progress.

This, again has so many options. I like the ‘rooms’ but not the learning curve. I would like to find another project I build in it. I tried a plant identification game (above) but couldn’t work out how to track the plants the player had seen.

Ren’Py

Another tool I have mess about with in the past. I had tried to put my A Level Phiolosophy into an interactive format.

Designed for making visual novels it has the conversations and images I wanted. But it is heavily image based and I do not have the skills. If I am successful with getting the first level on Twine then I may try converting it.

Pen and Paper

This would work. It would work pretty well in terms of the mechanics I want. I could have the supplementary material as a booklet and if the NPC conversations were interview transcripts then you could play it alone.

It’s tempting but I have no printer and limited paper in lockdown.

Twine

After 20+ hours playing with RPGMaker and AGS I think I will have a go with Twine again.

I have been spoilt on the visual layout of Twine (top of article). You can easily reference the map to see where things are in the plot.

What’s the game?

One about identifying and fighting cryptids and mythological creatures. Might do a development diary.