Non-anime RPG in RMXP possible?

[eightyproof]

No offense but this topic is pretty retarded.

If you don't want a Japanese style RPG, don't use Japanese style graphics.

 

[Twin Matrix]

Personally, I'm not paying attention to the style. I'm just having the character images made (by Linkin T -- thanks!) in anime style, because it's what more people are skilled in and is easier to pull off once learned correctly. ^^;

 

[arcthemonkey]

Umm, hello?

CANADIAN KNIGHTS BITCHES.

Nothing Anime about that.

I mean, we use photographs for faces and battlers.

In other news, Sacred 2 needs to come out.

Honestly though, how did this come up?

 

[-panopticon-]

No offense but this topic is pretty retarded.

If you don't want a Japanese style RPG, don't use Japanese style graphics.

I actually disagree with you assessment of the question. Well, not the question, since it is possible, thats obvious, but he brings up a point.
While it is possible, it is a lot harder. And the asker does bring up a very valid point about the RPGMaker communities predisposition to Japanese Style RPGs...which is natural since the program is made by a japanese company, but still, anime style graphics and such are favored quite a bit. Today's youth culture is constantly being exposed to anime. It's more popular wordwide than ever before. The result, fair or unfair(I think it's unfair), is that the interest in jrpg's compared to us style ones isn't comparable. Which in turn leads to RPGMaker having more "anime" style games than games that go outside the box. Which would be alright...but some of the common plot elements of JRpg's tend to get raped over and over again, to the point where I sometimes feel as if I am playing the same game. In my opinion, the RPG Maker community needs to broaden it's horizons a bit.
So good luck with your project Spectral. It's encouraging to see that the creative process is not totally limited by current elements of our culture. Avant-garde is the way to go sometimes.

 

[Nakama]

While it is possible, it is a lot harder. And the asker does bring up a very valid point about the RPGMaker communities predisposition to Japanese Style RPGs...which is natural since the program is made by a japanese company, but still, anime style graphics and such are favored quite a bit. Today's youth culture is constantly being exposed to anime. It's more popular wordwide than ever before. The result, fair or unfair(I think it's unfair), is that the interest in jrpg's compared to us style ones isn't comparable.

Well if the quality of jrpg's is more unique and interesting than US style ones then there'll be more interest, it's not because of anime's popularity that they are getting more of the market, it's because they're better.

Which in turn leads to RPGMaker having more "anime" style games than games that go outside the box.

Define outside the box.

Which would be alright...but some of the common plot elements of JRpg's tend to get raped over and over again,

I understand what you mean by the same plot elements getting overused but when everyone starts making RPGs they think that the most cliche devices are original like say the main villain being the main heroes father. If you find a more developed RPG maker then they're storylines and characters will be stronger because more thought and originality has gone into it. Also these common plot elements can be used well if there is a good reason for them to be used rather than being randomly chucked in because it sounds good.

to the point where I sometimes feel as if I am playing the same game. In my opinion, the RPG Maker community needs to broaden it's horizons a bit.

I think the horizons are broadened(If that makes any sense >_>) but you've not seen the original projects. If you look through the Project Discussions I'm sure you'll find each game has it's own unique feel.

So good luck with your project Spectral. It's encouraging to see that the creative process is not totally limited by current elements of our culture. Avant-garde is the way to go sometimes.

T_T.

 

[Spectral]

Well panopticon seems to be the only one that understood what I was asking.

It's not about the graphics style. It's about the story and character development. In japaanese anime the heroes and villains always have the bad sides and good sides. And villains almost always have a reason to be evil.

Well in RL they have almost only one reason. Money or a way how to get it. Everything rotates around it. I think thats what separates my thinking from the Eastern mentality. I just want to create something refreshing that would go around that good&evil thingy. I know some of you will say that it isn't possible or someone will say how this topic is retarded. Well those are just immature people who don't have any manners. You could atleast say that you don't like the idea and/or it isn't possible.

 

[Lene]

Well if the quality of jrpg's is more unique and interesting than US style ones then there'll be more interest, it's not because of anime's popularity that they are getting more of the market, it's because they're better.

Thank you! I agree with you. US style RPGs have been in a rut for a long long time. The successful RPGs are the ones that focus more on the gameplay and having the freedom to do anything when you want to do it, which is fine.

However, regardless of the advances of gameplay, you're still playing in the tired high fantasy, D&D universe over and over again. I'm not knocking the genre, I like it. But when almost every Western RPG you can think of is doing the same exact thing? BORING. DERIVATIVE. STUPID.

What good is being able to do anything you want in a world that you're not even interested in? I want to shake these people and tell them to get a clue.

