RMVXA Price Set

Apparently the price has been set for the new RMVXA. According to RPG Maker Web on Facebook (in a comment):

$90, with a discount to current VX owners. (We will also have discount codes on the blog, facebook and twitter, so keep your eyes open).

Although I definitely will be buying RMVXA, I definitely will not be buying it right away. The two primary reasons are: (1) I can't afford it, even with the promised discounts, and (2) most of my moneys are now going towards my planned wedding costs.

I missed out on the two previous competitions to win a pre-release copy of RMVXA, but my heartfelt congrads to the lucky winners who did get it. "Gotta be in it to win it", so when time is a factor against you "ain't in it"! Haha!

Just as a side-note, RMVXA (or at least the trial version) will run more adequately than RMVX on a computer with the following specs: 800MHz CPU, 512Mb RAM, an SiS 630/730 onboard graphics card and an SiS 7018 onboard sound card. And, no, this isn't quite the setup of my computer, it's the computer I used to benchmark the lowest runnable specs for RMVXA.

Oh, and as an additional side-note (completely unrelated in fact) I tried the trial version of IG Maker, but it wouldn't run on my hamster-driven computer, so I'm not planning on pursuing into that at present.

Extra Stats Script - VXA

Download Script

This is my first actual script for RMVXA and my first properly released (full) script.

This is the same as the Extra Stats Window Script for RMVX, but with a lot of additions and improvements.

To be honest, I only did this to see if I could do it. As a result there are inevitably areas for improvement. It was made doubly more difficult by the fact that, since I've been using the trial version of RMVXA, writing the scripts directly in its editor isn't possible. Instead, I used a combination of Notepad and the "RMVX workaround" to produce a working script.

This is actually a big deal for me because it's a measure of my scripting progress (which a lot of die-hard scripters take for granted!), so if you do use the script, please be sure to read the Terms of Use and credit me accordingly. Thanks!

Time For Some Reorganisation

It's time to reorganise RPG Maker Times and its Companion. This is a priority before anything else, especially given that the latter has been neglected.

While the layout on this blog will remain the same, Companion will have an overhaul. I'm thinking about changing the entire template, perhaps to one of Blogger's dynamic layouts to better reflect its content. And this is also especially true with the apparently imminent release of RMVXA and preparation to include guestblogging and some of the other RPG Makers out there. So things might be a little messed up for a while, especially on the Companion blog.

This includes the top navigation menu, definitely out-of-date by now, which I've been wanting to do for awhile. This whole reorganisation thing will probably take some time, but I'll still be able to provide regular updates and tutorials provided that my time management skills are up to par.

I'm also transferring some of the pages I have on both RPG Maker Times and Companion on a completely separate website for convenience and better layout, which also means that I can add more dynamic pages to the blogs.

A Few More Updates

CW's Scripts Compendium

There will be a downloadable demo of this, such as it is, soon. I'm just finalising the inter-script compatibility and making some last minute tweaks to it, as well as adding some additional scripts/scriptlets. The final version will probably be updated here, as well as any subsequent versions.

Mu's Misadventures Conceptual Cartoon Strip

I briefly mentioned in a previous post, RPG Maker Times Comic Strip, about creating a kind of "live" cartoon in RMVX. I've already started this project, but it's more of an experiment at this point. It's almost entirely event-driven for the purposes of the animation, since it runs like a conceptual movie, split into several chapters. The idea behind it is to make a video of each chapter and upload it to my Youtube Videos account. The most challenging part is creating some of the custom graphics it requires, including sprites/charsets and pictures.

Spriting/Charsets

As mentioned above, I've been trying my hand at spriting. I'm still not very good at it, but at least I'm having fun. Since the RMVX tileset is very limited (and limiting), and with few specific resources online, Mu's Misadventures required something a little more dynamic, including a sunken ship charset and custom-made characters. Well, we'll have to see how it goes. Good practice anyway.

CW's Scripts Compendium - Forthcoming

I decided to compile some of the scripts I've written into a single compendium. Many of them were scattered throughout various projects I'd done, hence the decision to place them all in one place, making it much easier to access and reference.

I've shared some of these scripts on RPG Maker Times, but they've since been updated. None of them have links yet, as I'm still compiling the scripts. They're here more for reference, but when the compilations are complete I'll upload the demos for downloading.

