From Charas Project

Revision as of 19:53, 10 February 2007

RPG Maker (Also known as RPGツクール or RPG Tsukūru) is a computer program that allows users to create their very own RPG, in the style of the 16-bit RPGs commonly seen on the Super NES or Sega Genesis. It uses a point-and-click based engine, which is easy to learn but is versatile enough to create truly complex systems. The most well-known RPG Makers are RPG Maker 2000, RPG Maker 2003 and RPG Maker XP, all for use on the PC; however, there are RPG Maker programs available on other platforms as well.

(OOC: This article needs a proper format. If you want to see the previous version, check the history page at the top, but I think it's better off just to start from scratch. The headings below should give an idea as to how the article should look.)

Platforms

Over the years, RPG Maker has been released on several different platforms. Console versions have not been as popular as the PC versions, however, mainly due to the difficulty/impossibility of importing custom resources or sharing games with others.

PC

There are four different editions of RPG Maker released for the PC.

RPG Maker 95

RPG Maker 95, abbreviated RM95, was the first PC edition of RPG Maker. It used 24-bit BMP graphics, and did not double the resolution of graphics, which allowed for higher-resolution games at the cost of large graphics file sizes. RM95 did not enjoy the sweeping popularity of the other RPG Makers, and because it does not run on NT-based versions of Windows (IE Windows XP), it is rarely used today.

RPG Maker 2000

For more information on this topic, see the main article: RPG Maker 2000.

RPG Maker 2000, abbreviated RM2k, was the next installment in the PC line of RPG Maker games, and one of the most popular ones. It was a vast improvement over it's predecessor, and added several changes. The amount of allowed pictures, heroes, variables, and other features were all upgraded. Resources were changed from BMPs to 8-bit PNGs in order to cut down on space used by graphics. The amount of resources allowed was uncapped, allowing a virtually infinite amount of charsets, chipsets, and other resources. Other noticeable changes included a decrease in the allowed resolution, most likely to make games appear similar to other sprite-based games that were prevalent during this time, and the removal of other visible part members on the main map.

RPG Maker 2003

For more information on this topic, see the main article: RPG Maker 2003.

RPG Maker 2003, abbreviated RM2k3, was the follow-up to RM2k, and was mainly focused on a few key changes - several resources that were usable in RM2k were reusable in RM2k3. The biggest change was the battle system - previously a front-view type that resembled Dragon Quest and Earthbound, RM2k3 introduced a side-based battle system similar to the Final Fantasy series. Accordingly, party members gained a new type of resource - battlecharas, which were much more difficult to make than the portraits that were previously used. The new battle system also used another new type of resource, the System2 resource. RM2k3 also added the ability to use MP3 files alongside MIDI and WAV files for background music.

RPG Maker XP

For more information on this topic, see the main article: RPG Maker XP.

RPG Maker XP, abbreviated RMXP, is the latest installment in the RPG Maker series, and the first to be officially translated into English and made available outside of Japan. RMXP contains a few older features of the franchise, such as a return to a resolution of 640x480, as well as returning to a front-style battle system similar to that used in RM2k and RM95. The biggest change in RMXP is the introduction of the Ruby scripting system, which opens up the game system to a level of customization previously unavailable in the RPG Maker series. Resources for RMXP are much more flexible in size requirements; charasets, for example, only contain a single set of poses for a single entity, but can be as big or as small as the creator wants as long as its dimensions are multiples of 4. In addition, resources are now 24-bits in color depth, allowing for millions of colors available in any graphic.

Super NES

Game Boy Advance

Playstation and Playstation 2

Other platforms

Legality

Regarding the PC RPG Makers, none of them have been legally translated and sold outside of Japan until RMXP. Several people have, however, gone ahead and translated them in order to let people who do not understand Japanese to use the program. Although this in itself is illegal, several translations come along with a crack that unlocks the limits on the demo version of RPG Maker that are publicly available for download. Thus, if you are using a version of RPG Maker that is not RMXP and is not in Japanese, it is illegal.

RPG Maker sites make it a point to let people know that they do not support this in any way, and assume that all their users are using legal versions of RPG Maker. It is the user's responsibility to ensure that they are using a legal version of RPG Maker.

Usage

Online Community