RPG Maker Times

Windowskin Changer Scriptlet RMVX v1.0

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:33:41 PDT

Download Script

This simple scriptlet allows you to change the windowskin in the middle of a game using the script call event command.

Change Windowskin

To change the windowskin, use the following:

change_skin(windowskin)

where "windowskin" corresponds to the number in the WINDOWSKINS hash - NOT the windowskin filename.

Reset Windowskin

To reset the windowskin to the system default, use the following:

reset_windowskin

NOTE: ALL windowskins must be imported into the "Graphics/System" folder.

Installation

Copy and paste the scriptlet between Materials and Main Processes.

Settings can be changed and windowskins can be added under the CWWSC_SETTINGS Module.

RMVX Ace Windowskins - Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:34:40 PDT

There has been a flurry of questions about RMVXA windowskins. Essentially they are the same as RMVX, so any windowskin designed for RMVX will also work with RMVXA. As with RMVX, use the Resource Manager (F10) in RMVXA to import the chosen windowskin into the Graphics/System folder.

When used in a game, they will look almost the same (see the comparisons below). However, RMVXA has additional colour settings that override the background graphic normally displayed in RMVX, resulting in only the border and cursor from the windowskin showing and the background becomes the default window colors.

RMVX Windowskin

RMVXA Windowskin

As you can see, the windowskins are the same, but with the background overridden by the default colors in RMVXA.

There is a script "cheat" to overcome this problem. Insert this snippet between Material and Main:

class Window_Base < Window
  # "true" to enable override, "false" to use default
  USE_WINDOWSKIN = true

  # Update Tone
  def update_tone
    self.tone.set($game_system.window_tone) unless USE_WINDOWSKIN
  end
end

The end result is this:

This is the Status Screen using the RMVXA windowskin, which is the same as the original RMVX one, without needing any conversion.

Resources & Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:59:28 PDT

I'll get the updates out of the way first before showcasing some of the resource links I've found. There are only a few of them anyway.

Site Updates

In a previous post I mentioned about migrating a few posts over to RPG Maker Times Companion. These are primarily resources (including scripts and utilities), which will also give me a chance to go through and resolve any missing links. And then, once all of the sections are in place there, I can finally concentrate on the annoyingly redundant top menu. Many of the links will cross-reference RPG Maker Times Companion.

Resources

Here are a few very good resources sites (each opens in a new window/tab for convenience):

The Magnum of Noches - This is a very good, resource-rich site. Sadly, however, it was announced that updates to the site have ceased. Many of the resources are still online and ready for use, but make sure you credit the original creators accordingly.
Tieris Illia - This site does have quite a number of quality resources and materials, from iconsets to sideview battlers. It's well worth checking out.
Blogshin - There are some awesome tiles add-ons on this site, primarily for RMVX/VXA. It's in Portugese, but it's easy to navigate and figure out. Well worth a visit if not to download anything, then just to browse.

Blog Entries Migration

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:31:37 PDT

A number of posts on this blog are being migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion. That way, they can be kept up-to-date and any missing links can also be updated.

All resources will also be transferred, including templates and windowskins.

All of the projects and projects news (past, present and future) now each have their own separate subdomains, so they'll be easier to update as and when necessary. This may eventually include the Q-Engine, depending on how it progresses.

By consolidating certain sections in this way, not only will it be convenient for all, but it'll also be much easier to update. And, of course, the updates will also appear here, on RPG Maker Times.

Extra Stats Script VX v3.0

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:47:56 PDT

The Extra Stats script for RMVX (Version 3.0) is now available to download, ahead of schedule. The Manual is also available in DOC and PDF formats.

The Version History, plus an instructional demo, will be updated at a later date.

RPG Maker XP Won't Open On Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:51:49 PDT

It recently came to my attention when a friend asked me for some tech support regarding installing RMXP for the first time on his Windows 7 computer. When he installed the program and RTP, he encountered an "RPG Maker XP has stopped working" error.

RPG Maker XP has stopped working error

So, not one to shy away from a challenge, I came up with a solution for him. And, hopefully, if anyone else encounters this problem this'll help them as well.

Open Control Panel and click on System & Security, then click System. Click on Advanced System Settings in the left-hand panel. This will bring up the "System Properties".

Under Performance, click "Settings", thus:

System Properties

This will bring up the Performance Options. Click on the Data Execution Prevention (DEP) tab. Click Add to add RPG Maker XP to the list (making sure it's checked).

Data Execution Prevention (DEP)

When you click Ok, then Ok on the "System Properties" dialog, you should now be able to run RPG Maker XP. Also, make sure that your firewall and/or virus checker recognises it.

Scripts and Site Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:40:31 PDT

Several scripts, tutorials and demos have been updated. They will also be updated on RPG Maker Times Companion shortly.

