Smile Game Builder Tutorial #26: Battle System

This is an overview tutorial on Smile Game Builder's Battle System and my own thoughts on it.

The topics covered are:

● Battle (Game Data)
● Character Stats
● Character Battle Commands
● Monsters
● Monsters - Basic Settings
● Monsters - Resistances
● Monsters - Action in Battle
● Spawning Monsters on Maps
● Battle Backgrounds
● Monster Position



For more information on this and other tutorials, as well as Smile Game Builder news and projects, you can visit its official subsite.

The Gladiator Project – An Old Game Revisited

Six years ago today, The Gladiator Project was actively in development for RPG Maker. It was an ambitious project, based on my personal interest in and fascination with the Roman Empire.

Sadly, for various reasons, I abandoned the project. And there it remains, gathering dust.

So What Happened?

The Gladiator Project was first developed for RMXP, based on its original hack-and-slash concept for RM2K3, but highly expanded. It then migrated to RMVX, where further expansion took place (including customized graphics). To begin with, I wasn't very competent at RGSS and frequently lurked in forums to try and learn from others' scripts.

I eventually emerged from the shadows to ask how to create a basic lexicon. Nothing special or spectacular, just a template from which to work with and learn from.

One coder arrogantly claimed that the script was boring and he could add bells and whistles to it for a complete script. This deviated from my original request and, despite re-quoting my desire for a basic template, still felt mortified and belittled.

So I continued on my own, refusing to revisit that particular forum. However, interest in the project began waning, along with the enthusiasm and drive to continue its development.

Eventually, I decided to cease development altogether.

Is The Project Scheduled for Redevelopment?

I've been thinking about redeveloping this for RPG Maker MV, perhaps as my next project after Otherworld SGB: Through the Veil. However, this may not happen anytime soon, tentatively this year, more likely next year.

Read More...

Otherworld Rename and Other Tie-Ins

Otherworld's official rename is Otherworld: Origins. (The logo isn't quite right, so will change later. This is temporary only.)

Reasons for the Change

The reasons behind the title change are simple.

During the writing (or rewriting) process, it became necessary to refer to the original materials. Primarily, this reflects on playing as one of the three main characters. Hence, essentially going back to its roots, its origins, and adapting the game flow to its new course and direction.

Because the course of each character eventually converges, many parts of their storylines backtrack to the original plot concepts for previous incarnations in the planned Paranormality series. Thus:

[su_list icon="icon: book" icon_color="#800"]

• Jack Urban's quest for finding his missing sister (from Darkling).
• Anna Carrera's journey through the Otherworld to revisit parts of her life and decide whether to change their course or not (from Nexus, the original idea for this game).
• Swan's past in the form of flashbacks as she travelled between worlds. (This was originally conceived for Portals, the final game in the Paranormality trilogy, conceptualized but never realised).

[/su_list]

(Although development on these titles ceased, I merged their plots and stories into Otherworld: Origins.

Smile Game Builder Tie-In

As many of you know already, I have the honour and privilege of beta-testing the Smile Game Builder. Because it's still beta until its release date on 8 September 2016, I'm unable to give too many details on its inner workings. That is, apart from what they've already shown publicly.

However, Otherworld SGB: Through the Veil (the working title for the Smile Game Builder game), is an indirect tie-in with Otherworld. It references many events occurring in Origins, as well as ideologies that won't make it into the game.

Otherworld SGB is a 3D first-person thriller. It's essentially a "dungeon romp", where the player must navigate the mazes of the Underworld. The goal is to find the portal to the Otherworld and, ultimately, freedom. Along the way, the player meets all manner of people and creatures. Some will hinder the player, some will help them.

That's the basic concept for the early beta/sample game.

Obviously, it needs a lot more work done to it, notably on fleshing out the plot more. But, in time, this will slowly take shape.

