RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

[Septiego]

There is a very small list of things I would like to do before I die, retire or going totally insane where I have to be hospitalized only to send the rest of my life on Happy Sauce and talking to Death Bunnies.

And one of those things is to release a NEW RPG Maker CONSOLE version.

So Valk my old friend... I leave this in your trusted hands.

What system?
What specs?

What do people want or not want with a new RPG Maker?

Note: I need to make it very clear that there isn't currently a new RPG Maker being dev for console; however I very serious on opening the discussion for the ideas of a new one.

[Valkysas]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Mark! Good to see you again!

I'll collect my thoughts on this, and make a post myself later.

I will be collecting all ideas submitted into this post so they're easily found. Please, no vague or impossible suggestions.

[Redeye]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

By biggest suggestion would be to bring over the VFX Editor from RM2, but a tad bit easier to use. As we all may know RM2 is one of the more complicated game makers.

Maybe you could also implement like, that Anime Maker from RM1, except you can make 3D models from it.

Possibly, you could add as many music samplings as you'd like, but also throw in a maker that lets US make music from scratch, like a Music Maker in RM. I was thinking of that for a long time, and it would be cool to add in.

[Deeth Irteen]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

USA port of RPG Maker DS!!

[Drew]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Definitely the VFX editor from RPGM2. As well as the scripting engine. I would also like to see a bit more animations for the models especially if one were to make an action game. Would be a lot nicer as well if the VFX editor was more advanced too.

[Jeroak Nelave]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Hey Mark, good to see you still around and kicking! One of these days i'd still like to get that tour of Agetec you promised me a decade ago, LOL! (I was LionFranco back then though)

I agree with wanting a US port of RPGMakerDS! I'd also like to see what could be done with an RPG Maker on the Vita. I'm sure thats an impossibility due to the smaller market for the Vita right now, but with the influx of indies to the system, i think a smaller "Maker" style game would be fantastic.

But personally, i'd love to see a sprite based maker though. I know 3d is cooler, but i think there is much more diversity in a sprite based maker...but if it does happen, PLEASE make sure it comes to a handheld, i dont care which one (Vita preferred though). I've got em both!

I'd love something like RPGMaker 2 though, just with slightly less complexity. To this day i still get confused on placing events on the map and stuff. It seems like it requires 1 or 2 steps too many.

Anyway, i hope another RPG Maker does come to pass, and if not, hopefully we can at least get RM1 and 2 on the PSN.

[Wavelength]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Well, this is sure a treat! Welcome back & hope you've been well all this time!

Every soul here would love to see a new console RPG Maker, and if the surge of sites and members all around the net is any indication, a solid next-gen console version would be by far the biggest seller in the series yet. (PS4 seems like it would be the smartest pick based on the current look of the market.)

If I had to summarize what I wanted in a few words, it would be something like the PC versions of RPG Maker, which are fantastic. (About a year ago I created a list of the improvements I think could be made on the PC series.) The design structure and interface of the PC Makers are fantastic; they do nearly everything that RM2 could do, but they make it a lot easier.

===

So from that as a starting point, there are a lot of opportunities available by bringing it to a console format:

* Having it in 3D, like the last two console Makers that came over to our shores. (The graphics don't need to be any better than RM3's - they just need to be a lot more customizable. Game makers should be able to add, remove, recolor, and stretch individual parts of objects, characters, and the environment.)

* Adding basic hitboxes to characters, events, and the environment, as well as allowing events to spawn other events (which could be used as projectiles, spells, etc.). This small improvement would allow true action sequences/games to be made using the software. No need to be IG Maker - no need to worry about jumping, acceleration, or anything like that.

* Making the most of the console's controller, and allowing the game creator to re-map the purposes of each button.

* Setting up online functionality, preferably within the program, to post your game online, play games that other people have posted, and find the best or most popular games available. It sounds like this kind of stuff will be possible on the next-gen PlayStation (as well as the next-gen XBOX for that matter).

* And of course, taking advantage of the internal Hard Drive (or Cloud Capabilities) of next-gen consoles by replacing the fixed memory allocation for games with a save system that takes whatever memory it needs, allowing for a tiny project or a huge epic.

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It's fine that a console version wouldn't have access to the code behind the action like the PC Makers do - all you'd need to do is give the game maker flexible options for all of the game's clockworks. They'd be constructed like building blocks.

For example, the game maker should be able to add a custom effect onto a skill in battle such as "If the Target is below 50% HP, then add the Frozen status effect and deal 150 additional damage". As another example, the game maker should be able to specify that "While the player is on Desert terrain, Variable 15's value (perhaps used as a stamina tracker) is displayed onscreen".

