RPG Maker for Teens

338 Index

PC Gamer magazine, 64 princess has been taken hostage rat, 218
pedocracy, 114 cliché, 38–39
penalty/reward system, 246 reactive environment, 251
Principles of Web Design, 4th Edition ReadMe file, 304
Pencil tool, 124 (Sklar), 317
personality, character rear position, 180
producer, 56
archetype, 160–163 production stage, 61 rebel archetype, 161
ego, 159 professions and work
id, 160 rebellion, 115
nested, 150, 159 places of employment, 111–113
superego, 159–160 trade and currency, 110–111 rebus, 254
world mask/demeanor, 160 professor archetype, 161
Phoenix image-editing program, profile, actor, 187–191 Rectangle tool, 124
83–84 programmer, 55–56 religion, 115–118
Photoshop Express, 81–82 project remora, 15
PHP for Teens (Sethi), 317 new project creation, 124–125
pick-your-path game book, 7–10 saving, 134 Renaissance culture, 105
Picnik editing program, 82–83, schedule, 59–61
284–285 Project Aon fan-based reporting, 300
Pitfall!, 255–256 organization, 8
Pixlr Editor, 84 project scope section (GDD), 73–74 republic, 114
plague, 115 psychographics, target audience, 73
Planescape: Torment, 24 Psychonauts, 240 research
publisher, 48
planning, 80 publishing art supply, 81
plant, 218 file sharing site, 314 finding ideas and inspiration
platform, determining project file size consideration, 304
getting the game out there, 64 through, 66
scope, 73 output folder, placing game in, 302 Resident Evil 4, 34, 38, 225, 255
player screenshot as selling tool, 306–307
through Facebook, 308–310 resource
challenging the, 251–259 through magazine, 64
choices, 79 through Myspace, 310–312 Audacity sound-editing program,
motivation, 240–242 through RPG Maker groups, 85–86
player character, 156
player empowerment 312–314 desktop or laptop, 80
failing to empower, 246 through social networks and free, 81
player choices, 248–249 GIMP, 82
teaching player how to play, 247 forums, 307–314 image-editing program, 80
player entertainment, 249–250 website construction, 314–318 Microsoft Paint, 82
player immersion puppet, 218 Paint Dot Net application, 82
addictive game play, 239 puzzle, 253–254 Phoenix image-editing program,
conflict, 244–246
depths of, 239–240 Q 83–84
emotioneering, 242–244 Photoshop Express, 81
player’s motivation, 240–242 QA (quality assurance), 57 Picnik application, 82–83
sense of, 15 quest PixIr Editor, 84
player mode, 74 sound recording/editing
player start position event, 133 clean-up, 257
Playtest button, 134 escort, 257 program, 80
fetch, 31–32, 257 system requirements, 80
plot, 26 guidelines, 32 Resource Manager dialog box, 191
plutocracy, 114 “hero’s journey,” 257–259 restricting classes, 180–184
Point of View (POV), 74 monomyth, 257 return to the ordinary (hero’s
multipart, 31
Pokémon, 44, 215, 234 overuse of, 257 journey), 258
political climate and conflict, player challenge, 256–259 reward (hero’s journey), 258
side-quest, 31 reward/penalty system, 246
113–115 storytelling, 259
population, establishing a culture, quest item, 34 RIP (rapid iterative prototyping), 62
rivers and lakes, 97–98
104 R
RMN community forum site,
pop-up message, 247 raiders, 115 312–314
portfolio, 59, 319 random encounters, 232–233
pose, character, 203 random item cliché, 40–41 Roc sound-editing program, 84
positioning classes, 179–180 random movement, 207–208
postproduction stage, 61 rapid iterative prototyping (RIP), 62 Rock Band, 241
POV (Point of View), 74 Rapid Share website, 314
RAR utility, 306 Rogue, 24
poverty, 104
power-ups, 33–34 Rogue Galaxy, 43
preproduction stage, 61 roguelike games, 24–25
press release, 64 role-playing game. See RPG
priest, 166
Rollings, Andrew, 71

roof and wall tile, 131

room map
animated graphics, 140–141
countertop tiles, 135–136
decorations, 136
description of, 122
door events, 137–139
floor tile, 135
inn events, 141–142
size, 135
table tiles, 135–136
wall border, 135

