Loading old RM2K projects?

[vinternet]

I have an old RM2K project that I want to load into the new Steam version. Any suggestions for getting this working?
By default it opens in the editor but all the assets are missing (so the map screen is all black). Depending on whether I have harmony.dll in the project folder, I either get an error that that is missing, or I get an error that it can't open file "vehicle". In another project it's the same error but the file is "crown1". (These aren't actually files specific to my project as far as I can tell. The RTP and all my assets are there, so I don't think it's a resource issue).

If I start a new blank project in the Steam version of RPG Maker 2000, save, close, and then copy all of my old resource folders, map .lmu files, and RPG_RT.lmt (the map database file), then the project loads much better (the maps are now all there, all the RTP files are recognized, and the events appear in the map editor). The game can start, but after "New Game" I get new errors. If I poke around the editor I see that the problem is that the DB is not copied over - however if I copy over the RPG_RT.lcf file, I get my DB but all of the RTP references are broken (those assets show up all black).

Anyone get an old RM2K project working in the new version and have any pointers?

[amerk]

I haven't used the old RM2K in a long while, and I don't plan to buy the English version either (since I typically only play games with it rather than make them) but from my understanding all the assets were renamed under the new English version, and there are some differences to their RTP as well.

You'll more than likely need to copy the old 2K's assets into the game folder of the new 2K project and keep them named the way they were under the old RTP.

[vinternet]

Thanks for the reply, amerk.
Unfortunately I don't think the asset names are the main problem here. If start a new project and copy over the maps, etc. from the original project, it will utilize the English version's RTP and (mostly) map the assets from the old RTP correctly. However, it's not capable of reading or using the DB file correctly - things like the definitions of Tilesets, Characters, Items, and more importantly Events, Switches, and Variables don't carry over.
It seems like there might not be a real fix for this. And it makes sense that the publishers might not be motivated to support this specific use case, but it's a shame, because I imagine the unspoken reason most people are buying RM2K now in English is that they were playing games back in the day that were built off a Japanese copy or fan translation.
If anyone has any other thoughts, I'm happy to hear them!

[CherryDT]

It is only the asset filenames.

RPG_RT.exe - This is the engine, if you don't update it with one from a new project, it will keep reading the old RTP, but the editor will read the new, so it won't display the assets in the editor, only in the game, correctly.
RPG_RT.ldb - This is your database.
RPG_RT.lmt + Map????.lmu - These are your maps.

You just have to copy the RPG_RT.exe from a new project into the old one and then import all the RTP files you use which now have a different name (or change their reference).

[henriklinz]

So I can export my old RPG Maker 2000 Games with this workaround and put them into Steam Greenlight?