I've made a game in 7 days

Lexx

Testament to the ghoul lifespan
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So, like the topic title says, I've made a game in 7 days. Started last sunday night and ended it this sunday afternoon. I've worked around 10 or so hours per day on it and besides watching Buffy Season 7 and Angel, only did sleeping and some eating when I needed a break.

To build the game, I used the RPG Maker XP. In fact, the whole idea developed out if it, because I had downloaded the program (for testing out it's functions), played a bit and then decided to make something more serious out of it.

And so Wasteland: Los Angeles was born. Making a Wasteland-like game is something I wanted to do since a long time, but it was never possible because of various reasons. Well, it still wasn't possible, but I used the games graphics as a base to start out a game that is at least a little bit like Wasteland. Just without skills, without character creation and without character customization... yes, yes, I feel the heresy. But I decided to ignore all this for now.

My goal now wasn't to make a Wasteland clone, though. In fact, I see it as totally impossible to do any real RPG with the „RPG Maker“ and on day 2 or 3 I even started to wonder why this thing is called „RPG“ Maker at all. You don't do RPGs with it, you do combat-heavy loot games. Therefore, I see Wasteland: Los Angeles only as adventure / action-game as well. It's not an RPG, it doesn't feature a lot choice&consequences or deep conversations with NPCs, etc.

Despite of the 7-days limit, I think the game became quite big in content (mind you: I never worked with the RPG Maker before, so I had to find out first how everything works). So... not much else to write in here, other than I hope the game is as good as I think it is (and doesn't feature a too cheesy main story). :>

PS: I am very sorry about the broken english here and there in the game (and in this post :>). Had no time to gather a proofreader and text management with the RPG Maker is a bitch anyway. Correcting all the bad spelling and stuff would probably require another day of work...

To come to an end now, I'll quote one of the beta testers:
„it's full of fun, dead kids, and broken english“

Here are some screenshots:




And here is the download link:

Download: Wasteland: Los Angeles 1.0

Hints and things to note:
1. Save often.
2. If you equip or unequip a shield, you have to close the inventory and re-open it, else the class-change won't work. It's a technical problem, which I couldn't workaround.
3. You should visit Bullhead City in the north first. After that, continue the storyline. This makes the start a bit easier.
4. First Aid Kits can't be bought. They are limited, so use them wise!
5. A lot enemies are vulnerable to flames...
6. Save often!11

Credits:
- Most graphics from Wasteland
- New graphics by myself.
- Sounds from Fallout and Jagged Alliance 2
- Text, idea, "scripts" and stuff, by myself.
Exception:
- Ammo script by Synthesize and
- skipable title menu by Nortos.


And now that I have done this, I shall burn and never ever touch this "RPG" Maker thingy again, because you can't do real RPGs with it. :> Next target: Fallout 2: Whispering Winds. Oh wait, did I spoil too much? I'm so sorry!
 
Hey you are like a God when he made the world in 7 days :). I know nothing of this matter (modding or making of any game) and for me this is really awesome. :clap:
 
Yea, first I wanted to write an article about my 7 days, but today I am way too much out of energy for it. Maybe I'll do it a bit later, if I don't start to forget about what I have done...
 
Lexx said:
My goal now wasn't to make a Wasteland clone, though. In fact, I see it as totally impossible to do any real RPG with the „RPG Maker“ and on day 2 or 3 I even started to wonder why this thing is called „RPG“ Maker at all. You don't do RPGs with it, you do combat-heavy loot games. Therefore, I see Wasteland: Los Angeles only as adventure / action-game as well. It's not an RPG, it doesn't feature a lot choice&consequences or deep conversations with NPCs, etc.

You don't know how to use it (yet?), that's why. :) Sure, with the standard stuff you can only do bare bones JRPGs, but the program has options that let you do custom "scripts" that lets you do it completely insane stuff for a program designed for top-down JRPGs.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1qk2RAsvFM[/youtube]

This is a game a friend of mine is doing, and it's done with the previous version of the engine.

I actually pondered the idea to make a Fallout-esque RPG years ago with RPG Maker but after a while I gave up because I suck at designing quests. But recreating the SPECIAL system? That would be a piece of cake.

Anyway, I'll certainly download your game. It has been a while since I played a RPG Maker game. :P
 
But for this stuff you'd need some more advanced skills in Ruby / this RGSS scripting language, which I sadly don't have. But even then I find the tool to be too clumsy to use. There is too much clickery going on, you have to switch between windows all the time (i. e. you can't have the weapon table open and in the same time edit some script in the internal script editor. Really annoying).

