The more I know about game programming...the more I realize how little I know and...how naive I was (maybe how naive I am) when used I dream about "making an RPG". Little by little I realize the "real" size of such project...and that is exactly one of the objectives of this rpg system iterations.

When I started with the first iteration I was quickly overwhelmed with the massive amount of decisions that I had to make just to start the game. Truth being told the "past first iteration" had a scope maybe bigger than the current third one (yep...there is a third iteration and..I'm already planning it), I quickly realized my mistake and removed from the game almost everything leaving...well not a game...but just a RPG engine X_X and a really simple engine by the way...

This second iteration, again is just an engine rather than a game. It is almost the same as the first iteration...except that the first one had a engine that I totally made up on the spot and was text based. Now I'm making the system 2D and the core RPG engine is based on a well known RPG.

Why final fantasy one? Well I think that FFI has the ideal system size for the second iteration (not too big...not too small) and the system is really well documented.

So...let's talk about the system ;)

I started the analysis of the system by reading about the mechanics of Final Fantasy I. I wasn't looking for the general information about the game. I then made some documents to improve my understanding of the system and to use them as base of the design phase. You can see some of the documents that I made/downloaded here:

Now that I'm starting with the design phase and I'm surprised of the amount of information necessary to make a system based on Final Fantasy I. I can't avoid the feeling that although this iteration is way bigger than the first one I'm still doing something really small. I mean, right now I'm just copying FFI without really designing the game on my own. That's not entirely bad given that programming is the focus on this early iterations but in the third one...it will be different. The main question on my mind is if I'll be able to finish this iteration by the end of the year o.o. And THAT is why I'm calling myself naive...I was really underestimating the complexity of making an RPG.

Just to close the post with the right attitude...I'm in no way at all discouraged by my discoveries...now I just respect even more every "game designer" of the world ;)