Beginning RPG Maker: Vocabulary of Concepts

"So I bought RPG Maker...now what?" You make a game, of course! There are some basics you may want to be aware of and understand, first, though. There are specific terms used in the RPG Maker community that will be helpful to familiarize yourself with for interacting with those members of the communities and in usage of the RPG Maker software... 

NPCs: "NPC" stands for "Non-Player Character. This term is a reference to characters the player interacts with, yet does not get make decisions for nor play as. A shop keeper where you buy weapons or armors from is an example of an NPC. A villager or townsfolk you can talk to on a map is an example of an NPC. 

ACTORs: These are the playable characters in a game. You'll probably see and hear "SV Actor" frequently or "SV Battler". Those simply refer to an Actor / Playable Character's Side-View sprite sheet or Battler sprites used in Side-View Battle systems.

SPRITE SHEETS / CHARACTER SPRITES: In case you are not aware, these terms simply refer to the artwork for individual characters or frames of a character animation, OR, an entire sheet of character animation blocks.

EVENTS: Events are what you create in the RPG Maker game engine to represent / be an NPC or an object in map environments. Events can be that shop keeper mentioned earlier or a treasure chest that you open to give the player an item, gold, armor, a weapon, etc... There is an entire mode dedicated to the creating and editing of Events in the RPG Maker program. The other mode is "Map Mode", where you create and edit maps and terrains within the maps. Events are placed on a map in Event mode and assigned functions based on player interaction. 

EVENTING: Eventing is how you program or tell the game engine what each character or object does in the game...how characters (NPCs) or environments interact with players. Does clicking on the NPC display a dialogue box that informs the player of vital game / story information? Does the NPC offer a choice, if so, what happens when a choice is selected by the player? Eventing is what you tell the Event to do in a given situation. 

When encountering a monster, does it initiate a battle with the player? If so, eventing is telling the monster event what to do before and after battle; you event what happens when the player wins the battle, loses the battle, or manages to escape the battle. Is there a boulder in your path that needs moving and can only be moved if you have a certain character in your party or if you are in possession of the "Gloves Of Mighty Strength"? This is all eventing...programming the behavior of characters or objects in your game. 

Eventing is a type of programming and RPG Maker language, though it is not any kind of coding or scripting that you need to know how to do in creating games within RPG Maker. Events are a part of EVERY version of the RPG Maker software. 

MAP LAYER / EVENT LAYER: Event Layer is the mode in RPG Maker where you generate whatever events you need on any game map. This is activated to edit and place events in your game. The Map Layer is the mode for creating and editing the look and design of your map (positioning the ground tiles, be it dirt, grass, water; where any cliffs or houses may appear).

TILESETs: These are the sheets of items and objects that you'll use to create your maps with. Some versions of RPG Maker has 1 tab for map-making tiles, where others have 5 tabs of tiles used for map design. Tilesets have a "base layer" that always goes on the "bottom" of a map (especially if the version you are using utilizes layer-mapping). These "base layer" tiles are like grass, dirt, water...basic terrain features. 

There are also "Auto-Tiles", which are tiles that change based on how many of them are grouped together in the map's grid. They appear one way and usually only use the center of a square of the map's grid when placed ONLY on one tile or square. When you use the same Auto-tile in more than one connected or touching tiles, they will form a new appearance. Like a mountain may take up the center of one square on the map's grid when placed singularly, though will appear as a cluster of connected mountains when placed in 4 squares, or 6 squares---as long as they are all placed next to one another, they will connect to form a different image than on a singular map square.

Some Auto-Tiles are also animated. In the map editor they do not appear to be animated, yet when you test play your game, you'll see that they are animated. An example is water: water will shift from side-to-side when in-game, as if tides are moving, though will be stationary when in the map editor. 

RTP (Run-Time Package): Depending on which version of RPG Maker you are using, you may or may not have to understand what a Run-Time Package is. All the sound effects, music, character walk-sprites, enemy graphics, icons, window skins, etc., are all part of the RTP. The RTP is the collection of Game Assets that you can use with any RPG Maker software. Without these,  you'd have to create all of your game yourself. With RPG Maker versions prior to Vx Ace, the Run-Time Package was separate from the Game Design Engine, which meant two different installations to get you Up-and-Running with designing your game. Since RPG Maker Vx version in the RPG Maker series, comes with the RTP already installed, to make it easier and faster to get going on designing your video game!

