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...

Spring Cleaning and Renovation

After my previous post, Neglected But Not Forgotten, I started thinking. Since yesterday was officially the First Day of Spring, I figured it was time to spring-clean the site.

Careful Consideration

After carefully considering on the best course of action for this, I decided to drop support for 2K3 and XP. These two RPG Makers seem less predominant nowadays, and besides I no longer actively use them. While some game developers may still use them, according to general statistics, their usage is less frequent in favor of VX, VX Ace and MV. Hence, the decision.

Most of the current posts containing references to 2K3 and XP will remain intact. However, I am removing the XP plugins and archiving many of the 2K3 materials (such as resources and utilities).

Spring Cleaning

As part of the spring cleaning, a necessary evil is to go through each and every post (from the very first) and remove redundant links, images, etc.

This is a hideous process, a road I've traveled many times before. But it is necessary and will, of course, take some time.

Afterwards, the main focus of the site will be VX, VX Ace, MV and Smile Game Builder, especially the latter two, as these are the ones I use most frequently.

Original Blog

This is the original RPG Maker Times blog and it's in desperate need of updating.

This won't be in the form of retroactively updating posts; that'd take way too much time, as its last update was in August 2016. I won't change anything either, except for tweaks to the sidebars.

Instead, the blog will become a repository for posts from this site and its subsites, with links to the posts instead of the full articles. This includes SGB news, scripts and plugins and news related to RPG Maker as they're posted.

The official RPG Maker Times site is now housed on its own domain, including its subsites.

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.

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.

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

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.

Update: Q-Engine v4.0 Release Notes

The Q-Engine v4.0 is being restructured and rewritten with newer cleaner code before its final release. I'd like it to be perfect first and thoroughly tested before uploading it to the blogsite. This also includes the add-ons:

• Animated Title Screen Add-On
• Equipment Add-On
• Status Screen Add-On
• Game Over Add-On
• Combat Add-On

And also eventually:

• Animated Game Over Add-On
• Character Add-On
• Map Add-On

If you'd like to be a pre-release beta tester, write "BETA TEST" in the comments below. Nearer the time, you'll have exclusive access to the script right before its release to test for errors and/or incompatibilities.

The Paranormality Trilogy

The Paranormality trilogy is a series of games for RPG Maker, loosely based on a set of unpublished short stories and novellas I wrote, actually inspired by some of my own experiences.

The entire trilogy focuses around paranormal investigator Jack Urban. Alyssa, his sister, disappeared under mysterious circumstances, so his mission has become to find out exactly what happened to her. His quest for the truth will take him to the Other Side and back, pitting him against some of the most nefarious daemons in the Seven Realms.

Portals revolves around the events leading up to her disappearance and is the prequel to Darkling for RMVX and Nexus for RMVXA (planned as future projects).

Developer's Mode Script

It can be tedious when developing games to go through the Title Screen each time when playtesting them. Developer's Mode enables you to bypass the Title Screen completely and go directly into the game, without having to select "New Game". Hence, the Developer's Mode Script.

During development (unless you're modifying the Title screen itself), you can turn "Developer's Mode" on and then switch it off to playtest the game all the way through. Then, when the game is finished, the script can be deleted. Or it can be kept in if players want to skip past the title and any beginning cutscenes.

I originally created this during the development of The Gladiator Project, where it became necessary to playtest frequently to fine-tune the layouts and positions of items.

Windowskins & The Gladiator Project Demo

Windowskins

The windowskins are almost completely ported over. All that's left is the finishing touches and making sure all the links work properly. And then I'll be able to create some more.

Coliseum Header Image - From the MMORPG I play, Aion - © NCSOFT

The Gladiator Project Demo

A small demo will be available for The Gladiator Project (TGP) game soon (I'm hoping for the weekend), so you can play at least up to the Training Arena. And then, as progress continues, I'll continue to release further demos or playable areas. Further updates on TGP are on the official site or you can subscribe to its Facebook page.

Windowskins Integrating With The Blog

The Windowskins subdomain is migrating to RPG Maker Times & Companion. The old site will remain but it won't be updated.

This is part of the integration process to make it easier to update. I do have a few more windowskins to update and convert, so once the migration is complete the new windowskins will be added. This also includes the windowskins tutorials, both old and new.

I'll be using the Windowskin Generator and adding my own graphics to create new ones on a more regular basis as well.

