Release Earthbound/Fire Emblem inspired RPG idea -- Feedback wanted

[Aethix]

So I've seen another topic like this and I thought I would throw my own game idea out there. I'm thinking about sort of a non-traditional, semi-satirical RPG. I'm a bit worried that in my efforts to be different I'm going to create something awful. One of the things I'm doing with this is taking all the things I've ever encountered in an RPG that peeves me and working around it.

Story: The basest level of the story is mostly inspired by Earthbound and Fire Emblem. It starts out on modern-day Earth. The protagonist, Kyle, is a 16-year-old boy in the foster care system. (I'm going to be throwing out a lot of cliches) An alien (I haven't come up with a definitive name) crash-lands just outside of Kyle's town. He claims that he is from a planet called Akaitha, one of three other planets with sentient life. This tri-planet alliance is also populated by humans and by another species of alien. Koureth, one of the other planets, was taken over by a group lead by a man named Alomai the Mask. The group then invaded and conquered the other planet, Bor'kuto and is currently at war with Akaitha. After a series of events on Earth, Kyle and the alien manage to travel to Akaitha to fight Alomai's group, and more stuff happens. I have a lot more planned out, but I lack the verbal skills to explain it properly and if I do ever make the game I don't want to spoil it.

Gameplay: The gameplay outside of battle takes place as a 2-D platformer. Combat is initiated by contact with enemies in the 2-D field. The player has control over a sword and basic magic to initiate combat with a first strike or to interact with the environment. Alternatively, I'm thinking about including a top-down overworld to connect the platforming areas instead of just consistent 2-D exploration.

Battle: Every party member and enemy has four major attributes: hit points, magic points, speed points, and focus points. The battles take place in phases. At the beginning of each phase, every combatant is assigned a number of speed points that corresponds with its speed stat. Whoever has the most speed points gets the first turn. Every physical attack, magic attack, or support move uses a set amount of speed points. After the first combatant's speed points falls below the speed points of the next combatant, that combatant moves. The process continues until every combatant either uses up all its speed points or ends all its turns for the remainder of the phase. Special equipment will allow combatants to carry over certain percentages of unused speed points from one phase to the next. Focus points are used for advanced techniques, and are earned by landing consecutive hits or using focus moves. Magic points and hit points should be obvious.

Graphics: 3-D cel-shaded.

Side note: I also plan on making all the formulas for calculating damage, etc. easily available for players who want to view them. Optional, but available.

So, I would like to hear impressions of what I have so far. Give it a rating and tell me why you think so. Feel free to suggest improvements or ask for more details, because everything in my head is jumbled mess and I may have missed something.

 

[lulzfish]

Re: My game idea--feedback wanted

I like that you've already worked out combat, but I'm not sure if platforming and turn-based RPG combat will work together. In my experience, platform games rely on reflexes and timing, and don't usually work well with something that pauses the game for several seconds to a minute to do something different, like combat.

You can try it, though,

 

[Vorporeal]

Re: My game idea--feedback wanted

Sounds interesting. Not exactly sure what I think, as I'm still trying to figure out the gameplay. The speed point idea is interesting though, it would make for some good strategy.

(The name for your topic should be changed, it's too generic and there's another one 3 topics down with basically the same name. What do you want me to change it to?)

 

[Aethix]

Re: My game idea--feedback wanted

Thanks. I got the idea for speed points after playing FFIV and getting frustrated with how one-dimensional the ATB made the combat and finding ways to better develop it. I decided to include the platforming element because I didn't want the walking around to be boring. I plan on making it sort of like Paper Mario, except 2-D. And, yeah, as I said before, my verbal skills aren't too good.

As for the new title... does "RPG idea--feedback wanted" work?

 

[Vorporeal]

Specified that it was Earthbound/Fire Emblem inspired (referring to your original post). "RPG idea" is still a bit general. This should do a decent enough job of differentiating the thread.

 

[SiegfriedCroes]

Good to see that "a particular topic" has made you post this idea. Nice to see you already have an idea for the story, although the beginning is a bit the same as in Earthbound, it can't be a bad thing as Earthbound was an awesmoe game When I read the part were you explained the gameplay I immediately thought of Paper mario, maybe instead of doing 2D platform you could do something like those typical beat em ups, where it's in 2d but you can walk up and down too.

A good start, the more games for Pandora the better so be sure to make it a good one!

 

[danielpwnsricky]

oh come on, if you got some of your ideas from earthbound, you will know swords, spells and dragons all suck. baseball bats, PSI, and living barf ftw!

 

[Aethix]

Yeah, except the other planets are completely inhabited by people who can use magic, so there will be more of a medieval feel to them. Akaitha looks very medieval, while Koureth is enveloped in nearly perpetual darkness and all the people live on giant floating rocks. (really builds into the platforming element) It starts off like Earthbound, but develops much differently. So it isn't completely Earthbound-inspired. Would, "Non-traditional RPG idea" work better?

I don't know about living barf, but one of the major bad guys is a large amoeba/water monster named "Blargh". (He can't actually speak, so everybody calls him Blargh) Another one of the villains, "Eve", is short with a nasty disposition for comical effect.

 

[Trevsweb]

I think its best to cut off all trails from any other notable rpg, look at the 30 hour inspired chrono cross rpg fan made addon... sure it was a hacked rom but still i wouldnt want to finish a project then have to scrap it because one little part of it is either copied or whatever from another game.

I love RPGs that are a bit forgiving. pokemon and persona (collecting types) look great. i'm a bit sad and do like grinding but as long as theres a variaty of monsters and story to go with it i'm quite happy.

i think if anyone can make a decent rpg with a proper learning curve that would be awesome.

 

[Aethix]

Don't worry, it will be forgiving, at least in the sense you can save anywhere you want. There will be two kinds of save: saving at special points from which you can backtrack anywhere, and saving anywhere you want, even in places you can't backtrack from. So, if you lose, you won't have to start all the way over from your last save point. And there won't be any "instant death" attacks, either.

 

[PSyMastR]

Sounds a bit like the Paper Mario Battle System, 2D overworld/Platformer, Turn based Battles