Happy Christmas 2015 from RPG Maker Times (however you celebrate it) and a happier game-dev New Year!

The winners of the Design A Logo Contest were notified of their prizes; I just haven't had the time to update on the site yet. I will in the New Year!

Adventures of Tryggr Troll - Offical RMMV Game

It's now official!

Tryggr the Troll WILL have his own interactive-fiction style RPG Maker MV game! And he'll eventually have his own website! He's rather excited, as we are! Can you tell?

We'll begin development on the game as soon as we've finished writing the story. And, yes, this IS Tryggr's actual graphic in the game. More details will follow as and when it develops.



Tryggr is a character I created a while ago using Daz3D just for fun. Since then I've been creating various poses and scenes for him. When RPG Maker MV was officially released, I received my copy (having preordered it) and started playing around with the new RPG Maker. The result was a very short something, purely to test its HTML5 and Android capabilities.

When I showed the wife, she became quite animated and told me that it had the potential to develop into a kind of interactive-fiction, story-driven game. So after some discussion, we decided that we'd both like to work on it together.

For this reason, development on the Adventures of Tryggr Troll will officially begin!

Countdown to RPG Maker MV

There's only two days left before the "official" launch of RPG Maker MV and I'm getting excited!

This means that, since I preordered it from the start, it'll be readily available on 23 October, 2015, at 10:00 PDT. The biggest advantage is that I actually have the day off from work, so I will start playing around with it almost immediately. And I'm confident enough in my Javascripting skills that I can eventually start on some plugins of my own.

In fact, I've been going through a refresher course on Codecademy. It's easier than I thought it would be; although it's been quite some time since I wrote anything in Javascript, it's all coming back to me!

Wonder if wanting to remake Otherworld in #RMMV to make use of its plugins is running before you can walk. #RPGMaker #GameDev #IndieGameDev

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) October 21, 2015

Based on what I've seen so far, I've been thinking about recreating Otherworld to RMMV, but that probably won't happen since the project's fairly well established now for RMVXA. Nice idea though!

RPG Maker MV Preorder & Release Date

RPG Maker MV is being released on October 23, 2015.

You can preorder your copy with a 10% discount and two bonus packs: the Cover Art Characters Pack and the MV Essentials Set. Steam or non-Steam keys will be available when RPG Maker MV is officially released.

The preorder cost (with the discount) is a princely $71.99, but to me (based on what I've seen so far) it's worth it!

RPG Maker MV Official Trailer

What Makes RPG Maker MV Exciting

Previous RPG Makers (from 2K to VXA) have been limited to Windows only. However, RPG Maker MV can now be used on both Windows and Mac machines. Not only that, you can also export games you create to Android or iOS, as well as to HTML5 so games can be playable on your websites.

In this video, Stephen Plays showcases some of the features in RPG Maker MV. He was one of the fortunate ones to have a preview version to play with.



The tiles are larger with "intelligent" tile transparency and you can choose between front-view or side-view battles, depending on your preference. RPG Maker MV also comes with a built-in character creator, complete with sprites and facesets, which will be very useful for creating styled characters.

RPG Maker MV Official Page

You can view some of the major features in RPG Maker MV on the RPG Maker Web page, which includes a playable demo on the website.

I've preordered my copy already and, although the price may be somewhat high, it's definitely worth it! Being able to create and produce RPG Maker MV games on a wide range of formats is a huge plus! I'm looking forward to RPG Maker MV; I'll activate my copy through Steam, though you can choose to have a non-Steam key if you prefer.

Payday is literally just around the corner (tomorrow actually), so I'll be preordering my own copy of RPG Maker MV. I'm surprisingly excited. And then, of course, it means I have to relearn JavaScript, not necessarily a bad thing.

One key lets you activate the Steam and Non-Steam Version!Expand MV with free Preorder Resources!Bonus plugins,...

Posted by RPG Maker MV on Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Hopefully, most likely later in 2016, I'll be giving away Steam keys for RPG Maker MV in the form of a competition. At least that's the plan. Watch this space for details!

Design A Logo Contest - Win RPG Maker VX Ace!

Here's your chance to win some FREE Steam keys for RPG Maker VX Ace and some resources!

