Everything

I'm sorta a n00b at this kinda stuff, me and my friends started fooling around with this way back in 1995 and we wanted to make a game laziness and procrstination led to not doing anything. Me going off on my own I decided to try and make a game. Using what little I know about RPG Maker and using the art and music skills of friends from school I've started making a game. (The Eleysian Fantasy: Exodus is the working title) So basically these are the questions I need answered.
1) How to do the basic/advanced stuff in RPG Maker in lamens terms.
2) What I need to do to after I scan the music and pics into my computer.
3) Anything you can give me help with will be appreciated.

1) Specifics?
2) What do you want to do with the pictures?
3) Again, specifics?

People can't help you if they don't know what exactly you need help with.

Mkay
1) Anything like say input a starting position for example but I think mostly scripting stuff and such.
2) The entire game is hand dwarn do basically I need to put the pics as faces battlechars and the like.
3) I'm using RPG Maker 2k3 if that helps.

Rightclick a square in the event layer to set starting party position.

OMG that's right I knew that I'm just ADHD and forgot thanks though. Also just stuff about like maps map creation and what the difference between a map and an area is. Yes i know I'm really slow.

1) Scripts are only used in RPG Maker XP, in all the others there are just events. Any specific events you need?
2) Make sure the pictures are a .jpeg or .png. Then, go into "Import", select the category you want the pic for, then click "Import". Then, find the file and click okay.
3) That will help some, although I'm a newb and don't know all the differences between versions.

1) Some specific events well like making your char do stuff like talk talk to people interact. I looked at the database and it looked stragiht foreword but when I tried stuff it didn't work?

1) Talking to people? Well even I can do that! Okay, you're using 2k3, so first click the third checkbox of three on the toolbar. This will take you to the event layer. Next, double click on any square. Then, name the person whatever you want. Click on "Set" near the "Graphic" box, and select the person you want. Next to that should be movement pattern options. Set them to whatever you'd like. Next to that should be something along the lines of "Trigger". Change it to "Action Key". Next, double click between the two arrows (< >) in the large box and click "Display Message". Then, type in the message and click okay. Viola, the person will now talk to the player when you press the action key (spacebar).

Thanks for that. Now what about if I want to start a bank?

Well actually a bank needs learning of variables. I suggest you check this out.

http://gamingw.net/tutorials/545

Thank you both. (A friend wanted to know this) Now another question in 2k3 the stats are really high like an average HP is on level one like 560 will it make the game mess up if he makes everyone's stats lower including monsters. (My questions)
1) Is making a game in RPG Maker tedious and hard IYO?
2) Do most people use the graphics the game come with, make their own, or hand draw their own?
3) What exactly is a switch in the item drop down menu.
4) What do switvh operations, and timer operation, and triggers do?
5) How do you change the currency name?
6) What is the title option in the hero tab and can you make races?

1. Yes.
2. I think most people probably get theirs from other sites. It's best not to use the ones that come with the game, unless you need something. It makes the game more original.
3. When the item is used, it turns on a switch.
4. There's a switch tutorial on this site, but basically a switch does exactly what it sounds like, it makes something happen or stop happening. Timer operations set up a countdown timer, and by trigger, I think you mean for the timer? It... actually I'm not sure.
5. Go to the String/Vocabulary tab in the database. You can change the name of many things there.
6. The title option, as far as I can tell, is not important at all. I don't think you could make races.... unless you used it just as the title. But, like I said, the title doesn't affect anything.

And for your friends question, no, the game will not mess up. You could start everyone out at 1 HP if you wanted to. Some people prefer games where the hero doesn't ever get much more than a few hundred HP, some people prefer the traditional Final Fantasy 9999 HP limit. It's up to you.

I only see the word trigger once and thats Trigger Conditions in the event page. Action Key means, that the player has to press "Enter or Space" to activate the event. Touched by Hero & Collision mean that it activates when the hero comes into contact with the event. Auto Start means that the event will begin automatically. The hero can not move during this time. It will repeat unless stopped with a switch. Parallel Process means that it runs even though the hero is able to move. Like you can talk to someone, and the parallel process makes someone walk behind you.

Hope that helped for something!

thanks everyone ummm can you make it to where there is a bank one place then a bank another place and they have the same balance?

of course, using variables for the money storing .
variables , for as long as you are in the same game (using the same save file and such) and for as long as you don't change them, remain at the number they were at in the last change, no matter how many maps you walk.

Alight that makes sense now as far as I can see you all are pretty knowledgeable about rpgmkr2k3 so my question to you is who did you learn all this stuff. Trial and error if so how did you figure out what to type in and all that stuff for the events.
Other Questions:
1) If I'm making customs sword swinging graphics where would like go directory wise and in the actual database of the game?
2) How long does it take everyone here to make a game usually.
3) Do you like the name of my game (see sig)
4) How can I make a screen (Forest 1) then without teleporting I make it on the right side of the current screen to a new screen (Forest 2)?
5) What is the difference between a Map and an Area?
6) What is a Map? What is an Area?
Thanks for all the help.

