RPG communities - ARGH!

[Moresco]

You're right, they don't have any decent games for them.  Well wait no, I've seen three decent games for them but they weren't finished.   They hardly ever get finished.  I'm not sure how good the japanese ones are, I'd guess they're way better(and much more odd) but you'd need to find a translator and oh forget it.  Yah stick with AGS

[Nine Toes]

Actually, learning a new language can't be all that hard, can it?  I mean, with AGS, you've got, "if", "else if", "else", "while", "SetGlobalInt()", "GetGlobalInt()", "ShakeScreen()", "MoveCharacter()", "DieNowOkayThanksBye()", etc.  I'm sure that other game-making programs have similar commands, only they have a different name/handle.

Also, "if", "else if", "else", "while", and (I beleive) "when" statements are pretty much 75% of all programming, if I'm not mistaken.

All you really need to learn is how to signify the end of a line of script, and learn all of the other commands that don't have an AGS equivalent.

...Okay, I'm sure there are some things that I forgot about, feel free to correct me if your ego requires it.

[Kinoko]

No ,you're right. It wouldn't be THAT hard, but I'm still very comfortable with AGS and I knew I could do what I wanted with it.

[Paper Carnival]

I don't like RPGs, but I'm working on one . I'm only doing the programming of the engine so I don't mind. AGS is only good for adventure games, RPG toolkits are usually limited to only one kind of rpg. So I just use www.gamemaker.nl, which is a great game making engine that gives you a lot of freedom and is very easy to use if you understand how it works and can program good. The problem is that it can get painfully slow.

[Kinoko]

I actually thought, "Gee, maybe everyone is right and I should consider using an RPG game maker instead of AGS. I'll have another look at some other programs". I had a look around, decided ika would be best. Downloaded what I think is "ika" (there were so many files for download, I had no idea which one was just - The Program), then thought, "I'll have a look at a game someone made to get a feel for what the engine can do", so I did. Tried to run it, and a file is missing. Not only that, but the games seem to be just like RPGMaker games and made up of a thousand seperate files.

Fuck this, I say ALL these programs suck. There should be a great program just like AGS that is simply geared more towards RPGs.

[2ma2]

The rpg makers all focus on the good ol grid-based maps of console RPG's. If that is something you aim for, such an utility is simply better than AGS in any means. If that is not what you're looking for, go with AGS. There's no actual boundaries of what you can accomplish, just the problem of learning how to do it.

I WAS planning to write a RPG template for the demo game. Needless to say, it flunked. There's also a QFG-system written in the old versions which could import and export characters even.

A tip is to abuse the inventory system. It's not a boolean, so you can use it as stats for characters, since every character has it's own set of the array.

To answer the "slander", the console/pc RPG's HAVE been a mindless set of random battles inbetween planned battles, but there's some nice evolution going on, the latest KOTOR has included influence and forces in a whole bigger extent in normal dialogues. We likey. Still, nothing adds up to pen, paper and a evily smiling GM.

[Haddas]

My favourite RPG all time is probably SoM2. it's not turnbased, AND you can actually see the enemies and thus avoid them if you want. Second comes the KOTOR series. Third one is Chrono Trigger. Man that game is awesome, even if it's turnbased.

[Moresco]

A tip is to abuse the inventory system. It's not a boolean, so you can use it as stats for characters, since every character has it's own set of the array.

I'm saving this tip...

Still, nothing adds up to pen, paper and a evily smiling GM.

I bow to you, oh wisest of the wise.

[modgeulatorr]

I don't know about RPG sites on the net in general, but I think I know why the RPGMaker community is a bit crap: none of the RPGMaker programs have ever been released legally outside of Japan. So the whole culture surrounding the programs is infected with warez kids unfortunately, and that sort of immature mentality. That and there just isn't that much insentive to make something really great and original with it. The game you end up with is going to be more or less illegal, so unlike an AGS game you'll have problems just distibuting it to other sites. I play around making crap with rm2k3 sometimes myself, but I don't bother releasing it, there's no point.