I've tinkered around with Gamemaker for a while, I'm not an amazing coder or a graphics artist but I love writing scripts and characters for games and creating worlds. I have a couple of problems - I sometimes have a tendency to get distracted by a new project, and I'm frequently demotivated by my inability to make the ideas that I have. For that reason, I thought it would be a good idea to meet talented people within the community - possibly who also tend to give up on their projects - with the idea that working together we would firstly work fast and thus be encouraged more, and also that if one of us starts to get distracted the others can help bring them back on track. I don't want someone to draw or code my whole game for me - I don't mind working hard, and I work extremely hard while I'm obsessed with a project. Anyone who is better than me could give me advice and help working with the code, and if they're the same as me they could help me fumble through everything as I currently do :D.
I basically want to create a game which combines the best elements from the favourite games I've played, as well as adding in some new ideas and systems of its own. (Skip to the end here if you're easily bored.) My passion is SNES Rpgs, I suppose - Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Zelda: Lttp, anything of that style. I want to create a top down real time action rpg similar to Secret of Mana, perhaps borrowing heavily elements of the materia system from FFVII. I have the plot and game world mapped out in relatively good detail, which I'd be happy to elaborate on if anyone wouldn't be bored by it. The game would be seperated from other RPGs by using a Mass Effect style conversation wheel and choice system. At the start of the game, you choose certain personality variables for your character (arrogant or humble, serious or humorous, cold blooded or emotional) and conversation options are available depending on your character's profile. Throughout the game you would have to make choices which affect the game world.
The characters would be richly drawn personalities, with back-stories, and there would be a large range to choose from. After the introductory section, on which your character plays out a couple of childhood adventures in their village and the neighbouring forest, and then is finally recruited into a group to defend the Kingdom, you would be able to choose the order of your missions and which of your team mates accompany you. The game would support multiplayer teamwork, again akin to Secret of Mana. Your choices would affect your life, the lives of the team mates you choose from the many within the game, and also the greater world.
I have about 6 character ideas worked out, and then 3 or 4 would accompany you on individual missions. There is of course room to create more characters if they fit into the story.
The choices vary from something like finding Dragon Eggs when the highly dangerous dragons are supposedly extinct, and letting them hatch out or die... to choosing whether to cure your werewolf team-mate (his condition helps him out a lot in battles, but obviously comes at a price)... to choosing whether or not to recruit a skilled assassin or the knight that's hunting him.
The world is a mixture of human and fantasy, and revolves around 9 Elemental Palaces spread throughout it, each guarded by a different race. For example, the Dwarves guard the Earth Palace. So far, so typical, but it does have a few surprises in it, without straying too far away from what we expect in a RPG.
Basically, if there's anyone here who loves the concept of a multiplayer real time battle top-down action RPG with compelling characters and a well drawn out plot in which your conversations and actions affect the plot and the world of the game, please let me know and we can chat about the game.
thanks
