I like the basics

[flashbax]

I'm working on an insanely long project and using SOLELY the basic components that come with RPG Maker MV. That is the fun challenge; to show off what you can do with limited resources. In some circles this has been like a witch hunt for some reason.

I love that these programs allow us to make a wide gambit of game styles and have fun and have never understood why one method (say all custom programming) and another, say using a few basic plug ins, have been at odds with each other.

What about you guys? I have seen basic games that are fun to boring and the same for epic creations. I have seen overly styalized games that look amazing, but the story or the gameplay was terrible.

 

[Tai_MT]

There are two reasons for the "backlash" against the Base RTP that comes with any RPG Maker program.

1. There's an overwhelming amount of "shovelware" put onto Steam using only the basic RTP and about 20 minutes of programming. People (mostly children) do this to "make a quick buck" and it has hurt the reputation of the RTP in general. Basically, if people see it, they now assume you're there to "Make a quick buck" without any effort.

2. Many people assume if you all you used was the "stock assets" you didn't care enough about your game to get custom assets. "Oh, you don't have a custom menu, so you didn't care enough to make one yourself or invest some money into your finished product". Things of that nature. By and large, this has been true, as most anyone who wants their game to be more "theirs" at the very least invests in a Title Screen. Or, maybe even a few custom assets, because the default stuff is very... basic. Though, there is quite an air of "elitism" about getting 100% custom everything sometimes, even on these forums. I find it distasteful as "anyone can buy a good looking asset" while not everyone has the skills required to make the RTP look good and work well. But, that's really just going to come down to a matter of personal preference and personal opinions. A good game is a good game no matter what it looks like. Dwarf Fortress proves that.

 

[Frogboy]

I thought about trying something like this but I'm a coder and like to tinker so I likely never will. I have no issue with RTP. I typically use mostly stock graphics with small edits because I'm not much of an artist. My biggest issue I ran into when making a large game was the number of monsters to choose from. While there's a nice selection that comes with RPG Maker, it needs more.

 

[Miss Nile]

I thought about doing that too recently, and I might partially go with it. Most likely, my game's main characters are RTP heroes and cover art characters. And for most part, I'll be using RTP graphics with the addition of other public resources and - some - custom things that I might need. Thus the 'partially' in my first sentence.

I like the RTP, and I know that with good mapping and some light effects, you can actually create beautiful stuff. And I think you said it right: a game full of wonderful, custom graphics won't be a good game unless there is fun gameplay and an engaging story to keep me going. On the other side, a game that is a little poor on graphics side but is fun and has an interesting story will definitely do better.

 

[flashbax]

There are two reasons for the "backlash" against the Base RTP that comes with any RPG Maker program.

1. There's an overwhelming amount of "shovelware" put onto Steam using only the basic RTP and about 20 minutes of programming. People (mostly children) do this to "make a quick buck" and it has hurt the reputation of the RTP in general. Basically, if people see it, they now assume you're there to "Make a quick buck" without any effort.

2. Many people assume if you all you used was the "stock assets" you didn't care enough about your game to get custom assets. "Oh, you don't have a custom menu, so you didn't care enough to make one yourself or invest some money into your finished product". Things of that nature. By and large, this has been true, as most anyone who wants their game to be more "theirs" at the very least invests in a Title Screen. Or, maybe even a few custom assets, because the default stuff is very... basic. Though, there is quite an air of "elitism" about getting 100% custom everything sometimes, even on these forums. I find it distasteful as "anyone can buy a good looking asset" while not everyone has the skills required to make the RTP look good and work well. But, that's really just going to come down to a matter of personal preference and personal opinions. A good game is a good game no matter what it looks like. Dwarf Fortress proves that.

This honestly is the best response I've ever been given, thank you! I can see where some people would feel that for sure (re: #2)

 

[Tai_MT]

I thought about trying something like this but I'm a coder and like to tinker so I likely never will. I have no issue with RTP. I typically use mostly stock graphics with small edits because I'm not much of an artist. My biggest issue I ran into when making a large game was the number of monsters to choose from. While there's a nice selection that comes with RPG Maker, it needs more.

What I did, was I bought a couple other RPG Maker programs and imported some of their assets into MV, including the monsters. I also ended up taking a few from this website that were listed as "free" and as "close enough to the RTP to match the aesthetic".

I literally tripled how many monsters I had to work with, as even the "redesigns" of old monsters are different enough to be turned into new ones all on their own.

 

[Frozen_Phoenix]

You're just lazy btw.

What about you guys? I have seen basic games that are fun to boring and the same for epic creations. I have seen overly styalized games that look amazing, but the story or the gameplay was terrible.

