Solo dev interested in your your opinion about a turn-based isometric RPG inspired by Fallout 1/2

[dippy]

looks cool as heck! good luck with the project, dippy . when u get close to release u can let me know, i'll do youtube Let's Play videos for it! take care. <3

Thanks! You're being too kind. Can you share your contact details outside of RPGCodex so I can find you on youtube, twitter, etc when the time is right?

 

[Fluent]

Thanks! You're being too kind. Can you share your contact details outside of RPGCodex so I can find you on youtube, twitter, etc when the time is right?

Sure! GAME GOD FLUENT on youtube, can't miss me . Looking forward to it!

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

The 2D version gave me DreamWeb vibes, I wonder if it can be reworked into a small cyberpunk RPG at some point in the future.

Interesting. I've never heard of this game. It does look somewhat similar. Well, my progress is pretty slow due to this being a hobby project where I'm planning to throw away most of the old content including dozens of thousands of words of the dialogues. Hence, realistically I'm not sure I'd have any capacity to satisfy your request. I may revisit a similar idea one day in the future but using the latest isometric view I've been working on.

It's not a request per se, just a idea for you to ponder upon in case you'll consider making a second game, if this kind of setting is something you personally enjoy.

 

[dippy]

It's not a request per se, just a idea for you to ponder upon in case you'll consider making a second game, if this kind of setting is something you personally enjoy.

Ok, got you. I think making a second one would be much easier as most of the game is actually in the scripting language I developed for the 2d version years ago. Actually, that's why I started this new iteration in the first place. My initial intent was to reuse all the scripts from the original game but I've realised that I need to try harder to have a chance of making the project something more than a game for a few buddies and a couple of retrogeeks.

I do enjoy cyberpunk but I feel it's a bit of a crowded genre right now and I don't feel I can add anything unique there. However, I often get visions of a cyberpunkish game in my head when I listen to synthwave

 

[dippy]

Long time no see. Here’s the latest update demonstrating:

- basic exploration
- turn-based combat
- NPC dialogue system
- real-time switching of the languages during dialogues
- inventory, looting and barter modes




Basic asset integration test:



I’ve tried a few experiments with “dialogue battle” mechanics but not happy with the outcome. I’ve checked a few more complex options going beyond simple skill checks:

• Griftlands: building a deck of cards of conversational/rhetoric skills used for planning and implementing “tactical turn-based conversations“ (arguments, counterarguments, looking for flaws in the logic etc).
• Deus Ex: exploring character traits and profiles to find flaws, weaknesses to take advantage of.
• All Walls Must Fall: branched conversations with doormen affecting attitude/relationship stats with the character.
  

Can you share some other examples worth looking into or maybe you have some interesting ideas?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

the inventory looks really rough
idk if you were trying to copy fallout's inventory, but fallout has a terrible inventory.

I’ve tried a few experiments with “dialogue battle” mechanics but not happy with the outcome. I’ve checked a few more complex options going beyond simple skill checks:

• Griftlands: building a deck of cards of conversational/rhetoric skills used for planning and implementing “tactical turn-based conversations“ (arguments, counterarguments, looking for flaws in the logic etc).
• Deus Ex: exploring character traits and profiles to find flaws, weaknesses to take advantage of.
• All Walls Must Fall: branched conversations with doormen affecting attitude/relationship stats with the character.

one of the recent Sherlock Holmes games(by Frogwares) has something like this. You gather facts & evidence then use it to make accusations, provide proof for your assertions, and rebuke their claims. Not sure if it's what you were looking for, but the RPG genre has pretty much stagnated with dialogue trees.

 

[dippy]

the inventory looks really rough
idk if you were trying to copy fallout's inventory, but fallout has a terrible inventory.

Ok, can you share some good examples? I looked at ATOM RPG and Encased RPG with incremental improvements over Fallout but not seeing any fundamental differences.

one of the recent Sherlock Holmes games(by Frogwares) has something like this. You gather facts & evidence then use it to make accusations, provide proof for your assertions, and rebuke their claims. Not sure if it's what you were looking for, but the RPG genre has pretty much stagnated with dialogue trees.

Thanks! Sounds interesting, I'll check out some playthroughs since I don't think I'll be able to run it on my PC...

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Ok, can you share some good examples? I looked at ATOM RPG and Encased RPG with incremental improvements over Fallout but not seeing any fundamental differences.

After watching it again, it's not as bad as I thought. I thought it was exactly like the Fallout-style ring inventory.
My main critique would be that it looks like a mobile UI because of how big everything is. You can fit way more information on the screen with smaller icons. Not sure if it's like that because you develop on a laptop or something, though.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Ok, can you share some good examples? I looked at ATOM RPG and Encased RPG with incremental improvements over Fallout but not seeing any fundamental differences.

After watching it again, it's not as bad as I thought. I thought it was exactly like the Fallout-style ring inventory.
My main critique would be that it looks like a mobile UI because of how big everything is. You can fit way more information on the screen with smaller icons. Not sure if it's like that because you develop on a laptop or something, though.

