RPG Maker 2000

> *"For the first time, RPG Maker 2000 is available in English! Since its debut 15 years ago, the beloved game creation program has attracted countless users to participate in the wonders of game design and continues to be a powerful and intuitive tool."*
> - Steam
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> *"No other engine in the RPG Maker series comes close to the classic late '80s/early '90s feel, with graphics and combat that hit the nostalgic sweet spot while still offering huge opportunities for innovation. With a new translation and updates, this is the best version of the classic engine you will find!"*
> - Degica of the VALUE!+ version
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>

## RPG Maker 2000

* Original
* Remake

### Release Date

* April 5, 2000 (Japan)
* July 7, 2015 (Worldwide)

## Specification

### Supported Audio Types

.mp3, .midi, .wav

**RPG Maker 2000** (RPGツクール 2000, *RPG Tsukuru 2000*) is a second installment of the RPG Maker series. A program allows you to create role-playing video games similar to the SNES trilogy of Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan in 2000 and was developed and published by ASCII Corporation. It is the successor to RPG Maker 95 which was released in 1997. RPG Maker 2003, released in 2002, is the most advanced and complete version of RPG Maker 2000, and it shares many similarities to this program.

As of 2015, there was no official version translated into English; however, more than a decade before the official release by a Russian developer, under his alias **Don Miguel**, translated it and began illegally distributing it as freeware. Subsequently, Miguel removed its copies of the software and discouraged its distribution, despite this it became very popular; some well-known games developed with an illegitimate program, including Danny Ledonne's *Super Columbine Massacre RPG!*.

On July 7, 2015, the Humble Game Maker Bundle was released which included this program and where it was officially released for the first time in English, making the creation of RPG Maker games legal.

## System Requirements

* **Processor**: Intel® Pentium®4 1.5GHz.
* **Video Card**: 1024x768 or better video resolution in High Color mode.
* **Sound card**: DirectSound-compatible sound card.

## Features

Unlike RPG Maker 95 which has its games in a 640x480 resolution, the resolution of RPG Maker 2000 games is 320x240 and its map tiles are 16x16 instead of 32x32. On the other hand, however, RPG Maker 2000 is the first in the series to have numerical variables to be used in events, allowing for easier construction of arenas, for example, and the possibility of adding a secondary currency.

RPG Maker 2000 is the first program in the series to be able to play MP3 files for music and sound effects. All image assets must be indexed at 256 colors to be recognized.

RPG Maker 2000 introduces the concept of "Runtime Package" which is used to allow you to reduce the file size in game downloads (and therefore the time to obtain them) by omitting default assets in the game download and allowing users to download and install the default assets separately from the game.

The Steam version of the application has more features such as the ability to fully customize the phrases used in battle for actions such as attacking. The main aspect of the new tool and its strong point is based on the introduction of:

1. **Classic Front-View Battle System**: as happens in Final Fantasy, this vintage layout returns in RPG Maker 2000 with more features and highly intuitive controls. Combat creation can be mastered in minutes and the potential for creating more elaborate and dynamic battles is greatly increased.
2. **Simple and Intuitive interface of the tool**: RPG Maker engines are designed to be as flexible as possible while remaining easy to use and RPG Maker 2000 takes a significant step forward in this sense, eliminating the hassles that its predecessor could create. Practically the tool is managed via a simple point-and-click interface. All characters, enemies, abilities, animations and equipment in the game are created and stored in an easy-to-manage database. The event system is vastly in-depth and contains dozens of features to help you bring the story and setting of your games to life, such as custom messages, character movement, player choices, special effects, and more. Furthermore, RPG Maker 2000's powerful map editor is extremely easy to master and allows you to create maps, tile by tile, in a short time with greater efficiency than RPG Maker 95.
3. **Retro style and greater customization**: RPG Maker 2000 allows the user to create games that recall the old glories of role-playing games. However, the possibilities go far beyond the graphics that come with the tool. RPG Maker 2000 allows you to import custom 16-bit graphics, including character sprites, map tilesets, battle animations, backgrounds and more, raising the standard of graphics. The tool is also loaded with a variety of midi tracks and themed sound effects; it is possible for the user to also add WAV and MIDI tracks.
4. **User License**: By purchasing the game, it is possible to export user creations in compressed files that can be played on any Windows operating system, given that it is constantly updated (despite the publication of other superior tools). Additionally, games made with RPG Maker can be sold if you have the appropriate copyrights (after purchase for the tool and materials used in making the game) and have followed the registration process.

