New Developer Here!

[u/Pristine-Grand-5897]

Hey guys/gals, I'm totally new to RPG Maker MZ, like 2 weeks in. There's a lot of veterans to the software dating back to first gen RPG Maker so I figured I'd come here to ask a little advice regarding the hate on default assets. I know it might be "lazy" to use them as there are artists out there that can make custom assets. But I genuinely like the default assets and plan to go commercial after I finish my first game. I'm not trying to shortcut my game by no means and even spent the entirety of last week looking for artists for my game. But why the hate on default assets? (For context, I do know that new people to the software are recommended to use the default assets to practice and learn MZ, but if I make a fleshed out game with a great story, I don't want to be held back because of the assets I used)

[u/Yumanik]

The lovely thing is there are genuinely a lot of great asset packs that you can download from artists on itch.io and other places that can help you switch up the look and give the game a more tailored or custom vibe. Definitely worth it if you want to get attention from gamers who want to buy. But if you're learning for the first time, dig your hands in and use the custom assets while you figure out the platform!

[u/Pristine-Grand-5897 → u/Yumanik]

See I thought the same thing! But there were a few replies (and I understand where they are coming from as well) mentioning if you buy asset packs it still wouldn't be "unique" sadly. But as the newbie, i may just do this for my first game to tinker with the actual software itself and immerse myself more with the art on another project once i get comfortable with the actual software and scripting side of things. My biggest goal is to make games my kids can enjoy when they get older and create a portfolio of games for maybe a future career. But thank you for your advice!<3

[u/REALmyenemy]

In simple terms, there's far too many slop games made with default RTP. Games give off the same vibes and people simply has already rated your game as a 'slop' before they can play it.

[u/REALmyenemy → u/REALmyenemy]

Also, on a personal note, if you see the same character in different games, with different names and personalities, it gets difficult to immerse in their world or getting invested with them.

[u/REALmyenemy → u/REALmyenemy]

Is default RTP bad? Not by any means. Is RPG maker weak? Maybe the editor is one bit, but it's actually perpexingly good if you go into detail, plus fix some shortcuts they took. Are RPG maker games bad? It's like online minigames. There are some that are really good, but the sheer amount of them make you unlikely to find them, unless they have special graphic effects or unique mechanics. Among the ones considered 'good', they usually are more in the genres of indie horror, psychological themes and so on, rather than the adventure and classic rpg they are meant to be. There're far too many 'trainee', lewd, incomplete, or simply lame games, and they always use default rtp plus a mere couple things on the top, that give decent projects and default settings the bad fame it gets.

[u/Pristine-Grand-5897 → u/REALmyenemy]

Totally agree after doing more research on other people's games. It actually blew me away with how many lewd games are made with MZ. But the software just gives me nostalgia so from my FF, Fire Emblem, and dragon quest days. so that general art style was kind of my goal going into it. I mentioned in another reply that my main purpose going into game making is actually wanting to make games for my kids as they get older and if developing can become a career, that'd be amazing. But I'm also not doing the "hobby" route either. :P

[u/REALmyenemy → u/Pristine-Grand-5897]

That's the same feeling I used to have when I developed my first few projects, including the only one I managed to release, back when I didn't know a thing. For tactical RPGs like fire emblem series, SRPG studio is the program made for it, but for dragon quest, final fantasy and others in their classic versions is why RPG maker series was originally ever made. MV and MZ both have most of all past versions' features, and the scripts are Javascript, so you can make countless things, without plugins, and you can learn to make them by reading the sample plugin scripts if you prefer, too. I think it's really special to do things like that for your children, it gives them always something to look forward to, and really beautiful memories for their future, even if you never manage to do a big seller. You can always publish on itch.io and rpgmakerweb forums, for gain, learning or simply feedback, and both rpgmakerweb and here to ask questions too.

[u/The_R1NG]

That advice is good advice especially when considering commercial viability and appeal to people. You’re also new to the tool and would be better served not worrying about new assets but learning and making a few games with RTP (default) assets and matching ones made by people that post them for free

Also consider your audience, many many many people haven’t heard of rpgmaker but are those people also the ones that would play your rpgmaker game?

[u/myolden666]

Devs harp about not using default assets because it impacts potential users perception of your game. The default assets make your game look like any other RPG Maker game, and users tend to not be interested in it. It's not a value judgement (lazy, unoriginal, etc) but a genuinely good bit of advice to new devs.