Use a design tool to make an RPG

2 years after my original article on How to create RPG’s, this is the final installment.

The easiest way to create an RPG is by using an RPG creation tool. The most famous of these tools is RPG Maker, but there are some alternatives:

RPG Maker

RPG Maker

And of course, there is my own tool that I’m currently working on: RPG Playground!

    RPG creation tools already include most of the programming, artwork, sound and music for you. So the main thing you do is design the levels and gameplay. For a game designer without much technical or artistic skills, it’s definitely possible to create a nice game. Most tools also allow you to script some custom functionality, and let you import custom artwork. So clever programmers and amazing pixel artists can still add their own expertise into their game.

    RPG designer tools might seem like toys, but don’t be fooled. There are some professional game developers who earn a full-time living by creating their RPG’s using RPG Maker. Amaranth Games and Aldorlea Games are both great examples.

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    Make an RPG with an existing framework and resources

    In my previous article I talked about how to create an RPG all by yourself. In case I wasn’t clear enough: the conclusion is that you shouldn’t attempt to do everything by yourself, unless you seriously know what you’re doing.

    It’s possible to speed things up by taking advantage of what other people already created. RPG’s seem to be very popular for game development projects, and a lot of people have made their own frameworks or even art available. So why not see if one of them fits your needs?

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    Book review: Blender 3D 2.49 Incredible Machines

    Book coverAs you might already know I’m using Blender 3D for creating the artwork of my games. It’s a free 3D modeling tool with a lot of features and possibilities. A few weeks ago I received a request from Packt Publishing to review a new book that teaches you how to work with Blender 3D. It’s called ‘Blender 3D 2.49 Incredible Machines‘, written by author Allan Brito. Since I’m going to model some machines myself, I thought it might be interesting to see what this book has to offer. (more…)