Tips on Dealing with Steam

[kerbonklin]

Not to be rude, but of the current negative comments left there on the game's steam page that I managed to read just now, could they possibly be true?

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This is why imo any RM game that goes on steam should be made with completely original assets and tilesets. If anything ever goes commercial, you should compare your game's quality to that of any other recent-game-that-just-came-out's quality. (of course not specifics and stuff)

Does your game offer re-bindable keys?

Various resolution options? (640x480 and lower, or that other script thing, and fullscreen)

Adjustable audio settings?

Does your game's mechanics have anything fresh to put on the table that makes it stand out? (and no, not just shoving various pre-made scripts for various features that were probably made from other games in the first place)

Does your game have a nice visual theme that makes it look unique? Window skins? Colors? Mapping style? (and not just shoving Mack tiles.

Also look at current-generation RPG games and see the special things that they have that make it unique. The road to Uniqueness is the best way to avoid such negative comments, even if it's on Steam.

Of course I don't know if your game provides any "unique" features that makes it different from other RM games, but by the looks of screenshots alone..... that's a no.

Also, first impressions are everything.

Edit: One of your negative comments says that AVG detects a virus with your game. You may want to look into that and figure out a way to prevent it.

 

[Shion Kreth]

In my opinion it's simply one of the unavoidable things with steam or any other higher end digital distribution service with discerning customers; the rpgmaker engine is somewhat retro but even worse is that people have the preconceived notion that we're all just plugging in a cookie-cutter formula without any programming or effort and there's nothing cool or unique about our games. Just try not to let it get to you and if your game is a quality title the people who love it will squelch the haters who've played less than one hour; you just need to get that momentum.

I have to largely completely disagree with kerbonklin's comments, though it is true you will be discriminated for things on his check list, really quality works that've sold really well like eternal eden would fall short in almost every area and it did not hold it back(and is one of my personal favorite rpg's period).

 

[Dark Gaia]

Not to be rude, but of the current negative comments left there on the game's steam page that I managed to read just now, could they possibly be true?

-------------------------------------------------------

This is why imo any RM game that goes on steam should be made with completely original assets and tilesets. If anything ever goes commercial, you should compare your game's quality to that of any other recent-game-that-just-came-out's quality. (of course not specifics and stuff)

 I shall try to address these. I feel that Legionwood 2 is NOT a generic RPG Maker game. I worked on it for three years; before that, I worked on a number of previous games and many of these have since become quite renowned in the community, especially my One Night series. I wouldn't have released the game on Steam if I didn't feel it could distinguish itself. I've been an RPG Maker developer for over six years -- I know better than to demand money for something that isn't worth anything.

The original Legionwood is even included in the official Free Game Bundle on this very website, hand picked by Degica.

Does your game offer re-bindable keys?

Various resolution options? (640x480 and lower, or that other script thing, and fullscreen)

Adjustable audio settings?

In all fairness, there are no RPG Maker games that offer these features. It's a limitation of the engine itself. That said, Legionwood 2 does allow the user to select a screen mode on the title screen of the game.

Does your game's mechanics have anything fresh to put on the table that makes it stand out?

There are very few default RPG Maker mechanics that remain in the game. Most of them have been replaced. The character progression/class system, battle system, morality system, non-linear story progression, battle mechanics etc. are unique among current commercial RPG Maker games. While I've used many Yanfly scripts, I've also tweaked them with my own coding to suit the game. For example, the Conditional Turn Battle system is largely something I coded myself, as the original Yami script that is in the public domain has several glaring bugs.

Does your game have a nice visual theme that makes it look unique? Window skins? Colors? Mapping style?

Yes, the game uses RTP. This is a conscious design decision, because RTP is what I am comfortable with, and I can create some great looking maps with it. However, I didn't use the RTP right out of the box. If you compare the graphics in Legionwood 2 to the standard RTP, you'll see that everything is subtly different. It has all been tweaked to blend in with the cartoony, colourful style of the game. The window skin is selected to mesh with this style, as well. I'm not a noob at this by any means. I have learned a thing or two about aesthetics by now.

