Learn 2 RPG Maker: Your First Game

By the end of this guide you will have a simple, working RPG with dialogue, quests, loot and fancy pictures! This is a bare bones guide, designed to give your first hands-on experience with creating just the essentials of an RPG game. The best way to learn is to DO. This guide will help you DO. You'll learn:

1. How to create an intro screen.
   
2. How to make a character creation screen.
   
3. How to use the map system.
   
4. How to make NPCs.
   
5. How to create dialogue.
   
6. How to create a quest.
   
7. How to create a combat scene.
   
8. How to create a shop.

The Workshop Game and Files: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=269339857
YouTube Sample of this Game: http://youtu.be/Z8Tmoo5Z3Rk

Let's Get Started

Getting Started

The Workshop Game and Files: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=269339857
YouTube Sample of this Game: http://youtu.be/Z8Tmoo5Z3Rk

1. Create a new file and name it something fancy for our new game.
   
2. Next, have a look at the bottom left of the RPG Maker interface where you'll see MAP001.
   
3. Select it and press Delete. We won't be needing that particular map!
   
4. Now right-click the same area and select New Map. Name it Introduction on the top left.
   
5. Leave all the defaults in place and press OK.

Resource Manager and Database

The Resource Manager is where you import all the media you want to use for your game. That includes images, videos, sounds and pictures. Importing them makes them available throughout the game design process. For example, if you import some tilesets, when you're editing the map your imported graphics will be available in the editor. For this tutorial, I want you to import one game picture, any game picture you like, to the Pictures directory. Otherwise, I recommend you stick with all the default assets.

The Database is where the core game functionality is tweaked and edited. For this lesson, we're only concerned with the System and Actors tab. You can hover your mouse over any button or area and a tooltip will show you a description of it. The tooltips give great explanations, so use them.

EDIT CHARACTER. In the Actors tab, select the first actor, right-click him and select Clear. We want to keep this character slot blank so that we can create our own character during gameplay.

EDIT TITLE SCREEN. Next go to the System tab. Here we can change the game's Title Screen and music! On the bottom right of the Systems tab you'll find the Title Screen. Click it and you'll get this pop-up. If you imported any title screen graphics into the Resource Manager, you'll be able to find them here. The default graphics are excellent placeholders, so it's usually fine to just get things set-up and then go back later to customize. For the music, look on the Systems tab on the middle left for the Music section.

We're now ready to make the game. We have all of our assets in place and we won't need to edit the Database or Resources again.

Map Editing

As a beginner, RPG Maker is designed for you to jump right into the process of making your games. To do that, it's got pre-made maps you can take advantage of. I highly recommend starting off with the pre-mades and then simply customizing them to your needs. This will save you precious time and allow you to focus instead on learning how to make your game.

We made a blank map earlier and named it Introduction. That's a Primary Map. Now we're going to load a new one, a pre-made town map to save time. We'll then create one Secondary Map, which will be a child of the town map. Here's what you should do:

• Right-click the game title in the maps area.
  
• Chose "Load map ..."
  
• Select the map called Regular Town.
  
• Click OK.

You now have a new map, complete with roads, walls and buildings!

Character Creation

Characters, quests and objects are handled with Events. Events are exactly what they sound like: you set-up some action to occur during gameplay.

THE INTRODUCTION MAP (BLANK MAP)

To start our RPG we're going to allow the player to name their character and choose their class. To do that, we're going to use our blank Introduction map to set things up! First, let's put our player character starting point on the map.

1. Go to our blank Introduction map.
   
2. Click the Events tool (F6).
   
3. Right-click the center of the map.
   
4. Select "Set as Starting Position > Player".

Remember earlier when we edited the Database Actors? And we cleared the player info? This is why you now see a darkened square instead of a player sprite on the screen. This will make the player invisible during the character creation process.

UNDERSTANDING EVENTS

Before we walk through the steps of creating a character, I want to familiarize you with how events work. We will create a series of Events to automatically run when the game starts. Right now:

• Right-click anywhere on the blank map area.
  
