  |
|
| View previous topic - View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Elliott
Lowly Slime
Joined: 14 May 2003
Posts: 2
Location: California
|
 Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 2:15 am Post subject: Mac RPG Editors? |
[quote] |
|
Apart from Coldstone (Blech!) are there any good Macintosh RPG authoring programs?
_________________
How do you fight, if not for yourself? Why if not for others?
- Akio Kyokokin, "Tokyo Nights"
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
MastaShake
Lowly Slime
Joined: 12 May 2003
Posts: 3
Location: Flo'da
|
| Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 11:46 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
I don't use Macintosh, and I'm sure there is a good reason you're using one... Lack of choice? Regardless, I really don't believe there are any good, if not at all, RPG Engine/Editor proggies out there. You can go two ways:
A.) Get a better machine
B.) Write your own
Both choices are pretty extreme... Well, you could stick with Coldstone (*chuckle*), but I believe we both know you most likely wont.
Sorry I couldn't be of much help,
MastaShake
_________________
"My name is...Shake-zula, da mic rulah, da old schoolah, you wanna trip?, I'll bring it to yah."
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
|
| Posted: Wed May 14, 2003 12:33 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| MastaShake wrote: | | I don't use Macintosh, and I'm sure there is a good reason you're using one... |
Wow, flame bait *and* uselessness. Thanks, MastaShake, for that myopic waste of bandwidth.
Anyway, it's true that there's not many specific RPG editors for the Macintosh, but there are certainly more than just ColdStone.
If isometric stuff is your bag, check out IsoWorld from Spritec software at http://www.spritec.com/.
Spiderweb software publishes "Blades of Exile" (and soon "Blades of Avernum"), which would get you Ultima-like capability. http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/products.html
There's also "Divinity" which would be similar to Blades of Exile. http://www.fantasoft.com/HTML/Divinity/Divinity_Page.html
That said, if you feel you've outgrown an engine like Coldstone, which could actually do a lot if you are willing to ditch their graphics and roll your own, then I suspect you're ready to make your own game engine. It's not as difficult as it might seem at first if you start small and plan ahead. Remember, people on this list made some RPG's in less than 48 hours, and I'm sure they would give you support and advice.
In this case, you're far better off getting a generic development environment, and then making your own games. It's a steeper learning curve, but it's much more rewarding, and you will be able to do exactly what you want, not just what some other game maker thinks you want. I'd recommend looking at things like RealBasic, FutureBasic, MetalBasic, Tribeworks, and even Flash and Director. (Or you could dive right in and start using objective C / Cocoa.) There are plenty of learning resources out there if you're willing to do a little google-ing.
Hope this helps.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DrV
Wandering Minstrel
Joined: 15 Apr 2003
Posts: 148
Location: Midwest US
|
| Posted: Thu May 15, 2003 11:12 pm Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
I would recommend writing your own with C++/Allegro, as this is portable to many other architectures in addition to the Mac. I've never tried it on a Mac personally, as I do not own any Apple products and probably never will ;), but I'm sure that if it works as well as it does on Windoze, then it will be fine for anything you might want to do.
_________________
Don't ask no stupid questions and I won't send you away.
If you want to talk fishing, well, I guess that'll be okay.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Elliott
Lowly Slime
Joined: 14 May 2003
Posts: 2
Location: California
|
| Posted: Sat May 17, 2003 4:49 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| Nephilim wrote: |
It's true that there's not many specific RPG editors for the Macintosh, but there are certainly more than just ColdStone.
*Snipped examples I'll try*
That said, if you feel you've outgrown an engine like Coldstone, which could actually do a lot if you are willing to ditch their graphics and roll your own, then I suspect you're ready to make your own game engine. It's not as difficult as it might seem at first if you start small and plan ahead. Remember, people on this list made some RPG's in less than 48 hours, and I'm sure they would give you support and advice.
In this case, you're far better off getting a generic development environment, and then making your own games. It's a steeper learning curve, but it's much more rewarding, and you will be able to do exactly what you want, not just what some other game maker thinks you want. I'd recommend looking at things like RealBasic, FutureBasic, MetalBasic, Tribeworks, and even Flash and Director. (Or you could dive right in and start using objective C / Cocoa.) There are plenty of learning resources out there if you're willing to do a little google-ing.
