The Smaller-Scale Hack

[Arch]

I was sort of inspired today to write about this topic. I started with a few musings and wound up with an article pretty quickly. I figured, "fuck, if markyjoe can post a topic essay about 'good game design' then I can write stuff too and people might find it useful." So yeah, I hope you find the writings here useful. Discuss the idea, tell me why I'm wrong, provide your own angles, etc. I'm just throwing my opinions and experience out there, and I'm interested in hearing what people have to say.

This is something that's always baffled me. Every project seems to start with the intention of being a full-scale 30ish chapter Fire Emblem game. New cast, full script, full chapters; the works. I understand the intention, but I've always been quite surprised at the rarity of the small-scale hack. Let's face it, acquiring the resources for a full-scale game is a monumental task. You need an entire cast of portraits, probably some battle sprites, 30 chapters of script (preferably well-written at that), maps for all of the chapters (and any cutscenes with unique maps), and more.

I don't mean to sound discouraging or daunting, but for someone just getting their start, it's an incredible ordeal, and often a slayer of projects.

Once upon a time, a foolish child undertook the incredible task of recreating FE4 on the GBA engine. Now, I don't want to bore you guys with storytime or lecture you about my personal history or anything, but I think there's something of value to be taken from my experiences with the project. It started when I saw Nintenlord post a map, a recreation of FE4's prologue. I'd been wanting to break onto the hacking scene for a while, see, and the map inspired me. By the next day, I was talking to Nintenlord about making a full-fledged remake. I called it FE4A, got an incredible showing of support from Nintenlord and the rest of the community, and began the work of remaking the game. My story is the classic example of the overly-ambitious newcomer. Not only did we need an entire cast of mugs (which I fortunately got incredible community support in making), gigantic maps, and everything else a hack needs, we also needed extensive modifications to the GBA engine. Skills, an entire new stat (magic split from strength), a generation system, and much, much more. Incredibly challenging ASM work. It was simply too much to handle, and the project eventually died after several years. I was young, I was inexperienced, and I had no understanding of the gravity of the task. I dove into the project on a whim, and it ended in an death.

Alright, that's all the cautionary ramblings I'll give, I swear. However, it highlights the problem quite well. Hacks are difficult to complete, a daunting task, no less. Now, we've highlighted the problem, and now it's time to talk solutions. Mentioning FE4A tees that up quite well, it's an incredible contrast with my second project. "A tale of two hacks," for a nice literary reference. One ended with demise, and one will be released within the next few weeks.

Elibian Nights started as a remake of the BSFE games; Archanean Nights. I was looking to get back into hacking, I'd been out of my groove for a while, and FE4A still sat prominently on my plate. I wanted something simple, a sort of kiddy pool hack before jumping back into the ocean that awaited me. I settled on a remake of the BSFE games; four maps only, a few mugs I'd need, and some solid writing practice. However, FE12 revealing its own remakes killed that project idea. A friend of mine, Nayr, then proposed making a "BSFE7" of sorts. Taking the idea of Archanean Nights, and shifting the focus to Elibe. He jotted down ideas for tales, and from there I started doing the first, Eliwood's Tale. It was a trial balloon of sorts, just to see if I'd like the project. It worked out, and the project originally started with 3 tales finalized (and a few rough ideas). It was designed to require minimal resources; maps, a few mugs (as few as possible, since most of the cast was from FE7), and that was it. Eventually it grew into something much more, as I poured more effort into the project and it grew in recognition. What started as a side-project became the main event, and FE4A withered away. This was my second project, I was more privvy to the game this time around. Ultimately, it turned out to be a successful venture, I'd say.

Now, I'm not encouraging a legion of Elibian Nights clones, let me be clear. My ultimate aim is to basically say this: think about giving a smaller-scale a try. In a broader sense, think outside of the box. One of my favorite films is called "The Butterfly Circus"; it's 20 minutes long, and it's a far deeper and more touching work than most 2-hour films I've seen.

Your hack is, say, 10 chapters instead of 30. That doesn't mean it has to be any less ambitious than any other project, it's just on a shorter game. It could be ambitious with its depth perhaps, milking each moment for all it's worth since there are fewer moments to fill. In fact, different formats might open up some interesting possibilities. With only 10 chapters, how do promoted units factor in? You might come up with an entirely new idea for class tiers, just because it fits the format. That doesn't mean it can't be an ambitious narrative, either, or in any other sense. It's just a project with a shorter length.

