Suggestions for the next RPG Maker

[Bonkers]

"Variable tree".  A way to look at where a variable is used.  Map, event, or on which item in the database it's attached too.  This would help immensely with puzzles, quests, and functionality for testing.  

 

[Zoltor]

"Variable tree".  A way to look at where a variable is used.  Map, event, or on which item in the database it's attached too.  This would help immensely with puzzles, quests, and functionality for testing.  

You just gave me an idea, how about an event tree in general, so we can easily locate the exact event we need to look into, edit, add things to, ect(aka clicking the event listed on the Event Tree instantly opens the event window for that event)

 

[Rukiri]

Yeah don't make it $90, I dont care what it can or cant do, just dont make it $90 or anywhere near that much lol.

$90 for a one time purchase is cheap for a game engine, Unity costs $1,500 for a one time purchase or $75/mo on a subscription. 

Raising the price means they can add more features and make it more complete.  

 

[Zoltor]

"Yeah don't make it $90, I dont care what it can or cant do, just dont make it $90 or anywhere near that much lol." 

$90 is fine, but only if they offer a Physical copy, they're insane to charge that much for a digital copy, where who the hell knows what can go wrong(did the developer forget this is for the PC, where a million and one things can happen, that would cause the program to be lost, nevermind the fact, what if the site goes under, and whatnot, screw that).

I have been wanting Ace since it was released, but only got it recently because a Physical copy finally came out(I only paid 50, but if there was a Physical copy when it first came out, I would've gladly been willing to pay the $99 price tag it had).

 

[Rukiri]

What I really want to see for the next RM, if you bought the Japanese version for example and the English version is released you can just go download an English Patch .dll for translation. 

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Actually, not just a var tree, but a full object tree...


Personally, IMHO, Ace is quite a bargain already at it's current price. If most of these features get included, I guess the normal price would be at least $100, and that's still quite cheap, especially for a 1 time payment.

 

[Caustic]

$90 is fine, but only if they offer a Physical copy, they're insane to charge that much for a digital copy, where who the hell knows what can go wrong(did the developer forget this is for the PC, where a million and one things can happen, that would cause the program to be lost, nevermind the fact, what if the site goes under, and whatnot, screw that).

I have been wanting Ace since it was released, but only got it recently because a Physical copy finally came out(I only paid 50, but if there was a Physical copy when it first came out, I would've gladly been willing to pay the $99 price tag it had).

Considering many dev tools are easily $200 or more, physical copy or no, RMVXA is quite a tidy bargain. And since it's on steam, it's subject to Steam Sales, which has the off-chance of possibly driving the price even lower ( I bought my copy during the past Winter Sale for half-off <3 ).

So no, 90$ is still small change in comparison to, say, the full Photoshop suite ( JUST Photoshop, mind you) or Sony Vegas, two regularly-used tools that both can easily hit $200+ apiece, even with discounts. There's a reason people rip these sorts of things from off the Internet...

And if you can't afford that, there's always VX, or even XP ( which I just realized is 25 bucks now o: ), both of which are equally good in their own respects and can do easily just as much, if in different ways.

 

[Tai_MT]

If the next version included a lot of these features and cost something along the lines of $200, I wouldn't mind the purchase price.  Here's why:  I bought VX Ace for $70 after the 30 Day Trial ran out.  At $70, it seemed somewhat expensive at the time (being more than a standard game was).  However, the sheer amount of features, graphics, and customization won me over.  So, I saved up some cash-o-la and threw it on my Credit Card.  I'd "balk" a bit at a $200 pricetag, but I'd also save up some cash and drop the $200 on it.

Especially if we were able to determine "turn based battle system" or "active battle system (characters fill a meter based on speed stat and act when it fills)".  Or, if there were some option to have it be "isometric" in terms of graphics.

$200 for a lot of these features would be worth it to me, though I wouldn't drop an initial investment on it.  I'd save up for it, get it, and then take it home with me and sleep with it because of its pure awesomeness.

 

[Zoltor]

Considering many dev tools are easily $200 or more, physical copy or no, RMVXA is quite a tidy bargain. And since it's on steam, it's subject to Steam Sales, which has the off-chance of possibly driving the price even lower ( I bought my copy during the past Winter Sale for half-off <3 ).

So no, 90$ is still small change in comparison to, say, the full Photoshop suite ( JUST Photoshop, mind you) or Sony Vegas, two regularly-used tools that both can easily hit $200+ apiece, even with discounts. There's a reason people rip these sorts of things from off the Internet...

And if you can't afford that, there's always VX, or even XP ( which I just realized is 25 bucks now o: ), both of which are equally good in their own respects and can do easily just as much, if in different ways.

It's not I can't afford it, It's a "I'm not a ******* moron" to spend that much on something that doesn't exist, without a physical copy you're just asking to be screwed. When 

I spend 100, 200, even 1500 on something, I actually want something, thank you very much(a physical item=security, where a digital copy=at some point you wont beable to use it, sooner or later, you're screwed).

 

[Tsukihime]

I don't see how having a physical copy of software is any different from having a digital copy of software. You can just as easily produce physical back-ups.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Yeah, making back-ups of your digital copy is really easy... + A physical copy can also be lost at some point you know. So you'd still be better off making back-ups of it, both digital and physical back-ups if you want security


+ It (digital copy) exists.

 

[Zoltor]

I don't see how having a physical copy of software is any different from having a digital copy of software. You can just as easily produce physical back-ups.

Of resource packs, sure, but something like the RPG maker utility or anything major from any company period(not just in this case), not likely. There's probally all kinds of safeguards to prevent that, otherwise the company is just begging the pirates, to um pirate it.

To engr shana, I have games, and stuff that are 30 years old, and still play then from time to time. I don't need to worry about losing them, the data being corrupted or a million other things going wrong, tyvm.

