Rips in games?

[cherko]

I wasn't sure in what forum to place this question with no definite answer, please move it if it doesn't fit in the tutorials forum.

It's about using graphics ripped from other games in your RPG Maker game.

Of course, the best thing would be to use original graphics. But making graphics for a hundred different monsters isn't an easy task, especially if you, like me, suck at all things graphics related. Try searching for something in the complete resources section, and you'll only get a billion rips.

I make charsets, battle characters and facesets with the generator. I make most of the music myself. But I suck at anything graphics related. I need a prison guard monster, so I search for "guard" in the complete resources section. I get 4 pages of rips, and settle on a monster from the WSC version of FF4.

Does using rips reduce the quality of one's game greatly? To what extent should one use rips? Should rips be used only under certain circumstances?

[aboutasoandthis]

If you can make your own graphics that's great, but seriously ripping doesn't matter. You could steal all of your graphics from a single game if you want to. Your game could end up a work of art, even if you only use the RTP. What really matters is how well you mix and match the different graphics into one cohesive and consistent product that matches the style of your game. With that said, you don't really need great graphics to make a great game. It just helps.

Here's a good example. This is an old screen, but when I first posted this screenshot, people thought it was a work of art.



Nothing in that screen is custom. Everything was ripped from a game, and then messed with in some free paint programs. At first glance it looks custom. Should anyone really disregard its quality after I mention that it isn't?

[cherko]

But if people recognize the graphics as being from *insert random SNES RPG here* would that be a bad thing?

As for me, I don't really mind unless the graphics clash. I find it more annoying when people use music from famous games.

[Prpl_Mage]

There is nohing wrong with using rips but you should think twice before choosing a Pikachu as a "mutated rat".

And you can always edit the colours to fit the backgrounds and battlechars or even edit the look of the rip as well.

Oh, and avoid using really overused rips. People will just go "oh, it's that again... it looked cool in the original game and the other game MEMBER made but you made it really weak..."

Just my opinion.

[aboutasoandthis]

Originally posted by cherko
But if people recognize the graphics as being from *insert random SNES RPG here* would that be a bad thing?

Like Prpl_Mage had said, avoid using a Pikachu for your monster, but if the player goes "This chipset is from Treasure Hunter G *yawn," they are a nerd, plain and simple.

I think the same goes for music. As long as you don't get obnoxious with it, you can use music from any famous RPG in the world. You don't have to have all of your music come from some Anime Soundtrack that nobody has heard of. The music just has to match the atmosphere of the game.

I see a lot of "What Not To Use" music lists that usually look like this:
Any Final Fantasy Game
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
__ of Mana
__ of __
Rudra's Treasure
Dragon Quest
Xenogears

Do you really believe that everyone on this site as played all of the games mentioned above? For every one person who gets annoyed, another five will say "WOW that song is amazing! What game is it from? I want to play it now." Again it is all about not overdoing it.

In my opinion, the best RPG Maker soundtrack came from a game called "Secrets of the Sun." This game broke every "don't use" rule, but the songs matched the game so perfectly, you honestly didn't care.

[cherko]

OK, thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind.

Random off-topic message for no one in particular: I just saw A Clockwork Orange. It was one of the best movies I've ever seen.

[aboutasoandthis]

Clockwork Orange is a good movie...