Forum Updates Happening

[DerVVulfman]

Thank you.

My last post mentioned that RPG Maker Central went under another banner, that of RPG Maker VXAce.
I used the Internet Archive and visited the site in order to acquire what remained, primarily to go through the pages of its own 'Completed VX Scripts' board to obtain the URL addresses of every topic I could acquire, and hopefully then acquire and safeguard each script.

Alas, of the thirty odd pages worth of script topics, many of the pages themselves were broken. What would have been nearly one thousand topics dwindled greatly to less than half. Then it was quickly noticed that topics reappeared on multiple pages. A script entitled "FModEx" by Nagato Yuki appeared on five different pages alone. And with that, the list dwindled down to less than two-hundred.

But then was time to sift through the URLs acquired and to see what content was able to be saved.

There were a good number of scripts that did survive the transition from RPG Maker VXAce to RPG Maker Central, and those I didn't need to repost. So removing those from the list was fine.

But sadly, there were many topics that did not. And of the url addresses/paths that the Internet Archive recoded within the great list, the Internet Archive failed to acquire half of the topics themselves... thus the list shrunk all the more. And of those that remained, many hosted their works on sites that refused the Internet Archive access, so many a number of scripts were lost.

In truth, only twenty six of the estimated nine-hundred script topics from RPGMakerVXAce could be salvaged.

But salvaged they were, and now within the RMC Archive.

Ooh, a side note. RPG Maker VXAce did have a board for RPGMaker VX scripts, but apparently no one posted within. Rather humorous as there were three VX scripts salvaged that were posted under the RMC banner.

[DerVVulfman]

Dear friends.  You didn't think I was done with the RPG Maker Central Archive, did you?

The arduous task of acquiring every salvageable script and plug-in may have been accomplished, but that was but only one facet of the bygone forum. Certainly, one needs to realize that the site also contained resources for both the visual and audio variety that needed to be saved, or their viable posts at the very least.

The population of RPG Maker Central's Resource Center Archive is now well-under-way. And the Audio, 3D Models and 2D Resources sub-forums from the original site have been thoroughly filled.

The audio sub-forum only had a dozen actual resource threads within, and most of those had working links. The 3D Models sub-forum, while having three threads, only one was created to deliver actual content by way of links.

As towards the 2D Resources sub-forum, it boasted twenty eight actual resource, though two of these were by our esteemed Eric Matyas who has matching threads in existence here. Another resource had its links removed because it contained content edited without permission by the original author, a couple of requests threads, and a couple others that had dead links.  But with that said, eighteen fully viable resource threads were saved.

Some of the threads took quite some effort due to their complexity and size. One such thread actually required the poster to make two separate posts just for the size of their posts themselves and RPG Maker Centrals actual character limit per post.

However, with all that, I am not nearly done.  More work is necesary, and within RPG Maker Central's Resource Center archive the RPGMaker forum and its separate subforums need to be recreated.

So I may seem inactive in scripting, be aware that I am very much active in safeguarding what I can for everyone to use and enjoy.

Not the only news of course...   

A while back, our own Scripts Database began the process of subdividing all scripts by their related engines and placing them within their own individual sub-forums.  This a decision and policy so those using a particular engine need not wade through pages of scripts unrelated.

Of that, only a scant twenty scripts sets, topics that contain multiple engines, remain.  In a short time, these will be divided by their original script author in twain. And the endeavor to have just those scripts for one's gaming engine of choice will be complete.

[DerVVulfman]

Dear friends,


 Work upon the RPG Maker Central archive continues.  And as of today, the RPGMaker VXAce resource Sub-Forum within its RPGMaker Resource Center board has been completed.  There were a few boards where content could bot be saved, the posters using the now-extinct ImageShack host.  And half a dozen threads within were actually resource and 'script' request posts.

However, work within the Resource Center is not complete.  There are two additional boards that need to be populated, one containing staff released content, and the other referred to as Granny's Lists; a library of resources gathered by grandmadeb (or GrannyDeb). I do not have high expectations, but will work diligently to complete this task.

Following this, I still need to visit RPG Maker Central's Developing Tools board, and its Tutorials board containing its one tutorial.

But work is not only being accomplished within the Archive board.

As of now, the forum's own Resource Database has followed suit with having new sub-categories within.  As of now, our Resource Database now contains a board for Audio resources, 2D resources for any tilework or sprite/cel animations,  and 3D resources for both static and animated models. Prefix tags have not been crafted as yet for the 3D resources board, said tags to differentiate between static works such as terrain or furniture models, and dynamic objects such as NPCs, doors and so on.

Meanwhile, the PHP for our forum was quickly updated a few days ago courtesy of Kirito.

[DerVVulfman]

Dear friends,

The Granny Lists from RPG Maker Central is trying to kill me. 

Sure enough, I have many of GrannyDeb's threads up.  However, I have two left and they are not tiny in the least.  As a point of fact, the recently archived "VX Ace Portraits and Facesets" topic took three days at bare minimum to complete. More than 100 websites that were within the original post that I had to verify; over fifty with irretrievable content, thirty with content that was able to be salvaged, and just over twenty five site links still functioning.  All this, plus downloading and storing the archived content so it could be accessible as it had once before.

But, as I say, the Granny Lists are trying to kill me.

I have two more such lists remaining. 

One of these may not be so bad, but the other rivals the Portraits and Facesets thread in apparent size.  And for these, I must also verify every link, and see as to re-acquiring content when needed.  And then the Developing Tools board which may offer a cadre of programs and techniques any RMer should appreciate.



