Hello dear game creators! This is VTuber MinamiYotuba! Apology for being a little late this time with our Dev Log. As always, I am bringing you more details today about the latest development of RPG Maker Unite! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/f97fc7a11fd8e458119497e435ff2e528be9ed42.jpg[/img] In our previous Dev Log #5, we mentioned the new addition of “Large Parts” and changes to achieving Parallax Mapping, as well as the new mini-app 3D Character Converter! These features, when combined together, are reasons why RPG Maker Unite will be one of the best tools for creating 2D games with vivid maps and characters! If you missed the previous Dev Log, please be sure to check it at the link below! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1650950/view/3373776723232833370 Today we will be introducing “Auto-Guide”, another new feature of RPG Maker Unite that is quite unique for being able to assist users tuning game balance! Also, reflecting popular demand, we now also have some updates on the “Addon Manager” that will serve a function similar to the plugin managers in previous titles. [h1][b]Game Balance - Subtle Details that Make or Break Games[/b][/h1] Before heading straight into what Auto-Guide is, it is worth mentioning why game balance is one of the most important elements to making good games. Imagine yourself as a video game player. Have you ever stopped playing a game, or will certainly feel frustrated, if some of the following happens in a game you are playing? ● Some areas are obviously way harder than others! ● Battles take way too long because the enemy is too strong! ● There is an obvious bias towards certain skills and items! There are certainly many more than three, but these are all examples of bad game balance that certainly causes frustration to players. Balancing issues like these can happen to any game, including potentially the reader, your games too! For the above reason, game creators often spend a lot of time testing tirelessly to find the right game balance for the game they are creating, based on the player groups and play styles the developer intends to target. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/69c8437182aa5b5642d8cd9d65e04e84e6b88ea0.jpg[/img] Finding the right balance is no easy task. Imagine yourself as a developer, creating a dungeon that is intended to be cleared at around level 5. To meet this goal, you would need to start thinking about what level players might first arrive at, how strong the enemies are, what skills and how powerful they are, how potent items can be, etc. We can write essays if we want to keep going! Experienced game creators of course may rely on past experiences to set these things fairly quickly. However, young developers have no such luxury and will certainly find it a daunting task and not knowing where to start. Not to mention all creators can still make mistakes in judgements and cause very skewed game balance, without noticing until the later stages of development. [h1][b]“Auto-Guide” Coming to Creator’s Aid on Balancing![/b][/h1] The new “Auto-Guide” feature in RPG Maker Unite, intended for both young and veteran developers, is here to assist! By first setting the common parameter “Max HP Limit”, the system will compute and establish a base model that will be referenced for many other stat parameters. Upon further defining parameters such as recommended levels, growth sliders, enemy difficulty, the system can calculate and [i]autofill[/i] a lot of these parameters for the user! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/084144bef38f934ecabf90c628f85cb6b32c7ba4.png[/img] [b](オートガイド： Auto-Guide) (想定レベル: Estimated Level) (攻撃ターン数: No. of Attack Turns) (防御ターン数：No. of Def Turns) （魔法力：Magic Atk.) (魔法防御: Magic Def.) (反映: Apply)[/b] For example, let’s use the auto-guide to help us set the parameter of a monster. The above is a part of the UI for setting monster stats. Notice there is a category called Auto-Guide (オートガイド）. Here we can enter some basic parameters such as Intended level, Attack Turns, Defense Turns etc for the Auto-Guide to suggest an enemy stat for us. Here, let us set it to the following: ● Estimated Level：1 ● No. of Attack Turns：4 ● No. of Guard Turns：3 [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/7765252ec94036d554eb95996d7976dd508fed8a.png[/img] [b](Enemy stats auto-filled by Auto-Guide)[/b] Once we have manually entered the few stats needed by the Auto-Guide, we can click on Apply (反映) and the enemy stats below would be computed and filled automatically for us! Beyond enemies, Auto-Guide is also available for many other game elements, such as skills and items. Of course users certainly can still opt for a full manual input if desired. The simplicity of using an auto-guide will certainly alleviate some of the mundane yet difficult work of game-balancing! [h1][b]General Workflow of Using Auto-Guide[/b][/h1] Of course, for Auto-Guide to be able to perform its role for both young and veteran developers, it should be easy to use - and it is! Here we will examine a number of things we can do with the Auto-Guide. [h2][b]First, Define Some Parameters in “Common Settings”[/b][/h2] To use Auto-Guide, we need to go to Common Settings under Classes category to set some basic parameters first. