Is it considered a bad thing to use the default tilesets?

[SuhSpence]

I've been having difficulty making my own tileset, and the custom ones in the resource manager don't exactly fit what I'm going for. Is it a bad thing in the community to make a game using the default sets? They look nice, I'm just unsure of this.

 

[Sharm]

This has been discussed before and usually it devolves into a graphics vs content war of some sort.  (Moderator note: if it does this time I'm locking the thread.  Don't start.)  The general consensus is that it's fine to use the default graphics especially if you're new, but the more attention and more professional you want to appear the more original content you're going to need.

 

[bgillisp]

For tiles, if you don't use the defaults at all, I want to know what you will use. Sure, there are some resource packs, but they are (at the moment) not complete enough to make a full game world with entirely by themselves. You would have to go with all of the DS/DS+ packs (and even those I find lacking enough to make a dungeon with), or all Dungeon/Volcanos and all their add-ons (but I haven't found a matching city pack yet), or pixel myth, but that is lacking dungeons (that I know of). Maybe this will be resolved once the new Dungeon pack comes out?

So in short, unless you can draw them yourself or want to shell out $1000+ to get a full custom set, you are probably stuck with the RTP tiles to some degree. Maybe once all the updates for the tile sets are done?

 

[amerk]

As long as it's used well, always been my motto. That said, there are lots of free graphics program allowing you to edit and recolor the graphic resources, not to mention Indrah's tutorial on how to clump and recolor these.

As for music, well, it depends. If it fits the theme of your game well, go ahead, but plenty of artists have contributed lots of free material to use that more than makes up for the RTP.

That said, keep in mind there will be a fairly large faction of naysayers who will refuse to even open a game that uses default material, no matter how good the game looks. If you're trying to market to a wide audience, you may be hard-pressed getting enough attention for that reason; but in the RM communities, there's plenty of open-minded people who will still give it a chance, and even acknowledge areas where you've tried to go beyond the defaults, even if it's to change them up a bit in a graphics program.

 

[bgillisp]

Amerk posted my other thought on this. If you are going to use the RTP, find those tutorials, and add them into your game at some point. I waited until I had worked on my game for 6 months before doing this (as I wanted to learn the engine first, then deal with the graphics), but it does make a nice difference. GIMP can go far with clumping and recoloring.

Also, I did overlook one pack that would work if you wanted all non-RTP. High Fantasy. Though you might need all the packs to make a full game with that style, it is doable, and I've seen games that have done it.

 

[Frozen_Phoenix]

Not playing a RM game because it uses RTP is like not watching a movie because the actors have already worked on other movies.

If you want to use the RTP, use it. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[- Aërendyll -]

Personally, I'm not bothered by games that use the default tiles at all. I've seen some very good games made with them, actually. I do recommend that you play around with screen tinting and other ways to enhance the mood of your game, though, especially if you're going for a dark/horror feel.

The one thing I don't really like is when people mash together clashing tile styles to make their game with. I know not everyone is an artist and I do still play games that have this in it, but there will always be a part of my brain that just can't get over how bad it looks.

 

[Bribolox]

I don't think it's the tileset you use, but how you use it.  You can spend money on fancy tiles, but you can still make terrible maps.

I have to say though that I find these kinds of topics disheartening, like I feel like no one will be interesting in the project I'm hard at work doing.  I'll have mixed tilesets, because I don't have enough sci-fi things.  I'm planning to explain that most of the world is unaware of the "secret labs" and still live in a less technological states - but maybe that's not enough.

Wow. I was just going to comment, not pour my heart out!  Anyway, I guess I can only do the best with what I have.  And you should too!

 

[Kes]

@bribolox

Think about it - what you have just described (mixture of sci-fi and less technological) is precisely the world we live in, so if anyway complains, tell them to look out of the window or at the news on their tv screen.

 

[GethN7]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the RTP tileset. It has all the basic building blocks you'll need to make a game, and if you just want to produce a basic game, that's good enough. If you want to make a grander project, then I advise hunting down DLC packs and community resources, especially for tiles the default RTP does not provide.

In any event, you shouldn't feel any shame for sticking with the default RTP if you want to, and if you can make a game sticking to just that, then more power to you.

 

[Shaz]

So in short, unless you can draw them yourself or want to shell out $1000+ to get a full custom set, you are probably stuck with the RTP tiles to some degree.

More like $5000 for a full custom set (or at least a good one).


It's not just what you use, it's the way you use it.


A lot of people don't know how to use the tools in the editor to make maps properly (thinking of the shift technique and the shadows), so their maps look bad.


