The folks over at rpgmakerweb.com are holding a contest in which users of XP and VX submit a 3-5 minute long cutscene. Submissions will be voted upon by fans, and the winner will receive a spot in the English RPG Maker VX Ace beta. This will grant the winner early access to Ace in English, as well as being offered a free full copy once it is released! For more information, you can click here. Submissions must be turned in by January 3rd at 11:59PM EST.

Good luck!

I've gone ahead an uploaded a revision to the pre-release translation of RPG Maker VX Ace based off of the trial version. With this newest revision, you'll find that the trial database has been fully translated (along with the maps/events that comes with it). Finally, there were some new edits made to translation of the software itself. You should find this to be shaping up to be pretty complete, but I do realize there is still some work to go. You may find the newest revision, here.

That being said, please do try it out and follow these updates to know when I have a new revision out. My aim is to have everything except for the help file completed by December 15th, 2011 so it is ready to go for the full version of Ace.

Take care!

I've just released a pre-release version of my translation of the RPG Maker VX Ace trial. The software is 100% translated. However, the database, script comments, pop-up hints, and help file have yet to be translated. So, do know that. I have plans on translating those as well, but I need a break at this time. :D

In any case, if you'd like to try it out, head over to the Downloads section. Enjoy!

This is just a short update for you all. I've taken some time to translate the image from the latest Tkool blog entry. It's a full view of the Terms tab inside the database. If you'd like to see it, please click here.

RPG Maker VX Ace - Fourth Gap "Special Abilities"
November 28th, 2011



In today's fourth gap, and concerning a new element, we'll lightly touch on special abilities.


<Today's Gap> Special Abilities
In Ace, you can now set up skills to use points called TP, rather than MP. TP is represented in the image below as a green gauge.



TP is accumulated over time during battle while performing actions (usually normal attacks and skills), as well as when suffering from damage. Once TP reaches a set value for a character, it will become usable. When collecting TP, you can use it quickly on the small fry, but while at a boss, you'll likely want to save it up until the gauge fills to throw the very best maneuvers.

With default settings, magic will consume MP while special abilities will consume TP. It will be displayed on the battle screen like so.



The following image may be viewed larger (click on it to see an enlarged image). Pay attention to the red frame.



Did you notice anything? In Ace, you can freely add any type of skill. Please know that the number of frames that correspond to "Skill" may be increased freely. I'm very fond of this, personally!

*** Usage Example ***
I won't go too in-depth. Only about this!



Here you will see added character specific battle commands.
Character skills are prepared into subdivided categories. For example, if a character is a swordsman, the command itself is divided up for each stage of the skill.

Perhaps something such as having special abilities (= those not requiring a sword), arts (= requiring basic sword skills), mystic arts (= requiring mastered sword skills)? Needless to say, magic may also be subdivided (spirit magic or holy magic). It's also possible to make skills unable to be used unless a certain weapon type is equipped.

This is just one example to give you a feeling of how to work with the data, and I'm sure many ideas will come easily. As for that, "RPG Maker VX Ace" will be released on December 15, 2011! 

Hello everyone! To those of you who live in the states, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving today. This is just a small update for those of you reading this. While we're still awaiting an update to the product page for RPG Maker VX Ace, the Tkool blog has been keeping us entertained with some new information now and again! There have been three posts concerning Ace thus far, and they can all be found in English under previous news posts here. Also, if you're looking for organized information on RPG Maker VX Ace, I recommend you try out the compendium I've put together.

I've gotten some emails from people at foreign communities asking about translation of Ace into their native language. That's really neat! I welcome more of them in fact. I'll do what I can to ease the process for anyone interested. On the topic of translation, you might notice that there is a new menu item at the top of the site titled "Software Translation". This is where I plan to post my translation of RPG Maker VX Ace and anything concerning it (e.g. Trial). For the time being, you'll find a translation of RPG Maker VX I put together recently in my downtime. If you're interested, please try it out! It will give you a small taste for what to expect with a translation of Ace. The dll file included in the archive was made for the Japanese version, but will work with any copy of RPG Maker VX. For example, simply rename the file for the English version to RPGVXENU.dll.

For that patch, should you happen to try it out, pleas let me know of any typographical/formatting errors or anything of the like you may notice so that I may improve upon it and make the Ace translation better.

Well, that's it for now. Take care!

This is where I will be posting software translations. At this point in time, it is something quick and dirty, but functional.

RPG Maker VX Ace - English Fan Translation

Readme
Download [v2011.12.01 Pre-Release]

RPG Maker VX Ace - Third Gap "Item Selection Processing"
November 24th, 2011

Today's gap is on an event command in "RPG Maker VX Ace".