RPG Crisis website, 183, 298
RPG Maker installation, 86–87

Index 339

RPG Maker VX Community website, signpost, 131 high concept, 26–27
298, 312 Silent Hill, 92 in-game artifact, 250
Silent Hill: Homecoming, 93 middle of game, 265–276
RPG Revolution Forums, 312 player empowerment, 246–249
RPG (role-playing game) Sims, The, 241 player entertainment, 249–250
Singularity, 26–27 player immersion, 239–246
and anime, 44 skeleton, 218 plot, 26
computer, 10 process of, 238–239
as cross-disciplinary genre, 13–14 skills reactive environment, 251
defined, 1 character profile, 167–170 Stout, Jeroen D., 15
elements of, 14 giving to classes to learn, 185–187 Stubbs, Todd (Web Design
list of, 2 BASICS), 317
massively multiplayer online Skills tab (Database dialog box), style, determining project scope, 74
177, 185 subterranean landform, 100
role-playing game succubus, 219
(MMORPG), 11–13 Sklar, Joel (Principles of Web Design, summary cliché, 42
Multi-User Dungeon (MUD), 4th Edition), 317 superego, 159–160
10–11 supernatural aid (hero’s
pick-your-path game book, 7–10 slime, 217 journey), 258
tabletop, 3–6 survivor archetype, 162
willingness to imagine, 2 slow-downs and stops, movement, suspense-building conflict, 244
RPG TsukUru, 86 209–210 swamp, 100
RTP (Run-Time Package), 302–303 swashbuckler archetype, 162
Ruby program, 87 SMART technology, 72 switch
runis, 101 Smith, Sydney, 87 control, 262, 267, 273, 277
Smith, Tom, 247 self, 262
S symbiosis, 15–16
smooth operator archetype, 161 sympathy, 240
sahagin, 219 snake, 218 syndicracy, 114
Sailor Moon, 44 Snipping tool, 193–194, 306–307 system requirements, 80
Sakaguchi, Hironobu, 44 Snow Crash novel (Stephenson), 17 System tab (Database dialog box),
sand tile, 131 social interaction, 241 179
saturation, 285 social networks, publishing through,
Saverin, Eduardo, 308 T
Sawyer, Ben (The Ultimate Game 307–314
sound artist, 56 table tiles, 135–136
Developer’s Sourcebook), 48, 51 sound effects, 290–293 tabletop RPG, 3–6, 95
scandal, 115 Space Battleship Yamoto, 44 talent cost, 76
Schafer, Tim, 240 speed, movement, 207 talking, with other character, 21–22
school tangible player choice, 79
spell casting cliché, 41 target audience section (GDD), 72–73
game-related degree, 57–58 spider, 218 task
importance of getting degree, 57 Spielberg, Steven (E.T. the
scope of project section (GDD), cost estimation for, 76
73–74 Extraterrestrial), 3 general, 76
scorpion, 218 Splinter Cell, 78 specific, 75
screenshot, 306–307 timeline estimation for, 76
Scrum development, 63–64 sprint, Scrum development, 63 task determination section (GDD),
sea and land, 96 sprite, character, 203–206 75–76
seafaring culture, 105 spunky kid archetype, 162 teaching players, 247
search engine submission, 317–318 team. See game development team
Second Life, 11 Spyro the Dragon, 62 technology
self switch, 262 Square developer, 44 and communications, 106–108
sense of immersion, 15 Square Enix, 44 determining project scope, 74
server, 315–316 terms, 288–290
Set Move Route event, 263 Star Wars, 117, 259 Terms tab (Database dialog box),
Sethi, Maneesh Star Wars: Knights of the Old 179
PHP for Teens, 317 terrain detail, 127
Web Design For Teens, 317 Republic, 50 tester, 57, 300–301
setting, 77 start position, 260 testing procedure, 300–302
SFX Library website, 293 starting at ground zero cliché, 37 Tetris, 253
shading, 199 text
shadows and highlights, 199 States tab (Database dialog box), 178 color, 140, 208, 285
shapes, 199–200 stats paused readout, 140
Shining, The, 26 Tezuka, Osamu, 44
shop event, 211–213 character profile, 166–167 theocracy, 114
Show Balloon Icon, 261, 267, 276 enemies, 222–225 therapy, 241
Show Text event, 266–267, 270 steampunk culture, 105
shrines, 101 steampunk technology, 23
side-quest, 31
Stephenson, Neal (Snow Crash), 17
stereotypes, character, 42–43
stickers, 286–287
story and level progression (GDD),

