10 Years of Using RPG Maker | A Developer Retrospective

Wishlist Vexation: Hand Crafted Hell today!
store.steampowered.com/app/21...
Let's go back in time to visit a decade of making games and see just how much stuff I've made is actually quite bad. But, at least some of it's good. XD
Socials:
Website: gestmorphgames.com/
Discord: / discord
Twitter: / gestmorphg
Instagram: / gestmorphgames
Chapters:
Introduction: 00:00
2012 - The Legend of Palidin: 1:30
2013 - Castle of the Blue Flame: 4:48
2013 - The Legacy of Syphyous: 7:37
2014 - Grandma's Cottage: 12:36
2014 - Castle of the Blue Flame: Corrupted Onyx: 15:29
2015 - Five Nights at Standby's: 19:19
2015 - Maze Racer: 22:11
2015 - Cannonball Combat: 24:54
2015 - Standby's 2: Mind of The Lunatic: 26:45
2016 - Prism Collider: 29:05
2016 - ERR-001: 32:17
2017 - Endurance: 35:47
2017 - DESOLATE: Clone Catastrophe: 40:05
2018 - Complementary: 43:17
2018 - WALL: Runaway: 45:33
2019 - Trikumax: 48:16
2020 - Wallace and the Cheese Demons: 52:43
2021 - Heard there was a Chosen One: 54:16
2021 - Trikumax Arena: 56:45
2022 - I NEED A NAME: 58:42
2022 - Second Thoughts: 1:01:23
2023 - Vexation: Hand Crafted Hell: 1:02:29
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Sovereign Quarter by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/4396-sovere...
License (CC BY 4.0): filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: incompetech.com
Music: Exit the Premises by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: filmmusic.io/song/3728-exit-t...
License (CC BY 4.0): filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: incompetech.com

[@dillion308]

In 2016, when I was 14, I used RPG Maker to make a game made up of almost entirely recolored undertale graphics. It was awesome (in my head) and it will stay that way because I deleted all the files. :)

[@GestmorphGames]

Well at least I can now say that I wasn't alone making an Undertale like game in 2016. XD Hope if you make more stuff in the future I get to see it! :P

[@Skoopyghost]

You're like me with the drums. I was the kid with the ADHD. I found the drums. I was in love. Making video games is cool though.

[@uzinald]

I think we all made a 40 hour bland rpg no one will ever care about when we were 15

[@GestmorphGames]

Yup. At least we can all know that we aren't alone in the idea of trying to make a giant game when we have no idea what we're doing. So we can all look back at them together. XD

[@Player-eq6fg]

yes lol

[@Amaiguri]

As a full time game developer, I LOVE looking at the work of solodevs because there's no one to tell them "No". And it's just so so personal to them and you just get to see how they grow. It's just this really cool, intimate experience. Great video! I'll definitively have to check out your good ones XD

[@GestmorphGames]

I agree completely! And although I feel sometimes maybe a "no" would have helped here and there, at least I can say my failures are my own! XD As for the good ones, I hope you enjoy them! :P

[@TruckPuzzles]

Inspiring! Love your humility and willingness to learn from your past projects. I myself am working on my very first RPG Maker MV project.... and I'm 47 years old. Never too late to make that game, right? :)

[@GestmorphGames]

Exactly right! It's never too late! It's always super cool to see people outside of the "expected age rage" making their first project, just going for it! Super excited to see what you make and hope you enjoy it! :D

[@ezrothkusosroy]

Same except I'm using VX Ace and I'm not 40

[@joshua7426]

Either learn to code or use something like gms2 or construct 3 , rpg maker games will always be considered trash, no one will ever take it seriously , ultimately a waste of time.

[@TruckPuzzles]

@@joshua7426 Says the guy posting comments on an RPG Maker video.

[@joshua7426]

@@TruckPuzzles with logic like that. I see you'll easily be able to prove me wrong with your rpg maker game prolly using thr stock assets or time fantasy assets

[@EkaterinaSTADNIKOVA]

Hobby developers worry in vain. The main thing is that the process of creating a game brings joy. How the inanimate turns out to be alive)

[@GestmorphGames]

Exactly! The best thing to come out of making a game is the fun you have doing so. Sure, it can be tough at times but the overall experience should be enjoyable! :P

[@serafinschaller1688]

How did I end up on this video, why did I watch it all, and why am I so fired up about you succeeding? Hell yeah man, you go! That last one you're working on looks like a nightmare in the best possible way

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks so much! And I hope Vexation can live up to expectations! :P

[@Orozus]

I'm learning to make games and it is so inspiring to see your journey.i get hyper focused in trying to learn unity and 3D, but looking at simple 2D rpg maker games makes me think of how having fun matters a lot!

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you so much! I'd be super interested to see what you make. I think one of the coolest things is seeing the journeys of game development. :D

[@pichitosmalltown3239]

Thanks for sharing your journey in game development! I only started this year and seeing the joy you had on the process of creating more than the product is really inspiring.

[@GestmorphGames]

I hope to see what you make some day! And thank you very much! :P

[@imbion6965]

Your excitement is so infectious, I love it so much.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you so much! I hope if I make more videos they'll continue to be interesting! :P

[@StewartWild]

LOL, your commentary is great! I enjoyed your enthusiasm and ended up watching the whole video before I realised it! Thanks for taking us on the journey :-)

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I can say it was a lot of fun to make! Hopefully I can get make more content that you'll enjoy. :P

[@chasalexis3904]

More power to you man. I respect that you had the courage to make those games and put them out. I really like the platformers you developed.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you very much! Can't say I'm proud of all of them, but I think it's important to not be ashamed of any of them. :P

[@marcoscrot]

Absolutely amazing and inspiring to watch!

[@daviddo6004]

That's an impressive journey and I hope you another productive gamedev decade!

[@FrankieSmileShow]

Great video! Love this sort of thing. Sometimes I think about the thousands and thousands of projects like those you mentioned early on that just sit on peoples hard drives and never see the light of day...

[@GestmorphGames]

To be honest there are a bunch of tiny things that I didn't show off in this video and I'm sure some stuff I did has just been lost on old hard drives. Maybe at some point I'll go through those too! XD

[@DreamiCherri]

I am now an instant fan! Really wish I found you and your work earlier. :D Also I hope you post some dev vids about your process, would love to know just how you go about starting some of these cool ideas.

[@GestmorphGames]

Well so far people seem to really like this video type so maybe I might make more! Not sure yet but I'm for sure thinking about it! :P

[@ValetinoLovebird]

i cant believe the amounts of things that can be done in RPG maker, platforming, bullet rail, maze running. thats very cool, i am currently trying to make a shooter minigame, and i thought its impossible, but now, i think i wanna try that

[@GestmorphGames]

I hope it goes well! It's always super fun to see minigames and it can be tricky to get some things working! But the payoff for that cool unique thing that you made yourself is what makes it worth it! Hope to see it at some point! :P

[@hectorplay8199]

This super very interesting and inspiring to watch. I want to do my own big, complex and way too long rpg horror game some day, but I'm somewhat afraid of going into it and not understanding what to do. Seeing those games with your commentary and all the unique and unexplored potential mechanics that can be made really encourages me to give it a try and see what I can do.