The RPG Maker Times logo is in need of a redesign; it's been the same for years. So, I thought it would be a cool idea to run a contest to design a new logo appropriate for the site.

Prizes Up For Grabs

First Place	RPG Maker VX Ace RPG Maker: Luna Engine
Second Place	Game Character Hub
Third Place	RPG Maker: Rural Farm Tileset

Rules

There are very few rules for this contest, but please make sure you read them carefully to ensure your submission counts!

Judges

The judges will be my wife (artistic design), my son (gaming profiling), my good friend and creation partner from Psyche Gamelab (artist/collaborator), and me (designer/blog owner).

Closing Date and Submission

The closing date is October 31, 2015 at midnight UTC. Submissions after this date won't be counted.

Logos can be submitted via the competition's submission form.

Steam Keys Giveaway #1 - Coming Soon

I recently bought Bundle Stars' Game Makers Mega Bundle, so that means I have some extra RPG Maker VX Ace and Game Guru Steam keys (programs and resources) to give away.

Bought the Game Makers Mega Bundle so have some #Steam keys to give out! RPG Maker and Game Guru programs and resources worth $450!

I'm not sure how this'll work yet because there's one key per program or resource. Maybe it'll be in the form of competitions, or it might be in the form of a "first come, first served" basis. More news on this soon.

RPG Maker 2003 Updated to v1.11

The official version of RM2K3 was updated (and released) yesterday. There are a number of bug fixes and some cool and, indeed, welcome additions to the Maker.

You can view some of its main updates (the ones that jump out at me) or the official RM2K3 English Changelog.

Extra Stats v4.0 Released

The Extra Stats v4.0 is finally finished.

Extra Stats Script v4.0 released. #RPGMaker #RGSS2 #GameDev http://t.co/X7QE3xs481 pic.twitter.com/909BZDezj9

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) August 29, 2015

The main feature of the ESS v4.0 is a menu system to categorise sections accordingly. It's now available to download and use in your projects if you find it useful. Some stats are still pending - I haven't had the time to code them yet - but it's still fully functional.

I'm not sure when it'll be updated to v5.0 (the final version). It all depends on what happens between now and then.

Extra Stats Script v4.0 (RMVX) In Development

The Extra Stats script is being updated to version 4.0 and is nearing completion.

Version 4 will eventually supersede version 3, but the older version will still be available for download for those who prefer it. Several new features have been added, notably that each stat section now has its own display. Each section can include a filler picture as well.

Some of the changes are:

• Separate Sections - The stat sections are displayed separately instead of in a single window. This makes it easier to view instead of being clumped together, thereby improving aesthetics.
• Add Pictures - Each section can have their own filler pictures. At the moment, pictures are preset, but a function to add your own pictures will be implemented later.
• Additional Stats - A few additional stats have been added to the various sections. I'm also working on implementing more in-game stats, such as the number of potions used.

Is It Legal To Change The Game.exe Icon?

I came across a question a few weeks ago about the legality of using such software as Resource Hacker to change the Game.exe icon, so I thought I'd answer it.

First of all, according to the EULA:

Licensee shall not reverse engineer, de-compile, or disassemble the Software.

which means, in short, that technically it IS illegal, since you're modifying something that is part of the "Software", i.e. RPG Maker.

With that said, however, you're not actually directly modifying the software itself, only the game's icon for creating shortcuts. And, since there isn't an apparent option for the INI to use an icon, for some developers having a game-exclusive icon is a preference they don't want to be without.

According to Archeia on Steam:

Technically it isn't [legal] and Enterbrain is aware of it. But they're loose about the rule.

In other words, Enterbrain doesn't condone using software to hack Game.exe to change its icon (which is what Resource Hacker does), since that would be a violation of the EULA, but they are tolerant of it provided you're ONLY using it to change the icon - and nothing else - and do NOT directly modify the software itself. This includes anything that comes bundled with the RPG Maker itself, the RTP software, Game.exe, and any accompanying DLLs.

If you're in doubt, don't do it!

Instead, you might be interested in the How to Change the Game.exe Icon Tutorial for alternative methods that don't directly modify or hack Game.exe.

