Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Swamped With RPGs
While it can probably be blamed on lack of free time, I'm declaring myself officially swamped with RPGs right now. And that's not just me going back and playing old retro RPGs either (for "research purposes", I swear!) - I think with just indie RPGs alone released in the last year or so, plus a couple of mainstream titles I may or may not EVER complete, I am just not keeping up.
Not that I'm really complaining about this. This is a good thing. It's just a statement of fact. Indie RPG makers are rockin'.
I'm heading out on vacation next week, and I'm bringing my laptop, so hopefully I'll be able to finish at least one of 'em. When I'm not fishing or working on Frayed Knights (yes, I'm gonna work on my vacation... I'm a sick man). I'll probably be taking Aveyond: Lord of Twilight with me, as I've not finished it yet but I've been enjoying it immensely. The next "book" in the series is due out in a month or two, so I want it make sure I've completed this one first. Amaranth Games seems to have really nailed the storytelling on this one, and I'm at the point where the game has opened up and gotten a lot less linear. I just started Deadly Sins Monday night (I'll have more on that one tomorrow), and it has started out with a bang, too. The production quality is outstanding, and I love the skill-based leveling system (unusual among RPGMaker titles), but I need to see more of the story and characters.
I guess in a way, the Aveyond series is to blame. A lot of these commercial indie (no, that's not an oxymoron) RPGs coming out now run on the RPG Maker engine, once Aveyond and Aveyond 2: Ean's Quest proved to be a break-out hits. I think some people are discovering that producing a high-quality, commercial-grade game with the engine isn't quite as easy as they might have envisioned. It's not exactly a paint-by-numbers experience. But it has eased enough of the burden of development by now that we're seeing some great commercial (and free) releases now.
But while I remain impressed and pleased with the quality AND variety of the top RPG Maker titles (and I don't even pretend to keep up on all of them - see above re: swamped), I'd like to see more indie RPGs using other engines. Many of these RPGMaker titles do push the boundaries of the 16-bit-era conventions and style encouraged by the engine, but I would like to see more games that don't even step near those conventions in the first place.
Sorta like how I love all the varieties of pizza (at least at the good pizza places), but sometimes even a geek like me is in the mood for for something that's - you know - not pizza.
Of course, that assumes I'd have the time to PLAY them in the first place. Did I mention "swamped?"
I can't win. But at least I can enjoy playing.
Labels: Roleplaying Games
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 7:05 AM (Permalink)
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Thats why I'm developing my own engine for my indie RPG outing - It's gonna take a long time, but hey its fun and hopefully won't come off as an aveyond clone :)
But I know what you mean about swamped. I've been getting into the Shin Megami games. Swamped alright.
But I know what you mean about swamped. I've been getting into the Shin Megami games. Swamped alright.
It's a little frustrating to see so many RPGMaker titles getting limelight. I don't know if people just aren't writing their own engines, or if the ones who are just aren't getting them out there... I guess there isn't much more to it than that; I don't know.
I have to wonder if most programmers capable of that are just not interested in 2D, the RPG genre, or what... the dearth of polished closer-to-being-from-scratch titles out there is very frustrating.
I have to wonder if most programmers capable of that are just not interested in 2D, the RPG genre, or what... the dearth of polished closer-to-being-from-scratch titles out there is very frustrating.
well, I've never made a secret that I dont much like rpg maker. everything that comes out of it has the same feel, mostly the same look, etc.
the programmer in me likes to see people write their own engines, even if you clone final fantasy you still have your own idiosyncrasies that makes it feel different.
rpg maker games just feel like rpg maker games.
but its the same reason not everyone writes their own 3d engine its a time/money investment you can avoid, it just comes with its own baggage, but I can certainly see why people use it (hey its that time/money sink again!)
the programmer in me likes to see people write their own engines, even if you clone final fantasy you still have your own idiosyncrasies that makes it feel different.
rpg maker games just feel like rpg maker games.
but its the same reason not everyone writes their own 3d engine its a time/money investment you can avoid, it just comes with its own baggage, but I can certainly see why people use it (hey its that time/money sink again!)
I agree phu and I think that so many games are coming out like this is becuase the learning curve is so minimal that the engine becomes more like a paint program then it is a game engine.
Don't get me wrong to a point this is good since developers can focus on story and gfx but at the same time its just flooding the market.
Regardless people with real technical skill will always have an edge over the people using engines like RPGMaker.
Once again RPGMaker isn't bad it's the people using it to paint that are.
Don't get me wrong to a point this is good since developers can focus on story and gfx but at the same time its just flooding the market.
Regardless people with real technical skill will always have an edge over the people using engines like RPGMaker.
Once again RPGMaker isn't bad it's the people using it to paint that are.
There are non RPG-maker rpgs out there, though, and more on the way... it's not like they're the *only* games.
While I have no idea about the code under the hood, I'm sure there's a good bit of programming going into things like Deadly Sin. Less than you'd need to build from scratch, but it's not nothing.