Scripts Updates

The following scripts have updates:

Extra Stats Window v3.0 - Released very soon, pending a few tweaks and bug fixes.
Q-Engine v2.0 Release Candidate - This has been undergoing a rewrite to make things easier and to address a number of additional conflicts.
Q-Engine Message System (QeMS) v1.0 - This is a very basic but functional message system, with more added to it as time goes on. (Personal Note: This is more of a personal experiment to apply what I've learnt - am learning - about Regular Expressions; it probably won't be released for awhile in favour of the others.)
Other Scripts - All other scripts I've written for RMXP and RMVX are being brought up-to-date and will eventually be migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion.

Tutorials/Demos Updates

A number of tutorials are being brought up-to-date as well, including the Complete Chests Tutorial (which has its own section on RPG Maker Times Companion). I'm hoping to concurrently release additional demos for all RPG Makers after the "original" is done. Most of the other demos attached to some of the tutorials will also be brought up-to-date.

Site Updates

All of the windowskins are being migrated to RPG Maker Times Companion. This includes all of the windowskin utilities and the windowskins on this blog, as well as its predecessor Wordpress website. You can find them at the Windowskins RMTC subdomain. They are neatly laid out for ease of use and convenience and on the index page you can preview them before deciding to download them.

RPG Maker Windowskins

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:49:49 PDT

Work on the RPG Maker Windowskins weblog has finally begun. The previous hosts have been taken down completely; instead, they redirect to this website.

All of the existing windowskins are slowly migrating to this site and, when finished, I'll be adding more as time goes on. In addition, the site will contain windowskin tutorials and how-to's, with several more planned at a later date.

These tutorials/how-to's are planned, but not implemented yet (these will be updated as soon as the windowskins database is up-to-date):

How To Install Windowskins
How To Tweak RMVXA Windowskins
How To Use RGSS To Change Windowskins
How to Install Multiple Windowskins

Important Notice / Q-Engine Update / QeMS

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 13:13:28 PDT

RPG MAKER TIMES COMPANION - IMPORTANT NOTICE

The RPG Maker Times Companion site is migrating to another web host by the end of the month. The tech support for the current one is the worst I've ever encountered - 3 weeks to answer a "High Priority" problem regarding a potentially serious site security issue IS crap.

That aside, all of the projects (past and present) - The Gladiator Projects and Paranormality: Darkling - will also be migrating to here. Each will have their own projects subfolder.

Windowskins will also have their own subdomain under the Companion umbrella, directly ported from a previous Wordpress blog.

This means I can delete the previous blogs and place them all in one place for convenient editing and updating.

Q-ENGINE UPDATE / Q-ENGINE MESSAGE SYSTEM

The Q-Engine has been updated to fix several bugs and tweak existing sections for improved performance and layout.

I've started working on a simple message system plugin for the Q-Engine, QeMS, which will provide basic message commands to use in message windows. (For a highly evolved, advanced message system I'd recommend Modern Algebra's ATS.)

The main purpose for this is to avoid conflicts and compatibility issues with other messaging or similar scripts.

Paranormality RMVX / Q-Engine Features

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:06:53 PDT

Paranormality RMVX Project

I've started working on a new RMVX project, entitled Paranormality: Darkling, which are loosely based on my Jack Urban Chronicles novels (in progress) and will showcase what the Q-Engine is capable of. The project has just entered its embryonic stages, but regular updates will appear on its official website.

Q-Engine Features List

Now that the Q-Engine is at version 1.17.26.3 (cited as Release Candidate 2.0), it's time to showcase some of its major features. All of these are customisable from the Configurations Settings.

Animated Title Screen - Animated title and author/subtitle graphics, as well as moving layers.
Menu Information Windows - Provides additional information about each menu command (main menus).
Game Over Menu - A menu on the Game Over screen to provide options to restart, continue or terminate.
Actor Ranks/Titles - A feature where a title is given depending on the actors' levels.
Alternative Layout - An alternative Status Screen layout, replete with titles. This feature has recently undergone a rewrite for improvements and compatibility issues.
Extra Character Info - A feature to provide extra bio information on the Status Screen, such as gender and age.
Pretitles/Last Names - Gives options to include a pretitle and last name (surname).
Actor Options - Displays additional bonuses derived from objects and actor options (set in the Database.)
Battle Start/End Images - Displays an announcer image at the beginning and end of battles.
Critical Flash - The screen flashes a certain colour when a critical hit has been struck (actors and monsters).
Turn Counter - A window is displayed during battle counting the number of combat rounds.
Extra Stats Window - Shows a window displaying additional stats, such as the number of combats won/lost, the amount of gold collected, etc. This can also be summoned from the map by pressing a (predefined) key.