Another well thought out RS post.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Long time no see. Here’s the latest update demonstrating:

- basic exploration
- turn-based combat
- NPC dialogue system
- real-time switching of the languages during dialogues
- inventory, looting and barter modes




Basic asset integration test:



I’ve tried a few experiments with “dialogue battle” mechanics but not happy with the outcome. I’ve checked a few more complex options going beyond simple skill checks:

• Griftlands: building a deck of cards of conversational/rhetoric skills used for planning and implementing “tactical turn-based conversations“ (arguments, counterarguments, looking for flaws in the logic etc).
• Deus Ex: exploring character traits and profiles to find flaws, weaknesses to take advantage of.
• All Walls Must Fall: branched conversations with doormen affecting attitude/relationship stats with the character.

Can you share some other examples worth looking into or maybe you have some interesting ideas?

Looks good. Keep it going.

 

[Darth Canoli]

I’ve tried a few experiments with “dialogue battle” mechanics but not happy with the outcome. I’ve checked a few more complex options going beyond simple skill checks:

• Griftlands: building a deck of cards of conversational/rhetoric skills used for planning and implementing “tactical turn-based conversations“ (arguments, counterarguments, looking for flaws in the logic etc).
• Deus Ex: exploring character traits and profiles to find flaws, weaknesses to take advantage of.
• All Walls Must Fall: branched conversations with doormen affecting attitude/relationship stats with the character.

Can you share some other examples worth looking into or maybe you have some interesting ideas?

Anything but card battles please!

What about a complex quest design instead?
With some quests influencing the results or solutions of others.
Something like Prelude to Darkness quest design or Dark Sun shattered Lands.

There's too few good Fallout-like games to spoil them with card battle mechanisms...

 

[luj1]

Anything but card battles please!

What about a complex quest design instead?

Please listen to this man

Instead of minigames and system bloat focus on improving core gameplay

developing or deepening the plot
core system design
writing standard (editing passes etc)
quest design
adding statics
polishing whatever

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

I'm not sure if this is still being actively developed, his last post was on Feb '22. In any case, I'd like to add to the encouragement in this thread. I find the design intriguing.

 

[TheCumGuzzler]

I'm not sure if this is still being actively developed, his last post was on Feb '22. In any case, I'd like to add to the encouragement in this thread. I find the design intriguing.

He probably realized how much work you actually need to do and quit, can't blame him

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

I'm not sure if this is still being actively developed, his last post was on Feb '22. In any case, I'd like to add to the encouragement in this thread. I find the design intriguing.

He probably realized how much work you actually need to do and quit, can't blame him

I have a game largely also inspired by Fallout, though more so by Duck Nukem.

Allow me to sum up Redaxium's dev history prior to public demos.

1) Created all my huge terrains first.
2) Textured them so they had decent variety, even if ugly.
3) Focused on polishing the first terrain thereafter for a long time.
4) Avoided the mistake of both discussing and showing my work.
5) Redacted.

If I said guess what codex i'm making a game and it will be like Fallout! No one would have believed me.
Games take years to make. A complex one with a unique art style, or in case of OP a HQ artstyle taken even longer, esp. if you're a solo dev.

I spent years drafting posts on this website that I never pressed submit on. This included many posts had everything from insane, even psychotic rants
about how gamedev and/or the world in which I must live. And prior to that I spent years of silence not submitting
my true thoughts on all sorts of subjects because I knew one day I would make a game, and I needed to not be institutionalized before I finished it.

A lot of gamedevs openly develop their game. They have a blog or a youtube channel. This does wonders for marketing IF YOU DON'T BITCH OUT.
But then you're wasting serious time on perfecting scripts about what you will say, and trying to balance promise with hype/delusion.
Editing videos and worrying about your influence, and not the product itself is probably a good way to WANT TO BITCH OUT.

Let me tell you what it's like to be a gamedev who never shipped a game, and is working on something ambitious.
You know there's a huge chance you will not only never finish due to technical reasons, but due to the fact of how unlikely it is you can
stay disciplined in changing/distracting world. You can't rely on others because they will undermine you. That includes Codex btw.

Gamedev is like fighting giant unkillable zombie nonstop for years in a row. And it is destroying your life opportunities every second
as price of admission. Cool on paper miserable in reality.

If you aren't "prepared" to die having more lifetimes of anguish than the rest of your life will ever make up for, don't do multiyear gamedev solo project.

 

[Tavernking]

A lot of gamedevs openly develop their game. They have a blog or a youtube channel. This does wonders for marketing IF YOU DON'T BITCH OUT.
But then you're wasting serious time on perfecting scripts about what you will say, and trying to balance promise with hype/delusion.
Editing videos and worrying about your influence, and not the product itself is probably a good way to WANT TO BITCH OUT.

Let me tell you what it's like to be a gamedev who never shipped a game, and is working on something ambitious.
You know there's a huge chance you will not only never finish due to technical reasons, but due to the fact of how unlikely it is you can
stay disciplined in changing/distracting world. You can't rely on others because they will undermine you. That includes Codex btw.

