[RMMV] How to Use & Update Plugins + General Q/A

Introduction

For those who don't know about that, plugins in RPG Maker MV are basically extending scripts that are managed by PluginManager in a game system script rpg_managers.js. Unlike in RPG Maker VX Ace and former, RPG MV editor provides plugin manager for such that, as shown in the picture below. I explain it in the next section.

Adding, Removing, and Configuring Plugins

  1. Put a plugin (.js file) to add into directory: [game_directory]\js\plugins
  2. In the RPG MV editor, open Tools -> Plugin Manager... (F10).
  3. To add a plugin, double click the blank entry at the bottom.
  4. Click the Name: combo box to select a plugin (all in the plugin directory).
  5. Click the Status: combo box to enable/disable the plugin (whether to let it loaded & executed by the game system).
  6. Some plugins provide certain parameters to configure. Double click on a parameter to change its value.
  7. Click the Help... to see instructions for the plugin.
  8. Click OK if you're done.
  9. To reorder a plugin, right click -> Cut (Ctrl+X) on it and right click -> Paste (Ctrl+V) on the place you think it should be.
  10. To remove a plugin, right click -> Delete (Del) on it. Note that the file won't be deleted from the disk.

Updating Plugins

Some 'baka's said that we have to recreate a new project for the current one in order to update some plugins. Well, here I explain the better way to update plugins. First, put an 'updated' plugin into the plugin directory and replace the existing 'old' one. Then, there are two cases:

Case 1: Only difference on some script code.

You don't need to do anything with the plugin manager, just playtest the game to see some effects.

Case 2: Difference on the parameters definition.

The plugin may not work well when running the game, especially dealing with newly added parameters. So, do the following steps:

  1. Open the plugin manager.
  2. Remove a plugin you want to update. Note that any changes on the parameter values will be lost.
  3. Add the plugin again, reconfigure the parameters, and reorder it.
  4. Save your project and playtest the game to see some effects.

RPG MV Plugins General Q/A

Q: I can't find plugin(s) I want. What should I do?
A: Try searching in the RPG Maker official forum and some other unofficial forums. They may haven't been released yet, since RPG MV was still newly released in end of October, 2015. Or if you think you can, try developing them by yourself.

Q: Do plugin orders matter?
A: In many cases, yes, like scripts in RPG VX Ace and former. Some of them may override variables and/or functions that were defined in the plugin at above, and they may be overriden by one(s) at below. Some of them may also require variables and/or functions defined in the plugin at above.

Q: What capabilities could RPG MV plugins perform?
A: Basically, RPG MV games are HTML5 applications, and the game runner is a Chrome-based mini-browser. Thus, all JavaScript and HTML5 features (including AJAX) are of course applicable. WebGL library features are also applicable due to support on it. So, we could develop a browser-based MMORPG that utilizes AJAX, or even a game using WebGL's 3D graphics renderer.

Q: I want to develop RPG MV plugins by myself. What things do I need?
A: First, and the most important, programming skill and ability to script using JavaScript, like you do for web applications. You can learn JavaScript in w3schools.com.
Second, it's necessary to learn some code in the default RPG MV game system. You can also learn the structures documented in the RPG MV help file.
If your plugin utilizes other existing plugin(s), of course you need to learn their code.

Q: Can I make and apply external JS scripts (not plugin) on RPG MV games?
A: Yes. A thing you need to do is modifying index.html in the game directory. Add the following in the <body> tag, above the element for main.js:
<script type="text/javascript" src="js/yourscript.js"></script>
But still, it's recommended to make them as plugins that can be easily managed using the plugin manager.

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