[POLL] JUDGING WHETHER TO DOWNLOAD A GAME? WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?

Poll

What is the major/deciding factor for YOU when choosing whether or not to download a game for the first time? - Results

Description - If there's a summary of the plot that catches your interest
43
25%
Game Page Presentation - Including CSS, logos and the like
4
2%
Download Amounts - That is, the number of downloads the game already has.
4
2%
Graphics and Use of - As presented via Screenshots
57
33%
Videos of the project - Whether LPs, Game Trailers or other
3
1%
Creator - Having played their past games or knowing them personally/by reputation
10
5%
Comments - What others have said in the comment section
9
5%
Game Score - The rating given, whether good or bad
3
1%
Reviews - Whether they be LTs or written reviews.
6
3%
Hype - Whether it be flooding with advertisement on sites or
3
1%
Features - Gameplay promises and certain scripts
16
9%
Recommendations - Hearing from others that it's worth playing
11
6%

Posts

I download the unloved =(

I like to go for games that people don't normally play, or have been sitting around un-reviewed for a while. Maybe I'm slightly hipster, but I want to play the one that you didn't - not the main stream one. I like to see what the new guy is doing.

I also go based on people I see post a lot. If they're invested here on this site, then I will invest in them.

I actually am kinda opposite on the graphics. I don't like games that have a lot of non-rtp graphics. Last time I checked this was an RPG Maker website, not a 'Look how much better I am at art than you' website. It's just discouraging to me to think I've sunk about 4 months (wait - April is almost over, 5) into my game with a deep and involved plot and no one wants to play it because I can't draw - therefore I'm useless and a waste of MB. Sorry... got a bit ranty ... graphics wars have been raging in me since my youth.

Don't get me wrong - Please feel free to use your art skills if you have them; I don't want to discourage you doin' your thing. I've played good games with good graphics on this site; but I've played the same quality games with good ol' RTP graphics.
I don't touch RTP. I'm pretty sick of it.

I'll play pretty much anything that isn't RTP or another JRPG, such as the wonderful Profit Motive (I love business-themed adventures).

A hefty amount of original music is also required. I don't think of this as asking too much; if you want people to play your game, you'd go the extra mile in a few areas at least. God help you if you use Tankentai.
I love RTP. It's not an issue for me to play RTP-heavy games as long as the graphics are used well. You can have the prettiest tiles this side of the hemisphere and it won't mean nothing if you can't use them effectively (or tell a good story, fo sho).
I disagree, simply because people outside of RPG Maker probably wouldn't take kindly to seeing multiple unrelated releases using the exact same assets. They could tell a pretty decent story, but having pretty and original assets doesn't preclude them from that. None of my favourite RM games used RTP, because most RTP games have about as much thought put into the story and gameplay as the assets. There might be some good ones, but I won't play them because I'd lose interest upon seeing them—they look like everything else.

"Using them well" doesn't matter to me—they could make the prettiest map ever out of RTP and it's still RTP. It's an artificial limit.
author=LockeZ
I mean, no one cares more about the presentation and visual quality of the page that the game is hosted on than they do about the presentation and visual quality of the game itself. So that's never gonna get any votes, except possibly just to spite me for posting this.

Kentona and Liberty voted that to troll you. XD

author=Guy with Dead Space Avatar
So many graphics whores. Pretty ironic when over half the games are simple RTP.

I chose features, but I can be swayed by other things.

I am not really a graphics whore, but the game needs something catchy to catch my interest at first sight. I don't demand for super duper awesome graphics, just good mapping in general. :P

author=?
None of my favourite RM games used RTP, because most RTP games have about as much thought put into the story and gameplay as the assets.

Not everyone of us who uses RPG Maker is an artist.
We'll just have to agree to disagree on that point because frankly, I've played quite a few games that used the RTP and were better than a lot of original graphic ones. Not saying that it's automatically going to be better because a game is/isn't RTP, but I tend to find that when people apply the RTP to their best ability they also take the time to craft great games - because it's done with love.

