New and eager. Is RPGMaker the tool for my game concept?

[Aphelion]

Hello all you wonderful content creators and storytellers!

I have been struck by the burning desire to create a PC game out of the 1000s of hours I have spent as a roleplay GM. I'm hoping some of you fine individuals could help me to understand if this is the right software/vehicle for me to achieve that.

Question
RPGMaker looks wonderful and certainly meets some requirements, but I don't want to run into problems later with system limitations. Is the program able to support thousands of variables, with options displayed based on those?

The Design I want to implement

• An overland map (an image not an RPGMaker-style tileset and the only map, also possibly broken into regions if the map is too large) but no other maps (saves map-making time since story-writing and tracking a zillion variables is where the development time will be spent)
• Random encounters based on multiple variables/flags
• Choose-your-own-adventure style text-based adventure and dialogue/course-of-action options as the bulk of the game
• A combat mini-game (possibly other minigames, but not necessarily)
• Options in the text adventure appear based on previous choices, character background/stats, current fame/notoriety/faction relations and various other factors. i.e. tracking of many global variables

The aim is to create a game with a vast amount of player choice/agency, meaningful decisions and consequences and a living world/unfolding story that occurs even independent of the player (if they so wish). Locations on the overland map typically trigger the adventures or option menus that correspond with the respective town or point of interest they have arrived at, but also scripted events will change the map/world around them, as the story unfolds.

Is this a design that RPGMaker could fully support? Is there a particular version of RPGMaker that would be best suited?

 

[Amarok]

No problem at all.
All you listed can be done trough eventing, though you will probably need plugins to get things easier/faster.
As for the version i use MV with no problems, but dunno if an earlier version would be better for what you want to do.

 

[gstv87]

most of it is doable, if not done already.

be prepared to boil a whole regional depot worth of tankers full of coffee, though.

 

[Andar]

It can be done, but it will be a lot of work.
Basically you'll be ignoring one of the bigger components (Map making with events on different maps) in favor of pure text based displays and text choices.

I have two suggestions for this:
1) get the free trial of MV and you'll be able to test for 20 days how to handle events. Please look specifically at the commands "show choices", "show text", "conditional branch" and "control variable" as those will be really needed in your plans
2) consider installing one of the messaging plugins from the get-go. They improve the options available with the show text command, and if you want to make something text based you should at least be able to modify position and size of the message window (only very limited control without suc h a plugin)

 

[Milennin]

1. Yes. That's what the display picture command is for.
2. Yes. It's a basic feature, and there are probably plugins available that could provide greater options for it.
3. Yes. Use textboxes.
4. Yes. There's the choice command. And you are able store thousands of variables, so unless your game is mega huge, you're unlikely to hit that cap.

Pretty much any RPG Maker version could provide what you're looking for, but as always, the later ones would be recommended due to scripting/plugin support, in case you need something that can't be achieved with the default commands.

 

[Aphelion]

I really appreciate the feedback and advice, thank you all so much.
It's a daunting endeavour to start something of this scope, but one must follow one's passion! I hope I can learn more from you veterans along the way.

 

[Kes]

[move]Product Discussion and Support[/move]