Edit: One of your negative comments says that AVG detects a virus with your game. You may want to look into that and figure out a way to prevent it.

That's kind of out of my control. The game has been tested and verified as virus-free, but AVG in particular has been known to trigger a lot of false positives with RPG Maker games. It's an over-eager anti-virus software in general. The only way to fix this issue is if AVG themselves adjust their virus definitions to not include the RGSS dll files.

I would like to point out that the comments on Steam don't bother me. I relish comments that offer genuine feedback, as I usually do go about fixing things or adding new content to my games at a later point, and this feedback is invaluable. I'm a professional writer; I've had over 50+ rejection letters from publishers, so I'm more than used to this kind of thing. My only problem was that the comments would potentially "scare" people away. Strangely, this doesn't seem to be happening. People are still buying the game and enjoying it.

Based on everybody's feedback, I've decided to leave the comments as they are, as I would rather not generate a backlash from "censoring" them. That said, I will be adopting a policy in the forums to prevent trolling. Offensive comments, death threats, racial slurs and the like will be deleted. I will also delete negative comments that use the game's engine as a main focal point. I have already deleted one comment from someone who admitted he hadn't played the game but still thought it was crap just because ANY RPG Maker game is crap. Such comments would be deleted in any forum, I think. It's spam.

 

[Solo]

I have to largely completely disagree with kerbonklin's comments, though it is true you will be discriminated for things on his check list, really quality works that've sold really well like eternal eden would fall short in almost every area and it did not hold it back(and is one of my personal favorite rpg's period).

And I would have to agree with you. I don't think any developer should feel obligated to shoehorn any certain features into their games. Their vision alone should stand. If someone doesn't like it, then it's simply not for them. You can't please everybody, and you shouldn't have to.


As well, "uniqueness" is wholly subjective, and possibly overrated. Even if you cover familiar territory, and you do it well, putting as much of your own individuality into it as you can, you should be proud of what you've accomplished, regardless of whether or not it can be considered "unique".

 

[DavidGil]

There's this too: Nothing's really unique these days, no matter how much we strive for it.

 

[Solo]

There's this too: Nothing's really unique these days, no matter how much we strive for it.

Like I said, as long as we put our own individuality, our whole heart and soul into whatever it is we're creating, we should be happy with it.

 

[Dark Gaia]

All that said, I do believe some of the Steam users who complain about things such as resolution and keybindings have a point. As a PC gamer, I don't think I've ever encountered a "serious" commercial game that didn't allow me to select a different resolution or control scheme. Just the fact that you need to use scripting to implement mouse control is a bit silly. I originally released Legionwood 2 without mouse control, but I implemented it just for the Steam release. This isn't 1998

While the Steam users don't realise just how versatile an engine RPG Maker is, I think implementing such standard features would go a long way in curbing the "RPG Maker = crap" reputation.

 

[Solo]

While the Steam users don't realise just how versatile an engine RPG Maker is, I think implementing such standard features would go a long way in curbing the "RPG Maker = crap" reputation.

In all honesty, some people just thrive on pure hate for its own sake, and nothing will ever satisfy them. It's what drives them to live in some sick, twisted way, and there's nothing that can be done about it.


They would have it so that you hate your own work and are never satisfied with it (just as they're lacking fulfillment and satisfaction in their own lives). Don't fall into that trap.

 

[DavidGil]

Like I said, as long as we put our own individuality, our whole heart and soul into whatever it is we're creating, we should be happy with it.

Definitely. For instance, I'm going to speak as a writer here, you might not have an original story but it's how you tell it that matters. Applies to gaming too. It's how everything fits together.

