RPG MAKER LINGO

Find out what people are saying on RMN

When I first got to rpgmaker.net, I wanted to simply play a game. In order to play the game, someone said that I needed the 2k3RTP. I had NO IDEA what the 2k3RTP was! This tutorial is to help people new to the RPG making world understand what the heck is being said.

ENGINES:
An engine is a piece of software, in this case, used to design video games. RPG Maker is an engine. To look at rpgmaker.net's full engine run-down, click here. Let's go through a run-down of the more common engines used:

-The RPG maker series
This is a series of engines that was designed by a company called enterbrain. These engines are the ones commonly referred to as the Role Playing Game Makers, RPG makers, or RM for short. There are many RM engines in this series, some of which are new and some outdated.
RPG Maker 95
This first engine is one you will probably never use, RPG Maker 95. This was the first RM software, designed for windows 95. Chances are you won't come across this one.

RPG Maker 2000

The next RM engine released was called RPG Maker 2000, which you might see today. This engine was designed in the year 2000 and is best for making classic, old school role playing games. This engine is commonly referred to as RPG2000, RM2000, RM2k, or just 2k. (The 2k stands for 2000). 2k was never officially released in the U.S., but it has been unofficially translated.

RPG Maker 2003

The 3rd engine I will be discussing is a little more common, RPG Maker 2003. This RM software was designed as an "upgrade" to 2k. It has more features, but is still best at making those old school RPG's. Like 2k, it was never officially released in the U.S., but it has been unofficially translated. This engine is commonly referred to as RPG2003, RM2003, RM2k3, or just 2k3. Since 2k3 is so similar to 2k, people will often write tutorials for both engines, and when people are talking about both engines at once they will say, "2k(3)" or "2k/3".

RPG Maker XP

This next engine is much more common, and often used today. This engine is called RPG Maker XP. This engine was designed for Windows XP. It is the second newest software in the RM series, and is commonly used. Not only can it be used as a point and click engine, but you can also use a scripting language called RGSS, (Ruby for short), to enhance you games with features that don't normally come with the engine. This software was the first of the RM's to be officially translated into English.

RPG Maker VX

The newest RM software is called RPG Maker VX. This engine was designed for Windows Vista and Windows XP, but is also compatible with Windows 7. This engine is commonly used, but is frowned upon by many. You see, VX was designed to be a more user friendly RPG maker than RPG XP. This was accomplished, but in the process, many features that people liked in XP were not implemented into VX. One thing that VX is infamous for is it's tileset. To learn about tileset's, read my tutorial: Tiles&Tileset's. Although VX lacks many features, it still contains scripting ability with a new scripting language: RGSS2. This language slightly differs from the original ruby language, so don't get the two confused.
I have written a tutorial series called VX for Dummies. Click this to read it.
To view the official website for RPG Maker, go to rpgmakerweb.com

RPG Maker's 1, 2, and 3
These engines were designed to make rpg games on the playstaion systems. I will not be disscussing these engines, because they are not common on rpgmaker.net.


Those are all the engines in the RPG Maker series, now let's look at some different engines:

RPG Maker 20XX
This engine was designed here on RMN! It is used as a replacement for RPG Maker 2003. It still contains 2k3's excellent ability to design old school RPG's, but it has many new features implemented. To read all the details of 20XX, click one of the two links:
http://rpgmaker.net/engines/rm20xx/
OR
http://rpgmaker.net/games/2664/

Game Maker

Game Maker is a point and click engine used to create action games such as platformers, or first person shooters. People can design games with this engine if they have no programing knowledge, or if they have scripting smarts about them, the can use the built in script editor.

Super Mario Bros. X
Commonly referred to as SMBX, this is an engine designed to create fan-games for Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, 3, and Super Mario World. This engine is still somewhat buggy, and chances are those bugs won't be fixed. But that is not any reason to drop SMBX all together, it is still a great engine.

Those are certainly not all the engines out there, but it is enough to get you started.

Other Lingo:
There are many other terms that you will see out there in the game design world, here are a few of them:

RTP

The RTP stands for Run Time Package. Each engine in the RPG maker series has it's own RTP. Any game made with an RPG maker engine cannot be played without the RTP. Also, you must download an RPG maker engine's RTP to use the engine.

Map
A map is a term used for a room or place in an RM game. Ex: The player is standing in a courtyard. He/She enters a building. He has now gone to a new map.

Event
An event is a term used in many game makers, especially RPG maker. An event is what makes things happen in a game. To see the event screen in VX, click here. With an event, you can make a person say something, or a monster attack! Events are what's behind all the fun in RM games.

Resources
Resources are graphics and audio that can be imported into a game engine. Once resources are imported, the game designer no longer has to use the default set of graphics and audio. To read my tutorial on importing tileset resources, click here. To find resources for your game, click here.

Sprite
This is not the soda. When people talk about sprites on rpgmaker.net, they are talking about a form of resource. A sprite is a set of pictures compiled into one image that a game engine can use to provide graphics for animated objects. Usually characters, or NPC's. Here is a picture of a sprite:


Rips
A rip is a resource from another game that you are implementing into yours. For example, if you are putting Mario graphics into your Sonic game, you are using Mario rips.