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/b32c9620113860e71c3ca3fa5d3debe07d44e8a9.png[/img] [b](Auto-Guide Settings. From top to bottom: Max Level, Clear Level, Max EXP, Max HP) [/b] Under Common Setting , we first have to define Max Level, Clear Level, Max EXP and Max HP. What we input here will greatly affect how the Auto-Guide computes stats for us as we use it to auto-fill parameters later. Basically, by entering these figures, the system will use these max number as a reference to determine what stats would be most reasonable at a given level. The fine details of which are beyond the scope of our dev log, but these 4 numbers essentially govern how the Auto-Guide will function to provide the right balance for all other Auto-Guide related settings. By default it already came with some initial numbers. We will use the default settings here. [h2][b]Determining Class Stats with Auto-Guide! [/b][/h2]Next we will look at how Auto-Guide can be used to set the stats of party members. In RPG Maker Unite, character stats are dependent on the class they are assigned with. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/47d5c0e5b5bf6719c8ea122bd00faae10e206612.png[/img] [b](Character Auto-Guide growth tendency sliders)[/b] Similar to our earlier example with enemies, RPG Maker Unite now has an Auto-Guide tab under class parameters. To use Auto-Guide, we simply use the sliders to set the HP / MP ratio balance, and adjust the sliders so that we have spent a total of 30 points (or less). Once done, simply click Apply and the parameters will auto-filled! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/fe7bca9de975eb55225e6599b2f3458e1ea428b0.png[/img] [b](Allocate up to a total of 30 points by moving sliders – the example here imagines a Warrior)[/b] Now you may ask, what does the 30 points mean? To explain, these determine the growth tendency of the class we are editing. All the user needs to do is tune the sliders to the desired balance, and the rest can be left to the system! In our above example, we imagine a Warrior class who excels on physical attacks. Let us click Apply to autofill the stats. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/d7f7c9ce424eb1673fdb7f699db918c9f28fae55.png[/img] [b](Level 1 and max level stats, and growth curves)[/b] Now the system has reflected and input all stats for every single level. Since we assigned high stats on ATK and DEF, characters assigned this class will be expected to have high ATK and DEF values. Looks familiar? Yes, this is similar to how some games with Character Making feature allowing players to assign initial stats! Instead of spending hours worrying what number seems reasonable, why not simply drag some very easy to use sliders, and let the system do all the hard work? [h2][b]Using Auto-Guide for Determining Enemy Stats![/b][/h2] As a recap to what we introduced earlier, Auto-Guide is also implemented for enemies. Here the Auto-Guide stats are determined by parameters such as Estimated Level, number of ATK/DEF turns, and some checkboxes related to magic capabilities. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/769c23175ee5f8e904f53902add85c880397fb60.png[/img] As usual, click on Apply to autofill the stats. Specifically, adjusting the value of Estimated Level changes the overall stats. Changing Number of ATK/DEF Turns affect mainly ATK values and HP. Checking magic related checkboxes then the enemy will also get assigned with MP and magic related stats. The numbers generated by the Auto-Guide can also be manually overwritten anytime the user wants. It is still recommended that the user goes to Test Play and see if they are satisfied with the values Auto-Guide gives. If not, then always feel free to change manually! [h2][b]Auto-Guide for Skills and Equipment Too![/b][/h2] Equipment and Skills stats can also benefit from Auto-Guide. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/c4d2ea1b53a4ed3a1b30f191864fd284043f3e55.png[/img] [b](Equipment Auto-Guide is controlled by defining Estimated Acquisition Level) [/b] Similarly, by entering the “Estimated Acquisition Level” parameter, Auto-Guide can compute the various stats of this gear too! Even the selling prices to merchants! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/719c1276375ffd487336758d60db8b1a7eecfa01.png[/img] [b](Skill Auto-Guide settings)[/b] For skills, Auto-Guide can help compute the damage potency. Skills have its own “Common Settings” parameters for Auto-Guide to perform calculations from. Once set, the Auto-Guide will auto-fill the various modifiers, Mana Cost, etc. for the user! Of course, the Free Input option is still available for those who prefer a more manual approach. [h2][b]Auto-Guide Makes Balancing Easier for All Users![/b][/h2] Through the use of RPG Maker Unite’s Auto-Guide to provide a game balancing direction, young developers would benefit the most from this and they can focus more on other areas that they wish to convey to the players, such as art design and story. Even for veteran developers, Auto-Guide can come in handy by first using it to form a foundation for most parameters, then start fine-tuning manually utilizing personal experiences. This could save quite a great amount of time which also in turn gives veteran users more time to brush up on other areas. In previous RPG Maker titles, game balancing often involves countless hours spent at editing stats and play testing. The Auto-Guide certainly is a great addition to stave off a lot of time spent during the development process! [h1][b]The Addition of “Addon Manager” for Easy Modifications [/b][/h1]From here on, we would like to move to the Addon Manager that is currently in development. In the previous Dev Log, we mentioned that reflecting popular demand, we have decided to implement a way to control and manage RPG Maker Unite modifications, in a way easily accessible to anyone! The new feature will be called “Addon Manager”. By