Hi all,
Today i actually tried to make a game after numberous "trying out how the engine works games'' but i can't draw... I'm using sprites from rpgmaker 2000 and 2003 right now do you think that's a bad idea??
Also how do you guys start creating a plot?
Sorry for all the questions but i want my own game soo badly :(
Re drawing: many people here will tell you that graphics are the least important thing, because everyone knows that not everyone can be as awesome as some of the artists we have here in the community.
Of course, that doesn't mean crappy quick 5-minute black and white graphics are good. But if you try and make them look good, be they drawn by yourself or photoshopped or whatever, it'll show. it IS true - it DOES show if you've put time and effort into it. And that's about as relevant as the graphics can be. Bottom line: don't be ashamed to use any medium you know, and don't be afraid to put effort into it.
As for "plot", there are two ways. You either design the whole thing from scratch on paper, which is the best way, or you can make it up as you go along. Which is not, IMO, a good approach, but good games like Pleurghburg and Uncertainty Machine have come out of it, so...
Word of advice - design the thing from scratch, doodle on paper, figure out what you want from it. Use RodeKill's "Wurd Problems" if it helps (you'll find it in www.freewebs.com/skimbleshanks/ under "Misc"). The LAST thing you should use should be the AGS editor, and only when everything else is already done.
Thank you for the quick reply, i got wurd problems now it is very cool!!
Like our furry friend said, you should really plan out your plot beforehand. If you plan on seeing your game to fruition, a lack of planning in the beginning can turn a short-term project into a long-term project.
As for how to actually come up with a plot...I like to first think of setting & characters. What interests you? Do you like historical games, futuristic games...a game about a distopian urban nightmare...whatever floats your boat. Flush out some interesting characters and a setting that interests you and many times a story will naturally come together.
If you want some good examples of a game design, check out some of Al Lowe's here: http://www.allowe.com/gamedesign/index.htm
if you are really poor in drawning you could always google a picture and use that. and you just have to watch alot of detectives and horror movies to think of a good plot :P