A New RPG Maker draws near! Command?

[AmericanKirby]

Hugely excited for this. Hopefully we're getting some big improvements here and not just an MV Ace or whatever. While I quite liked MV, the plugin system left something to be desired. Javascript is quite a messy language to work with and the MV codebase wasn't very well documented, so trying to hack together plugins for my game didn't go so well.

Also, when it comes to using other people's plugins, the options for non-coders to use these plugins kinda... well, they suck. You can change some global settings for the plugins in the plugin manager, and you can use the notes box. Am I the only one who thinks that's just silly and hacky as all hell? Using the NOTES BOX of all things for interfacing with plugins? Let's be honest here, MV plugins were just scripts in a wig. If there's one pipedream feature I think legitimately needs to be in RPGMaker it's the ability for scripts/plugins to modify and add panels to the editor UI. You know, so they work like actual plugins do in any other piece of software that supports plugins.

Another thing I'd really like to see is just some general QoL features. Like seeing routes on the map editor like in Trinity instead of having to count tiles.

I honestly think that the mapping system is going to become 3 layers + doodads.

Yeah, I have the feeling it's gonna be this. People have been clamoring to go back to XP's mapping system for a while.

Honestly, what I really want though is for the mapping system to be redesigned altogether to become more like TileD or like Gamemaker's room editor. Basically I'm imagining something like this:

• You can have as many or as few layers in a room as you want.
• The order of the layers determines their depth, like in an image editor like photoshop.
• 4 kinds of layers: tile layers, image layers, freeform layers, and event layers.
• Tile layers are pretty self explanatory: you draw tiles from a tileset on them. They can have collision or no collision, and they can be visible or invisible. Invisible tile layers with collision on would be useful for parallax mapping for example.
• One tileset per tile layer. Want to use tiles from more that one set? Use multiple layers. Relatively simple and lets you use as many tilesets in a room as you want.
• Autotileing and tile animation are no longer hardcoded and there's editors in the tileset editor specifically for these along with collisions, etc.
• Image layers would be the replacement for parallax and foreground images.
• Freeform layers would allow you to draw a bunch of tiles and/or small images that are not aligned to the tile grid. This would be the equivalent of Gamemaker's "Asset Layer." Like doodads basically. Obviously these have no collision.
• For simplicity's sake, there is one and only one event layer in any given room, and is treated as a layer only for the sake of determining its depth relative to other layers, so you can have tile and image layers above it to do effects like fog, etc. (I guess if you had multiple event layers you could do things like over/under bridges but I have no idea how you would deal with collision in that case sooo...)
• Both image and tile layers can be set to repeat, move horizontally and/or vertically, have parallax, etc. with the caveat that tile layers that use these features cannot also have collision, for obvious reasons. Or maybe just keep these features exclusive to image layers for simplicity's sake, idk.

I highly doubt any of this would be the case because I think it might be a touch too complicated for many users, but screw it, I can dream if I wanna!

 

[Shaz]

XP is the last Maker to have fog, right? I know a lot of people have missed that and been asking for it.

 

[TheoAllen]

@JosephSeraph I think we have reached an agreement here. I personally want to keep the editor as is. Changing it into a 3D editor and change all the resource standard is something I do not want (Realistically saying, Touchfuzzy have already said that MV resources will still usable).

However, if it's a separate DLC which is officially supported, I have nothing against it as long as it keeps on the optional side. Although I'm seeing many challenges on that in which I would also doubt if that is going to happen at all. Nothing about being 3D, but it is about providing support itself because they're going to try to appeal to people who do 3D and use other engines for that. Then they will not stop comparing it with the other engine they use, slowly drags RPG Maker engine into something it wasn't meant originally. Which is why I said go big or go home. In the 2D market especially in the RPG framework, they still dominate it.

They will take a gamble by doing so.
If the plugin is being kept a third-party plugin and somehow managed to reap a big success, that would probably change the game. If it didn't, the company didn't suffer anything as they never try to advertise it.

 

[Dungeonmind]

Just let me pre-order already the hype is enough now

 

[Zarsla]

Hugely excited for this. Hopefully we're getting some big improvements here and not just an MV Ace or whatever. While I quite liked MV, the plugin system left something to be desired. Javascript is quite a messy language to work with and the MV codebase wasn't very well documented, so trying to hack together plugins for my game didn't go so well.

