• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.
    Register

Which 2D game maker is the best?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Joey the Cockroach

Dino Crisis will never die!!!!
1,840
Posts
19
Years
    • i would either say Game Maker 6.1 or Sphere, as i have used both before and both are pretty good, there are so many possibilities from it.
     
    Last edited:

    RMXPokemaniac

    Dreamweaver
    55
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Hm... I'm so tempted to say Stencyl... but it's not out to the public yet. :/

    Of the ones listed, I must say that RPG Maker is like home to me, as I grew up with it before being introduced to Game Maker and Sphere. For the sake of this topic, I'll ignore the fact that RPG Makers are basically limited to RPGs for those who can't script/event like a god.

    RPG Maker - This game maker has great ease of use, allowing even the most novice of users hop right in and make a game. The event system is far easier to use, though somewhat more limited, than Game Makers drag and drop object maker. The eventing system has taken somewhat of a downfall since XP, but it has risen a little again with VX. The mapping is extremely easy to use compared to Game Makers, with many tools resembling those you might find in MS Paint. The database is close to gold, but there are limitations which drag it down from the pedestal. Some of the database lists are limited to a certain number of entries. Finally, the scripting language, though restricted to those more "advanced" users of the maker, is easy enough to understand that even some more familiar with RPG Maker could make small alterations without having to learn RGSS.

    Game Maker - More complex than RPG Maker, it has its goods and its bads. Though recommended for beginners, it does have a slightly (read: WAY) steeper learning curve than RPG Maker. The drag and drop object making system of Game Makers doesn't limit you. You are given many options, most, even, which can be applied to other objects. From some of the simplest game mechanics as movement and collision checking, to more system oriented commands such as taking screenshots and opening files, many average games can get by without the user ever needing to know GML. If the user ever needed to learn GML, however, it's more of a basic language than RGSS, and would be easier to learn. On to the mapping... Well, it certainly has more options than RPG Maker, but its ease of use is far lower(thankfully, you can make your maps in another program and import it as a background in GM. >:]). On the plus side, though, it supports infinite layers. Better than RPG Maker has ever done. -_-; The library is so-so, sometimes becoming annoying when you have many items in a single category. Thankfully, though, you can organize the library with folders... or groups... or whatever it was. Again, a big plus over RPG Makers database where unlimited entries is concerned.

    All in all, if you're making an RPG, go with RPG Maker, if you're making any other game, go with Game Maker. (Until Stencyl is released. :D)

    ...I didn't evaluate Sphere or RPG Toolkit because I don't have too much experience with them. :|
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    Now that was a very helpful and informative post. How do you know what Stencyl is like if it isn't public? Are you a BETA tester? Are you allowed to tell us what features make it so uber?
     

    RMXPokemaniac

    Dreamweaver
    55
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • Yeah, I'm a tester. As for Stencyl being uber? Huh, well... I can't really go into detail like I did with those two, but I can tell you that it's like every other game maker except better. Not only is it the game builder itself, but a game hosting site where you can play peoples games online (for games made with Stencyl, obviously), a resource sharing site, integrated graphics and audio editors, and more...

    And I don't really like having to say and more, either, but I have to. I'm not completely sure how vague I have to be to be safe. lol ._.

    Oh yeah, they have a forum, too. You can go there if you wanna find out more.
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    Sounds interesting. I definitely will check it out when it goes public. Do you think it will be better than Sphere? Will it be open source? What language is the source code in? Does it have a scripting language? What programming language is it based on?
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    :D I know Java! But why Java? I know it's used for web dev and web based game, but wouldn't it be better to have made it in say, C++ or C#?
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    Well that's okay then. Will it be able to make MMO's? And what about making pokemon hacks?
     

    RMXPokemaniac

    Dreamweaver
    55
    Posts
    18
    Years
    • MMOs? No. You could make the game, but you'd need to provide your own server.
    Pokemon hacks? As in a Pokemon game? Yes. It can make any kind of 2D game.

    Also, I'm beginning to feel that the topic has been slightly derailed. Ah well. ^_^
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    Not at all. This topic is for discussing different game makers, and you have caught my interest with it. I want this thread to be fore all game dev's here to help them decide which engine to use for their project.
     

    Kine

    Whatev
    607
    Posts
    19
    Years
    • I've been told about Stencyl many months ago, and I'm still looking forward to it.

    I mean, honestly, not everyone can be a programmer, just like not everyone can be an artist or a writer. I've tried programming, for YEARS. I don't think my grades ever gone above a C, and if I had a B as a final grade, it was a fluke. I just am not a computational person, no matter how you slice it. I have a lot of thought out, planned ideas (years in the making, design documents, everything) but it's still the coding that gets me, and I don't even pretend help is going to come my way (if I let the lack of help stop me, I'd never get anywhere in life), but I still appreciate it a lot when it does come.

    That's why I enjoy the idea of Stencyl, perhaps I can dust off a few of those old ideas I had spent years working on to get the off the ground. If it really is for the program language dyslexic, it'll be right up my alley for sure.





    THAT all being said, I'll still learn code for the sake of the game projects I am currently working on, because I still want to see them done, and determination is my greatest asset (and perhaps at times my biggest folly, in that I don't really know when to quit). So if it takes me another 5 years to learn a language to a usable degree, fair enough.

    Currently, I was just recommended to Sphere for an RPG I'm working on. Fortunately, I know a small bit of Javascript considering the classes I took. Being mostly on the graphics side of things, I couldn't make use of RMXP because I'd need 8 direction pixel movement (easy enough find a source script), an most importantly, no limits set on the sprites (meaning I did not have to have four sprites per direction, if even a direction at all). Some characters only move in 3 frames, some 5 or more. And let's not even talk about cutscenes which would require a lot of sprites (being an animation major, I tend to make a whole lot of inbetween motion sprites, now you can't work with that with the default 4 sprite limit).

    Sphere, so far, has given me the most flexability design wise short of Game Maker. Just in virtue of that, and the complete flexability (considering some sample games I've seen), on top of not being unfamiliar with JS, I'm going to see where that takes me. I'll still keep a lookout for Stencyl, though.
     

    Senjistar

    Dazzling ;)
    44
    Posts
    15
    Years
    • Well I'm not too good with making games. I mainly work with sprites. I have a question though, could I make a 2-d brawler sorta arcade style with Game Maker?
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    You can make ANY type of game with GM. In fact, it issn't an RPG, then it is recommended that you use GM, until Stencyl comes out. ;)
     

    Josh1billion

    Game Developer
    32
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Age 35
    • Seen Nov 23, 2008
    I recommend Game Maker.

    It's the most flexible solution aside from actual programming, and it serves as a great entry into the concepts of programming (such as how drawing and ticks are done). If you delve into the advanced parts of Game Maker (i.e., GM's scripting language "GML"), you'll become even more familiar with programming fundamentals (such as C++ syntax). It's great as a stepping stone into C++ game programming.
     

    Razer Rage

    Beginning Hacker
    126
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Jul 1, 2012
    Too true that. I'm actually getting started with Visual Basic. Simple language to learn. I'm also going to be making an RPG in VB, when I learn it. :)
     
    Status
    Not open for further replies.
    Back
    Top