For a sample game, my aim is to create a simple version of the officially released game. And then, after beta-testing development, I'll create a new projects subdomain specifically for Otherworld SFB. Updates will primarily include progress on development. Some updates will include tutorials on how certain effects in Smile Game Builder are achieved.

These will then be placed on the main RPG Maker Times blog.

Plugin Update: Social Media Buttons/In-Game Website Plugin (RMMV)

Version 1.6 of the Social Media Buttons/In-Game Website Plugin is available.

What's New?

The Twitter button has more options for when visitors click on it - Screen Name and User ID - which go to the corresponding Twitter account.

I also added a Follow option, enabling players to follow your Twitter account directly from within RMMV.

Other Tweaks

Instead of typing the full URL for Facebook, you now only need the page id/name.

Buttons are now defined in a single array setting, rather than as separate settings for each button.

Development Notes

Although the focus has mainly been on Twitter, I'm still conducting experiments with the APIs of other social media sites, notably Facebook, but also Google+ too.

These are ongoing because of the way their share settings work. They use integrated APIs rather than a few short lines of code. They seem targeted more for website integration.

In order for it to work, JavaScript implementation in RPG Maker MV would rely on their SDKs. While this is probably viable, it's not necessarily as easy as it sounds. Facebook in particular requires embedding their SDK to enable the various share options.

Development on this is on-going, but will continue on and off.

How Much RPG Maker Trivia Can You Answer?

RPG Maker Web presented this question on Twitter. And, of course, I tried it, curious to see just how much I know about RPG Maker because I have been involved with it since RM95, after all! (That makes me feel so old now!)

https://t.co/sckhIIQ5aE How much #RPGMaker Trivia can you answer? pic.twitter.com/PZFPoLhRIj

— RPG Maker Web (@RPGmakerweb) July 9, 2016

My Result: 90%

I overlooked just one fine detail. Hint: Forget about transparency!

RT @RPGmakerweb I'm an #RPGMaker Geek! 😊 I got 90%! What's your score?! I started with #RM95, been using it since! https://t.co/52ezkwUIKP

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) July 10, 2016

And, so, why not try it? If you want to, post your scores here or retweet them with the hashtag #RPGMakerTrivia or @CompanionWulf. Either way, this was a cool idea!

Trolls and Game Development

Trolls and game development go hand in hand, it seems, and there's really no escaping it.

The reasons behind trolling aren't that important. The knock-on effects - especially on new or independent game developers - are!

Rating, No Comment

For many indie gamedevs (myself included), one of the major frustrations is the lack of proper comments accompanying ratings.

Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, of course, so they have the right to comment on the game, as not every game will appeal to every player. It's a matter of personal taste or preference. So, with this in mind, it's inevitable that a game's ratings will be affected by this diversity of choice and preference.

Ratings by themselves mean absolutely nothing and contribute nothing. If accompanied by a review or comment, however, these are more valuable than just a rating. Reviews and comments help developers improve their games or help find bugs. They also give room for improving content or adding features gamedevs didn't think about.

A practical review takes the game in general and focuses on how its key components fit together in the game. The reviewer then adjusts the rating to fit, not based on whether or not the reviewer likes the game, or the content.

Trolls rate biasedly.

It Affects Me, It Affects Me Not

To be a game developer, you need a thick skin.

If a troll says nothing, then their rating means nothing. Whatever a troll does or says means nothing anyway. Even if a non-trolling, genuine person gives a low rating without commenting, it still means nothing because they've contributed nothing. I'd prefer a low rating with a comment as to why they chose to give that low rating than none at all.

Low ratings affect people in different ways. To some, it's not a big deal. To others, however, it has a much deeper effect on them. I've seen it where gamedevs have rage-quit their game development after just one bad rating and review. Yet that person offered some sound, practical advice for improving the game!

If you expect no low ratings at all, then you're going to get bitten! That is, unless your game is really good! And if you can't ignore them or let those trollish ratings go, you may not be cut out to be a game developer.