DATABASE: This is the heart of any RPG Maker game design engine. In the Database is where you set-up and create your items, weapons, armors, actors (in-game characters), animations (for spells and attacks), tileset formatting, Classes, main sounds for basic game operation, etc. Any game developer (yes, this means you) will spend most of their time in the Database when using RPG Maker software.

We may add to these terms in time, so keep checking back. If you'd like us to explain or define any other terms, let us know in comments below and we'll be sure to get to your suggestions! 😀
Hope these were helpful!
HAPPY GAMING!

Story Workshop - Developing an Idea

So, you have a basic idea for a story, story-arc, or an adventure in your novel, table-top campaign, or video game...now what?

A basic notion to keep in mind is that twists and turns can keep a story interesting, engaging, and even entertaining. It's not simply about sharing your story, yet is also about doing so while maintaining the readers' / players' attention(s). So, let's start with an example idea and develop it!

A murderer stalks the streets of a city, town, or the trails of a forest...

That is the basic premise. Now, does the story revolve around the murderer and his or her motives and experience with their murdering?
Is the story more about one or more of the victims? Perhaps how one of the victims copes with the murderer's holding them hostage. Maybe the victim survived the murderer's attempt on their life and has to deal with that experience, knowing the murderer remains at large. The victim could have survived by somehow managing to kill the murderer, and must deal with the fact they took a life, even if it was in self-defense.
Could the story be about one individual or a group who want the murderer apprehended or dead, like a story of revenge? Are the murders a backdrop around which to frame what the actual story is about? 

One idea, many directions and potentials to explore in expanding on a basic, simple premise. Where this idea ultimately leads is dependent upon the needs of your characters or overall story. Is there a general framework already established that one of those directions would fit more easily into?

Characters' actions determine how events unfold---NOT the other way around.

When developing a story idea, it is a good rule of thumb, to have events revolve around character development first-and-foremost. How does the event(s) impact the character(s)? What does the event(s) mean to each involved---how do the characters perceive the happening(s) and respond to how others involved's choices and behavior? 
A natural, organic story will play out respectively and appropriately if an author remains true to their characters, without seeming contrived or forced. Characters' actions determine events or how events unfold more than the other way around, which can come across as artificial and often times, confusing for viewers/readers/players.

Does the main character or one of the characters in the story (main or supporting cast) secretly feel the murderer is doing the world or local region a favor by killing those he has? If so, would this influence the character to deter or sabotage any one else in coming close to figuring out who the murderer is or catching/killing him? How do others respond to these actions? Is anyone getting the feeling or hints that the character in question is subtly sabotaging them? How would any of the other cast feel about this or what actions would they take if discovering the perception and feelings harbored by the character throwing them off the murderer's trail?

See, how in the previous paragraph, depth began to emerge for the story idea. More layers came into play, that work off of one another to produce interesting results beyond simply: Murderer has, well, murdered, and must be stopped; Murderer is pursued, then story climaxes, resolves and is over. It's great to keep things simple, though if your story's premise can be summarized in one short sentence, then perhaps it needs re-evaluating. For example:

"A murderer is pursued by a group of friends, all wanting revenge for the loss of loved ones at his vile hands. Hot on the killer's trail, they follow clues that lead to a discovery more shocking than the loss they've suffered! Their lives and the murderer's will never be the same!"

Brief...clear...to the point, yet teases the reader with the unexpected. The description above sets-up the story as being more than an average murder story, in a concise, intriguing manner.

In conclusion: Consider your Character's goals and how they perceive events, actions of those around them or involved with them, the motivations for their own actions, and let that dance with plot-beats to create an interesting story with depth, intrigue, and genuine characters. Don't be afraid to show how events impact your characters and how their experiences are significant to them.

There's enough Dilemma Beans (food for thought) for you to chew on for the time being.

See You in the next workshop article! 😃