Why Programming is better than RPG Maker

[Osmose]

The above is a Mario clone I made in Visual Basic. It took me two days to complete just as a fun project. It uses timers, simple math, and a function called BitBlt that I will go into later if anyone wants to know more about it.

This is the flexibility of programming. All of the limits that are put on you by RPG Maker are gone. No 50 picture limit, no long, complicated efforst to make a custom battle system or custom menu system, everything is made by you, and you have 100% complete control over your game.

This is why, if you learn a programming language, you'll be able to make your game ten times better than it is. Hell, you can still use RPG Maker graphics - it's up to you how you store the graphics you use in your game. Sure, it's more work, but the end result will be stunning.

[rush_fan]

Isn't RMXP easy to script with?

[Osmose]

Not really. At first it seems like it's great, but the documentation, at least as far as I can see, is terrible. Ruby Script has very few commands and has a lot of built in variables that you don't know about. And even with it, you're still limited by constraints that come from being linked to the RPG system. I mean, sure, you could make a Mario-type game or a Shooter in RMXP if you tried hard enough, but it's really pointless when you could program it in an actual language.

At that point the only reason to do it in RMXP is to stick to RPG Maker. Which is kind of dumb if you're going to go that far.

[Drighton]

Originally posted by Osmose
This is why, if you learn a programming language, you'll be able to make your game ten times better than it is. Hell, you can still use RPG Maker graphics - it's up to you how you store the graphics you use in your game. Sure, it's more work, but the end result will be stunning.

I can attest to this. I've debated whether or not to provide my code on my stalled project as a learning tool, but decided against it when I realized it would probably not be used. Maybe I should rethink that. What you think Osmose?

[Noobpwner]

what program language did you use Im thinking of learning a program language and this one looks good...

[Osmose]

That was VB 6. The two stickies have links to everything you need to get started.

Drighton - that'd be a great idea. I learned a lot of what I know from looking at snippets of others' code.

[Noobpwner]

k tnx

EDIT:  Just one question I know html and some ruby will that help atall?

[Osmose]

HTML won't but Ruby will.

[Noobpwner]

uhh I downloaded windows visual basic but I cant make exacutabl;e files... And in the explanation it says I need to make an exe!!

[Drighton]

Originally posted by Osmose
Drighton - that'd be a great idea. I learned a lot of what I know from looking at snippets of others' code.

Cool. Just looking at my code may get me fired up again. I know thinking about it makes me wish I could manage to finish it.

Also, nice Mario.

Originally posted by Noobpwner
uhh I downloaded windows visual basic but I cant make exacutabl;e files... And in the explanation it says I need to make an exe!!

I'd help in a heartbeat if I knew what it was Osmose told you to download. In that, I mean that I've never used that software before.

[DragonBlaze]

Well rm2k3 isn't all bad, its a good thing to start off with because it does teach a lot of things on game developement. Not so much on coding besides some mathamatical algorithms and formulas that are used a lot, but more along the lines of game progression, map design, story developement, and all that good stuff.

I agree that an actual programming language would be much better to use though. I have Dark Basic and I'm trying to work with that a little, but I'm mainly concerned on learning C++ at the moment. Its horible to make games with, but I think its good to learn. I learned Qbasic a while ago, so learning VB shouldn't be that bad.

[Drighton]

VB worked out well for me because it actually is Visual. You can see what your developing as you go along.

Click the button tool. Click and drag on form to create button. Double click newly created button to open code window. As you can imagine, when you click on that button in runtime, the code you put in it will execute.

You can make some nice applications with VB, and even the tools themselves provide a way to make a decent game within the dialog. I came up with some nice methods too.

Just keep in mind that the more objects (buttons, picture boxes, etc) you put on the Form the larger your exe will be. Imbedding pictures in picture boxes will do that also.

[PyroAlchemist]

I'm tinkering with C++ at the moment. It's a pretty fun programming language and is prettty easy also.

[g3k0]

Sorry for reviving a dead thread, but I felt I needed to clarify a great injustice to the c++ language.

Originally posted by DragonBlaze
... but I'm mainly concerned on learning C++ at the moment. Its horible to make games with, but I think its good to learn. I learned Qbasic a while ago, so learning VB shouldn't be that bad.

C++ is NOT horrible to make games.  C++ is the game industries standard.  It may not be the easiest, but it is certainly the most powerful and most efficient if programmed correctly.  VB on the other hand is terrible for games.  Basic certainly is not a great choice either.  If you have no programming experience I would certainly recommend  Visual Basic though, being that it is not as hard to understand.
As for whether  a game maker or programming is better, I think everyone agrees that programming has the most flexability and power.  It would be ignorant to say otherwise.  I would also like to add that a person can hardly claim they made a game when it was not programmed.  

[Osmose]

We were actually going to look at the Quake 3 source in the pitiful excuse of a programming class I'm in right now, but we ended up just playing it for a few months instead. Yay for school LAN.