RPG Maker
(Click here)
Product Summary
Brand: AgetecRelease Date: 2000-09-19
Platform: PlayStation
Video Game Reviews of RPG Maker
Customer Review: So, ya wanna make an RPG, eh...?
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're looking to get your feet wet in game development, or are just a very creative person who loves RPG's, RPG Maker is a good start. Now, before you get hyped about making the next Final Fantasy or something, let me tell you a few things about what to expect from RPG Maker:
Graphics: 2D Sprite Based characters with 2D envronments.
Music: Very basic set of over 60 songs.
Now that we have that out of the way... Yes, as stated above, RPG Maker allows you to make a 2D RPG. If you don't like 2D graphics, you should look for RPG Maker 2 or 3, both of which do have 3D graphics. If you (like me) think that 3D graphics are over-rated or just plain want your game to have an old-school look about it, then RPG Maker is the right pick for you visually. You can build your own custom towns, homes, and dungeons with the Dungeon Editor, create a (somewhat crappy but it gets the job done) world map with the Field Edtor, and create your characters in Main Character mode. To save memory card space, I suggest using pre-made dungeon maps at least for caves and forests (each ready made map is only 21 points of memory as opposed to the hundreds of points a custom map can take up). There are a few basic character models to choose from, but if you want something a bit different for your main characters, you can create custom sprites in Anime Maker mode. There, you can either build a character from scratch OR load an existing sprite from the game disk and customize the colors, costume, and physical features to your liking, then upload the sprite to your game data. The same can be done with monsters. You can also create weapons, healing items, etc. in the Item Edit mode, create monsters, hook up your title screen and intro music, make spells... You know, the basics.
By default, the game you make will contain random battles, but never fear! You can customize the probability of random battles in the various dungeons of your create so they can be as frequent or infrequent as you like, or you can have the monsters represented as sprites using Event in the Scenario Mode and set them to fight the party when touched. The second option, as I will explain later, is the more memory intensive option, though. The battle system itself is very simplistic. It is a turn-based system very similar to Dragon Warrior: Monsters appear on the top of the screen, your party is represented by boxes containing their vital stats on the bottom of the screen. Worried that your monsters may be too weak or strong for your characters? No problem! You can have test battles in Monster Appearance mode to make sure everything ballances out well.
Now, on to the Scenario Mode. This is where you'll probably be spending a good portion of your time in the development of your game. Before I start telling you too much, here's a warnng: Scenario data eats up memory card space like Cookie Monster at a Girl Scout Cookie sale. That being said, I recommend that you have at least two empty memory cards for this game. One for system data and character edits and one (or two if you want an even longer game) for scenario data. One big event (involving lots of dialogue and and camera movements and such) can expand your scenario data by one memory card block so if you plan on being even remotely dramatic you should think to devote a full memory card to scenario data. If the story gets even longer, don't worry, you can use the Next Scenaro option in Event Mode to continue on to the next card full of events.
Scenario Mode takes so much of your time because that is where you are creating the meat and potatoes (or tofu and potatoes if you're a vegitarian) of your game there. Every treasure chest, town's person, cut scene and movement from one room of a dungeon to another (or from a dungeon or town to the world map) is created there. It can be confusing to get the hang of at first and you'll reffer to manual 2 a whoooole lot in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, creating events will be as easy as making a slide show in PowerPoint. The only fly in the ointment tends to be debugging.
You see, when you go into test play mode, the number one thing you must do is SAVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE!! For some reason, you don't have an option to just pop out of test play mode and go back to the edt mode if you find a problem. There for, you must reset the Playstation (or PS2 or PS3...whichever you're using) in order to exit test play and fix the problem. This can be annoying at times and make you quit for the day. But, tedium of the debugging process aside, once a problem is fixed (it's usually due to a switch not going off or two events not connecting properly), it's fixed and it's extremely thrilling to test play an event and see it workng properly.
So, if you have the patience, the time (one game can take months to complete), and the creativity to take this game on, I suggest you pick up RPG Maker if you find it for cheap at a game store or here on Amazon. Just make sure that the game you buy has the manuals with it (especially manual 2!!!) and remember these few simple tips and you'll be fine:
1. Have at least 2 or 3 empty memory cards ready for this game.
2. Spread the game out across 2 cards from the get go.
3. If you find yourself getting frustrated with the game, take a break for the day and pick up where you left off later on.