Hope this helps. |
Ahh, thank you master. Your insight is as refreshing as watching Vivi turn Black Waltz #3 into Black Charcoal #1. (Final Fantasy 9, funniest in the series.)
First, I want to get old skool and use my own sprites. While I'm at it, I heartily recommend the pixel art forums at smoo.pixelation.net as a resource. To summarize the summary of the summary: is there a good sprite creator/editor for the Mac, or should I blow those credits on Photoshop, or both?
Second, Coldstone CAN do more than I give it credit for... three problems: one, wanting to invent your own stats, three, the real-time combat system, and most importantly - wanting to define different elements instead of sticking with Non-Elemental, Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Pure Magic. I'm making a game (among others) called Tokyo Nights, which has an Oriental element system - Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, Wood - and being restricted to the spells from Final Fantasy Ripoff is a pain in my *CENSORED.*
_________________
How do you fight, if not for yourself? Why if not for others?
- Akio Kyokokin, "Tokyo Nights"
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Nephilim
Mage
Joined: 20 Jun 2002
Posts: 414
|
| Posted: Sat May 17, 2003 6:14 am Post subject: |
[quote] |
|
| Elliott wrote: | | First, I want to get old skool and use my own sprites. While I'm at it, I heartily recommend the pixel art forums at smoo.pixelation.net as a resource. To summarize the summary of the summary: is there a good sprite creator/editor for the Mac, or should I blow those credits on Photoshop, or both? |
I feel the same way about sprite editors as I do about RPG editors: don't hobble yourself with someone else's limitations. Get the generic tool that will do what you want.
Personally, I use Photoshop, but I use it for a lot more than making sprites, so it makes sense. It's not cheap, so you'll have to analyze how valuable it would be to you. I couldn't live without it - it has never left me wanting features.
If you're inclined towards Photoshop, but are put off by the price tag, check out Photoshop Elements, which is basically a lite version of Photoshop. Its main drawback is that it doesn't have channel support (you'll be doing those alpha channels with 'transparency' tools), but other than that, it's almost exactly like Photoshop as far as sprite editing goes.
(Also, if you happen to be a student, be sure to check out the educational pricing.)
| Elliott wrote: | | Second, Coldstone CAN do more than I give it credit for... three problems: one, wanting to invent your own stats, three, the real-time combat system, and most importantly - wanting to define different elements instead of sticking with Non-Elemental, Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Pure Magic. I'm making a game (among others) called Tokyo Nights, which has an Oriental element system - Earth, Water, Fire, Metal, Wood - and being restricted to the spells from Final Fantasy Ripoff is a pain in my *CENSORED.* |
Yeah, that's the problem with most editors out there - you're stuck with whatever system they use. Personally, I wouldn't want to be tied down to that, since part of the fun is defining your own game mechanics. If you like that, your best bet is certainly a generic development environment.
The one you choose depends mainly on the learning curve you're willing to climb and the power you want to have access to. Flash, for instance, is great for graphics, has a relatively shallow learning curve, and handles a lot of the headaches of programming for you, but it's slow, and you don't have a lot of control. I doubt its performance would suit a sprite-based RPG with scrolling and tile effects, but it could be good for simpler RPG's.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you've got Objective C under Cocoa, which is pretty much guaranteed to give you all the power you could ask for (and has the virtue of being free with OSX), but you'll be doing a lot more of the menial programming tasks yourself. Unless you have previous programming experience in C++ or Java or something, I'd recommend you go with something like RealBasic - it's a nice, middle-of-the-road solution that gives you considerable cross-platform power at a reasonable price point and an attainable learning curve. They have a demo, so you can even check out the language before paying for it.
(Personally, I use Macromedia Director, which gives a lot of flexibility, reasonable performance, and cross-platform web delivery, but is still is a step below C++/Objective C in terms of low-level programming. It's not a cheap product, though, so I can't recommend it to hobbyists. You'd only want to pick it up if you do other work with it as well.)
Hope this helps!
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| |
Page 1 of 1 |
All times are GMT
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