Dev or Dev Team
The abbreviation, "dev" is short for developer. The developer, is the person who made the game. A developer team is a group of people who made a game.

Gamepage
This is something unique to RMN. Each game submitted to the site get's a "gamepage" that list's the game's description, images, downloads, etc.

LP
LP stands for "let's play". People will often record themselves playing through a game for entertainment, or to provide a walkthrough.

PM
A PM stands for Personal Message. It is a way of messaging people privately. This feature is not unique to rpgmaker.net, but is also implemented into youtube.com, and many other websites. To send someone a Personal Message, get to there user page (rpgmaker.net/users/username), and click "send message". It is like an rpgmaker e-mail.

For Further Reading
If you would like to know more about RPG Maker, or rpgmaker.net, here are some helpful links:
The Master RPG Maker Things Helpful Topic
New to RMN

If you would like to ask some questions about rpg maker, start a help&request's topic.
Before starting a help&request topic, read this.

If you want to make yourself known on rpgmaker.net, start an introductions topic.

That's All Folks:

I hope this info was helpful.

Posts

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If there are any other terms or abbreviations that you think might be helpful to those new to the RPG making world, post them here and I will add them to the article!
Two small things:

1)
Although VX lacks many features, it still contains scripting ability with a new scripting language: RGSS2. This language slightly differs from the original ruby language, so don't get the two confused.
Quite minor, but RGSS2 is just a new set of default scripts, both hidden and accessible. The language is still Ruby. That said, most scripts would need tweaking to be compatible between the two due to the fact the bases are different, as you were pointing out.

2)
Any game made with an RPG maker engine cannot be played without the RTP. Also, you must download an RPG maker engine's RTP to use the engine.
I can't speak for 2k/3, but at least in XPVX you can make a game standalone and not require the rtp. Most developers will note this if they have done so though.

Overall, this seems like a helpful article for those new to the scene.
The RTP is only required to run the RPGMaker editing program. RTP is not required for games created with it as long as all resources are included in the game project's own folders. I believe.
Puddor
if squallbutts was a misao category i'd win every damn year
5702
You also need to include the .dll's and all fonts used.

Stupid .dlls.
there's only 1 .dll you need.

and if it's not rpg maker vx, they need to install the fonts. if it is, you can make a "Fonts" folder and drop them into it.
author=Pokemaniac
and if it's not rpg maker vx, they need to install the fonts. if it is, you can make a "Fonts" folder and drop them into it.

Actually, it depends of your version of Windows. I always have to install them with Win XP, even if they're included in the Fonts folder.
author=Ben_Random
RPG Maker VXThe newest RM software is called RPG Maker VX. This engine was designed for Windows Vista and Windows XP, but is also compatible with Windows 7. This engine is commonly used, but is frowned upon by many. You see, VX was designed to be a more user friendly RPG maker than RPG XP. This was accomplished, but in the process, many features that people liked in XP were not implemented into VX.


Your descriptions for the other engines seemed pretty objective, but this one doesn't match that same style and seems to gives an "ick, VX" vibe off. I don't necessarily think this was your intention, but you may want to consider re-wording it. While VX's lack of a comprehensive tile changing feature, there are scripts/programs to remedy it without much effort. Many other missing features have already been replicated in script form and are only a Google search away.

(In case you were wondering, this fixes the lack of a tile-swapping feature.)

Ultimately, I think this is a good article for beginners. I think it could be improved with cleaning up some of the wordage so it sounds more objective. I underlined one of the phrases that seemed iffy to me, to give you a better idea.
If anyone wants real engine descriptions, they'd check the engine pages. That's what they're there for and they do a better job then this. Why not just link to them?
author=psy_wombats
If anyone wants real engine descriptions, they'd check the engine pages. That's what they're there for and they do a better job then this. Why not just link to them?


I link them to the engine pages here:
ENGINES:
An engine is a piece of software, in this case, used to design video games. RPG Maker is an engine. To look at rpgmaker.net's full engine run-down, click here.
Can someone find me something on 20XX? For some reason, even with th manual, I can't figure it out!
author=pyrodoom
Can someone find me something on 20XX? For some reason, even with th manual, I can't figure it out!


It's not finished yet.
author=Ben_Random
author=pyrodoom
Can someone find me something on 20XX? For some reason, even with th manual, I can't figure it out!
It's not finished yet.
Ooooh! Better wait I guess.
Welp: To be used in place of 'well', when one feels there is no more to say. This word was originally brought to the peoples' attention in 1994, from Jim Carrey in the cult classic, Dumb & Dumber. This is simply one of the many words and phrases that continue to be used in teen conversation today.

Initial use of/birth of the word: "Hey fellas. Big Gulps, huh? Welp, see ya later!"

OTL alternatively, orz:
A person kneeling with their head bowed down. Korean emoticon expressing desperation /disappointment.

O = head
T = arms to the ground
L = legs
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