Question: What is RPG Maker?

Answer

RPG Maker is a series of software development tools designed to give users the ability to create their own role-playing games (RPGs) without extensive knowledge of programming or game design. Various versions of RPG Maker have been released over the years, each improving on the tools and functionality offered to developers.

The primary features of RPG Maker include a map editor for creating worlds, a database for managing aspects like characters, skills, equipment, and enemies, and an event system for designing game logic and story progression. Users can customize their games with the provided assets or import their own graphics and sounds to create a more personalized experience.

While RPG Maker is tailored towards the creation of JRPG-style games, featuring tile-based movement and turn-based combat systems by default, it's extremely flexible. Users have created a wide variety of game types using its engine by scripting new features in its built-in scripting language, which is usually a variation of Ruby or JavaScript depending on the version.

Here's an example of a simple common event code snippet used in RPG Maker MV or MZ, which uses JavaScript:

// Change weather to rain, medium strength
$gameScreen.changeWeather('rain', 5, 60);

// Wait for 1 second (60 frames)
$gameMap.wait(60);

// Show text message
$gameMessage.add("It has started to rain...");

This code would trigger an in-game event where the weather changes to rain, waits for a moment, and then displays a text message to the player.

The beauty of RPG Maker is that you don't need to know how to code to get started—much of the work is done through user-friendly interfaces. However, understanding the underlying code allows for further customization and unique gameplay experiences.