Tutorial: How to create an original game
By Jericho

Alright there kiddies, sit back, get a coke, wear your special
 underpants, and get on those reading glasses.
 Because ol Jericho is gonna try and learn you something today.
 How to create an original RPG.

**Themes**

Ok now, everyone knows RPGs have your traditional themes: Revenge,
 Love, Etc Etc Etc. And these are all well and good. Every good RPG
 should have some of these traditional themes, they're time tested
 and Jeri-Approved! But dont just stick them in the same tired old
 situations. A young man trying to find out where he comes from, a
 mystical force out to destroy the world, an evil empire on the verge
 of world dominition... These have all been done. Now im not saying
 you cant nor shouldnt use them, but lets not have 500 re-hashes of
 Final Fantasy 3/6. Try and think of something youve always wanted
 to see be a part of a theme to a game, or a story, and use that in
 the game. Everyone has said "Oh, thats stupid, they shouldve done
 it like this", or "I saw that coming a mile away." Well, a little
 predictability is good, but ill get to that in a bit. Guess what?
 Now your the "They" you always complain about. Your making the
 game, so put in all those little changes and ideas you want to
 your storyline. And im not just saying this becuase the voices in
 my head are controlling me.

**Characters**

Ah, the Character. What RPG would be complete without them. Like
 Themes, there are time tested "Standard" Rpg characters that i
 bet everyone, myself included, will have in their games, such as:
The Hero: Strong, bold, able to lead. The one others look to,
 Brings the game togethor.
The Wise Man: Hes the sage like character, not neceserilly a
 playable one, but a main character nonetheless. Gives out that
 bit of mystical advice that helps in a pinch
The Fighter: Braggert, Big and muscly, usually not too bright.
The Magic User: Not all games have magic, but most have the one
 or two guys most intune with some kind of power. Usually smart,
 but not too strong.
The Thief: A sneak, backstabber and mysterious.

Now, those are a few standard character, and my game has all
 of them. But it also has a lot of new character types that
 you wouldnt find very ordinary. Try and incorperate some
 unexpected kinds of characters to keep things fresh. I wont
 go into any specific types, becuase i think anyone with enough
 creativity to make a game, should have enough to make up some
 interesting characters. Good luck there, kiddies.


**Humour**

Now, its my opinion that no matter what, a game cant be 100%
 serious. there has to be humour, even if its used sparingly.
 It keeps things from becoming tedious. The last thing you
 want is for someone to be playing a game you put a lot of
 work into, and say that its boring and give up. Storyline
 is what you should use to bring them in, and humour should
 be an added bonus for playing. Even if your not a funny
 person, you can use humour from where ever you want. People
 may say "Oh, yea, i saw that on... etc etc etc" and laugh
 becuase of where the joke is from. Just a friendly Tip.

**Predictability**

Now, im not gonna sit here and bash predictability. Becuase
 certain parts of the game should be predictable ( even
 tieing in with the humour aspect ). If you make them
 think one way, theyll be shocked when you switch directions
 on them. A little predictability in some parts can throw
 them off course to other parts, making them think one way,
 while you change directions. The old Switcheroo.

**Storyline**

Not the same as Theme. A great storyline is flat out required.
 No two ways about it. This is how your theme and message is
 conveyed. Think of yourself as the theme, and the storyline
 is your car. Now, you may look great, but when you show up
 in that 76 pinto hatchback, your not getting any fans. You
 want to show up in that speedy new corvette with all the
 options. Just like you want your game to have a great storyline
 with lots of features, not some crummy old throwback.
 Interesting enemies, NPCS , places, all these add to your game:
	Enemies: These represent the big bad force of evil.
 They shouldnt just be the same old "We will crush you
 becuase your good" Attitude, make them banter back and
 forth with your heros, give the bad guys a personality,
 not just three words and a battle.

	NPCS: Almost as important as the Heros! These are
 the townsfolk, people you meet, who help or hinder your
 progress, or just sit back and chill while you fight.
 Dont make them say the same tired old stuff, or just do
 nothing. Make some of them actually further your plot,
 and im not talking about the mayor or king type NPC,
 im talking Sally, the girl walking down the street
 looking for her dog who got lost in the woods. She counts.
 Dont let poor Sally down, she loves that dog. She needs a
 big strong Hero to help her! Wont you help her? Make your
 NPCs create side quests, that dont neceserilly add to the
 storyline, but add a nice little break in the game for a
 special item to be gained, or a nice little cash bonus.

	Places: Towns, Cities, Castles, Fortresses,
 Caverns, Strip Malls...Well, maybe not strip malls.
 These arent there to just house people, the places
 are important too. A quiet town shouldnt be in the middle
 of the war torn battle front, just like the town full of
 miners has no place on an ocean. This seems like REAL basic
 knowledge, but im just covering all the bases here. Make
 mazes and puzzles get progressivly harder. To make sure
 they dont get too hard too quick, perhaps you can build
 off the one before it, so that you have a template to
 work off of. Also, dont use places like Gardens, or Figaro
 Castle, things like those in my opinion are REALLY played
 out, but then again, its your game use your best judgement
 on things like that. 

Dont worry, Jericho trusts you

Well kiddies, it sure has been fun. I hope weve all learned
 something from this little collection of words. And if you
 havent, then i guess your time was wasted. Suckers! Now go
 forth and create games!