The biggest change in Elibian Nights is the simple formatting. It's not 13 maps continuously linked; every chapter is essentially its own narrative with its own distinct cast. The game is linked together by a simple "level select" portal and a few subtly intersecting storylines. Now, this type of format takes away some possibilities you have in a full-length game. An overarching narrative is difficult to pull off (I honestly didn't really try to make one), it takes away a few of Fire Emblem's most prominent gameplay features (army-building and permanent death), among other drawbacks. But it also allows for new creative inspiration. I could make a map where the player is destined to lose, make the death of the cast a requirement for the map to end. You can't do this in a standard contiguous Fire Emblem. Or, I could make a one-man vs. boss gauntlet chapter; the format opens up quite a few possibilities now that the maps and casts aren't intertwined.

That's just the point; exploring new formats doesn't have to limit your creativity either. In fact, you might find that a smaller-scale might bring out your creativity (it certainly did for me). Perhaps an episodic game? Maybe a shorter Fire Emblem designed in a "visual novel" style? The possibilities are quite vast, and I'd say that's an exciting thing.

When getting into the art of ROM hacking, it's natural to plan the 30-chapter hack; it's what most of us want to do, after all. A complete video game, made entirely by you. However, even with the engine crafted for us, the development of games is still something that entire studios are devoted to. It's a challenge to mobilize a handful of internet citizens and do the work of an entire studio. I don't say this to be a pessimist or to discourage, but simply to say that this is an undeniable problem. However, it is an unavoidable problem. There's a reason only Blazer has finished a full-length custom hack (he's a psychopath, of course). But not every hack has to be a Dream of Five, or a Tactics Universe. My point ultimately is, the smaller project is the more manageable one, and it's possible to do great things without a full-length hack. I'm surprised that we don't see more of this being done.

Anyways, those are my thoughts, do with them what you will. Now, what do y'all think? What sort of alternate formats can you devise? Do you think these sorts of formats have their merits? Would you consider trying one out? Get them brain juices flowin'!

Edited January 23, 2013 by Archiblad

[MarkyJoe1990]

Y'know, after reading this, it's occurred to me that despite claiming I wanted to be unambitious with my own hack, Fire Mumblem (The new one with Lucy as the main character), my vision quickly inflated way past what was manageable, and it really shoved me into a corner.

I had pretty much everything under control. The maps were on a steady rate of being completed, the portraits were getting done, and pretty much everything else was going fine... until the story came about.

Now, those of you who have played my hack, The Corruption of Roy, KNOW that my story telling skills are really terrible (Unless you're one of the people who DIDN'T notice the five hundred plot holes it has), which is ironic since my mother is a published writer with a book that got decent reviews.

But anyway, after reading this, and thinking about the whole "10 chapter" thing, it made me realize that I should probably stop trying to make my hack's story into something greater, with a deep plot and likable characters, and just focus on a VERY VERY basic plot, with funny scenes and likable characters. It sounds a lot more reasonable in my head. I still want the game to be at least 20 chapters, but I've been worrying way too about making a complex story when I don't have the talent and vision to make a complex and lengthy tale work.

Thanks, Archibald.

Edited January 23, 2013 by MarkyJoe1990

[Agro]

You only have to look at my signature to know that I have devious plans.

[flyingace24]

I'm not gonna lie; I pretty much skimmed through this post. However, I read and took enough that I can wholeheartedly agree with your statement. All of us hackers had that full scale dream when we started, and as you stated, rarely have those dreams come to fruition.

Just like you, I can point right at myself. In order to get something grand to be completed, a serious amount of planning needs to be done. I got through 16 chapters of the first version of Devourer of Worlds completed when I decided I didn't like how the story went. Then I started over... and then again... and then again until I am where I am now (which is no where lol).

As a teacher, I understand that it is difficult to go straight to the big things right off the bat. Rarely can we do something grand on the first try. One way I like to teach concepts is by chunking a problem into smaller pieces or steps. Instead of mastering the entire thing at once, break the whole into pieces and master each piece, and then put it all together later. This strategy may not really apply to hacking though, but I'm sure most can catch my drift.

I left the fandom pretty much three years ago. There were no complete full scale hacks. I come back, and it doesn't look like we have progressed much further unfortunately. I do believe, however, if this small scale approach was taken, then my statement would not hold true.

[GreatEclipse]

You only have to look at my signature to know that I have devious plans.