[@GestmorphGames]

I really hope it goes well for you! It can be hard to stand out when doing RPG Maker horror due to how many games are made but I'm rooting for you to make something super cool and interesting!

[@Jamazed]

I think back fondly of RPG Maker in the same way. So much time sunk into this engine without material gain, but it was just plain fun to mess with. And you having some game dev friends to share that experience with must've made it that much more awesome. Hope you keep having just as much fun making your games in the future, and if you have a hit here or there, that's just bonus content.

[@GestmorphGames]

It's a funny thing to think about. Because of course I'd love to be able to be financially stable from my games alone, but I ain't at that point yet. At the same time though, the process of making games and finishing them is in some ways enough satisfaction to just enjoy what I've made. :P Of course, I'm moving towards trying to advertise and promote my stuff so it can be seen properly, but still, even with that extra work load it doesn't take away from the fun of making games. XD

[@SigmaSuccour]

So wholesome, hearing you laugh. As you talk about & judge your older projects. Most other developers cringe, and feel embarrassed. So... this was absolutely wholesome, and inspiring! To not only recognize, but treat your older work as building blocks to where you are today. (╥﹏╥) And it hit hard near the end... when you compared your first generic game, to your last specific game. On that note... great job and congratulations, Syphyous! For 10 years of building fun while having fun! ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ) Also... R.I.P RPG Maker XD ... your developer may have forgotten you. But I never will...

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks so much! I'm glad that I can look back with at least some sort of positivity, even if a lot of it isn't the best. XD But don't worry I haven't forgotten RPG Maker XD. However, I was only including games and projects that were of a certain size or I would have been here for another two hours going over all the little experiments and side stuff I made. XD

[@overqueenkageraavarrthun2449]

This is the first video of yours I've seen. I'm excited to see what you make next my dood.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks for checking it out! I hope I'll be able to make some interesting videos for you! XD

[@sarafontanini7051]

more games NEED a difficulty mode called BIG BALLS BERTHA. That is a POWERFUL name.

[@GestmorphGames]

You know, I might just try to slip Big Balls Bertha somewhere into Vexation, just for the reference. Because you are right, I love that name. XD

[@marekostrowski1919]

What a fun video! I am playing with RPG maker for about 10 years. I started with VX and tried to make a game for abour 8 years (i constantly kept losing it and starting all over again). Currently I own MV and managed to do several of various pet projects of which I am fond of and I am slowly developing an idea to go back and try to redo my old idea in MZ, with all the stuff I learnt and developed. As learning with RPG Maker really never stops if you're willing to learn ;) I am glad to watch someone else's story with the program and projects. I think most of us have stories with it - bad games, boring games, experimental games, comedy and sometimes this one gold gem.

[@yuummyy6015]

Madman btw the narration in this video was ngl magnificent

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you so much! Hopefully I can continue to be entertaining! XD

[@hidden_vault]

fun enjoyable video of your journey, definitely didn't have the Rpg flare in some games you created, i'm impressed

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you very much! I only hope for it to be an entertaining video! XD

[@pupcornnerd]

Wow what a ride this was! I definitely loved how innovative some of your mechanics are like the avalanche which looked beyond impressive. For me, it's a bit of a promise to myself: In Grade School I wrote a batch of game ideas and wrote some stories in notebooks that I wanted to make into full-fledged games. A few more in Junior high, High School... flash forward to 2015 and I finally found the means to do it myself and at this point so long as my next game is an improvement over the last; that's all I'm aiming towards. One of my goals in life is when I'm old I want to look upon a shelf filled with games that I made and with two RPGs done and a third on the way; I love seeing that childhood dream become a tangible reality. Still; if I ever want to tackle an idea that isn't an RPG or Mario Maker then I will definitely look at this video for inspiration. Keep on keeping on!

[@GestmorphGames]

I love hearing about childhood game ideas that still give people inspiration for their games years later. I too have ideas from long ago that I have yet to make and one day I hope to! Can't wait to see what cool games you make! :P

[@funnyman3030]

Super entertaining I love watching game development improvement

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm glad it was entertaining for you! I'll likely stick to game and game dev stuff for this channel so I hope you'll enjoy what comes out! :P

[@gothiclila]

Holy wow. I've been interested in RPG Maker for a bit but seeing all the things you've created that are not just generic RPGs, most especially the second five nights at standbys and Endurance, has made me even more pumped to get a copy of the engine and make stuff. I hope to make games as good as those someday. Thanks for being an inspo and definitely keep on creating. Can't wait to see how your current project turns out

[@GestmorphGames]

Well I'll be rooting for you! Can't wait to see what cool games you'll make! And thank you, I'm hoping that Vexation will also turn out well. XD

[@GuyaretoGames]

Props for shouting out Legend of Dragoon!

[@GestmorphGames]

Indeed! I love Legend of Dragoon! Such an amazing game.

[@JasonZChristie]

This is great to watch. I'm glad you're still at it. I did two in Unreal a few years ago, and zero people downloaded and played it. Zero.

[@GestmorphGames]

I know the feeling very well that people just not playing the games we make can give. But I hope whatever you end up doing in the future, making more games or not, that you enjoy what you do! :D

[@freya9107]

Ya the sad truth is most people won't wanna play your games until you already have a following. And even then depending on why they're following you, a good portion of them probably still won't care enough to play your games. I don't know the answer to get people to play your games but if you keep working making games, eventually you'll get good enough to make games worth playing. I would recommend smaller games to start off with so that you don't put all of your eggs in one basket and so you can get a lot more experience with different type of games.

[@JasonZChristie]

@@freya9107 Compound all of that by the fact that the internet expects everything to be free... I definitely don't think my games are *bad*. But I'm not putting a ton of effort in begging people to even look at them. Fuck 'em.

[@GestmorphGames]

@@freya9107 There's a lot of things that people with no budgets can do to improve their odds in the world of being seen in game development, and one of them is absolutely to make smaller games so you don't dedicate years to a single thing that goes no where. I'm not saying soon, but some time in the future I do plan to do a video talking a lot about the "indie game" scene and how it's changed. But, if I'm gonna be talking about other games that are huge in anything but pure positive light, even if I still absolutely love those games, anything I say will be seen as being jealous of their success unless I'm also in a position where I have a popular game. So, hopefully one day I can make that video. XD

[@GestmorphGames]

@@JasonZChristie It is true that even selling a cheap game is really difficult. But if you're in a position to, which I understand a lot of people ain't, but if you can make games for free and just enjoy making them then it's ok to do that to. However expecting money from a game you might have put a year of your life into isn't wrong, it's just that unfortunately a lot of people have linked the idea of getting money for something as bad. Not super sure right now how to get around that. XD

[@DemoDeMoth]

i realized that the video is 1 hour long when i was at 45 minutes, is interesting so i didnt realized the time that have passed but something did make me reconnect to reality so suddenly i thought "wait, how much time have passed, its night time already". nice video man

[@GestmorphGames]

Glad to hear it was entertaining! If I do make more videos I'm also planning to keep the long form like this. It was really fun to make this! :P

[@MythX_StoryTeller]

Ty for sharing your experience here. I started w RPG Maker for PS 1, back when I was a kid too. And, Idk, I've always seen the merit of it. I got serious a couple of yrs ago about doing it again. But, as of a few days ago, 2 yrs worth of work was corrupted and my back ups had been damaged enough- like someone had shot it w a shotgun. So, I'm starting over- but, you know, you make a great point. You can take what you've built on and you can grow. That's what I feel I've always done, w unfinished ideas or products. Thanks again for sharing your story and achievements! I hope you'll continue to grow and develop as well- your skill is evident and I wish the best in your endeavors.

