For some reason, when I began working on the ICU Gigasoft Project, I realized that it was much more easier than workin on Sonic the Hedgehog: Outburst Theory.

I'm starting to think that making original games is easier than making fangames.

So what do you guys think is easier to make?
Original games? Or fangames?

Depends really.

Fan Games:
-A lot of story elements and characters have already been written for you, you just have to use them.
-Sometimes the graphics are already there for you to use, sometimes you have to "format" them yourself.
-There are lots of ideas you can borrow from the real games.

Original Games:
-You can use RTP or graphics from RTP-like games
-You can do whatever you want. As in, you're not bound to world/characters like Fan Games are.
-You're game is being compared to any "official" version, just every other RPG Maker game.

Some people put more effort into fan games. You, JTH, and Solo tried to make a custom Sonic Engine. Others don't. *Looks at copy-pasta Mario VX games* On the other hand, some people put a lot of effort into their original games. So that really has nothing to do with it...

Uh, back on topic... I don't know if one or the other is inherently easier. It depends on how much work you want to do. I think you can actually put less work into Original Games overall...

Well, Original games are easier due to the ability to use RTP graphics and have a not-so-complicated battle system.
However, fangames can be more fun, because they make you put effort into a game you'll be proud of.

As UD said, it really depends on how much you will go to so far impress everyone. Take a look at Alter Aila Genesis. That ain't RTP, and yet that took a lot of trial and error since it was a lot of work.

Yup, in the end it's effort. And I assume you guys are just putting less effort into the ICU Project, not that I blame you.

Let's think of original games and fan games as paintings:

Fan games are like painting that is already made, and you want to do something similar in its essence but without
forgetting yourself in it. You make a work inspired on it.

Original Games are like blank canvases in which you can paint whatever you want and push all your style in it. You get all
the material where you want and use any material you want.

That's a good way to look at it.

Looking at that terms, you can decide...

I like both anyways..

Original. Fangames is a harder spiced up version of the original game....

Original games got many advantages on the copyright, trademark, credits and other legal stuff. Also you characters haven't been seen before, so you can expect that the critics wouldn't be as hard as the fangames, the disadvantage of the fangames is that they usually get compared with the original, so the exigences are greater than the original. Doing a original game also is hard, because you have to design most of the characters, NPC's, structures, battle system, story/plot; and sometimes the new characters are not going to convince the critics.

I think that it depends on how you manage the material and the plot on the project.