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Clydefrog

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #1

Check it Out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1940485896/the-great-gaias

Created by a small startup group in New York called Horizon’s End, The Great Gaias is a story-driven PC role playing game designed for lifelong lovers of the classical styled JRPG genre. Horizon’s End likens their gameplay to classics such as Chrono Trigger, Xenogears and the Final Fantasy series. In addition to the typical JRPG gameplay, it uses other ideas from games like Wizardry and Elder Scrolls series: skills are used-based. The more you use a certain skill, the better you get at it. The battle system can be switched from active time to turn-based. There are 13 classes to choose from and there is no true “leader” in the party. There is an interesting crafting system as well as an idea to “build-your-own-city”. The final game is slated to have 60 hours of gameplay.

This game really interested me when I saw it on Kickstarter because it seems like an ambitious stray from the typical JRPG yet still embraces what the classics have to offer. It is a small Kickstarter with a $25,000 goal but these guys seem pretty talented.

After being boned by the Kobe beef jerky scam on Kickstarter, this seems like a fresh of breath air.

 

Flying Toaster

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #2

Wow, this is actually neat. Thanks for the heads up.

 

TriAceJP

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #3

I enjoy myself some JRPG.

Since Japan doesn't really do it anymore, this is exciting.

 

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Spwn

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #4

Do we really want to see a carbon copy of one of those classic games? I don't really know how to feel about this type of nostalgia projects.

 

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Perkel

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #5

yep that's rpgmaker.

 

TriAceJP

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #6

Perkel said:

yep that's rpgmaker.

Click to expand...

They mention how they are in pre alpha and everything is supposed to be upgraded if funded. I am not sure if this includes game engine but I really hope it does.

 

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diggmcbadass

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #7

They should make the game actual 16 bit so players would have to install MS-DOS to run it. That's nostalgia right there.

 

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thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion

• Jun 14, 2013

• #8

Perkel said:

yep that's rpgmaker.

Click to expand...

To be fair, a good number of fantastic JP indie games use RPG maker.

They of course sell for under $5.

 

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Crazymoogle

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #9

Ugh, another RPG Maker Kickstarter...

All the best to the people working on it, but it's hard not to see a ragged looking RPG maker project here.

 

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Mental Atrophy

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #10

Smells like RPG Maker.

 

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Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder

• Jun 14, 2013

• #11

25k to make an RPG maker game? lolno.

 

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Soule

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #12

I really hope they're still working on the graphics, some bits look good from what I saw in the video like the air ship at the end and combat backgrounds, but some parts look really unappealing with the tile-texture look. Some of the things they talked about sound interesting at least.

EDIT: oh, RPG Maker, makes sense now

 

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Odrion

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #13

Looks kinda janky, and yeah RPG Makery, but the ideas behind it are cool.

But seriously, $25,000?

 

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Synth_floyd

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #14

Actually doesn't look too bad but the fact that it is an RPG Maker game or looks exactly like one will limit its impact and sales.

Where is all the money going? I mean they list a "budget" at the bottom but all that money is just going to salaries so they can pay themselves while it's in development, right?

 

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cosmicblizzard

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #15

Oh cool. The portrait art isn't awful like a lot of western-made "JRPGs" emulating the anime style. The effects are cool too.

Would love to see an actual good one of these with a semi-serious story. Hopefully this won't be another Black Sigil.

 

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littlebirdtoldme

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #16

I hate when they mix different art styles in games.

If you are going with pixel art, use it all the way, incl the fonts.

Dont mix in "paint brushed" artwork.

 

reddmyst

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #17

$25k? Really? Although that looks interesting somewhat.

 

Sentenza

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #18

Sinatar said:

25k to make an RPG maker game? lolno.

Click to expand...

Essentially.
They seem like nice guys and the pitch video suggests they put a fair amount of work in their system, but I'm not going to fund a RPG maker project.
Hell, I'm not going to play a RPG Maker project either unless someone pays me to do it, actually.

Step up your game, guys. There were neat things in the '90s, but the "RPG maker look" isn't among them.

 

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Sykotik

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #19

Damn, you guys are rough!

I think it looks pretty good. It's ambitious, and RPGMaker doesn't detract from that. Gotta work with what you got.

