![]() Instead of building out your process in RPG Maker’s point-and-click interface, you can simply write a method that performs all the same steps. (For non-coders: a method is a set of steps typically, they accept a set of parameters to customize how they behave and/or output a value.) MethodsĮvents in RPG Maker can call Ruby methods to set a variable or as part of a general script block. You can modify existing classes to “hook” in new functionality to the existing flow of the game, and create new classes that add new windows or game logic. Most game concepts, windows, and scenes are represented by classes (for non-coders: a template that defines a thing in the game world or on-screen specifically, what data it tracks and how it can interact with itself or other things). There are three ways you can use code to interact with your game: New/modified classes If I screwed anything up, it was easy to restart from scratch. I also found it helpful to create a “prototype” project–I could write code for the specific feature I wanted, test it in isolation until I got it right, and then copy-and-paste it into my real project. (You might even consider a source control solution like Git or Mercurial, which can make snapshots of your project.) One typo and your game could very well become unplayable (unless you can figure out what you did). I would strongly suggest making a backup of your game before you do any tinkering. I found this helpful when trying to work out non-obvious syntax errors. I’d also suggest installing Ruby for Windows alongside RPG Maker so you can try out your code in irb (an interactive command-line utility that allows you to write and run Ruby code a line at a time). You sometimes won’t figure out you made a typo until you build and the game doesn’t run. Getting a feel for Ruby syntax is rather important, as VX Ace doesn’t have nice features like Intellisense. You’ll need to know some basic programming concepts, like classes, methods, and arrays/dictionaries. As an aside: RPG Maker MV uses JavaScript, which might be a more recognizable language, and I assume the game structure similar.īefore you do anything in RPG Maker itself, I’d recommend playing with a few Ruby tutorials to get a feel for things. If you’ve ever written Python, like me, it’s easy to pick up (when you get stuck, just Google to see what the difference is). RPG Maker VX Ace uses Ruby for its scripting language. In fact, it looks like you can customize almost everything in the game through code, if you’re willing to dig into the default project library. So my general attitude towards RPG Maker has been that it’s great for learning, but it probably isn’t my thing. And data that I can’t directly write code against isn’t really really real. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a code snob. I’ve done no-code-programming before (SharePoint workflows), with questionable results. Given that RPG Maker scripting doesn’t seem to be a well-known topic among more casual users, it seems like a good idea to try to summarize a lot of what I picked up.Ĭredit where it’s due: I would probably never have gone this deep if I hadn’t teamed up with John, who suggested it I’d probably have just made the same old 2D Unity game I usually make and learned very little. Ludum Dare 37 was the first time I’d really, truly built a finished product in RPG Maker rather than tinkering, and I learned a lot.
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