Drawbacks to RPG Maker VX?

[zuhane]

Are there any main drawbacks? I'm just finding it so hard to appreciate the graphics of
RPG Maker 2003. There's bitmaps... then there's just huge, blocky, horrific pixels. It never really bothers me until
a friend comments and goes "Jesus! Those graphics are horrible and blocky!"

With some coding experience, would I be able to create a very complex CBS/CMS game
on VX? Is there anything stopping it being truly great? I was wondering about carrying through
the game system I've made onto VX and using the sprites I have on a smaller scale.

Any thoughts?

[fruckert]

The graphics in VX are horrid.

[HobomasterXXX]

Also, if you really want to code a game, do it in something good. VX uses Ruby, and guess what Ruby was designed for? Web development. Great for making games. It's also horribly slow if you make anything mildly hectic.

[A Forgotten Legend]

The number of tilesets you can use.  Thats the real killer.  There are ways to get around it (There is a really good one out there, I know its on RMVX.org <-I think thats the site)  But its just overall annoying. =/  I personally LIKE the graphics.  Or at least the ways they are designed.  They could a be a little less happy, but a simple recolor can fix that.  ANother drawback is the lack of resources available due its new-ness.  I think its okay.  But I'm sticking to RM2k3 because it is easier to create maps in. (Well... get the chipsets to use anyway)

[Darkfox]

Also, if you really want to code a game, do it in something good. VX uses Ruby, and guess what Ruby was designed for? Web development. Great for making games. It's also horribly slow if you make anything mildly hectic.

Exactly. People argued to me how GREAT Ruby was, but from the opinions of actual programmers it wasn't that good for actual game development. It has been used to make minor tools though as I've seen that work well, but nothing complex like a full game. In my opinion, I'd take a more well documented and universal language over Ruby any day.

[fruckert]

*coughdojavaforastartcough*
Well that was odd.

[HackersTotalMassLaser]

VX is great if you know how to deal with it.

What I like about VX is the graphics system. You can virtually put anything on the charsets.

As for the mapping, which is the really horrible part of it. There is a script that allows you to have infinite tile sets., as well as the passability.

As for rpgmaker 2003, it's just fun and mind breaking custom building menus and system. There's also programs out there that break some restrictions on it, like it's picture limit. I'll post a video on a system I did for a game I've been working for like 7 months. GASP.

Repost: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3JKuCwrqrY < old test

But what I mean with that, is that you can do things like these on rpg maker 2003, sure it breaks your head, but it feels awesome when you accomplish it and have polished.

[Rowan]

VX is great if you know how to deal with it.

What I like about VX is the graphics system. You can virtually put anything on the charsets.

As for the mapping, which is the really horrible part of it. There is a script that allows you to have infinite tile sets., as well as the passability.

As for rpgmaker 2003, it's just fun and mind breaking custom building menus and system. There's also programs out there that break some restrictions on it, like it's picture limit. I'll post a video on a system I did for a game I've been working for like 7 months. GASP.

Repost: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3JKuCwrqrY < old test

But what I mean with that, is that you can do things like these on rpg maker 2003, sure it breaks your head, but it feels awesome when you accomplish it and have polished.

Woah that field UI and CMS has an absolutely amazing design! However, the cursor sound seems like it will get annoying real fast. The menu music is nice but it destroys the dungeon atmosphere. Other then that, you definitely get a 2 thumbs up! Way to go!

Back on topic

I haven't tried VX yet but so far nothing stands out to me. The autotile thing is too squarish compared to what XP and 2k3 can produce. Enterbrain also devolved back into a complete front view battle system in VX; at least in XP they tried to do something different with the character graphics in front.

[HackersTotalMassLaser]

Yeah that's one of the crappy things from VX. I fix that problem with charset overlays or picture overlays. The battle system hasn't bothered me yet, since I haven't used it.

Haha yes, the music thing; I put an option to take it off; However, that's only after you get an item xD as for the cursor sound, I guess it is a little too long. I can still change, but it's like the only "original" thing I could find. I didn't want to like get something off from the FF games. But, well thanks.

[zuhane]

Can anyone recommend the best thing to learn? I feel like I can grasp most
functions in RPG Maker now. I've also done a lot of VB coding at college... had to
make an interactive pizza menu :p

My friend keeps banging on about XNA. There's also the free Unreal 3 editor. There's
Game Maker. There's RMXP. What do I use? Are there any tutorials for these game-
creating programs? Also, would I be diving right in the deep end?

[Rowan]

Well before you decide, you need to ask yourself how much you want out of from your game. If you want to make a complicated third-person action battle system or if you want to pursue game making as some kind of career then I recommend some of the more advance tools like Unreal 3 Editor and GameMaker. If you just want to make another rudra jrpg galore or if you want something smaller and not that complicated then stick with the RPG Maker series.

[zuhane]

Well, I was actually hoping to make a really complex battle system which, according to my
friend who's doing XNA at uni, isn't really suited to RPG Maker. He said it could possibly be done,
but be done much more efficiently with a straight-out code-based program.