Hello gamers,
With very simple tools, you can create things that emotionally resonate with people. It doesn’t take a degree, money, or a team of people, but it does take a lot of vision, motivation, and the RIGHT tools. And today, I want to talk about one of my favorite tools- RPG Maker!
Today, I’m going to try to convince Muffles and RPG Maker fans alike that it’s a game engine that should be used to make all sorts of amazing things- but please for the love of Gabe, don’t make an RPG with it.
What’s the DEAL with RPG Maker games?
Muffles’ Life Sentence was developed in a little game engine called RPG Maker MV. It is one of the newer versions, but at this point is 10+ years old. It’s an incredible engine with many peculiarities that you discover 2000 hours deep, crouched over your computer at 11:00 PM, saying ‘ohhhhhh THAT’S how it works?!’
RPG Maker games get a lot of flak for being cookie cutter and simple, often relying on stock assets and the same, tired turn-based combat system. It’s easy to look at the limited scope of the engine and the default tools to understand where this temptation comes from.
But the really great RPG Maker games, of which there are many, can somehow use these same tools and achieve incredibly fresh and interesting gameplay, little to no extra code writing required!
How do I make a good game in RPG Maker?
RPG Maker has 2 strengths that you should always keep in mind when using it to make games.
It can very quickly turn content (text, music, images) into scenes and simple gameplay
It has a set of very specific tools based on classic Final Fantasy-style RPGs
A good game in RPG Maker is one that leverages these 2 strengths using content and ideas that have deep meaning to you.
In game development, like most creative disciplines, execution is everything, and boy can you execute with this workhorse of an engine. Use that to your advantage- quickly iterate on many ideas to find the perfect one, reinterpret classic systems to showcase familiar gameplay in new ways, and please do not make an RPG with it!
Why the heck not an RPG?
‘When you’re a hammer, all your problems look like nails.’
Well, ‘when you’re using RPG Maker, all your ideas become JRPG tropes.’
To illustrate the point, here’s how NOT to use the RPG Maker battle system.
I have to use this because it’s in the engine
I’ll fill in fights and make them interesting later
I want to use every default move and status effect that RPG Maker offers to have a ton of variation
It’s okay if the fights are kind of boring because the story and characters will be really good.
Instead, try asking yourself some questions when approaching this tool.
How can I make battles make me feel something? (Weird, uncomfortable, empowered, angry, scared, etc.)
How could I use these tools to make gameplay other than traditional battles?
What are players expecting that I could circumvent?
What are my biggest strengths in art and writing that this system can showcase uniquely well?
Some game engines are closer to a palette of paints and a canvas. RPG Maker presents closer to a ‘paint by numbers’ piece, or maybe one of those ‘connect the dots’ drawings. And it’s difficult to see where the engine is trying to push you and say, ‘no, I’m going to do something different,’ but when you do, a whole world of possibilities open up. And speaking of…
Muffles’ Life Sentence is an RPG Maker game
MLS is unabashedly an RPG Maker game. And at the same time, when people say ‘oh I had no idea!’ I feel very proud of that accomplishment.
I was on a walk one day, turning over ideas for a new project, when I thought about making a game where the silent protagonist is silent because they had their mouth sewn shut. And if they were trapped in a strange, colorful, and dangerous world, interesting hijinks would no doubt ensue.
I think the best moments of MLS are the ones that lean on these core components, and the weakest are when I stray too far away. It’s so easy to get caught up thinking ‘players are going to want battles, I have to make it look like X, I need to download all these plugins to flesh out the game, etc.’
I like to think that all games are ultimately about a very simple set of ideas and emotions. And if you dream up a compelling concept while on your walk, and you pick the right tools for the job, you can make…
... well, you’ll definitely make something :).
In other news…
Rambling Bossy is at it again. Hope you all are well.I wonder how many of the people reading are interested is making games of their own, versus are purely Muffles fans.
Either way, thank you for being here! I got so much cooking up behind the scenes it’s getting hard not to talk about in places like this. All in due time I suppose.
Until next time,
-Bossy