I was actually wondering about your project, Argo, since the December 2 deadline for the beta came and went, and I was really looking forward to it. The only reason I haven't asked you about it is because I'm an unbelievable perfectionist who has learned to avoid self-imposed deadlines completely or to place them so far off I never have to think about them, since the more "reasonable" ones I can never make, and I would hate to put any pressure on someone to put out something they thought wasn't ready.

Anyways, one thing everyone needs to ask themselves before starting is how much of their life they are willing and able to put into this. How many hours will you set aside everyday? How many years can you see yourself putting in that kind of daily commitment? Are there any skills, technical or art related, that you will need to learn first? No one becomes great at writing, or drawing, or programming (or even splicing and event hacking) overnight, and you will need to try and fail at these for a while before you can do them with any competency. Do you plan on using any of those skills in a future project or even career, or will you be done after this?

I hate constantly bringing my own hack into this, but it's what I know about best, and it's certainly one of those ultra-ambitious one man projects you're talking about. However, it's also my whole life from sun up to sun down, which is probably not the case for most people with similar plans. I've taken a break from collage to do all kinds of research into history and philosophy and mythology as part of the world building, and so even if the thing is never finished, I'll feel like a more knowledgeable person because I tied. Paradoxically, something less ambitious I would probably feel more inclined to abandon.

[Tamanoir]

You know... smaller Hacks can also be enjoyed by your players.

Yeah, large-scale Hacks are more shiny and will attract attention more easily, but we will have to wait longer to see it completed.

So, a well-done small-scale Hack is less frustrating than a unfinished Large-Scale one. For everyone.

And I aso really tink restrictions can improve your imagination.

But you're right to says that smaller hacks doesn't means lesser quality. That's always a good things to remember.

[Arch]

How many hours will you set aside everyday? How many years can you see yourself putting in that kind of daily commitment? Are there any skills, technical or art related, that you will need to learn first? No one becomes great at writing, or drawing, or programming (or even splicing and event hacking) overnight, and you will need to try and fail at these for a while before you can do them with any competency. Do you plan on using any of those skills in a future project or even career, or will you be done after this?

Some solid commentary here, Eclipse, about the commitment to ROM hacking. I personally am not a person planning on using the coding skills post-hacking, but it's amazing what sorts of skills you build with the hobby. I got a lot of practice spreadsheeting ideas and projects, good organization experience; I just got a first "job" in my field interning for a congressman, and man did all of those spreadsheets pay off. Congressman's putting together ideas on raising revenue, it's his first big thing, and in comes me ready to make the perfect spreadsheet (definitely scored some points with that play ). Dat sheet's getting turned into potential laws, man. It's kinda exciting for me, even if it is just a spreadsheet. Anyways, some interesting stuff to ponder, definitely (even if it is a bit of a side-track to what you're talking about).

Paradoxically, something less ambitious I would probably feel more inclined to abandon.

My only qualm here is this; just because something's shorter does not automatically make it less ambitious. I hate over-referencing my own work, but Elibian Nights is only 13 chapters, and yet manages to bring an entirely new format, an achievements system, and many more innovations to the table. It's not any less ambitious than a Dream of Five, simply ambitious in different ways. That's the main point of my writings, really. It's okay to dare to be different . Exploring different formats might just be a fruitful endeavor for the many creative minds that are struggling with these massive projects.

[Tangerine]

I agree with this, actually. A lot of hacks don't finish because people without the necessary experience, knowledge and personnel are more ambitious than they are capable. FE4A and a certain other hack might be the best arguments for why it could be best to start small and use the experience to work towards a larger project :P.

More importantly, and something that is rarely mentioned, you need connections to succeed on a quality level in FE romhacking. It's kind of a sad reality, but the majority of competent hackers and spriters in our community keep within their own circle of friends and are very exclusionary. Even then it's hard to really blame them; working on a project is time consuming, and if you are a competent hacker or spriter you're probably already working on a project, so you are unlikely to want to start contributing to another one. If you don't have the proper connections, creating a large project should probably not be your first option to begin with. It really does require a core group of people who know what they're doing and are willing to commit a chunk of their free time to accomplishing that goal.

I think this is a lesson that will continue to be self-realized for the majority though ;P.

My only qualm here is this; just because something's shorter does not automatically make it less ambitious. I hate over-referencing my own work, but Elibian Nights is only 13 chapters, and yet manages to bring an entirely new format, an achievements system, and many more innovations to the table. It's not any less ambitious than a Dream of Five, simply ambitious in different ways. That's the main point of my writings, really. It's okay to dare to be different . Exploring different formats might just be a fruitful endeavor for the many creative minds that are struggling with these massive projects.

