Your thoughts on Action Game Maker?

[PK8]

In case you did not know already, the (Japanese) Action Game Maker trial has been released. Everything said below is stolen from ActionGameMaker.com.

Constraints
1. On startup, a single network authentication check will be done. No personal information will be collected. In the full version of the program, network authentication will happen frequently.
2. You can only create up to 20 canvases (maps). The full version is unlimited.
3. You can only create up to 100 gadgets (events). The full version is unlimited.
4. The amount of data that can be read is restricted. There is no data reading restriction in the full version.
5. You can only save a project up to 50 times. The full version is unlimited.
6. You cannot add new "Images", "BGM", or "SE". In the full version you can import and export any items the program accepts.
7. The "New Game Wizard" options are limited. You can only select "Simple Action", "Simple Action RPG, and "Simple Shooter". You cannot set the screen resolution. In the full version, you will be able to edit the genres in different ways. You can also create a game from scratch and set the resolution.
8. Games can't be exported. In the full version, you can export to Windows (the default way of game exporting), Microsoft XNA format, and Adobe Flex SDK for Flash.
9. The settings cannot be changed. In the full version any settings can be changed.
10. The trial cannot be updated.

System Requirements
OS: Microsoft Windows XP / Vista with DirectX9.0c support (64-bit versions not guaranteed to work properly)
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4GHz equivalent or higher (Intel Core 2 Duo equivalent recommended)
Memory: 512MB or more (2GB recommended)
Hard Disk Space: 200MB or more (for the trial)
Video Card: 1024x768 resolution or higher
Sound Card: Must be capable of 16-bit stereo and can play 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz WAVs
Internet Connection: Required for startup

Installation Setup
1. Double click the file to decompress it. (the Enterbrain .exe's)
2. (Unzip the Rar's from AGM.com) Go to the folder created and run setup.exe.
3. DirectX 9.0c and the .NET Framework 2.0 or higher are required. They are included in the DirectX trial package.
4. Go to the Start menu, then All Programs -> Enterbrain -> ??????????????? -> ??????????????? and run the trial.

How To Use
1. The first time you run the trial, your network authentication ability will be checked.
2. Once the program's open, click the "New" icon under the "Home" icon. The "New" icon looks like a pencil on paper (it's two below the Home icon). A wizard will pop up. Choose one of 3 genre options (Simple Action Adventure, Simple Action RPG, or Simple Shooter). Keep clicking through until all the left-side tabs are hilighted in yellow. Then click the box. The genre you picked will load, popping up the game itself automatically.

Trial Removal
Go to the Control Panel, then "Add or Remove Programs". Remove "???????????????" (Action Game Maker Trial).

Downloads
Action Game Maker Trial (with DirectX 9.0c Setup) (226 MB)
Action Game Maker Trial (without DirectX 9.0c Setup) (139 MB)

Go ahead and post your thoughts on AGM.

[PK8]

Me? I think it looks like it's going to take quite a bit of time to learn, judging by the interface. It's totally it's own maker and NOT another RPG Maker. Action Game Maker looks impressive (I'm basing this on the games I've played), I'd love to put the trial to use but I can't because of the language so until some English Patch or an English release of the trial gets put up for download, I'll just wait it out.

[EJlol]

downloading 226MB with 15kb/s... ugh...
Looking at the screenshots its kinda complicated. Hopefully it won't be TO complicated. :/

[DerVVulfman]

I'm a waiter. Waited for the English version of RMXP (nope... no PK user here). Waited for the English version of RMVX.

[PK8]

There's been a number of updates since the release. Check out ActionGameMaker.com. :P

Action Game Maker translations page to help you use AGM.
Kav posting an announcement about a user (Cyro) posting a tutorial to help those using the AGM trial who are using a 64-bit OS.
Elemental Crisis releases an English patch for the AGM trial. Click on the announcement for more details.
AGM has been released in Japan.
Kav adds a couple of pages in actiongamemaker.com.

[Bolt]

After looking through the screens, I definitely think this program is going to be worth it. It's a major pain to try to make action games in RPG Maker, This one is built around it.

I've always wanted to make my own Zelda game, I think this will get me the next best thing.

[Ratty524]

Seems to have a pretty complex setup, but it doesn't look too hard to understand.

When I finish the first game, I was planning on making a sequel to Tina of the Stars with this maker. I think the concept I have for it will function much better with that platform.

[Sporky]

They released a new sample game on the Tkool blog.. looks like it might be fun :) Yet another actiony RPG

http://www.famitsu.com/blog/tkool/

[KasperKalamity]

i really wanted to play around with this when it came out. is there an english version available yet?

[Kain Nobel]

Tried it a long long time ago, right after it first came out, didn't like it very much. I mean, if you have patience, I'm sure some awesome can come out of it, the sample games were rather fun. I'm not sure if it had alot of bugs when it was released, or if I just couldn't get things to function correctly due to trial limitations, but it seemed like something was wrong with it from the start. For instance, I changed a minor attribute of an Event object, like a height variable or something, and it caused the application to crash. When I would pull task manager up to kill the igm.exe and then re-start the project, the sample game I had edited wouldn't load at all, I even set the variable back to what it previously was.

A google search many months after I tried it, I couldn't find but just one IGM community that would even be worth talking about, I think it was either French or German. The English RM communities seemed not to be sold on it, they were hyped and then big time disappointed. I think on a certain level, just that disappointment alone was enough that the rmxp.org staff had buried the AGM/IGM forum and started taking a big focus on other platforms, the unreleated Game Maker 7.0 seemed to take a big emphasis, and then countless other ones. I think the biggest thing that turned people off, from what I heard, is just non-trial limitations such as "Oh, you can only have three projectiles on screen."

My thoughts? Honestly, the trial games were fun, but I couldn't stand the actual program itself. I know they had lots of plans to expand and update it so, regardless of my initial dislike, it might be worth checking out again. It failed at launch but I have to admit that it had lots of potential, probably just got off to a rough start.