And to be honest, even though we're trying to sell a product and earn money, I know that my feelings are that, as long as I'm happy with the product I've turned out, then I'm not too bothered about what others think. Granted, if turns out that the product isn't so good afterall, meaning the criticism is valid, then I'd be a bit miffed with myself then and strive to change it. But a lot of the criticism is just subjective, so it's just a case of weeding out what you should listen to and what you shouldn't.

It might not be too feasible when running a business, but as long as it's just me on my own, that's how I view things anyway.

In all honesty, some people just thrive on pure hate for its own sake, and nothing will ever satisfy them. It's what drives them to live in some sick, twisted way, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

They would have it so that you hate your own work and are never satisfied with it (just as they're lacking fulfillment and satisfaction in their own lives). Don't fall into that trap.

Also true for sure. I've been complaining about the web for years. No matter where you look, it's full of people complaining, often for non-sensical reasons. Not sure if you visit the Telltale forums, but they're petitioning for longer episodes like length dictates quality. All stupid really in my view.

@DarkGaia

That'd be useful I think. Particularly for people who aren't scripters like me.

 

[Mouser]

This isn't anything new. This is the reason why, until fairly recently, you couldn't even have a conversation about licensing the Unreal Tournament engine until you had a _solid_ commercially released title under your belt. They didn't want any crap associated with their engine.

RPG Maker is a very simple game maker / toolkit with a very easy learning curve and a lot of built in limitations. It's a very not hard to make a game using it. It's very difficult to make a good game using it. It's incredibly easy to make a bad game with it.

The only thing that will 'turn the tide' of hate toward RPG Maker games is a string of solid releases of great titles. But that's not going to happen. There simply aren't enough serious developers for one thing, and the few that are can't release nearly enough games compared to the flood of crap that's being produced. The entry fee to Greenlight may have helped a little (what was Valve thinking now having that from the start?), but it's still peanuts.

About the only thing I can think of that would help at this point would be for Enterbrain to make a new version, with the features all  of us have been saying should have been there to begin with, and publish it at a reasonable price point: $500+ if they stick with the "no royalties" model. Less if they require a % of all gross revenue.

 

[Zeriab]

It appears that your account is not a developer account. At least as shown on the forum. Do you have access to one?
As a developer you become highlighted like this: http://steamcommunity.com/app/277470/discussions/0/558750624760288809/#c558750624783766847
All around the places there are plenty of links to helpful moderation guides.You can pretty much do the same as the normal moderators, lock, move, etc. You can also review reported posts.
Users can report messages just fine, and I personally let the community moderators handle edge cases. My reasoning is that they are better at maintaining a specific level across several games. And frankly, they are better at moderating than I am :>

Personally, I believe the player posting on the forum should feel free to post as much garbage about the game as the want, and also any parts they may like. That is for the game. For harassing other users or threating, no. That is ripe for moderation. Spam is also something that can be removed. There is a chance that bad topics generate good discussions. I have seen a couple of topics I did not delete for that specific reason. Interestingly enough all posts and topics I considered deleting was reported by at least one user.

Yes, it is a balancing act.

For reviews, you can add normal replies or a special Developer reply like this: http://steamcommunity.com//profiles/76561198042675673/recommended/278530/
Typically, I find that reviews actually on the subject manages themselves best when developers leave them alone for players to discuss. As a developer your control over reviews are less than on the forums. You can never downright delete reviews, or at least should not be able to. Rather mark them to be less visible until a moderator looks. Apart from technical issues and reviews containing false factual statements I cannot imagine when you would create a developer response. At least only those two cases are where I plan to use them.

RPG Maker focusing reviews typically gets so many down-votes that they sink below visibility within a week or two, so I wouldn't worry about those.

Either way I wish you the best of luck ^_^

*hugs*

 - Zeriab

 

[Creative Ed]

I'll throw the bomb but don't take it personally. I understand all the hating about RPG Maker in Steam to a certain point. Steam used to be a place where great quality games used to be. But now it's just full of everything. The thing is, there are a LOT of RPG Maker games that are commercial and don't go even close to what can be considered a comercial game.

