Is RPGMaker limited to top down views? Possible to make a Legend of Mana type view?

[jimfalcon]

I've noticed that all rpg maker games I've seen has been limited to a top down old school Zelda type view, which works, but I was wondering if there was a way to make a sort of 45 degree angle type game similar to legend of mana, with more than four paths of movement, but around eight, up, down, diagonal, etc. 

if any of you arent familiar with legend of mana here are some screenshots. I want to make a game like this.

To save time from people that will say obvious things like, you need some sweet art skills to be able to make those backgrounds. Yes I know.

How would I go about doing this?

Thanks for your time. I'm so glad this software exists, it seems like its worth the money, but if this type of design is possible, there will be no doubt.

http://image.jeuxvideo.com/images/ps/l/e/legend-of-mana-playstation-ps1-1293804842-014.jpg

 

[hyde9318]

RPG Maker is only limited by how much work you are willing to put in. If you are willing to create all new graphics to make it look like it is from a different point of view, then this is entirely possible. But it would be a lot of work and the RTP would have to be reinvented. 

 

[kerbonklin]

People have done Mode7, H-Mode7, Isometric maps, first-person dungeon crawlers, and a bunch of other fancy complicated stuff that the engine was not normally build for.

 

[Shaz]

There are 8-directional movement scripts out there, as well as pixel movement scripts.


RPG Maker builds maps from individual tiles, but a game with images like you have there would need backgrounds drawn individually.


Combining hand-drawn background with 8-directional pixel movement and collisions, you'd be able to do something like this. Would probably need a bit of additional scripting to position events, since you're not going to be sticking with a 32x32 grid for placement.

 

[jimfalcon]

All of a sudden this is sounding complicated. I dont have experience with coding or anyhting, which was why I turned to RPG Maker, ah well, no pain no gain.

I guess I can take a stab at it on my own before I ask any more questions. Thanks.

And if anyone does have any input, I'm all ears. I'll take anything atm,

 

[jimfalcon]

There are 8-directional movement scripts out there, as well as pixel movement scripts.

RPG Maker builds maps from individual tiles, but a game with images like you have there would need backgrounds drawn individually.

Combining hand-drawn background with 8-directional pixel movement and collisions, you'd be able to do something like this. Would probably need a bit of additional scripting to position events, since you're not going to be sticking with a 32x32 grid for placement.

Thanks for the info. 

Is there a way to just place a big picture on the map and not a bunch of tiles?

 

[Bastrophian]

Thanks for the info. 

Is there a way to just place a big picture on the map and not a bunch of tiles?

Yes, Parallax mapping. Its not really as hard as it sounds....just time consuming, at least for me. Yanfly has a really good script for parallax mapping.

heres a link to it-  http://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/rmvxa/utility-scripts/parallax-lock/

You'll need something else too.....http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/topic/12299-getting-started-with-parallax-mapping/

This link should get you started. i hope this helps, parallax mapping can be pretty fun

 

[Shaz]

jimfalcon, please avoid double posting, as it is against the forum rules. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.


It IS easy to make games in RPG Maker - no programming required - if you want to stick with the RTP style that the engine is designed for.


However, it's also possible to make it do a lot of other things it WASN'T designed for, but you've got to have the skills (or know someone who does) to be able to do it.

 

[Archeia]

Legend of Mana is top-down, mechanics wise. What you're lacking is graphics that shows that perspective.
Not sure in all honesty what else to add to that. Star Ocean: Blue Sphere displayed how top down perspective can be used creatively. They even had bokeh <_<; (If you can read Japanese, it'd help you a lot).

Legend of Mana has hand drawn backgrounds and only just displayed on 3 layers as well (similar to RM). Background could be parallax or tiles, it depends on how you format them. Normally you'd go with Parallax. Foreground Objects are displayed via pictures.

I don't think you need any coding from this aside from, learning the program's tools. I haven't really used any programming for this game when I wanted my game to be like Legend of Mana.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

if it's only the visual style, then you just need the graphics... but if you need to make it more like legend of mana gameplay wise like 8D movement, then that is when you start to need scripts...

 

[EvilEagles]

Even first-person perspective can be done in RPG Maker. You just need the right resources and a bit of knowledge and familiarity with the program.

 

[jimfalcon]

You guys reply fast. Awesome. I always appreciate info like this.

Hmm, guess I'll have more questions once I hit roadblocks and such.

Thanks again. and if anyone else has any input, keep it coming

Yes, Parallax mapping. Its not really as hard as it sounds....just time consuming, at least for me. Yanfly has a really good script for parallax mapping.

heres a link to it- http://yanflychannel.wordpress.com/rmvxa/utility-scripts/parallax-lock/

You'll need something else too.....http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/topic/12299-getting-started-with-parallax-mapping/

This link should get you started. i hope this helps, parallax mapping can be pretty fun

Thanks a lot, i just got a crude map into the game. Good info

My only concern is that because my map is more organic and not restricted to squares, When I lay tiles down so that my character can move around, some of the corners may poke into say the wall of a house. Are laying down squares the only way to map out a path for my character to walk? Is there a way to lay out a more detailed path?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

for the map itself, you can get away with tiles if you do parallax mapping...

as for movement, you would need pixel movement scripts if you want your player to be able to move in a non tiled manner...

also, as Shaz already pointed out, don't double post please...

 

[jimfalcon]

What exactly do you guys mean by double posting? I always thought it was posting the same message twice. Do you guys think of it as something different here?

Let me know what you mean; all I see that I'm doing is replying to responses.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

posting two or more times without anyone posting in between...

if you want to respond to multiple comments, do it in one post... 

 

[Shaz]

You can use the edit button to add more if yours is the last comment. If you want to quote several people, use the MultiQuote button on each post, then reply to the lot at once (but please don't quote people's entire posts - if you're replying to just one line, remove everything else from the quote, or just use @ and the person's name instead of quoting at all, so they know who you're replying to).

 

[jimfalcon]

Oh, okay. Didn't even realize I was doing that. No problem.

BTW got a pixel move script... works like a charm, feels more fluid.

So this is what I mean.

Reading the parallax map tutorial, it said that RPG Maker needs tiles in order for the player to even move on the parallax map. This makes sense... The pink represents the areas where the character can move, These can be made transparent. Great, again, makes sense.

Edit: Even with a pixel move script, my character can only free move in what seems like connected squares, which would break immersion on a map like this, and probably make OCDers go crazy.

What I want looks more along the lines of this

Which would allow for more realistic collision/pathing. I actually tried to make a tile as big as my image to see if creating a " accurate movement tile" was possible, but it gets all warbled and jumbled in the map editor.

Don't even know if this is possible. Anyone encounter this before?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Well, since you already have a pixel movement script then you're not restricted to the square thingies supposedly... as most PM scripts I've seen come with it's own method of setting pathing...

 

[jimfalcon]

Wait, I think I may be talking about collision maps now. In my above image, the pink squares represented places the character can move. But with my custom parallax map, houses and trees arent just square, they are diagonal, curved and whatnot. So, if I was to use square spaces for pathing, somewhere the squares would poke into a curve in a house or a tree or road. 

I can move anywhere with pixel move, but I can only move freely within the pink squares. Right now I'm looking for a way to either make smaller squares or curved ones. No luck so far, I don't even know what to call it.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

just find a custom collision size script if the pixel movement script that you got doesn't have one... pixel movement without custom collision is kind of limiting anyways...