WHY RPGMAKER? WHY?

This topic is like my topic! Only not! First post! (Will edit in actual content in a second, just securing first post.)

What keeps you playing an RPGmaker game?

I know that in this quick world we make snap judgments or maybe only play an hour of someones game, but what is it that makes you keep playing?

Well, firstly, like many members of the community, I must confess, I DON'T play many RPG Maker games, even though I know this is a bad thing. Which is why I liked that "Play something!" idea that somebody had. I do resolve to play more RPG Maker games in the future, and I know that I have played more in the past. But at least right now, with this most recent resurgence in RPG Making, I have been far too busy working on my own game to play the games of others.

It's been many years since these RPGmaker's came out, and I think we are all jaded. Tired of seeing the same things over and over and don't feel like devoting the time to playing amateur games. But I wonder...

Why do we still make them? I guess largely they are all considered "a labor of love" because we are committed to our own personal story. I know that is the case for me, maybe I can't speak for everyone.

See, this can't be the case in my case. Even though I resolved in high school to quit at the end of high school and resolved at the end of college to be done by the end of college, I'm still here. But I've completed my big story series game thing, at least as much as it's ever going to be completed. (Released a complete game and a complete sequel. Whoever does that?) So it's not like I'm still committed to that one story. In fact, now I'm working on a game with no story at all. So I don't know why it is I'm still here, with all I've been through in this community, a lot of it bad, but I am.

Is it those custom systems that make it look like it wasn't made in RPGmaker? Is it the pretty maps that indicate a programmers devotion to making the game?
Or is that the story that grabs you and doesn't let go with good characters and well written dialog?

Alright, having gotten out of the way the admission that I, ahem, don't really play RPG Maker games, here is what I want to see promise of in the first fifteen minutes:

Good writing! A good story hook! A compelling story!
Fun game-play features!

I don't care about graphics. Pretty maps can enhance a good game but they can't save a bad one. At the same time, though, the bar has been raised enough that it's really hard for me to play an RM2k game with RTP graphics used so badly that they make my eyes want to believe. If even I (the least visual person ever) can attain basic competence with map making, so can anyone else.

I couldn't really give a crap yabout custom doohickeys unless they enhance the gameplay, like they did in Wilfred the Hero. Something like Legacy of the Philosopher's Stone didn't impress me at all, because it had no style besides the totally generic. My all time favorite RPG Maker games are A Blurred Line, Three the Hard Way, and Sunset over Imdahl. (Teo is God.)

So I guess my question is multifaceted.

Firstly, what do you want to see more of specifically in RPGmaker games? (I know there is a thread for this somewhere on the site)

Secondly, what makes you decide which games to download? Reviews? Screens? Videos?

And lastly, what will make you stop playing an RPGmaker game?

1. Science-Fiction. Horror. Dark, twisted plots. Awesome storytelling. Great gameplay. Character customization options!

2. Largely, word of mouth is the only thing that can move me to download something. Or prior experience reputation. For instance, I checked out Mr. Nemo's game Solar Tear because I'm familiar with work, and in fact tried to work with him in the past. Also, my tastes effect it a lot. I'm really partial to science fiction, even though most of it isn't executed too well.

3. Bugs! Fatal errors. I stopped playing Solar Tear because the hero's facing got locked. Um, impossibly hard gameplay segments are also something that I'm not a big fan of, too.

In closing, we should all play more rpg maker games, but then again, we should all release more. Good thing we have Release Something and Play Something. :)

I want to play a game that's a cut above the rest. Thus, excessive hype helps in this case (if it wasn't for THE WAY IS LEGENDARY I would never have played the series).

An original title also gets me hooked upon first glance. I will get turned off by seeing the word DEMO in a game, no matter how thoroughly original the game looks or how well told the story seems to be; I don't want to play something half-baked.

Why do we still make them? I guess largely they are all considered "a labor of love" because we are committed to our own personal story. I know that is the case for me, maybe I can't speak for everyone.

A good outlet for creativity. Also, its very nostalgic for me. I remember when I was kid and I played all those SNES games and had so much fun. I guess when I make a game, it makes me think back of the good ol' days. I am probably alone on this one, but who knows.