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm so glad you enjoyed the video! I hope at some point to see what you've been working on and hope it all goes well for you! :P

[@kazukitakamura1311]

You made a nice variety of games and I think it's an accomplishment to do something for 10 years. I would have started my game dev journey 4 years ago this year. While January of 2023 I started developing the first game I would sell. (Looking back mechanically I don't like it but the story of the game has yet to be topped.) You made me want to play some of my old games and see what I think of them.

[@GestmorphGames]

I hope that when you look back that you get to see how much you've grown! :D

[@kazukitakamura1311]

@@GestmorphGames I spent yesterday afternoon playing through some of the games I made. I have definitely grown, there were games that were bad, one that was disappointing, some that were average and one that surprised me. But, most of all, it reignited a flame in me that I didn't know wasn't ignited.

[@GestmorphGames]

@@kazukitakamura1311 I'm so glad to hear that! Can't wait to see what you can make with this reigniting! :P

[@TooManyTeeth]

This was a really great video to watch - it was both entertaining and interesting to hear your thoughts on your past works, and it's inspiring to see how much you've grown. While I haven't played them so I can't speak for the gameplay too much, I think you're a bit harsh on some of your older games - a lot of them have really neat concepts and look to have been made fairly well! I'm in a similar boat to you in that I'm a solo indie dev (and also didn't realise the power of advertising before releasing a game), and your words at the end about indies needing more views and people to buy their things really struck a chord - I don't think a lot of people realise that games like Hollow Knight or Undertale are the exception, not the rule. Best of luck with your future game endeavours - I'll keep an eye on them!

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm very glad to hear that you enjoyed the video! And yes, it is super important for people to understand that giant games that make millions are not the norm at all. And most of the time there's a lot more than just the game at play for why they become a success! I hope to see your games some day! :P

[@calicothecappuccinogurl9874]

gosh I am so inspired to try getting back into getting something done game wise cuz I've worked on digital art for a while now and wanted to make a simple small game with an aquainted person who knows some stuff bout RPG maker cuz he's making his own lil project on it but it just kinda fizzled out cuz get got both busy and took a big break which just resolved in a silent stop, but now again really wanna get into it so bad cuz my feed has been giving me small game devs like yourself and after a few vids I am just buzzing with determination haha

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm so glad to hear that! It can be really tough to get motivation back, especially after a burn out or when things get quiet but I really hope things go well and can't wait to see what you make!

[@OneOfTheLoveless]

I really like this kind of stuff. Just talking about the thoughts you had while developing a game.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you! Hopefully if people are interested I'll make more videos about game dev stuff like this. XD

[@tutuanimacoes6220]

Underrated channel

[@GestmorphGames]

I appreciate it! Hopefully if I make more interesting videos people can find the channel. Not really my main goal but still nice to see right? XD

[@entothechesnautknight1762]

Ya know, it's funny that after both your FNAF fangames, you went on to make a game that looks *way* closer to the Scott/FNAF style just a year later. Seriously, Desolate looks like a lost Scott game for years back. Mainly the eyes and grungy, dirty textures on everything, I think.

[@GestmorphGames]

Adding to that, the characters in Desolate where modified versions of characters from a game I was gonna make for my brother which was a FNAF style game so, you know, it comes full circle right? XD

[@skunkgirl456]

I just found this video and I love watching people grown and learn with rpg maker! I think you've definitely improved over those 10 years! As a rpgmaker dev you always kinda start off shitty lol ik I did

[@GestmorphGames]

We all gotta to start off somewhere right? XD

[@kingofbel6499]

Dude, some of these look impressive! Especially the Trikumax one. And you say you didnt use plugins or coding?! Seriously, I NEED to know how you made that one! I really want to make a Castlevania fangame and I always thought I needed another engine for that, but if it can be done on RPG Maker then I need to learn that!

[@GestmorphGames]

Honestly I would recommend using a different engine. Not because it can't be done but just because you'll have a way easier time doing so if you do. XD I spent my whole time in RPG Maker not using plugins and finding a way to do stuff my own way via eventing that it's now just second nature to me. But trying to explain that nature? I haven't got a clue. XD

[@kingofbel6499]

@@GestmorphGames I see. I tried using Unity once, and while its a great engine I would have to learn coding to make games on that one, as well as get more experience with the engine itself. With RPG Maker it would be more familiar for me and possibly with no coding involved. But I understand. Just knowing its possible to make a 2D game like that on RPG Maker without coding is already great to me.

[@soccergalz7401]

I think I'm entering my... 7th year? Of game development. I've lurked on the forums for over 10. It's awesome to look back and see how we've all improved. If you would ever be willing to stream a tactical battle game with collectable capsule monsters I'd be happy to have you stream it!

[@GestmorphGames]

Due to my internet there really isn't anyway I can reliably stream anything, and not really my style right now. But I still wish you the best of luck with your game and its marketing! :P

[@soccergalz7401]

@@GestmorphGames I understand completely! Good luck with your channel!

[@sadomarker9193]

I started learning in programming recently, as I saw this video I immediately clicked on it because of my experience with rpgmaker games (MGQP :)), I've never tried making an rpgmaker game but would love giving it a try cause I can make plenty of pixelart. Would be nice giving it a try this summer :)

[@GestmorphGames]

If you do go ahead and make a game I hope it goes well! Being able to do cool pixel art will sure give your game an awesome look! :P

[@andrewwalker4599]

So, I got rpg maker specifically to make rpgs but it seems most people don’t do that. At least so far I feel like I’m making it at least more visually appealing than most classic ff style rpgs but is there anything gameplay mechanic wise that I can do in mv without plugins to make it stand out? Like I’m not trying to make it super long but like at least 2 or 3 acts with about 40min-1 hour each but I will try to have a lot of side quests and stuff to break up the main story. I just really don’t want to make something that no one will play or even want to play and really more than anything, I want to be proud of it and be able to show it to my friends without being embarrassed or have them hate it.

[@GestmorphGames]

My recommendation is to mess around with different ideas for what you could do gameplay wise and see if any of them fit into your game. It's sort of hard to describe what you can and can't do because technically you can do anything without plugins you just gotta know how to. Best way to learn is by just trial and error. See what silly, fun and creative ideas you can make with just commands and stuff. :P Regardless, be proud of what you make even if it isn't exactly unique. Because finishing a game at all is a difficult thing.

