Actual limitations?

[sdLDL]

You often see people claiming that RPG Maker is only a beginner’s tool - that it is of little use to anyone else - but what are the actual limitations of the current engine? I'm still very much in the learning phase right now and am curious.

After glancing through the scripts the other day, I was pleasantly surprised over how most of it is soft coded and very convenient to build upon. Even the code defined in the RGSS dll can be easily altered due to Ruby’s reflective capabilities. Other than, perhaps, the graphics handling and a few other things, most of it should be relatively simple to tailor to your needs.
Any valid input would be appreciated.

I’ll start:
While I’m happy with the game engine, I wish there was an API for the editor itself. The interface is very user-friendly to be sure, but it isn’t all that feature rich. I would have loved to have the ability to change a few things up here and there.

NOTE: Again, I'm very new to RMVXA so I could be very off with my assumptions here. Pardon my ignorance in advance if that is the case.

[Hajami]

1.
You are mostly Limited in that way, that RMVX-Ace is for 2D RPGs.
2.
You dont have real Physiks Engine
Ok i heard about a Jump and Run Script, but that are only stuff where people showed that that Limitation could be broken with effort and good Scripting knowledge but still its not the kind of Game that RPG Maker is suposed to make. But its a good example that RPG Maker can do
more than he is ment to do.So its a proof of Flexibility for Advanced Users.
3.
I only can complain about some Event commands that could be more flexible.
But with some Lines of RGSS3 (Not realy Scripting) u get what u want.
In that cases i just Ask in Forums for Help.
4.
You will have simple Gameplay thats a Limitation, but with that Gameplay Games in the
80er and 90er had great success, cause features are not all. Its how good they are implemented.
5.
The Message System could be more Advanced, but also with that, there are Message System Scripts available. (U dont need Scripting for em, but u have to learn some Commands to use em).
6. The Games are for Windows.


What Funktions do u want to be more Flexibel?

[sdLDL]

Thanks.

İlk olarak Hajami tarafından gönderildi:

What Funktions do u want to be more Flexibel?

Are you referring to my comment about wanting an API for the editor? Just making sure.

[Hajami]

Iam a casual User, i dont know what an Api is.
I asked cause u mentioned that u would like some things more Flexible.
I wanted to see, if its maybe things that could be done easy but the new User wouldnt think off
the way how it could be done.

(Still learning English, so excuse Failures)

[Archeia]

> RM can't support gems yet because of the way it's written. So changing the GUI is just not possible.

> The screen resolution is hardcoded to be 640x480 and it'd require you to edit the DLL which would be illegal. I have heard that there is a chance for this to be lifted officially. But don't take my word for it just yet.

> Unlike the previous RMs VX(Ace)'s mapping layers are still quite limited. And the new autotile format does make it hard to do round corners and stuff compared to RMXP.

> Interpreted language (Ruby) will always be slower compared to C++. So I guess that's a limitation?

> RM doesn't use Graphics Card. It's all dependent on CPU memory.

[sdLDL]

İlk olarak Hajami tarafından gönderildi:

Iam a casual User, i dont know what an Api is.
I asked cause u mentioned that u would like some things more Flexible.
I wanted to see, if its maybe things that could be done easy but the new User wouldnt think off
the way how it could be done.

(Still learning English, so excuse Failures)

Just a bunch of minor things. I'd probably bore you if I went over everything but as an example, many scripts seem to heavily rely on the note section of the various datastructures, yet sadly there is no scrollbar is available for it. I would have loved to change that.

Oh, and thanks for the input Archeia. Very insightful!

[Hajami]

Normaly i heard that this Note Tags are the new Feature of Ace, cause it makes many
Modifikations easier that would have required more Scripting knowledge in the Past.

Scroll Bar? Where did u want one? In the Editor Interface or somewhere in the Game?

[sdLDL]

İlk olarak Hajami tarafından gönderildi:

Normaly i heard that this Note Tags are the new Feature of Ace, cause it makes many
Modifikations easier that would have required more Scripting knowledge in the Past.

Scroll Bar? Where did u want one? In the Editor Interface or somewhere in the Game?

Yes, in the editor. Again, not really a big deal but it would have been nice as things can get quite cluttered there in the note section.

[Hotti but Thotti]

The only limitations that really bother me is that variables can only be ints, and that the conditions for events are "variable is x or above" and you can't change the "or above". I've run into situations where it would really help if I could assign a graphic to a variable or something like that. I've found workarounds but they aren't exactly the most streamlined systems I've ever done.

[FowlPlay]

It's often regarded as a beginner's tool is because while it can give you plenty of options, it's still bound by the terms of the engine itself and it can't go into the very technical details such as memory handling and whatnot. It was already mentioned that there's no dedicated graphics engine which can be expanded to take on anything beyond 2D without busting a gut.

[Hajami]

Are we still talking about an Engine that is ment to make 2D RPGs with simple
non real Physics Engine Gameplay?

The Grafiks Engine is 2D, but that is an known Limitation, also mentioned in the Discription.
There are better Engines if u want 3D Grafik, but they will not be as easy as RPG Maker to handle.
The 2D RPG Engine is easy to use and Powerfull, and for those who wants more, there several Scripts that allow that expansion of the standard Commands.Sometimes u do not even need
Scripts, RGSS3 Commands can make many things more Flexibel.