 

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sibarraz

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #20

Looks super low budget for the goal that they are aiming, plus the menus doesn't feel too ''16 bit''

 

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chickdigger802

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #21

Game looks a bit rough for sure, but really digging the combat animations. Has the flair I wanted out of a 2d FF style game.

aug 2014 is a while off though, so i'm a bit hesitant with KS these days :/

would totally pick this up when its out though.

 

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gngf123

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #22

To those guys who are treating RPGmaker as a bad thing:

You can make some fantastic games with it if you know how. Unfortunately, this game looks a bit rough for now though.

TriAceJP said:

Since Japan doesn't really do it anymore, this is exciting.

Click to expand...

There are dozens of fantastic JRPG's released every year man. Japan just focus more on handhelds now.

 

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wrowa

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #23

gngf123 said:

To those guys who are treating RPGmaker as a bad thing:

Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with RPG Maker per se, but this looks like the kind of RPG Maker game you and me made in our teenage years.

 

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Swig_

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #24

Can you make an RPGMaker game look like it's not an RPGMaker game if you put enough effort into the art and possibly scripting?

 

Sentenza

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #25

Kod1ak said:

Can you make an RPGMaker game look like it's not an RPGMaker game if you put enough effort into the art and possibly scripting?

Click to expand...

Sort of, some projects did, but you will be tied anyway to some strong engine limitations (in other words: beside custom art it will keep the very same "RPGMaker feel" in terms on interface etc).

 

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Vamphuntr

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #26

So tired of indies studios name dropping big RPGs to pimp their stuff. FF, Chrono Cross and Xenogears were made by big teams and it's kind of misleading to expect them to make something of similar quality. They actually say they want to rival these games. Good luck, the screens doesn't scream that level of quality to me.

Also they are talking about ATB, isn't that patented by SE?

 

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wrowa

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #27

Vamphuntr said:

So tired of indies studios name dropping big RPGs to pimp their stuff. FF, Chrono Cross and Xenogears were made by big teams and it's kind of misleading to expect them to make something of similar quality. They actually say they want to rival these games. Good luck, the screens doesn't scream that level of quality to me.

Click to expand...

Definitely agree with this. Every time I see these games listed as an inspiration you want to live up to I immediately stop treating a project seriously. If you aren't at the very least an established indie studio, you will have no chance in hell to make something that gets even remotely close to these games. Making an RPG is simple, making a great RPG however is something not a whole lot of people truly can do.

 

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Mental Atrophy

Banned

• Jun 14, 2013

• #28

Kod1ak said:

Can you make an RPGMaker game look like it's not an RPGMaker game if you put enough effort into the art and possibly scripting?

Click to expand...

Yes, but it's a game engine geared towards younger hobbyists with a lot of prefabricated components, so it's too easy to rely on existing features and UI elements that make RPG Maker games so identifiable.

Hobbyist games like I Miss the Sunrise stand apart. While the graphics are amateurish, it definitely has its own cohesive aesthetic to it, and it isn't immediately identifiable as an RPG Maker project.

(also, I recommend this if you are into hobbyist games)

 

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Tellaerin

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #29

Perkel said:

yep that's rpgmaker.

Click to expand...

thetrin said:

To be fair, a good number of fantastic JP indie games use RPG maker.

They of course sell for under $5.

Click to expand...

To hear some of you guys talk, you'd think you just name your characters, press a button, and RPG Maker spits out a finished RPG.

The later versions of RPG Maker provide a really nice development framework for 2D RPG's, with support for scripting in Ruby (RGSS). That makes development easier than coding up a commercial-quality oldschool RPG from scratch in C++ would be, but that's the point of any kind of middleware. You're still talking about custom art, music, scripting, etc.

Should developers only expect $5 or less for Unreal Engine games? I mean, they're just plugging assets and uscript scripts into a middleware engine, too. It's not like they're doing actual work or anything.

 

mihon

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #30

Although I like it as an JRPG fan, it's too RPGMaker-ish. There are already too many good (and better) free around there.

I'd approve if they actually upgrade to a new engine, or with better and enhanced graphics (still 2D) that doesn't resemble RPG Maker. Or if the game is actually surprisingly new and mindblowind (as for the video, it isn't).

 

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Clydefrog

Member

• Jun 14, 2013

• #31

Well I'm still going to give them the benefit of the doubt since they said all of their videos are "pre-alpha". According to them, the game is far from finished.

I guess I wasn't too familiar with RPGMaker when I created this thread...