• Select "New Event".

This screen should pop up. First thing's first: At the bottom here you see the Trigger box. Select "Autorun" from the menu. The next few steps will require you to create a list of event commands, most of which are intuitive. Here's some pseudocode (these are not the actual commands) to help you understand what you're going to be doing:

• Make the Title Screen fade to black.
  
• Show a background picture during creation.
  
• Make the background picture fade in.
  
• Give the player some instructions.
  
• Create an input box for the player to enter their name.
  
• Give the players a list of classes.
  
• Create the class options for the players to choose.
  
• Associate what the player chooses with the right avatars.
  
• Let the player know the game is about to start.
  
• Make the background picture fade out.
  
• Remove the background picture.
  
• Transfer the player to the town map.
  
• Make the town map fade in.

These are the things we need to happen between when the player chooses to start a New Game and the actual beginning of the game. You can see them next to their Event Commands in the image for a comparison.

Just take a moment and read that list and compare it to our pseudocode. Hopefully, you can see the relationship between what we need to do and what the commands look like. Double-clicking inside the Content box will pull up 3 pages of Event Commands. In those pages are each of the commands you see above. Again, take a moment to read each section of the Commands below. It will only take a minute. Here's a list to get you started.


You'll find the commands I use in the following sections:

• Messages (Show Text, Show Choices)
  
• Actor (Change Class)
  
• Movement (Transfer Player)
  
• Pictures and Weather (Show Picture)
  
• Scene Control (Name Input Processing)
  
• Screen Effects (Fadein/Fadeout)
  
• System Settings (Change Actor Graphic)

CREATING THE INTRODUCTION

Now that I've explained how this works and given you a framework for setting up your event sequence, let's walk through creating the introduction. These commands can be found on one of the three pages of the Events Command menu. Leave the default parameters in place for each Event you add unless instructed otherwise. You can always go back and edit, so don't be afraid to make mistakes and experiment. This will be a long, but quick list.

1. Open the Events Commands (double-click next to the @ symbol). You'll need to do this for each line of code, so I'm not going to repeat this step below.
   
2. Go to Screen Effects > Fadeout Screen.
   
3. Go to Pictures and Weather > Show Picture. Select a picture and press OK.
   
4. Go to Screen Effects > Fadein Screen.
   
5. Go to Messages > Show Text. Type some welcoming text for the player! Press OK.
   
6. Go to Scene Control > Name Input Processing. Press OK.
   
7. Go to Messages > Show Choices. Input some classes for options.
   
8. You'll now see those choices along with a "When [class] ..." statement. Beneath each "When":
   
9. Go to Actor > Change Class. Select the appropriate class. Do this for each option.
   
10. Go to System Settings > Change Actor Graphic and double-click inside the blue checkered boxes to bring up graphic selection. Chose any graphic you want for each class.
    
11. Go to Pictures and Weather > Erase Picture. Press OK.
    
12. Go to Movement > Transfer Player. Select Regular Town and click a spot on the map. Press OK.

And that's our whirlwind tour through creating this introduction to the game. Chances are, you didn't really need this list because once you being entering the event commands, it becomes clear how this all works out.

Always test your events when you make them. You can save your own progress in the game so that you don't have to repeat the introduction the next time you test. PLAY TEST AFTER EACH SECTION!

Finally, no fancy stuff yet. Our goal is to make a game within about an hour. To simply get a game finished so that you can understand how all this works. Once we're done, you can go back and make this as fancy as you like!

Make A Quest

Making a quest means making NPCs, dialogues, objectives, and items. Now that we've got our game intro complete, it's time to add some content!

Create Our First NPC: The Priest

It's nice to have NPCs give you quests and it's also nice to have people walking around in your game. Makes it feel alive. Our NPC has a single purpose: Give you a quest and make sure you don't get it twice!

1. Go to your Regular Town map.
   
2. Press F6 (Events edit mode).
   
3. Right-click on the map where you want the NPC to appear.
   
4. Select "New Event".

Now you'll get the Events pop-up and we're going to play in here for just a minute. First, let's create the avatar for our NPC.

