A starting point for new users (V1.2)

Andar · 2013-06-28T18:39:35+0900

Hello and a welcome to all beginners in the RPGM-community EDIT: The forum update has destroyed the original links in this topic. I'll repair it when I have time, but unfortunately this may take a week or two... Note to RMMV users: While this tutorial was written for VX Ace, everything above scripting/plugin level is identical in RMMV and RMVXA. There are a few wording differences and you can't open VXA games with MV, but otherwise just work yourself through these tutorials. The purpose of this topic is to provide a starting point for all beginners by explaining how some things are handled in these forums, providing links to important topics and explaining those strange abbreviations you might read while making your game. This intentionally goes beyond RPGM/program handling and includes general points that any game developer has to keep in mind, and I'm more concerned with pointing into the correct direction than with creating complete link lists (which will change anyway when new games or tutorials become available). Let's start with a basic sentence: 1) Creating games is fun and work. A lot of people stop reading that sentence at the word "fun", and there is no problem with that. For myself I developed several story/world settings knowing (before I put down the first word in the first notebook) that I'll never play in those worlds with anyone else - simply because it's fun to think out and develop new stories. However if you want others to play in your world and distribute it, then it takes more to create the game - that is where the "work" part becomes important. If you think you can purchase a RPG-Maker today, learn how to use it tomorrow, create your game next weekend and have it played by half the world next week: Please think again, because that is absolutely impossible. This topic intends to help you make your game as fast as possible, but no one can work miracles ;-) There is one more reason why I began this topic with comments on how much work creating a game can be: You don't have do put in all that work yourself. This community is one of the most helpful communities that exists - there are several request forums here where you can ask others to make pictures (sprites, logos, tileset,...) or scripts or events for you for free, and those request are often answered within a few days. But they cannot make your game for you - you need to show and prove that you put your own work into your game as well. If you do this, then the request are usually solved fast - otherwise they might be ignored. But more on that at a later point, we're still at the beginning. 2) What is the first thing to do after installing the RPG-Maker (or better, even before that)? Download the sample game Crysalis (for VX Ace) or Knight Blade (for XP) and play it for a minimum of one or two hours. If you have not yet installed the full editor or the trial, you will need to install the RTP before you can play. The RTP is available at the download area as well. http://www.rpgmakerweb.com/download/additional/sample-games There is no official sample game for RMVX, but several can be found on the list of unencrypted games (link below) There are two reasons why you should do this. First, Crysalis uses the default VX Ace engine - no scripts have been added to the game. You can learn what is possible without big problems in RPGM-Games by playing this sample game. Second, that game still contains all project data and can be opened in the editor. If you want to know how something is done, you can open the Crysalis game in the editor and check all events and maps and how they work. Many other games are encrypted and can't be opened in the editor any longer, but there is a list of other unencrypted games that can be checked in the editor, allowing you to learn from them: http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/13580-list-of-unencrypted-games/ 3) Doing the tutorials There are a lot of tutorials available to help you to learn how to make your game. The most important advice about them is: Do not simply read them, but make your own project to completely do the tutorials. On one side of your computer's screen you open the RPG-Maker and start a new project "Tutorial", on the other side you open the browser or the PDF with the tutorial. And every step the tutorial talks about, you do for yourself in that tutorial project. Do not try to get away with simply reading the tutorial, because in a lot of cases that would be a waste of your time. There are a lot of tiny details that can't be explained or learned just by reading a tutorial, you have to see what happens if you use the tools or options described. If you have any problems with any tutorial, simply ask in the forum and someone will answer – but that only works with specific questions of where you’re stuck. Asking general questions without trying to work through the basics first usually becomes obvious fast, and it’s difficult to answer such general questions… The official tutorials cover…

● ARCHIVED · READ-ONLY

Started by Andar Jun 28, 2013, 09:39 AM 93 posts Page 3 of 5 View original ↗

GrandmaDeb

#41 Jun 7, 2015, 06:43 PM Source

daylight5 said:
I really liked Crysalis. I wish it were a little longer, but I trust the authors choice. I tried to play Knight Blade but I get I'm missing rgss103e. Darn. I was wanting to play more. lol. Well, Good going on crysalis and if anyone knows where to get rgss103e, take few minutes to reply. good day everyone!

Andar said:
Try installing the XP trial and see if that helps
It doesn't, but some of the games with that missing file can be found listed here:

http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/40727-cannot-start-knight-blade-demo-game/
Andar

#42 Jun 21, 2015, 04:20 PM Source

added

10) Requirements for going commercial

and

12) How big to plan your project

(renumbered the other points)
Seriel

#43 Jul 8, 2015, 04:10 PM Source

Andar said:
RM95, RM2K: Older PC RPG Makers that have no legal English versions (only pirated translations) and are not supported by Degica or on these boards
Again, update this now that RM2k is out?

