A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

[Vinderex B. Magnus]

I'm most familiar with RPG Maker 3, but have heard that 2 is quite a bit more powerful, and I'm thinking that it may better suit some of my ideas. But first, I'd like to know a few things. I know nothing about RPG Maker 2, so sorry if some of these questions sound dumb.

Would it be possible to create a modern or futuristic setting, and futuristic looking characters? (I want one character to have a mechanical arm, everyone else will look fairly normal)

Is there any way to allow characters to transform in battle? To be specific, revert between human and dragon forms freely.

Is it possible to make dragon NPCs? (not monsters)

Is there any way to enable "Flying" on the world map?

Would it be possible to create warships in the ocean?

Are character appearrances in battle determined by the kind of weapon they use?

Is it possible to create characters who can use more than one type of weapon?

What are the limits (if any) to the numbers of characters, items, events, etc?

[thetruecoolness]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

I'm most familiar with RPG Maker 3, but have heard that 2 is quite a bit more powerful, and I'm thinking that it may better suit some of my ideas. But first, I'd like to know a few things. I know nothing about RPG Maker 2, so sorry if some of these questions sound dumb.

Would it be possible to create a modern or futuristic setting, and futuristic looking characters? (I want one character to have a mechanical arm, everyone else will look fairly normal)

Is there any way to allow characters to transform in battle? To be specific, revert between human and dragon forms freely.

Is it possible to make dragon NPCs? (not monsters)

Is there any way to enable "Flying" on the world map?

Would it be possible to create warships in the ocean?

Are character appearrances in battle determined by the kind of weapon they use?

Is it possible to create characters who can use more than one type of weapon?

What are the limits (if any) to the numbers of characters, items, events, etc?

Lets see

1. Yes, a bit difficult at times but totally possible. Hell someone made a starship enterprise and I have personally made a very convincing fighter jet. People have made guns, lightsabres, and such as well. Of course the only default futuristic stuff are some robots, and a decent looking jet in the default data (as a building).

2. Not with the default as you don't see your character. So yes, though it will take tons of work to make a Custom Battle System, but very possible.

3. Yes, there is a large and small dragon model.

4. Yep, air, sea and land vehicles, and the ability to make the party float.

5. With the VFX editor almost anything is possible, and you could enlarge the default boat model and put some cannons on it. So you''ll need to mess around with vfx to get it right, but you could make something similar to a battleship.

6. Well since you don't see your character in the default battle system, nope. The default battle system is first person, so you only see the enemy. If you make a custom battle system then the appearance still isn't determined by the weapon (you will need to use VFX to add weapons [display not actually equiping it] to people).

7. Yes. Any character can use anytype of weapon. You just have to equip it, but no limitations. Though there are default ones in the VFX (Sword, Lance Wand, etc) with some creativity you can make guns, bazookas, grenades, etc.

8. I believe you can have up to 1000 characters, though you might run out of memory.
1000 items too, and 12 items per character, 99 in the bag.
Up to 200 events per map/dungeon, and up to 10000 events (memory limiting).
Most things are either 1000 or 10000 of them, but you must be careful of memory (not too careful but you would max on memory before number).
200 objects, characters per map (not including the party).
and 512 building blocks per map.

So you can do all of this stuff, but you will need to become intimately familiar with the VFX and be creative. So it will take a lot of work, but really almost anything is possible with this, but there are some limitations as well (the graphics won't look quite as PCish on 2). So all of this is entirely possible, though it may not look exactly like what you want you can usually get close enough. Get ready for at least a month of two of work just getting used to it though, as I won't lie, it's pretty complicated.

[DYRE]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

Actually, TheTrueCoolness, you can only have 100 members.

[Biggie]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

But just to make a point clear, just in case your in the RPGM3 logic. Not every single character, from NPC's to party members, are in a character system. You make party members that show up in battle and behind you on the map, etc. Everything else like for NPC's in cinematics and in towns, etc. Are made through events, with graphics of your choice, and multiple options on how they start.

[Drazus]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

Yeah, that's a cool part. You can design a character model and use it on 100 different things, from events to...whatever.

You can also make and apply the same script or coding to several events or objects and place several of each on a map. Convenient.

RPGM2 has almost no limitations.

BTW, check out Rodaks VFX guide if you're looking for a turtorial on visual effects, he has lots of cool tricks, from making guns to starships to bloody sword slashes.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

Adding to Coolness's answers...

1: Futuristic) Regarding a mechanical arm, I don't know just how you'd want it to look, but while you're able to fiddle around with each character's color scheme (to where you can alter colors on a R/G/B scale instead of a scant few preset schemes), some colors affect multiple areas of the body. Most characters have both arms affected by the same color choice. I think there is one or two that has an arm distinctly different than the other. *checks* Yup, the Male Monk has one arm that has an independant color (and is already grey by default). He's the only one, actually. So long as you don't mind that his off-colored arm has a shoulder-guard and a half-plate armor on that side, he should work well enough.

2: Transformations) It's possible even in the default battle system, though it would take some knowhow.

3: Dragons) There are two dragon models outside the battle system. One is human-sized and stands like a human, the other is bigger and is more like a normal dragon. You can make either of them bigger or smaller if you want. Neither wear clothing.


Overall, if you're willing to take the time to learn the ins and outs of RPGM2 (and don't mind the chibi characters; brightness isn't a big deal as you could always change the color tones), you'll find it to be a fantastic and very powerful tool. A lot of the dumb limitations that are present in RPGM3 either don't exist or are so much less limiting that you're unlikely to hit them in the first place.

[Vinderex B. Magnus]

Re: A few quick questions about RPG Maker 2

Thanks a lot, everyone. Very Helpful.