Questions regarding RPG Maker VX Ace's customizability

 Hello all, I've only recently stumbled upon RPG Maker VX Ace and I've downloaded the Lite version to play around with and learn more about.

 I haven't played around with it much but I'm wondering if it is possible to change/add to/remove some of the default settings (if I were to buy the full version). I'm hoping the answers to my questions are "yes" :p

1) The classes are locked in the Lite Version so I have to wonder if I would be able to create a class change screen and let players swap (more or less at will) between classes as they're unlocked. Is it possible to create class change options (similar to games like Tactics Ogre and quite a few Final Fantasy games)?

2) I see that I can alter the names of the stats and set my own values for attack options. However, what about adding new stats?

 Let's say I wanted to make it so that an attack rolled against 4 random percentages to determine it's nature (once to see if it missed, once to see if it was dodged, once to see if it was parried, and once to see if it critically hit)

3) I was hoping to create a screen where players could learn their abilities (rather than just gaining them when they hit a certain level) and then learn them again to master them (allowing them to be used even when they change classes). Is this possible?

4) Is it possible to create "sub-categories" of skills? For example, if I were to make multiple classes, each class would have its own unique skill set and then there would be another skill set below it (showing skills that the player has mastered)

5) Is it possible to create a screen to "equip" passive skills? For example, you could learn a passive skill in your class (say one that lets you wear heavy armor) and then equip it (allowing you to wear heavy armor regardless of class).

 I'm assuming that, if these things are possible, they'd be done with scripting.... but, at the moment, I'm just wondering if they are.

Yes, you can do all these things.  Some of them need scripts, but by no means all.  You can use events, damage formulas, database entries etc. for many of them, though this assumes that you are willing to put the time in to master the basics well.  If you look at Andar's thread here http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/14727-a-starting-point-for-new-users-v08/?hl=+starting%20+point%20+users you will find a lot of very useful information.

If you download the full version, you get a 30 day free trial, where you can take a look at what's in the scripts and unlock the database so there are no limits (or few limits).

Yes, with scripting almost anything is possible - and there are a lot of existing scripts available for free, so that you don't need to script them for free. The master script list contains about a thousand different scripts to change the default engine.
And those aren't only simple ones, there are scripts that convert RM into action-RPG's with on-map-battles like the Diablo series, others that convert it for platform games or for visual novel adventures or more.

 VERY cool. I'm almost sold. I have one more question.

 The character editor in the Lite version is very limited. I'm assuming that you can import pretty much any sprite you want (and can do so for player sprites too) but I was just wondering if the default character generator includes options to create non human races (like orcs and dwarves). I see elf and some form of animal ears (along with wings).

 when importing custom sprites into the game, can they be added to the sprite generator (say, for example, you add a new cloak, could that cloak be added to the generator and then be available to put on any sprite you wish)?

the character generator is a bit limited, but you can import any picture as a face as long as it's the correct size (and there are some scripts that allow you to use full-sized busts instead of small faces).


Because of this there are other character generators available on the web, and there are also a lot of additions for the existing generator.


Additions to the generator (like your cloak) require a bit more care in creating, as they do not only need to be the same picture size, but the positioning within the picture needs to fit the other generator parts.

No. Anything non-human would be too difficult. With human there are 2 forms - male and female. With non-human, there could be hundreds.


If what's available in the character generator isn't enough (I do think the full version has more than Lite, but again, you can download the full version for a 30-day trial to be sure), you could always go for something like this. And there are also heaps of people sharing sprites they've created, as long as you're not making a commercial game.