Double-click inside the Graphic box to change the graphic. Pick any NPC you want. In this picture, I chose one from the Actor's page in the graphics list. Once that's done, you can have some fun with behavior. Do you want the NPC to just stand there? Do you want him to patrol around? Do you want him to walk towards you on sight? In the Autonomous Movement box, select which behavior you want. For now, don't use Customize. Let's just get our game made and we can go back and tweak things like custom movement later. Keep it simple!

Trigger. What will trigger the NPC to talk? When the player collides with it? When the player prompts him with the command key? In this box, choose either Action Button or Player Touch for now. Again, let's keep it simple so we can finish our game.

The Quest: Conditionals

Now we will make our quest. We'll start in the Content box by giving the NPC some instructions. In this case we want the NPC to:

• Talk to the player as soon as they interact.
  
• Give the player a quest if the player doesn't have one.
  
• Tell the player to go away if he already has the quest.

Part 1: IF. The quest is for the player to talk to the Innkeep. For this quest we'll need to use a Conditional. A conditional is an "if ....else ..." statement. In this case we want the instructions for the NPC to say: "if the player has a quest, send them away. Else, give them a quest."

1. Open the Event Commands window (double-click in the Content pad)
   
2. On Page 1 go to Flow Control > Conditional Branch
   
3. Select "Switch" and "On". Then click inside the box to select a switch.
   
4. Name your switch "First Quest", select it and click OK.
   
5. On the bottom check the box for "Set handling when conditions to do not apply" (this is your "else" statement)
   
6. Click OK.

You've just created your first conditional :) Notice that the Conditional is set-up, but there are no commands. Let's fill it in! If the player has the quest, we want them to go away.

1. Double-click next to the indented "@" symbol beneath the Conditional.
   
2. On Page 1 go to Message > Show Text
   
3. Double click the Graphic box and select an avatar for your NPC.
   
4. In the text box, type "I'm very busy right now. Come back later!"
   
5. Leave everything else in the Textbox editor as default for now and click OK.

Mind the little arrows atop the textbox. They show where your text will be cut-off of the screen and where you should start a new line.

Part 2: ELSE. Now let's go to the "Else" part of the conditional. Here, we'll actually give the player a quest by turning on our First Quest switch. Instead of repeating the steps above, we're going to select the last Text event by simply clicking on the "Text" statement (it will select the entire block of lines - see the picture). Then copy it and paste it at the indented @ symbol beneath "Else". Do that now!

We only need to edit the text now. Right click on "Text" beneath the "Else" and choose edit. In the textbox type. "I have a quest for you! Go talk to the Innkeep!" then press OK. We should probably also let the player know that they have a quest, but this is optional. If you're feeling up to the challenge, create a new text box beneath the last which notifies the player. Try to use a different background for the text and set it at a different position so the player knows it's not the NPC talking to them, but the game.

One final step: turn on our First Quest switch. Above the "@Branch End" of our conditional:

1. Open the Events commands.
   
2. On Page 1, go Game Progression > Control Switches
   
3. Choose Single and select our First Quest switch.
   
4. Check the button for ON.
   
5. Click OK.

Once the player has talked to this NPC, they will be flagged as having this new quest. The next time they talk to the NPC, it won't give them the same quest.

The Innkeep

Since you've created one NPC, create another. This one will be the Innkeep.

We're going to create a similar Conditional for the innkeep. Our conditional should say "If the player has the quest, acknowledge it, give them potions, and create a switch called Quest Done. Else, welcome them to town and have them speak to the priest."

Challenge yourself. Create the conditional branch for the Innkeep. Here's some pseudocode to help you.

• Conditional: Check if the First Quest switch is on.
  
• If it's on, congratulate the player.
  
• Give the player an item: a potion.
  
• Let the player know that they have completed the quest and received a potion.
  
• Create a switch called Quest Done and turn it ON.
  
• Else, if First Quest switch is off, welcome the player to town and tell them to talk to the priest.
  
• Add a New Event Page to the Innkeep.
  