First of all - The Art. Graphics and music should translate the feeling and the soul of games, they will be the picture people will remember or nostalgia they will get when they think about your game. But with RPG Maker this gets completly thrown of. It's like there isn't Legionwood or Aveyond or whatever, there only is RPG Maker, and those games are just variations of this foundation: Much like Final fantasy per say, you have lots of them with many diferent stories, but in the end they're all Final Fantasy (don't be mistaken, I like the games).

The thing is, there's just not enough uniqueness in RPG Maker games. Put your self in this position: You go to a store (a real one) and there is a section where you can see written: "RPG Maker Games", you go to that section and you suddnly see a lot of game boxes. They all have diferent titles, but they all look the very same. How do you know what to choose, and if you don't like one or two, what applies to the rest?

Sure you can say story and gameplay it's what's really important about the game, and you're right, it is! But the rest is too, equally everything is important. You can't play a game without "gameplay" but you can't play a game without "graphics" either, since they're what enable you to see what you're doing. So you should merge the two things together and make the graphics be a reflection of the story and gamplay, and you can't do that with graphics that weren't made on purpose to your game, because they end up being just empty.

To add to this RPG Maker offers a big issue to the table: it's too easy to use. It's true, any moron can pick it up and do whatever he wants, it's just that easy which sadly ends up staining the engine's name, because there's so much junk, so much games that people make just to make "some quick change" and end up filling the market with soulless "games".

Now, do not be confused, I love RPG Maker and I kind of like RPG Maker's original graphics, and that doesn't mind me at all in free games. But when you go commercial you just have to go that extra mile you wouldn't if it were free. Make your game completely original, not just a part of it.

Please note that I'm not addressing your game specifically, not at all. I actually played the first Legionwood and enjoyed it. But I'd just like to appeal to all RPG Maker users, stop using the engine's original graphics and music when you go commercial. Commercial games should be much more personal and should have much more work invested in them, in every way.

Although I said all this, I'd like to let you know that I'm actually working on a game that's being made on RPG Maker and is going to be commercial, but I'm actually making everything that's going to be in the game, being graphics, music, etc (well, not scripts because I can't script), and it is hard to do all that, but it's a game and a story that really has a part of me put in it, hence why I'm really putting effort into it.

On a final note, Steam users can be really childish and ignorant, so don't give to much thought to haters. Just keep in mind that you are the moderator of your game's forums and if people go there just to trash then you should lock the topics and make it clear that that is a place for buyers to discuss the game and give their opinion about the game. But that crosses the line when they go there just to fulfill their ego and trash your comunity.

I wish you good, and I hope no one got offended by this post, if so I apologize.

Cheers!

 

[DavidGil]

I agree with what you said, BustedEd. In an ideal world, that's how it should be.

The problem is finances for many people, I imagine, and individual talents. I can't draw, but I can write. I'm also penniless. Sometimes, in order to raise the money you might need to have custom graphics etc., you need to use the default stuff until you can get enough funds to make a good, second game. It's problematic to say the least.

I also think that people should get some money for their work if they've spent a long time making something and it is something that is deserving of said money.

But this said, I do own the High Fantasy packs, so instead of using the default stuff, I'm thinking I should go with that despite one or two misgivings.

Any case, I know you're not saying people shouldn't be rewarded for their hard work. And it's not aimed at you anyway. Just wanted to point out that it's not as simple as that, unfortunately. Individual talent and finances, as well as friends I guess, determines what you can do.

That said, I think that if you're using the default stuff for your first game, maybe going commercial elsewhere rather than on Steam is ideal until you can get the funds for the second game. That's what I'm thinking of doing. That way, I can use the default graphics too or not have to worry about it so much.

As an aside, only played the first bit of the Last Dream demo, but hasn't that used quite a few of the default resources? Was kickstarted too. Doesn't seem to have been slammed too much from what I've seen, unless it's just died down now with the game being released for a while.

