Why (God Why) so many medieval fantasy games and so little of anything else? Topic

with sorrow down past the fence

9159

09/07/2008 06:01 PM

This is a question that burns deep inside my heart, but is really very simple.

I could understand if half, more than half, or even the majority of indie RPGs were medieval fantasy games. However...

WHY ARE OVER 90% OF THE INDIE RPGS MADE (extremely generic) MEDIEVAL FANTASY GAMES?

Seriously, why is that practically no one is interested at all in any of the following:
*SCIENCE FICTION (including cyberpunk, space opera, and all other subgenres)
*MODERN DAY (including military, espionage, crime fiction of all kinds)
*HORROR (including Lovecraftian, supernatural, or dark science fiction)
*OR EVEN ALTERNATIVE FANTASY, SUCH AS:
-URBAN FANTASY
-STEAM PUNK
-SCIENCE FANTASY

This especially confuses me when so many of the JRPG franchises that have been so ridiculously influential on this community (Phantasy Star, FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII and FFXII, presumably Star Ocean) and so much of popular (geek) media including movies, comic books, anime, manga, other video games cover genres other than generic fantasy?

Many of the fantasy indie games coming out look promising, but after going on a decade lurking in the community, I can't bring myself to play many more fantasy games, no matter how good they are.

So, anyway, why do you think such an overwhelming minority of indie games fall into this one genre? Can anything be done about it?

Feldschlacht IV

Sit down. Be humble.

1486

09/07/2008 06:03 PM

I really don't think you're looking hard enough and a lot of this topic is well, kinda whining. I mean I understand the sentiments to a degree, but seriously, look harder.

Erynden

Gamers don't die, they respawn.

1702

09/07/2008 06:05 PM

By my understanding, there is a lot, and I mean A LOT, more chipsets for medieval style. I believe this is possibly why. Plus, deep down inside, people like to swing a sword.

YDS

member of the bull moose party

2516

09/07/2008 06:21 PM

Eh? I wouldn't say 90 percent of indie games are made with medieval settings. More like 3/5ths - or maybe even 4/7th.

Max McGee

with sorrow down past the fence

9159

09/07/2008 06:30 PM

Feldschlacht, if you were to go to the trouble to give me a list of non-medieval fantasy RPG Maker games, I'd wager that I have probably played most of them already. Whenever one of them comes out that looks even halfway competent, I pounce on it. I still think they're few and far between, and there is a glut of medieval fantasy games.

Addendum: I am aware not all indie RPGs are made with RPG Maker.

By my understanding, there is a lot, and I mean A LOT, more chipsets for medieval style.

Having found myself unable to find any decent sci-fi resources for anything but RM2k/3, I'm quite inclined to agree with you. My response to this would be, why is this the case?

LouisCyphre

can't make a bad game if you don't finish any games

4523

09/07/2008 06:54 PM

Play Pimp (link is in sig). It may suck total balls, but at least RMN's there to help, right?

...Right?

AznChipmunk

4613

09/07/2008 07:16 PM

Well. I have never even touched the concept of a medieval fantasy game. Infact, all my games are... modern.

myersguy

292

09/07/2008 07:53 PM

author=Jakester link=topic=1866.msg30031#msg30031 date=1220832324
Plus, deep down inside, people like to swing a sword.

True, but I would swing a lightsaber over a sword any day!

author=Jakester link=topic=1866.msg30031#msg30031 date=1220832324
By my understanding, there is a lot, and I mean A LOT, more chipsets for medieval style.

Yeah... My newest game is futuristic Sci-Fi type stuff, and all I can find is the 2K3 shit. Surprisingly however, it looks ok imported to XP or VX.

Karsuman

Asspear

3273

09/07/2008 08:49 PM

Thanks guys for telling us that all of you're unreleased games are modern/sci-fi!

author=Max McGee link=topic=1866.msg30046#msg30046 date=1220833858
Feldschlacht, if you were to go to the trouble to give me a list of non-medieval fantasy RPG Maker games, I'd wager that I have probably played most of them already.

Ok.

A bunch of games with heavily sci-fi/horror/modern characteristics.

