i made the really stupid decision to make a game with jrpg mechanics in gamemaker, and jrpgs are really difficult to do in that engine. even though i cut the scope to be as small as i would be willing to make it, i still can't see myself finishing in time because ultimately, with the mechanics the game has i feel like i can't really finish the game without having it come out horribly underbaked. should i just call it quits (specifically for this jam, i'll definitely flesh it out after the jam finishes)? 
update: i submitted something underbaked instead of quitting

No I would make it come out underbaked or I would use some sort of tutorial, or cut out more features.

Hi there! It sounds like you took a plunge into something you are interested in learning about further. 

It can be really disheartening to not meet all of your goals but it’s important to remember most of the games published in these jams run out of time or don’t fully meet the developers original expectations. 

These jams are community focussed and are a great learning opportunity. I would encourage you to publish something rather than throwing in the towel. Reply when you have, we’d love to see what you managed to build 😊

Do your best to make something playable out of what you’ve got so far with the time you have left. Then submit whatever you have, even if it’s incomplete or underbaked. There will be elements of your game you can still get feedback about - players may respond positively to some things or give constructive advice about other things, you never know. It will hopefully give you an idea of where to go next with the game, and learnings for the next jam

Publish something underbaked! We're all in the same boat. I like to look through the game jam quality and try to see the story and the soul of what people are building.

I agree with the rest of the crowd here. I entered Game Jams for years and then quit at the last minute because it wasn't "good enough" in my mind. In hindsight, I wish I had just push whatever I had over the finish line. Even a single level with some basic mechanics to get your ideas across is worth it.

the last game jam which I participated in was my first. I too was feeling the same after getting ill and not being able to make up to my expectations. Still, after I put it there I got some good replies and it helped boost my confidence.

So, even if it's a single level (which it was for me), go for it!

My game was not even close to what me and my partner imagined in our brainstorm. But still, it is a lot of learning.

I suggest you to write a postmortem blog in your game page talking about your experience and what you think went wrong in your process. This is good for you in the future to read again before your next jam.

i submitted something underbaked