What Makes a Good JRPG?

[EvilWalrus]

This months Humble Bundle provided a lot of game making programs. One of the ones that interested me the most was 90% off RPG Maker XP, 2003, and 2000. I did my research, bought RPG Maker 2003 for $2, and started learning it.

I want to make a legit game, but when I started thinking of ideas, my mind went completely blank.

I've seen tons of good games made with this program, or ones similar, such as Off. I want to make something that good of quality, but every game needs a story/purpose.

So this is why I propose this question. What do you think makes a good JRPG? If you guys have any story ideas, you can tell me those too.

Thanks

[rottencheeseCA]

The J is for Japan, so you can't make one. Sorry bakka guy gin. Make a something like that Charles Barkley game instead. I think that was actually made in rpg maker, so it is a good example to go off

[KatanaRama]

Well, whether something is a Jrpg or a western rpg really depends on it's style rather than it's production location. Look at Dark souls, a very western rpg made in Japan.

To me a Jrpg usually focuses on giving you an interactive story. Meaning that you'll be "roleplaying" as an existing character with set personality traits and world views, etc. It's less about empowerment to the player, or exploration (something you'd see in Elder scrolls) and instead just wants to tell the player a story. So if I were trying to make a Jrpg, I'd start writing down some ideas and work off them.

TL;DR: Jrpgs=A playable movie/book/show, etc.

[Lazy-Ultimax]

Well a good starting off point, I feel, is to focus what you think is more important to a story. The moral or the moments, to have a lesson given as a whole to the game or have characters and setting to be grand in both depth and design.

I'm only assuming you'll be mostly using in-game assets so I think making characters and have a good story without a moral is best for a first attempt. Then make a few setting or scenarios most fit for the characters you make.

Another start you can have is to have a idea you find really cool, like something about mythical creatures or the magic they use, and attach a world to it. Having a character interact with the world as if like it's for the first time, like someone isolated finally able to go out into the world.

Oh and make it really long, like reeaally fucking long. Just add Murphy's law to every scenario and have M. Night Shyamalan twists to accompany them.
I hope this helps. Or just you took the time to read this.

[Django]

No, this is not concept art from the latest discarded final fantasy game. It's the cover of an rpg that came out in the year 2000


1. Artistic as fuck concept art ; the project is very artfully conceptualized very early in the creative process.
2. Good use of fantastical locations, historically alluring scenary/dresses, orientalism
3. NOBOU. UEMATSU..
4. Did i mention good music, ok one more time.
5. Either made by Squaresoft or Enix, but never square-enix
6. Playstation or Snes
7. Pre-Millenium (good because with the advent of the millenium, came also cosplayers/weebos AKA cultural toxic stuff)
8. Pre-rendered backgrounds


9. If you game inspires this then
its not a good rpg


10. Somehow in the story,which is also extremely metaphoric/cryptical, they either:
a.Kill God
b. Become God
c. Kill god, then immediately become god
d. Refute God
e. Refute God, kill God, man becomes god, man refutes itself

10. The childhood and imagination that you don't have anymore

[EvilWalrus]

So here's what I'm gathering. Less (or none) turned based fighting, but make a world with a story you interact with instead. I like that idea

[Django]

don't forget the giant hairdos and sword-guns

[Pentagram.J2]

story is above everything else the most important aspect of a good JRPG. All of the best ones place world, story, and characters above almost everything else. Gameplay is secondary in this genre. You can have turn based (classic FF/JRPG fair), real time (Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story are two really good recent examples), or some mix of the two. Personally I prefer either full turn based in my JRPG's, but that's just me. Really it's not all that important though. So long as the systems aren't broken and provide a good amount of fun for the end-user, then it's passable. Your RPG, if it retains its more JRPG inspirations, is going to live and die by its story and characters.

If you want a really good video series that more clearly shows what makes a JRPG a JRPG, check these out:

[Sanvich Hoovy]

Give half the chicks huge tits and make the other half look 8 years old, regardless of actual age (bonus points if they're actually 1000+ years old) and add in either a poorly thought out, forced romance plot, or an in depth breeding simulator like Fire Emblem Awakening

[dmitri ravinoff]

Cats!

Disclaimer: I have never played a JRPG

[Hellboy]

The best JRPG is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door because it has a combat system that rewards good character building, while additionally having interactive elements that are skill and timing-based against enemies with distinctive attack patterns and weaknesses in order to keep you invested in what's going on. It does this while having hilarious characters (goddamn Goombella has optional ancillary dialog for every single enemy and nearly every single game screen) and a simple story framework by which to encourage the player toward their goal. I find that vastly preferable to something trying to take its story seriously, I'm hard-pressed to think of a JRPG with a genuinely good story that isn't, like, Chrono Trigger (which is also v. good).

Also pretty much every JRPG has really good music, because you need it if you're going to be chugging through a 20-40 hour game.

[Jason]

Your post inspired me to replay that game, greatjob.

[dmitri ravinoff]

The best JRPG is Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door because it has a combat system that rewards good character building, while additionally having interactive elements that are skill and timing-based against enemies with distinctive attack patterns and weaknesses in order to keep you invested in what's going on. It does this while having hilarious characters (goddamn Goombella has optional ancillary dialog for every single enemy and nearly every single game screen) and a simple story framework by which to encourage the player toward their goal. I find that vastly preferable to something trying to take its story seriously, I'm hard-pressed to think of a JRPG with a genuinely good story that isn't, like, Chrono Trigger (which is also v. good).

Also pretty much every JRPG has really good music, because you need it if you're going to be chugging through a 20-40 hour game.

time to find an ISO

[timtoborne]

In japan, you need story, trope-tastic characters, and big tits. Everywhere else, anything goes.

But in all seriousness, I'm trying to make one too, but I refuse to start until I finish the story. A good game takes time, devotion, and effort. If you have all three, you can make anything.

[Jason]

I appreciate that murphy. They ARE nice eyebrows.