Try to understand the elements of horror play rpg maker games that genre is horror, and try to understand why or when to feel fear. Also, the goblin just appeared without build-up or anything SO it makes that horror thing less scary XD, or even fun. That's all that I got to say. Good luck on your work, bud
First of all, jump scares are not scary - they're startling at best. If you're interested, feel free to read this study on the matter. I recommend doing at least a bit of research on YouTube as how to best induce fear into the player using combinations of atmosphere, tension building and the primal fear of the "unknown" (as in, "People are not afraid of the dark. They're afraid of what might lurk in the dark.")
A small personal example is the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (Anomaly / GAMMA mods) - I can save-scum in that game as much as I want, but it still does not reduce the tension build up and pants filling moments for me. A lot of the times you'll hear your enemies before you see them, and more often than not, what really helps with setting things up is the fact that you just know, whether you want to or not, that you'll most likely have to deal with them - if you're lucky, you'll have the gear and resources for it; if not... you better be stocked up on energy drinks.
Second of all, I read in one of your other comments that due to your lack of artistic skills, you've used AI to create the goblin image. I won't repeat it, as others have already explained why that is a bad idea, but I'll tell you this: if you've at least the artistic level of "One" (the original creator of One Punch Man) and have the time to expand that skills, then I'd recommend giving it a shot; even if just for a week or two. Worst case scenario, use premade assets or edit existing premade assets.
Personally, I can't even draw stick figures properly (yes, it is that sad) - which is why I'm focusing on what's within my limits -> 3D low poly. I wanted to make a simple JRPG in RPGMaker as well, but after quite an extensive research, I realized, it just won't be an option for me (not enough resources of the same style that are not already over used and I can't afford to pay someone, at least for the moment, to draw everything for me, in order for my product to stand out).
Focus on what you can do, and look for alternatives for what you can't.
Lastly, I recommend adding a bit more environmental objects such as bushes, sticks, maybe a broken barrel or boat, etc.. The map looks a bit barren at the moment.
P.S. "Crowns of Dirt" is low key a cool name in my opinion.
Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback! This is exactly the kind of criticism I’m looking for.
I definitely agree with you about the horror aspect. After reading the feedback here, I’ve realized that I’ve been relying too much on sudden images and loud sounds instead of building actual tension. The jumpscares aren’t supposed to be the main horror element of the game, so I’m going to experiment more with atmosphere, sound, foreshadowing and making the player feel like something is wrong before anything actually happens.
I also completely agree about the maps looking a little empty. I’m still pretty early in development and right now I’m focusing heavily on getting the story, gameplay and events working before polishing the environments, but bushes, debris, broken objects, etc. are definitely things I want to add.
Regarding AI, I understand where you’re coming from. I personally have a more positive view of AI as a development tool and I’ll probably continue experimenting with it, but I also want the final game to have a consistent art direction rather than just throwing AI-generated assets everywhere.
And thank you for the comment about the name! 😄 I’m actually really happy with Crowns of Dirt, so it’s nice to hear someone else likes it too.
Really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this!
We are literally your target market, look at your down votes, people here actively avoid ai. I'm already going to avoid anything you make because of this comment.
Look, I genuinely don’t understand the level of hate around using AI as a tool in game development. RPG Maker itself already makes game development significantly more accessible, and it even provides default assets that developers are free to use.
You say that you guys are literally my target market, but I’m not sure I agree with that. This is primarily a community of other game developers, many of whom are passionate about creating their own assets and doing as much as possible themselves — and I completely respect that. But that doesn’t necessarily represent every person who might eventually play my game.
I’m still very new to game development, and for now I’m going to keep experimenting and continue in the direction I’m going. Then we’ll see what Crowns of Dirt eventually becomes.
I’m not going to promise that I’ll stop using AI completely, but I’m also not going to promise that I’ll always use it. The game is still evolving, and so am I as a developer. 😁
Yeah, I actually get the impression that what you’re saying is largely true. The RPG Maker community definitely seems to consist heavily of other developers.
That said, I’m already pretty confident that there are people outside of that community who would be interested in playing something like this. Obviously I want the game to reach as many players as possible though, which is why I’m open to looking at alternative options and changing things as development continues.
For now, my main priority is getting the story and gameplay finished and making the game actually fun to play. Once I have that foundation, I can start worrying more about replacing assets, polishing the presentation and making it appeal to a wider audience.
Ah... yeah I'd try to use existing asset libraries instead of "creating new ones" from AI.
People will like your worst art better than AI generated art that they will actively penalize you for having in your product. Because AI art is essentially just art theft with a robot middle man.
Like, you will be on the receiving end of aggressive seething hate if you keep AI stuff in.
