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.

Windowskins Updates

The Windowskins section has been updated. More will be added over time, available for both RMXP and RMVX/VXA. I'm planning on converting the ones currently unavailable on the site as well.

Several windowskins tutorials are also available, which will also be expanded in the near future.

Work on the migration/conversion is continuing, slowly but very steadily, and much of it has already been completed. All the dead links are now working (those on this blog haven't been updated).

Windowskins Update

The Windowskins blog has been updated. Most of the windowskins have now been updated; I'm sure there are others I've done but overlooked, so I'll check and update accordingly.

The Windowskins Tutorials currently on the main blogsite will be migrated to the RPG Maker Times Windowskins, with the current posts already in place simply redirected.

The focus will then shift onto properly recategorising and tagging the windowskins to make searching easier. Updates will then continue on the rest of the blogs.

Work on Merged Blogsite Continues

Work on RPG Maker Times & Companion is continuing. Right now, I'm attempting to streamline it by cleaning up some of the widgets, along with the categories and tags list, and some of the posts.

As far as this blog is concerned: It will still continue, as it has been, but the major posts and articles will now appear on the RPG Maker Times & Companion blogsite, with links posted here. Any other articles posted here will also be replicated on the other as well. A number of links on this blog no longer work, but they're being updated on the other blogsite, and will eventually be modified here as well, since the main focus will now be on the domain name blog.

I'm also in the process of revamping the Windowskins subdomain. This year, you can also expect more windowskins and a better keyword search feature (search engine optimized) to make it easier to find specific types of windowskins.

I don't have much time to spend on this re-organization, but I'm determined to spend in between 2-3 hours per day on it to bring it up-to-date and where I'd like it to be. Keep checking (both blogs) regularly for updates.

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.

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.

Just A Quick Update

I've gone through the posts on this blog and rectified the ones that were missing or no longer working. No doubt I've missed a few, so let me know and I'll fix them. This includes links no longer working to software, utilities and online resource sites.

RPG Maker Times Companion has had a number of updates, including tutorials and utilities. I'm putting the updates on the home page for now, but as the rest of the (original) pages are completed, the updates will become more informative again.

The next project after this will be the windowskins.

Windowskin Changer Scriptlet RMVX v1.0

Download Script

This simple scriptlet allows you to change the windowskin in the middle of a game using the script call event command.

Change Windowskin

To change the windowskin, use the following:

   change_skin(windowskin)

where "windowskin" corresponds to the number in the WINDOWSKINS hash - NOT the windowskin filename.

Reset Windowskin

To reset the windowskin to the system default, use the following:

   reset_windowskin

NOTE: ALL windowskins must be imported into the "Graphics/System" folder.

Installation

Copy and paste the scriptlet between Materials and Main Processes.

Settings can be changed and windowskins can be added under the CWWSC_SETTINGS Module.

RMVX Ace Windowskins - Tutorial

There has been a flurry of questions about RMVXA windowskins. Essentially they are the same as RMVX, so any windowskin designed for RMVX will also work with RMVXA. As with RMVX, use the Resource Manager (F10) in RMVXA to import the chosen windowskin into the Graphics/System folder.

When used in a game, they will look almost the same (see the comparisons below). However, RMVXA has additional colour settings that override the background graphic normally displayed in RMVX, resulting in only the border and cursor from the windowskin showing and the background becomes the default window colors.

RMVX Windowskin

RMVXA Windowskin

As you can see, the windowskins are the same, but with the background overridden by the default colors in RMVXA.

There is a script "cheat" to overcome this problem. Insert this snippet between Material and Main:

class Window_Base < Window
  # "true" to enable override, "false" to use default
  USE_WINDOWSKIN = true

  # Update Tone
  def update_tone
    self.tone.set($game_system.window_tone) unless USE_WINDOWSKIN
  end
end

The end result is this:

This is the Status Screen using the RMVXA windowskin, which is the same as the original RMVX one, without needing any conversion.

Blog Entries Migration

A number of posts on this blog are being migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion. That way, they can be kept up-to-date and any missing links can also be updated.

All resources will also be transferred, including templates and windowskins.