A lot of people don't know how to make their maps look interesting, even if they do use the tools properly - their interiors are way too big and full of nothing, their exteriors are bland and without variation.


These sort of maps give the RTP a bad name.


Find tutorials that show you how to use the editor properly. Find examples (and post in the Game & Map Screenshots thread to get feedback) to help improve your design and techniques. Learn to use tints, pictures, overlays (with or without scripts) to add another level of interest to your maps. Find tutorials that teach you how to make the most of tilesets (Indrah's tileset formatting thread comes to mind immediately - she teaches you how to modify your tileset to get away from the 32x32 block look). Learn to use visual and audio cues, make your dialogues interesting, make your characters animated (have them move around a bit in cutscenes, not just stand still), to draw the player's attention away from just the maps/tiles.


Lots of things you can do to make good and interesting games, despite using the RTP. RTP is not a bad thing. Sometimes what people do with it is bad

 

[Celianna]

It's perfectly fine to use the RTP - it's what it's there for. You can still make really awesome maps with just the RTP, although the editor itself is pretty limited when it comes to placing tiles.


However, if you want to go commercial, people expect you to not use stock art, but get a custom one, or at least customize it so that it looks more unique.

 

[Candacis]

I really love the rtp. I know that not everyone is a fan of it or some are fed up with it, but making edits from the rtp set is one of my favorite pasttimes and the more you work with it, the more the rtp shows its versatility. If you start trying to edit it yourself and stick with it, you can create a lot of things just with rtp and give your game more customized look.

I would say, just use the rtp and combine it with the free resources offered here (ReStaffs or the VX/Ace resource section in this forum) and in other rpg maker communities. It can really enhance the rtp.

As long as you like how your game looks, go for it.

 

[bgillisp]

@Shaz: That was a guess on the price honestly. I just knew it was at least $1000 from what I've read on here.

And Shaz brings up a lot of the points on the problems with the maps in general. I say in general, because these errors exist even on maps that don't use the RTP. Though I think we all make those mistakes as a newbie, I still remember thinking a 90 x 90 house interior was a *great* idea for my IGMC entry (those poor judges!).

 

[CzarSquid]

The only issue with using default anything is you may run into other games looking like your own. It's not bad but it's not unique either. Games do get judge by their screenshots.

 

[amerk]

The only issue with using default anything is you may run into other games looking like your own. It's not bad but it's not unique either. Games do get judge by their screenshots.

Which is definitely where some form of customization, even if it's just minor edits to the way the tiles look, can go a long way. Recolors, edits, clumping to create the illusion of a parallax map - can really help them to stand out.

I would say "straight out of the box" try to avoid other than as a means of learning. But you shouldn't have to go out of your way to customize them, either. Invest in a few packs from the store to work with the default sets, and then use a free painter program to make them work with your own game.

 

[mogwai]

I've just been working on my first RM game for practice and my original goal was just use all default graphics just to get a feel for events and scripting and pulling a story out of my head with workflow and continuity, but I'm already discovering I'm eventually going to have to add some graphics if I want to make the game I'm envisioning.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Not at all, man.  If the game's good, the game will be good.

If you have the best tilesets and the best graphics but the game itself is poopy, you'll still have a poopy game.

Work with what you've got and OWN it! Be proud of it! Plus, a number of us are here for you to help you any way we can.

 

[vlake0]

I've always heard that you should use placeholder graphics. You can always change things up later as you finalize your game. Personally, I want to try and use invisible tiles with my own custom painted backgrounds. I used RPG Maker 2k and 2k3 years and years ago when I was a kid (now in my late 20's) and I recall being able to easily do that, so I hope it's still possible with VX Ace. I'd still use some tile assets like trees, random objects and such. I've grown as an artist, but when it comes to anything crazy like programming, I can't do it at all which is why I still prefer to use this rather than a more advanced game engine.

But before i start painting my backgrounds, I'll be using the tilesets as a guide/rough draft. Even then, the tiles don't look bad. Like someone else mentioned earlier, you can use lighting changes and shading to set the mood. As a low level art student, i can tell you, lighting is everything whether it's art, video games, photography, home decoration, movies, etc etc. Lighting can make pretty people ugly and vis versa. So being able to manipulate it will make any decent tileset work for your game.

 

[Schlangan]

The basic RTP are here to let you have at least a basic for your game. I don't like the RTP from VX and VX Ace, but I find the ones of RMXP good enough. Then, I make slight modifications and keep things in the same style as much as possible. The most important thing is to keep the same logic throughout the game. Having drastic changes of styles is somehow annoying. As for the Audio RTP, it may be well enough too, even though it can become annoying at a given point (that's some feedback I got from my game), but you still have a basis to work with doing so.