What things make an RPG Maker game stand out to you?

[aliensalmon]

I'll have to admit that for a game to stand out for me, it should have one of the following:


Attractive characters


Interesting premise/synopsis


Nice Screenshots


Nice artwork

 

[Alexander Amnell]

   Artwork is basically everything


   Anything less, the best you'll ever come is cult classic, and future games with bigger budgets will come along and do what you do right with prettier graphics and forever be known as "the game that revolutionized..." in your game's stead. By and large people are quite shallow in their discernment, and there's a ton of background noise out there to stifle your game's appeal outside of screenshots. It's something that just has to be lived with and accepted.


   As for me personally it's always about story. I buy cheap indie games all the time because I'm tired of all the 'professional' games ending up all being the copy of a copy of a copy of a game from the 90s with near photorealistic graphics and charged dlc encompassing the only originality the game has in a ploy to tempt me to buy it. I'd much rather spend six bucks for an oldschool looking game that at least tries to present something that hasn't already been presented and remade a half dozen times.

 

[Missile]

   Artwork is basically everything


   Anything less, the best you'll ever come is cult classic, and future games with bigger budgets will come along and do what you do right with prettier graphics and forever be known as "the game that revolutionized..." in your game's stead. By and large people are quite shallow in their discernment, and there's a ton of background noise out there to stifle your game's appeal outside of screenshots. It's something that just has to be lived with and accepted.


   As for me personally it's always about story. I buy cheap indie games all the time because I'm tired of all the 'professional' games ending up all being the copy of a copy of a copy of a game from the 90s with near photorealistic graphics and charged dlc encompassing the only originality the game has in a ploy to tempt me to buy it. I'd much rather spend six bucks for an oldschool looking game that at least tries to present something that hasn't already been presented and remade a half dozen times.

Woah, let's slow down a little. "Serviceable (arguably poor)" art often isn't a detriment at all. Undertale isn't the best looking game in the world, neither are a lot of indie games. And speaking from personal experience, having "good art" doesn't improve your success all that much. Having SOME art only gets you in the door, good or bad.


With RM, for me it's mostly unique settings, like OFF or LISA, with combo multipliers if the game does something more than the standard dragon quest battling (like Echoes of Aetheria or Last Word).

 

[ashikai]

I go for the graphics, stay for the gameplay, and remember it for the story. o-o;


....generally speaking, of course. I've definitely picked up games (RM games included) that had graphics that didn't appeal to me because the sales pitch was pretty enticing, but the formula generally holds up for me. Graphics don't have to be AMAZING but I think they should fit the aesthetic of the game. Undertale (which was mentioned earlier) has a super simple style, but it's a pretty strong overall aesthetic that makes it appealing at first glance (at least to me).

 

[Zak]

Woah, let's slow down a little. "Serviceable (arguably poor)" art often isn't a detriment at all. Undertale isn't the best looking game in the world, neither are a lot of indie games. And speaking from personal experience, having "good art" doesn't improve your success all that much. Having SOME art only gets you in the door, good or bad.

But Undertale uses custom-made graphics as far as I can judge. Therefore it has it's own unique style.

 

[Kitsou]

Additionally, interesting skills make a difference for me as well. 


In Undertale you can 'act', in Pokemon you get rid of the old unnecessary skills, other games just have more interesting classes, than Fighter, Mage, Rogue and Tank.


A key mechanic and a few but meaningful skills, that's a selling point for me.

 

[stupid enough to like FF13]

Woah, let's slow down a little. "Serviceable (arguably poor)" art often isn't a detriment at all. Undertale isn't the best looking game in the world, neither are a lot of indie games.

Except many people do criticize Undertale and other indie games for looking like garbage.

But Undertale uses custom-made graphics as far as I can judge. Therefore it has it's own unique style.

The entire intention of Undertale's graphics is to deliberately not have its own unique style.

 

[Zak]

The entire intention of Undertale's graphics is to deliberately not have its own unique style.

That still doesn't change the fact that Toby and the Teemie-Artist made all by themself, ergo, it's a own style.

 

[Missile]

But Undertale uses custom-made graphics as far as I can judge. Therefore it has it's own unique style.

That still doesn't change the fact that Toby and the Teemie-Artist made all by themself, ergo, it's a own style.

Never said that having "some" art wasn't beneficial - only that "good" graphics aren't entirely necessary. Even with Amnell's statement; Dustforce looks better than Meat Boy, but Meat Boy's done far better.
Using Undertale as an example because most of its reviews say the same thing (don't think it's contentious at this point); that "good" graphics really aren't imperative. To The Moon and Skyborn both use RTP/Prefab assets, also. It's about much more than just graphics.


(Edit: Also think Undertale's graphics worked out in it's favor, because they set low expectations for the rest of the game to surprise you. "Better" graphics might've done more harm than good.)


But... Back on-topic.

Additionally, interesting skills make a difference for me as well. 


In Undertale you can 'act', in Pokemon you get rid of the old unnecessary skills, other games just have more interesting classes, than Fighter, Mage, Rogue and Tank.


A key mechanic and a few but meaningful skills, that's a selling point for me.

definitely agree with this ^

 

[trouble time]

what really draws me in is interesting looking characters. Both the blurb describing them and the character design.

 

[m4uesviecr]

For me, it usually boils down to the artwork and the story/setting. If those are interesting enough, I'll gladly jump in. As far as game-play, I'm willing to shovel through quite a bit of slop if the story is worth it. I've yet to leave  a game with a great story and horrid game-play incomplete. Now, for a game with those qualities reversed, however.. 


I will admit, it has gotten to a point where fighting becomes a chore. Though I believe there are easy ways to make an rpg engaging, by merely switching and editing the existing "formula", if the battles are begrudgingly boring, it will take me twice as long to finish. Make me earn my victory!

 

[Joewoof]

Hehehe, good to know that I'm on the right track.  My money hiring a professional artist should be well-spent.

 

[Lucy Fox]

My personal preference is an overall "somewhat polished" look.


If a game looks like it's just puzzled together without further thoughts about how the elements could fit together... then it feels mostly exactly like this.


Best example are the Moghunter scripts. I see its graphic sooooooo often. Unchanged of course. No mater if the rest of the UI has a totally different style.


Same for the gameplay. Randomly put together stuff it it will feel bad.


Graphics aren't that important to me. I don't care if a game uses RTP as long at it is used in a good way. You can make a very unique look with it. But most often it is enough for me to have maps that are looking like the thing they should display. I mean... I don't want to be told that I'm walking through a spooky forest when in fakt I'm walking through the sunny shiny twinkly green and friendly looking RTP forest.... o___O


I don't want to be told I'm walking through a huge busy town when in fact I'm walking through a map with 3 houses and a mill somewhere.... O_____o


But these are thinks encounter very often. And I don't want to play such games...


Graphics can make a "great first-look", but are worthless, when they are put together very badly. Same for gameplay, UI and story.


So.... of course I look at the Screenshots first when I open a gamepage (Who doesn't?)


But when I see, that everything else is clunky and not fun or gripping I either don't even download the game, or - should I've dwonloaded it already - close it quite quickly...


After all... there are enough games out there. So why should I bother with one that isn't fun?

 

[Speznat]

My personal opinion. Graphics matters. same like gameplay and story.


i dotn know if you guys know grandia 1 but that game have good make graphics for that time. it would be still good. but games like undertale or some stuff i saw here in forum are not so good. from most indie games i get eye cancer i would never pay for some poor designed ****.


I personally set 35% Graphics because immersion 50% story, and 15% gameplay.