Harvest moon/SDvalley is GM a good choice?

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KingTentacleAU

Guest
I want to make a game that's in the same vein/style as harvest moon and stardew valley.

This is one of my all time favorite game types, and sink stupid hours into them.

I am new to game making but do have a basic working knowledge of game design having a small past in late high school working with action script in flash 8 and RPGmaker 2000/2003 so i understand the fundamentals of code design and what i am in for.

But i am looking to see if its a project i can use a "maker" engine for.
The new RPG maker (MV) from what i have seen doesn't handle huge amounts of custom code and lags and bogs down badly when not sticking to the basic engine pregen code.

So i am looking at this, i picked it up on a whim a while back when it was in the humble bundle.
And figured i should see if its something i can use, or if i may need to build my own engine using a basic framework and code like C++ or C#.

The main thing i need to know is if i can make a polished game that run well with this engine.

Thx.
 

Bingdom

Googledom
The main thing I need to know is if I can make a polished game that run well with this engine.
Of course, you can.
Making a 'polished' game is very time-consuming; especially for testing, gaining feedback and requires lots of skills to create that aesthetic feel.
You won't be able to create a AAA title within your first game, same applies for everything. (You can't be the best athlete on your first run). ;)

It takes practice and dedication. ;)

Game maker is one of the best engines out there for 2D games, and many successful games come out of it

Based on google images, those games you mentioned can easily be re-made in game maker.
 

RangerX

Member
Perfect choice. GameMaker Studio IS meant and pro at 2D games. The language is simple and powerful. For 2D games I don't think there's a better choice (let alone cheaper!)
 
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KingTentacleAU

Guest
even something as deep and complex as a harvest moon style game?

HM and SDV both have a LOT of code running constantly.

A variable weather system, day night systems, days of the week and months.
NPC's that roam based on the day, time and season and weather.

There are also events and festivals and such that the game tracks too.
With very large maps

They would not be as simple as something like hotline miami.

Its basically a deep RPG system.
 
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KingTentacleAU

Guest
i dont want to get half way through the game and find out the engine cannot take it and begins to lag.
 
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KingTentacleAU

Guest
GameMaker is as good as you are, the only limit is your skill. If you are bad programmer, your game will lag.

PS.: Basic optimization tip: Don't double post.
So the engine is a lot more optimized for heavy loads of code then the other basic makers?
Good to know.

Maker software can be pretty poorly optimized for lots of code.
RPG maker in the last few versions have been really bad for it, so i was worried this would be similar.
 

Genetix

Member
Ultimately, yes GMS can definitely handle a game like SD Valley, Harvest Moon, and deep heavy processing RPG's. It will come down to your own skills however. If you are relatively new to developing games that might hold you back from developing (not designing) a grand RPG type project.

Also, while Game Maker is extremely powerful - if you are new to it, you might not be ready to build such a grand project. It will take a lot of time and learning to identify the best practices in designing each system.

If you dedicate yourself to it and are passionate, you can absolutely create something very special. I've been working on a very similar project myself for a litle over 3 years now called 'Rogue Harvest'. I have also learned a lot since then, which will hopefully make my next big project even better - good luck!
 
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KingTentacleAU

Guest
Ultimately, yes GMS can definitely handle a game like SD Valley, Harvest Moon, and deep heavy processing RPG's. It will come down to your own skills however. If you are relatively new to developing games that might hold you back from developing (not designing) a grand RPG type project.

Also, while Game Maker is extremely powerful - if you are new to it, you might not be ready to build such a grand project. It will take a lot of time and learning to identify the best practices in designing each system.

If you dedicate yourself to it and are passionate, you can absolutely create something very special. I've been working on a very similar project myself for a litle over 3 years now called 'Rogue Harvest'. I have also learned a lot since then, which will hopefully make my next big project even better - good luck!
Awesome. ill need to get started looking at some foundation projects then.

Any tips on where to start looking for tutorials?
 

Genetix

Member
There are quite a few tutorials out there - but one of the best resources is definitely the built in manual that GMS has. It may not sound like a lot of fun, but reading that is always helpful, they give you the basics and start to show the layout of a game based on different resources (sprites, sounds, objects, scripts, rooms, etc....) The included tutorials in GMS are also pretty good - and easy to follow and build.

The best thing i've found in my experience is to imagine how the game or feature works in your head and chip away at making it actually happen on the screen. It's not a quick road, but it is very fun.
 
A lot of people will tell you to tackle smaller projects first and to forget about trying to dive right into something as complex as an RPG to start with, and for the most part, I would agree, but depending on your knowledge with coding outside of Studio, how driven you are, and your willingness to try to learn as much as you can by yourself, by all means, dive right in. I started using Game Maker by trying to code an RPG. Did I fail miserably? Yes. Dozens of times. But I learned by leaps and bounds every attempt. Mind you, I also come from a fairly strong programming background, so that helps. Just don't expect anyone to hold your hand if you're going to go for it from day 1.
 
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ericbomb

Guest
I second what Stainedofmind says. I learn by failure. I've tried to make massive RPGs, I've tried to make fighting games with dozens of different characters, I've tried to make adaptive AI, the list goes on. I "fail" each time, but I learn a lot. So here's my suggestion.

Get the free version, and just focus on one system at a time. Make a new game and just make a farming sim system that you can pull into your harvest moon game. Make it so you can buy seeds. plant it, water it, move forward a day, and then pick it to get money to buy more after a variable amount of days. GM can handle a project like this no problem. Making a farming sim will be a good test of how you feel coding in it.
 
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KingTentacleAU

Guest
i was planning on making a basic thing where i just walk around a couple diff maps, and build off of that, and build a prototype that over time adds in the different elements.

Then when i know what i have to do to get what i want ill make a new project that will be the foundations of the game i want to make.

I do know how to make a game in byte sized pieced, i know the theory around game making, i just have never settled on an engine.

I was gonna use UE4 but i felt something designed for 2d would be better.
 
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