All of the projects and projects news (past, present and future) now each have their own separate subdomains, so they'll be easier to update as and when necessary. This may eventually include the Q-Engine, depending on how it progresses.

By consolidating certain sections in this way, not only will it be convenient for all, but it'll also be much easier to update. And, of course, the updates will also appear here, on RPG Maker Times.

Scripts and Site Updates

Several scripts, tutorials and demos have been updated. They will also be updated on RPG Maker Times Companion shortly.

Scripts Updates

The following scripts have updates:

• Extra Stats Window v3.0 - Released very soon, pending a few tweaks and bug fixes.
• Q-Engine v2.0 Release Candidate - This has been undergoing a rewrite to make things easier and to address a number of additional conflicts.
• Q-Engine Message System (QeMS) v1.0 - This is a very basic but functional message system, with more added to it as time goes on. (Personal Note: This is more of a personal experiment to apply what I've learnt - am learning - about Regular Expressions; it probably won't be released for awhile in favour of the others.)
• Other Scripts - All other scripts I've written for RMXP and RMVX are being brought up-to-date and will eventually be migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion.

Tutorials/Demos Updates

A number of tutorials are being brought up-to-date as well, including the Complete Chests Tutorial (which has its own section on RPG Maker Times Companion). I'm hoping to concurrently release additional demos for all RPG Makers after the "original" is done. Most of the other demos attached to some of the tutorials will also be brought up-to-date.

Site Updates

All of the windowskins are being migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion. This includes all of the windowskin utilities and the windowskins on this blog, as well as its predecessor Wordpress website. You can find them at the Windowskins RMTC subdomain. They are neatly laid out for ease of use and convenience and on the index page you can preview them before deciding to download them.

RPG Maker Windowskins

Work on the RPG Maker Windowskins weblog has finally begun. The previous hosts have been taken down completely; instead, they redirect to this website.

All of the existing windowskins are slowly migrating to this site and, when finished, I'll be adding more as time goes on. In addition, the site will contain windowskin tutorials and how-to's, with several more planned at a later date.

These tutorials/how-to's are planned, but not implemented yet (these will be updated as soon as the windowskins database is up-to-date):

• How To Install Windowskins
• How To Tweak RMVXA Windowskins
• How To Use RGSS To Change Windowskins
• How to Install Multiple Windowskins

---

EDIT: These are available on RPG Maker Times Companion.

Finally A New Nav Menu

RPG Maker Times has finally had a long needed, often deferred facelift. Regular visitors will notice that the top navigation menu has changed from its old incarnation. It's much simpler now, but is easier to update should the need arise to add items to the menu.

After careful consideration, and much experimentation, I opted for this format because, with the advent of RPG Maker Times Companion, the need to have the dropdown subsections is greatly reduced.

Most of the links are tag-based, so if you're looking for specific engines you can easily skim through all of its related articles. Furthermore, many links go to the various index pages of RPG Maker Times Companion, which lists the articles clearly.

Note: The "Windowskins" portion of the menu is NOT implemented yet. All Windowskins are still available on the Companion site.

RPG Maker Times and Companion are cross-referenced, so I'll be going through each of the articles on this blog and deciding if and how they'll be linked. This process might take a while, but I'm determined to make progress on it this month, although it probably won't be all the way complete.

I'll also begin trying out some of the other RPG Makers, which is reflected in the menu, but that most likely won't be this month. Guest bloggers are welcome to submit articles relating to these other RPG Makers, as at the moment I know next to nothing about them.

RMXP to RMVX Ace Windowskin Converter

It's easy to convert windowskins from RMXP to RMVX and RMVX to RMVXA, but not really from RMXP to RMVXA. This utility (in the form of a script) lets you convert RMXP windowskins to RMVXA format. And while I can't test this out yet, it has some positive reviews so is definitely worth sharing.

So, here is the link to the RGSS3 utility. Install it as you would any other script. Get the RMXP to RMVXA Windowskin Converter.

RMVXA Windowskins

In RMVXA, windowskins aren't really necessary since you can change the windowskin colours in the Database. However, this is the same as the standard default window prevalent in RMVX.