Firstly, what do you want to see more of specifically in RPGmaker games? (I know there is a thread for this somewhere on the site)

Nothing really. Just something that is fun to play. Whether its gameplay, witty dialogue/story.

Secondly, what makes you decide which games to download? Reviews? Screens? Videos?

Screens/reviews.

And lastly, what will make you stop playing an RPGmaker game?

This probably sounds petty, but walk speed. There is nothing, in my mind, that can kill a decent looking game than horribly slow walkspeed. Unless I can edit the game to make it faster, consider the game done. I refuse to play it. This is coming from someone who is really patient with most RPGmaker games, but as soon as I sense a "decrease walk speed" command anywhere in the script for a prolonged period of time, too bad. The game goes in the recycle bin. The thing is, I never ever understand why people do this. Like, it makes no sense to me. I've heard the argument that it makes the game more realistic, but come on, its a 2D RPGmaker game. Who the hell cares about the speed of which a piece of pixel art moves? Jesus. As you can tell, this issue gets on my nerves really, really badly. I remember during the last Demo Day I played a game called Second Reality. It seemed pretty decent, but when I started moving, I stopped and thought, "What the fuck is this shit? I am walking at 1 pixel per minute." Well, that is an exaggeration, but you get my drift.

I think developers need to be more considerate of their players in some regards and make things more convenient. Not necessarily easy, but convenient.

Also, excessive difficulty. Unless I can hack the game, consider is done. I ain't dropping everything I am doing to grind.

World map is passable. Its not as if you spend a lot of time on it. Though I'd still prefer the speed was left alone.

author=Feldschlacht IV link=topic=1896.msg30703#msg30703 date=1221074484
I'm the guy behind the Play Something day if you're all wondering, and yes, you will see more of them.

Firstly, what do you want to see more of specifically in RPGmaker games? (I know there is a thread for this somewhere on the site)

Different inspirations for their games, and more games actually getting done.

Secondly, what makes you decide which games to download? Reviews? Screens? Videos?

If it looks fun.

And lastly, what will make you stop playing an RPGmaker game?

If it isn't fun.

Thank you.

Fun is a very vague statement, but that's all that really matters to me. There isn't one thing that makes me play a game. It has to be a complete package, focusing on just one thing like the story, or just making the game look pretty isn't enough. When deciding what games to download, I look at everything. Everyone knows quality when they see it, so that's really it.

Also, you need to hook me within the first five minutes. And please don't add that "DO YOU WANT TO SKIP THE INTRODUCTION?!?" to your game. Chances are, you added that because it was too long in the first place. And skipping an introduction to a game is like skipping the first chapter of a book. I can pretty much assume how an RM game is going to be just by looking at this option. Just don't do it.

Walk speed is a killer for me. I will not play a game with slow walk speed. Other than that, a very generic story/characters will also cause me to not care, as is with slow pacing, hard difficulty, or boring gameplay. I don't need a custom battle system to like the game, I've beaten games that used the DBS. But they also had more than just "Attack, Heal, run out of MP" type of thing.

Also, you need to hook me within the first five minutes. And please don't add that "DO YOU WANT TO SKIP THE INTRODUCTION?!?" to your game. Chances are, you added that because it was too long in the first place. And skipping an introduction to a game is like skipping the first chapter of a book. I can pretty much assume how an RM game is going to be just by looking at this option. Just don't do it.

I would argue that the "Do you want to skip the introduction" is kinda like pressing Start or something to skip a cutscene in a game. I'd rather have that option there. Also, people tend to generally release multiple versions of their game, so I don't want to see the intro yet again. If the game is short and replayable, I also don't want to see the intro again.

If I have not seen the intro, then I will see it. I've had someone tell me they skipped the intro and cutscenes in my game so they could try out the game itself. I don't mind them doing that. They went back in later and played with the intro/cutscenes.

What? I said that I don't skip intros if I haven't seen them. That option is mainly for those who have seen it or perhaps the game is primarily gameplay based and you just want to check out the game itself and not the story. I'm pretty sure there are some players like that.