Also, when it comes to using other people's plugins, the options for non-coders to use these plugins kinda... well, they suck. You can change some global settings for the plugins in the plugin manager, and you can use the notes box. Am I the only one who thinks that's just silly and hacky as all hell? Using the NOTES BOX of all things for interfacing with plugins? Let's be honest here, MV plugins were just scripts in a wig. If there's one pipedream feature I think legitimately needs to be in RPGMaker it's the ability for scripts/plugins to modify and add panels to the editor UI. You know, so they work like actual plugins do in any other piece of software that supports plugins.

On plugins you could use Plugin Parameters instead of notetags, though I would argue that doing it easily wasn't really untill 1.5.x.
And when I say instead, I mean using plugin parameters to do the work that notetags would do by specifying what item is going to be changed.
As for who decides to do,notetags or plugin parameters, that is up to plugin makers.
You could comprise by say doing plugin commands in the traits.


I personally don't see editing the editor.(Mostly for how kadakowa & degica, are with their editor like interns of having it be open, they would change the eula and I don't see that).
But also how would that work?
Like we would need some acess to the engine and be able to edit it in some part. But the scripting language and the language of the editor are different.


As for JS, what did you dislike about it? I found it pretty easy to use. Though editing the base code, I figure that out through reading and, trail & error.
Though I do agree it needs to be commented better.

 

[AmericanKirby]

I personally don't see editing the editor.(Mostly for how kadakowa & degica, are with their editor like interns of having it be open, they would change the eula and I don't see that).
But also how would that work?
Like we would need some acess to the engine and be able to edit it in some part. But the scripting language and the language of the editor are different.

Ah, sorry, I legit didn't know about plugin parameters, since I haven't used RPMV seriously in years. I kind of fell off because I hit such a hard wall with trying to understand the codebase and make my own plugins, so I just moved onto other, smaller projects in more general game engines like gamemaker and Unity.

I think if they were to allow plugin makers to modify the editor (I don't really think they will, hence "pipedream") it wouldn't be done by actually modifying the editor code itself, it'd be through some sort of API. Basically, hooks would be provided that allow plugin makers to define custom UI based on preexisting UI bits like checkboxes, dropdown lists, etc. Plugin parameters and plugin commands are kind of a taste of this, but IMO it could be better. Like imagine if plugin makers could define their own custom page of commands instead of relying on the "plugin command" command, for example.

As for JS, what did you dislike about it? I found it pretty easy to use. Though editing the base code, I figure that out through reading and, trail & error.
Though I do agree it needs to be commented better.

Eh, I don't know. There's a lot about JS that just kind of bothers me (and I know I'm not alone on this since JS being wonky has basically become a meme at this point), though recent versions of JS have remedied a lot of those issues. I get why they went with it though. It was the best choice they could of made considering the emphasis on deploying to web and mobile platforms. It's basically the language of the web at this point.

 

[Joshua_Groom]

Praying that this has something to satisfy my monster catching itch that I've been trying to scratch in MV, would be awesome for it to have something that allows for a more easier setup.

 

[SJWebster]

Main thing I took from that last post was we'll get news every Thursday.

Wednesday's traditionally been my favourite day of the week (new comic book day, PlayStation Store discounts tend to change, I'm a simple man) but with the PlayStation 5 event and RPG Maker news to look forward to tomorrow, Thursday may be a new contender!

 

[Chaos17]

I talked about this earlier, but basically every Thursday early morning US time there will be a new announcement for the next several weeks with new information. So just a couple more days for the next announcement.

Does it mean we will have a real trailer this Thursday?

 

[K2loid]

Does it mean we will have a real trailer this Thursday?

Not sure what kind of video it'll be, since we'll be getting videos every thursday, but this seems like its the case. I'm not good with time zones, but I think the announcement comes out at 4AM where I live... the urge to stay up and watch it.......................

 

[MikePjr]

They said information.. not a trailer..

I'm also very eager to know more about it.

As others also guessed, I think the feature that has been requested for years is the improved map editor.

This thread from 2017 created by Archeia tells me this is finally coming and it makes me even more thrilled.

It might not be EXACTLY as Archeia wanted.. but if she can at least get some of this in the final product.. then that'd be awesome....


As for thursday folks, they said information.. they didn't say another video... could just be some pictures and stuff to read for all we know.