This is so true. Most people that put a lot of effort in custom graphics and music forget that it is a game, disregarding the core aspects like gameplay.

 

[flashbax]

You're just lazy btw.

I'm not sure if your serious or not.

If this game was like 20 minutes long, I could see that, but with a world map of 256x256, over 400 base items (not counting any key or additional items), over 300 skills, and I only have the first 2 hours of gameplay done. This is a personal challenge to show what you can REALLY do with just the bare minimum. Trying to find a way to present limited resources in a game that will have upwards of 40 hours of gameplay (current goal). The storyline has been in the works for 5+ years. I have around 170-175 hours into only that so far.

I'm not a professional by any means, but I take pride in what I do.

 

[Frogboy]

While there's certainly nothing wrong with making a game with 100% stock functionality and assets, there are a lot of enhancements that can be made with minimal effort.

• Changing the font.
• Changing the window border.
• Adding basic action sequences in battle.
• Adding a custom title screen.
• Changing the default sound effects, title theme, battle theme etc.

All of these things can generally be done in a single day and they're very noticeable. If people notice that a developer didn't make these changes, it's understandable that they'll also assume that the dev didn't put as much effort in as they could have and may fear or assume that the lack of effort here might be indicative to the whole project.

Some people take this too far and will dismiss anything that uses stock assets of any kind. 50% of the people who look at your game will pass it right by if you're if you don't change the graphics even if every other aspect of you game is completely custom which is kind of a drag.

But by stating that your goal is to make a quality game with only stock assets, for some, myself included, will probably play it out of pure curiosity to see what you are able to do with only the editor and no plugins.

 

[HumanNinjaToo]

I don't mind seeing RTP in games. Usually, I'm going to check out a games screenshots before I ever even read the synopsis or anything else. RTP doesn't bother me, but if I see giant maps with nothing in them, then I'm turned off. I usually won't get any farther than checking the screenshots in that games thread.

Whatever way you are using your resources will show through, whether that be good or bad. I do think that if you're going to only use what comes with the kit (which I'm assuming means you won't be using any plugins or anything?) then I think it would behoove you to go the extra mile when advertising it. Instead of just screenshots, for example, you may want to upload some short videos or gifs that show off how creative you've been with the visual assets.

 

[kaukusaki]

I usually make games this way then replace assets if I'm going for a different look.
I focus on the mechanics first then the graphics music etc...
It's possible to make a great game with RTP if you think outside the box ^_^

 

[Wavelength]

Basically, where you find negativity towards the default resources, it's among players who are looking to play a great game, not among designers who are looking for "a challenge".

Characters, locations, etc. are going to be able to express a lot more personality if they're created uniquely for that game and for that character/location, rather than using a default sprite and a default map which may have been used for a hundred different characters before. If all else is equal, the game with quality custom resources is going to be a more enjoyable, possibly more meaningful game.

That is absolutely not to say that a game made with only default resources can't be great, though!!

 

[OmnislashXX]

I think that's kind of why professionally created games have teams of people working on them. Someone may be good at mapping/graphics, visual artistry, but suck at event coding. And vice versa. That's why I think It's quite fine to look up and install a few plug-ins, in areas that aren't necessarily your strong point.

Sorry, but even my "practice" game has a few uploaded files, mostly battler images. As much as I like MV, there sure isn't a lot of images and audio files to work with.

 

[FleshToDust]

The reason people don't like rtp is because they see it a lot. When you see something too much it'll start becoming a negative. The default font for example. It's hated not because of how it looks but because it's seen in a lot of games and wears people out.

If I ate pizza every day then eventually I'll get tired of it and won't want it anymore even if pizza is awesome. Games with realistic graphics were cool in the beginning because nobody's ever seen that before and it was graphically impressive but now everything is realistic and it's become boring and people go back to liking things less realistic like Overwatch.

Some people also hate rtp because it's rtp and they believe the developer could of done more to make their game different.

 

[JamesdomusGames]

If I ate pizza every day then eventually I'll get tired of it and won't want it anymore even if pizza is awesome.

You lie, sir!

Just making games wears me out a little on the stock graphics. However, that being said, I'm cheap, and I'm poor, so I'll use mostly stock graphics and a few things I can get truly for free. But to me, just my opinion, stock graphics shouldn't detract from awesome gameplay/story lines.

 

[FleshToDust]

Graphics alone doesn't make a game good or bad. It just effects exposure. If your game had really awesome mechanics then it would be awesome. Stock graphics might lead to a game blending in though and harder to find.