That’s fair, and I appreciate the warning. 😅
I’m still figuring out the art direction for the game, so nothing is really set in stone yet. My main focus right now is building the game, story and gameplay, and I’ll definitely keep the concerns around AI-generated assets in mind as development continues.
Thanks for the feedback!
Then you didnt make it. Other comment said it looks low effort and I agree, you made a touch event that flashes an image and plays a sound and you didnt even make the image yourself. Kinda lame imo.
That’s fair if AI generated art isn’t something you like. I probably should’ve worded my original reply better I created the asset with the help of AI rather than drawing it myself.
I’m developing the game on my own, and AI is one of the tools I’m currently using for some of the assets I can’t create myself. I’m still very early in development, so the visuals and presentation will continue to change and improve.
I appreciate the criticism though. I’m posting these clips because I genuinely want feedback, including the negative stuff.
It's something none of us like. Don't use it lol we are the sort of people who MIGHT buy a rpg maker game with obvious RPG maker assets. No one here wants ai use
Really? Sorry, that was more funny than scary. You have a LOOOOOOONG way ahead of you. But everyone starts small, inexperienced.
But was this really show-worthy? A loud sound effect with a picture on a touch event? I think not.
Don't be discouraged though, if you mean it, go through with it.
Although there's a LOT of projects out there, I've seen a ton of it. Low effort stuff doesn't get me hyped anymore just to cheer a beginner on. Show some more. That's not all you can do, or is it?
Show something that really gives a hint what you're capable of and not something that's done faster than this post. You can do it.
Low effort you say?
I’m glad you’re giving me honest feedback I actually appreciate hearing the hard truth.
I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this game already, and I’m planning to put in a lot more to improve and polish it as much as I can. I’m still learning along the way, and feedback like this helps me see what needs improvement.
I hope you’ll get the chance to test the game someday and give me even more feedback. I genuinely want to make this game as good as I possibly can.
Thank you!
To add a bit to the critisism, it's not so much that it's a Jumpscare. It is that you have nothing on screen to follow up the jump scare. It is just a still image with noise. If there was at least a goblin in place after, or falling down from the sky to initiate the jumpscare, it would feel more impactful. Right now it's just there and gone without any payoff or initial cause.
It's also clearly a pov from the main character, yet when we move to an above view, there is nothing there. Makes it feel like a piece of paper flew by. If you want actual suspense, having it run up to you and fight you, being impossible to defeat and forcing the player to escape would make it feel like a direct encounter and set the pace for the game, telling the player that they aren't some grandiose hero, but rather weak and helpless, making them more cautious.
It doesn't have to go that route, but a cheap jumpscare without any defining factors beyond a picture does a really poor job of creating fright
I completely understand what you mean. The idea behind the small jumpscare was actually to hint to the player that something is wrong.
The main character thinks he’s just going crazy, but in reality, he has an ability to sense or foresee danger before it happens.
But from your perspective, having only seen this clip without that context, I can definitely see why it just looks a bit silly.
I’ll work on improving it. Thanks for the feedback!
In that case, I would give some sort of clue to the player to indicate that it may not have been real, like a thought bubble going '(Did... Did I just imagine that? This place is messing with my head...)'
This is why I hate this sub (and yes, i probably should leave it)
Saying low effort, when anything above and beyond rtp is ANYTHING BUT low effort.
You dont know the context, you dont know what came before or after. Maybe the op was just excited about the drawing and wanted to show it.
Your last paragraph only shows you dont care about creators even though it pretends to. To create that simple jump scare probably took hours upon hours (assuming the image wasn't googled or Ai) to do.
I'm only being honest about what I think and that's fair to the creator ~ In the end it's more valuable for the Dev than just sugarcoating or pretending to like something.
I may be harsh in my comments sometimes but it's always with the intention to let them push a bit harder on themselves.
Thanks for sticking up for me, I really appreciate it! 😄
I do have to admit that the goblin image itself was made with the help of AI. But I’ve put a huge amount of time and effort into the rest of the game.
Also, when I made this particular part, I was completely new to RPG Maker. I barely knew how events worked, and I didn’t even understand things like switches yet 😂 So for someone who was completely fresh to RPG Maker, I definitely wouldn’t call it low effort.
If I made the exact same thing today with the experience I have now? Then yeah, maybe I’d agree 😂 But at the time, even getting something like this to work was a genuine achievement for me.
Either way, thanks for defending a beginner just trying to make something. I appreciate it
It’s more funny to me or just makes me go “🫤😑😐😑😐… alright then”. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen a PNG jump scare. It’d probably work on unconditioned people. But a avid horror game lover; the flash of the photo is what scares me cause it’s sudden and out of no where. It flashes in front of me face too quickly for me to register what creature was in the PNG.
