Hey everyone, new guy here... Just a little about me (this isn't really an introduction topic, but whatver). I used to be really active in the RM2K community back when it was the hot stuff. The place where I hung around the most, RPGLand.net, dried up as a community a few years ago and with the releases of RMXP and RMVX, for some reason, I just stopped making games. I have, however, wanted to get back into the fray, so here is my question to you, the only game making community that I know of!!

The Question
To what extent does the RPGMaker community still exist? Are people still making games with RM2K and RM2K3? And to what extent? RMXP and RMVX are simply too hard to work with if you can't script, and getting resources that aren't in a cliche fantasy setting are nigh impossible.

It exists.

There are still a lot of RM2K3 games being developed out there... And a fair share of RM2K ones as well. If you want a sampling, check this: http://rpgmaker.net/games/. It's the most recently updated games on RM, a good portion of them from the older versions. There should be plenty of an audience/community for this sort of game.

Though if you want to start fresh, VX/XP might be the way to go because of scripting, if you care to pick it up. Or maybe you're better off learning a real language to design games with.

Nope, stop making games with any RPGMaker program. If you are a die-hard game creator then learn game maker or some other reputable program.

If you're a die-hard game creator, you're not using an engine in the first place...

Eh, pretty much. Thanks for pointing that out.

Elaborating, I mean that none of us are really considering profitable releases and the like, so as long as it's easier and enjoyable to use creator software, (and an audience still exists for a game), there's no reason not to. I'll admit GM and others have a larger audience, but there are still people willing to play games made in RM2K/3.

Beyond people making games with RM themselves, I doubt so.

That counts in my book... A style of create/play that could be described as "incestuous," but fun anyway.

Beyond people making games with RM themselves, I doubt so.

When you have idiots who sell and buy garbage like this http://www.johnwizard.com/

I somehow can't agree with you.

Yes, people still use it!  Check out the demo for "Alter Aila Genesis!"

When you have idiots who sell and buy garbage like this http://www.johnwizard.com/

I somehow can't agree with you.

That... is very very scary.

Yeah, that's exactly how I described it on IRC some times ago, incestuous.
I think it is very toxic. You just feed of each others idea and incorporate them to your games and then claim innovation. Maybe it's because I'm "out of the loop" but when I check the game dev forum, I just see the same thing over and over again.

No, it's not just you. There are a lot of games that seem to be the same sort of epic using the DBS, but there are also quite a few more original ones out there. The problem of having something like RM is that a lot of the products will be exactly what the maker was intended to make: fantasy JRPGs. Big surprise. However, I wouldn't say most people claim these are "innovative."

Yeah, that's exactly how I described it on IRC some times ago, incestuous.
I think it is very toxic. You just feed of each others idea and incorporate them to your games and then claim innovation. Maybe it's because I'm "out of the loop" but when I check the game dev forum, I just see the same thing over and over again.

http://rpgmaker.net/games/1492/

While not innovative, I highly recommend this game. I wish more people put in the extra effort this guy put in. The game itself even a dated effort; so Im sure the guy could even make much better stuff now.