RMVX Scripts Compendium

• Battle Announcement Image v1.0 - Display an image announcing the commencement of a battle.
• Critical Hit Flash Screen v1.0 - Flash the screen (red) when a critical hit is inflicted on monsters.
• Extra Stats Window v1.2 - Display additional stats, such as number of steps, number of battles/escapes, etc.
• Game Progress Window v1.6 - Display the game progress as a percentage in the Status Menu.
• Location Window v1.6 - Display the current location in the Status Menu.
• MMO Styled Body Status v1.5 - Display a 3D model on the Status Screen in a similar vein to many MMOs, updated according to what's equipped/unequipped on the Equipment Screen.
• Parameter Equip +/- Icons v1.0 - Display an increase/decrease icon on the Equipment screen according to how equipping/unequipping weapons and armour affects stats.
• Victory Announcement Image v0.1 - Display an image announcing victory after a successful battle.

RMVXA Scripts Compendium

• Extra Stats Window v1.0 - As with the RMVX version.
• MMO Styled Body Status v0.5 - As with the RMVX version.

I don't know what happened to my RMXP scripts yet. Most likely they're on one of the backup CDs, except I've not found them yet.

RPG Maker Times Comic Strip

In case you haven't noticed (as if you couldn't) I've started on a few cartoons. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, but somehow just never got round to doing it. I guess the inspiration ultimately came from a previous post, RPG Maker Comic Book.

I don't know how regularly I'll produce the cartoons, but updated cartoons will appear on the RPG Maker Times Cartoon Strip.

Alternatively, you can view my Toondoo profile.

I don't know how viable it would be to create cartoony video adventures with RMVX, but maybe I'll try it and see, but time will tell.

Will you buy RPG Maker VX Ace if it's above $60? - January 2012 Poll

The January 2012 poll is now closed. The results, out of 16 votes, 19% would buy RMVXA if the price is above $60, but an overwhelming 69% will NOT buy RMVXA if it's above $60. And 13% is still undecided.

For myself, I'm truthfully still undecided. In the beginning, I was resolute that I wouldn't buy RMVXA if it was above $60, but the more I've played around with it the more I like it. So if the price is around $60 I will definitely buy it eventually. Anything above that and I'll wait for awhile longer, continue with the Trial version, until I can raise the money to buy it, but even with that I'd still be more reserved if the price is above $60. Yes, I will eventually purchase RMVXA because, as I've mentioned before, it is way too cool not to!

RPG Maker Comic Book

RPG Maker Rage Comics is a series of comic strips with N00bs in mind. After all, "Nothing brings more rage than noobs". Because my scripting and resource creating skills are shamefully lacking, I could be considered as one, but I'm not a noob to the entire RPG Maker scene, and some of the things outlined in the comic assuredly typifies the kinds of things that RPG Maker newbies would say or do, taking the best (and worst) parts of "newbity" and regarding them almost with contemptuous cynicism. And it is quite funny!

And, while we're on the topic, AlphaWhelp's Comic Book Scenes allows the use of comic strip cutscenes in RMVX. While the post (and probably the script) is old and out-of-date, it will certainly add an extra dimension to the game, plot development and an element of humour to a game. It even has a "page flip" sound effect for when you turn the page.

Tutorials Series - Coming Soon

In March, I'll be starting on a series of tutorials for RPG Maker (and other engines). This will be primarily how-to's, using events and maps, including some already submitted by guestbloggers. This is part of my going through the expanding "To Do" list. So how should they appear?

Would it be better - i.e. preferable - to provide step-by-step guides as a post with pictures or videos? Or perhaps a combinaton of both? Should the tutorials be exclusively RMXP, RMVX or RMVXA, or all three, as well as some of the other makers?

What are your thoughts? Leave feedback in the comments and we'll go from there.

Some More Updates

In between work and play, and catching up on Season 2 of Haven, which has become one of my favorite shows, there have been fewer updates to the blog. That said, however, I've still been busy with RPG Maker.

Support for RMXP

With the imminent release of RMVXA, support for RMXP may dwindle as I'll be focusing more on RMVX and RMVXA. That's not to say that I'll completely abandon RMXP, just that there will be fewer updates for it. Whenever inspiration takes me, I'll probably still post resources and links, etc.

The Gladiator Project Progress

Yesterday, the power went out for 24 hours and subsequently the computer shut down without warning. The Scripts became corrupted, meaning that all prior progress cannot be loaded. Even the backup was corrupted. But I still have the tertiary backup to fall back on, although it's an out-dated version. I don't view this as a negative because, in my experience, any subsequent versions tend to be better. It's comparable to writing: the first is the rough draft, the second is the edited draft, and the third and subsequent versions are the final drafts. And usually the best versions.

RMVXA Scripts

I've been extensively experimenting with RGSS3 (edited in RMVX and ported over). While I'm not a scripter, I have produced a few scriptlets, so maybe in a future post I'll place them here - after a few additional tweaks.