Extended Hiatus

I'll be taking off for a while - an undetermined amount of time, in fact. Fate can be a fickle mistress at the best of times, sometimes more so; she can be gracious and forgiving, rewarding greatly, or she can be cruel and unforgiving, taking things away. She has delivered the latter, so I'm taking a "timeout".

This means that, for a while at least, all projects and blogs, all RPG Maker updates, has had to be put on hold. At least until I've sorted through these vicissitudes.

Thanks go to all visitors, and thanks to all whose unswerving support and encouragement has meant that the following (and the other RPG Maker projects) can continue:

• The Gladiator Project
• Ars Mechanicum Genesis
• RPG Maker Times Windowskins
• RPG Maker Times FAQs

Be back soon.

What Happened To The Gladiator Project?

This is a question I'm asked frequently - especially lately - and it is one for which there are multiple answers. In order to respond then on why TGP was put on hold, I'd like first to delve somewhat into its history.

Origins and History

When TGP was first conceived, back when RM2K was all the rage, I started creating a simple game based around fighting in a gladiatorial arena. Back then it was simply called Arena. The project was quickly abandoned due to RM2K's limitations; there was just not enough scope - even with advanced eventing - to achieve precisely what I wanted to achieve.

With the advent, and subsequent (unendorsed) translation of RM2K3, my interest in TGP was rekindled. The project title was changed to Arena Gladiatorium, which was an expanded version of its original hack-and-slash concept. It had a sense of renewed purpose, fuelled primarily by RM2K3's rich features and versatility. I also had a clearer vision on its direction.

Arena Gladiatorium was halfway finished - replete with customised graphics, a unique Custom Menu System and a fertile storyline - when disaster struck. A virulent, insidious virus attacked my system that eventually destroyed my hard drive, and I lost it all! Or so I thought at the time. Suffice to say that the project died, along with my interest.

Read more »

Frequently Asked Questions #2

These are answers to some of the simpler questions about RPG Maker I'm asked on a regular basis. Some of these have been taken from Yahoo! Answers. Many of them have been taken from IM'd questions or targeted keywords at Statcounter. You can find a full list of FAQs here.

Is it possible to add scripts to RM2K3?

No, it isn't. RM2K3 has no support for scripts, unlike RMXP and RMVX because they utilise the Ruby Gaming Script System (RGSS) engine already built into its structure. RM2K3 can only use "scripts" from events - normal events or common events - using the event commands.

Is there an Enter/Exit Vehicle glitch?

Yes and no. RM2K3 only supports three vehicles at once, predefined in the Database (under System), which are then used on the map either through eventing or "Place Vehicle Starting Position". It is not possible to simply use an event with a vehicle graphic and use the "Enter or Exit Vehicle" event command. (Vehicle Tutorial Coming Soon!)

Why won't the text display in RPG Maker XP/VX?

This happens when a font is used that is not installed on the computer. It can also happen due to script conflicts, changing the default windowskin, or when the text coordinates are out of the window's range. If graphics transparencies are not set correctly, this can also cause problems with text not showing up.

Frequently Asked Questions #1

These are answers to some of the simpler questions about RPG Maker I'm asked on a regular basis. Some of these have been taken from Yahoo! Answers. Many of them have been taken from IM'd questions or targeted keywords at Statcounter. You can find a full list of FAQs here.

Are there any online versions of RPG Maker XP or VX?

There aren't any online versions of Enterbrain's RPG Makers, although there are two websites that I know of that boast emulated RPG Makers, thus:

• My Game Builder - A fabulous website where you can create games, including RPG Maker type games. In addition to being able to create maps and events, you can also use the built-in editor to create or edit graphics. They have regular competitions in different categories, not just RPGs. Highly recommended if you have a few hours to kill. (You do need to sign up - it's free - to create the games, but not to play them.)
• Flash RPG Maker - You would expect that something on the Newgrounds site would be good, and this one shows great promise. However, it fails miserably for one reason: it's buggy as hell! Not recommended!

How do I change the default font?

To change the default font, which will apply to all windows, in the Window_Base class, directly beneath Super(), place the following:

Font.default_name = "Times New Roman"

The font for all windows will now be Times New Roman. Bear in mind, though, that just because you might have a fancy font for your game, that doesn't mean that everyone else will have it and it will invariably generate an error message or the text won't show up in any of the windows.

To rectify this, we will need to set up an array variable to list the available fonts, including alternatives if a particular font isn't available. To do this, place the following outside the Window_Class, i.e. just above the class Window_Base < Window or in a separate module:

FONT_NAME = ["Arial", "Verdana", "Times New Roman"]

Then under Super(), place:

Font.default_name = FONT_NAME

This will then go through the list until it finds the installed font, starting with the first name.

How do I change the default windowskin?

Windowskins are imported into the Graphics/Windowskins folder and then placed into a "Cache". The default windowskin is then set in the Database (under "System").

If, however, you want to change the windowskin during the game without affecting the default one, you can use the following:

self.windowskin = RPG::Cache.windowskin("Windowskin_Name")

where "Windowskin_Name" is the name of the windowskin to be used. This is placed under the def initialize, right under the Bitmap setup. You can use this simple method with each instance of a Window, with each one having a different Windowskin.

What is RMVX "batch entry"?

By default message boxes allow only four lines of text. If you check "Batch Entry", you'll be able to exceed the four lines and RMVX will automatically create separate text boxes for you, each containing four lines, which saves you from manually clicking on "Show Text" each time.