Features and story vs random battles

[Perversion]

I was just kind of wondering...well, seeing as how I've been taking up room on other threads describing my game, I thought I would start a new one. My question to all the players out there is: Would a unique set of features in a game and an engaging storyline allow you to look past some ugly world maps and repititious random battles? Because every time I see my game being played, I smile over people experiencing my scripted NPC events and the story, but cringe a bit when they are actually fighting. Granted, these people are NOT ones who normally even play RPGs, much less video games, but I've got to get my opinions from somewhere, so I subject friends/girlfriend to my game to see how it's progressing. When you first enter a new area/dungeon, each battle can take up to 3-5 turns, but once a few levels are gained, it's usually over in a turn. I just did not want it to be too easy right at the start, so you're gonna have to struggle a bit at first until you level up. I just want to know if this is a good idea, or if it will turn people off to my game from the get-go. Also, as if most people here don't already know, my game has used 76% of memory at time of posting, and I have only made 2 maps with 2 dungeons and three towns each.
The bulk of what my game is based on is an alignment system, multiple endings, and different guilds you can join, with different quests and acquired spells for each guild. Now, I think (but it is my game) that this would be enough to entice the average member of the pavillion to want to play it. But I'm just thinking my random battles might need a little work. Any thoughts?

[Red Dragon]

Re: Features and story vs random battles

That's the trouble I have with my games too. You could go the Rodak way and have no random battles (make a touch event that enters a battle to appear random then say "Add Mode" and that way you won't encounter that again. This way you can set levels and monster and KNOW their levels before-hand to make it challenging.

Or you could set all the monsters stats to 1 ad just adjust the levels so much to a perfect attributes.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Features and story vs random battles

You're not going to make the random battles in RPGM3 any more interesting than they already aren't, so you're gonna have to just rely on how you balance them. Personally I prefer that I only wind up gaining one or two levels in a dungeon when I play games, that way monsters don't have to be real tough when entering a dungeon and real easy when finally leaving. But if you prefer having to "get used to" the monsters in a dungeon before they become easy, then I say go for it. It's your game. Just make sure it's still playable for other people (this would be where outside testing would come in).

[Perversion]

Re: Features and story vs random battles

Well, I'm up to 86% usage, with the end of my game still to be made. I did not want to make the last area really dull, so I'm sacrificing some memory in order to make a puzzle that you need to solve before getting the last item that you need before going into the final dungeon. I made all the monsters for this area already, and just need to make 3-5 more characters and the final battle(s) and storytellers. Hopefully if I do not try to throw something really complex in there, I should *crosses fingers* be okay. Oh, btw, you know what kind of sucks? The rarity levels on items the monsters drop. I wanted to have certain treasure items to be randomly dropped by monsters, and wanted the player to have SOME chance of seeing these items, so I did not set it to "almost never." Instead, I set it to "rarely." Well, my girlfriend played through the first area of my game, and the "rare" item that could only be found in the first area she found after 4 hrs. of play....not so bad....but....of the three "rare" items that you have a chance of finding anywhere throughout the entire game, she already found 2 of em. Now, either she was really lucky, or the "rarely" setting is in fact not so rare. I'm just scared to turn it to "almost never" because, as I said, I want people to have some chance to find these items. Otherwise, all the work that I did programming the things you get in return for these items will be experienced by almost no one. Oh, well.....

[Tsunami]

Re: Features and story vs random battles

Those are some of RPGM3s limitations kicking into effect. While you can figure out what the rarity levels mean, but they are really not specific enough when considering your needs. My guess is that your girlfriend probably got lucky, so I would not worry about this too much if I were you. Also, the random battle situation you have going sounds fine. The enemies should be somewhat difficult when you first enter a dungeon. The features you described for your game also sound quite impressive. If you can pull this off, this could turn out to be one of the most innovative RPGM3 games on the Pavilion.

[Perversion]

Re: Features and story vs random battles

Thanks for the encouragement and kind words. Yeah, my first "game" that I began making with the software was sort of generic, so I decided to go all out and be as ambitious as I possibly could with my second effort. Now, I'm feeling some of the effects of that memory limitation. I've already had to send one entire map by the wayside due to lack of memory. So instead of having a North, South, East, and West area, I only have three of them. Alas, the way my game is layed out (you need to backtrack to the king in the first area to complete part of the quest, and to get new ranks and spells in the guilds, you need to return to the first area as well), the multiple file trick will not work. So I'm hoping to get this game done by next week or the week after....and then playtest the hell out of it. I just want to be sure some dumb bug is not going to ruin the enjoyment of my game. This playtesting might take a while, though, as there are many different paths you can pick in the game that directly influence something else down the line. Thanks again...now I just need a name for this damn thing....

Oh, and I did throw in a few (silent) film references, a few modern film references, a drug reference or two (no one in the game uses drugs...I just found a couple of obscure words relating to different psychedelics that I named towns after)...and to balance that at least one recovery (A.A./N.A.) reference. I'm just waiting to see if anyone picks these up....but I might be giving too much away right now...no matter.