RPG Maker 2003/Tutorials

This tutorial will familiarize yourself with the most common of commands used in RM2k3. You'll learn how to use, edit, control, and activate the following:


 * Creating Maps
 * Editing Map Attributes
 * Copying and Pasting Maps
 * Setting Start Party Position
 * Create Events
 * Edit Events
 * Sprite Association
 * Sprite Facing
 * Switch Creation and Use
 * Creating Multiple Pages
 * Editing Party Inventory

Getting Started
Since this is only a tutorial, and should not be used directly with the construction of a new game, please create a New Project. Name it RM2k3 Tutorials, or something like that We'll be using this Project file to create other maps used for this tutorial, and you wont clutter your computer with 12 different project files.

You'll see the usual blank map. We won't need all that space, so right click where it says Map0001 and edit it's properties. Change the map name to "Blank Tutorial" and make it's map size as small as possible. Click OK and allow the settings to take effect.

Cover the map with the grass tile, as to remove all the water.

Save your Project at this point.

Copy And Paste New Map
Now that we have the blank map set up, right click the blank map and choose "copy"

Right Click the Game Folder (You should have named it Blank Tutorials) and choose "paste"

A new map has been added, and it should be exactly the same as the first map.

Right click the new map (making sure Blank Tutorial will remain as the very top map) and edit it's properties.

Change the name to "Chest Tutorial"

Get familiar with this action of copying the blank map and renaming it to the name of the tutorial you are working on. If you use this tutorial step by step, you should eventually have a composite list of maps that will have a working model of all common RM2k3 FAQs.

Creating The Chest
OK, now that we have our Chest Tutorial Map set up, go ahead and switch the program into it's Second Layer. Above the Map Screen, you'll see three icons, colored box with a white arrow cursor. These are your "Layers" which will be explained later. For now, click the Third layer, The yellow/orange box; this is the Event layer. Your chipset on the left hand screen should have changed. Right click anywhere on the blank map and choose "Set Party Start Position." This is self explanatory, but it essentially tells the program that when the game is first loaded, to set the starting location at this point. Moving along...

Next Step Is To Create Your Chest. Stay under the Event layer. Right click anywhere else on the map and choose "New Event"

Changing The Graphic
On the Left Hand Side of the window that popped up, there should be a Pinkish Tile under the Event Graphic. Choose "Set". Choose Object 1 and pick a chest. Click OK. At the Top of the window, left hand side, you should see the words "EV001." Rename that to "Chest"

Right Next To Event Graphic, You'll see Trigger Condition. Open the drop down menu and choose "Action Key" (It should have been set by default, but I wanted you to actually USE the Trigger Condition.)

Coding The Chest Part 1
Now the fun part. In the Event Commands window, click the first line and press enter. Click the Second Tab. Choose the fourth command from the bottom "Move Event."

At The Top of this window in the left corner, pull down the drop down menu and choose "Chest" since this is the event we want to move.

Now press the following commands in this order. Take your time as necessary, and make sure your code is the same as mine


 * Face Right
 * Wait
 * Face Up
 * Wait
 * Face Left
 * Wait

After the Wait Command, you'll play a sound effect. I think "key" at this point would be right. Your code should look EXACTLY like this:

<>Face Right

<>Wait

<>Face Up

<>Wait

<>Face Left

<>Wait

<>Sound effect:key

<>

There you go... Now what that has done is change the look of the graphic. The chest event will turn in the directions you've chosen it to face. The RM2k3 default graphics have it set up as if it is opening. You can choose to close the chest if you wish by reversing the facing commands. We're not going to do that yet. We're going to attempt to give the party something cool... So.. moving along..

Press OK out of that window and go back to the main event's Command. You should see the following..

<>Move Event:<>Face Right <>Wait <>Face Up <>Wait <>Face Right <>Wait <>Sound effect:key

Believe it or not, all that is only 1 line of code. Make another line of code beneath that with the following command, "Wait" (2nd tab, bottom right)

Have the wait duration 00 tenths of a second.


 * Next Command: Change Money (First Tab, Seventh From The Bottom)

Increase the money amount by 100 or so.


 * Next Command: Switch Operations (First Tab)

Open the ... button next to 0001 The first switch is already chosen for you. In this window, you can create, rename, and choose switches. Name the 0001 switch to "Chest1"

Make sure the operation is Turn ON. Click OK. Your code should look EXACTLY like this:

<>Move Event:<>Face Right <>Wait <>Face Up <>Wait <>Face Right <>Wait <>Sound effect:key

<>Wait 0.0

<>Change Money: 100 Add

<>Switch Operation: [0001:chest1] ON

<>

Coding The Chest Part 2
Now that all that is finished, at the top of your window, you should see the words "New Page" Click it. A Second Tab should have been added to the window, and it should be labeled number 2. It also should be completely blank.

Change the Event Graphic. The chest should still be shown, so make it face LEFT. Click OK.

At the Top of the Window, you'll see the word "Preconditions"

Below that, click the first check box. Make sure 0001:chest1 is shown in the window. If not, change the command to that switch.

Now why did we do that? Obviously, after the Chest Opened, the hero took out the gold right? And you remember turning on that switch.

Now you created a new page under the same event. The page has absolutely nothing on it (though you can in fact add a message if you want saying "Nothing inside...") This page is only activated if the preconditional switch was turned on. Since after the hero takes the gold, the switch comes on, he'll only come back later to find the message "Nothing inside..." (or unless the hero figures out how to turn off the switch, or a later event toggles that switch.

Now test play the new map. Your hero should be able to walk a short distance before unable to proceed further. There will also be a chest in the field... try using it... find out what happens...