But with a couple of button presses, with RPG Maker MV it’s possible to export a game that can then be dropped onto iOS or Android devices, as well as release it on PC. I’m not even sure people tried because I can’t think of a single RPG Maker project that wound up on a mobile device.
Previous RPG Maker games have been, by all accounts, a nightmare to get off the PC and on to other platforms. It’s the ability to export to mobile platforms. But RPG Maker MV’s most compelling sales point is not a slightly improved interface. The thing is, a lot of these features are already available in RPG Maker VX Ace, and that might lead some to question the wisdom of going and making a new investment when, presumably, they are already comfortable with what they’ve already got. In the months and years ahead we will see Steam become a resource shop, as well, and I suspect that we’ll see an awful lot of very interesting games from creative people making use of those assets. Playing around with the default assets yields a game that looks like “an RPG Maker game,” of course, but as we’ve seen with numerous traditional projects, as well as some narrative-heavy alternative experiences such as To The Moon and Always Sometimes Monsters, it’s possible to be very creative and come up with commercially successful ideas while leveraging what RPG Maker MV comes with by default. And in RPG Maker MV that core trend continues, with branching conversation trees, quest systems, non-linear exploration and cut scenes all possible without typing a single word of coding, and the base package including plenty of lovely art, character models and music to make use of. So, for example, where once you needed to indulge in some serious coding to make the combat screen shift from the default first-person view (like you see in classic Dragon Quest titles), to a side-on view (like classic Final Fantasy titles) with RPG Maker MV, it’s a simple button click to achieve the same result.įor people that want to do really complex things, it’s still possible to delve into the coding side of things, create their own art assets and music tracks, but the beauty of RPG Maker has always been that it’s possible for people to build complete RPGs without any coding or artistic skills whatsoever. The biggest immediate change on the back end is that users can now tweak the battle system to a greater degree within the software. The interface is still a very easy drag-and-drop environment, making it very easy to lay down villages, overworlds, and dungeon environments.
It’s easier to purchase and install DLC art packs than ever before – a sign that the software has perhaps been built with Steam Workshop in mind, making it easier to vary the art style beyond what the base package already offers (though there’s plenty in the base package to build a very functional, traditional JRPG, of course you’ll eventually want to build games in steampunk, or modern, or other such environments). The base interface of the software is much the same as RPG Maker VX Ace. Not a whole lot has changed on the surface, mind you. Now they are legitimate releases, through Steam and the like, and RPG Maker MV is the best effort to date. I messed around with the illegal translations of the early RPG Makers (mostly RPG Maker XP) before the developer/ publisher, Enterbrain, localised them for the western audience. I love the Hatsune Miku software because people can actually participate in creating music using that angel’s voice, rather than just rock out to it or play the games (and I can now check off my obligatory Miku mention on DDNet for the week).Īnd I have loved RPG Maker since I was a child because the idea of building your own “Final Fantasy” has always been an intensely compelling one. I love Tyranobuilder because it lets people make their own visual novels. I love anything that encourages people to be creative and get “hands on” with their favourite hobbies, rather than being passive consumers of it. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it.