• Go to Conditions > Switch (on the left) and set it to Quest Done.
  
• Add a text response that the player will get when they talk to the Innkeep again.

The Quest Done switch is basically so that the player can't repeat the quest. This is a quick work around, but there are other ways you can handle this. Be creative!

If you have problems with this challenge, just ask for help in the comments! I will improve this guide based on the feedback to make it easier to succeed.


PLAY TEST YOUR PROGRESS. Work out any issues before continuing.

Create an Inn and Shop

Well, the good news is you've learned pretty much all you need to know to complete the next objectives. You've set up maps, dialogue, created NPCs, quests, and used conditional statements. Now we'll take that knowledge and load a new secondary map: An Inn and an Item Shop.

We want these shops to be child maps of the Regular Town we're using. Select that map and click "Load Map". Look for an interior map named "InnF1F". That's our Inn!

Next we want to make sure the player can go inside of it and also get back out. Select the Regular Town Map. You should see an Inn already on it.

1. Right-click the doorway.
   
2. Select Quick Event Creation > Door. A menu will pop-up.
   
3. Select InnF1F from the list and choose a spot you want the player to spawn at.
   
4. Click OK.

Now the player can walk in ...but they can't get out. Click on the InnF1F map. You're going to repeat the steps above, but at step #2 instead of selecting Door, select Transfer. We want the player to wind up back outside the Inn.

Challenge Yourself. Create an Item Shop using these same steps.
PLAY TEST YOUR PROGRESS. Work out any issues before continuing.

Battle and Shopping

It's really easy to make a game with RPG Maker, but it's a lot of work isn't it? I'm glad you're starting to see that. Most of the work with making a game is sitting down and writing down all of these ideas. Just like right now, we're going to design a simple battle encounter, complete with loot drops and dialogue. Of course, every hero needs to replenish their supplies after battle, so we'll need to have a shop ready for them as well.

To Battle

This time I'm going to give you the choice of where to create your next NPC. We'll use this NPC to engage in combat. I chose to put my NPC at the Inn. It doesn't get better than bar fights ...errr, at least not in our game so far! After you've created the NPC, here's some pseudocode to help you get going with it's Events.

• When the player collides with the NPC (touch), dialogue is initiated.
  
• Right after the NPC smack talks, start combat processing.
  
• The player should fight slimes.
  
• The player can escape combat and also continue if they lose.
  
• If the player wins, the NPC should yield and give the player some gold and loot.
  
• If the player escapes, the NPC should apologize and recommend the player visit the Item Shop.
  
• If the player loses, same as the last step.

Challenge Yourself. Do you think you can set this up on your own? Give it a shot. If not the steps are below :)

1. Create a Conditional Branch with "Set handling ..." box checked.
   
2. Name the switch Bar Fight and set it to OFF.
   
3. Add text that says "What are you looking at?! I'll wipe that smile off your face!"
   
4. Go to Scene Control > Battle Processing.
   
5. Select the first option and choose Slimes*2. Press OK.
   
6. Under "If Win" create text that sais "I yield". Give the player 100g and a weapon.
   
7. Under "If Win" turn ON the Bar Fight switch.
   
8. Under "if Escape" create text that says "I'll let you off the hook. Visit the item shop."
   
9. Under "If Escape" create a new switch named "Escaped" and set it to ON. Turn ON the Bar Fight Switch.
   
10. Under "If Lose" create text that says "You're a scrub. Go to the item shop and gear up."
    
11. Under "If Lose" turn ON the Bar Fight switch.
    
12. For the Else statement, create text that says "Go away, I'm trying to drink!"

That should do it for the combat scene. Note how turn-based combat is automatic. All you have to do is select some enemies and throw in some loot.

The Shop

We sent our player to the shop after the last battle, but nothing is stopping the player from visiting before then. For now, we'll just make a plain ole item shop. Go ahead and create the shop using the same steps we used to create the Inn. You should also create an NPC and place them inside the shop somewhere.