Edit: Just edited to clarify my 'money' statement. I don't think anyone deserves to be paid for their work unless it is really deserving of it.

 

[Sharm]

DavidGil, you've pointed out a big problem with a lot of independent commercial games. Making a game commercial because you can't afford something is backwards, it means you'll be making an amateur game and expecting people to pay you for something that is below the quality level that should be expected of a commercial game simply because "you need the money". It's the very definition of a game made to make a quick buck. You may have every intention of doing something better once you have the money but no one should pay for a substandard game in the hopes that your next one will be better.


It's frustrating that you can't do all aspects of game making and it's a bit of a catch 22, but that doesn't make it anyone else's problem to solve. There are other ways to solve it than making something just to get someone else to pay for your dream game. Things like trading skills with other developers, teaming up, and running a kickstarter or something like it.


Now, before people get all up in arms about this, I'm not saying that you have to have custom graphics to make a game commercial. I'm just saying that BustedEd has an excellent point and what the graphics say about your game, you as a developer, and the effort you put into game making is very important and should probably get a little more consideration than usually gets.

 

[DavidGil]

It's not really a case of 'needing the money', though yes, it is definitely a factor. It's more a case of spending hours designing something, pouring your soul into it and then giving it away for free, even if it's not as good as you could make it if you had the money. I'm just saying that if you've made a quality game (at least as good as you can get it and it's not poor), considering how long it takes to create anything worthwhile, then I don't think it's out of line to charge a slight fee if you want to do so. And I do mean slight. But like many things, people don't really consider that. The idea is, and I'm not talking about people here, that RPG Maker games should be given away for free despite the hours invested, as the common thought is that a game can be made in five minutes or that RPG Maker games aren't 'real games'. This is part of the problem when it comes to people complaining on Steam.

I know that I myself would do my best to get a project as good as I can get it and if it's not ready, I wouldn't publish. I have rather high standards. Probably explains why I rarely finish anything. But it's just that I also know my limitations, unfortunately. I guess what I should do is stick to writing a text based interactive story, but . . . yeah, I've kind of bought the software, dlc and don't want the money wasted. Maybe I could do that though and if it takes off, invest the money into a RPG Maker game.

In any case, I agree with your general sentiment. I agreed with Ed too. I just wanted to point out that it's not always possible to get things as perfect as we'd like.

If anyone would love to team up with me too, and I'm sure others are the same, I'd be all for it. But I highly doubt that's going to happen. Not sure what I can offer people in return and I'm not exactly a social person. Plus I'm not exactly reliable with projects, though that would probably different if I was working with others. I'm also a stranger. So . . . *shrugs*

Edit: To give you an idea, I'm the guy who writes for a year or so and only publishes two short stories, because they're the only worthwhile things I have. One of them was actually started two years prior to finishing it. So yeah, I'd never dream of advocating publishing any old rubbish.

One thing I'm not sure of though, and I do apologise if this last part seems antagonistic, is how spending hundreds (maybe even thousands) of hours on something could be deemed as looking to make a quick buck. Assuming that is what you meant, unless you only referred to people spending 5 minutes designing something and then trying to sell it, in which case I'm not sure why you would think I meant that. If you were talking generally, I apologise.

I guess, now that I look at the previous post though, it was my use of 'good, second game' that gave that impression, if it indeed did. I didn't mean to imply people should put out a hastily made game anyway. I simply meant that with finances, people could go the extra mile and implement custom graphics etc. Elements that were lacking in the first one, but couldn't be implemented due to a lack of resources.

 

[amerk]

Wow... thanks for the warning about Steam.

If I were you, I WOULD delete the ignorant comments that bash the game only because it's made in RPG Maker. That's not fair to your game at all. You can't let ignorance just run amuck like that.

Doing so has a tendency to backfire, but so does leaving them in.

Deleting comments gets noticed fairly quick, especially if it happens enough, and then makes its way into the forums in a whole new negative light. Even if the deletion is warranted, the perception is there that the developer is hiding something, and this tends to create a new air of animosity.

