RPG Maker 2

Agetec's PS2 RPG tool is finally 3D (and USB keyboard) compatible. Maybe now you'll actually finish a game with the thing.

Agetec's first RPG Maker for the PlayStation received high originality points from reviewers but resulted in very few actual complete games, thanks to weak graphics and the sheer tedium of typing in game dialogue with a controller. RPG Maker 2 will improve on both of these faults: It will have a full 3D visual engine, and it will let you use a standard USB keyboard to edit your game. Praise the heavens for the advance of technology!

Besides these singular godsends, Agetec has been working hard to make RPG Maker 2 more powerful and easy to use. Basic game design will involve three editors: a map editor to generate 3D terrain and weather effects; a building editor to insert houses, trees, and other objects on the map; and a character editor to create and customize NPCs for your game. As before, there will be over 100 characters, 120 monsters, and a library of sound effects and background templates with which to build your chef d'oeuvre. Two creation modes will allow would-be game designers to pop off a quick game using standard maps and monsters, or choose instead to edit everything down to the tiniest detail.

RPG Maker 2 will include a sample game created by the Dragon Warrior production staff, and it's obvious where the developers got their inspiration for the game system. The basic battle and menu systems look like they were taken verbatim from Dragon Warrior VII for the PS, right down to the menu options and window placement. It's almost a shame Enix didn't just use this tool to develop DWVII; then maybe it wouldn't have been delayed for so long. You'll be able to give amateur game design a shot yourself early next year.

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