 

[West Mains]

Of resource packs, sure, but something like the RPG maker utility or anything major from any company period(not just in this case), not likely. There's probally all kinds of safeguards to prevent that, otherwise the company is just begging the pirates, to um pirate it.

There's numerous ways around those safeguards, though. Anyone with enough know-how can figure it out. If it was too hard piracy wouldn't be as rampant in the rpm community as it currently is.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Of resource packs, sure, but something like the RPG maker utility or anything major from any company period(not just in this case), not likely. There's probally all kinds of safeguards to prevent that, otherwise the company is just begging the pirates, to um pirate it.

Uhm, BACK UP THE INSTALLER NOT THE PROGRAM itself bro. Installers are portable you know.

To engr shana, I have games, and stuff that are 30 years old, and still play then from time to time. I don't need to worry about losing them, the data being corrupted or a million other things going wrong, tyvm.

No need to worry? Really? Break-ins? Disks falling then breaking apart? + a lot of other things that can happen to a physical object, yet you claim that you don't even need to worry about even 1 of those? don't be absurd bro.

 

[Tai_MT]

Here's the problem with a physical copy:

There's really no record you ever bought it.  With a digital download, there's a record you already paid for the game, thus you can install it again on new computers when you get them.  It's linked to your account.  Lose a physical copy?  Tough toenails.  Lose your digital copy?  Download a new one, since it's on record with the company you paid for it.

While I love having a physical copy of things, it's really becoming more of an issue these days.  Physical copies of video games don't even come with instruction manuals anymore (because devs are lazy jerks and nothing will ever convince me otherwise).  It's also easier to obtain a digital copy exactly on release date than have to attend a "Midnight Launch" party and stand in lines to get and pay for a game you want.  Many games, even though they're physical copies, also require you to install the game to the console anyway.  What's even worse?  Physical copies of games often require you to input some kind of code anyway that's found somewhere within the disc case or envelope sleeve (why are there envelope sleeves!?).

It's just becoming a lot more convenient and worthwhile to invest in Digital Copies these days.  I hate how that sounds myself, but it's true.

What makes it even more true?  I tried for a few days to find copies of Fable Anniversary in stores.  Think I could find it?  NOPE!  Could I download it though?  I sure could!

 

[West Mains]

Here's the problem with a physical copy:

There's really no record you ever bought it.  

Except a receipt, server-based sales history, the fact you have it, your bankstatements, the companies' sales records all made completely necessary by years of Tradings Regulations.

There's plenty record you bought it.

What physical games should do is what a lot of DVDs now do: when you buy a physical copy you become able to download a digital copy for yourself should you need it. That way if you break the item you can always get it another way. 

One last point, just a hypothesis, really: there's no stores holding physical copies of Fable Anniversary because the last game was a disaster critically and pathetic financially (compared with the rest of the franchise and other games it was competing with at the time.) Most stores dont see the point in holding it.

However, Amazon sells physical copies new and used if you still wannit.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Getting a bit off-topic now

Spoiler

@West - At least I'm sure Blizzard does that. You can buy a physical copy of their installers, then once you register your key in Battle.net, you can now also download a digital copy of the installer. Plus your key is saved there so you have a place to go if you forget it.
CD copies nowadays for PC programs/games are just for installation, you can even share it with others since they won't be able to run/register their installation without their own key anyways.


As Blizzard said: "You don't buy the game, you buy a license to play the game"


same goes for softwares, even the EULA for Ace explicitly tells you that you don't OWN the software, you just own a LICENSE for it.


Seriously, distribution of games and softwares for PC nowadays is really different than distributions from the past two decades or more.

Anyway, I'd like to resuggest that Object Tree. It would really be useful.

 

[Tsukihime]

If I wanted a physical copy, it's for collector's purposes. For example, game boxes from 20 years ago where businesses put in large amounts of effort into it for marketing and sales purposes.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Well, Game boxes before really seems to have been placed much effort into unlike those nowadays...

 

[Zoltor]

@West - At least I'm sure Blizzard does that. You can buy a physical copy of their installers, then once you register your key in Battle.net, you can now also download a digital copy of the installer. Plus your key is saved there so you have a place to go if you forget it.

CD copies nowadays for PC programs/games are just for installation, you can even share it with others since they won't be able to run/register their installation without their own key anyways.

As Blizzard said: "You don't buy the game, you buy a license to play the game"

same goes for softwares, even the EULA for Ace explicitly tells you that you don't OWN the software, you just own a LICENSE for it.

Seriously, distribution of games and softwares for PC nowadays is really different than distributions from the past two decades or more.

DRM, in any of its iterations sucks, and is a failure of a concept.

You buy a product, you should be allowed to sell the product(not duplicate mind you, but the actual individual product you purchased). PC companies are full of them selves to think they are somehow losing money because of the 2nd hand market(which only really exists due to 2 reasons, either the product sucks or they "stopped making it", so there's no other way)

Don't ever quote Blizzard again, Blizzard  is one of the most corrupt companies in the entire gaming industry in general.

Also I would never ever in a million years trust the database on various sites, to not lose the info, not go under, ect.

Steam is actually a good example of why you shouldn't trust sites for such(and they are the most commonly used site at that), as they have now earned a rep for banning people from games being played through steam, which evidently also bans them from buying games through steam as well lol or some kind of BS like that. Nevermind the fact that servers/sites always have database problems, and companies going under is nothing new.

To topic: Item option- Allow items to only be usable if a switch is on. I have a item technically only usable when a switch is on(due to a common event+condition banch), but It's still selectable/usable to call the common event, that has a condition branch. Right now, you can only set it to only usable in battle, from Menu screen, always or never.