Untitled Document

Using RPG Maker 2000/2003 is a fairly simple concept to get your head around, you're set with resources to go and you can begin making a game straight away.
However, there are a few things that eager new-goers overlook when starting new, this guide will help those of you just starting out, and even some of you that have been using the programs for a while to maintain organisation and composure throughout your design process.

Before you even begin to make a game...
We will begin with your work area, RPG Maker already acknowledges that an organised workplace is essential and so you have your projects and resources sorted accordingly, nothing really needs to be done because it's all done for you, however depending on the game you are making and the resources you are using, extra folders in different locations may be necessary.
It is recommended that any new folders you make should be separate from your project folder, the last thing you need is to start increasing your game's file size with images and materials that you won't actually be displaying within your game.
Computer shortcuts are definitely a handy tool with successful project development, no matter where your folders are located, it is advised to make grouped shortcuts on your desktop as it allows fast folder switching and simple file transfers.

Okay, so your work area is all in order now, it's time to move on to the next important part of startup which is your resources.
Beginning a game isn't as simple as just cracking it open and plugging away, unless there is a solid idea your head you will find your thoughts running dry fairly quickly into the whole process, in order to get the brain working it is a good idea to scout for resources, they allow you to see what materials are out there and at the same time can provide you with more ideas to take note of.
There are many resources available for public use, the following is an extensive list of fairly well known resource sites.

Visual	Audio
Rips/Customs The Spriters Resource Charas-Project Toolkit Zone RPG Classics Phylomortis First Seed Material The ShyGuy Kingdom Game Sprite Archives Super Mario Brothers HQ Nintendo Fans Mario Fan Game Galaxy	MIDIs Video Game Music Archive Midi Shack Midi Database Laura's Midi Heaven Sound Effects A1 Free Sound Effects Sound Effects Library Sound Dogs Sound effects at FlashKit Partners in Rhyme Find Sounds MP3s Galbadia Hotel Blue Laguna Newgrounds Audio Portal

Okay so you have your resources now, even if you won't use all of them it is a good thing to download and archive as much as you can, making a resources folder on your computer for everything to be placed in allows easy access to resources that you personally prefer and cuts down waiting times for sites to load, depending on your connection speed of course.

Alright, so everything should be in order now, an organised workspace, plenty of resources and new ideas for your game.

We can't begin yet...
There can't be a game made without appropriate knowledge how RPG Maker 2000/2003 works, it is strongly advised that before you even begin to consider making a game, you look through the program's Help File since it is more useful than any tutorial or template.
RPG Maker focuses on 3 main functions, these are:

Switch Operations
Variable Operations
Fork Conditions/Conditional Branches

Anything mildly complex that can be made with the program is based around these 3 functions, they are an important thing to learn but when you have, adapting other functions of RPG Maker to them can be what provides that added piece of structure to make your game more enjoyable to play.
Extensive information is provided on each of these 3 functions and so it should be noted that expecting to grasp the concept of it all may result in disappointment as a lot of the operations require implementation before a more thorough understanding of how they work is achieved.

Now it's time to begin, however...
Practice makes perfect, starting up your new game project with newly developed knowledge doesn't necessarily mean that you are ready to make a game, a lot of new developers make the mistake of diving in and sorting things out within their main game project, Custom Menus and other systems similar to them need to be able to adapt do your game's extra settings, they can very easily trap you if you aren't organised enough.
It is always a recommendation to start a new side project which you can create all of your systems in, this is a more dragged out process because it can end in about double the work to begin with, but in the grand scheme of things it is a very successful work-saving procedure that should become habitual, solely because you won't have to go back to fix things up later on.

When you feel you have enough of an understanding to implement things into your own game, that is when it's time to throw it over...
Starting the system again from scratch is always a better way to go, a lot of crucial errors get weeded out upon every redesign and new skills can be acquired that were not known beforehand.
You learn from experience, so experience as much as you can.

Now you're set
By this point your knowledge of RPG Maker should be quite higher than before, provided you studied up and practiced hard, everything from here on is past the startup phase and comes down to your own judgment on how you approach project construction.
Good Luck!

Carius