XEREK'S PROFILE

It's come to my attention that a good number of users are having trouble getting RPG Maker XP working under Vista or 7. When starting RPXP, or a RPXP game, a window would open and just as quickly close, without any kind of error message. I had the same trouble, and discovered a solution.

There is a Windows feature, DEP (Data Execution Prevention). It's a security feature meant to block malicious scripting from launching, but there are some older, legit programs it does not play nice with. Half-Life 1 being one, RPG Maker XP being another. The solution is to disable DEP outright, or add EVERY executable (for RPG Maker XP, and for each game) to the DEP exception list.

Hope this helps!
-Xerek

Thank you all. I do plan on playing an RPG Maker game or two first, though I expect them to be similar to the SNES JRPGs I loved in the past. I also know you can go well well beyond, adding action RPG elements, mini-games and the like.

I am not afraid of scripting. I actually am close to a Associates in Computer Science, and have actually made my own text-based games (think Zork-like) on the Commodore 64 back in the day. I realize there will be work involved in getting off the ground, but I'd prefer to put that extra effort into one of the newer ones (XP/VX). Part of me wants to go VX, but the unlimited tile sets available in XP are tempting. Part of what I loved about the old JRPGs was the thrill and wonder of reaching a new area, and having it 'feel' new. The final dungeons of FF IV and Lunar: Eternal Blue Complete are great examples. Again, that's not a deal-breaker.

What I get will be legit. I've made it a point in recent years to change my ways and only keep legal, paid copies on my system. Nothing against others, just my personal feelings on the matter (I have a friend who is a computer programmer). Both have full demos to play with, so I feel certain I can test what I need to before dropping money on it.

Oh, as for OS compatibility, I had a beast of a time getting RPG Maker XP to run on Server 2008 R2 (Server version of Win 7), but I found the issue out (might help others). There is a Windows feature, DEP (Data Execution Prevention). It's a security feature meant to block malicious scripting from launching, but there are some older, legit programs it does not play nice with. Half-Life 1 being one, RPG Maker XP being another. The solution is to disable DEP outright, or add EVERY executable (for RPG Maker XP, and for each game) to the DEP exception list. VX does not suffer from this. Short form, I can use both without compatibility issues.

At the moment, I am leaning more toward VX, but certainly continue to value input. ChaosProductions, that link was very helpful in pointing out a vast array of differences. Thank you for it. And thank you everyone for your thoughts so far. Makes things considerably less intimidating.
-Xerek