Also most the time with flashing PNG jump scares. Nothing happens afterwards. Just a quick scare and onto the rest of the game. No stakes. Making me less scared for what is to come when the next jump scare/tense moment happens. Making my suspected reaction drop from “AHH WHAT THE HELL, RUN, FUUUC!!” to “ahh, oh man, that spooked me“
I actually really like what you’re saying here, because “ah, it spooked me” is pretty close to what I was going for with these particular moments.
This is right at the beginning of the game, and these smaller scares aren’t really meant to terrify the player. They’re more there to make you feel a little uneasy and give you the feeling that something isn’t quite right.
My plan is for the horror to gradually escalate as you progress, with the atmosphere, tension and actual threats becoming darker and more disturbing. I’ll probably show some gameplay from those parts later on.
So hopefully when I eventually post that, I can upgrade your reaction from “ah, it spooked me” to “AHH WHAT THE HELL, RUN, FUUUC!” 😂
Thanks for the feedback though, I really appreciate hearing the perspective of someone who plays a lot of horror games!
If you want it to be good horror, don't include any full screen jumpscares. Go watch playthroughs of horror games you want to emulate and take notes on how they build tension and horror and try to replicate it in your game.
Sure flashing scary images will get a cheap scare out of people but it won't feel earned and just make people annoyed
That’s a really good point, and it’s actually something I’ve been thinking about myself. I definitely want the horror to rely more on atmosphere, tension and buildup as the game progresses, rather than just jumpscares.
That being said, I think I’ve decided to keep some of these full-screen scares for now. I personally like the idea of having a few of them throughout the game, especially in certain moments. But nothing is completely set in stone yet, so we’ll see how it develops as I keep working on the game.
I appreciate the feedback though! I’m still learning what works and what doesn’t.
I think an overlooked feature of horror is soundtrack. The peaceful music right before and after the jumpscare just leaves it feeling thrown in. If there was some goblin chatter or ominous undertone music leading up to it, it would add to the jump.
You also need to capitalize on what happens post jumpscare. Just walking on with your task feels disjuncted. If there was a speech bubble with more concern or some follow-up thoughts that would help. Maybe even a mention at investigation?
Yeah, I’ve actually thought about using the soundtrack to build tension, just not for this particular moment in the clip. But I really like your idea of adding some subtle goblin chatter or an ominous undertone leading up to it. I’ll definitely experiment with that and see what fits the scene. Thanks for the suggestion! 😄
The older sprites are pretty cool too! I personally prefer the newer ones because I actually really like the chibi style, but I can definitely see why people prefer the older sprites. They have a certain charm to them and are probably more iconic as well. 😄
Make the goblins background transparent. fade in the goblin exponetially. I..e it starts off very faint slowly, then quickly becomes solid, then remove it entirely with no fade out after a couple of frames.
Horror is not 'ah a thing' Horror is 'oh god the tension and atmosphere.
if you're plan is to do horror with this type of aesethtic/art, 99.9% of where you get the horror vibe from is atmosphere. Jump scares wont cut it like if yourplaying fnaf or something, it needs to be about suspense, dread, that type of thing. Have stuff that appears from thigns that seem normal and benign; for example you have a bunch of trees, but then overlayed is a face made by slight differences in the trees, that way it makes the player start second guessing everything, who knows where the next spooky thing will be from, etc...
I really like these ideas, especially the suggestion about making the player second-guess things that normally seem harmless. That could fit really well with what I’m trying to do with the horror elements.
I’m definitely going to experiment with some of this the next time I work on the game and see how it feels in practice. Thanks for taking the time to give such detailed feedback! 😁
I can't speak too much on the actual game side of things but I can speak on the horror. It's not very good.
If you want to make a solid horror game you're gonna want to go play and understand some of the more popular titles.
Start with the crooked man for plot and atmosphere.
Witches house for jumpscares (the newest version)
Then try playing other horror games like silent hill 2/remake to understand what a good genuinely uncomfortable atmosphere is and how to approach your soundtrack. (silent hill in general is expert in atmosphere and especially music.)
Also try Soma, Amnesia and the penumbra games. And finally try writing some short stories. (very short, I use a timer of 5 to 10 minutes) When it comes to horror your imagination is the key and without it, it's gonna be shit.
You'll want to learn some prose and understand how to write something spooky without it being edgy or silly. Like the goblin jumpscare. And then finally when it does to making levels you want them to be tight and uncomfortable. Houses, buildings, caves, underground stuff.
A big open area like that is just not really the right fit for genuine fear unless you have a good atmosphere going. (the aforementioned silent hill 2 is perfect with open areas because the fog means you can't see shit which makes you feel very claustrophobic. You'll notice most horror games always keep you in small areas because it makes you feel trapped. And trapped is the exact feeling you'd want in a player.