What Matters

It doesn't matter if it's just-because or out of professional jealousy, or some other reason. Focus on the ratings that matter: those with proper reviews or feedback and ignore the others.

It's always encouraging to receive a high rating, even if there aren't any comments accompanying them, and a good amount of praise. But you simply will NOT have a perfect score all of the time, as there may be something that doesn't quite fit. Your game might be slightly buggy in certain areas or you might have plot inconsistencies, spelling or grammar errors, or a system that doesn't work well.

No doubt you've heard the expression "Do what you love and love what you do"; maybe you've also used it on occasion.

The same can apply to trolls. Trolls are unimportant and insignificant. They don't have enough of that "love" to offer anything of use. So it shouldn't affect you. They don't matter.

RPG Maker's Bad Rap

RPG Maker has had quite a bit of bad rap. The most common issue, it seems, is the RTP graphics. They're not 3D or amazing graphics-wise, despite some absolutely awesome games being produced with it. One amazing game of note is To The Moon, which was created with RPG Maker XP, I believe!

Trolls have bad-rated RPG Maker because of those reasons above. And, you know what? It doesn't matter!

With the introduction of the latest in the series, RPG Maker MV, its cross-platform game production keeps many of the trolls at bay (mostly!). That doesn't stop them from trolling the games produced by RMMV. They will and do low-rate at some point; it's what they do!

If RPG Maker is your preferred engine, as it is mine, then nothing and no one should stop you from producing your games with it!

New Releases: Karugamo Fantasy Music Packs

10% Discount on All Packs

RPG Maker Web has released the Karugamo Fantasy Music Packs. Right now there is a 10% discount on each pack, but the offer expires on 24 June, 2016.

Each music pack costs $9.99 and each one has a distinct theme:

Pack 01 has tracks for dungeons, towers, and land or sea travel.

Pack 02 centres around civilization (castles, towns, villages, etc.).

Pack 03 features music for battle and hero types.

And Pack 04 focuses on cut-scenes or events.

All themes have been optimised for RPG Maker VX Ace and MV.

Social Media Buttons/In-Game Website Plugin Tutorial (RMMV)

This tutorial demonstrates how to use my Social Media Buttons/In-Game Website plugin for RPG Maker MV.



With the plugin you can place social media buttons (Twitter, Facebook and website) on the Title Screen. You can also call a website from within the game. These will open in a new game window or new tab in your default browser.

Happy New Year 2016

Another year has flown by, but that means another year of opportunity, with new ventures, new goals and new games!

Watch: London New Year fireworks mark start of 2016 https://t.co/n4GBp59uiQ #Hello2016 pic.twitter.com/1SEiaxx9WC

— BBC London Newsroom (@BBCLondonNews) January 1, 2016

One of my resolutions is that Otherworld will be completed this year.

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 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.

"To The Moon" by Freebird Games - Highly Recommended Game

Freebird Games' To the Moon is an award-winning indie adventure RPG about two doctors who travel through a dying man's memories to fulfill his last wish: To go to the moon.



I've just finished playing it and it's one of the best RPG Maker indie games I've played in quite some time. I would highly recommend it to those seeking an evocative, very touching and enjoyable love-story game that is quite different from the "norm".

To The Moon is evocative, intriguing and compelling. It's heart-warming in places, tearful in others, but with just the right amount of humour injected in it to balance it out. The plot kind of unravels bit by bit to keep you going until the end, just to find out the reasons behind the request and what ultimately happens at the end.

The music is awesome, especially the piano theme music, and the customised graphics add an extra dimension to the game! It also has the game Whack-A-Mole, which I used to be good at (my record is 95%!).

This is why To The Moon has been pre-selected for my upcoming Wulf's Choice Award.

You can buy To The Moon on Steam or visit Freebird Games' Products Store for additional add-on products.

Blog Update/Revamp Continues

As the merging of this blog and RPG Maker Times & Companion continues, I've started revamping the tags system for easier reference.