Iron Gaia and related games
A Blurred Line
The Frozen World (If you do not get this, play more)
Zephyrus and the Kingdom of Heaven
The Blue Contestant
The Burning Grail
Backstage
Idunn Ymiraldor
Barkley: Shut up and Jam Gaiden
Aler A.I.L.A
ONYX and its sequel
Death Proclaimed and its sequel
Complete Chaos
Longing Ribbon
Grave Spirit
Channel Changer
Legend of the Philosopher's Stone

Some fantasy games with some distinct sci-fi/modern characteristics:

Kinetic Cipher (Again)
Love & War
Master of the Wind
Clouded Heart
The Way
The Sword and the Fish

There's probably more, but this is a start.

GreatRedSpirit

ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop

6514

09/07/2008 09:07 PM

author=Max McGee link=topic=1866.msg30027#msg30027 date=1220832088
WHY ARE OVER 90% OF THE INDIE RPGS MADE (extremely generic) MEDIEVAL FANTASY GAMES?

A lot of people wanted to make their own RPGs after playing medieval fantasy RPGs and they want to mimic them.

The extremely generic problem tends to come from that a lot of people designing games aren't very good at it.

Karsuman

Asspear

3273

09/07/2008 09:19 PM

To play off RedSpirit's point...

I think you'll find that, generally speaking, the number of quality non-fantasy titles is quite high when you consider all the trash that gets released.

This is because designing a non-fantasy game takes a bit more effort and patience than a fantasy title. In no small part due to the lack of graphics.

GameOverGames Productions

3879

09/07/2008 10:12 PM

There are quite a few good ones out there that aren't, but I'll have to say that its mainly because that its the one with the most resources. Also its the extremely generic theme that most people will use when attempting to create their first game.

Mainly resources, as most people seem to not be able to create their own. Or atleast make some new rips off of games that are in the other genres.

Max McGee

with sorrow down past the fence

9159

09/07/2008 10:17 PM

Seriously, I'm not kidding:

Iron Gaia and related games

A Blurred Line

The Frozen World (If you do not get this, play more)

Zephyrus and the Kingdom of Heaven

The Blue Contestant

The Burning Grail

Backstage

Idunn Ymiraldor

Barkley: Shut up and Jam Gaiden

Aler A.I.L.A

ONYX and its sequel
[Haven't tried this!]
Death Proclaimed and its sequel
[Never even heard of this. Link?]
Complete Chaos
[I don't think this is the kind of thing I'm looking for.]
Longing Ribbon
[Big fan of this game; got stuck in it, though.]
Grave Spirit
[Can' get past the first puzzle.
Channel Changer

Legend of the Philosopher's Stone

Some fantasy games with some distinct sci-fi/modern characteristics:

Kinetic Cipher (Again)

Love & War

Master of the Wind

Clouded Heart
[Never heard of this!]
The Way

The Sword and the Fish

Thanks, Karsuman, for that comprehensive list. However, out of those 25 games, there are only maybe 3 I haven't tried/beaten.

Maybe I'm just a loser who plays too many RM games.

Also its the extremely generic theme that most people will use when attempting to create their first game.

People don't actually release their first games, do they?

Karsuman

Asspear

3273

09/07/2008 11:11 PM

Ya see, the thing is, that's actually quite a lot of games. And a lot of them are pretty competent!

I think you are overestimating the creative capacity of the community, really - the proportion of good sci-fi games is actually fairly high.

Anyway, response to comments about the games:

The Frozen World: You would appreciate the ending a lot if you got that far. Do try again.
Barkley: lol =)
Alter A.I.L.A: It is completed.
ONYX and its sequel: It has its problems, but its pretty fun. The first of the two is one of the longest RM2k games in existence, totaling at about 60 hours.
Death Proclaimed: Its on this site!
Master of the Wind: It's episodical(and ongoing, the 5th part just got released), and pretty enjoyable. I will admit it that it is a stretch to call it anything but fantasy, but hey. Play it!

Mr.Nemo

1295

09/08/2008 03:54 AM

My last game Solar Tear, isn't really completed, but I doubt you'll find anything more cyberpunk in rpgmaker unless eschalt decides to complete his Blade Runner game.

