Hello all. 

I am back with more help, and tutorials. 

I have covered making a better Itch.io page in my last tutorial. 

https://galaxywave.itch.io/heavens-heroes-unite/devlog/242254/make-your-itch-pag...

This time I would like to give a guide on something very important for the game-making process. This is a major change I have built and added to my game over the last few weeks, something that you could use for your own game, and should if possible. It's a very simply designed system, but, it also does take a lot of work depending on your project size.

My game used to be the most confusing experience for players. I have been making my game now for 7 years on and off. I work full time and need to keep a roof over my head, so this was a project I did when I had the time. When you make a game in this way, it can be a juggle, so if you have that problem, check out this guide on what had helped in the past to keep things organized:

https://aw-rpg.blogspot.com/2021/03/make-it-happen-guides-tutorials-and.html

The most important part of any game is how a payer learns how to play it. They don't automatically know what you know, and so the help needs to be there as early as possible, otherwise, players will just leave your game, and possibly not want to play it ever again.

What can you do? How can it be fixed? Am I even able to make a system so easily? Well, yes you are. This system is self-made and works in a very subtle way.

The Arrow marker shows the player which way to go, this marker is a sprite, a graphic layer. There are many going along a path directing the player where to go to, and they activate only when the said quest is started, and disappear when your quest is finished. Amazing!

I call them "Stickers" Just dot them around points of interest on your maps, and give a little explanation, such as the (Trophy Sticker) Above*

Puzzle Blocks are a side activity. While traveling, you'll be able to have a go at moving the blocks to receiving a reward. Players would usually have no idea, and possibly have a go, but might now, this allows the player to know that there is something here to do. I made it a habit throughout the game to add these "Stickers" all around the world, something I haven't seen, but I did get inspiration from DmC, Devil May Cry (5).

An auto move system was then built into the story map here, and a Sticker lets the player know that something is nearby. Before I did this, the player had no idea where to go, thus my fault, and this would have been frustrating for the player. This is much better for the player to be able to move to the next objective.

I really would suggest giving this type of system a go, there's barely anything needed other than to deactivate the arrows when the quest is over, now this all depends on the software you use, but all in all, is a great system for a game that's quite open, and anywhere can lead to anywhere, meaning a player could get confused by so much freedom.

The best example would be Skyrim. If there was no waypoint, you would probably never know where to go, or who to go to when you did gain a quest, like many role-playing games. It took me a long time to realize I could do this, and I've probably lost many players too, so help your players understand your game.

I will be adding further tutorials, which I have been doing every 2 or so weeks, for the last few months! I want to help make the creator's experience better because making a game comes with many other efforts, and I had no experience at all when I started, and if you can get through it better than I did, then I would be so happy.

Please follow me, and gladly I'll follow back.