Hi funhavers. I’m really stuck. I have massive ideas, but all I have ever done are “executed them in the form of repetitive short flash fictions”. I’d want to do GDD, but Idk how. Do I start with the whole plots from beginning to the end, or do I just ditch the GDD and just start, follow the flow and see where it’ll get me? Or perhaps, I do the mapping first, or the cutscenes and dialogues come first? I’m stuck, pls shed some help for me…
1 Like
Hey! You don’t lack ideas, you’re just looking for the “right” order. There isn’t one. The GDD is a compass, not a contract.
What I’d do:
-
One page, not fifty. Premise, core loop, 3 pillars, length, ending. Done.
-
Story in big beats. 10–15 moments, start to finish. No dialogue, just “this happens, then this.”
-
Build a vertical slice. One map, one NPC, one cutscene, one quest, one battle. Actually make it. Play it.
-
Rewrite the GDD. Now you know what actually works.
-
Expand chapter by chapter. Scene list, map list, build, test, repeat.
So don’t ditch the GDD, but don’t write a bible. Don’t write all the dialogue first. Write scene one, put it in the game, see if it lands. Map only what the slice needs, then grow.
You’re a flash fiction writer? Use that. Treat each cutscene like a flash fiction — but make it playable. Finish one small complete game. You’ll learn more from that than from any perfect plan.
What kind of RPG are you making?
2 Likes
Thank you very much for your very valuable insights, funhaver!^^
I’m trying to make a scifi fantasy adventure RPG where you build and expand your dojo and recruit members to your dojo, like in Suikoden series 
1 Like
↑
No problem! And honestly, sci-fi fantasy dojo + Suikoden-style recruitment is a great hook.
explore → meet someone → help them → they join → dojo grows → new stuff unlocks → explore again.
- One dojo room, one roster board, one empty slot.
- One recruit, one small map, one quest, one battle.
- One dojo upgrade when they join.
- End screen: “Recruited 1/3.”
Don’t make 108 recruits. Make 3.
Now the big one. DON’T overplan. This is the trap that kills most solo devs. they keep adding, adding, adding, and the game never ships.
Idea = set number of features. New idea? Categorize it: urgent, passable, cool, whatever.
Archive it. When do you add it? At the end. And what does “end” mean? It means: once you’ve built your original features and shipped a demo on itch.io. The demo doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just a test. While people play it, then you slowly add the new stuff.
So, pick your features, build them, ship the demo. Everything else waits.
1 Like
got it!
I havent done scenario writing just yet. But i have basically laid down foundation for class systems, elements, quest journal and lore archive 
1 Like
thank you for making this question because I am stuck like this too!
my only advice that worked for me is that you plan the beginning and the ending and everything else will make their way into your lore
HERE IS THE IMPORTANT ADVICE
don’t try to perfect everything at start just make it exist first ( simple design even it’s not colored) you can fix that later because if you did all that. you will get burned out
( my game for an example. I focused too much on designs that I ended up not fixing some maps)
1 Like
True, funhaver, I also been there, I attempted to go all out since the beginning which always ended up with me burning out! Ya, figures question like this should be examined for the sake of all of us game devvers. Thank you for sharing your experiences and precepts
The whole script with every dialogue, from start to finish, yes. And a vow to not edit out anything you’ve written after finishing. I’ve finished & released multiple games because of doing this; by letting the complete script be the blueprint to guide the rest of the game’s development.
Though, this is only if it’s an RPG, or a genre of game where story / characters / writing is the core focus.
If the music is the core focus, or the battle system is, or some other aspect or mechanic is- then you work on that first from A to Z, completely polishing it out. If it’s the battle system, you make that first, then you add the rest of elements like story and music and minigames to complete the package of a game.
The main point is: you have to sit and down and complete 1 whole aspect of your game, fully, tightly.
If you can’t do that, it’s likely you won’t be able to complete the game either.
Or perhaps, I do the mapping first,
If the core thing you want people to play your game for or take away from it, is the environment and atmosphere, then yes. You make all the maps first, instead.
For some 2D artists, their goal is to show off their artwork, so they draw all the characters first.
It all comes down to what the core of your game is, on what you should pick up first and complete fully. And completing it fully, makes it a blueprint which will guide the rest of your game development in all aspects.
Thanks for sharing, funhaver. I’ve actually finished designing most of the mechanic before you replied. I took advices from the others here, too not just you. The whole game should be the focus, and I’d say, do what I am best at first, let it sit together till I’m through, because that way I’d know where I am located at in game dev phases. Cheers
If you’d like, to help and motivate you, I can give you my plugin as a gift.
Take a look here:
https://r-px.itch.io/master-exploration-suite-rpg-maker-mzJump System + Dash System + Push & Pull System + Swim System + Minimap System
Also you can download:
Why? This is advanced timer manager. Like in Godot Engine.
https://r-px.itch.io/waitforgodot
1 Like