Q-Engine Release Candidate Version 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 07:07:17 PST

Work on the Q-Engine has renewed after a brief pause.

The Release Candidate for Version 2.0 is being reworked, with much of the code being tidied up and reconstructed to iron out several incongruities and compatibility issues. The manual is being rewritten from scratch to make it easier to read and will eventually be available as a downloadable file, which will be in DOC and PDF formats. There may also be a simple HTML-ised version online in time.

Planned additions to the Q-Engine (prior to the release of Version 2.0) include:

A new Animated Game Over screen
Greater flexibility for alternative Status Screen layouts, including character profile information.
Additional stats for the Extra Stats window, including XY coordinates.
Additional Bitmap methods, including drawing vertical lines and boxes (this is a working idea only at this point).
A new 3D MMORPG stylised Equipment Screen, also reflected on the Status Screen.

When Version 2.0 is completed, it will be integrated into The Gladiator Project, which will be rewritten from scratch, drawing on the original ideas but the entire plot infrastructure will be re-done as well. Interest was renewed in the project when I found some archived materials for previous projects, including some very old RM2K3 archives.

Event Commands Tutorial Started

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:04:57 PST

Keep up-to-date with the latest news on
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Event Commands Tutorial

Now that I have my new graphics card, the Event Commands Tutorial has begun. This is a complete tutorial for the Event Commands for all RPG Makers, including screenshots. Most Event Commands are based on those in RM2K3, but additional notes have been given corresponding to each RPG Maker. Personal notes and examples have also been given where appropriate.

The section is under heavy construction, with a lot of work yet to do on it. I'm starting with the RM2K3 Event Commands and working through RMXP, then RMVX and finally RMVXA (in that order). It'll take a while but progress is steady.

Q-Engine v1.28.23.8

Work on the Q-Engine. The Alternative Status Screen is undergoing a rewrite to clean up some code and fix layout positioning issues.

Once this has been dealt with, then a second demo video and download will be uploaded.

Resources Migration

The final update is that starting the middle of this month, all of the resources (including windowskins) will be uploaded to RPG Maker Times Companion.

Updates Pending New Graphics Card

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:35:23 PST

The RPG Maker Times main blog will eventually become fully integrated into RPG Maker Times Companion. The main blog will then be used for major updates (including Tutorials and Projects).

Work on RPG Maker Times Companion is going slowly, only because I'm waiting for a new graphics card to arrive. Most of the pages and posts now need some form of uploading (files and images) and the coil on my current graphics card has burnt out, so it's unstable to say the least. Each time the Explorer dialog box opens - whether to save or load files - it will crash and reboot itself.

So, that means that once the new graphics card arrives and is installed, I'll be sure to continue with the updates proper. This will also include the Flash menu at the top (finally!).

Bank Tutorial Using Events (RM2K3/XP/VX/VXA)

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:16:08 PST

Bank Tutorial

The Bank Tutorial (all versions) is finally online!

According to October 2012's poll, the majority voted for a simple event-based bank system as the next tutorial. So, here it is. Note that this is not a complete step-by-step tutorial, but a rough guide for creating our banking system. Instead, each RPG Maker tutorial can be downloaded and, once installed, can be scrutinised.

Standing Picture Maker (RMVX/VXA)

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 17:03:59 PST

Here is a site where you can create a full set of resources for your RMVX/VXA project. It's in Japanese but it's easy to figure out without translation. The site can be found here.

This is an angelic character I created using the online maker.

There are very few actual parts to create a wide range of resources, but you can still create some decent ones. The site also has a lot of different facesets. It's well-worth a visit.

Video Demo - Q-Engine for RMVX

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:25:03 PST

RMT Companion Main Site

Q-Engine Updates Page

A video demo of the Q-Engine has finally been uploaded.

The Q-Engine is an enhancement engine for RMVX comprising a number of scripts/scriptlets and tweaks, all of which are customisable. Note: The version numbers in this video differ to the actual version numbers. Script release date is 15 December, 2012.

Music: The Experiment by Danosongs.

RPG Maker Times Companion Progress Update

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 21:23:56 PST

RMT Companion Main Site

RMT Companion Blog

Progress on RPG Maker Times Companion website is slow but steady. It has now been transferred to its own domain name, with the blog itself having its own subdomain.

In order to expedite development, I've prioritised some of the sections:

The top navigation menu on this blog (currently most of the links are pointing to the old defunct domain)
Resources - Windowskins, Character Sets, Resource Makers
Tutorials - Including the Complete Chest Tutorial and the forthcoming Bank Tutorial
Q-Engine for RMVX - Development has continued on the script, which is now ready for release (it should have been a few months ago).