/

Also, I prefer sci-fi games over crappy jrpg-fantasy, which I believe is the genre you're looking for. I think that if we're talking "Medieval"-games or anything that's remotely relating to previous centuries apart from just the standard "swords of questionable sizes", there aren't alot of them either. So what we have left is the standard, anime/jrpg-archetype, and the reason for this is that everybody around rpgmaker are anime fanboys. Sure there are a lot of sci-fi-like animes and whatnot, but given that swords and magic pretty much dominates the commercial Jrpg industries, there's no reason why the "indie" 14-year olds shouldn't try to emulate their idols.

This reminds me that I have to find non-anime charactersets. And stuff. I'll never finish the release something deadline.

Plus, you should at least try Barkley. If you don't get it, then you don't have a sense of humour. Plus, it has a gameplay values that's off the walls.

Archeia_Nessiah

Tear Harvester Nessiah

17368

09/08/2008 04:18 AM

Allow me to explain why.

#1 GRAPHICS - mostly this. It's hard to find anything else.

#2 FREEDOM, the fact that you can use magic, dragons and swords etc gives people more freedom, they don't have to think of physics, or any scientific fact on how technology works like, omg I need to design a huge dragon but I have to design it that looks like it's doable etc. etc. etc.

They don't have to limit themselves to guns or whatever, imagine, a sword, a wand, a whatever in a modern day like this, people will think you're crazy, I mean starwars did it well but seriously, do you want to see star wars clones most of the time? I am a jedi and I shall levitate you and slash you and more complication for your Rpgmaker game. Realistic thinking also gets in the way as well, people need to think how the military works, ranking. Unless you want school boys/girls saving the world with ultra magic powers.

Medieval also gives way to mythical creatures, thus monsters, sure you can do it in modern setting, but you have to explain, oh, a huge chemical invasion occurred in the world and everyone morphed into monsters and we're the ones not infected despite the huge pollution that should've literally killed us.

Horror barely works, unless you're experienced in music/atmosphere setting and gorey 2d pixels or something like what taut/grave spirit's atmosphere and have more scary antics than the usual I'll scare you like this one.

And seriously, everyone likes to wield swords with their brute strength than chemical guns what so ever :P

#3 Easier to make story for. 'nuff said.
#4 People are "motivated" by medieval games
#5 It has magick!
#6 I want to be the next final fantasy game
#7 I want to be the next Zelda game!
#8 Serious games are boring booo
#9 I want to ride a horse and attack an army/ I want to ride a dragon and shoot fireballs like Panzer Dragoon
#10 Airships made in medieval times are cool

#11 and more stuff

Max McGee

with sorrow down past the fence

9159

09/08/2008 12:27 PM

My last game Solar Tear, isn't really completed, but I doubt you'll find anything more cyberpunk in rpgmaker unless eschalt decides to complete his Blade Runner game.

I am playing Solar Tear right now. I had to stop because of an annoying glitch where the facing becomes locked after the 'sneak past the gang' part. It just annoyed me too much. I'll try it again later, maybe pay that guy to protect me.

Plus, you should at least try Barkley. If you don't get it, then you don't have a sense of humour. Plus, it has a gameplay values that's off the walls.

My sense of humor is not one where I find anything that the GW Hivemind has created to be funny, sorry. Nothing against individual GW members.

#2 FREEDOM, the fact that you can use magic, dragons and swords etc gives people more freedom, they don't have to think of physics, or any scientific fact on how technology works like, omg I need to design a huge dragon but I have to design it that looks like it's doable etc. etc. etc.

They don't have to limit themselves to guns or whatever, imagine, a sword, a wand, a whatever in a modern day like this, people will think you're crazy, I mean starwars did it well but seriously, do you want to see star wars clones most of the time? I am a jedi and I shall levitate you and slash you and more complication for your Rpgmaker game. Realistic thinking also gets in the way as well, people need to think how the military works, ranking. Unless you want school boys/girls saving the world with ultra magic powers.

Medieval also gives way to mythical creatures, thus monsters, sure you can do it in modern setting, but you have to explain, oh, a huge chemical invasion occurred in the world and everyone morphed into monsters and we're the ones not infected despite the huge pollution that should've literally killed us.

Horror barely works, unless you're experienced in music/atmosphere setting and gorey 2d pixels or something like what taut/grave spirit's atmosphere and have more scary antics than the usual I'll scare you like this one.

And seriously, everyone likes to wield swords with their brute strength than chemical guns what so ever

Don't people enjoy thinking of workarounds/rationalizations for all of this shit? I know I do! I love it!

kentona