Resources on 2-D RPG games Created 14 years ago2010-04-19 06:43:50 UTC by ATDestroy

I'm thinking of starting to make a 2-D isometric (its not 3-D per se) role playing game, after having been inspired by fallout 1 and 2.

Aside from research I'm already doing, I'm simply curious if any of the TWHL'ers know of any resources on designing this type of game, or have any experience they could share with me.

This is just a little side project of my own, I'm not in any way leaving Half Life mapping.

Like the original StarCraft was done?

RPG maker for one, and im sure there's a gaggle of free iso-rpg game makers out there. Just do some more research, as i'm sure you know, Forums are the best source for information, but you have to dig.

RPG maker has easy to implement scripts that enable 8-way movement on an isometric grid. Of course you'd likely have to come up with all of the graphics yourself.

I was bit by the RPG bug a month ago and checked out RPG Maker VX. Its a really nice piece of software and not crotchy to use at all. RPG Maker XP is really good too if you want to compare and pick one that's right for you.

Yes. All those options are better than the RPG maker for PS2. Even tho that one was hella fun and a friend and i made a 6 hour long RPG for it. With custom monsters and everything.... It was about this kid i HATED capturing one of the geeks in school and making missiles to blow up all the schools in the world so nobody would feel the pain and isolation he experienced at those places.... yeah... great game.
And rim, is that a stock, random photo, or is it one of your works?

Its someone else's screenshot. Nabbed from a RPG RPG Revolution forum. Just showing that RPG Maker is no longer a junky editor like it was before.

that rpg maker looks shiney. I might have a look myself too!

I remember I had RPG Maker 2 for the PS2 and it was fucking powerful but there was so much scripting involved that I just lost interest.

Oh, right. The new XP an VX Versions have game script, Ruby or something like that. Its way different than the even scripting to make NPCs talk and give you items, its actual code. The event script is still there, and with some resourcefulness, its still very powerful. I once made a hat system where a player could wear a special hat. That would then change his class for example a fire type. He would then fire strengths and weaknesses and be able to learn fire skills. When you take off the hat, you resort to what you were exactly before you wore the hat, only the skills you earned stayed. It was a dynamic way of learning new skills that involved training and stuff. It worked perfectly.

I love retro RPG's but never get the chance to play them.

Awesome, I downloaded RPG Maker VX and am messing around with that now.

I just have to know one thing, all these gay anime-looking people, I can remove them all later, right?

Nevermind, 2 things. Can it also create isometric? and not just top down?

That picture looks like it's some kind of isometric pokemon game.

Yeah you'll have to make your own isometric graphics and new not-gay characters as well as find the scripts for the supporting movements. They do exist and are certainly available. Though you may have to join a few communities to get them.

EDIT: I've done some research and the isometry you're looking for might not be easily obtained. If you would settle for a more strict isometric view like this......you won't have to waste that many tiles and the sprites/graphics would be a lot easier to make. The top down 8-way movement scripts and graphics are abundant so no worries there if you choose this style.

...and yes, that is a screenshot of Nox. Awesome game.