RPG Maker Times Migration Updates

For those who are interested, here are the updates (from Twitter) regarding the RPG Maker Times main site and domain migration. It'll also be updated as progress develops. Hopefully all the domains will be restored later tomorrow.

June 14, 2015

#RPGMaker Times Blog is about 85% complete. All that remains is retroactively fixing failed transfers. Projects subdomain not ready yet.

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

June 13, 2015

#RPGMaker Times finally online (took time with DNS re-propagating). Now hideously tasked with restoring content/themes from backup.

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

Nothing's THAT simple! Migration of #RPGMaker Times taking awhile longer than anticipated. Run into an unexpected error, so site is down!

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

Migration of #RPGMaker Times is complete. Just waiting for the DNS to re-propagate. Man, am I *IMPATIENT* already!

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 12, 2015

Forgot how long site migration takes! And how HUGE the site is! Backups of backups! Ewch! #RPGMaker #bitstrips pic.twitter.com/gIqMzj2LCi

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 12, 2015

June 11, 2015

RPG Maker Times domain transfer tomorrow. Fingers crossed for smooth transition. #RPGMaker #GameDev #bitstrips pic.twitter.com/wMKl9ap0bs

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 11, 2015

June 9, 2015

Blog Migration - Domain Disruption #RPGMaker #GameDev http://t.co/5ukr6RSqMx pic.twitter.com/LYTdhEyq90

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 9, 2015

RPG Maker Times Blog - Important Notice

The RPG Maker Times blogsite domain is down is up again.

Visitors to the site will receive a "503 - Service Temporarily Unavailable" error. This means that the current webhost claims that CPU resources and capacity have been overloaded, yet all the other subdomains work perfectly.

As many of you know, this is not the first time I've had problems with the webhost, but this is the final straw! I've managed to secure enough funds now to finally migrate to another, more expensive VPS webhost and from 12 May, 2015, onwards the migration process will begin. This means that the blogsite will be temporarily unavailable during this time.

It needs to be done, as the site has been expanding for a while, so with the new migration there will be no more interruptions.

The "Complete Chests Tutorial" Is Being Updated

The Complete Chests Tutorial is finally being given a long overdue update!

Since my recent purchase of the officially translated version of RM2K3 from Steam, I decided to finally bring this tutorial up-to-date. I'm basically rewriting them but using the tutorials as templates and adding some additional features as well.

Included will be some new chapters, which again were planned but never fully implemented. A downloadable demo will be available for each RPG Maker. Maps will be unique to each but the basic principles will be the same throughout. The demos will be more puzzle-orientated as well.

Once complete, the Complete Chests Tutorial will also be uber-updated.

RPG Maker 2003 Official English Translation

Yes, it's official! RPG Maker 2003 has been officially translated into English and is now available on Steam.



I just bought it to add to my Steam collection. I now have them all in one convenient place.

The final results for the March 2015 Poll What RPG Maker Do You Use Most Often? are in.

The three "other" options were:

• Unity3D - Not strictly speaking an RPG Maker product, but it still counts. Making RPGs with Unity3D is something I've always wanted to do but just haven't learned any of it.
• RPG Maker 2K - Kudos! A true diehard!
• RPG Maker VX Ace - Already an option, so the official count is 102!
  

I find the results most interesting, not what I expected. So, based on these results, I'll try and tailor the content accordingly.

Thanks to ALL who voted and commented!

Fix: Gold Comma Separators Scriptlet

In reference to the Gold Comma Separators Scriptlet, a bug was found. It was pointed out that in RMVXA, the commas worked fine in the main Gold Window, but opening up a shop and buying items resulted in a "Comparison of Fixnum with string failed" error.

And, since the previous method worked in RMXP and RMVX, but not in RMVXA, I was quite interested in finding a solution (not being one to shy away from a challenge), since I did overlook this in the first place.

Thanks to Dahcster for finding it and pointing it out.

Read More: Fix: Gold Comma Separators Scriptlet

Scripts/Scriptlets Updates

I have two days off (from tomorrow) so will spend the time tweaking and updating all Scripts/Scriptlets. They'll also be uploaded to Pastebin, providing the option to copy and paste them directly or download a text version from the site.

Saturday is my last work-night before I have a week's holiday, which will give me the chance to finally make some proper progress on my project, Otherworld.