implementing addon modules, whether self-developed or those shared by the community, users can intuitively select features that are not available out of the box. These can be small things such as quality of life improvements to completely new features! For those who have already been using previous versions of RPG Maker such as MV and MZ, it will be similar to the plugin manager. Let us have a look at the current development build of the Addon Manager: [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/d03991a605d4a5365eeb6b244750e62b1d464648.png[/img] [b](Main Window of Addon Manager) [/b] Similar to the Plugin Manager in MV and MZ, the Addon Manager contains a list of installed addon modules that users can manage easily by simply checking the on/off box, as well as entering some parameters (if the addon allows so) to alter its behavior. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/5b9532037fe869fa12b6d3a8b581061fa66234a2.png[/img] [b](Detailed property window of each addon)[/b] Clicking on one of the Addon modules inthe list, users can check the parameters related to the selected addon, the instructions the addon author has written, and in some cases editable parameters. If used correctly, this is a very intuitive and efficient way to modify RPG Maker Unite, and expand upon the default framework! However, it should be noted again that, since RPG Maker Unite uses a different coding language (C#) versus previous titles, plugins such as those from MV or MZ cannot be used directly. Also, addon module’s development, implementation, and support are beyond the scope of official support. Sharing knowledge and addons with others is completely fine, so long as it follows the RPG Maker Unite EULA guidelines. Considering RPG Maker Unite is designed to run on Unity, it has garnered great attention from both the current community and some Unity users. Once the entire community mobilizes itself, users can expect many more addon modules to pop up, making RPG Maker Unite far more powerful than we originally intended it to be! [h1][b]6th RPG Maker Unite Q＆A [/b][/h1] [h3][b]1. Can I use past RPG Maker assets (including official DLCs) and modify them for RPG Maker Unite, or modify RPG Maker Unite assets for past RPG Makers titles?[/b][/h3] Yes. This remains unchanged as long as these modifications adhere to the guidelines detailed in the EULA of the product. Basically as long as you are a legal owner of that RPG Maker title or the DLC in question, you can use however you want as long as it is related to game creation purposes. [h3][b]2. What are these VRM models needed to use the 3D Character Converter? We are really worried about not having a Character Generator, can you reconsider to implement one?[/b][/h3] VRM is a file format of 3D models, currently popular among the VTuber community and some VR social applications to be used as avatars. [b]■ For details, please refer to the following website created by the VRM Consortium[/b] https://vrm.dev/en/vrm/index.html Recently, VRM format models can be easily found in various game asset distribution platforms, whether as paid or free assets. Also there has been a variety of free apps that can generate VRM format 3D models too! Please consider giving these apps or services a try and you should be amazed by how fun VRM models are and how creative they can get! However, we do see the demand that some wish to have a way to generate assets that match perfectly with the default characters. It is definitely possible for us to find a way to implement this. Please contact us and voice on Twitter or post on the RPG Maker Unite Steam Forum so we can grasp how much demand there is for the Character Generator! [h1][b]The Next Dev Log is Scheduled Around the End of September![/b][/h1] Summing up, we introduced the new “Auto-Guide” and the addition of the Addon Manager. Auto-Guide is a great means to more efficiently streamline the balancing efforts in a far more intuitive way, which is a great tool especially for young developers, who can easily get stuck on these settings. We implement these features dedicated to our vision of RPG Maker series - that we wish to provide a means for anyone to be able to create games! The Addon Manager is a fan-requested feature aimed at easy control and managing modifications. RPG Maker Unite will continue to reflect user opinions to become the most accessible game making tool for anyone to use! Please allow us more time to fix bugs and improve on the usability of these features! As usual, if you have any questions or opinions about RPG Maker Unite, please tweet to us by using hashtag “#RPGMakerUnite” to get our attention! Your opinions are very important to us, so please make yourself heard! The next Dev Log is scheduled for the end of September. Please stay tuned for more info! Also, earlier in August, we introduced default characters full body portraits in another news announcement! Please check them out if you have not! https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1650950/view/3362519627187193645 See you next month! [h3][b]■ Related Links[/b][/h3] ・RPG Maker Series Portal Site『RPG Maker Official』： https://rpgmakerofficial.com/ ・『RPG Maker Unite』Official Site： https://rpgmakerunite.com/ ・RPG Maker Unite Steam Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650950/RPG_Maker_Unite/ ・RPG Maker Unite Official Twitter https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUniteJP　（Japanese） https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUnite　（English） ・RPG Maker Series Twitter https://twitter.com/tkool_dev　（Japanese） https://twitter.com/rpgmakerweb　（English）