RPG Maker isn't exactly a stellar system to create games off of. The fact that it's easy to use, highly accessible, and pretty cheap makes it still one of the most eye-catching engines for new users. Granted, new users start swimming into the communities and finding all these free and awesome resources that their games suddenly become Frankenstein monsters, lacking any form of synergy at all. They also start designing very generic stories, stone-slate (uninspired) characters, and repetitive gameplay that has been done countless times and beaten to death. Yes, we were all noobs at one point and learned from our mistakes--but if this is really your first game EVER and your first time EVER working with a game engine, you shouldn't be glomping over forums asking for intricate and specialized systems for a game that will not be good (nor finished for that matter), especially for free.
With that said, the good RPG Maker games are those that deviate from this prototypical norm. A fresh battle system that hasn't been seen before; characters that are unique and meaningful; gameplay that isn't cut-and-paste from another game; going BEYOND the engine's intentional uses. I like to see games that either make me go "That's made with RPG Maker?" or "Now this guy/team KNOWS how to fully use a limited engine."
As for personal taste, I prefer SNES/GBA graphics. Pixel art is always relevant and cool to look at, especially if done well. Good use of graphics is better than throwing nice graphics together with no sense or rhyme. ABS's don't work well with RPG Maker's tile-based environment (they are fun to mess around with though); I'm totally fine with turn-based battles but only if there's some depth of strategy involved.