Creating a Video Game About indonesian Culture

Videogames are a big part of my life. They serve as time killers, as well as mediums to bond with friends and family. To me, videogames are as interesting to make, as they are to play. Finding out how a certain mechanism works, best strategies to overcome certain hurdles within videogames, and dissecting them to see how they really work. That being said, however, as far as I know, there are no notable games that have originated in Indonesia.
Because of this, I’ve decided to create a game, based off of Indonesian culture. I also wanted to reignite the passion I had for programming and creating video games again, as I used to take a programming lesson every week which focused on making games. The video game I wanted to create will be a turn-based role-playing game that centers around a series of Indonesian epics such as a band of brothers called the “Pandawa Lima”. My plan was to have them each reside in their respective “chambers,” or dungeons. With the defeat of every member, one party member would be added to aid the main character on their journey. These party members would have deeply rooted insecurities and problems which are similar to the struggles of the respective members of the Pandawa Lima. This would help modernize the story and act as a medium in order to make Indonesians and other people interested in our culture and its stories.

Global Context

The global context for my personal project is personal and cultural expression. This fits perfectly into the global context because I’m expressing my culture and my personal experiences through the form of a videogame, which expresses my country and my culture, along with my views of said country and culture, and my experiences with them, and culminating all this knowledge and experience into something tangible, in this case a video game. Another global context which could also be applied to my project is Scientific and technological advancements, as video games are also relatively new to Indonesia, and making one could also count as a scientific and technological advancement.

Product

My goal with my personal project was to create an RPG centered around Indonesian culture. I have achieved this by creating my video game with the popular game engine, RPG maker MV. Through this game engine, I have created a believable world by using the default tile sets provided to me which come with the game engine, and by designing and drawing characters by myself with a drawing tablet on my laptop, and by using the drawing software Medibang Paint Pro. My game has multiple segments, and even includes a dungeon segment, which has custom enemies based off of Indonesian culture which I also illustrated myself, an example of one enemy I made was the “Pocong,” which has custom skills I programmed myself, such as “slow,” which affects the player with slowness, making them less likely to strike first on the next turn. This was one of the many examples of the programming I did, with 0 knowledge on RPG Maker MV.

Reflection

Throughout this project, many roadblocks were encountered. From drawing the very first instances of my main character, to learning how to create maps, to witnessing the magic of seeing my creation move on a screen, and even trying to come up with a name for my product. no matter how small or insignificant it looked to an outsider looking in, nothing could replace the feeling of magic that overcame me when I first witnessed the very first pieces of my game grow and evolve into a complete product. I went from little to zero knowledge about the game engine RPGMaker MV and its functionality, along with how it works. Most of the time, I consulted YouTube tutorials, and the aforementioned RPGMaker MV forums. However, more often than not, I found myself relying on my already existing thinking skills and logic, everything was an exciting puzzle to me.
Everything from making my character move on screen for the first time to figuring out how to use advanced things such as event triggers and global variables, I’m proud to say I have come an extremely long way from knowing practically nothing about RPGMaker MV, to learning enough to create a game. And the matter of fact is, I loved every second of it. Every line of code written, every tile placed, every new map or ability I made, every new piece of dialogue, I knew, was one step closer towards the goal of becoming a complete product. Though it may be rough around the edges, I feel as if my game is a very good first shot at trying out RPGMaker MV, and as much as I hate to admit it, my final product also helped me get through quarantine. The feeling of my product being complete and ready to be played filled me with indescribable joy. I guess the saying “hard work pays off” really is true in this case, because there’s no better quote to describe the trials and tribulations I overcame and conquered to finally create my product.

IB Learner Reflection

IB Learner skills were essential in the creation of my personal project. Without these thinking skills and proper application of them, this project might have not even been possible. Many IB learner skills were used in the making of my product, however, one of the most essential ones was being a thinker. To be particular, utilizing my thinking skills to their maximum potential. Without this skill to help me solve problems and roadblocks such as the ones I encountered throughout the entirety of creating my game, I would get stuck and would be unable to progress, let alone finish my final product. Another skill I utilized was being a communicator. The forum post that I created, for example, was an evidence on how I utilized my communication skills to their fullest. I also reached out to many of my peers and sent them copies of my game to be downloaded for alpha testing. I also asked them to give their reviews and opinions regarding my game. Without communication skills, there would be no one to help me, and no one to show my game to.
Another IB Learner profile which applied to my project more than I would ever expect is courageous. Many risks were taken during the creation of this project, the biggest one is creating the game itself. As mentioned before, I had no skill and knowledge on the game engine I will be using, even with time constraints and other things to attend to. Although risk can bring loss, if you calculate the risk correctly and not give up, I believe no risk is too big to take. Had I not been courageous by taking risks with my personal project, I believe it would have taken on a more simple and mundane form, a personal project for the sake of having one, if you will. I also believe that goes against the very essence of personal projects, as it is supposed to express individuality, passion and meaning, and not another project you submit in order to not get a zero. As for the final IB Learner skill, I feel that knowledgeable is most fitting. Throughout the creation of my project, I was constantly gaining knowledge of both RPGMaker MV, and Indonesian mythology. Without knowledge, I would not be able to retain and process the information I gained as I am creating my game, along with things I learned to aid in the creation of my game.