02/28/04

What is RPG Maker?

In case you didn't know, RPG Maker 2000 is one of the most popular RPG-creating tools ever. It is a program that you can download for free which lets you create your own game and then publish them so that others can play your games. The great thing about it is that you can create NES/SNES RPGs like Final Fantasy VI without having to learn a big complex programming language. Since RPGM2K is used more as a game creator, you can practically make anything you want in it. You can add NPCs, make a lot of joinable characters, add cool spells, and even custom battle systems. Before I get started with the overview, the person whom previously translated the program has disappeared. He used to have a popular website, but then he moved to a couple servers and vanished. So you can look around the net, but it's going to be hard to actually find a deemed "official" site.

To start off, RPGM2K is a WYSIWYG type of game creator. Even though you don't have to learn a programming language, it's recommended that you get use to their events. Events are the special actions that make certain characters, battles, or actions take place. Once you get use to RPG Maker 2000 for a couple of days, then you'll be ready to make your first game. That's how easy it gets.

As I said before, RPG Maker 2000 is extremely easy to use. To start off, you create your project folder by giving it a name. After that, the rest is up to you. It works like this - Most of the graphics are displayed in RM2K in 256 colors and by tiles. Thus, every graphic must have 256 colors or less and must be in the right size in order to be used. Keeping this in mind, you can use tilesets or chipsets which are a list of tiles that can be used on a map. So let's say you wanted to make a town. You'd find a decent chipset of a town, and then you'd click that tile and paste it down on each square. It's a lot easier than it sounds. After you make a map, all you need to do is put a starting position for the hero, and voila. There's your first map. That's only the basics though. Each project folder has a database where all the characters, items, spells, animations, and data is stored. In the database, you can edit the data and customize your RPG to limitless extent. Maybe, you want your party to have thirty characters. Then, you can do it. Or maybe you want to change a sword into a gun, then with a couple clicks, voila. Basically, RPG Maker 2000 is one of the easiest programs you can find for making your own game. The picture on the right is an example of the characters tab in the database. Those colored graphs are the stats of the character (which can be changed), and you can pick face graphics, his walking graphics, his skills, just about anything you want. This is why RPGM2K is the supreme title holder to RPG making, it's so customizeable and fun at the same time. The battle system of RPGM2K is very basic. If you've ever played Dragon Warrior, then it's pretty much the same system. You play in the first-person view of the hero and the monsters appear in front of you. It's not your typical Final Fantasy battle system, but it serves its purpose.
Regardless, RPGM2K is one of the best game creation programs you can get out there. There is much more in the program than I can explain. For example, if you learn the events well enough, you can make your own custom menus and battle systems for your own games. Events almost make the game limitless since you can display pictures, make clock settings, input functions, a day & night system, or just about anything you want. I'd highly recommend that you download this program even if you don't know how to program. You're able to express your own ideas and storylines into your own games. Maybe you'll be the next Square producer...

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