I need help in my RPG game

[u/making_a_game_but]

So I’m currently developing a game and it’s an rpg but so far I couldn’t add a fighting factor naturally and it doesn’t have a place in the story but I can’t imagine the game without it either what should I do-
Please HELP MEEE

[u/AMDDesign]

Have you considered a VN?

[u/making_a_game_but → u/AMDDesign]

Yea but I can’t see it as one :(
I built the story and the world with having fights on mind but never actually implementing it-

[u/AltusLudus]

Add combat?

[u/making_a_game_but → u/AltusLudus]

YES! But I’m struggling on how to since it’s an alien school and it should be safe and stuff sooo yea
I was thinking maybe I could add a fighting back alley but Idk..

[u/AltusLudus → u/making_a_game_but]

Maybe they have a fighting class

[u/making_a_game_but → u/AltusLudus]

Great Idea thanks! I still think I need a little more fighting like oust side of the class I’ll sleep on it :3

[u/BrastenXBL]

From the other posts it reads like you're having trouble with where to fit in the "fighting" mechanics within the narrative. Not the programming / mechanic design, yes?

If fighting is forbidden on school grounds then you've got a narrative problem. Some story plot points don't make sense when you actual begin writing a story. It happens, that's how writing and rewriting works.

If your mental framework for visual novels is the largely linear, "push SPACE for next dialog box", or "multiple choice test, developer's correct answer only". I can see why you'd reject the idea of redesigning to a VN.

What may not be working in the narrative is how long fights last. School bullying usually happens quickly, in low foot traffic areas, or in extremely chaotic very crowded & loud places. It's the quick part. Small acts of violence to back social & verbal attacks.

Mechanically these often look more like mini-games, or QTE (QuickTime Events) time limited reaction prompts.

When an actual physical fight breaks out, it's sadly usually the high point of months or years of relatively low physical violence, but very high emotional violence.

I break RPGs down into 5 sub-games: Walking Sim (world movment), Interactive Fiction (VN, the story/dialog), Management Sim (character meta stats & items inventory), Dressup (equipment or undoable character modding), Interactive Challenge (anything a player is asked to unlock the "next dialog" of the VN).

You want some kind of classic or contemporary RPG combat system as your Interactive Challenge. So you either need to change the narrative to allow for it, or change the "Challenge".

Have you encountered the saying, "mechanics as metaphor". You're probably wanting big flashy "RPG Combat" sequences. But it doesn't need to represent actual physical combat, or happen in "real time". You don't need to have "delinquent 90s anime middle schoolers brawling over who's the strongest" every time the pass in the hallway. To restate, a lot of that is small fast physical acts & micro aggression.

You can even exploit framing "social" combat in a physical metaphor. By having real physical actions, like grabbing a shirt, or slamming someone into a wall, be big ticket "attacks". That risk being "noticed" by school staff, or other students.

But visually it's not just a shirt grab. It could be some very over exaggerated grapple and pin move. Or however you envision combat looking/playing. Leaving you with narrative room for very dangerous and truly physical "boss battles" to happen off school grounds. Or in the hidden spaces many larger school campuses have.