This goes a long way to why there aren't that many Western RPGs coming out in the first place.

With my problems with Western RPGs, there comes an opportunity for someone who wants to do something different, but still Western. Well, obviously gameplay is important to the extent that it is how Western and Eastern RPGs differ, but I think one should take an Eastern outlook in regards to setting, and worldbuilding. Do something different for a change!

 

[eightyproof]

Well panopticon seems to be the only one that understood what I was asking.

It's not about the graphics style. It's about the story and character development. In japaanese anime the heroes and villains always have the bad sides and good sides. And villains almost always have a reason to be evil.

Well in RL they have almost only one reason. Money or a way how to get it. Everything rotates around it. I think thats what separates my thinking from the Eastern mentality. I just want to create something refreshing that would go around that good&evil thingy. I know some of you will say that it isn't possible or someone will say how this topic is retarded. Well those are just immature people who don't have any manners. You could atleast say that you don't like the idea and/or it isn't possible.

So the Japanese have a unique way of creating stories and developing characters? I'd like to know more about that...

There are plenty of RPGs where greed is what motivates the antagonist both Eastern and Western. You seem a bit confused.

 

[Lene]

So the Japanese have a unique way of creating stories and developing characters? I'd like to know more about that...

Compared to Western, yes they do. Frankly the most development of characters that I've seen in a Western RPG is development of character stats. Or getting to choose whether to go and kill innocent bystanders to raise their evil points.

Which is understandable, there's not much of a storyline to follow in a lot of them so it's not as necessary as it is when it comes to Eastern RPGs. Also, you wouldn't be able to have as much freedom if you were bogged down with plot and characters. So I guess it's a tradeoff, and whether you think it's worth it or not is a matter of taste.

 

[Spectral]

Oh I hate being new on the forums. Always get mussunderstood and shit.

Just look at apleseed or Akira and you'll see that everyone has a reasonto be what they are. Thats the case in most JRPGs. The western style would be a little less refined where only the good ones would be portrayed properly and the others would just be characterized as EVUL. Like US and Iraq, but I wonb't get into any political arguments, just making my point here.

 

[Nakama]

Oh I hate being new on the forums. Always get mussunderstood and shit.

It's not that you're new first off, it's that you've come with an arguement and presented it badly. Also I don't think people are missunderstanding more they're looking at it from a neutral perspective and not yours.

Just look at apleseed or Akira and you'll see that everyone has a reasonto be what they are. Thats the case in most JRPGs. The western style would be a little less refined where only the good ones would be portrayed properly and the others would just be characterized as EVUL. Like US and Iraq, but I wonb't get into any political arguments, just making my point here.

Appleseed I haven't seen although someone suggested it to me BUT I've seen quite a bit of mecha anime so I can assume the angle it comes from also I haven't seen Akira but I know the story something to do with government corruption. Anyways I think you dislike overly developed characters as there tend to be in Jap~anime and Jap~RPGs but if a character is underdeveloped i.e. doesn't have a reason for what they are doing you're gonna have a gap in your story, it's like a kid being raised in a completely neutral way then suddenly killing someone, It makes no sense.

If you think characters are overly developed because they have a just and unjust reason for acting the way they do then that's your perspective, I for one love characters like that because it makes for a more interesting storyline and it gets you thinking more. In western RPGs the characters are bland, if you're evil because you love money then that to me is a big put off because it's such a simplistic design.

To me it seems like you dislike deeper storylines and characters but whether it's eastern or not it makes for a better storyline so it can only make your game better.

Also I don't see where Iraq and the US come into this O_o.

P.S. I love anime, shoot me.

P.S.S. It's not called "anime" styled because trust me not all animes follow that frame.

 

[Cruelty]

Anime graphics/characters are kinda lame after you see them for sooooo long. I mean, there's only like half a million anime RPGs on PS2.
SOMETHING NEW PLZ, JAPAN. KTHX.

 

[Nakama]

Anime graphics/characters are kinda lame after you see them for sooooo long. I mean, there's only like half a million anime RPGs on PS2.
SOMETHING NEW PLZ, JAPAN. KTHX.

I struggle to see how this relates to the topic which is:

Non-anime RPG in RMXP possible?

If you're gonna complain at least do it properly. KTHX.

 

[Volrath]

This whole thread borders on obnoxious.

This assumption that some are throwing around that using the default graphics immediately makes your game a Japanese-style RPG is idiotic. My project uses RTP style sprites, but the story clearly has an American sensibility and addresses issues which are relevant in America today. There's no samurai in feudal towns, but there are graphics which were created in *gasp* Japan. Uh oh, I guess it's Japanese whether I like it or not. Give me a break.