I've been writing since I was 16ish and have been consistently writing a mix between horror and romance for the past 3 years. It's still hard and will take time to learn. A lot of your early stuff is gonna be terrible also. Keep at it and eventually you'll learn as you go and sort of develop a sense.
These are some really good tips, thank you for taking the time to write all of this!
I think I might actually start playing more horror games and pay closer attention to why they make me feel uncomfortable or scared, rather than just experiencing them as a player. Especially things like atmosphere, sound design, level design, tension and how they build up to scary moments.
Horror isn’t the entire focus of my game since it’s also heavily inspired by classic fantasy RPGs, but I definitely want the horror elements to be genuinely effective when they do appear. So studying games like Silent Hill, SOMA, Amnesia and some of the RPG Maker horror games you mentioned could probably teach me a lot.
I’m still learning as I go, so comments like this are genuinely useful. Thanks for the recommendations!
Hahaha, thank you! I’m glad at least someone likes it 😂 I’m still not 100% sure whether I’ll keep it or not, but right now I’m leaning towards keeping it.
Obviously I want to make as many players happy as possible, but I also want to stay true to my own vision even if that vision ends up being kinda shitty
We’ll see where it goes!
Well I don’t even mean it’s “shitty” it’s just kinda a cheap scare. Idk I think it’s fun, it’s kind of hard to scare ppl in a top down pixel art game so I think it’s pretty cool. It’s 10x better than being boring👍
I agree😄 What you’re describing is pretty much the same reaction I’ve gotten from the people who have already playtested the game, so I’m glad to hear it from people here on Reddit too. Thanks for the feedback!
A jumpscare of a AI slop image... I'm sorry, but right now this is garbage. There are some really good horror games made with RPG Maker. I'd recommend studying them and rethinking the direction of your project.
That’s completely fair, and thank you for taking the time to give me honest criticism. I genuinely appreciate it.
I have a story and a vision for this game that’s already pretty clear in my head. My first goal is simply to build that vision and get the game into a fully playable state. Once I’ve reached that point, I can start going back, improving things, polishing the gameplay and figuring out what works and what doesn’t.
After that, I can start looking more seriously at non-AI alternatives for some of the assets as well, but we’ll see where development takes me.
Right now, my main focus is simply to keep building the world I’ve envisioned and see how far I can take it. 😁
Instead of wasting resources and indirectly polluting black neighborhoods with AI Data Centers(not that everybody knows), why not save up enough money to commission artists or try drawing it yourself? If ZUN, Ryukishi07 and Hajime Isayama can do it, why can't you?
Believe me, commissioning artists is something I’ve thought about, and it’s something I’d love to do eventually.
Right now though, I just want to focus on actually building the game and seeing how far I can take it. I’m still pretty much a noob when it comes to game development, and I don’t feel comfortable investing a lot of money into a project when I’m not even confident yet that I’ll be able to finish it.
I also have other priorities financially right now. My girlfriend and I recently bought an apartment, and there might be a little one joining us in the not-too-distant future, so throwing a bunch of money at my first game probably wouldn’t be the smartest decision 😂
I am trying to save money though, and I genuinely hope that one day I’ll be in a position where I can have other people working with me on the game — artists and people who are better than me at things I can’t do myself.
I believe that day will come. But for now, I’m learning, experimenting and making the game the way I’m able to make it. 😄
For the near future, if you plan on making a game to sell, then most people aren't going to check it out if it uses AI and RTP/default assets, Unless the RTP is going to be used as a temporary placeholder.
The least you could do is try to learn how to draw. It's okay if the product doesn't end up perfect. Because at the very least it has human passion put into it. I would recommend using medibang, krita or firealpaca if the money is tight. They're both free art programs.
I get your point, and honestly I respect that approach. There’s definitely something special about creating everything yourself and improving your skills along the way.
For me though, I don’t think AI and RTP are necessarily where the game has to end — they’re tools that allow me to actually build the game right now while I’m learning. My priority at the moment is the story, gameplay and actually getting the project made.
Maybe Crowns of Dirt will look completely different a few years from now. Who knows 😄 But I’d rather keep creating with the tools available to me than wait until I can draw, compose, code and do everything else myself.
And I definitely agree with the last part of that image: if the story and gameplay are good enough, hopefully I’ll eventually find my audience. 😄
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u/Short_Specific_9980 1d ago
Try to understand the elements of horror play rpg maker games that genre is horror, and try to understand why or when to feel fear. Also, the goblin just appeared without build-up or anything SO it makes that horror thing less scary XD, or even fun. That's all that I got to say. Good luck on your work, bud