Suggestions for the next RPG Maker

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

depends... though maybe since the most varied thing in Ace from XP is really, the database...

 

[DS Piron]

And, I would never buy a rpg maker in 3-D. My eyesight is already terrible as it is, plus there isn't really any amazing things that are worth seing in 3-D except for battle animations. I didn't buy the 3DS and I definetely will NOT buy an RPG Maker 3-D. That is just another way to give people seizures.

Personally, I'm not keen with 3D too, it makes me dizzy after some time... but don't worry, a 3D RM is still either far from being made or will not be made...
 

...Perhaps I missed/missing something, but most people suggesting a 3D RPG Maker are more of thinking 3D models, rather than Stereoscopic Vision things...

Either way, I wouldn't suggest it, but I wouldn't mind it either.

...

 

[Faerypixel25]

Good point. But, there are already a lot of materials (I don't know where) that are designed to give you a 3-dimensional look. I am currently using one for my project. 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Yes, an RM using 3D models... which as I've said in previous posts are really hard to make...

it's not about the 3D thing like the 3D functionality of TVs, movies and such... that would be a different thing... IDK if it's harder or easier though... but I'm not much of a fan of that kind of 3D actually...

Also, doing that kind of 3D would mean that not only you need to make the RM do the 3D thing, but would also require the players to use 3D supporting hardware and accessories... meaning it will not really be an RM only thing...

 

[SoulPour777]

This usually happens to people who doesn't know anything about 3D. Its easy to demand an RPG Maker 3D, but are they also aware that 3D Models for Characters and Game World is also necessary? How about Materials? Rigging? Animation? Graphics Smoothing? Are they aware of rendering materials and something like that? I am afraid not. And even if they do, in an rpg maker 3d sense, its hard to even produce a game in like 2-4 months.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

the time to make all models that they need alone might take more than those 4 months depending on the quality that they want...

 

[SoulPour777]

@adiktuzmiko - Indeed. RPG Maker should stay in its 2D style. It is in my opinion, the developers wanted it to show.

 

[Seacliff]

It appears every three pages someone brings up the idea of 3D... even though it isn't going to happen.

Edit: you can always just use per-rendered sprites if you had to.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Though the 3D style we're talking about uses models, not sprites...

 

[Seacliff]

Yes, I understand that, it's just that I believe pre-rendered sprites will be the closest we will ever get.

 

[DS Piron]

That's why I wouldn't suggest it. :  )

 

[SoulPour777]

Yes, I understand that, it's just that I believe pre-rendered sprites will be the closest we will ever get.

Pre-rendered sprites are possible if someone provides them. However I believe there is no such thing as pre-rendered sprites but rather rendered 3D models. Besides, the 3D models for RPG Maker 3D if there ever will be one, would surely be hard to produce because...i already stated why. It would take you months to even model, rig and render one model.

 

[Tsukihime]

There are tools that allow you to easily create 3D models by using existing templates and simply choosing things like clothes, hair-style, and other properties. Look at most 3D MMO's: you get a decent bit of customization without any work.


I don't see a difference between that and using the character generator.


There are also many sites that provide free assets.


Content generation is not something that should prevent devs from implementing 3D.


You might as well say that many people can't draw well so they shouldn't bother with 2D either.

 

[Faerypixel25]

This is a really interesting conversation. But, I think we have talked about it long enough...

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Assuming those free assets will have animations that are fit for the engine... or the engine can support whatever animation type those models use... 

Making a base model is one thing, animating that model is another thing... 

Making static objects is as easy as making shapes then painting it with textures... but making animated objects is way more work... 

Though if Enterbrain will be willing to make the engine be able to support several 3D model file types and different methods of animations, then it's fine...

From my experience from modding 3D games, different engines uses a different method of animation of 3D models... and that makes finding resources harder because you cannot just look for 3D models and be sure that it will work on your engine... most probably, you'd still end up needing to find resources that are made specifically for that engine... or find a method to edit the models to work with your engine...

but if EB will make it's own model making tool (in which maybe you can drag and drop and combine shapes for static objects and a base character model that can easily be changed via feature sliders and such ), then it could well be a whole different story...

in the end it still depends on EB... If they will do it, and how far will they go as to ensure that using it is still easy...

 

[Faerypixel25]

There are not many engines that even support the rpg maker in the first place! I honestly don't think that they could support a 3-D one either!

 

[Tsukihime]

From my experience from modding 3D games, different engines uses a different method of animation of 3D models... and that makes finding resources harder because you cannot just look for 3D models and be sure that it will work on your engine... most probably, you'd still end up needing to find resources that are made specifically for that engine... or find a method to edit the models to work with your engine...

Then use common formats instead of trying to create your own.


Some game engines roll their own proprietary formats. Some developers build their own in-house engines and tools for the images, animations, models, music, etc. Maybe it's more efficient. Maybe they just don't want to pay licenses or royalties. Maybe it's better suited for their games. I don't know.


Look at how RM supports png, jpg, and bmp for image formats, and ogg, wav, and mp3 for audio. There is no reason why they need to invent their own format when there are many tools out there that support common 3D formats unless they feel that their own format is superior for some reason.


And if they do introduce their own 3D format, you've got tools like noesis for 3D model conversion. Just make a request on xentax or something.

 

[AkiraKotatsuhime]

There is no reason why they need to invent their own format when there are many tools out there that support common 3D formats unless they feel that their own format is superior for some reason.

They did invent new formats, but it was not really worth to continue.
Maybe most popular but still not well known is the graphics format XYZ, which was hard to use in the time it got defined, because the only way to make such files (compared to nowadays: there are converters by third party) was importing graphic materials in RPG2000 and export them, which is kind of senseless because when I have my files already in the game, I don't do 2 extra steps from this point only to have them in a format not many people know how to view or edit.

 

[Tsukihime]

Back then PNG probably was not a very common format, seeing how it was only published as a standard in 2004


But the requirement for proper alpha channel support in their graphics was there, and so they probably felt the easiest way was to implement their own format. It might have been a format that predates RM2K, in which case it would make perfect sense to re-use something that works anyways.


Many game engines today still use their own proprietary formats (game maker studio, for example), where you have to import and export using the editor or some tool that they provide. Sometimes the editor doesn't even support exporting the resources so it's a one-way thing (perhaps for data protection? Don't know).


.xyz image format used a 256-color palette I believe, so it's a good thing they moved on to 24bpp.


Speaking of image formats, some GIF support for the animation editor would be nice.


By GIF support, I don't mean playing GIF files. Instead, I mean when you import a GIF, it automatically creates the appropriate sprite-sheet.


This of course can be done externally using imagemagick or any other GIF processing tool.


Problem is the dimension restrictions of each cell for the animation sheet.

 

[Seacliff]

Whenever I see a gamemaker using it's own format, I think: "what the heck are you trying to show off?"

The nice thing is, VX ace has a wide variety of common acceptable formats.

Besides movies, of course. We need MP4.