However, leaving them in seems to invite trolls who want to echo other ignorant comments, and seeing all the negativity can sway people to vote certain ways.

However, a few RM titles have made it through in recent months, negative ignorant comments and all, so in the end it's probably best to leave the comments in. Rather than delete the comment, you may want to ask why the commenter feels that way; it shows that you are listening to the audience and want to address any concerns they may have.

 

[Dark Gaia]

The problem is finances for many people, I imagine, and individual talents. I can't draw, but I can write. I'm also penniless. Sometimes, in order to raise the money you might need to have custom graphics etc., you need to use the default stuff until you can get enough funds to make a good, second game. It's problematic to say the least.

I think this is exactly it. I would love to make a game with completely custom graphics that doesn't look anything like an RPG Maker game. The next game I project I'm working on will be exactly that. The profits I've made from Legionwood 2, which cost relatively little for me to make, are enough that I can purchase the rights to graphics that other RPG Maker games haven't used yet. I've now bought the Mythos Horror Pack and have enough money to commission my own additions to it, for example.

That said, I don't think the fact that Legionwood 2 used RTP makes it an "ameteur" or "substandard" game. It still had all the effort and attention to detail put into it that would have gone into a completely custom title. I didn't just throw together a game to make a quick buck; I made as best a game I could with the resources at my disposal, and why shouldn't I be paid for that? The game mechanics are custom, the game's soundtrack is completely custom, the story is non-linear and has six multiple endings, the character progression and battle systems are unique among commercial RPG Maker games. The mapping is detailed and clear effort has gone into the aesthetics of the game. Even though it uses the RTP, it is still very much a game that has been made in a professional way.

I have six years of experience making free games to build upon. I used everything I've learned about what makes a "good" game and applied it to my first commercial title. Care and thought went in to every element of the game. To say that it is somehow substandard just because I wasn't in a financial position to commission my own graphics is insulting. Take a look at some Unity games out there -- the same phenomenon occurs in that community, with many games sharing standard assets that come with the engine. Despite that, some of them have been successful, far more than any RPG Maker game.

In spite of the use of the RTP, the game has still done very well, even better than what I originally expected. I've made more than enough money to have a "proper go" next time. My next game will be entirely unique, and it will stand out on a portal like Steam. That said, there are still people who will play it, notice that it is RPG Maker due to the screen resolution and controls, and this will still provoke an endless stream of trolls. No matter what you do, you can't win. If you use the RTP, they complain about how it looks "RPG Maker". If you make a unique, custom looking game, they just end up complaining about some other limitation of the engine.

To them, it's less about the game and more about the engine. There are people over there knocking To The Moon just because it is an RPG Maker game. They think that this engine is not capable of creating "real" games. You can change the graphics that it uses, but it's still just some app where you put in a few formulas and BAM, a fully complete game comes out without any effort involved. One of the comments on my game said my game wasn't worth anything because I didn't take the time to make my own engine. The fact that I used RPG Maker somehow means that I'm not a "real" developer and that I didn't have to actually work to create my game. There was one review (gone now -- I guess the user deleted it?) that said "Not Recommended -- why are people charging for RPG Maker games? it doesn't take any effort to make them!" Even if you don't use the RTP, it doesn't shake the stigma that this is an engine that doesn't require any real effort to use.

@Zeriab: No, I don't use Steam and so Degica set up the release. They are the "developer" for all intents and purposes. However, I''ve contacted them to ask to be placed in full control of the game.

 

[Sharm]

I never said that a game that just uses the RTP was substandard or made a game amateur, I said that games specifically made to make money so a developer can later put in the money to "do it right" are, and that they usually use the RTP. This means that substandard games are going to be visually associated with any project that uses the RTP and is something to consider.


