Countdown to RPG Maker MV

There's only two days left before the "official" launch of RPG Maker MV and I'm getting excited!

This means that, since I preordered it from the start, it'll be readily available on 23 October, 2015, at 10:00 PDT. The biggest advantage is that I actually have the day off from work, so I will start playing around with it almost immediately. And I'm confident enough in my Javascripting skills that I can eventually start on some plugins of my own.

In fact, I've been going through a refresher course on Codecademy. It's easier than I thought it would be; although it's been quite some time since I wrote anything in Javascript, it's all coming back to me!

Wonder if wanting to remake Otherworld in #RMMV to make use of its plugins is running before you can walk. #RPGMaker #GameDev #IndieGameDev

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) October 21, 2015

Based on what I've seen so far, I've been thinking about recreating Otherworld to RMMV, but that probably won't happen since the project's fairly well established now for RMVXA. Nice idea though!

RPG Maker MV Preorder & Release Date

RPG Maker MV is being released on October 23, 2015.

You can preorder your copy with a 10% discount and two bonus packs: the Cover Art Characters Pack and the MV Essentials Set. Steam or non-Steam keys will be available when RPG Maker MV is officially released.

The preorder cost (with the discount) is a princely $71.99, but to me (based on what I've seen so far) it's worth it!

RPG Maker MV Official Trailer

What Makes RPG Maker MV Exciting

Previous RPG Makers (from 2K to VXA) have been limited to Windows only. However, RPG Maker MV can now be used on both Windows and Mac machines. Not only that, you can also export games you create to Android or iOS, as well as to HTML5 so games can be playable on your websites.

In this video, Stephen Plays showcases some of the features in RPG Maker MV. He was one of the fortunate ones to have a preview version to play with.



The tiles are larger with "intelligent" tile transparency and you can choose between front-view or side-view battles, depending on your preference. RPG Maker MV also comes with a built-in character creator, complete with sprites and facesets, which will be very useful for creating styled characters.

RPG Maker MV Official Page

You can view some of the major features in RPG Maker MV on the RPG Maker Web page, which includes a playable demo on the website.

I've preordered my copy already and, although the price may be somewhat high, it's definitely worth it! Being able to create and produce RPG Maker MV games on a wide range of formats is a huge plus! I'm looking forward to RPG Maker MV; I'll activate my copy through Steam, though you can choose to have a non-Steam key if you prefer.

Payday is literally just around the corner (tomorrow actually), so I'll be preordering my own copy of RPG Maker MV. I'm surprisingly excited. And then, of course, it means I have to relearn JavaScript, not necessarily a bad thing.

One key lets you activate the Steam and Non-Steam Version!Expand MV with free Preorder Resources!Bonus plugins,...

Posted by RPG Maker MV on Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Hopefully, most likely later in 2016, I'll be giving away Steam keys for RPG Maker MV in the form of a competition. At least that's the plan. Watch this space for details!

Design A Logo Contest - Win RPG Maker VX Ace!

Here's your chance to win some FREE Steam keys for RPG Maker VX Ace and some resources!

The RPG Maker Times logo is in need of a redesign; it's been the same for years. So, I thought it would be a cool idea to run a contest to design a new logo appropriate for the site.

Prizes Up For Grabs

First Place	RPG Maker VX Ace RPG Maker: Luna Engine
Second Place	Game Character Hub
Third Place	RPG Maker: Rural Farm Tileset

Rules

There are very few rules for this contest, but please make sure you read them carefully to ensure your submission counts!

Judges

The judges will be my wife (artistic design), my son (gaming profiling), my good friend and creation partner from Psyche Gamelab (artist/collaborator), and me (designer/blog owner).

Closing Date and Submission

The closing date is October 31, 2015 at midnight UTC. Submissions after this date won't be counted.

Logos can be submitted via the competition's submission form.

Steam Keys Giveaway #1 - Coming Soon

I recently bought Bundle Stars' Game Makers Mega Bundle, so that means I have some extra RPG Maker VX Ace and Game Guru Steam keys (programs and resources) to give away.

Bought the Game Makers Mega Bundle so have some #Steam keys to give out! RPG Maker and Game Guru programs and resources worth $450!

I'm not sure how this'll work yet because there's one key per program or resource. Maybe it'll be in the form of competitions, or it might be in the form of a "first come, first served" basis. More news on this soon.

RPG Maker 2003 Updated to v1.11

The official version of RM2K3 was updated (and released) yesterday. There are a number of bug fixes and some cool and, indeed, welcome additions to the Maker.

You can view some of its main updates (the ones that jump out at me) or the official RM2K3 English Changelog.

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.

RPG Maker Times Migration Updates

For those who are interested, here are the updates (from Twitter) regarding the RPG Maker Times main site and domain migration. It'll also be updated as progress develops. Hopefully all the domains will be restored later tomorrow.

June 14, 2015

#RPGMaker Times Blog is about 85% complete. All that remains is retroactively fixing failed transfers. Projects subdomain not ready yet.

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

June 13, 2015

#RPGMaker Times finally online (took time with DNS re-propagating). Now hideously tasked with restoring content/themes from backup.

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

Nothing's THAT simple! Migration of #RPGMaker Times taking awhile longer than anticipated. Run into an unexpected error, so site is down!

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 13, 2015

Migration of #RPGMaker Times is complete. Just waiting for the DNS to re-propagate. Man, am I *IMPATIENT* already!

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 12, 2015

Forgot how long site migration takes! And how HUGE the site is! Backups of backups! Ewch! #RPGMaker #bitstrips pic.twitter.com/gIqMzj2LCi

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 12, 2015

June 11, 2015

RPG Maker Times domain transfer tomorrow. Fingers crossed for smooth transition. #RPGMaker #GameDev #bitstrips pic.twitter.com/wMKl9ap0bs

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 11, 2015

June 9, 2015

Blog Migration - Domain Disruption #RPGMaker #GameDev http://t.co/5ukr6RSqMx pic.twitter.com/LYTdhEyq90

— RPG Maker Times (@CompanionWulf) June 9, 2015