Although progress is slow, it's a lot easier than I thought it would be. Still a lot of work to go before completion, so here are some of the things being worked on:

• Reformation of all tags
• Non-working links now working
• Revamping and recategorisation of sections, particularly Scripts/Scriptlets and Tutorials/How-To's

Other areas to be worked on are the Resources section. This includes the Windowskins, which will eventually be complete.

I'll continue working on this in between work and my days off.

And then from that point on, the big updates will be on RPG Maker Times & Companion, while the updates on this blog will point to the pages there.

Merging Sites, Emerging Updates

As of February 13, 2014, the RPG Maker Times and RPG Maker Times Companion blogs have merged.

The latter will now be the official blog for RPG Maker Times and will no longer be a "companion" site. The original RPG Maker Times blog will remain, but it will be used mostly for any updates that appear on the site. (The title will remain the same to avoid confusion.)

I will be doing a lot of work on it over the next few weeks (on my days off from work), tweaking keywords/tags, posts and layouts, and updating any old posts with links that no longer work.

6 Crimes You Can Get Away With In Most RPG/MMORPG Games

In almost every RPG and MMORPG, it's been possible to commit numerous crimes without reciprocation. In fact, very few actually have a decent crime-and-punishment system in place, giving you free reign to essentially do as you will. Here are six crimes (by today's standardised laws) within an RPG/MMO game.

1. Theft - You can go into people's houses and rifle through their drawers, cupboards and chests, and take whatever's inside.
2. Murder - You can kill people and not face any consequences.
3. Genocide - You can go on a killing spree, piling up the bodies of races or particular types of people.
4.  Extinction - You can slay countless animals, races, peoples and monsters, virtually to extinction (notwithstanding they spawn endlessly).
5. Vandalism - You can damage property without having to worry about cleaning it up afterwards.
6. Assassination - You can assassinate leaders of gangs, etc. who are causing something of a nuisance for someone else.

Of course, if you can think of any more, write them in the comments below and I'll update them accordingly.

A Few Days Off For Updates

I have the rest of the week off (starting tomorrow), since I'm now mostly working three nights per week, so I've determined to update this blog and RPG Maker Times Companion, finally uploading some of the scripts.

What I'll start doing is transfer the main downloads to RMT Companion and then change the articles in the blog to redirect to the appropriate articles, essentially using the blog as an announcement platform for new scripts or resources, etc. rather than having it as the main site.

This will then unclutter the blog and give room for other RPG Maker news (from various sources) to be placed there.

RPG Maker (the Facebook page, website and blog) are migrating to Google+. The FB page will eventually be deleted, but for now it'll stay up. A decision proper will be made after Christmas, when all of the various projects (RPG Maker and non-RPG Maker related) come together and we know just what we're doing. Most likely this will go ahead for the new year, but I may still keep the page active with links to the Google+ and RPG Maker Times articles/posts.

Since I bought RMVXA, I'd also like to share some of the awesome scripts that are available for it. I've been experimenting with it for some time and, while I'm no expert in scripting, preferring RMVX for now, am making plans to convert the Q-Engine to RGSS3/RMVXA.

I noticed that some of the resources and links on this site no longer work, so I'll be going through the posts and correcting or deleting them. Where appropriate, I'll also be redirecting certain links to their correct websites.

The RPG Maker Windowskins site is in dire need of updating, so that will be revamped as well, with the windowskins being properly updated and categorized.

All Work, No Play

Sadly, there have been no updates since I started my new job. I work nights, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. so spend 6-7 daylight hours sleeping. I'm hoping that things should settle down again after Christmas, when my work days go back to Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, leaving the rest of the week free to make updates.

This means that for now all RPG Maker projects and scripts, and the RPG Maker Times Companion and its blogsite haven't been updated for a while.

