I'm not a game dev, but I'd say that besides the technical issues of development, (non-action) RPGs depend particularly on three things: 1. story line / script

I'm not a game dev, but I'd say that besides the technical issues of development, (non-action) RPGs depend particularly on three things: 1. story line / script 2. character development (stats and items) 3. careful balancing of rules to keep the level of challenge in an engaging range To start out, I'd start with a graphically trivial game that manages to engage by the three factors mentioned above, and then think about "painting" the game (graphics) later. The rules engine, items, etc. will all all be the same.