[@marekostrowski1919]

Also I would be super interested in how you were making Trikumax. Unless you don't want to share the idea or keep it to yourself, I'd be very glad for a video about it.

[@ThePencilWizard]

I wanted to make a human game once, but father unit wanted a robot doctor. Sad.

[@GestmorphGames]

Sad beep boop noises.

[@MegaluxeYSinSims]

Wow, i didnt know RPG maker had such potential, this video just oppened a door to a world i didnt knew about.

[@GestmorphGames]

It is very easy to fall into a pit of limitation preventing someone from doing something. Which does explain why most RPG Maker games are unfortunately not all too good. But yes, it can be really cool stuf and hope this video helped! :P

[@christophertaylor8166]

Hi, thanks so much for making this. It's incredibly helpful as someone who is looking at RPG Maker and other game development platforms with an eye for getting into them. It shows remarkable self care to not only keep all of your work so you could see how you've evolved as a creator, but to speak about it so honestly and positively. By any chance, have you spent much time in other game development engines besides RPG Maker? If not, why not? I can't help but notice that an outright majority of the games you've made here are pretty far away from what the engine is supposedly designed for. Did you have to work hard to bend and twist RPG Maker to your will, or were you able to use plugins to allow for most of it? Thanks!

[@GestmorphGames]

I haven't really used other engines that much. I've messed around a little bit in others but mainly just using RPG Maker! Main reason why is now that I can do everything I want to in RPG Maker because of all the time spent in it, there's not much point switching now. XD As for plugins; I don't use any. Everything that I do is done by eventing using only the base code options available. :P

[@OneOfTheLoveless]

Amazing. I'm in this game from like the western release of rm2k, but never consistently worked on projects for 10 years. It's funny to see that even in 2012 everybody starts out the same. :)

[@GestmorphGames]

Outside of a very tiny number of people everyone's first game will always be terrible. It's just the way we learn to do things. XD

[@EduardoWeidmanBarijan]

Ah RPG Maker. I have some nostalgia goggles. I used to mess around with the RPG Maker 2000 and then the 2003 ones. It is nice to see it been using as a full engine and not only focused on RPG at all. Well done!

[@GestmorphGames]

One of these days I'd like to try out 2000 or 2003 to see what they are like. Maybe make a game with that nostalgia in mind. :P

[@EduardoWeidmanBarijan]

@@GestmorphGames that will be an interesting challenge for sure!

[@kelarly]

I think you mentioned this a few times, but I always believed the best way to build an RPG maker game is to make the game for yourself while keeping new players in mind. If you do that, all those years of building your games won't feel like wasted time. This coming from a guy who also spent 10+ years building RPG maker games that most people won't even play. I don't regret any of it lol

[@GestmorphGames]

Glad to hear from others who are as in deep as me for RPG Maker. XD I honestly think that through the fails, lessons and fun that as long as I don't regret making what I've made then it's all worth it in the end!

[@scares009]

Castle of the Blue Flame: Corrupted Onyxk looked hella sick, honestly. It looks like the type of game I'd be interested in playing nowadays. Big-Balls Bertha is, indeed, quite hilarious. Since Prism Collider is still up, I may give that one a shot, haha. May be fun for a stream... Complementary would be the bane of my existence; I've always been really bad at those puzzles. Looks cool, though! WALL: Runaway is if Thomas Was Alone was a runner game. Understanding the origin of I NEED A NAME makes me appreciate it even more than my bleeding ears already did. Oops, haven't played Tartarus Experiment yet. This was a really fun video, honestly. Hearing you absolutely lose it over CHEESE DEMONS and the like is sorta relaxing for me. I don't know, maybe I just get too invested when listening to other people pantheonize their works. Either way, good stuff! Vexation looks sick already!

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video! It was for sure interesting to revisit all these old games and I'm glad that you now know about I NEED A NAME's origin and hopefully that makes it better. XD I would be for sure interested in seeing you play Prism Collider but I think I'll have to go back into the Steam version and fix that 144fps bug I talked about in the video. Give me a heads up if you wanna stream it so I can make that update. Won't take long but I'm working like a madwomen right now getting the demo done for Vexation. XD

[@scares009]

@@GestmorphGames For me, I don't think the 144fps thing will be too much of an issue since I can switch my monitor between 60Hz and 165Hz, but I'm sure other people would appreciate it!

[@Josuh]

that was inspiring, good shit

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you! I appreciate it! :P

[@Wapcvm]

Up in 2023 watching this random undiscovered guy I just found about 10 minutes ago talk about 10 years of man hours with pure intrigue.

[@GestmorphGames]

Well I hope it was entertaining at the very least! Maybe staying with the same engine for 10 years was not the brightest of ideas but honestly I'm glad I did! XD (Also as a side note I'm a girl)

[@fumomofumosarum5893]

In 2016 i worked on and "Girls & Dungeons" and biy was it fun and rewarding, when it finally was put on steam! ^^ I put so much work and effort into it and it was just great to see it completed. Same with "Girls & Dungeons 2 " that then followed a few years later.

[@GestmorphGames]

Always awesome to hear when things go well! Congratulations for getting games on Steam!

[@TheBrazilRules]

Well. I can only say 2 things: 1. I am sorry for your parents; 2. Good Luck and keep on trucking. Effort should always be rewarded.

[@GestmorphGames]

1. I am sorry for them too. XD 2. Thank you! I'll do my best!

[@dietrichdietrich7763]

prism collider gives me those 80's vibes I'm looking for

[@GestmorphGames]

Well it's free to play on Steam! So I hope you enjoy it! :P

[@d1ts321]

Ok that's it, i finally downloaded it

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm assuming that you're talking about downloading RPG Maker. If so, I am excited to see what you make! :P

[@KrimsonKattYT]

