Hey all! Hope all it well .

I got inspired to start working on and trying out one of the RPG Makers - im tossing between the usual XP or VX engines and come down to more than likely the same aspects that most people are hung upon.

Well ive got a few questions that might hopefully make my decision abit easier and possibly faster .

Scripting vs Mapping is the main thing i am looking at - and possibly the deciding factor.

As i want to create and design a expansive world that feels alive, the mapping in XP would be easier and more flexible to do so am i right? Whilst VX has a few limitations with the map settings.

While im not a huge coder (codes confuse me and make me cry ;D) - i am leaning towards VX for this matter because it has pre-scripted and overall easier to do.

But does XP have some pre-scripted events and such, and if not - is scripting in XP hard? I have tried C++ and all that and just died, is it similar like C++ etc?

Otherwise with the actual community and or resources - what has more active members? Do you find more people that help and know more about XP or VX? Graphics i can assume they are the same as its all pixel based etc etc.

Edit: Also with the battle scene - i was hoping i could do a tactical turn based movement/action based event - i guess similar like Final Fantasy Tactics, Mission Front etc.

Thats all i can think of at the moment, hope to hear from someone soon !

,
Xeno

This is a catch 22 question really, On this site it seems that there is more popularity with XP, I personally prefer VX myself the Eventing system is better, it provides more options and also has pre-made events, there are benefits and negatives to both!

I usually would direct you to the Yanfly's site as she has written an amazingly detailed blog on the benefits and negatives of both..unfortunately it is currently broken which sucks

but overall she said that they equally have good points and bad points

My personal feeling is that VX is better as I find it easier to find more resources and scripts as i think it is easier to script in RGSS2 (VX scripting) My advice is just to try out both trials then you can find out for yourself...
It all depends on how much work you wanna do

If you decide to use XP there is an awesome website you can use to help you learn how to make decent maps I will find the link in a sec for you

Thanks TJS!

Yeah i read a few guides linking to the Yanfly website what is down hopefully it be up soon!

IS XP and VX standard programs - as in i mean do they get any updates with new features or anything like that? So maybe if i pick up VX (for the ease of scripting etc) they might update the program to have a better mapping system?

With the trials - are they limited in anyway. Both say 30 days what is great, but are they 100% full programs or do they cut out alot of the features?

Also - is there going to be a new version of RPG Maker anytime soon - maybe just to hold off from XP/VX and wait for a new program? Anything mentioned so far?

Thanks for the input!

They hardly ever get updates. The trials are completely full programs. The newest software by Enterbrain is IG Maker, for action games.

XP is better in all of these aspects in my opinion.
For the battle system that you want, there are many scripts for that. I think that the VX and XP battle systems are the same too.
XP comes with pre-installed scripts also, and they work just fine. There are more scripts made for XP, as it has been around much longer. RGSS2 (what VX uses) is a bit more flexible though.
When it comes to graphics for mapping and such, XP is definitely the better choice. It seems like they did a downgrade with graphics from XP to VX! VX graphics are very blocky, small, and horribly out of proportion. XP graphics, however, seem to get it right on the spot!

@TheJonathanSteward: Yanfly is a "he".

@Redd: You're confusing RTP with engine. While the RTP are released with the engine, they don't "make" it, as you can use whatever graphics you want with any engine.

@xenoclix: Despite being a mod for the VX sections, my engine of choice is more XP. The main reason to it being the mapping system, way more intuitive with XP. There's really no miracle answer, just download both trials and go with the one you end up preferring.
As far as scripting is concerned, both RGSS and RGSS2 are based on the 1.8 version of Ruby. RGSS2 is slightly more advanced and stable, but for the regular user, the difference is quite minimal. You can't really compare with C++, which, despite being the standard in game development and a mandatory knowledge for any programmer, is an horrible language at several levels with a steep learning curve.
Ruby, on the other hand, is easy to learn but due to its high-level and interpreted nature, is very slow, and therefore can be inefficient for certain uses.
Another difference between XP and VX is the space-time requirements of the base engine: both use a lot of CPU and RAM, but VX really takes the cake.

Thanks for the replies!

Seems to me they really wanted to confuse the consumer with both of the programs!

Ill take the advice and download both programs and give them a shot seeing they are full copies i can mess around with them to my hearts content.

In terms of CPU usage etc, my computer will handle it no worries!

Thanks again - ill come back to you guys and tell you what i have picked ;D