Allowing a lot of smart building blocks like these to be available in the appropriate places will mean that game makers will be able to do tons of things that were simply impossible in RM3, and to understand how to do these things where they weren't able to in RM2, since now they are dealing with a wide array of building blocks that are already there for them in the right place, rather than needing to deal with Direct/Indirect Effects and figure out how to apply them.

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I really think a "perfect" console version of RPG Maker could be made, one that would enable people to create games that are better than any other tool out there short of a professional (boring, horribly time-consuming) dev kit.

I really hope you guys can get the resources and approval and make it happen! Heck, I'd give almost anything to be a part of making it happen!

[Jamos]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

I for one would like to have an RPGM with a 3D world, dungeons, etc., but with 2D sprites. That way we can do with the sprites like we could do like in the PC makers or RPGM1 and still have nice 3D graphics in the mix. Though this one might be asking for a little much, but perhaps even having an action RPG combat system where you fight enemies on the map. Hell in this age of DLcs simply releasing an add-on pact for that purpose is a viable option. So many users of this software have went out of there way to make this ACBS for there games so I thought I'd throw that out there. As for a console I would be all for PS3/4, but we have yet to get a maker on a handheld here (to my knowledge.) Handhelds are probably the safer route. I would like to see something like that on the Vita, but DSi would probably be the better one to choose. More people own those than a Vita... I think.

[Biggie]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Honestly I'd love to see a new console RPG Maker. Possibly PS3 or 360.

I'd like whatever route that would allow the most customization possible.

If that means all 2D sprites then I'm all for it. I loved the customization of RPG Maker 2, but everything 3D was far too time consuming. Then RPG Maker 3 was far too accessible to the point where I didn't really want to make anything with it. I think a full blown 2D RPG Maker for current consoles allows for the perfect marriage of customization and less time consuming scripting.

Also more options for the battle system would be awesome as well. I know many of us would prefer a side view option.

Actually now that I think about it, a 2D RPG Maker with the customization of RPG Maker 2 with the option to edit sprites and whatnot would be the perfect idea in my book.

Hopefully we can see something out of all this.

[Redeye]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Oh, I forgot about of an idea as well.

You should be able to edit which type of battle system you want the game to be. You can pick from Turn-Based, Frontal View, Side View, ATB System, FPS Mode, 3rd person ABS, and maybe like Diagonal view battle, where the battle takes place diagonally.

If these are implemented, you should make them very easy to use.

Oh, and remove or at least tone down the Data Usage thing. We all hated the limitations on RM3, we don't want to be limited on our imagination and have to delete things in order for them to fit in your game. Thats how RM3 games turned out to only be 3 to 6 hours long if you even TRIED to make a long game with it.

[Duel]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Streamlined menus. For example, maybe I can press a button to hop from Events to the map editor among other choices. Skyrim went for the clean and slick interface, I think RPG Maker could benefit from that sorta approach as well.

[Wavelength]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

A few thoughts I'll add onto everything I said above:

First of all, a simple Music Maker that includes a few hundred different musical sounds and lets you change their pitch and pace would be fantastic.

Secondly, it's something I have in my PC Grand Wishlist, but just wanted to say it here as well: a minimap editor (and the option to display it, hide it, or reveal more of it only as the player explores more of the area) would be very welcome.

Most importantly, I think it would be great to have a few dozen longtime RPGM players, particularly ones who have made notable games, give the software a test run sometime well before it's finalized. They would be surely be able to point out the kind of obvious omissions that plagued RM3, like not being able to check Gold or non-Treasure Items as an event condition, or not being able to randomly generate a number.

[Ixzion]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

Hey Mark, good to see Agetec is still breathing. It's been way too long.

I would love to add some ideas and I will as soon as I find one Wavelength hasn't stolen.

I guess I can mention that I think one of the tablet/touchscreen consoles would be a great fit for this: Wii U, 3DS, etc.

[Redeye]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

I keep forgetting to add some things.

How about we take something out of Fighter maker 2. Animated characters! We could make animations for our characters. We could also use that into making Animated Cutscenes as well.

And at least have us make our own characters. Likes choose body parts, gender, and stuff.

Maybe if you have a microphone, you could do a little voice acting as well.

[MRevelle83]

Re: RPG Maker P - Thoughts and Coments!

I'd want customization for everything. Controller mapping, title screen, in-game menu, HUD, battle system, music system, SFX, etc.

Also, custom scripts that can be put anywhere. Map them to items, spells, even buttons.

That's about all I can think of. Really, VX Ace is a good reference for anything I'd like to see in future RPG Makers. I'd love to see an Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 console maker.

(Speaking of which, what would you guys put for Achievements/Trophies in a next gen console maker anyway? Of course, there is the Wii U, but I don't own that.)