I've also been using RPG Maker for a good 10 years now, as my first RM was VX Ace which I got as a Christmas present in 2014 when I was 12. Compared to you I've barely made anything. Tons of cancelled projects and abandoned ideas, most of the files being lost to time. Here's a general list of the games I've made so far: 2015: The Legend of Light - Ultra generic and super buggy RM game. At least it was "finished." 2015: Zero Gear Fighters - My second RM game and the first one I publicly released. Also very buggy but less so than The Legend of Light. Still used default RTP assets but this time with stolen music. Still avalible on RMN once the site goes back up. Had bizzare mapping, self inserts, and a secret boss against Mario of all characters. Was the source of the "cheese with hot sauce" inside joke. 2016: Dragon Ascension - Also known as Zero Gear Fighters 2, it was renamed to Dragon Ascension due to ZGF's poor reception. Was never finished, stopping right before the penultimate dungeon. Used outdated memes like Weegee as a secret boss and had Skeletron from Terraria appear as a boss. Also one of the bosses was a clipart shark recolored in MS Paint. 2016: Cookie Quest - A game I made for a game jam and my first game to use a class based system. Some concepts for it were reused in Crypt Challenge and it's remakes. 2016: Crypt Challenge - An EXTREMELY short game I made for a 3 hour game jam that used actually unique assets for once, but used extremely outdated MLG memes. 2017: Stardust Saga/Draco Anima Origins - A failed game originally made in MV but shifted over to VXA early on with a name change. I only developed up to the end of the first dungeon before I wanted to add an FMV and my poor art skills at the time screwed me over. I then lost the files to the game forever. 2018: Firebrand Chronicles - An early prototype for my future game "Chronicles: The Last Dragon's Elegy." Shifted between being a turn based and action RPG multiple times and most of its development was spent trying to get action combat to work in RM. It was never finished past the opening. 2018: Generic RPG Quest 3 - A generic RPG that was just a blatant rip off of FF1. Could have been the start of the Chronicles of Chronicles series if it wasn't cancelled. 2019: Crypt Challenge DX - A remake of crypt challenge made in RPG Maker MV and a tie in to Meteo Chronicles/Chronicles Meteorfall. 2020: Meteo Chronicles - The first game in the Chronicles of Chronicles series which while finished, failed due to its numerous glitches and lack of play testing. 2021: Chronicles: The Lost Page - My first completed game since Zero Gear Fighters and my first game that I can say I'm actually proud of. It still receive updates to this day. Uses default assets mixed with custom stuff and rips like Meteo Chronicles. 2022: Crypt Challenge EX - A remaster of Crypt Challenge DX that fixes "lore inconsistencies" and gameplay and story complaints with the DX build. It was finished but delisted and will be relisted in a final, third edition as DLC for Chronicles Meteorfall. 2023: Noel and the Tower of Doom - A massive game I made using RPG Maker MV during the entirety of 2023. It's a dungeon crawler with a 60 floor tower to climb and detailed character class and equipment upgrade systems, 4 secret bosses, 3 story routes, and 13 endings. It is avalible right now and is still receiving updates. 2024? - Chronicles Meteorfall - My first commercial game and my first game to use absolutely NO rips whatsoever. A remake of Meteo Chronicles, which itself was a reimagining of the Legend of Light, it is a massive 30 hour RPG with detailed character building mechanics and tons of optional content with 70 quests to clear and 9 optional bonus dungeons. It's demo is currently completely but needs to be playtested first.

[@vizerdrixivo691]

Legend of Dragoon was and still is a legendary game. I got RPGMaker MV just to make a Legend of Dragoon Fan Game lolol Then, just like you, it spiraled into legit game making with the engine haha

[@GestmorphGames]

Glad to hear from another LoD fan! Sometimes the game feels so unknown. XD

[@TheOFCMedia]

Wow that's a ton of experience.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks! Still can't tell if it was worth it but I like to hope it was. XD

[@bsavage5128]

I started with RPG Maker 2000 on the original Playstation... I would always hit a wall with trying to implement more and more complicated mechanics that would eventually cause me to go to a different engine like Godot to create a 2.5D isometric RPG. But being only one person and having to create my own assets, produce my own music, and actually program the game using GDscript (Python) I would get overwhelmed and burnt out before completing the game. Alas I always find myself coming back to RPG maker as I can actually FINISH a project as long as I keep my ambitions in check. Best tip I can give after 20+ years is to focus on good writing and storytelling. Create characters and plots that the player becomes emotionally invested in, give the player a reason to care and want to continue playing.

[@GestmorphGames]

It can be tough to be a solo dev for a lot of reasons and you do line them out pretty well. I do also think that, especially with RPG's, it's a good idea to focus on interesting characters with good writing and storytelling. Hopefully if I make a game that is more about story than gameplay I'll be able to pull that off. XD

[@Maalstrom]

Cool games. I wish i had the motivation to program something like these. I started back on xp but got distracted with writing prose. Now im back and released my own generic rpg with The Last Islands of Man. I used time mechanics to put a bit of a spin on it. I like it. The followup is in development. I should have never stopped a decade ago, its so much fun.

[@GestmorphGames]

In it's own way it can be hard to keep going. But I'm glad to hear that you are back on it and hope to see what you make get to the places you want it to be ! Good luck and have fun! :D

[@shayoko6]

Rules a being a developer 1.need to be 18 and older. this is important because life experience, expanding ideas beyond the childish hero saves the world trope. experience with games knowing what works and what doesn't. as well as given more time to mature. because there will always be people who don't like what someone makes. and the creator needs to be mature enough to know when they should Engauge or ignore those people. and not take things as a personal attack. 2.know how to write proper grammar in the language the game is written in. it is very frustrating. when words are misspelled incorrectly used or swears are used. this isn't a skill everyone has. but it can make or break an experience for many people. the genre is called Role Play mind you. the story/dialog is very important for some of us. that is it really, i would suggest making something you personally enjoy. if you actually enjoying playing what you make (especially if it isn't just because it has inside jokes between friends) then there will be people who enjoy it. and development should be less stressful than making something you don't care about. if you are not passionate about what you are making then just stop. and do something else or wait until you have what you need to make a experience you care about making.

[@GestmorphGames]

Those are some good rules. Although it is important if you don't fit those qualifications to still try making games anyway. You don't have to release them but you can still use them as learning experiences for development, writing, balancing, etc. :P

[@donlasagnotelamangia]

Hey Gestmorph, regarding making connections, what online communities would you recommend? As a musician who's just started a compsci degree and is looking to get into game music (+dev), I've been wondering what forums (or discord channels maybe?) might be out there that would be great for finding like-minded people. Like, I've found reddit to be useful for finding info and interesting discussions but not so much for actually 'meeting' anyone. KZbin ofc is great for devlogs and such, stumbling across vids like this one is really inspiring and helps in finding some hope that small creators can indeed find a place of their own in all this chaos (which I mean in both the positive and terrible sense). Not that it's easy ofc. But it beats giving into the prospect of working some soulless job at a corp (or worse, abandoning the idea of working in any creatively-driven job at all :/). Btw, I really appreciated how you included the 'humble beginnings' of your journey as a game dev! It's easy to forget what the learning process is like, that it's not a 'linear' process, and that it's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of! A very honest and inspiring take :)

[@GestmorphGames]

There are a lot of options out there but I will say the biggest thing you want to try and avoid is getting yourself trapped in a place where it's just devs talking to other devs because while other devs will be interested to see what you make, chances are when you put out what you make (if it's a game) then they're not gonna have money or time to play it. XD However, if you are looking for other devs for music stuff to like, be involved with another game to be hired for your music you can try places like Twitter and Reddit and see the different hashtags and communities on there. I can't really point to anything specific like a discord server since I'm not really in them myself. But if you got more questions feel free to ask and I'll try my best to get some better answers for you! :P

[@newoleir007]

I LOVE THIS T

[@GestmorphGames]

Glad to hear it! XD

[@SchizophrenicMpd]

I wasn't expecting to see Trikumax here. I can't remember how I came across it other than twitter. If the musician for it was TempXA then that was how.

