CutStuff Zombies: Hiatus + Revival = Confusion

[Colonel ServBot]

I'll see if I can get my Servbot hands on it.

[Hallan Parva]

RPG Maker XP

okay I really didn't want to post again in such a short time frame but


In my (completely biased) opinion I really don't like RPG Maker XP. It's probably my least-favorite, and instead of specifically bashing on XP I thought I'd give a quick noob introduction to the main series of software.

RPG Maker 2000 and RPG Maker 2003 aren't available in English officially, but if you download the Japanese versions you can then get a fan-translated patch for the programs. 2000 and 2003 are certainly dated, with more recent versions surpassing them in nearly every regard, but I still find both 2000 and 2003 easy and great to use. Personally, I always preferred the simple 16-bit SNES graphical style, and the side-view ATB battle system in 2003 is nice because it's native and you don't have to use a plugin through Ruby Script. Note that you're restricted to using MIDI format music and WAV sound effects in both engines; starting with XP, the option to use MP3 files for music was made available.

RPG Maker XP was the first version to be released in English through Enterbrain, and it was optimized for Windows XP computers. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of improvements in this version, but there are also several gripes I have with XP, the most major being the battle style. This is the only RPG Maker in the series to use full-body front pictures for both the enemies AND the player characters. Personally I like how every other RPG Maker uses a stylized face portrait and I wasn't a huge fan of the XP full-body style. Oh yeah, and since the battle doesn't use face portraits you also can't use them in THE REST OF THE GAME. I like putting face icons next to dialogue to make it look nice, and lacking a feature like this completely made it a personal turn-off. I've seen users who enjoy XP and even prefer it over VX / 2000 / 2K3 but PERSONALLY I don't care for it. I'm not saying it's bad, and I'm not saying YOU will hate it, but to me it was probably the weakest entry in the series.

RPG Maker VX is probably the opposite from how I described XP; personally I get a kick out of it, but the general consensus is that it was pretty bad, and as such it gets a lot of flak. While VX expanded on the database properties to give users more flexibility with things like status conditions, weapon and armor properties, and special moves, it's not without its flaws, which mostly center around player character customization. Namely, the ability to use classes and skill trees (which was introduced in 2003 and improved on in XP) is seemingly missing; every character MUST be programmed separately. Note that XP also uses a vastly different graphical style from 2000, 2K3, or XP. The enemies and environments are much more gritty and realistic instead of the cute anime-ish style seen in previous titles. I suppose it doesn't really matter as you're apparently doing all the graphics yourself, but it's still worth mentioning.

The latest entry to Enterbrain's software lineup, RPG Maker VX Ace, is in my opinion the best yet. To loosely paraphrase Enterbrain's website description, it takes the XP and VX engines, combines the best features while leaving out the crap, and adds a lot of really cool features like a dynamic character builder tool and an impressive catalogue of ready-built example maps to draw inspiration from. VX Ace also emphasizes a new feature called Parameters. In previous RPG Maker titles, things like elemental resistances, damage multipliers, passive stat boosts from equipment, and special combo attacks were determined by entering values in pre-existing boxes. In VX Ace however, there are very few "native" windows; instead, most attributes are assigned to attacks/spells/items/whatever by attaching Parameters. Of course, you can still follow the RPG conventions of making a sword give +4 ATK when equipped, or a player healing 20 HP by consuming a piece of bread, but you can also use Parameters to blend all sorts of freaky-weird shit with your game. For example, you could make the sword give a bonus +2 ATK to male characters but decrease their speed, or you could make that bread give you immunity to paralysis for three turns. With previous versions of RPG Maker these things would be impossible; the sword would always give +6 ATK and low speed to everyone regardless of gender, or you'd have to make females never equip that sword; the bread would simply heal paralysis, or make you immune to paralysis for the whole battle. Using Parameters gives your game an extra advantage of fine-tuning a specific aspect to behave exactly how you want it.

With all that wonderful Parameter talk in mind, VX Ace is still very user-friendly but also has a more advanced user base in mind. I still highly recommend VX Ace and honestly consider it the best RPG Maker that Enterbrain has ever made, but since you're a beginner I'd recommend 2000, XP, or VX instead. 2000 and XP in particular are very easy to pick up and learn, and I suggest you pick the engine you prefer even if I say otherwise (because I still hate XP so hard).

[BiscuitSlash]

I was thinking about trying out one of the RPG makers, but I got completely turned off by what seems like a lack of customizable battle system in terms of 1st and 3rd person. All the pictures and descriptions and stuff that I saw seems like it could only be turn based 1st person unless you do magic/science/magicalscience with scripting. OHRRPGCE would be more suited to me simply for that reason, even if it's timed based.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah, that's why I'd rather stay away from RPG maker. I'm not saying that colonel servbot should stay away from it as well though.

[Hallan Parva]

I was thinking about trying out one of the RPG makers, but I got completely turned off by what seems like a lack of customizable battle system in terms of 1st and 3rd person. All the pictures and descriptions and stuff that I saw seems like it could only be turn based 1st person unless you do magic/science/magicalscience with scripting.

Correct me if I'm wrong

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Personally, I always preferred the simple 16-bit SNES graphical style, and the side-view ATB battle system in 2003 is nice because it's native and you don't have to use a plugin through Ruby Script.

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[Beed28]

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Autoplaying YouTube video

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ARGH DON'T DO THAT TO MY EARS WHY DO YOU DO THIS

Anyway, I seem to recall the name OHRRPGCE, I'm not sure if that was the one but remember playing around with a RPG maker running on DOS, and the game that shipped with it starred a hamster.

[Donutyoshi]

XP's fine Smash. You don't need to insist on which engine really.

Just pick any RPG Maker from Enterbrain.

[Colonel ServBot]

Well, if there was RPG maker 2 for pc, I'd use it, but I know nothing of modeling,

[Donutyoshi]

i dont think there's actually modeling. just pre-made characters.

also that's only for PS2 by the way.

[Colonel ServBot]

I know, I said IF, and I have it too.

[Colonel ServBot]

HOLY FRACKING SIZZLING SERPENTS!
i just got gamemaker.i have no idea how to use it.
so you guys can be my hoes/slaves helpers
i might need to use rpg maker though.

[Thunderono]

I think Cutstuff Zombies is a good enough title.

[Tengu]

Wait a second... You made this entire thread and have kept repeatedly bumping it with double and triple posts before you even downloaded the program to make it or even got familiar with it?

[Colonel ServBot]

Si, Yo voy a comprarla Silla.Silla Explotar.
well,im somewhatfamiliar with rpg maker

[leoalex50]

as a item can u put in cherry coke for i hp item please
edit: oh before i forget how's this for a title srceen

[Thunderono]

Words cannot express.