## Legality

Although it seems paradoxical, the download and distribution of English-language RPG Maker programs has itself been a source of controversy within the community. The controversy largely rests on whether the distribution is legal or not.

Initially this program was in Japanese, but the Russian developer Don Miguel translated it into English illegally.

Many users, perhaps most within the RPG Maker community, believe that RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 are legal, making it fall into the same category as anime fansubs. At the time, there were unsubstantiated rumors on the web that ASCII (now Enterbrain) gave permission or licensing rights to a Russian computer programmer named Don Miguel to create an English version for free distribution, completely unfounded data.

However, contrary rumors claimed that the program became illegal the moment Enterbrain received distribution rights to RPG Maker 2000; but even in this case these rumors turned out to be false, as the program was not legally downloadable until 2015, when Enterbrain actually obtained the rights to the series. In any case, the distributors, given the great passion for RPG Maker 2000, agreed to its distribution and this happened with the previous RPG Maker 95.

> **The RTP package in the illegal version or the one distributed by Don Miguel of RPG Maker 2000 uses resources extrapolated from SNES games such as Star Ocean and Tales of Phantasia which are protected by copyright and therefore illegal to use without a license. This by extension makes this version of the application illegal.**
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### RPG maker 4.0

This is a patch for RPG Maker 2000 distributed by an RPG-Maker enthusiast programmer known as Green Dragon and not by Enterbrain Co. Compared to the original version it does not have many changes, but in any case, it makes the tool more versatile:

1. Increased maximum number of variables and switches.
2. Maximum hero parameters increased.
3. Possibility to program the shift key.
4. Possibility to play Mp3 files.
5. Larger and therefore more readable program fonts.

### RPG maker 2000 Value!

It is the updated version of the original RPG Maker 2000. This version is official and has been improved by Enterbrain Corporation, originally RPG Maker 2000 was developed by ASCII. It contains many more features; the main ones are:

* The abolition of the Harmony DLL files.
* Reading mp3s.
* All parameters increased including pictures up to 50 on-screen.

Due to controversy and legality issues, many RPG Maker sites stopped offering downloads of the program. As of July 13, 2015, it is legally available for purchase on Steam. Using fan-translated versions of the program obtained for free is still illegal. RPG Maker was never a free program or intended to be one in the first place.

### Cease

Despite the controversy surrounding the English-language versions of RPG Maker 2000 and RPG Maker 2003, it is legal to produce games made from a Japanese version of RPG Maker. In fact, the Enterbrain itself tried to issue a cease-and-desist letter to Don Miguel, but it was too late: his creation was out of control. As he shut down his website, dozens of others appeared. Further legal action never succeeded in eradicating the problem. As of 2015, it became legal to use an official English version of RPG Maker 2000 or 2003 as the two programs were released on Steam and Humble Bundle by Enterbrain, and with the release of the license for sale of its games, the long period of pirated computer versions of RPG Maker came to an end, at least in the context of legality.

## Trivia

* Despite being an older version than RPG Maker 2003, RPG Maker 2000 costs five US dollars more on Steam than RPG Maker 2003.

## References

1. ↑ https://store.steampowered.com/app/383730/RPG\_Maker\_2000/
2. ↑ https://www.degicagames.com/a/software/rpg-maker-2000
3. ↑ https://www.rpg-hacker.de/?page\_id=71
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `:1`
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://dbpedia.org/page/RPG\_Maker\_2000
6. ↑ https://steamdb.info/app/383730/