Just For Fun: Shut Down The Game With A Keypress

This just-for-fun (and seemingly pointless) scriptlet enables you to shut down the game by pressing a key. This is what happens when boredom kicks in. It might come in handy for a very quick shutdown, rather than going through the Status Menu and exiting that way. (This was created in RMVX, but it'll probably also work in RMVXA.)

Title Screen

So, from the Title Screen, add this bit of code:

#============================================================
# ** Scene_Title
#============================================================
class Scene_Title < Scene_Base
  #----------------------------------------------------------
  # * Frame Update
  #----------------------------------------------------------
  alias cwkpsds_scnttl_update update
  def update
    cwkpsds_scnttl_update
    if Input.trigger?(Input::Z); exit; end
  end
end

Map

Alternatively, it can be used on the map.

#============================================================
# ** Scene_Map
#============================================================
class Scene_Map < Scene_Base
  #----------------------------------------------------------
  # * Frame Update
  #----------------------------------------------------------
  alias cwkpsds_scnmap_update update
  def update
    cwkpsds_scnmap_update
    if Input.trigger?(Input::Z); exit; end
  end
end

Available Keys

You can use other keys too: Z, SHIFT, CTRL, ALT, F5, F6, F7 and F8.

Note

Using this scriptlet means that you WILL lose your progress after any save point. Where this script might be most useful is if you're at work and playing, and the boss is nearby, you'll be able to quickly shut down the game with just one button. That is, if you don't mind replaying from the last save point.

The full, updated scriptlet can be downloaded here.

Just A Brief Update

As regular visitors will notice, I've gone back to the original template. The other one just wasn't working! Anomalies with the style sheets will be ironed out at some point.

My RMVX project, The Gladiator Project (including TGP Arena), is on track with its (re)development. You can keep up-to-date on any or all of its pages:

• TGP "Official" Weblog
• TGP Google+
• TGP Facebook

Future updates will appear on these pages rather than the blogs.

Granny's Resources Lists

I was browsing through Steam's RPG Maker VX Ace Discussions when I happened across something everyone needs and will benefit from. Note that most of these will also work for RMVX.

Grandma Deb has compiled some COMPREHENSIVE resource lists for all your RMVXA needs, including tilesets, portraits and emosets on a wide range of themes.

Among my favourites are the the Star Wars Resources.

Yoda | Star Wars Resources

And also the Animal Sprite Compilation, which includes dragons!

Dragon Charset | Animal Sprite Compilation

The above resource images link to the "original" websites and copyrights belong to the respective artists. If you use any of them - and I'm quite confident you will at some point - give the appropriate credit.

The Gladiator Project Official New Blogsite & Updates

The Gladiator Project blogsite is now live, having been revamped in tandem with the redevelopment of the project. The site's layout and design is still being worked on, but that will come in time.

Newly added pages:

• Character Classes - Details about the various character classes used in the game.
• Glossary - A complete list of the Latinesque words used in the game, as well as on the blogsite.
• About TGP - A detailed history about The Gladiator Project and how it has evolved.

Updates will continue as the project itself evolves and will be implemented on the site.

Q-Engine/Q-Engine Updates & Complete Chests Tutorial

Q-Engine & Q-Engine Add-Ons

The Q-Engine is ready for upload. I'm on holiday next week, so it'll give me an opportunity to finally update the site. I've also updated/written some Q-Engine Add-Ons.

• Q-Engine v3.0
• Q-Engine CBS Add-On v1.0
• Q-Engine Map Add-On v1.0

They will be available for download on RPG Maker Times Companion. I'll also try and work on a demo, as well as update the manuals.

Q-Engine Requirements

The Q-Engine and its add-ons require the Global Colors Module and the Universal Configurations Settings Module to run.

Complete Chests Tutorial

The Complete Chests Tutorial will also be having an update, including a demo for each RPG Maker (this may take some time).

Q-Engine 3.1 and Q-Engine CBS Add-On Complete

The Q-Engine has been updated to version 3.1, now fully integrated with the Universal Settings and Universal Colors modules. Each script (past and future) has an integrated required modules checker to determine if their required scripts/modules are installed.

The Q-Engine CBS has also been updated, with several new features added, with several bugs fixed, and will be released shortly.

I'll be updating RPG Maker Times Companion on one of my days off from work. (Note: The page/post hasn't been updated yet, but will be when I upload the script. Also, the root website will become a portal page, redirecting to the corresponding pages on the blog.

I'm also hoping to have a video demo, as well as the updated manual, available soon.