Rpg maker 2 or 3?

[Kenshin]

Ive been reading alot on this site and im considering buying a game in the rpg maker series. Im not shure wich version would be better in general. Im not game illiterate as ive been doing rpg creating and playing for years. So if some of you would list the good and bad things about them it would be great.

[HolyPhoenix]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

Hello, I suggest 3, but it all depends on your expirience. Alot of people say that 2 is really hard to work with, but there are those who use it like it has never been used before. If you want to be able to do alot without limitations get 2. But if you want an easy fast limited one get 3. It all depends on who you are.

[Kenshin]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

I think I could figure out 2 if I had it. The thing is im more interested in knowing what kind of things you can do with each of them and how you can use the game. Like are there multiplayer options and stuff.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

Like are there multiplayer options and stuff.

Unfortunately, none of them have multiplayer... On the bright side, with RPGM2 you can practically make anything you can imagine. If you want a Zelda like game you can make that, you can make a platformer, shooter, etc.
But those will take alot of work and understanding of the workings of RPGM2. If you choose RPGM2 start goofing around with it first before actually trying to make a game. Some of the best stuff can come from just goofing off. Alot of time is needed for using this game, though.

[Biggie]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

2

[Kenshin]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

So 2 has more options but 3 is easier to use?

[Biggie]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

3 is the opidimy of easy, but alot of poeple don't like 2 because of the graphics, DBS and motion blur. But I personally love it, but my opinion is very different from many here, so keep that in mind. 3 for me has many creative limits, for me 2 has no limits. But it is easy to make a beautiful game in quick time in 3. It really is all up to you. There has been many of these "2 or 3" threads, and I mean many. Maybe you should do a search for those topics to get our full fledged opinions before we got tired of typing them out.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

Simultaneous multiplayer isn't possible, but one could create something where people take turns, i.e. something like a board game, or, more interestingly, a tactical RPG (though that would take a ton of work).

RPGM2, so many things are possible, it's hard to think of something that isn't. The most obvious impossibility is that you can't get around the 8-way tile movement that most Japanese RPGs have. Not without doing something super-extravegant, but that would likely turn into a disaster. But as far as gameplay ideas go, the sky's the limit.

RPGM3, you can create up to 100 people (not reusable, so no more than 100 people could fill your game, total, without using a loophole that enables a separate 100 being used in their place). You choose the people from a limited set of choices (each with 4 colors each; RPGM2, you can choose the colors of characters so much you could make them look very different than their original graphic), same with monsters (also 100 each, total, and you have to put them in 100 sets, total). Items, you create using a few preset effects and graphics. Towns, you choose from preset buildings and place them inside a preset town wall. Most story sequences you'll create take place on static backgrounds, using preset character graphics that usually don't match the character they're supposed to represent. There's almost no way around having to use random battles, unless you use either no battles, battles that take place in the same spot over and over again, or use up precious characters to wander around to trigger battles. Oh, and there's almost no monster-qualified graphics for outside of battle. Fields are probably the most customizable part of the game, graphics-wise, though don't expect to have waterfalls, or even buildings or people on them, for that matter. And they're not very expansive. Gameplay-wise, you create a story, have a player wander towns talking to people and buying items, and wandering dungeons fighting random battles and the occasional boss with story sequence. There's more to it than that you can do, but not much more. And while you can use any effect you create anywhere in RPGM2, you're limited to some preset animations in battles with RPGM3, and you can't use any sort of special effects (besides flashing, and screen-swirling/zooming) outside of battle either. And there is no dragon available to use outside the battle system in RPGM3. RPGM2, by comparison, has 2.

RPGM2 looks like an N64 game, with some noticeable blurring of any movement (which you can get used to, given time). RPGM3 looks like an early PS2 game. RPGM2 has a nice variety of music, and plenty of it (68 songs, and something like 15 ambience tracks you can use if you wanted). RPGM3's music is good (very Lord of the Ring-ish), but not as varied, and not as much (between 30-40 songs, and maybe 10-15 ambience tracks that you can only use SEPARATELY from music). RPGM2, you're at least capable of producing your own music, though nothing like what RPGM2 provides by default. RPGM2 also has a few modern sound effects and graphics (not very much, though the VFX is capable of producing modern-ish graphics, as well as Wobbuffet), while RPGM3 is strictly medieval with a hint of Wonderland. RPGM2's biggest graphical drawbacks, besides the blur and (if you have a problem with them) the cartoony chibi graphics, are it's draw-in distance (you can see within 15 tiles, everything beyond just pops in and out as you move around, and there are no parallax backgrounds), and that you can only put 512 blocks worth of buildings on a map (meaning no big cities, unless you get tricky).