I learned it all from trial and error. I just kept trying until I figured it out.
1. Animation/Animation 2. Animation for the actual graphic on the enemy, Animation 2 for the character actually swinging the sword.
2. I've made one and it took me about.... sseven months I think. But I had to learn everything on my own.
3. It's ok.
4. You have to use a teleport event, but you can change the transition in System in the database to be instantaneous. I think that's what you meant.
5.  The map is the actual, well "map" that the player moves his character on. An area is a section inside that map. For example on a world map, you would probably have several areas, each with it's own monsters in it. That's basically what they are used for, different monsters.
6. ^

Thank you HaloOfTheSun. I have yet another question or three.
1) How do you make it to where you can have a custom name such as at the beginning of the game it says Spyke Then you have an alphabet and you can change the name?
2) If I wanted to make my own voice is that possible. Example if The Guard says Halt! Who goes there? then I record me saying this can I make it a midi or wav or mp3 and set it as a sound effect or a background music in the particular event.
3) Can I do multiple of the above statment in the same event?

1. create a normal event, on the 2nd tab(in rm2k3) there is a button named "enter hero name" this will allow the player to rename the hero of your choice
2. yes, make the guard event, save your talkiness as a music file and on the 3rd tab (after importing your sound file) choose play sound effect and choose your sound record.
3. yep, just keep pushing that 3rd tab , keep choosing the sound effect and make sure you either put a message or a wait event or anything that will stop the event between the 2 sound playing.

Thank you blueXx. Another question that I just thought of.
1) I would really like to have a trading card game in my game is there anyway I can do that. Not like actual battling just collecting them and trading them. I think I already have an idea you just make it a common item and then  somehow you can make a NPC trade with you right?
2) How do you make the NPC trade with you?

make the cards normal items (make tons so they will be collectable)
now, make some of them in chests and such, some buyable in shops, some dropped from monsters and some traded from npc
it will also be nice if you can make an event that works when you have all the cards and give you something (using conditions asking for the player to have all of the cards)

to trade (or to give if it's a chest)
on the first tab , left side, 5th from the bottom there is a button named "item management" click on it and choose which item to add or remove.
to trade card for card make the npc ask for a card, the player will answer yes or no, condition it for "if the player got card X" if not put a message saying that the player doesn't have the card, if yes remove card X from the player and add the card the npc gives.

for shop, on the 2nd tab , 2d from the top on the left side there is a button saying "open shop window" click on it and manage the items(cards and such) and all of that.

Thanks again for all the help. Now just a quick question for now unitl I think of something eles.
1) If I wanted to make a movie like flashback. (A war between maybe like so demons and some elves.) I want to have the elves and demons showing like NPC's walking around killing each other, and I want the guy who is telling the flash back to tell the story (not a message i think its a different tab thing). Then while he is telling the story there is a final battle in which you preticipate in so how can I accomplish all that?

ok, so the flashback should be done by tinting the screen into gray (it's a past thing after all) it can be found in tab 2 , 3rd from the bottom left side.
and then moving will be done by the move event button in the 2nd tab, be careful when you set the move event, it's by default set on the player and it's not the event you want to move.
the story telling is a message though it can have a few "minor improvements for the movie" on the first tab locate "change window skin" it's on the right side close to the bottom, and a bit under message there is a button called message display options, it will set your message to up middle or default down and you can also cancel the window skin by selecting "don't show" under window
and for the battle just use enemy encounter located in the 3rd tab

why thank you again blueXx. Now I have a question now this is completely opinionated but anyways DO you think its a good idea that I'm (and many of my friends) trying to draw everything. Faces, BattleChars, RegularChars, Monsters, Animations, Tilsets, Gameovers, Titles, and anything else I've forgotten; so I've been waiting for all the stuff and so far all I've gotten is four char faces with no battle or anything and a monster. I've spent my time making a few items and beginning to write out the storyline. It really pertubs me that I can't get started since you've been giving me all this info and I wan to use it. My question should I just get the tilesets and animations, and music, and small stuff from other sites, and just the big things have hand drawn, or should I keep everything hand drawn.
ANother thing should I use the stuff that comes with the game and does Crankeye have good resources I haven't had time to look?

hmm i think anything you make on your own will undoubtly add a score to your game, it can be crap and the images can look horrible but since you made all the stuff i am sure you will still see some claps (but try not to make it crap anyways )

My question should I just get the tilesets and animations, and music, and small stuff from other sites, and just the big things have hand drawn

hmm as for those 2 lines music animations and tileset, when made by people are quite harder to make than the other things "^^ but lucky for you , you can find tons of those around.

but yeah, like i said the big-small stuff, if made by you , will add tons to the way people look at your game
as for rtp- i mainly use it, alot of it is crap so i avoid it but some stuff there is very very good so you should consider using it.

and there are some acceptably ok stuff in crank's but you can find better around the other sites