Edit: With most of the Limitations i can live, because i dont need higher resolution than
544x416 or the expandet 640x480.I just use Fullscreen Mode that is fine for me.

[Kio Kurashi]

İlk olarak Archeia tarafından gönderildi:

> RM can't support gems yet because of the way it's written. So changing the GUI is just not possible.

> The screen resolution is hardcoded to be 640x480 and it'd require you to edit the DLL which would be illegal. I have heard that there is a chance for this to be lifted officially. But don't take my word for it just yet.

> Unlike the previous RMs VX(Ace)'s mapping layers are still quite limited. And the new autotile format does make it hard to do round corners and stuff compared to RMXP.

> Interpreted language (Ruby) will always be slower compared to C++. So I guess that's a limitation?

> RM doesn't use Graphics Card. It's all dependent on CPU memory.

Actually you can adjust the screen size up to a certain point by editing the scripts included with the game. Not the Dll. The Dll is only if you want to go beyond that, however, to do so is pointless because it will wear down your CPU. that is why the limitation is there anyway.

[sdLDL]

İlk olarak Nathe tarafından gönderildi:

It was already mentioned that there's no dedicated graphics engine which can be expanded to take on anything beyond 2D without busting a gut.

Indeed, that's what I was referring to when I mentioned "graphics handling" in the opening post. That's a given though, seeing how its purpose is to create top down sprite based 2D RPGs.
When I mentioned limitations, I meant limitations in the context of a 2D-engine. I guess I should have been more clear on that front.

İlk olarak Nathe tarafından gönderildi:

It's often regarded as a beginner's tool is because while it can give you plenty of options, it's still bound by the terms of the engine itself and it can't go into the very technical details such as memory handling and whatnot.

Performance related details, including memory management, are rather negligible in this case but having the option to change how things work on a lower level would certainly not be a bad thing.

[Keiex]

İlk olarak Kurashi tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak Archeia tarafından gönderildi:

> RM can't support gems yet because of the way it's written. So changing the GUI is just not possible.

> The screen resolution is hardcoded to be 640x480 and it'd require you to edit the DLL which would be illegal. I have heard that there is a chance for this to be lifted officially. But don't take my word for it just yet.

> Unlike the previous RMs VX(Ace)'s mapping layers are still quite limited. And the new autotile format does make it hard to do round corners and stuff compared to RMXP.

> Interpreted language (Ruby) will always be slower compared to C++. So I guess that's a limitation?

> RM doesn't use Graphics Card. It's all dependent on CPU memory.

Actually you can adjust the screen size up to a certain point by editing the scripts included with the game. Not the Dll. The Dll is only if you want to go beyond that, however, to do so is pointless because it will wear down your CPU. that is why the limitation is there anyway.

resolution limit can't get changed without the dll, you can get the screen bigger but that's just stretching . that's the biggest letdown on this version.

if you want to do something commercial i recommend buy the XP version, it's older and the rgss version is older too but you can do 720p games.

if they make a android exporter for the VX Ace i'll be worth to buy it to make commercial games.

[Hajami]

Sorry my english isnt the best sdLDL, i miss understood/read that my fault.
Limits:

The User himself can be a Limitation ? :) Just Kidding :)

Resolution: 544x416 or 640x480

100 Pictures Showable (For Huds, Menüs,Text, Artworks,for larger Facesets and more...

Many Animations simular on the Screen (Needs a Bug Fix Script, because the standard has a failure that need to be Fixed, it caused massive Lag).

A nice Animation Making Tool in the Database, just needs simple Grafiks)
(Animations can have much Frames) (Less Grafik Size and iam not sure maybe less Animation Frames safes Engine Power , so the Game can be Lag Free)

Up to 200 Events, if more maybe 300 if u use a Anti Lag Script.
(Different Event need Different Value of Engine Power/Memory)

Map size up to 500x500 Tiles (1Tile 32x32Pixel) Maps around.
(Bigger Engine Power Resources needed)

4Way Movement (Expandable to 8Way Movement and or 8Way Direction Facing)

3Step Event Animation (Char Animation) (Expandable via Script)

Resource Formats, u have to rearange Grafiks Size with a Grafik Programm so your
Grafiks fit in the RPG Maker.

Games only for Windows (Iam not complete sure)

32x32 Tilegrid and Event Collision (Can be expandet to 4x4 Collision and Movement)

No advanced standard Pathfinding. (But its Ok with some Eventing Expansion :)

2D Grafiks

RPGs and with some knowledge Zelda Style Games.

Audio and Picture Formats.

Maybe someone Knows some more Limitations.

[sdLDL]

İlk olarak Hajami tarafından gönderildi:

Sorry my english isnt the best sdLDL, i miss understood/read that my fault.

Not at all. I realize that I wasn't being particularly clear.

İlk olarak Hajami tarafından gönderildi:

Up to 200 Events, if more maybe 300 if u use a Anti Lag Script.
(Different Event need Different Value of Engine Power/Memory)

Glad you brought this to my attention. Thanks!
In any case, so performance (at least, CPU wise) can be an issue then? My bad.