(Sorry, it's always little things like this that bug me :p )
Marquise*

#44 Jul 9, 2015, 03:03 AM Source

Thank-you Andar you gave me lot to think plan tonight. :)
Kerst

#45 Jul 12, 2015, 01:43 AM Source

So I wanted to add custom tile sets but the videos I've watched aren't clear on how they got them. I didn't see download buttons anywhere so I'm pretty confused. I also wasn't sure where to submit this. Just bought the bundle.
Andar

#46 Jul 12, 2015, 08:23 AM Source

Kerst said:
So I wanted to add custom tile sets but the videos I've watched aren't clear on how they got them. I didn't see download buttons anywhere so I'm pretty confused. I also wasn't sure where to submit this. Just bought the bundle.
If you have a question, please make a new topic in the support area of your maker version.
That said, tilesheets are either purchased from the shop or saved from the internet site where they are displayed - they're nothing but images, and you can simply save them from your browser display.
Kerst

#47 Jul 12, 2015, 10:54 PM Source

Andar said:
If you have a question, please make a new topic in the support area of your maker version.

That said, tilesheets are either purchased from the shop or saved from the internet site where they are displayed - they're nothing but images, and you can simply save them from your browser display.
Oh okay man, thanks for the help!
SuperDave

#48 Jul 19, 2015, 01:48 AM Source

Thanks for this!
Andar

#49 Aug 16, 2015, 08:58 PM Source

Added Link to my tutorial-blog to the first post. Added RMMV and GGM to the program list in the second post

I consider this starting point now complete, further tutorials and tips will be linked or posted in the blog (I try to add something there every week, you can follow that blog to get notification on those)

I also made a tutorial about bughunting last week for those that missed that - it's linked in the blog and posted under non-maker specific tutorials

(The blog is also linked in my signature if you don't want to scroll back to the first post)
GrandmaDeb

#50 Aug 18, 2015, 09:57 AM Source

Your blog posts are thorough and to the point. Very helpful.
cloa513

#51 Sep 19, 2015, 02:12 AM Source

I tried to run Chrysalis but although it extracts to the folder fine but the game errors out and trying to open the proj file says unexpected file type. So what is a good alternative?
Andar

#52 Sep 19, 2015, 12:04 PM Source

cloa513 said:
I tried to run Chrysalis but although it extracts to the folder fine but the game errors out and trying to open the proj file says unexpected file type. So what is a good alternative?
This sounds as if either the download was damaged or you tried to open/play from inside the archive.

Please redownload and re-extract and test again - I can't check the original download at the moment because I'm not at my own computer.
GrandmaDeb

#53 Sep 19, 2015, 01:49 PM Source

cloa513 said:
I tried to run Chrysalis but although it extracts to the folder fine but the game errors out and trying to open the proj file says unexpected file type. So what is a good alternative?

Andar said:
This sounds as if either the download was damaged or you tried to open/play from inside the archive.

Please redownload and re-extract and test again - I can't check the original download at the moment because I'm not at my own computer.
This can happen if you are running both Ace full version and Ace Lite from the same computer. At least we experienced something like this frequently in that environment.
Sigmma

#54 Oct 26, 2015, 06:01 PM Source

Can i use this manual, even if i will only use RM MV?

I Know that it can be helpfull for all, but i mean the sample game's part.

There is no sample game for RM MV, can I learn something with these?

The engine in VX Ace and RM is simillar?
Andar

#55 Oct 26, 2015, 06:08 PM Source

Helder Torres said:
Can i use this manual, even if i will only use RM MV?
MV is mostly identical to Ace on the event level, so the answer is yes.
There are a few differences, but most differences should be obvious and not blocking any game development.

Main differences are on the script level (absolutely incompatible) and in performance/deployment
Sigmma

#56 Oct 26, 2015, 06:11 PM Source

Andar said:
MV is mostly identical to Ace on the event level, so the answer is yes.

There are a few differences, but most differences should be obvious and not blocking any game development.

Main differences are on the script level (absolutely incompatible) and in performance/deployment
Thx !!! Just starded the download of VX Ace trial and the Crysalis
yuisister

#57 Nov 9, 2015, 10:12 AM Source

still a newbie but i'm very glad for read to post
JRich

#58 Mar 3, 2016, 10:53 PM Source

So many basic questions I was afraid to ask were answered by reading this post. Thanks!
Conday

#59 Jul 25, 2016, 03:09 PM Source

Awesome guide, Andar! it has been super helpful in trying to learn RPG Maker for the first time. I do have a question on point 14, backing up our data. Since I'm using RPG Maker MV, my basic understanding is that the scripts you linked are not compatible with the plugin system of MV. I tried searching for a backup plugin for MV, but was unable to find one. Do you know if there is a plugin to backup data for MV, or has one simply not been created yet? Thanks.
Andar

#60 Jul 25, 2016, 04:40 PM Source

sorry, I don't know of any such script - but I haven't had time to check the plugin repository lately.