I tip my RTP top hat to you, good sir/madam~ ^.^
My checklist to download is:

Nice mapping
No random encounters
Not a parody/satire of RPGs



I can't help but to feel insulted by that. It insinuates that, because I do my best to make sure the game looks and sounds as good as it can, I neglect the other areas because there's some invisible scale that decides how much "good" a game can have. I'm just saying that a game with some semblance of production value, even on the part of a single developer, is going to have a more committed developer. I.E., they'll work to try to meld all of the elements instead of just focusing on a single one, because they're crafting all of it, rather than a very small part of it.
Why feel insulted?

You're the one that won't touch RTP games, while Liberty said that it's mapping quality rather than being custom or not.

Personally, I want 90's style JRPG mapping with a complex storyline and modern battle mechanics. This can be achieved with RTP.
Ah, I didn't mean to make it sound like people who don't use RTP don't apply love. Gee, I'm tripping all over my words. (I did pull an all-nighter >.<; ) Let's see if I can phrase what I meant properly.

Some of those who commit to using the RTP understand that they need to work and devote more to their projects to stand out amongst the ones that use rips or original graphics because of the fact that they use the RTP instead and it is considered among some as synonymous with new users.

For example, because I realise some (a lot) of people have an aversion to playing RTP games I make sure to do the best I can with the chips I have so that they can catch the eye of those who are repelled by the RTP - to make them forget that what I'm using is mostly default (I do tend to edit tiles as I want) and just focus on the actual maps as opposed to the graphics used to build them.

I hope that's a bit more understandable. Frankly I'm running on empty at the moment so my words may be a little jumbled. I apologise in advance. >.<;
BurningTyger
Hm i Wonder if i can pul somethi goff here/
1289
I finally chose "Description" as if the idea doesn't catch my fancy, I may not look any closer, but it's more than one thing. As for writing and story, I plan to do my best to help boost those in all games I'm involved in, so Kyrsty, Sauce, here's hoping you find more to like here.
author=Lucidstillness
Visuals and presentation are what make a person want to play an RPG.

Gameplay is what makes a person want to keep playing an RPG.

Storyline and music are what will make a person want to remember an RPG.


I remembered this quote from a few years ago. Think it applies pretty well to this discussion.
slash
APATHY IS FOR COWARDS
4158
Now that I think about it, many of the best games I've played on this site were done with RTP. However, it's possible they may have been better with original graphics...
For me, it's mainly a mix between good graphics and story. While the graphics are a nice added benefit, I love any game, no matter how bad the visuals are if it has a good story, as it keeps you interested. In my opinion, you could add all the visuals you want, but if the story is not engaging the player gets bored easily. In many games, if the person has no sense of direction or no idea of the story, for example if it's all jumbled up, you will usually fell put off.

Very few games manage to catch my attention if it has a horrible story.
arcan
Having a signature is too mainstream. I'm not part of your system!
1866
I feel like this outcome was to be expected. You can convey so much more with images than you can with any of these other methods. Cool graphics really excite me but writing a good story in my opinion is a lot harder and I have yet to see a game that has interested me in that respect. Then again I rarely even go looking for games anyway.
The Creator, if more than 2 games of his/her already appealed to me. And I like to see them experiment.

Screenshots and Gameplay Features because I'm a visual person and I want to see what they have in store.

Comments and Videos just in case the above 2 doesn't interest me.

I usually found game descriptions to be terrible or not enough to interest me.

Recommendations from like minded friends. Then yes. Low chances though.
benos
My mind is full of fuck.
624
Long walks on the beach and sexy adventures.

Seriously, graphics, but most likely want to enjoy some great music along with it.
Download Amounts. Not to say I care whether it's been 30 or 10k.

As in, I see alot of games in progress that look like they'd be awesome. But 0 downloads. And do you know why? Because there isn't a download link. The game becomes vaporware and dies before it gets finished.
Ratty524
The 524 is for 524 Stone Crabs
12986
The first thing I see on a game page are the graphics, whether it be screenshots or the CSS. Compared to text, they are usually larger, and call more attention in general.

So yeah, I tend to keep my attention onto projects that have a nice graphical presentation.
First is probably reviews if there are any, then features if any is listed. With the descriptions, it's becoming more difficult to create a summary of an interesting story so I mainly look at the characters if any are listed and the variety. Then there's the graphics.