My advice is to use a real development environment instead of tools that claim to make game development easy. They just replace the real complexity of code with the bullshit complexity of the tool. Look at the Mane6 and how much crap they have to put up with from Fighter Maker. I honestly believe they would've been better off recruiting some coders instead.
If you learn, say, Python or C#, you know how to program. You can move on to a different language or tool relatively easily. If you learn Whatever Maker, you know just Whatever Maker and nothing else.
This doesn't apply to Game Maker though. I learned from Game Maker's DnD then to it's GMLanguage then to Java then to C#.
It's how you program the game and not what tool you use.
Check RPG Maker, learn from event scripting then move on to it's RGSS, then move to Ruby the move to Python then move to Java then to C#. Do research first before you can say it's all bullsh*t. Some environments do have some coding involved.
Yes, there is limitations but that doesn't mean you can't make a game because of it.
Even it's limited, my professor told me that "Every environment can be pushed to it's limits, you can surpass it. You just don't know."
Also, some tips coming from my professors.
If you are just starting out:
* use existing game engine
* start with 2D -- if no experience in 3D assets
* use pre-existing art assets as placeholder, while team artist authors new ones
* don't mind sound FX, bg music for now -- if not required by game
Coming from me from a meeting for game devs:
* Make a priority checklist and make a flowchart how your game works. Another flowchart for how your materials are passed around.
Just for everyone who keeps failing:
* Prototype early. Fail early. If prototype is great then improve prototype. If not, move to next idea.
Working on a team?
1. make the project unforgivably small in scope. if possible just clone something with 10 to 20% new on top of it.
2. use Trello + dropbox to make each people's progress visible to everyone
3. make sure to aim for a WIN every 2 weeks at least so morale can be sustained. 90% of these project fall through because the members get 'ningas kugon' or flake out.
4. there needs to be a leader, someone who can push/pull(bad boss/good boss) the other members
There we go~