create a game without it looking like a rpg maker game?

[Stevie Wonder]

like iis this possible?

i like the idea of creating a rpg, its fun and stuff.

but i just dont want it to have that prg maker look you know.

like if i were to publish it onto steam for example, then i dont want people to instantly look at it and go "o look its a game made in rpg maker"

cuz those a millions on steam, and i ee them every day and get put off.

[Marmalade Chainsaw]

You could try using original assets... That's a thing.

[XIIIthHarbinger]

Is it possible to create an RPG Maker game that doesn't look like an RPG Maker game.

Yes, it is possible.

However, the fact that you are asking that question, leads me to place the odds of YOU doing so at more than slightly longish.

[Amelia]

Original assets will do the trick, at least on the visual side, if you're looking to pony up some cash to commission artists. There are a number of RPG Maker games I own on Steam that look unique, and I'm sure their are more on the community forums but I haven't checked them in quite some time.

Though to be honest, I've learned that people are going to say any 2D indie RPG is an RPG Maker game without doing research. For example I heard a lot of people parrot Charles Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden, Doom and Destiny and Cthulhu Saves the World were RPG Maker games when they weren't, so be wary.

[Slim Jimmy]

just grab a drawing tablet and draw your own stuff

[JohnDoeNews]

Sure, look at my project, doesn't look RPG maker, but it is:
games.johndoenews.nl/2018/02/grass-prequel.html

[Stevie Wonder]

Originally posted by BigFatX:

Sure, look at my project, doesn't look RPG maker, but it is:
games.johndoenews.nl/2018/02/grass-prequel.html

thats cool and all, but that looks exactly like it was made in rpg maker

[Iguana Guy]

So how would your game portray itself to not look like rpg maker? It can't do 3-d maps or isolinear maps without the creator making that stuff from scratch themselves. Anything out there for free for use with RPG MV is already being used by 1000s of others so that makes that stuff un-original too. I think you should consider that there are a lot of people who like rpg maker games and don't mind the look of it, they just don't like that some devs smash a game together overnight that is full of errors and call that a complete game. What is needed in the playing field isn't new graphics and much as a new attitude from those of us who make these games to put a little thought and effort into the game quality - maybe then people won't shun an RPG Maker game on sight. Until then, the only thing I can think is to use a lot of custom stuff to take the recognition away from "rpg" But what hapens when they start playing the game and then say - I thought this was something else but now I see it is just another rpg game. Do you have an alternate gameplay mode in mind as well?

[Remi-Chan: Chaos Goddess]

yes

want proof

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzJsm9LtWs4

now it wont be easy, granted. because you'll have to either have several competent artists at your beck and call or be a devoted artist yourself

but yes

[JohnDoeNews]

Originally posted by Stevie Wonder:

Originally posted by BigFatX:

Sure, look at my project, doesn't look RPG maker, but it is:
games.johndoenews.nl/2018/02/grass-prequel.html

thats cool and all, but that looks exactly like it was made in rpg maker

Only I didn't use the graphics. Even made my own windowscreen. What else you wanna change? Like the system? You don't need images for that, do that with scripting and plugins.

Maybe is you tell us WHAT you want to look diffrently, then we can tell you if it is possible (probably is) and how to do it. You just asked if it can look diffrent. :p

However, about my game, there is hardly anything left to basic. The menu doesn't look the same, the messages are customized, the only think you could recognize it as an RPG maker game, is the game style, but that is because it is a JRPG. Every JRPG looks like tektwindows with choices and face images. I can name ten games, which have the same setup, and excisted before RPG maker.

So, I think you don't just wanna mask it was made with RPG Maker, I think you want to change your project into something else than a JRPG. Which is fine, and possible too, but would affect more than just the looks.

[XIIIthHarbinger]

Originally posted by BigFatX:

Only I didn't use the graphics. Even made my own windowscreen. What else you wanna change? Like the system? You don't need images for that, do that with scripting and plugins.

Maybe is you tell us WHAT you want to look diffrently, then we can tell you if it is possible (probably is) and how to do it. You just asked if it can look diffrent. :p

However, about my game, there is hardly anything left to basic. The menu doesn't look the same, the messages are customized, the only think you could recognize it as an RPG maker game, is the game style, but that is because it is a JRPG. Every JRPG looks like tektwindows with choices and face images. I can name ten games, which have the same setup, and excisted before RPG maker.

So, I think you don't just wanna mask it was made with RPG Maker, I think you want to change your project into something else than a JRPG. Which is fine, and possible too, but would affect more than just the looks.

You mean you actually expect them to exert the effort to provide details about what they are trying to accomplish?

Rather than engaging the internet equivalent of charades?

X, that's so mean.

[Caethyril]

Any major changes will require proficiency with JavaScript, a.k.a. JS, and if you're set on it being unique-looking, you'll have to either innovate with the commonly-available plugins or code your own.

Originally posted by Stevie Wonder:

cuz those a millions on steam, and i ee them every day and get put off.

I understand this; after "Not Interested"-ing hundreds of them I've changed my settings to ignore the RPGMaker tag. ._.

[kittylitterproduction]

Both Demos in this thread evidence their heritage strongly by the visual style of their start menus.

[JohnDoeNews]

Originally posted by kittylitterproduction:

Both Demos in this thread evidence their heritage strongly by the visual style of their start menus.

Okay, the start menu, I have to agree on. I could do more with that. However, plugins I have tried to do something with the title screen, all conflict with oher plugins I already use. For me this is not a priority.

Originally posted by XIIIthHarbinger:

You mean you actually expect them to exert the effort to provide details about what they are trying to accomplish?

Rather than engaging the internet equivalent of charades?

X, that's so mean.

No, not completely. And a bit, yes. :p What I try to say is: I did what he asked: Change the look of the project, so it isn't standard RPG maker. :p I didn't know he actually didn't want to have it look like a JRPG at all. Cause that wasn't what he asked.

However, @StevieWonder, if you want to customize your game completely, to have all traces removed that might hint on it being an RPG maker game, then you will need to know a lot about RPG maker. And you asking this the way you did, kinda tells me you're quite new.

You need to start with the basics. Learn with babysteps, not with olympic record jumps. If you would jump an olympic record before you could walk, I can promise you the landing will not be pretty.

[JohnDoeNews]

Oh btw, don't publish your game on steam. Unless you're a pro. Publish your game on platforms that are made for indie games and such. Like Itch.

The thing is, if you make a real good RPG maker project, next to the AAA games, your game will still look like nothing. (And should, cause AAA games are much harder to develop) But on a platform for indie games, a good indie game, will look good next to all the medium indie games.

And more importantly: The crowd on those platforms, are in fact looking for indie games. They like this kind of stuff, that is why they are on the platforms.

[Xennial]

If you want your game to look unique you're probably going to have to go the route of parallax mapping and obtaining some good looking textures and assets not before seen on rpgmv tilesets.