Full Games List
Featured Games
New Games
Reviews
Media
Images
Blogs
Game Updates
Images Feedback Summary
Game Design Highlights
Tutorials
Articles
Scripts
Utilities / Plugins
Resources
Engines
Engine Bulletins
What is Makerscore?
Past Events
Achievements
Misaos
Forums
Post History
Chat
New to RMN?
Full Store List
RMN Music Pack (free)
BRINGING BACK A POTENTIAL RM RENAISSANCE
Posts
Darken
3952
Darken
View playlists
CloseSo Sgt M posted a tweet that went viral. Where he made the case for buying an rm2k3 game on sale.
https://twitter.com/SgtM_Yuusha/status/1694160108559704314
It also seems to be a trend? and a "using rm2k3 in 2023" overview video made by riggy that did well views wise. Whenever a sale happens a lot of people are willing to spread the good word of an outdated but cheap alternative to the modern RPG Makers. And in the 2010s onwards it did feel like there was a resurgence with the likes of OFF and space funeral and bleep's games in the Tumblr sphere and probably a lot of Yume Nikki fangames I don't know about.
I'm wondering about everyone's outlook on this. As someone who has moved on from RM, I do think some things hold rm2k3 back a bit. Importing indexed images has a bit of a learning curve. The battle system is just borked if you don't go in knowing the problems. If you want to do anything outside of the engine's bounds you have to turn to these weird patches by some german guy. I figured this shit out 20 years ago, but from an outside view it's like the Smash Bros Melee of game engines. Where the power of nostalgia keeps it alive, but also there's weird hoops for no good reason other than it came from a different time.
We can talk about the merits of engines all we want. It'd be really cool to encourage another renaissance where there's not crazy expectations for a magnum opus RPG, but more just story oriented pixel art games made by people who don't take it too seriously. Thoughts, opinions?
https://twitter.com/SgtM_Yuusha/status/1694160108559704314
It also seems to be a trend? and a "using rm2k3 in 2023" overview video made by riggy that did well views wise. Whenever a sale happens a lot of people are willing to spread the good word of an outdated but cheap alternative to the modern RPG Makers. And in the 2010s onwards it did feel like there was a resurgence with the likes of OFF and space funeral and bleep's games in the Tumblr sphere and probably a lot of Yume Nikki fangames I don't know about.
I'm wondering about everyone's outlook on this. As someone who has moved on from RM, I do think some things hold rm2k3 back a bit. Importing indexed images has a bit of a learning curve. The battle system is just borked if you don't go in knowing the problems. If you want to do anything outside of the engine's bounds you have to turn to these weird patches by some german guy. I figured this shit out 20 years ago, but from an outside view it's like the Smash Bros Melee of game engines. Where the power of nostalgia keeps it alive, but also there's weird hoops for no good reason other than it came from a different time.
We can talk about the merits of engines all we want. It'd be really cool to encourage another renaissance where there's not crazy expectations for a magnum opus RPG, but more just story oriented pixel art games made by people who don't take it too seriously. Thoughts, opinions?
author=Darken
We can talk about the merits of engines all we want. It'd be really cool to encourage another renaissance where there's not crazy expectations for a magnum opus RPG, but more just story oriented pixel art games made by people who don't take it too seriously. Thoughts, opinions?
Yeah, that last sentence is what really speaks to me. Many of us, myself included, get so wrapped up in making our huge dream games, but just about anyone can make something cool with any RPG Maker, and something as old as RM2k3 can still make awesome awesome stuff, and it doesn't have to be a globe-trotting RPG saga with a huge cast (Still looking forward to Hero's Realm Heroic Edition if you see this, kentona :D)
Heck, plain old 2k still has a lot of potential, and I've been playing a lot of 2k recently, including Frogge's excellent "A Vacation In Nebula." I have a lot of 2k nostalgia as it's the first engine I actually completed anything resembling a game back in the day. There's still so much that can be done with these engines, and I'd love to see more fun, bite sized creative RPGs come out and find success! :DDD
Irog
4858
More 2k3 games are always good, especially now that EasyRPG can run them on modern OS like Linux. EasyRPG also comes with an editor.
I honestly don't know I feel about this. Like, sure, I made a few bad games in TsuK, skipped out on TsuK3 entirely, only to come back with XP/VX. However, I mostly consider my gamedev career, such as it is, to have started with Ace, and this game.
However, there have been some 2K/2K3 games that I see, and wonder how they hell did they do thataward? That, and a resurgence of conversation about the engines, and games made by said engines, is good for the community and might make the forums less dead.
However, there have been some 2K/2K3 games that I see, and wonder how they hell did they do that
Sidewinder
2880
Eh, as old as 2K3 is, it's really not that bad when compared to the newer engines. I can see people making some cool stuff in it, though I think it'll always be pretty niche.
I still want to make a game in 2k3, all these years later. It was the first PC RM I ever used and what got me into the community, so to me it feels like something natural I should do at some point, just to finish off that "dream" from so long ago.
To tell you the truth, I have it in my head that I'd like to make a game with 2k, 2k3, XP, VX/A, and MV/Z... Obviously that's a bit of a pipe dream but as a longtime member of the community all of the makers give me that sort of vibe. 2k3 is definitely up there ahead of the others though (besides MV atm, since I'm actively using that one).
To tell you the truth, I have it in my head that I'd like to make a game with 2k, 2k3, XP, VX/A, and MV/Z... Obviously that's a bit of a pipe dream but as a longtime member of the community all of the makers give me that sort of vibe. 2k3 is definitely up there ahead of the others though (besides MV atm, since I'm actively using that one).