Meanwhile, I need to state that some permissions have been adjusted.

That is to say, non-member Guests will be able to see that the forum indeed has a board for Archived websites that no longer exist, but will not see anything more, not even the names of the boards within those three archived websites by name. And for the Newcomers who have not completed registration, they will not see the threads or posts within those boards just as they have no access to their User CP nor any attachment.  Said access is solely to fully registered members.

And now returned to the top menu is the 'Support Graphics' button.  Once more, you have access to custom userbars that you can place within your signature indicating if you are a scripter, a pixel artist or musician... and much more.


EDIT:   I stated yesterday that I had two more GrannyDeb lists to process.  That has now been reduced to only one remaining.  The Animal Resources thread has now been fully updated, links verified, and what sites that have vanished into the internet archive has its graphics once more available and visible with only a modicum of difficulty.  Looking at the clock, it was literally a 9-to-5 job with me stepping away only for lunch.

Yet, one of the Granny lists remains... and that will take some time indeed.

[DerVVulfman]

Hey, friends!

The Granny Lists from RPG Maker Central are done. And with that, all the audio and graphic resource boards have been archived. Well, to the best of my knowledge. But as of now, the entirety of the Resource Center board of RPG Maker Central's archive has been completed.

And the next endeavor is to archive what can be saved of the Developing Tools board, a board that has design tools for game developers.

It should be ... smaller.

[DerVVulfman]

Hey, friends!

The Granny Lists from RPG Maker Central are done. And with that, all the audio and graphic resource boards have been archived.  Well, to the best of my knowledge. But as of now, the entirety of the Resource Center board of RPG Maker Central's archive has been completed.

And the next endeavor is to archive what can be saved of the Developing Tools board, a board that has design tools for game developers.

It should be ... smaller.

Dear Friends!

Boy, was I wrong.  

The so-entitled Developing Tools board might not be as large as some of the resources forums, but threads within have been rather time consuming and at times problematic.  Comically, the board suggests it is meant to recommend tools for game development as it has a smaller sub-forum of its own for tutorials.  However, I have gone through and re-archived over 2/3rds of the content and almost all of the content are themselves tutorials.  From all appearances, the posters ignored the actual Tutorial sub-forum within.

There are some threads  that did recommend tools or software for use, be they fairly well known tools such as Campaign Cartographer for those Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts of the past, or innocuous tools such as Genetica Viewer by Spiral Graphics.  However, there were also some unanswered requests within.   And sadly, some threads which appeared to be helpful tutorials could not be saved due to screenshots that could not be saved and/or demos and video content deleted by the thread authors.

Still, over one-hundred thread have been restored within the archive, and more are coming.  After that, there are a scattering of other boards to investigate.  So this may be a long haul in itself.

... I so wanna get back to game development.  


Meanwhile, the process of having our own Scripts Database board separate scripts by their engines continues, and currently there are less than twenty scripts that need be subdivided between RPGMaker XP and other engines remaining.

[DerVVulfman]

Still, over one-hundred thread have been restored within the archive, and more are coming.  After that, there are a scattering of other boards to investigate.  So this may be a long haul in itself.

Hey, friends.

All of the content within RPG Maker Central's Development Tools board that could be salvaged has now been  archived. And it its board correctly re-positioned within the RMC Resource Center forum. Indeed, it was originally part of that board, and is once again. 

Still, I have to question why individuals posted tutorials within that board instead of links to actual tools when the RPG Maker Central forum indeed had a separate Tutorials section.

And with that, I do have more work... the examination and archival of the RPG Maker Central Tutorials forum.

Wow, I have a lot of work to do.

[Kaz]

I am in awe of your skills here! You have managed get hold of some topics that I thought were lost for ever.

The forum got in a mess towards the end as it was glitchy and frequently not working. At the time only myself and Rikifive were the only staff active and we desperately were trying to tidy the damn place up, hence the many dump and trash sections. Every time we tried to move sections we were getting errors and it all got scrambled and ugh so annoying.

[DerVVulfman]

I am in awe of your skills here! You have managed get hold of some topics that I thought were lost for ever.

The forum got in a mess towards the end as it was glitchy and frequently not working. At the time only myself and Rikifive were the only staff active and we desperately were trying to tidy the damn place up, hence the many dump and trash sections. Every time we tried to move sections we were getting errors and it all got scrambled and ugh so annoying.

DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!  YES!

Hey, if you got contacts with the other posters, LET THEM KNOW!!!!

I made sure I gave credit!

Sadly the Gallery is inaccessible for content download.  But I'm sure gonna work on the Tutorials, and hopefully the Completed Projects board.

[Remi-chan]

I am in awe of your skills here! You have managed get hold of some topics that I thought were lost for ever.

The forum got in a mess towards the end as it was glitchy and frequently not working. At the time only myself and Rikifive were the only staff active and we desperately were trying to tidy the damn place up, hence the many dump and trash sections. Every time we tried to move sections we were getting errors and it all got scrambled and ugh so annoying.

You know if you looked at the RPGmakerCentral chat even once you'd probably be aware this has been a thing DerVVulfman has been working on for... god- I think over a year now!

I was the one who recommended he do so back when the first signs of RMC's fall were starting to show through, but he is owed credit for all the work. I'm merely an instigator as usual~!

I was all like "Hey VVulllfy, can you do me a SOLID??"

And the fool! he said yes, now over a year later he's still working on this solid. :3