77–79
story line cliché, 37
storytelling

back story, 250
beginning of game, 260–265
cause-and-effect relationship, 238
challenging the player, 251–259
cut-scene, 28, 250
end of game, 276–277
versus game play, 26–29

340 Index

thief, 166 W werewolf, 219
Thief event, 283 Whitehead, Bob, 72
tile palette, 124 waif archetype, 162 who am i cliché, 37
tile-based map, 123–124, 126 Wait event command, 261 wiki, 68
time interval, determining project Wild Wild West movie, 23
wall and roof tile, 131 wilderness, 101
scope, 74 wall border, 135 willowisp, 218
time to save the world cliché, 38 war, 115 win condition, 283
timeline, 76 Windows Live Sync website, 314
tint screen effects, 280–281 warrior archetype, 162 wish fulfillment, 240
title and game over screen, 284–287 warrior character class, 166 Wix website, 315
tonal variation, 199–200 Wixon, Dennis, 252
Torchlight, 156 water tile, 126 word balloon, 261, 267, 276
towers, 100 wealth, 104 word puzzle, 254
townships/cities, 100 weapon work and professions, 110–113
trade, professions and work, 110–111 work breakdown section (GDD), 75
trade routes, 101 editing, 180 world map
trading, with other character, 21–22 game world, 109–110
training system, 20 inventory, 32 connecting, 132–137
traits, NPC, 172–173 making new, 180–181 culture, 106
transfer event, 133–134 restricting classes, 180–181 description of, 122
Transfer Player event, 262 Weapons tab (Database dialog box), fence tile, 130
transportation, 108, 240 178, 180 grass, 130
traps, 255–256 weather conditions, 102–103, ground cover tiles, 126
travel, as game world inspiration, 95 280–281 hills, 97
treasure chest event, 141, 143 weather effects, 280–281 land and sea, 96
tribal culture, 106 Web Design BASICS (Barksdale and landforms, 98–100
tribes, political climate and map legend, 95–96
Stubbs), 317 passage settings, 128–129
conflicts, 113 Web Design For Teens (Sethi), 317 properties, 126
trigger event, 138 web host, 315–316 rivers and lakes, 97–98
triple-A title, 50 Webs website, 316 sand tile, 131
troops. See also enemies website terrain detail, 127
village tiles, 128
basic description of, 226 4shared, 314 wall and roof tile, 131
battle events, 229–231 110 MB, 316 world mask/demeanor, 160
creating custom, 231–232 Acoustica, 293 World of Warcraft, 11–12, 72
formations, 228 AtSpace, 316 writer, 56
name, 227–228 Box.net, 314 writing skills, 53–54
Troops tab (Database dialog box), Byet Internet Services, 316 written language, 107–108
178 creating, 314–318
Trubshaw, Roy (MUD design), 10 DoodleKit, 315 X
turn-based sequence, 34–35 Famitsum.com, 203–204
file sharing, 314 Xenogears, 43
U Flash Kit SFX, 293
Freehostia, 316 Y
Ultima, 34, 43 Freesound Project, 293
Ultimate Game Developer’s gamedevmap.com, 59–60 Yahoo! search engine, 318
Handzon Sitemaker, 315 Yanfly script, 294
Sourcebook, The (Sawyer), 48, 51 Inno Setup, 304 Yola website, 315
undead monsters, 217 InstallJammer, 304
Undo button, 126 InstallSimple, 304 Z
United Kingdom, 43 MediaFire, 314
unstable landform, 100 Moonfruit, 315 Zelda: Link to the Past, 74, 122
unzipping utility, 195 Nullsoft Scriptable Install System, Zenonia 2, 18
Zero Wing, 54
V 304 ZIP utility, 306
OCRemix, 293 zombie, 218
vampire, 219 Rapid Share, 314 Zork, 10–11
verification, 300 RPG Crisis, 183, 298 Zorns RM2K Tool, 183
Victorian culture, 106 RPG Maker VX Community, Zuckerberg, Mark, 308
Video Game Music Archive website,
298, 312
293 search engine submission, 317–318
vignette effect, 285 SFX Library, 293
village tiles, 128 Video Game Music Archive, 293
violence versus conflict, 245 web host, 315–316
voice-over actor, 57 Webs, 316
volcanic landform, 100 Windows Live Sync, 314
Wix, 315
Yola, 315
welcome message, 211