Trials & Tribulations

I anticipate this blog to be the last in the series of blogs on the basics of using RMVX. I've touched on nearly every aspect the maker has to offer (without going into great detail). Also, I doubt this blog will be very long because in my first cursory glances at events they look rather similar to RM2k3.

STEP 5 ::..
Using Events for the first time

Everything about the event page looks the same as RM2k3 with the exception of Self-Switches. Self-switches are special switches attached to individual events. This will come in handy for things like chests!

MESSAGE ::..
Two new features here: Batch entry and Preview. Batch entry will divy up a long message into a string of messageboxes, and Preview (you guessed it!) previews the message.

GAME PROGRESSION ::..
Switches, variables and timers seem same as before. It turns out there are 4 self-switches? (A, B, C and D). Self-switches are even handier than I anticipated!

FLOW CONTROL ::..
The conditional branches have been expanded and now includes key input (with more available keys than RM2k3) and one for Script. I am curious to know how Script integrates with it (must the script return a boolean? Assuming Ruby has booleans). The rest of this category is pretty standard.

PARTY ::..
No party is complete without gold and items. Adding party members has a bonus checkmark for Initializing them in the state of the database. This could prove both useful (and a potential stumbling block if you aren't careful).

ACTOR ::..
Change Level still doesn't have a straightup "set Ralph to level 10" type option, but all in all this all seems the same as before. Change Class seems to have been nerfed, though!

MOVEMENT ::..
Transfer Player is the new wording for teleporting. Move Route can also be attached to a script, it appears.

CHARACTER ::..
Curiously, Erase Event is here. I guess by "Character" they mean "Event" and you can apply things like battle animations and balloon icons to events.

SCREEN EFFECTS ::..
Screen transitions have been reduced to fade-in, fade-out but the rest of the functionality remains intact.

TIMING ::..
Wait...

PICTURE AND WEATHER ::..
Was Rotate Picture available in RM2k3? I admit I only ever really used the basic picture manipulation in RM2k3. It also appears the picture limit is only 20.

MUSIC AND SOUNDS ::..
Background sound effects are new! (to me at least!) Not sure what ME is but it seems to be a collection of fanfares. Pretty standard stuff.

SCENE CONTROL ::..
Battle options have been nerfed. Shop setup is even more streamlined.

SYSTEM SETTINGS ::..
Changing system settings is just like before.

BATTLE EVENT ::..
Force Action is a great addition to the battle event system.

ADVANCED ::..
It seems that events can also run custom scripts.


RMVX SO FAR ::..
My thoughts

THOUGHTS
RMVX seems a pretty good engine that successfully blends ease-of-use with robustness. However, some conveniences (like a universal set of battle events or even just the ability to set character levels) have yet to materialize. It wasn't as an impressive leap forward that I was (half) expecting it to be. Actually, it is remarkable how close it is to RM2k3 in function. The map editor design was a frankly dumb move and I am still shaking my head over it. Also, the resolution of 544x416 is a really odd choice!

That being said, I can't imagine any new users to the RM scene using RM2k3 over RMVX. Same goes for new projects - when ready to make something new, it would behoove you to use VX instead of 2k3. While the Pros of using VX over 2k3 aren't as great as I had hoped, it's still enough to make the switch.

That was always my plan - wrap up the last of my work and then start out something new on RMVX (hence T&T. Okay okay I am still putzing away on Generica TNG but that is and always was a side project).

WHAT IS IN STORE FOR T&T? ::..
Future blogs will most likely start dealing with game development topics, like designing classes or plot points, and how special engine features (or limitations!) will dictate how I go about them. As I come across topics of interest I will blog about them. Some things I anticipate doing in the future would be blogs on battles and battle system modifications, Ruby, and scripting but nothing is set in stone from this point forward so I guess we'll see where my game development takes me! So while I have been able to pump out blogs on a daily basis that will no longer be the case. Probably every few days to a week would be more realistic, I think.

Thanks for reading so far and I hope that I wasn't too much of a bore.


Next up...
Facepunching.