Dunno who needs to hear this but:
Game dev articles a lot of times say "nobody wants to play this kind of game anymore" or "we have to do it this way now because," and
just ignore those bits. They're talking about AAA, if not F2P gamers, and seriously: who cares?
Make games for YOUR audience.
The one that really stuck in my craw recently was we "can't make RPGs like Morrowind anymore" because "nobody wants to wander around with so little direction" and
uh my guy, your audience just kinda sucks. Maybe you should take less budget and make smaller games for fewer peoples so you're allowed to say something with them again.
@glassbottommeg Some other indie games that match that:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637730/Crystal_Project/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/333640/Caves_of_Qud/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1224290/Horizons_Gate/
...heck, while not an RPG, Animal Well's entire gameplay loop is basically "wander around with no direction trying to figure out what you should be doing" and it's probably one of the biggest recent indie successes.
Crystal Project is a non-linear JRPG where you are the maker of your own adventure. Explore the world while you find Crystals, unlock classes, learn abilities, and create a strategy capable of taking down the world's toughest bosses. Or just stick to exploring; it's up to you.
Megan Fox
ZetaZetan