In the end, though, it doesn't matter much to me anymore. My 7-days game is done, I am happy that I finished it in the given timespan and now I go back to what I usually work on. :p

Additionally I have to say that it's really fun to make a (small) game in short time. Will most likely do something like this again at some point.


Btw. I didn't encrypted my game files, in case someone wants to use any ressource, etc. out of it. Like, trying their hands on their own Wasteland-looking game without needing to port the tile graphics again, and so on.
 
I envy you in a way. Maybe I need to do something productive like this with all my free time. I will play ASAP Lexx. Thanks for posting this.
 
Lexx said:
But for this stuff you'd need some more advanced skills in Ruby / this RGSS scripting language, which I sadly don't have.

I'm pretty sure 2003 didn't have Ruby/RGSS scripts.

There has been some insane stuff just with the basic functions of the maker.
 
Lexx said:
But for this stuff you'd need some more advanced skills in Ruby / this RGSS scripting language, which I sadly don't have.

Ruby helps but is not required. I did a prototype of a Dungeon Master clone (a single dungeon, then I got bored) years ago with RPG Maker 2k3 which hadn't Ruby.

Of course you need some practice with the program, I was just pointing out that it's not true that you can't do real RPGs. :P

Downloading as I speak (well, write).
 
Yea, I can understand that people with more knowledge in it can do much better stuff. :P I think with a few more days of "learning" I could have circumvented some ugly event-situations much better too. But now it's too late and I think the game is good for what it is: A 7-days project, adventure-loot thingy. :>
 
I'm really envious. Imagine if everyone had that much drive and even worked together. We'd have so many abandoned masterpieces become fan-made models.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller
 
The Vault Dweller said:
I'm really envious. Imagine if everyone had that much drive and even worked together. We'd have so many abandoned masterpieces become fan-made models.

Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller

If some of the fans around here banded together, you would be surprised how much shit we could accomplish. Instead of everyone toiling away individually, we could work together in harmony, and usher in a new-age of old school goodness. I can almost see it......


Who's with me!?
 
That was the mindset behind Fan Made Fallout. It doesn't work.

Working with anonymous unreliable strangers off the Internet who work for free, doesn't work. Brainstorming between multiple people does not work.
 
It's damn hard to find a good working team. Especially finding people who *continue* to work even one week later. You don't need a lot people, just a few who do something is totally enough... which is the real problem.

I am very tempted to make another 7-days project or even go with the next Ludum Dare (the Jam, with more people and a bit relaxed). It's pretty fun, imo and stuff get's done.
 
shihonage said:
That was the mindset behind Fan Made Fallout. It doesn't work.

Working with anonymous unreliable strangers off the Internet who work for free, doesn't work. Brainstorming between multiple people does not work.

That is often because people aim way too high. I know many aren't too committed to such projects either. Many people collaborate on the Nexus mods all the time though. Granted many of the mods aren't that great, but they manage to put out decent material.
It's a shame that the Nexus mod community puts so much focus on tits and guns though.

I think a mod project, or something like Lexx did, is the way to go for us plebs. I know that it is a futile effort 90% of the time, but that 10% is what keeps me going. I have been compiling notes/art for a game that I will never make almost 10 years now. I don't have any high hopes, or illusions about the process. I know I am probably wasting my time, but what else should I do with my imagination?

What was the best iteration of the RPG Maker software anyway?

Anyway it's late and I'm sleepy.
 
TorontRayne said:
Granted many of the mods aren't that great, but they manage to put out decent material.

You said it yourself : they aren't that great. If I read correctly, you're aspiring to a new age of good old school games. Not to a new age of boring old school games.

The reality is you need creative egocentric tyrants to put out anything good, and they usually work on their own projects.
To get any strong commitment from any external creative force (that is, a person), you need to pay.
Or have a project already sufficiently fleshed out so that people can become fans of the work already done and commit to it. But again, to do that you need a strong creative leader that gets shit done by himself. And even then you're mainly depending on luck, because it doesn't happen often.

PARPG is a sad but obvious example to me of why open-team creativity based on the free coming and going of contributors doesn't work.
 
Arr0nax said:
TorontRayne said:
Granted many of the mods aren't that great, but they manage to put out decent material.

You said it yourself : they aren't that great. If I read correctly, you're aspiring to a new age of good old school games. Not to a new age of boring old school games.

I think it depends on the vision you have for the project. I think leadership is the most important thing that a project needs other than raw talent. A project without proper leadership will fail even if you have the most talented guys in the world working on it.
 
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