 

[Chaos17]

@Tea's Jams
I am sorry, I spoke out of the line.
I just didn't liked how you putted everybody in the same bag.
My bad.

 

[K2loid]

As for thursday folks, they said information.. they didn't say another video... could just be some pictures and stuff to read for all we know.

Oh, oops, I'm so used to simulcast announcements I took it for granted this would be how it would work.

Well, can't wait to stay up late to....see rpgmakerweb livetweet the press packet

 

[MikePjr]

It's no biggy.
They just never said WHAT the information was, just that more would be shared later.

 

[JosephSeraph]

Out of all features Archeia proposed, this is the one that got me the most excited:

The ability to set properties to individual tiles or certain groups of tiles. For example, if I want to make spike puzzles, instead of making them by event, why can't I just program the property to the spike tiles themselves or attach a "Base" event to it?

Tile rotation and tile flipping are also two insanely handy features that shouldn't be unfeasible. Tile subdivision is a dream. If at least half of these features get into the new RM I'll be soooo happy!

Alas though, the new feature turns out to be .MIDI support! lol

 

[MikePjr]

I'll be honest.. pretty much everything she suggested would be welcomed.
The notion of being able to use XP auto tiles would make me happy.. layer options.. tabs.. just.. everything she suggested, is pretty much my RPG Maker Christmas list of sorts..

 

[Knightmare]

I haven't signed in in a long time but was very active on the boards around the time MV was announced and a short time after. Just a quick shout out to @Shaz and @MikePjr who I remember also being very active around the time MV was announced and I must say I am excited to hear the news. I am halfway done with a project on MV so I intend to finish that before I get this, however, if it is just way better than MV and has a lot more features and versatility and is out in the next 3 months or less then I may try to migrate the game over but only if it's not too cumbersome.

Although I would like most of the features many people are naming and personally hoping this is a tactics rpg maker (I don't expect it to be but would instabuy it immediately if it is) I have to try to be real here and the following is my speculation on what will happen...

-3 or more Map Layers like XP (this is the feature I'm thinking Fuzzy is alluding to) and/or unlimited tilesets.
-Higher Database limits in general or no limits
-More parameters for database options
-PIXI5
-Probably an advanced JS
-A built in Luna Engine type thing
-Better documentation
-More default assets of all types (chibi and non-chibi to cater to both)

I think the above can be realistically expected/hoped for, the following are features that might work but in my limited knowledge about coding may not work for several reasons...

-Support for more battle types, MV had FV and SV, maybe this one adds in Tactics of some sort or ABS of some sort. (Yes I know this is unrealistic but it would hit so many boxes and cater to fans that are wanting to make a variety of games)
-3D Dungeon Crawler Map Editing, there was a thread asking others if this was wanted, could be added in somehow.
-Maybe built in 3D type like 3DMV is doing.

Anyway, it's a great time to be an RPG Maker fan and a big thanks to KADOKAWA and Degica for bringing this to us.

 

[MikePjr]

Yeah, i was here around the launch of MV.. i started off making things.. but ultimately i got a bit annoyed with the funky voodoo work arounds for things i wanted to do.. so i kinda took off and left for awhile... stopped using MV..
Came back when they made the announcement for the announcements lol..
I'm not even actually excited at all.. no expectations..
If it's not the leap or jump i want in an RPG Maker, i'm gonna pass on it.

 

[Nolonar]

Not sure what has already been said here, but my hopes are as follows:

• Localization support out of the box.
• Built-in support for busts (in addition to faces).
  
• Built-in support for speech bubbles would be nice too.
  
• Insert above/below for database items (switches, variables, items, skills, etc.)
• A manager for resource packs. Instead of manually copy-pasting everything, the manager would list all resource packs we purchased/downloaded and let us import them in a single click.
• The ability to use an ingame map (with events and all) as a title screen instead of a static image.
• The ability to use as many layers as we want, as well as using any tileset for any layer.
• Better customization of Quick Event Creation (for instance, let us select the sound a door makes), as well as user-defined Quick Events.
• The ability to create tactical RPGs?
• I would like to see a GoG release, if possible.

 

[Roninator2]

Guys I just want you to know that it also kills me to know stuff and not be able to say it.

Don't worry about that. That describes part of my job every day.

When you do announce the feature, I'm sure this thread will explode to 25 pages. lol