All RMVX windowskins will work in RMVXA. Caveat: The "Window Color" will override the windowskin background colour unless you change it manually.

How To Import A Windowskin Into RMVXA

• Open the Resource Manager (F10).
• Import the RMVX Windowskin into the
  Graphics/System
  and set the transparencies (the same way you would in RMVX).
• Open the Database (F9) and in the System tab, double-click on Window Color to change the RGB accordingly via the sliders.
• In the same way as RMVX, the the Window_Base script needs to be modified to update to the new windowskin.

  class Window_Base < Window
    alias cwvxws_initialize initialize
    def initialize(x, y, width, height)
      cwvxws_initialize(x, y, width, height)
      self.windowskin = Cache.system("Roma")
    end
  end

Note that this is from memory, since my copy of RMVXA Trial expired, so this might be slightly inaccurate.

New Domain Names Implemented

The domain name, http://blog.rpgmakertimes.info, for RPG Maker Times Collective (now officially renamed Companion) is up. Although it's still under heavy construction, there's still a lot of content available. I'll be doing more work to the blogsite over the next few months and by the end of June it should be up and running proper.

Furthermore, you can also use http://rpgmakertimes.co.cc/blog to load RPG Maker Times. The current address works as well, since this is simply a URL referrer. So, whichever one you prefer you can use as easily. (No longer active.)

All of the tutorials, present and future, will also be implemented on the blogsite. And I'm hoping to have a few more tutorials as time goes by.

Finally, as a result of the consolidation process, the following blogs/sites will be deleted:

• RPG Maker Times Companion - This will not be deleted per se and will remain as is. There will be fewer, if any, updates to it.
• RPG Maker Times Cartoon Strip - All of the cartoon entries will be transferred and eventually the blog will be deleted.
• RPG Maker Times Windowskins - Once all of the windowskins have been ported over, this blog will also be deleted, making provision for more windowskins, which I'll attempt on creating from scratch in Paint.NET and Gimp.
• RPG Maker 2K3 Master - Although I mentioned a while back that this blog was scheduled for deletion, I've kept it going for a while longer. After the Companion blogsite is all the way complete, 2K3 Master will finally be deleted.

Bear with me as the transition takes place. There's a long way to go yet, but steady progress is taking place. If you'd like to contribute in any way, comment below or through Facebook. Thanks in advance!

Resource Sites for RPG Maker

I've been using RPG Maker for awhile, as regular visitors will know, so it would be inevitable that I'd have some graphical resource sites at hand. In fact, my collection of bookmarks is huge! Sadly, however, some of the sites have faded into obscurity. These are some of the best resource sites that I know of, and I'll be adding more some time as well.

• Etorie Material (RMXP/VX) - A Japanese resource site with the slant on anime. All resources here are good quality. Windowskins are for RMXP for the most part. — English version (Google Translated)
• Mutation Genes Similation T.D. Lab (RM2K3/XP/VX) - A Japanese site with some stunning graphics for all RPG Maker platforms, from Title/Game Over screens to transitions to message backgrounds. — English version (Google Translated)
• Neo RTP (RMVX) - This Japanese site has very few resources on it, but it's mentioned because it's the only one I know of with "school" themed resources, from characters to windowskins.
• Onirology (RPG-Maker) (RM2K3/XP/VX) - A French site with a few resources, but they are quite good, including Windowskins. The site does not appear to have been updated for a while.
• Zanyzora's RMXP Resources RMXP - Contains a comparatively small amount of resources, but good ones nevertheless. Some are matching sets and some are add-ons too, including ships. It does not appear that the site has been updated for a while.

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.

Windowskins Repository Complete

The "Windowskins Repository" is now complete (or at least it will be today), containing all of the windowskins on RPG Maker Times.

This means that, while I will still feature some windowskins on RPG Maker Times, in the future most of the windowskins I create will be updated on the RPG Maker Windowskins repository blog, so be sure to either check the "Sister Blogs" section in the sidebar or subscribe to the newsletter to keep up to date.

I realised something, though: There are more RMVX windowskins than RMXP windowskins, so after today's update to transfer all of the windowskins here, I'll aim to implement one per day on RPG Maker Windowskins, this time for both RPG Makers.