Gamedev is like fighting giant unkillable zombie nonstop for years in a row. And it is destroying your life opportunities every second
as price of admission. Cool on paper miserable in reality.

If you aren't "prepared" to die having more lifetimes of anguish than the rest of your life will ever make up for, don't do multiyear gamedev solo project.

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

 

[Lord of Riva]

A lot of gamedevs openly develop their game. They have a blog or a youtube channel. This does wonders for marketing IF YOU DON'T BITCH OUT.
But then you're wasting serious time on perfecting scripts about what you will say, and trying to balance promise with hype/delusion.
Editing videos and worrying about your influence, and not the product itself is probably a good way to WANT TO BITCH OUT.

Let me tell you what it's like to be a gamedev who never shipped a game, and is working on something ambitious.
You know there's a huge chance you will not only never finish due to technical reasons, but due to the fact of how unlikely it is you can
stay disciplined in changing/distracting world. You can't rely on others because they will undermine you. That includes Codex btw.

Gamedev is like fighting giant unkillable zombie nonstop for years in a row. And it is destroying your life opportunities every second
as price of admission. Cool on paper miserable in reality.

If you aren't "prepared" to die having more lifetimes of anguish than the rest of your life will ever make up for, don't do multiyear gamedev solo project.

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

Prosper is complicated, he has often very interesting insight, right beside impossible to understand ramblings.

 

[Rean]

He thinks Prosper is a 'joke' account, lel.

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

A lot of gamedevs openly develop their game. They have a blog or a youtube channel. This does wonders for marketing IF YOU DON'T BITCH OUT.
But then you're wasting serious time on perfecting scripts about what you will say, and trying to balance promise with hype/delusion.
Editing videos and worrying about your influence, and not the product itself is probably a good way to WANT TO BITCH OUT.

Let me tell you what it's like to be a gamedev who never shipped a game, and is working on something ambitious.
You know there's a huge chance you will not only never finish due to technical reasons, but due to the fact of how unlikely it is you can
stay disciplined in changing/distracting world. You can't rely on others because they will undermine you. That includes Codex btw.

Gamedev is like fighting giant unkillable zombie nonstop for years in a row. And it is destroying your life opportunities every second
as price of admission. Cool on paper miserable in reality.

If you aren't "prepared" to die having more lifetimes of anguish than the rest of your life will ever make up for, don't do multiyear gamedev solo project.

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

Gamedev changes you. I may have finished two games (Redaxium 1 & 2), but mentally I was broken by it.
The staff doesn't let me post in most forums on codex so mostly I just stay in one of the special ones.

I know one thing. People who appreciate the OG Fallouts tend to never let them go.
Dippy will be back.

 

[Tavernking]

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

Gamedev changes you. I may have finished two games (Redaxium 1 & 2), but mentally I was broken by it.

My dude you didn't bring the ring to Mordor you sat behind a computer for a few years

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

Gamedev changes you. I may have finished two games (Redaxium 1 & 2), but mentally I was broken by it.

My dude you didn't bring the ring to Mordor you sat behind a computer for a few years

I did everything myself. Hundreds of textures and Hundreds of code files. 20+ terrains,
and a large assortment of Fallouty features. I did the navigation (including player controler), pathing and the AI.
I did the UX. The plants and vegetation. I can keep going.

I did not rely on any asset bundles or pre-bought assets. I was unity vanilla all the way.

I had no publisher. I had virtually no testers. I had only my love for Scroo (my muse), and not even a real Scroo.
Which was one of the first casualties from so many unexpected betrayals.

I'm not the only one who changed around here. Fuck your Mt Doom, this world is Doomed. But I still worked on my game.

 

[Hamster Godoy]

Aren't you supposed to be a joke account? That is some of the wisest advice I've ever on the codex, especially the giant unkillable zombie analogy.

Gamedev changes you. I may have finished two games (Redaxium 1 & 2), but mentally I was broken by it.

My dude you didn't bring the ring to Mordor you sat behind a computer for a few years

I did everything myself. Hundreds of textures and Hundreds of code files. 20+ terrains,
and a large assortment of Fallouty features. I did the navigation (including player controler), pathing and the AI.
I did the UX. The plants and vegetation. I can keep going.

I did not rely on any asset bundles or pre-bought assets. I was unity vanilla all the way.

I had no publisher. I had virtually no testers. I had only my love for Scroo (my muse), and not even a real Scroo.
Which was one of the first casualties from so many unexpected betrayals.

I'm not the only one who changed around here. Fuck your Mt Doom, this world is Doomed. But I still worked on my game.

how did you manage to post here?

 

[NoMoneyNoFameNoDame]

I feel bad how I left this thread. I think Dippy have proved a lot more than many people bother to do.
And it shows a strength of character to stick to a design inspired by older games.

Hamster Godoy
I've always had Workshop and General RPG privileges. Even years ago when I was working on my game.