Experimenting With RPG Maker VX Ace Trial

My confession for the day is that I've been playing around with RPG Maker VX Ace (RMVXA from now on) ever since its official Japanese release. Curiosity just about killed me, so I couldn't resist downloading the demo. Of course, it was all in Japanese and I was totally lost for a while, but I had some fun guessing and experimenting.

However...the wonderful folks at RMVX Ace Games Net have provided an English translation patch for the trial version specifically for the short RMVXA game provided there too (the first one for RMVXA!). That means that I'm able to delve into it a bit more. Just for the experience.

Now the ONLY reason I did it this way, rather than wait (aside from "grasshopper syndrome"), is for review purposes and to deliver what we can expect from RMVXA IF Enterbrain deigns to bring out an English version. And they would be idiotic not to (but of course they are! *Wink*).

So what's it like? (By the way, no screenies here at the moment; they're on the RMVX Ace Games Net website.)

Demo Version Limitations

Virtually everything is fully functional, but it does have some serious limitations, which are listed below. Some of the items are a result of my own delving and some are based on the Googleated Enterbrain/Famitsu website.

• "Open Projects" is not available, although when you open a New Project, it'll preload the sample map already provided, which you can play and from within the editor.
• You can edit the map, including events, which are essentially the same as with RMVX, although only 10 maps and 10 events per map are allowed in the demo version.
• There is a limited number of materials and graphics in the demo version. You cannot export materials, although you can import them.
• Compress Data (for making a standalone, executable game) is disabled in the trial version, which means that while the games can be saved and played from within RMVXA, saved data is erased after RMVXA is closed.
• In the Database, Actors, Classes, Items, etc. have a predetermined Max. Amount. You can edit them, but you can't add any more if they go above the predetermined upper limit.
• You can view (and edit) the scripts, but saved script edits are automatically purged and returned to default once RMVXA is closed, essentially disabling the Save function.
• Tne built-in Character Generator is limited to a minimum amount of options to choose from, allowing you to create basic characters, which have the element of sameness to them after a while.
• All of the events commands work in the demo version (as far as I can determine), except for the "Play Video" event command according to Enterbrain's website. I've not had a chance to actually try this because I'm not sure how to convert movies to the OGV format yet.
• The updater feature is not functional or compatible with the demo version.
• The RTP (Runtime Package) in the demo version is limited to a pre-bundled package is only for "data collection relevant to the current session". In other words, as I've mentioned before, saved data is not actually saved but is reset each time RMVXA closes. The actual [official] RTP is provided separately, available after purchasing.

Yet, despite such limitations, you can still see its complete range of capabilities and you can definitely have a "feel" what the full version will be like. (For the impatient ones, I wonder how viable - and legal - it would be to purchase the Japanese version and use an English translation patch. Enterbrain would certainly want to avoid the "Don Miguel-RM2K/3 love affair" again. This is especially in light of the fact that Enterbrain has not officially announced an English version yet.)

So here are my first impressions of RMVXA, focusing specifically on its features and functionality. It's rather long, but gives a rough, certainly not comprehensive, idea of what RMVXA is all about. The following part is a bit long, though I hope not long-winded.

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Random Name Generators

If you're sometimes plagued by "developer's block", running out of ideas or trying to think of an appropriate character name or game title, then I have the site for you. I've used it primarily for my writings, but lately more specifically for character names.

The site is called Seventh Sanctum and trust me when I say it's loaded with generators, from names (including weird names, pirate ship names, and elven names) to character classes to plot ideas. It's all there!

While browsing around, below are a few of the gems that were generated:

RPG Name Generator

• Fantasy: Hell of the Ghostly World
• World of Grandia
• Zeus' Gear: Armored War

Pirate Ship Name Generator

• Dragon's Dream
• Hades' Black Jewel
• The Horrible Plague of the Seven Seas

Story Generator

The story is about a poet who hates a manipulative archer. It starts in a keep in a sophisticated country. The story begins with a shopping trip and ends with a religious ceremony. An important bloodline plays a prime part.

(And already with that the ideas and possibilities for a game are starting to trickle in, not that I will but the inspiration is certainly there!)

Even if you don't need to be inspired by randomness, the site is still worth a visit for its entertainment value, as some of the randomized output is quite humorous. And there are a LOT of generators to go through to idle away a harmless half-hour, but the chances are you'll still revisit whether for entertainment or when you need inspiration.

Getting Ready For What's Coming

Getting Ready

While I've been spending more time using Ubuntu than Windows, and only a little time with the RPG Makers, I've not been idle. I'm counting down the days now for when the parts I need for my laptop arrive, which will mean proper experimentation with other RPG Makers. The major problem with this computer is its lack of memory. It's one of those medium-range computers that's "getting on a bit"; it only has two SDRAM slots, so upgrading to at least 1Gb (its maximum) is comparatively costly. Rather than investing in more RAM, I acquired a laptop instead, which needs some attention but it's getting there.

Dungeon Craft

I've been playing around with Dungeon Craft, experimenting with it, and I think I'm getting the hang of it so I'm hoping to have some material and/or tutorials soon.