Making a game with the RTP when going commercial should always be a conscious choice, not something done by default because you don't have the funds. Going commercial means you are making this your business and as such you should be treating development professionally and be willing to put forth the money and/or effort to make it look professional as well as play like a professionally made game. If you can do that by only using the RTP then that's great, but it's a bit like using Comic Sans to make your logo.

 

[Dark Gaia]

If it means anything, I couldn't imagine making Legionwood 2 with anything other than the RTP. Anything else would be too much of a departure from the first game's art style. In addition, I chose to use the RTP because that's what I'm good with. I'm confident that I can create better looking maps than I would have if I switched to a vastly different style.

I'm currently thinking of using the Mythos Horror Pack -- this is vastly different in style to the RTP and mapping requires a completely different technique.

 

[DavidGil]

I think this is exactly it. I would love to make a game with completely custom graphics that doesn't look anything like an RPG Maker game. The next game I project I'm working on will be exactly that. The profits I've made from Legionwood 2, which cost relatively little for me to make, are enough that I can purchase the rights to graphics that other RPG Maker games haven't used yet. I've now bought the Mythos Horror Pack and have enough money to commission my own additions to it, for example.

That said, I don't think the fact that Legionwood 2 used RTP makes it an "ameteur" or "substandard" game. It still had all the effort and attention to detail put into it that would have gone into a completely custom title. I didn't just throw together a game to make a quick buck; I made as best a game I could with the resources at my disposal, and why shouldn't I be paid for that? The game mechanics are custom, the game's soundtrack is completely custom, the story is non-linear and has six multiple endings, the character progression and battle systems are unique among commercial RPG Maker games. The mapping is detailed and clear effort has gone into the aesthetics of the game. Even though it uses the RTP, it is still very much a game that has been made in a professional way.

I have six years of experience making free games to build upon. I used everything I've learned about what makes a "good" game and applied it to my first commercial title. Care and thought went in to every element of the game. To say that it is somehow substandard just because I wasn't in a financial position to commission my own graphics is insulting. Take a look at some Unity games out there -- the same phenomenon occurs in that community, with many games sharing standard assets that come with the engine. Despite that, some of them have been successful, far more than any RPG Maker game.

In spite of the use of the RTP, the game has still done very well, even better than what I originally expected. I've made more than enough money to have a "proper go" next time. My next game will be entirely unique, and it will stand out on a portal like Steam. That said, there are still people who will play it, notice that it is RPG Maker due to the screen resolution and controls, and this will still provoke an endless stream of trolls. No matter what you do, you can't win. If you use the RTP, they complain about how it looks "RPG Maker". If you make a unique, custom looking game, they just end up complaining about some other limitation of the engine.

To them, it's less about the game and more about the engine. There are people over there knocking To The Moon just because it is an RPG Maker game. They think that this engine is not capable of creating "real" games. You can change the graphics that it uses, but it's still just some app where you put in a few formulas and BAM, a fully complete game comes out without any effort involved. One of the comments on my game said my game wasn't worth anything because I didn't take the time to make my own engine. The fact that I used RPG Maker somehow means that I'm not a "real" developer and that I didn't have to actually work to create my game. There was one review (gone now -- I guess the user deleted it?) that said "Not Recommended -- why are people charging for RPG Maker games? it doesn't take any effort to make them!" Even if you don't use the RTP, it doesn't shake the stigma that this is an engine that doesn't require any real effort to use.

@Zeriab: No, I don't use Steam and so Degica set up the release. They are the "developer" for all intents and purposes. However, I''ve contacted them to ask to be placed in full control of the game.

I own the Mythos Pack myself. You won't have the same problem as me, because you have the funds to commission more sprites/art now, but I found that, which is a common problem with the packs, there wasn't enough character sprites to make an entire game with sadly. At least non-monster ones, if you want to have a town and quite a few characters. But apart from that, the pack is rather nice. I want to do a game with it myself, but . . . I just can't wrap my head around a story at the minute.

You're completely right too that you can't win. Have people really slammed To the Moon? My understanding has been that it's been free of the RPG Maker complaints, by and large.