Hi, I'm Troy McClure. You may remember me from such travesties as "DRAW Your Own Story X" and "DRAW Your Own Story XI". Back in 2021 as part of a crash course in learning the RPG Maker software, I put together a tech demo based on my oeuvre to the comics in the as-yet-unmirrored DYOS VI (original write-up on Paytreon and this dA journal). A belated anniversary commemoration, I've released an update that incorporates several third-party plugins to polish up the UI.

It's quite a deviation from your typical RPG Maker game: the total play time clocks in between 30–40 minutes, but the overwhelming majority of that time is devoted to the two battles that are essentially miniature boss fights. Even if the in-jokes will go over the heads of a general audience, it should still play as a whimsical romp and a teaser to what I might one day be able to grow into a full-fledged adventure. Can you find all four endings?

You can download it here, with builds for macOS and mobile platforms. N.B.: I don't use Mac so that version hasn't been verified; mobile package includes the game files but does not supply the runtime environment, so you'll have to supply the APK yourself.

I will definitely have to check this out!
-- BK

RPG Maker there is a name I haven't heard of in AGES.  

As I understand it, they recently released a new version of it. I still have RPG Maker VX Ace, and was thinking of trying to use it to make an adventure based on the RPG I wrote. I just haven't had the time yet to devote to it.

-- BK

The latest version is MZ, released 2020 (basically a polish of 2015's MV but charged full price). I'd actually tried VX Ace but never figured it out, and never thought to look up user tutorials; then I came across a speed-build video and I realized "Oh, I think I can do this!" :P

I've been meaning to expand this with an alternate path closer to conventional RPGMs; one plan got shelved due to bad blood over IOT, one got hung up on mapping Oslo to right angles, but the third is something I think I can develop once I finally block the time.

It's a pipe dream, but part of me can't help imagining "Side 7: The Game"... B^D

Side 7: The Game.  I wonder what that would be like in terms of goals, story, etc.

-- BK