Engine 001

Another RPG Maker I've been drawn to for a while is Engine 001, but haven't been able to run it. Probably a graphics card incompatibility. I'm hoping that it should work on the laptop, so we'll have to wait and see.

The Gladiator Project/Ars Mechanicum Genesis

My main projects, The Gladiator Project and Ars Mechanicum Genesis, are being worked on intermittently and the scripts are being reconstructed.

CW's Script Compendium

I've been updating many of the scriptlets on this blog, in addition to others I've written which haven't yet seen the light of day. These are being compiled for both RMXP and RMVX, so I'm hoping to have something tangible soon.

Ars Mechanicum Genesis Novel - Sample

Here is a sample of my novel, Ars Mechanicum Genesis, which is the result of a poll I conducted a while ago on the subject. Around 64% of visitors wanted to read a sample, so here it is. (This is the first draft of the opening chapter after the Prologue, so there are inevitable spelling and typographical mistakes, which will be ironed out, of course, in the final draft.) Novel completion and publication dates are unknown as yet.

Nothing mattered to him any more, except for the calming, numbing relief bestowed upon him by mead. He wanted to die, but refused to die by his own hand. Suicide was the coward’s way out and he was certainly no coward.

He would rather die in a vicious street fight or a tavern brawl and he would often seek them out, sometimes instigating them himself just to get slashed by a knife blade or broken bottle. He didn’t care how he died, although deep down he harboured a secret desire to die honourably on the battlefield, where long after his death minstrels would regale their bardic tales of victory and glory. There was no greater honour for a warrior - even a luckless, rundown one like him - than to die fighting alongside his comrade-in-arms, fighting for something more worthy than a vagabond’s life.

For anyone interested in reading the full sample, it can be found on its official site.

The Project Zelda Engine

Since the very first Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda, came out in 1987 for the NES, I've been hooked. My all-time favorite game is Ocarina of Time on the N64, which even now I still play on the console.

But playing them is one thing, so how would you like to create your own Zelda games on RMXP?

The Project Zelda Engine (aka Zelda Starter Kit) will allow you to do JUST that. It's for RMXP and has everything - and I mean everything you'll need to create your Zelda game.

Some of the features are:

• Animated Title Screen
• Horse Riding
• Zelda HUD and Zelda-styled Inventory/Equipment
• Hookshot (aka Clawshot)
• Ocarina Songs (there are over 21 of them!)

I've only just downloaded this so will be experimenting with it over the next few weeks, including the hookshot, and will update then.

A Few Quick Updates

The RPG Maker Times Newsletter

The Newsletter will no longer be published. This is for three main reasons:

1. It was something of an experiment, primarily to see if it was worthwhile. And, indeed it was, being able to boast 5 subscribers, all within a few months. Not bad considering I didn't actively promote it.
2. It's too difficult to maintain properly, since the time to update it seems very elusive these days.
3. There's not really enough content across the RPG Maker Times "Network" to justify it.

Therefore, as of the end of this week, it'll be shelved and archived. Thanks to those who did subscribe.

What Happened About The Layout Change?

This was a question I was asked recently in response to a poll I conducted a while ago. The short answer was that, in order to do this, I'd need to redesign the layout from scratch. And, while it is possible, it'd take too long to completely redesign one prototype layout, let alone three or four, for public review. And then porting the existing plugins, etc. I have with the current layout. Therefore, I decided to stick with the old one. That said, with Blogger's introduction of their "Dynamic Layouts" I may start experimenting again (to make life a bit easier).

Ubuntu Vs Windows

I'm gravitating more towards Ubuntu these days, only because it runs faster and smoother than Windows. It doesn't load the crap that Windows does when it starts up, initially lagging the system, nor does it hunger for more resources as time goes on. I don't have a hugely high-spec computer; it suffices for what I want it to do. Besides, money is tight, so I don't have too large a budget to play with.

The disadvantage of using Ubuntu is primarily compatibility with Windows-based software. WINE and other programs for running or emulating Windows programs are not that reliable, as the RMVX Ubuntu Test demonstrated.

Navigation Menu Change

It's about time the Flash nav menu at the top changed, as it lacks certain things, although I've not decided what to include there or how to redo it - whether to simply change its content and categories, to do away with the menu altogether and implement a more dynamic Table of Contents (including pages). Suggestions are always welcome, of course.

Heard About RPG Maker 20XX?

Neither have I, but discovered it by accident. This is what it says on its website:

To address the old-age and technology of RPG Maker 2003′s RPG Runtime engine, a replacement will be written that implements more modern features. This is intended to work both as a 1-1 replacement for the RPG_RT.exe executable and as an extender to allow features which would be cumbersome to implement conventionally as event scripts.

There are also a long string of bugs and feature requests that will be addressed with this engine, especially the more commonly known battle bugs and speed/agility problems.

Sounds like it would be useful, except I haven't had a chance to use it yet. I'd have to dig my RM2K3 - it can be used with RM2K and RM2K3 - and its projects out of limbo, as it seems to be semi-reliant on the Maker's base materials, the RPG_RT, to work. When I have more time I may check into it further. (I wonder what the implied legalities are with this.)