I suppose it is possible to completely reject any RTP graphics and try to build your own original project, but I'd like to actually finish the game so I don't think I'm about to do that. We don't use RTP battlers, but waiting for the custom ones has slowed us up a great deal. I can't imagine what it would be like if every visual aspect were being custom made. I suppose it would hover in the air like so many other projects here which boast ambition and nothing else. It might not have any content, but at least it isn't Japanese!

My point is that graphics alone are not going to determine whether your RPG resembles anime or not. Anime has certain story traits which are often quite recognizable and if you're not trying to emulate that, then you won't have an anime-like RPG. That simple.

 

[Cruelty]

I struggle to see how this relates to the topic which is:



If you're gonna complain at least do it properly. KTHX.

I was trolling.

And it did have something to do with the topic, which is loosely about anime-rpgs. I said they're lame. They are. You are too, you like Naruto.
=D

 

[Rye]

I'm sure this isn't about how he likes Naruto. (ignore this, the original post I was replying to is gone now). I don't really see what the big deal about japanese RPGs. If you don't want to use Japanese graphics, then don't. Simple as that.

 

[arev]

@Volrath - the story of a game isn't the only thing that makes it anime or not. Sorry, but I disagree with your statement about RTP in your project. You just CAN'T make a game on RTP that doesn't feel anime (one way or another). When you look at 'anime sprite' you think it's anime, not "it is anime or not, depending on the storyline'. Graphics are the first thing to make an impression, that's why I think a lot more effort should be put in making them, than in it now in the community. Some poeple try to defent the standard graphics by saying that it's the storyline that matters the most. Well, I say - if you want a good storyline, go read a book. In 99% it's going to be a lot better than in any game.

 

[Volrath]

You just CAN'T make a game on RTP that doesn't feel anime (one way or another).

I have to say I really resent being told I can't do something. This forum isn't meant to stifle people's ambitions. Why shouldn't I be confident that the Western nature of my storytelling can overcome things like sprites or tilesets? (I don't get what's particularly anime about a cliff or a church or whatnot, the only element of the RTP that really screams anime are the battlers, which we don't even really use in my case. We've gotten custom ones, more to match the custom sprites than to avoid RTP though)

Graphics are the first thing to make an impression, that's why I think a lot more effort should be put in making them, than in it now in the community. Some poeple try to defent the standard graphics by saying that it's the storyline that matters the most.

I do have respect for the people who go for a complete custom made project. It takes ambition, but more often than not, ambition is the only thing people have to show for it. I think the fact that we have some completed games here is because people weren't obsessively focused on the graphics. Personally, I got into this hobby for the fun of creating....which doesn't include sitting around waiting for others to finish my art because I can't bear to release a project with RTP-style graphics. A complete game which provides hours of fun makes a good impression. Look at Under...heavy on RTP, but it's a blast. I do hope that we won't get in the habit of pidgeonholing anyone's project as "anime" even when the creators aren't aiming for that at all. That kind of simplistic reasoning has no constructive value whatsoever.

 

[FoxDemonSoavi]

If you really want an all custom game soak money into it or find a way to earn some loyalty and dependablity from people.
IF a project has 100% custom everything I would be amazed if it was free or even posted about on this site. Aveyond was not known about here until a while after it came out. It was not being advertised as an rmxp game.

In general I agree with Volrath that its more the story and game play content than the are that is the major difference between western and eastern.

 

[arev]

Volrath, I didn't mean to say what you may or may not do. I wanted to say that it's impossible to do what you're saying. And telling me that "someone who doesn't know what an anime is won't recognize the game as anime" is like saying that a person may not know what a "game" is :/
RPG making is fun, sure, and I'm not aying people should do it only with custom graphics, it's certain that not everyone can do it, but after this, saying that a game is something else than it is really is... ridiculous?

Another thing:

The fact that we actually have some projects which are completed is mostly due to the fact that the creators didn't obsessively focus on the graphics.

This "unobsessive focusing on the graphics" usually mean no focusing. Well, maybe a custom title, and a menu. Most poeple don't even make te effort to change the main character. The problem is that most games LOOK tha same, and storyline has nothing to do with it. Maybe I'm weird, but I find playing 10th or 50th game that looks exactly like tons of others extremely boring.
And it's not because of "anime style", I'd be really happy to play an anime game that actually looks original, not RTPish :]
Sorry if this went a bit off-topic.

And FoxDemonSoavi, it doesn't really require money to make an original game. It just takes much more effort to choose the harder way :]