[@GestmorphGames]

It wasn't exactly what I'd call a success in terms of marketing. But that's because we didn't really market it at all! Lessons to be learned on how to get my game to an audience. XD (And as for "TempXA" I don't know who that is. XD)

[@2teepeepictures382]

RPG maker 2000 was my jam as a kid. I was not particularly interested in making RPG games but I did have a lot of stories I wanted to tell. I was also fascinated with the limitations of the game engine and what I could do with it. it sounds like if I had been doing it a little bit later in life I would’ve had a really cool community of people to make games with. Yeah, that brings back a lot of memories. RPG maker 2000, StarCraft brute war map editor, Warcraft three map editor. With these I felt like I could make anything that I wanted. it’s funny that the idea of learning unity does not fill me with as much enthusiasm. I guess it goes to show that it is not about the result as much as the journey plus the result together. The life I want to live. That has been my mantra recently. That’s why I do everything for my KZbin channel using a cell phone. I like the limitations and it’s the life I want to live.

[@GestmorphGames]

I've always believed in the idea of limitations can lead to creativity. So I am super on board with what you're saying! I've never really had any sort of interest of using Unity of Unreal Engine myself. Maybe one day I'll try out an engine like Godot for 3D stuff? Maybe, but for now I'm still using RPG Maker. XD

[@2teepeepictures382]

@@GestmorphGames This reminds me. A couple of months ago I went on the Apple App Store to see if I could find in a cheap RPG maker clones for mobile devices. I thought it would be fun to make a video about struggling to create a video game with some thing like that. throw in a couple gags about getting interrupted with mobile ads and some meme freak out moments and then reveal a freaking cool story and semi-OK gameplay. I couldn’t find anything that would work though. I did find a visual novel maker and decided I would use that. then I got distracted. lack of focus was a huge problem last year. I think it would be fun to go back to that. Of course upon further reflection I could basically do everything with PowerPoint that I could do with that phone app. Except maybe share it with other people. my New Year’s resolution is to make and follow schedules. I think this would be a worthy project to weave in. Maybe. I have no shortage of worthy projects. just a shortage of results.

[@sloshyoshy454]

Hey! Really inspiring and entertaining video. As a side note, I'm really interested in accents, and I feel like I can hear a British twang in yours at times. Am I hearing that right? Did you live in UK for a while?

[@GestmorphGames]

Glad it was enjoyable! And you would be correct! I lived in England for the first 15 years of my life. :P

[@Gibbon420]

Id give anything to replay the first rpg maker game i ever finished. It was in like...2005. I recolored the assets and used random cropped photos as enemies. I remember making the final boss just a transparent photo of my friends floating head.

[@GestmorphGames]

It truly is a different experience to see where those types of early-mid 2000's RPG Maker games. XD

[@rpgmakertutorials3639]

I feel so old now, I started with RPG Maker 2000 like 20 years ago. Nowadays I'm just using Unity for most of my projects, but I get every new RPG Maker for nostalgia and making tutorials and to see if they finally changed something after 20 years. 😂

[@GestmorphGames]

RPG Maker always seems to bring nostalgia for people, so you're not alone! :P

[@rexspecificallyredrex64rem73]

How the FUCK did I end up getting this recommended to me naturally???

[@GestmorphGames]

Not sure! But I hope the video is, at least, entertaining for you? XD

[@vanderkarl3927]

When I clicked on this video, I expected a lot more of the traditional RPG maker fare. I can't say I know very many people who have been near-constantly making RPG maker games for 10 years, but I suspect that your journey is relatively uncommon. Most people move on to other engines, ha ha The only game from this video that I was interested enough in to buy right away was Second Thoughts, but I might try out Vexation if the "rage game" aspect is truly not the defining genre for it, I'm kinda over rage games and have been for more than half a decade lol

[@GestmorphGames]

Most people do move onto other engines, I'm just stupid and insane enough to stay with this one. XD But with Vexation, I'm thinking about changing how I'm marketing it because I'm realizing that people see "rage game" as unfair, out of no where traps that you can't see coming which isn't what the game is about. It's supposed to be a very challenging but fair game while using the worse tropes from across gaming history like escorts and underwater levels. Hopefully I can make the marketing show a game that will interest you! :P

[@vanderkarl3927]

@@GestmorphGames Don't get me wrong, "rage game" type things can be great, and could easily still succeed today if they have enough originality and a compelling concept. "Will You Snail" is an example of a relatively recent successful rage game, owing largely to its integration of machine learning. It just takes something to stand out, and then the game can speak for itself!

[@GestmorphGames]

@@vanderkarl3927 Well I hope to stand out as much as possible! I hope the idea of every level having a different art style and designed around different terrible tropes of gaming will make it stand out. Along with other stuff that I have yet to show off! Hope you like it when it comes out! :P

[@Zarsla]

You made a fnaf clone in RM? Good on you, from a technical perspective.

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks. XD They aren't the best games but I do enjoy looking at them again. :P

[@blindedjourneyman]

this scares me as I only just got into rpgmaker like I wanted in october... Im really scared XD had wanted to buy in on vxace but no money in my teens XD 10 years I could see as its genuinely fun even when stuff bugs on me XD this was a great vid lol, did watch it all b4 commenting. my favorite was the flame minigame its decently done :)

[@GestmorphGames]

Hopefully it doesn't scare you away from making games because I'd love to see what you make! :P

[@blindedjourneyman]

@@GestmorphGames too far in to run away I already did a few all nighters in row last month. the real fear is overthinking map design for me XD keep letting myself be too worried what others think, but this vid did do wonders to help ease that fear with how casually ya showed your beginnings :)

[@GestmorphGames]

@@blindedjourneyman I'm glad it helps! But also make sure you take time for yourself. I really can't recommend pulling all nighters just to get more done. I've done it and it just makes things worse in the end. XD And never worry about what others are going to think. Because, honestly, the more you end up worrying the worse it's gonna be. It's like a self fulfilling prophecy! Just enjoy what you make and if people do have something constructive to say, positive or negative, take it to improve what you've got! :P

[@willxowo]

Nice video. was very interested in someone who used this engine for 10+ years so I saw it all. I still don't know all the possibilities with this engine with how severely limited it is (especially with no plugins) .. but, this all looked pretty good and darn impressive, i'm surrpised you haven't moved on to Unity all this time, but I guess it's a force situation when they improve Unity to where it's better than MZ right? xD I've seen how broken it is rn so that won't be anytime soon, but Unity is a good easy engine in itself, way more time consuming and complex, more to learn yes, but it's definitely learnable with a little extra effort. it just doesn't have everything to make winnable/loseable junk right off the gate, that's essentially what it boils down to. I'm returning to rpg maker after 2015ish I loved MV but I was like "I love having no RTP install required for my game, i love the maximize window res, but I don't want to make a game of this style" until i realized not long ago there's games completely different looking, even side scrollers which i'm most interested in tbh, but i'm still not entirely sure how to make a side scroller... i can find that out soon ig lol i just think there's better engines for that but this is a rly good one

[@GestmorphGames]

Honestly the main reason I haven't moved to a different engine is that the amount of time it'll take me to learn a different engine to get the same results I can do in RPG Maker now would make it not worth it to switch. But I do wanna learn other engines at some point. XD

[@AviraRosalita]

I hate how I basically went through this phase too. Its very humbling times.