Once that's all done, we'll make our new Shopkeep ready to sell you some gear! Again, time to do some planning with our pseudocode.

• The shopkeep should greet the player when they interact.
  
• If the player hasn't had a bar fight, the shopkeep should show them what's for sale.
  
• The shopkeep has a weapon, a potion, and a piece of armor for sale.
  
• If the player has had a bar fight, the shopkeep should acknowledge the players wounds and offer them a free potion.
  
• The shopkeep should then show the player his wares.

Challenge Yourself. Create the conditional above. If you need help, just look below!

1. Go to Flow Control > Conditional Branch.
   
2. Select the Bar Fight switch to ON and check the "Set handling ..." box. Click OK.
   
3. Go to Message > Show Text and type "Oh may, you have a wound. Take this potion." Click OK.
   
4. Create a switch called "Free Potion" and turn it ON.
   
5. Go to Scene Control > Shop Processing. By double-clicking a blank line, add 3 items to the list. Press OK.
   
6. Under Else, go to Message > Show Text and type in a greeting.
   
7. Copy and Paste the shop processing you created above.
   
8. Click OK.

Now the shopkeep is ready for business. But why did we make a new switch called Free Potion? Well, we don't want the player to get a free potion from this single bar fight FOREVER, right? So this gives us the ability to add a new events page to this NPC that, when this switch is turned on, will give the player whole new shop options.

You're clever. I'm sure you can think of many scenarios you could design using more switches. Don't be afraid to experiment!

PLAY TEST YOUR PROGRESS. Work out any issues before continuing.

Summary

You now have a playable, basic RPG. We have:

• Created maps.
  
• Created NPCs.
  
• Created player character.
  
• Created quests.
  
• Set switches and variables.
  
• Given the player items and gold.
  
• Created a store.
  
• Executed a combat scene.
  
• Created dialogue.

These are all you need to know to start creating your first real RPG Maker games. These are the bare minimum basics. And with that, this guide has fulfilled it's purpose.

I will continue to enhance it. Please leave feedback. It's always necessary to creating guides the community needs. Here's a video of what the game should be like when you're done.

To continue to the next guide:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=311501514

Change Log

September 9, 2014

• Added a link to the follow up guide in the Summary

June 18, 2014

• Create a Quest Section: Added missing step (the "Quest Done" switch)
  
• Summary Section: Added Youtube video embed.

June 16, 2014

• Clarified a few steps.
  
• Editing formatting (bolding, italics, headings, etc)

June 12, 2014

• Corrections
  
• Added links to video of the game created in this guide.
  
• Added Steam Workshop files for users to download.

June 8, 2014

• Guide first published.

[Noni Beld]

tnks

[Zophyref]

Hi
Can you tell me why the test play button NEW GAME does not respond on my comp... rpg vx ace most be a configuration that has to be enabled I just bought the game.. it is cool...just does not work..

[Necroblade゠]

Where can I find the "if win etc. options" in the conditional branch?

[Crojo.zip]

I wanted to know, I'm making an RPG with a deep story, but I wanted a textbox to state the name that the player put in. How is it possible to do? I appreciate any help.

[<TK> Ravenknight6666]

when i go to play test it says unable to find graphics/characters/!Other2. i'm not sure what im doing wrong...can anyone help me out ?

[Power King]

Wow. I LOVED this guide. I followed it all the way and I definitely think I can continue with something small on my own. I also love how you encourage the reader to try out for themselves but still show the solution. Thank you so much for this!

[Doone]

Thanks for the feedback and I'll look into it!

[Vanquish Mk IV]

This guide is pretty awesome. Thank you so much. At times i got frusterated with trying to understand what you wrote. The added challenges and tests are great to concrete in what your teaching. I got a question though. How could you create custom enemies, characters, tile sets. I'm planning on working on a game or 2.

[melissalurie81]

Thank you so much for this guide! This program is a little overwhelming the first time you load it up if you don't have a clue, and this does a great job of teaching the basics. I'm looking forward to experimenting and learning more now!

[啊猫]

could you make a chinese course? I really can't see English .Thank you very much.