I think that covers it. If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure it will be mentioned.

[Biggie]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

RPGM2 looks like an N64 game, with some noticeable blurring of any movement (which you can get used to, given time). RPGM3 looks like an early PS2 game.

RPGM2 is still capable of beautiful graphics though, even better than RPGM3 is some areas. I don't think RPGM3 is capable of this.



Yes I had to bust out my old RPGM2 war horse, but it proves a point. I aint saying you said it had bad graphics, but I just want to show that with some creativity, you can create beautiful sights.

[Kenshin]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

So 2 offers many more custom options and allows your imagination to do whatever basically. But you can only create a certain amount of blocks of cities. 3 has fewer stuff you can actually do with it but the graphics are better. The older game graphics dont really bother me though the newer look is prefered. Im really looking for alot of options of what I can do. I want to be able to make large areas with multiple cities.

Also is there a way you can set up random battles and triggar battles? And can you make linked maps. Like one map can lead to another map wich you can build large cities on?

[Crimson Knight]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

The drawing problem only occurs in world maps though, and you can use a dfifferent camera angle to hide it. In dungeons, the draw distance is surprisingly good.

And yeah, you can have maps link together(not uniformly), but depending on the data on that part of the map, it may take like, 2-3.5 seconds to load.

You can also change the size of objects, so you can make it seem like everyone's in a big city. It doesn't change their collision or cell space though.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

But you can only create a certain amount of blocks of cities.
...
I want to be able to make large areas with multiple cities.

Also is there a way you can set up random battles and triggar battles? And can you make linked maps. Like one map can lead to another map wich you can build large cities on?

Well, you can still make cities with RPGM2, by linking them together (similar to how the PlayStation FF games have parts of each city on separate maps).

Random battles are default with RPGM2 and 3. Trigger battles are easily possible with RPGM2. RPGM3, the only possible trigger battles are stepping on invisible non-moving monster traps, or using precious character models wandering the dungeon.

The drawing problem only occurs in world maps though, and you can use a dfifferent camera angle to hide it. In dungeons, the draw distance is surprisingly good.

Dungeons are the only places that don't have draw distance, mainly because a single room can't be any larger than 30x30 (or maybe 32x32; I forget). "World maps" are anything that isn't the inside of a dungeon. Heck, you could create a cave-type dungeon on a world map. And placing the camera overhead (which is default) does work, but anybody who wants the camera low to the ground for a more interesting view is gonna have to endure the scenery popping up. Which I myself am enduring, and am creating a game with such a low angle.

Speaking of maps, RPGM2 is capable of using map displays for any maps outside of dungeons or battle.

[Biggie]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

Williamkirks Paladin shows that you can make a huge city in RPGM2, but it isn't availible here anymore, and I am still not sure what the rule is on site advertising. But if you are interested in seeing a great huge city in RPGM2, I reccomend searching for a RPGM site with Paladin.

[vhayste]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

ei guys, im using rpg maker 3 and im just a bit concerned about the required memory card space the game will take.. Aside from the system file, the database files are taking a lot memory. Im afraid I will run out of memory card space even before I finish creating my game! Im done with 3 basic maps and 3 characters, some storytellers, clases and skills. It already took up 2MB. Is there any way to maximize memory handling at least or store the databases on something like a USB flash disk?

[Pagerron]

Re: Rpg maker 2 or 3?

vhayste - Welcome to the pavilion. Try not to change the current topic in a discussion thread. Start a new thread to ask a different question, but for what it's worth... The size of any created RPG Maker 3 game (no matter how big or small) is going to be the same on your memory card - 2160 KB. I have two games on my memory card. They each take up 2160 KB. They are of different sizes and complexities though. To check how much of the 2160 you have used so far, just press the "Select" button on your controller while in EDIT mode. That will show you the percentage of your 2160 KB that you've used. So basically, you can save three RPG Maker 3 games on a blank memory card. Hope that helps.

Back to the topic at hand: Don't do what I did. I bought RPG Maker 2, sold it, bought RPG Maker 3, and rebought RPG Maker 2 (only to find that my PS2 no longer reads blue-backed disks). Buy both of them if you can. RPG Maker 2 is cheaper than 3 of course. It does have lots of cool features. One telling thing is that there is a Prima strategy guide for RPG maker 2. This means it has lots of possibilities. People laugh when a strategy guide for RPG Maker 3 is mentioned.