With the wait for Coldstone getting me more anxious, aggitated and annoyed (and you should see me before a date! :)), I figure quite a few of you may be in the same position as me, so I decided to make a thread about what kinda stuff you can prepare to make the development time (once we get our sweaty little hands on Coldstone) that little bit easier. Here's a few ideas, you're welcome to add to the list. I've tried to make it sound un-patronizing, so forgive me if I do.

Prepare the Story
From the list of chronicles pilling up, I see quite a few of you have already started writing a story -- an excellent idea. Even if you're not sure what you want to do with Coldstone, draft ideas, draw cool little scenes you think of, even record dialogue onto a tape. Once you've got a few solid ideas, get a plot down, then draft, draft again and then re-draft. Even the world's best writers don't get their Pulitzer material down first time, and re-drafting is a great way of developing ideas and honing them down until they're razor sharp. Idealy, the next step after you've got your story would to be story board some of the scenes in the game. The player has control of the character so your storyboards couldn't take account of their actions, you could draw out some of the in game movies or maps you want to have in the game. Once you've got the structure down, it's a lot easier than making it up as you go along.

Graphics
Yup. The dreaded variable. Most of us on the board don't have commercial level graphical skills, I know I don't, and artists are hard things to come by. However, if you're dead set on unique graphics instead of using the library graphics, now would be the best time to start. Concept art of your characters is a good way to start, sketch out how you invisage them, making it that little bit easier when it comes to actually digitizing them. If you can't do your own graphics, do a search on google for artists, I'm sure there must be thousands of talented people interested in making games out there. However, bare in mind that if you have a good plot written down with descriptions of the locations/characters to show them, it'll show you're serious about it, and make their life easier.

For reference, Coldstone can handle any graphic supported by Quicktime (version 4 I think, although Dee might have upgraded the engine to handle version 5 - but the end user might not have upgraded, will this matter though? Dee?) I recomend using high quality JPEGs for your graphics, the file sizes are small and they can handle high quality bitmaps well. However, if you want a lot of cool transparency's PNG's are the way to go, they can handle alpha transparency's well and are fairly low in size (although not as small as JPEGs).

Sound
Pretty much all I've said for graphics, only swap art for sound. Sound isn't my area of expertise, and there's already a good topic going on, so I guess I don't need to talk about this.

Development Plan
Although I'm not speaking from personal experience, many game developers have told me that there's nothing worse than rushing into development head first without a decent plan. Make a nice purdy bullet list of the things you're gonna do first, I recommend making all the maps first and then adding NPC's afterwards, that way you can test each map for glitches (not that there'll be any of course ;)) without having to worry about townsfolk getting in you're way.

That's if for now, I'm tired, bored and I want to go to sleep (sounds like a good chorus for a song...maybe). Hope it's enough to inspire some people...

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"I don't know how radical you are or how radical I am. I am certainly not radical enough; that is, one must always try to be as radical as reality itself" - Lenin

a very good list, necromicon.
I just want to add that if you're in it for fun, like me, then you might leave some places empty in the game, just so you can enjoy creating the game. This will keep you from becoming a machine.
I know many people might consider my idea apalling, but it isn't so bad if you think about it. Just leave a few holes, don't do everything or creating the game won't be as much fun as it could be.

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Freedom of religion means any religion.

I don't know how involved everyone else's conversations with NPCs are going to be, but now is a pretty good time to script them out. Brainstorm for different responses from the ones who have nothing to say (the one line "not now, I'm busy" stuff) and outline the important stuff with the multiple responses; jot down tag plans, notes, etc.

Get some graph paper and draw maps (those of us fluent in pen and paper rpgs have a slight experience advantage here). Lay out your interfaces for shops, character equip screens, the HUD, and any other interfaces your game will employ. Think of side quests and/or minigames. Start writing down names that strike your fancy, unless you prefer "Peasant Boy1" and "Bar Maid".

Read comics. Whether or not it helps, more people should be reading comics.

I highly recomend dusting off some old school top down video games, or downloading emulators. Rpg or no, a lot of these old games will give you some good ideas or direct you to details you might not have thought of. Even games like Commando or Ikari Warriors could be helpful in some fashion.

Come up with puzzles and riddles, or buy a book about them. Play some puzzle games for ideas. Remember, any game that can switch to a shop screen should be able to switch to a puzzle screen just as easily. A well done puzzle or two really adds something special to a game.

myshkyn

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"I'll give the fans just what they want, and nothing else at all."

Necro, you forgot one of the most important things: Easter eggs! I don't think any adventure game would be complete without an easter egg or two.

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People who claim the sky is falling obviously aren't aware the earth is falling, too.
--
"Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety" --Benjamin Franklin.

Quote

Originally posted by the Necromicon:

Development Plan
Although I'm not speaking from personal experience, many game developers have told me that there's nothing worse than rushing into development head first without a decent plan. Make a nice purdy bullet list of the things you're gonna do first, I recommend making all the maps first and then adding NPC's afterwards, that way you can test each map for glitches (not that there'll be any of course ;)) without having to worry about townsfolk getting in you're way.

I cannot stress the importance of this enough!! This is the most important part, having a plan! Very, very important!

You might think you can play it as it goes, but you will be sorry later. I urge you, have EVERY aspect of your game thought out and put on paper before you start making it. Decide, BEFORE you start, what you will include in your game and what you won't (re: magic? different races? what cities? what land?). This is very, very important. Look at the link in my sig. It has turned fairly large scale. And I'm regretting not doing more thinking at the start.

So, in conclusion, decide what you are going to do with your game and how you are going to do it -- BEFORE you actually start making it.

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