[@GestmorphGames]

It's true. I feel most if not all devs go through this period, regardless of what engine they use. But if they didn't they must have made some really good game right at the start and that's extremely rare! XD

[@glompX3]

i love when kid started to make game on rpg maker because of their favorite jrpg game xD

[@GestmorphGames]

It's always great to see what people are inspired by! XD

[@vinny-zebu]

Man this brings me back, I also wanted to do an epic fantasy aventure where the hero were going to defeat this big bad guy. I added a lot of scripts from the internet for effects and all but it didn't work out, I ended up getting bored. Then I started making a project as a joke and it because a complete game with lots of simple minigames in it to break the flow of just going around and doing battles. I'm very proud of it, even if it's made of cringe and unfunny dialogues.

[@GestmorphGames]

If making a serious game or a joke-type game, making either is a great accomplishment. Glad that you were proud of the funny one at least! XD

[@merariathkos]

... friend You is the legend😅😅 you is really make good things in rpg maker, supposely rpg MAKER is for make simple only, but WOW😱 You is make awesoemr thing and concepts, even is you different types of game EVEN 3DE😱 how possible? i realy not understadnt, so awesome you really. , i have xpereience and tryed Rpg maker but is rpge 2003 (to make yume nikki fan game) and even if ist sis so simple i nut understand😂 varyable and swicth not works and event is not seleced player touch and not works!!, i really not understand so I give up in Yume Nikki fan Game😓 , i am very stoupid for this things so is yes work but You is so good!😄😄

[@GestmorphGames]

I very much appreciate the kind words! I hope one day you'll be able to make the game that you want because, I think I can speak for a lot of devs here but, finishing a game is never easy! Hope to see your stuff if you go back to creating games! :D

[@highqualitygohanfigurine3537]

How did you make the Five Nights at Standby's games? Because I never knew you could make the cameras have buttons you could click and stuff.

[@GestmorphGames]

Well now-a-days in RPG Maker MV there are script calls for detecting mouse position. Using that along with conditional branches you can get something going! :P

[@noleezyadvance983]

man god damnit you deserve so much more subs

[@GestmorphGames]

Well hopefully my next video will bring in some more viewers but to be honest I never expect to get 17k views from just one video. XD

[@spaghettproductions4989]

God damn you've made some awesome things in this engine, like I never knew it was possible to make a fnaf game in rpg maker. I'm curious as to how you managed to pull off that 3d stuff in endurance/clone catastrophe tho.

[@GestmorphGames]

I'm glad you think they're awesome! Yeah, the FNAF fan games I made years ago are really poor code wise by my ability today but yeah, it's for sure possible! As for the 3D stuff it's funny enough done in a similar style to FNAF where they are rendered images displayed onto the screen. :P

[@spaghettproductions4989]

@@GestmorphGames Interesting. I tell ya after watching this whole video and seeing all the different genres/game styles you managed to pull off has rly given me the inspiration to dust off my copy of mv and just start making games again.

[@GestmorphGames]

@@spaghettproductions4989 Whatever you end up making I am excited to see what you do! :P

[@spaghettproductions4989]

@@GestmorphGames Hey btw, how'd you get those on screen buttons/cursor for those fnaf fangames you made. Can't find any videos or anything on how to do that stuff for the life of me.

[@GestmorphGames]

@@spaghettproductions4989 Well if you are using MV or MZ, mouse support is native. As for the buttons, I made those myself. :P

[@BlueDisaster]

I plan to start developing my own game soon. What engine(s) do you use? I've seen you say certain engines are better suited for different things.

[@GestmorphGames]

Well I've used RPG Maker obviously for 10 years. But when I say about different engines suited for things I mean in the sense that like, now I can easily make a platformer in RPG Maker but doing so when you don't know how to use it isn't a good idea. If you're looking for anything outside of a top down perspective in 2D? I'd say give Game Maker Studio a shot! If you're looking for 3D maybe give something like Godot or Unity or Unreal Engine a look. There's a lot of choices out there and I'm not super informed in the advantages of disadvantages of them all. I only really know RPG Maker. XD Also I really hope that your game development goes well! :P

[@mateuscaetano380]

I WANT MORE TRIKUMAX!!! It looks so AWESOME!

[@GestmorphGames]

Thanks! :D We really wanna make more too! And after I'm done with the stuff I'm currently working on that's exactly what I plan to do! :P

[@JustToSaveYou]

I had no idea who you were until I saw I need a name. XD I've been working with rpgmaker for a while and had to delete the first priject I had because I made the mistake of putting ALL the plugins in and couldn't tell what wqs broken anymore.

[@GestmorphGames]

While I don't use them myself, I think plugins can be great to enhance a game in so many different ways. But yes I have heard of it before where a game just starts breaking for unknown reasons due to them. It's about finding the right balance I suppose. XD Still though I hope your next project goes better for you!

[@nahCyzar0520]

I wonder how you would do using Wolf RPG Editor which was used to create two popular horror games (The Crooked Man and Mad Father).

[@GestmorphGames]

I wonder that too! Obviously both engines were used for popular horror games but I do know that Wolf does have some interesting differences.

[@thegigachad5038]

36:14 The other half of that concept is actually done quite well in Do Not Feed The Monkeys, though rather than playing a video game you're watching surveillance footage.

[@GestmorphGames]

I'll have to go check it out! :P Always love seeing games that have done a concept better. XD

[@maplefoxx6285]

I want to learn rpg maker and pixel game maker, i just picked up both of them on sale. I want to make small cursed games to demo my music because I want to compose for video games, not just for my own games. Have been learning composing for the last year or more now. Maybe some day start Learn Unity and Blender slowly as well .

[@GestmorphGames]

Well I hope things go well! Can't wait to see what stuff you make. XD

[@maplefoxx6285]

@@GestmorphGames Thanks!

[@Ndobless]

Did some games on rpg maker back in 2006 2007, good times

[@GestmorphGames]

That's a long time ago! I think at that point I hadn't even played an RPG Maker game yet so it's always cool to hear from those who have experience from so long ago now. :P

[@TallTapper]

this is the part with the car

[@detonandovideogames522]

How did you make that AVALANCHE STUFF on the Castle of the Blue Flame?

[@GestmorphGames]

If I remember correctly, it was just very long sprites that moved downwards and also had no collision on. I'm guessing for player detection it was just if the player hit a wall for too long or something like that. XD

[@whtiequillBj]

very cool! when I started RPG Maker I got stuck in my desire to also learn how the engine worked and how to manipulate everything with Ruby scripting and I never actually got anything done. I've since become rather proficient with Python and I find disdain toward current versions of RPG Maker falling into the trap of Javascript.

[@GestmorphGames]

Javascript for sure has some issues that I've encountered. I think MV/MZ are overall better for the types of stuff I wanna do, but that doesn't stop the issues at the core from showing through. XD

[@Amaiguri]

Yeah, OK, I've finished now. I'm subscribed, I'll check out your games, I'm invested in your indie dev journey now. I've got a very different personal style in my art and writing and gamedev BUT you're super cool and chill... So can we be friends? XDDD Regardless of your answer, please keep up the good work! You're doing good stuff! YOU make that game! YOU never give up on your dreams!

