RPG Maker is a good one.. u might need to know a bit of ruby but im not to shore but u make like rpg's witch look kinda game boy style.

Try the DarkBASIC Pro demo, I've used that program and it turned out pretty decent. Has a very helpful forum and is expanded and improved very often.

I think there was a program called RPG maker. There's an online version and all you have to do is set up the little switches and look for the graphics. It comes with its own graphics, but if you make your own, the game will look. I also heard there was a playstation version, but I never found it in stores.

Well, there are several steps in making a game... first is making the characters, the scenes the motions etc...

I would use Alias Motion Builder for the animation....
use c++ for the encoding, Halo 3 was encode in c++
mmmm, also you can use Java, I wouldnt recomended it our even flash, for RPG type games....

But just learn Animation First then start adding stuff to that...

I'm game maker I use RPG MAKER XP, you need alot of skills as event skills, scripting, mapping skills etc if you wanna more PM me

If you want to make a text based game, i think all what you need is PHP,html,mysql and maybe some java skills. You can ask others to make you the pics you need if you can.

So.. depends on what games you are thinking now, For simple 2D games with decent interactivity, macromedia flash with Advance actionscript ability works best.

If you are thinking about Doom 2, simple FPS games, you gotta learn C++, OpenGL or DirectX, 3DsMax or Maya, and Photoshop for texturing (well, there are alot of very nice textures available to download for free over the internet)

But, on an advanced games, you won't do it by yourself. An equal of PS1 game generation requires advance understanding on terrain rendering, advance physics engine, advance user interface, pixel shading, detailed collision detection, image management, clipping/culling, level building, advance AI scripting and etc..

thinking of PS3 games? you better don't. There are hundreds of programmers, 3D designers, level builder and developers and more geeks and nerds are involved on a game engine development for 2-5 years of hardcore work

but there are now some free good game engines that can help you build decent game without having to write every single piece of functions by your own. Try googling for iirlicht and Ogre3D. There are also some physics engine. You just need working logic on programming algorithm, concept of Object Oriented Programming, game patterns.

Well, i have to say that the most important thing here is C/C++ and logic.