I'm hoping to finally publish Version 4.0 of the Q-Engine, along with its add-ons, following some additional testing and tweaks.

We'll see how things go. My priority IS Otherworld, however, and creating something of more substance.

Gold Comma Separators Scriptlet

If, like me, you hate the way large numbers are displayed without any separators, thus making it hard to read, then you’ll want the Gold Comma Separators Scriptlet for your games.

What this does is separates large numbers with a comma every three blocks of numbers. Thus, 100000 becomes 100,000. That’s way easier to read! (Incidentally, it took me ages to figure out how to successfully do this!)

To achieve this, we attach

.to_s.reverse.gsub(/(\d{3})(?=\d)/, ‘\\1,’).reverse

to the $game_party.gold. This is done differently in each RPG Maker.

Edit: The RMVXA error has been fixed.

Read more: RPG Maker Times & Companion

Looking for Guest Bloggers

The RPG Maker Times blog has come a long way since its earliest beginnings as a site devoted exclusively to RM2K/3 stuff on Blogger. And since migrating to its own domain name, it's come farther still.

As a result, I love checking the site's statistics: how many daily or monthly visitors, where visitors come from and ultimately which pages they're drawn to. I also like checking the keywords that people are using to find the posts, whether those keywords are organic or direct or are from social media sites. Most days RPG Maker Times averages 250+ hits per day. That's not bad considering it's not been up that long really, as traffic is still stronger at Blogger (obviously because it's Google's).

So I'd like to start expanding further. As much as I try to blog frequently, including sharing scripts and reviews, I don't have as much time as I'd like to mostly because of my odd hours. That's why I'm looking for guest bloggers to post regularly on RPG Maker Times. Guest bloggers can share anything from tutorials to games reviews, or even voice opinions.

There won't be any money, but if you have a website guest blogging will guarantee some exposure for you, including a short bio so you can promote yourself and any projects/games you might be working on! You can even post your own RPG Maker or game/project promo video on YouTube.

If interested, leave a comment and I'll give you a "Contributor" status to post your articles. When you're approved, they'll then be placed as a post or page (depending on the nature of the post).

Note: Please don't post the article in the comments, just sign up if you're interested and I'll give you a trial run. This applies to RPG Maker Times Blogsite. You have nothing to lose but a lot more to gain!

Otherworld Inspiration and Influences

I was asked some days ago about the inspiration behind Otherworld and its influences.

Although it draws its inspiration from several sources, its main influence is Celtic mythology, with others interwoven into its conceptual faric. I’ve also drawn on my own experiences as a "paranormalorist", a term I coined to combine parapsychologist and paranormal investigator. (I have a little over 30 years experience in the fields and, although I’ve now retired from the investigations side of it, am still consulted by individuals and groups on paranormal, psychic and spiritual topics.)

When I first wrote the short story, upon which much of the game is based, its basic concept was that the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped. Usually, ghosts and spirits are invisible but every so often manifest physically.

Read More...

Q-Engine v5.0 In Progress - Improvements

The Q-Engine and its add-ons are undergoing some improvements.

This is primarily to remove the dependency on the UCSM. Instead, the Q-Engine will contain the global settings required for the main scripts and the relevant configuration settings will be placed in the add-ons themselves. This will make it much easier to tweak rather than relying on a single configuration to set them.

I'll also be creating a downloadable demo (finally), which will enable you to install the Q-Engine and all of its available add-ons without having to copy and paste them individually.

I'm making this a priority over the next few weeks to get this done as quickly as possible so I can focus on my other projects, especially Paranormality: Otherworld.

Karma (Good vs Evil) Script - Game Notes

The Karma (Good vs Evil) script was created for Otherworld to present a number of moral dilemmas that Anna, the main character, faces.

Hence, because of the nature of Otherworld and ultimately its underlying moralistic theme, I decided to have some kind of system in place where actions and interactions are influenced by alignments. After searching around for a decent "good vs evil" script, however, none of them quite fit in with these requirements.

Most of them were the simple generic Good and Evil scripts that only really showed characters' alignments and that's pretty much it. There were a few "morality" systems that gave some scope for reactions from people depending on alignment, but these were still limited.

Read More...