So I've spent about 2.5 hours on my Goofy4Digits entry… multiply by 2-3x if you count brainstorming.

It's titled Splendid Genesis: Memorikan, and I'm making it in RPG Maker VX Ace. Of course I will be using all original assets since the bundled assets don't really fit the setting of the game. Plus it would be kinda cheaty.

The gameplay will basically just be traditional JRPG… I'm not going to be modifying RPG Maker's combat system or anything, just tweaking parameters for balancing things how I want. The default settings are incredibly dumb… the player starts with ~600 HP, incredibly exessive. If there's one thing I've learned from Magic: The Gathering vs Yu-Gi-Oh or Force of Will, it's that smaller and more meaningful stats are better than huge stats that are big just for the sake of being big.

So how will it tie into the competition's themes if the gameplay is just boring JRPG fare? Through the story, duh! I think I've got a unique story concept that more or less checks the boxes of all 3 themes.

As for the setting, it takes place in space. You'll take the role of an astronaut, and you'll explore a small region of space and visit a few space stations in the vicinity.

That's all I've got for now, but today's my first day working on it. As soon as I get a better feel for RPG Maker and slap together some art assets, I'll update with some screenshots and stuff.