4. Keep track of your used switches on a note pad and use them in numerical order.
I've been having a good time with this game for a while now, and can tell you it's a keeper as well as a good way to make a rough draft of a game that you wish to pitch to development companies.
Description of RPG Maker
Ever want to try your hand at making games? Now Agetec has delivered a timeless masterpiece that will help many gamers fulfill their dream of constructing a video game--albeit a role-playing game--from scratch.With RPG Maker for the PlayStation, would-be game designers can finally create their own digital world. All you need is a PlayStation, a little imagination, a lot of time, and you can create your own Final Fantasy, Ogre Battle, or Dragon Warrior adventure--sort of. It takes teams of 50 to 100 people two to three years to design and create the RPGs that we play today. If you think you've got the patience to do it on your own, then this game (or should we say set of tools) has a lot to offer.
Write, design, and control everything from the story line to dungeon designs, to organizing and constructing the towns in your game. You can even choose item locations, weapons, and enemy hit-point totals. Such standard, modern-day RPG elements are all at your disposal here. For those who really want to go for all the gusto, you can design and animate your own characters from scratch! The animation quality doesn't approach a Disney level, but at least the option is there.
This isn't a plug-and-play type of title; it will take you quite some time just to figure out where you want to start. If you don't have the patience to play a traditional RPG to the finish, then you might want to pass on RPG Maker. For everyone else, there's no better place to start! --Todd Mowatt
Pros:
- Players can create their own role-playing adventure from scratch
- Players can design and animate their own characters
- Requires huge time commitment and lots of patience
All Games
Computer and Video Games
Bestsellers in All Games
Legacy of Kain: Soul ReaverSega; Eidos Interactive; Release date: 2000-02-15; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $16.41
Price in other shops:
Grandia IIUbisoft; UBI Soft; Release date: 2000-12-05; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $54.95
Price in other shops:
Resident Evil Code VeronicaSega; Capcom; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $100.00
Omikron: The Nomad SoulEidos; Eidos Interactive; Release date: 2000-06-21; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $21.99
Chu Chu RocketSega Of America, Inc.; Release date: 2000-03-07; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $11.95
Price in other shops:
Soul CaliburThe Hobby Spot; SPIG; Release date: 1999-09-09; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $49.99
Crazy TaxiDreamcast; "Sega of America, Inc."; Release date: 2000-02-01; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $40.00
Sonic Adventure 2"Sega of America, Inc."; Release date: 2001-06-19; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Price in other shops:
Jet Grind Radio"Sega of America, Inc."; Release date: 2000-10-31; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $11.90
Price in other shops:
Sonic AdventureSPIG; Release date: 1999-09-09; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $20.10
Similar Video and PC Games
Memory Card: GraySony Computer Entertainment; PlayStation; Video Games
Best price: $24.98
SEGA Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit VMUSega; SEGA; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $1.94
Price in other shops:
Sega Dreamcast ConsoleSega; Sega of America, Inc.; Release date: 1999-09-09; Sega Dreamcast; Video Games
Best price: $92.98
GrandiaSony; Game Arts; Release date: 1999-10-26; PlayStation; Video Games
Best price: $126.99
Guardian's Crusade (PS1)Activision Inc.; PlayStation; Video Games
Best price: $44.99
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the RiftSquare Enix; Square Enix; Release date: 2008-06-24; Published: 2008-06; Nintendo DS; Video Games
Best price: $14.25
Price in other shops:
RPG Maker 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)by Prima Development
Prima Games; Published: 2003-11-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.68
Sony Playstation Memory CardSony; Sony Computer Entertainment; PlayStation; Video Games
Best price: $37.99
RPG Maker 3Agetec; Agetec; Release date: 2005-09-21; PlayStation2; Video Games
Best price: $24.49
Price in other shops:
RPG Maker IIEnterbrain; Agetec; Release date: 2003-03-30; PlayStation2; Video Games
Best price: $56.00