[@GestmorphGames]

I know it's been a month since you commented, but you're free to join the Discord server if you wish! It's a very quiet place but I'll always respond if possible! And thank you very much for all the kind words!

[@ruthstudio8489]

You mentioned not using any plugins for some if not all your games, but you had to do some level of coding. Or was this really done with eventing?

[@GestmorphGames]

All eventing! I've used plugins in tests for stuff before but never really in my main projects. Especially anything made in the past 5 or so years.

[@coltenc100]

wall runaway looks like it inspired eternal cylinder

[@GestmorphGames]

I had never heard of this game before. So, I went to quickly look it up and now I might check it out. XD

[@vertitis]

I've been working in rpg maker vx ace for seven and a half years now.(I guess that I lost a year to school tho, and a few IRL things coming in the way also) I'm still working on my first game that I finished the first version after two years. Instead of making new games I just extended the main game. First was two and a half years working on a maze side story. And then a new chapter or part 2 or whatever. Current version is 1.7 GB without RTP and main game is about 30~40 hours of gameplay, maze is additional 5 to infinite depending on how much you'd like to experiment and get lost. The game is far from generic eventho the main story is linear with adult content. And the game isn't even a grind game at all and the player is constantly being guided by the shadows of my writing. I try to avoid making things that would annoy the player. Already at the second map I introduced overlays for the maps in order to create shadows and mood lighting to fit the scenes. Already in the first version there was custom graphics that I had drawn and in the second version I expanded with full custom tilesets that I draw myself. Then it continued to making the music and sounds and additional custom scripts for new functions. I do like to make a lot of visual effects and un-usual animations using basic functions of the engine. And some sprites that I make are several screens large. Like entire warships. I also make tribute games to old nes and the like games inside the game after each update. They do demonstrate that a lot of different variety of games can be made on the engine as is. A lot of people liked my first game and hench I have worked on it for so long. With each update I wanted to push the engine making something new and interesting with each update while still following my mindmap of the main story. It turned out well. Next game will be even better for sure. But I think the next game will be more free roam and shorter while introducing even more mechanics. I honestly didn't think that I would finish the base game yet alone the first version of the game. Because before I started working with rpg maker I hadn't finished a single project of mine. But it was so fun to work with the engine and I really can't say that I encountered any difficulties making what I wanted to make. A dark gritty, adult TF rpg game with lots of humour and dirty graphic jokes. Obviously not intended for children. I have optimized the game to run on one of my benchmark machines, and run for atleast 20fps on a 1ghz cpu and these days 1gb ram should be enough too maybe even less because the game will now clear out the graphics that are three maps old(Unless they are still shown on screen). The parallax bug is also fixed increasing performance with about 25%. Yes I have had fun with the engine and I've learned a lot. And I still figure out cool stuff to do, especially when it comes to making effects.

[@GestmorphGames]

What a cool interesting journey of a game! Being dedicated to a single thing for that long is not easy by any means so congrats on that for sure! I hope to see the games fully come to life when it's ready some day! :P And also with the first game being completed is in itself a massive achievement!

[@vertitis]

@@GestmorphGames It's been ready for 5 years. I have just expanded it with new content. Much like Telltale games you could say. Now ofcourse it does take longer time for me to make content than most people because I do everything custom and on my own. I don't buy custom graphics I make it myself. I do have a few videos of my game with some effects demonstrations and such on my channel. So my approach was to make a game with a big story, but it was made as a mind map and divided into 10 parts. When working on the current part, I don't even consider the upcoming parts I just focus on fleshing out the current part and make it interesting along with memorable characters and places that you visit. Rather small detailed maps than large empty maps and for godsake never ever use random battles. I think that the biggest problem with most devs are that the majority try to make a copy of a game that they liked rather than making the game that they want. Some devs are doing teams, but finding the right people that can keep up a good tempo is very hard. Most times it's best to just do everything yourself because it's faster.

[@NitwitsWorld]

So can you upload your own assets to RPG Maker? Because my friend has it but I wasn't sure if RPG Maker allows you to make your own assets for your own games. Like I've seen some make games using RPG Maker and some of them became famous horror games without using germanic assets from its own game so I wonder do you need to upload them there? Also, Trikumax looks amazing I can't believe this was made in RPG Maker. DAMN!

[@GestmorphGames]

As long as you're using a version of RPG Maker that's on the computer then you can indeed use any custom assets! You can just put your custom stuff into your game files and use them as you need. :P And thank you! Hopefully when we bring Trikumax back fully it's gonna blow you away! Of course, I'll be making it RPG Maker. XD

[@NitwitsWorld]

@@GestmorphGames nice I should make my own RPG Maker as well. Based on the GBA Spyro games but in the style of an isometric view with Cuphead style animations

[@Js8L]

Now out of curiosity, so you use no plugins. But do you script edit? Because I can't see how you can do the crazy stuff in your games with just what RM gives you out of the box.

[@GestmorphGames]

The only thing I would edit script wise would be one line to skip the default title screen. Apart from that, nope! Just all done in the editor with what you're given. :P

[@PhantomThiefXI]

inspiring

[@GestmorphGames]

Thank you! I'm glad it was inspiring! :P

[@PhantomThiefXI]

@@GestmorphGames i didnt want to come here and blog about my life, so it took me a while to find the words i wanted to say, but now i can do it i worried too much about not hitting a homerun when i swing, but seeing this made me think what matters is swinging first and just continuing to swing after that, thats why its inspiring

[@GestmorphGames]

@@PhantomThiefXI Honestly my best advice is to understand that now the market is so big that being noticed by random chance is really unlikely now. So learning what you got to do to advertise, if you really wanna get stuff known is the best thing to do. But also, for your first few game projects; start small and put them out and get some people you know to see what they think and anyone else who might come across it. Above all though just enjoy what you want to make instead of compromising for popular ideas or other stuff like that. I hope things go well! (Of course, this is all coming from someone who isn't exactly successful so who knows really! XD)

[@ralphthefanboy]

I'm still trying to figure out how you did the Intro to Trikumax

[@GestmorphGames]

Do you mean the opening cutscene, the levels themselves or something else? XD

[@jargontrueseer]

Please make rpg maker tutorials or tips videos, I need your wisdom so badly T^T

[@GestmorphGames]

I've considered it but to be honest the biggest hurdle is that I have no idea how to explain some of the stuff I've made. Not to mention that it'd be so much easier to do stuff I do in another engine. XD

[@jargontrueseer]

@@GestmorphGames Lol that's fair. Still though, if you ever want to go through the making of one of your games or give shorter tips for what to avoid or what skills to practice, I'd be here for it! Though of course I'll love to see anything you post in the future!

[@GestmorphGames]

@@jargontrueseer I'll be sure to think about it! I've been debating if I want to stick with a more general gaming theme for my videos or skew more towards specifically RPG Maker. So we shall see what happens I guess!