<Today's Gap> Item Choice Selection
 

You might not realize much from just a command name, so let's show you a screenshot to help introduce the material.

Did this give you any hints?

When you got to examine suspicious places, the item window can be opened automatically by using an event command called "Item Selection Prcessing".

It's main use will probably be for things like puzzle solving. When using this command, you can set a variable with a chosen item's ID number, but there are many applications for it. There's nobody out there who won't be using this!
 

*** Usage Example ***

While the command can automatically highlight an appointed item, you may ultimately leave it up to the player to choose the item.

Let's see how this might work for an escape system in an adventure RPG.

Our hero here is confined in a mysterious mansion and must use everyday objects found around the area to escape. An advanced puzzle solving element could be included to limit the player's progress forward until they use the right item.

This is just one example to give you a feeling of how to work with the data, and I'm sure many ideas will come easily. As for that, "RPG Maker VX Ace" will be released on December 15, 2011!

Shigetoshi posted a new article on the Tkool blog.

RPG Maker VX Ace - Second Gap

Today I'll help to fill the gap of information on "RPG Maker VX Ace".

<Today's Gap> Party
Just as we did the last time, let's not go in blind. First, view these pictures from Tkool web.

    
In RPG terminology, the "party" is shown as the hero and their friends. In "RPG Maker VX Ace", members can line up and walk on after another. Of course, you may set it so that only the front character is displayed like in the right image. You may change this from within the database and by using event commands.

Also, up until now, we've only been able to have a maximum party of 4. Now, that restriction has been lifted, and you have a nearly limitless size. However, only the first 4 members will be displayed for map movement and only those 4 will be able to participate in battle.

In the menu screen, member 5 and those after will be displayed with a translucent image. Ralph is the 5th member, and Indestructible King as the sixth. By the way, the Indestructible King is Ralph's thought to be deceased father.

*** Usage Example ***
It seems interesting that we can now set a large number of people in the party.

Why don't we have 10 people as special forces, each with their unique ability, so that each may be used accordingly in certain situations?

If a rule is set to be unable to revive members who fall in combat, what do you do? Who do you keep alive? Who do you sacrifice? A story with such decision making might be considered. Although it is easy to get carried away and make a party of 50 or even 100 people, 10 is probably more manageable, because things can easily get out of control (personal experience).

This is just one example to give you a feeling of how to work with the data, and I'm sure many ideas will come easily. As for that, "RPG Maker VX Ace" will be released on December 15, 2011! 

There's a new post on the Tkool Blog hosted at famitsu.com! This article is from Shigetoshi, and I've translated the article below.

RPG Maker VX Ace!

Yo! My Maker Maniac levels are up 120%. Though, I can probably make it to 180% before I nerdgasm. After four years, a new work for Windows called "RPG Maker VX Ace" is finally here (I can't wait).

The package illustration was drawn by 碧風羽 this time. On the eve of a decisive battle with the demon king! The image we had in mind was drawn in vivid detail.

In this Tkool blog, I would like to introduce some material to help fill the gap on information found on Tkool web.

<Today's Gap> The "Damage Formula Calculation" is cool!
First post! Before we start... let's not go in blind! First, please see this image.

This image, which also appears on Tkool web, is for editing the damage calculation formula for the [Attack] command used in battle. Although I think that anyone with decent intuition can make sense of this, the above is the same formula in VX. 'Attack of A' x 4 - 'Defense of B' x 2. Incidentally, it is shown side by side how A will strike B.

Then, next is this picture. It is the damage calculation formula for a sword based ability called "Radiant Blade" which is found in the sample data.

To translate into the terminology used in game, it means 'Attack of A' x 5 + 'Magic Attack of A' x5 - 'Defense of B' - 'Magic Defense of B'. This is a technique which unites a physical attack with magical damage, and so it factors in both the physical and magic defense of the opponent.

In Ace, you're able to include other parameters such as luck, level, HP, and MP as well as the previously mentioned attack and defense parameters. Of course, you can also refer to a variable.

*** Usage Example ***
 After all, there is no use for an ability which doesn't use a variable!

For example, let's use "Karma (Behavior)" with karma for values (variable) which may be increased when doing good things, and decreased when doing bad ones. Then, in the damage calculation formula we could implement the variable to weigh how effective a recovery type skill is. You could increase the power for skills of evil people! This might be how one system could work.

This is just one example to give you a feeling of how to work with the data, and I'm sure many ideas will come easily. As for that, "RPG Maker VX Ace" will be released on December 15, 2011!