Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-30093849-20161003161516/@comment-35006067-20191015173352

Time flies by and good RPGMaker games remain the exceptions rather than the rule.

But I would like to throw two new names in the ballot. They're both a bit too early in development for me to recommend them strongly, but I find them interesting as I don't think the engine is working against them for once (i.e the game could have been just better if made with another engine).

Namely, Afterlife and Timeless Pantheon. Both are part of the same (small) sub-genre as Magical Camp, "Persona-like" RPGs alternating between dungeons and socializing. And if there are smaller ad shoter than their mentor as of now, they tend to be more streamlined: Afterlife settles for a single dungeon and one arena battle per in-game week, Timeless Pantheon is similar and also drops most of the lengthy passive introduction and of the random encounters.

They are also slowly moving from rotten gameplay tropes to fresher ones: The important fights tend to be more puzzle-based than "spam the big spell", thoughtful time management is becoming a thing (you don't have the leisure to do all events which could help before deadlines), and some explicit choices even have no obvious "best" outcome.

That makes for games where RPGMaker does not exactly shine, but is not particularly cringey either: Fewer and smaller maps translate into less repetition of assets, and the engine is as good as any for dialogues and puzzles.

Outside engine concerns, I admit that I enjoy the idea of more slow-paced games utterly focused on someone slowly changing both physically and mentally due to the passage of time, playing with unstable powers and connecting with different kind of people. I'll probably appreciate it even more if those changes weren't all focused into making them the exact same petite busty curvy pink-loving feminine long-haired blonde femme. I do understand this particular fetish is the bread and butter of such games, but, maybe, just a little more diversity? Please?