Red_Nova
Sir Redd of Novus: He who made Prayer of the Faithless that one time, and that was pretty dang rad! :D
9192
I'm in full support of any avenue that can pump fresh blood into the RM community, so I say sure, bring in the 2K3 newbs.
Now would be a great time for someone to host an RM2k3 jam, either here or on itchio (or even both) while the iron is hot.
I made that tweet so I did my part.
A Boulevard of Broken 2k3 Dreams
Achievements:
Yume Nik2k3- Release an atmospheric walking simulator
2k3's Realm - release a demo of your eventual magum opus (to be completed by 2026)
The 2k3 Way - release the first episode of a story-centric fantasy
Vaporware - release a gameprofile with ridiculous beautiful screenshots but nothing else
2k3 vs. Dog - a complex battle engine demo game
Pom Gets RM2k3 - have your release be played by a streamer
2003 Shots - break the engine in clever ways
2k3's Adventure - a short RTP game showcasing the engine, with a dog as a playable character
Achievements:
Yume Nik2k3- Release an atmospheric walking simulator
2k3's Realm - release a demo of your eventual magum opus (to be completed by 2026)
The 2k3 Way - release the first episode of a story-centric fantasy
Vaporware - release a gameprofile with ridiculous beautiful screenshots but nothing else
2k3 vs. Dog - a complex battle engine demo game
Pom Gets RM2k3 - have your release be played by a streamer
2003 Shots - break the engine in clever ways
2k3's Adventure - a short RTP game showcasing the engine, with a dog as a playable character
kentona
Vaporware - release a gameprofile with ridiculous beautiful screenshots but nothing else
Hot damn, an achievement I can actually get!
LordBlueRouge
2143
I missed out on this. Great thread as always. I only caught it cause Roden mentioned it his status post ❤️
(please finish songs from Aelsea Roden, you're too talented to quit!!).
Honestly, this is where I wanted rpgmaker2003 to be about 20 years ago, but I think, a lot of stuff had to happen first, before people would start seeing rpgmaker2003 this way?
Just to put things in perspective. Japan has had rpgmaker much longer than we had. They've had access and have been making these games since the 90s with Rpgmaker Dante 98 on PC-98 in 92, and snes rpgmakers. They've had contests, they've had competitions, some of them have even been turned into commercial games, more than once.
Our history has been very very different. But I also feel like this history has shaped the way we've seen and used rpgmaker, for years? - like, FF7 set the world on fire, in 1997... but it's like a 36 hour RPG spanning 3 discs with a budget of 80 million. Back in 2000s, we had no idea what a finished rpgmaker game would look like. We just looked at the commercial stuff we grew up with and tried to copy it - I think if there's anything that's changed, it's that now, there's a more realistic expectation of what a finished rpgmaker game should look like. And that it's okay to make, play and finish smaller games - or just smaller rpgs.
On a semi-unrelated note: There's a really cool game coming out, from this years VIP2023 summer camp, where these guys made, a pinball machine, Wolfenstein 3D and a SEGA arcade afterburner clone and a tamagotchi, all in rpgmaker2003 (think? I'll have to double check) - If I can grab a gif of it I'll upload it here -- Really impressive stuff.
author=Darken
We can talk about the merits of engines all we want. It'd be really cool to encourage another renaissance where there's not crazy expectations for a magnum opus RPG, but more just story oriented pixel art games made by people who don't take it too seriously. Thoughts, opinions?
Honestly, this is where I wanted rpgmaker2003 to be about 20 years ago, but I think, a lot of stuff had to happen first, before people would start seeing rpgmaker2003 this way?
Just to put things in perspective. Japan has had rpgmaker much longer than we had. They've had access and have been making these games since the 90s with Rpgmaker Dante 98 on PC-98 in 92, and snes rpgmakers. They've had contests, they've had competitions, some of them have even been turned into commercial games, more than once.
Our history has been very very different. But I also feel like this history has shaped the way we've seen and used rpgmaker, for years? - like, FF7 set the world on fire, in 1997... but it's like a 36 hour RPG spanning 3 discs with a budget of 80 million. Back in 2000s, we had no idea what a finished rpgmaker game would look like. We just looked at the commercial stuff we grew up with and tried to copy it - I think if there's anything that's changed, it's that now, there's a more realistic expectation of what a finished rpgmaker game should look like. And that it's okay to make, play and finish smaller games - or just smaller rpgs.
On a semi-unrelated note: There's a really cool game coming out, from this years VIP2023 summer camp, where these guys made, a pinball machine, Wolfenstein 3D and a SEGA arcade afterburner clone and a tamagotchi, all in rpgmaker2003 (think? I'll have to double check) - If I can grab a gif of it I'll upload it here -- Really impressive stuff.
Darken
3952
I do like the idea of an event that elicits going back to that moment in time where you installed RPG Maker for the first time. Because it is easy to forget that it is fucking cool that you can make a living breathing world by just placing tiles and filling in some message boxes. It's easy to forget when being a jaded adult gamedev.
I love 2k and 2k3 games, and I love making them. It hurts when I read people talking shit about 2k3. That engine's making Nihilo! That engine's making Hero's Realm: Heroic Edition! That engine's freaking awesome!
sabao
630
I appreciate 2k-2k3's (and the culture of the era at the time) simplicity. The software limitations at the time meant people weren't bogged down by the compulsion to slap on a dozen plugins, and most of the time all one could really lean in on for your game was story and vibes.
It was like high-tech fanfiction.
It was like high-tech fanfiction.