RMVXA Titles2 Graphics

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:01:38 PST

Here are some Titles2 graphics for RMVXA, along with examples of what they look like. These were created in GIMP as I was experimenting with transparent layers and brushes. They are free to download and use, but please give credit to me, Companion Wulf, somewhere.

Smeared Blood

Gold Celtic Frame

Cage Bars

How To Use

Import the graphics into the Graphics/Titles2 folder from within RMVXA.

In the System tab of the Database, pick and choose the titles combination graphics in the Titles Screen section.

Futuristic Tileset

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 04:12:02 PST

The latest addition to the ever-growing RPG Maker resource expansion packs is the Futuristic Tileset. You can buy it for $19.99 (or $74.99 for a non-RPG Maker license).

There have been very few decent RPG Maker games set in the future and fewer resources, so this quality tileset (which includes two parallax backgrounds) is a worthy addition.

RPG Maker Times Companion v2 Coming Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 07:29:02 PST

Development on the new RPG Maker Times Companion site is underway. The previous site sadly closed temporarily when the co.cc domain provider shut down. I didn't really lose anything because I made backups. Bitter experience has taught me well over the years!

Anyway, the theme is a modified version of the Middle Earth one found at Smart Magazine Themes. And, of course, since I’m a HUGE Tolkien fan, what a perfect way to start RPG Maker Times Companion v2!

So now the onerous task begins of restoring the blog to its former glory. I’ll go through each of the posts and pages from the previous version and tweak them accordingly, and will continue working on it throughout December in readiness for its domain name launch in January 2013!

Make Your NPCs More Interesting

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:36:43 PST

NPCs are essentially the lifeblood of an RPG. Life without them would be boring indeed. They can serve as merchants, old adventurers, town- or city-dwellers, advisers, and a plethora of other things. But many games fall victim to keeping the NPCs in the background, not really that memorable or lifeless.

LagunaXI has written a very good article, Ideas To Make Your NPCs More Interesting, which explains this problem perfectly. Here's a sample of it, a few paragraphs taken at random.

What do you mean place a random statue in the town!? Well let me explain. This is just the comical sub heading of my point, it doesn’t HAVE to be a statue it could be anything. A gravestone, an old abandoned shack maybe an old well. Something that has no real significance other than to be there. Not only does it provide a little back story to the town but more importantly (for this article) it makes an interesting talking point available for NPC’s living in the town. I’ll give a couple of examples.

Say I place a statue of a warrior in the middle of the town, some of the examples it opens up NPC Dialogue wise are…

“This statue was built when my Grandfather was just a small boy, so it must be pretty damn old huh?”

It's worth reading through the article, as it'll give a few additional ideas on how to bring NPCs to life and add dimension to a bustling town or city.

RPG Maker Times Companion Site Is Down

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:54:31 PST

The RPG Maker Times Companion website is down. This is because the domain site (co.cc) is also down and it has been for a few hours now, but this is more permanent. The domain site closed yesterday. Google confirmed that it would no longer be indexing any co.cc sites because too many people were using it for spam and other questionable sites, making life very difficult for the legitimate sites. Trust the few who make it hard for the majority! As a result, as of today, RPG Maker Times Companion is closed.

However, this is only temporary. If all goes well, RPG Maker Times Companion will have its own permanent domain name soon. I'm aiming for the dot-com or dot-info at the beginning of December, if not definitely for the New Year. It's time to bite the bullet and go for it!

In the mean time, I'm working feverishly on creating an alternative, temporary website to re-upload RPG Maker Times Companion, notwithstanding the problems that may arise because of the co.cc and Wordpress database settings. This is going to be a hideous process that may take some time. Unfortunately, this will also affect most of the links on the navigation menu at the top and this will not be updated until either the new temporary site or the domain site are ready.

This blog will continue as normal and will be updated alongside the Facebook page.

Is Magic Really Real? Cartoon

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 10:19:25 PST

This is something I did a while ago just for fun. While it's not directly related to RPG Maker, it still has fantasy elements to it, so I thought I'd post it. If it takes too long to load or doesn't load at all (most likely it won't), you can view it here.

You can create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Updates Soon

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 18:50:01 PST

Updates and projects have been deferred. I came down with the flu, which has led to an upper respiratory infection. As soon as things settle down I'll be focusing again on the blog, starting with an events banking system (from the results of October's Poll).

Things will hopefully return to "normal" soon.

Borrowed from Fantasy Faction

Press Any Key Script (RMXP/VX/VXA)

noreply@blogger.com (Companion Wulf) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:14:06 PDT

Download Script

You know how some games have a "Press Any Key" on the title screen in place of or before the main menu? Now, I've been wanting to write a script like this for a while. In fact, I started writing one for the Q-Engine.

Here's a script that does just that. And the best thing it works with RMXP, RMVX and RMVXA.