^ I agree with this too. And congrats on your job :O.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Tangerine

[ThisProfileNoLongerUsed]

Well, I don't see the harm in that at all...In fact, I think if I start making smaller hacks, I'll get the gist of it eventually.

Also, flyingace24, I love your avatar.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Rokklaggio

[CT075]

you guys should be like me and work solely on the scale of "small minor edits that take a ton of work to make the game work exactly the same as before"

[Crimson Red]

Like the others, I agree. I have like, one big hack, and then like 5 other gimmicky hacks, but even then, that's not the full point of what you're saying/the full wisdom that can be gained from this. Small projects can, IMO, actually be a lot better in cases like hacks because the entire system isn't new; we've already seen the game be fleshed out through all the GBA games. We know what it has to offer. I'd much rather see something interesting and unique that constantly tries to get my attention instead of a typical Fire Emblem game where you introduce the mechanics and slowly increase the magnitude of the chapters (with # of enemies, size, difficulty, etc.). Like you said, one can create a relatively interesting, ambitious, and successful (since that matters for a lot of people) hack that limits itself to a certain length. And without having all the "filler" content in between that makes the game longer (because let's be honest, who here has the patience to make a game that's interesting and consists of like, 30 chapters that all play super differently and pique your interest?), you now have only awesome content, so the only problem is trying to transition well story/gameplay-wise (e.g. increase experience rates, include battles that don't need to be included/aren't essential to the plot via cutscenes, etc...).

[Shugey]

I can see what you mean. The problem seems to be is that Fire Emblem isn't designed to be a 7 chapter game, as things like permadeath, experience points, and breakable weapons all work better in a longer format. That being said, hacks like yours prove that you don't necessarily have to make those work the exact way it was intended in order to have a great hack.

[fuzz94]

I was sort of inspired today to write about this topic.

Coughcough, really now?

Perhaps an episodic game?

*glares*

This is something I've actually been pondering myself for a while. Working with a smaller scale hack is easier because most people get 5-10 chapters deep and then cancel the thing. I feel like making a smaller hack would then allow the creator to go back once finished and start adding secrets and such to make it a bit more impressive and tweak things until they're ready to move on to the next hack they make. I'm in the process of making one like this myself, but it won't see the light of day for awhile.

[47948201]

*coughmygameisnamedsmall*

But I definitely agree with the idea that games don't need to be long. Really guys, ambition kills projects! And length is definitely where most people get too ambitious--but it's not the only place. Like the OP says, depth can be ambitious, but that's not necessarily a good thing, since if people try to achieve too deep of an experience they either also run into the issue of their goals being out of their reach or making the mechanics too complex and unplayable. Rather than seeing what other directions a large amount of ambition can take, people should be encouraged to start unambitious and slowly work their way up to larger projects, incrementally. I think it would really help if we had a full "guide" that not only gave hackers the tools and techniques necessary to make games, but to keep them along a safe, reasonable yet fulfilling and useful path.

[Paperblade]

Some day I'm going to teach myself enough about hacking FE to make a single chapter game, where the entire goal is to survive as long as possible against a horde of ever stronger reinforcements.

[Anouleth]

*coughmygameisnamedsmall*

But I definitely agree with the idea that games don't need to be long. Really guys, ambition kills projects! And length is definitely where most people get too ambitious--but it's not the only place. Like the OP says, depth can be ambitious, but that's not necessarily a good thing, since if people try to achieve too deep of an experience they either also run into the issue of their goals being out of their reach or making the mechanics too complex and unplayable. Rather than seeing what other directions a large amount of ambition can take, people should be encouraged to start unambitious and slowly work their way up to larger projects, incrementally. I think it would really help if we had a full "guide" that not only gave hackers the tools and techniques necessary to make games, but to keep them along a safe, reasonable yet fulfilling and useful path.

Could there be maybe a... flowchart?

[CT075]

More importantly, and something that is rarely mentioned, you need connections to succeed on a quality level in FE romhacking. It's kind of a sad reality, but the majority of competent hackers and spriters in our community keep within their own circle of friends and are very exclusionary.

while on a basic level i agree with the sentiment i don't think the reality is quite as bleak as this

there are some things that you'll never be able to really get but if you're motivated enough to get really good at the other things you can make those connections yourself

for example, i'm a total nobody yet astra owes me enough that i basically never have to worry about sprites for any project of mine ever again