The online store has also been put on temporary hold, despite its deadline looming. It has enough contents already that it can still open, but I'm hoping to put RPG Maker products and resource packages, as well as some commercial RMVX/RMVXA projects online as well.

Bear with me, things will get back to normal soon, when I can start writing articles, posts and resources for RPG Maker.

No Updates For A While

There haven't been any updates on the blog for a while. This is because I've been focusing primarily on my other blog, Paranormal Footprints.

The Q-Engine v3.0 will be uploaded around the end of this month. It's been restructured, with additional features and functions installed. I'll put together a video showcasing the major features.

I've also been deliberating how exactly to proceed as far as writing articles. What I've started doing for Paranormal Footprints is scheduling articles and posts. It might be worth me doing that with this blog, although it does take time to write them. So, if I can employ better time management, this should work out much better.

Changes Are Afoot

There are going to be several changes to the way the RPG Maker Times collective sites function.

After careful consideration, I've come up with a solution I believe will benefit all of my visitors. While, for the most part, all of the pages on this blog will remain intact the majority have been duplicated to RPG Maker Times Companion as pages.

RPG Maker Times will remain as it is, but with more news articles on RPG Maker (XP, VX and VX Ace), as well as other RPG Makers. I don't have the time to actually review or test each one, but the news will be in the form of articles taken from their corresponding social media pages or websites, along with appropriate links. This way I can maintain the blog with more posts more easily to fit in with my current time schedule.

There will also be site announcements here whenever there are updates to the RPG Maker Times domain and subdomain websites. I'd also like to give this blog an overhaul - layout-wise - which has been deferred for too long. This might not be the actual template, but certainly some of the sidebar widgets and a much cleaner, more dynamic layout.

RPG Maker Times Companion will focus more on resources and tools/utilities, as well as my scripts and tutorials. I'm presently trying to bring all the tutorials up-to-date to include all of the present RPG Makers (RM2K3, XP, VX and VXA), including organising demos. This is an ongoing task, which will take some time to complete.

Also, the Windowskins page is being reformated to make it easier to view the windowskins. While still unfinished, its current setup has an index page indicating which windowskin is compatible with which RPG Maker, but it's not working. I'm looking for something much more dynamic, so the results will be easier to edit but at the same time slightly less cumbersome to view.

As far as the Projects is concerned, this entire section (as well as the projects themselves) have been put on hold while the changes and updates take place. This may take some time, but at some point I'm determined to rekindle them, particularly "The Gladiator Project", which I've worked hard on developing (despite the fact that it's been ongoing and deferred a number of times). As a side-note, the actual projects pages are not updated at all yet; they're just placeholders for now.

So, as you can see, I will be busy for a while. In between work, RPG Making and my other major baby, Paranormal Footprints, I've a LOT of work to do, so please bear with me. I will focus on them as and when time permits.

Make Your NPCs More Interesting

NPCs are essentially the lifeblood of an RPG. Life without them would be boring indeed. They can serve as merchants, old adventurers, town- or city-dwellers, advisers, and a plethora of other things. But many games fall victim to keeping the NPCs in the background, not really that memorable or lifeless.

LagunaXI has written a very good article, Ideas To Make Your NPCs More Interesting, which explains this problem perfectly. Here's a sample of it, a few paragraphs taken at random.

What do you mean place a random statue in the town!? Well let me explain. This is just the comical sub heading of my point, it doesn’t HAVE to be a statue it could be anything. A gravestone, an old abandoned shack maybe an old well. Something that has no real significance other than to be there. Not only does it provide a little back story to the town but more importantly (for this article) it makes an interesting talking point available for NPC’s living in the town. I’ll give a couple of examples.

Say I place a statue of a warrior in the middle of the town, some of the examples it opens up NPC Dialogue wise are…

“This statue was built when my Grandfather was just a small boy, so it must be pretty damn old huh?”

It's worth reading through the article, as it'll give a few additional ideas on how to bring NPCs to life and add dimension to a bustling town or city.