But the stuff that comes default with RPG maker makes it easy to look 'polished'. There are lots of little graphical resources included that the cash-strapped indie would probably have foregone if they were making the game from scratch....
Regardless people with real technical skill will always have an edge over the people using engines like RPGMaker.
Many people with 'real technical skill' are a lot less successful than the RPGmaker crowd. :)
While I have no idea about the code under the hood, I'm sure there's a good bit of programming going into things like Deadly Sin. Less than you'd need to build from scratch, but it's not nothing.
But the stuff that comes default with RPG maker makes it easy to look 'polished'. There are lots of little graphical resources included that the cash-strapped indie would probably have foregone if they were making the game from scratch....
Regardless people with real technical skill will always have an edge over the people using engines like RPGMaker.
Many people with 'real technical skill' are a lot less successful than the RPGmaker crowd. :)
I'm gonna side with Whiner here. I didn't intend to put a target on RPG Maker.
IMO, what it does is take a lot of the "scut work" out of creating an RPG, which I am *DEFINITELY* in favor of. But in so doing also forces developers into a particular framework which can be a little tough (but not impossible) to expand out from.
As far as flooding the market is concerned - I don't begrudge them their success *at all*. I think it's awesome, and I do enjoy these games. I don't want less top-quality RPG Maker games. I just want more of the other kinds.
So ya'll get to work!
IMO, what it does is take a lot of the "scut work" out of creating an RPG, which I am *DEFINITELY* in favor of. But in so doing also forces developers into a particular framework which can be a little tough (but not impossible) to expand out from.
As far as flooding the market is concerned - I don't begrudge them their success *at all*. I think it's awesome, and I do enjoy these games. I don't want less top-quality RPG Maker games. I just want more of the other kinds.
So ya'll get to work!
FYI, re. Deadly Sins, I tried to take a look at it, but my security software blocked the plimus.com site: "Hosts engaged in the selling or distribution of bogus or fraudulent applications. This classification is assigned to sites being used for the distribution of rogue security or other such applications..."
Yeah, the same could be said for E-Bay and their little PayPal company. Or Visa.
Plimus is simply an e-commerce provider used by thousands of independent software vendors. They don't do any sort of vetting or QA on the products being sold - they just provide the shopping cart. So it's pretty unsurprising to me that someone is selling a rogue app via their system.
Sounds like your security software provider is being a little overly aggressive. :) But --- yeah, that's kind of the problem with being an indie. If you go through the pain and effort and expense of putting together your own store front, you are an unknown, and people may not trust your site because you are a nobody. If you go through a well-known e-commerce provider that people have come to trust over time as being a company that WON'T steal your credit card numbers and identity, and are known to have a no-fuss policy for refunds, etc... then you have to deal with this kind of problem.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Such is life.
Plimus is simply an e-commerce provider used by thousands of independent software vendors. They don't do any sort of vetting or QA on the products being sold - they just provide the shopping cart. So it's pretty unsurprising to me that someone is selling a rogue app via their system.
Sounds like your security software provider is being a little overly aggressive. :) But --- yeah, that's kind of the problem with being an indie. If you go through the pain and effort and expense of putting together your own store front, you are an unknown, and people may not trust your site because you are a nobody. If you go through a well-known e-commerce provider that people have come to trust over time as being a company that WON'T steal your credit card numbers and identity, and are known to have a no-fuss policy for refunds, etc... then you have to deal with this kind of problem.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Such is life.
rpgmaker has definitely allowed many rpgs that would never have been otherwise made to exist, and I don't think there are that many extra rpgs that would exist if rpgmaker devs were instead channeling their energy towards creating games with their own unique engine
on the other hand, there are enough abandoned projects that I always feel reluctant to try an rpg unless its already complete or the developers are really active.
some personal favorites:
Master of the Wind: http://www.masterofthewind.org/ (split into 7 arcs: one of the more polished releases, and each arc is more fun than the last)
The Way: http://www.crestfallen.us/ (getting past the first episode can be a bit tough, but the characterization after that is remarkable)
Alter AILA: download at http://www.sinisterdesign.net/Downloads/Alter%20AILA.zip (the atmosphere is really good; also, the designer is working on a remake: http://rpgmaker.net/games/272/blog/)
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on the other hand, there are enough abandoned projects that I always feel reluctant to try an rpg unless its already complete or the developers are really active.
some personal favorites:
Master of the Wind: http://www.masterofthewind.org/ (split into 7 arcs: one of the more polished releases, and each arc is more fun than the last)
The Way: http://www.crestfallen.us/ (getting past the first episode can be a bit tough, but the characterization after that is remarkable)
Alter AILA: download at http://www.sinisterdesign.net/Downloads/Alter%20AILA.zip (the atmosphere is really good; also, the designer is working on a remake: http://rpgmaker.net/games/272/blog/)
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: July 02, 2009 3:50 PM
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