Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

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renboo
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Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

#1 Post by renboo »

I'm looking to make a small dating game in which the player can walk around in a 2D environment (similar to games like Undertale, Pokemon, Stardew Valley, etc) but will also be able to talk to characters and have a text box and image of the character appear. I would like there to be various events, a time system, quests, etc. But the main focus would be around talking to other characters and following the story in this 2D world.

I have heard that Unity may be a good idea, but I'm considering whether or not to buy an RPG Maker engine. I need it to have the functions of a 2D RPG game, but also the functions of a visual novel. I am fully willing to research and study how to make these sorts of games and all the skills needed, but just as a starting point I want to know what engine would suit me best.

What are your thoughts? RPG Maker? Unity? Or maybe something entirely different?

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Re: Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

#2 Post by Imperf3kt »

http://www.rpgmakerweb.com/products/pro ... ker-vx-ace

Though its designed for a Japanese user, so I don't know if that'll be a barrier.
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Re: Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

#3 Post by Errilhl »

I know that there are projects utilizing both RPG-maker (for the environment, walking around) and Ren'Py for the VN bits. That might be a way to go - I don't know how complicated it is to get these things to talk together,though.
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Re: Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

#4 Post by tcassat »

It is perfectly possible to do this in RPG Maker MV, however, it will not be very practical.

There are several scripts available on the internet which allows you to add functions that will make the Visual Novel look good. The problem is that, in my experience, programming things in RPG Maker can be exhausting, especially when there are many plugins / scripts installed.

Conclusion, in RPG Maker MV you will probably be able to do exactly what you want, but most likely the experience of creating your game in it will be exhausting and nothing pleasurable.

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Re: Which engine should I use for an RPG-type visual novel?

#5 Post by LateWhiteRabbit »

tcassat wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:38 am It is perfectly possible to do this in RPG Maker MV, however, it will not be very practical.

There are several scripts available on the internet which allows you to add functions that will make the Visual Novel look good. The problem is that, in my experience, programming things in RPG Maker can be exhausting, especially when there are many plugins / scripts installed.

Conclusion, in RPG Maker MV you will probably be able to do exactly what you want, but most likely the experience of creating your game in it will be exhausting and nothing pleasurable.
Pretty much this. A major failing of the RPG Maker engines is that they are really bad with higher resolutions, even the most recent one. I was familiar with RPG Maker from years and years ago, and tried the most recent version for a small project, and getting it to do 1080p was a nightmare, and the performance was NOT good. Like Tcassat said, you also end up needing to install a lot of plugins and scripts to do anything more advanced than an old (basic) SNES rpg game.

Unity 2D is by far the nicest option - but you'll need a lot of experience and practice to create the game and will basically have to program or set everything up from scratch. On the plus side, there are TONS of great tutorials for Unity, and once you learn it, you can basically use it for any type of game. I can tell you right now, programming a dialogue system in Unity from scratch is a pain in the butt - the sprites and walking around is far easier.

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