EDIT: It appears that this project has been cancelled. You can most likely still download it if you search for it.

Complete Chest Tutorial - RMXP/VX Redux

I'm still asked about how to create treasure chests, so I'm planning on bringing the Complete Chest Tutorial up-to-date, tailoring for RMXP and RMVX.

Regular visitors will already know about the RM2K3 tutorial I did, and it's easy enough to customize for RMXP/VX, but I'd like to expand upon it. I have a few ideas already, especially for more dynamic and randomized contents via scripting rather than pure eventing.

This is what I've covered so far:

• Chapter 1: Basic Chests
• Chapter 2: Locked Chests
• Chapter 3: Random Contents
• Chapter 4a: Combination Locks (Basic)
• Chapter 4b: Combination Locks (Advanced)
• Chapter 5: Trapped Chests
• Chapter 6: Picking Locks
• Chapter 7: Monster-In-A-Box
• Chapter 8: Items by Level (Hero Level)

• Extra Chapter 1: Front Opening

These are some ideas I've planned (some have been requested), so if you'd like to add to the list, feel free to leave your ideas in the comments and I'll go from there.

• Trap Disarm Skill - Used in combination with Chapter 5
• Lockpicking Skill - Used in combination with Chapter 6
• Monster-In-A-Box based on level - Used in combination with Chapter 7
• Treasure based on terrain/map ID - Omitted previously
• Dynamic Randomized Content - Event/script based
• Treasure Trail - Find the clues in order, then go to the location for the next clue, right up until you find the treasure (more like a mini game than a tutorial)
• Disappearing Chests - The chests disappear after being opened (with some animation)
• Monster Kill Chests - Chests only appear after a certain number of monsters are killed

RPG Maker VX Ace Features Breakdown

It looks like the scheduled Japanese release date for RMVX Ace is December 15, 2011, with no announced date for an English version yet, although it might be a few months after the Japanese release or it might be longer. According to their official website, the operating specifications are:

• OS: Japanese version of Windows XP/Vista/7 (both 32- and 64-bit)
• CPU: Pentium 4 2.0 GHz processor
• RAM: At least 512Mb
• Display: 1024x768 or greater
• HDD Space: Minimum 400Mb
• DirectX: Yes, DirectX compatibility is a prerequisite
• Internet: Internet connection for authentication

These are the minimum, anticipated stablest specs required, though the website doesn't guarantee RMVX Ace will work efficiently, depending on how the Maker is used.

RPG Maker VX Ace adds following features:

• Updated RGSS (Ruby Game Scripting System) to version 3;
• Return of multiple tile sets support (omitted in RMVX), which includes "passability" and "bush";
• Modifiable skill and item attack damage formulae, set in the Database;
• A character generator (based on the Chibi characters, which I personally do not like one bit!), as well as a corresponding character portrait editor;
• Additional effects, such as "provocation" and "cover";
• Characters will follow you around "caterpillar" style, i.e. walking in formation on the map;
• The addition of a fifth party member;
• Increased eventing functionality;
• Adjustable damage formulae;
• Customizable combat scene background, comprising 2 mergable background images;
• Introduction of a new regular battle parameter, "TP", which accumulates during combat and when it reaches its maximum allows a new, devastating attack, usually known as "Overdrives", "Limit Breaks" or "Finishers";
• The return of movies in the event scripting, this time in OGG Theora format (I don't know anything about that).

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RPG Maker VX on Ubuntu (Test)

Introduction

RPG Maker XP and VX are designed to run on the Windows platform, so trying to get it to work on Ubuntu (fast becoming my preferred OS) is tricky and fickle. While it's easy enough to install in Windows, installing in Ubuntu can be a somewhat lengthy process. Furthermore, there are still some incompatibility issues to deal with, such as DirectX, sound issues and the RTP, and even with that there are no guarantees that it'll work for a particular system, if at all.

Note: This only applies to RMVX, as I couldn't get RMXP to run at all.

Installation

Caveat: Follow the instructions EXACTLY! Don't skip a step, as this may lead to instability. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then don't. You do this at your own risk. I'm not held accountable for anything that might compromise your system. It's the procedure that I took (after prolonged study and experimentation) to get RMVX functional.

I'll assume that most Linux/Ubuntu users are confident enough with the system, so I'll go straight into the installation process:

1. Install Wine,
2. Install DirectX,
3. Install Timidity, and
4. Install RMVX.

Install Wine

Note that Wine is not an emulator, it's an open-source project that allows you to run software designed for Windows on other operating systems (such as Linux and Mac OS). It's worth visiting the Wine website to read up on it.

First, go to the Wine Download page and follow the instructions there or open up a Terminal window (Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and type:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install wine

This will install the latest version of Wine and it'll be ready to use. Now, you can install and run many of your favorite Windows games and applications through Wine, just like you would normally. (There should be a shortcut in Applications; if there isn't, rebooting should do the trick or continue using the Terminal.)

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