Publisher	Enterbrain
Year	2005
Price	US$29.99
Frame rate	20, may be extended
Screen Resolution	640px x 480px
Commercial Games	Yes
Supported File Types	.jpg, .png ,.mid (in BGM and ME only), .ogg, .wma, .mp3, and .wav.
Flash Support	No
Data encryption	Yes
Extendable Programming Language	Ruby + default classes (RGSS)

Minimum System Requirements

OS	Microsoft® Windows® XP/2000. 64-bit OS is NOT supported.
CPU	PC with 800MHz Intel® Pentium® III equivalent or higher processor
RAM	At least 128 MB of system RAM
HDD	At least 100 MB of available hard disk space
Video Card	1024x768 or better video resolution in High Color mode
Sound Card	DirectSound-compatible sound card

Recommended System Requirements

OS	Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista/7. 64-bit OS is NOT supported.
CPU	PC with 1.5GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 equivalent or higher processor
RAM	At least 256 MB of system RAM
HDD	At least 500 MB of available hard disk space
Video Card	1024x768 or better video resolution in True Color mode
Sound Card	DirectSound-compatible sound card

Resources

RPG Maker XP comes packed with 601 (half of which are character sprites and battlers) graphical resources divided into various categories, including animations, autotiles, characters, battlers, icons, etc. It also comes with a decent collection of BGM, BGS, SE and ME totaling a combined 280 sound files. There are no face graphics included in RPG Maker XP but this functionality can be acheived with the use of RGSS.

Samples of default resources

Editor

Mapping

Maps are created using a single tileset image and events. The tileset image can be of any size and contain any number of 32px x 32px tiles. There are 3 layers in which to place tiles to make complex maps easier to achieve, as well as a fourth "events layer" where an event can be used to act as a tile. Each tile can be assigned passable or non-passable as well as a flag to be used in events or RGSS. The tilesets can be assigned 8 autotiles, a fog and a panorama to be utlilzed when needed in the maps. Each map can be assigned a BGM, a BGS and which enemies will be encountered on that map. Overall the mapping system is a great feature of RPG Maker XP and we have seen some amazing maps made with it by the community.

Events

Events are placed on the maps in RPG Maker XP and control such functions are messages, switches and variables, transferring players between maps, battles, etc. There are many kinds of events that create a flexible system for creating complex in-game events.

Database

The database in RPG Maker XP has 13 tabs for you to setup your game. From playable characters, weapons, amors to animations used in battle and on maps. All entries in the database have a limit of 999, which is usually plenty for most games. Every new game starts out with some default settings so you can jump in and start tweaking and get a playable game working in no time.

Actors	Data for the player-controlled party members
Classes	Data defining an actor's characteristics--what weapons and armor he or she can equip, what skills he or she can learn, and so on
Skills	Data for techniques and magic that produce special effects and consume SP
Items	Data for non-equipment items, such as recovery potions and event items
Weapons	Data for weapons that raise traits such as offensive power. Handled as a kind of item
Armors	Data for armor that raises traits such as physical or magic defense. Handled as a kind of item
Enemies	Data for enemies that fight the party in encounters and event battles
Troops	Groups of enemies. This is generally how enemies appear in-game
States	Data for physical and mental states that have various effects on a battler's abilities and movements
Animations	Data for the animation used as visual effects for weapons and skills
Tilesets	Data defining operation specifications for the tilesets used in making maps
Common	Events Data for generic events called often throughout the game
System	Miscellaneous data, including the initial party, elemental attributes, sound effects, and terminology

Ruby Game Scripting System (RGSS)

One of the most notable features when RPG Maker XP was first released, the RGSS editor allows you to edit, delete or add your own scripts to RPG Maker XP's existing scripts. You will have access to entire collection of scripts that make the game run, meaning almost every aspect of game control can be modified to your liking. The RGSS system is based of ruby and comes with its own collection of classes and functions which can be utilized in custom scripts.

There is a very large collection of custom scripts avaliable for RPG Maker XP, most of which are plug and play, the most popular type being custom battle systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is RTP?

RTP means Run Time Package. A package required to run a program, often filled with data (such as graphics and audio) used by much programs of the same kind.

What are the maximums?

Maps: 999

Events per map: 999

Dimensions of maps: 500 x 500 (1 = 32px square)

Database items: 999 each

Tileset height: unlimited, however larger tilesets will cause increased lag

I get an error message saying "Failed to initialize DirectX Audio" when I try to start up RMXP. What do I do?

Just install/reinstall your Sound Card Audio Driver.

I don't hear any sound, while my speakers are on and my sound card drivers are set.

Press F1 while in game. Make sure the thirth (Play BGM and ME in game) and the fourth (Play BGS and SE in game) are set.

How do I distribute my game without the RTP?

If the RTP is not installed, RPG Maker XP looks in the game folders for the resources you have used in your game. To distribute the game using default resources, you must copy those resources to the game folder. They are located here:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Enterbrain\RGSS 

You can either copy all of the files, or just the files you have used in your game. The latter is preferred so that the filesize is smaller. After you have copied the files to your game folder, compile the game to disk.

What is compile game disk?

It is an option under File in the editor.
It compiles your game into 1 file that you can run on another computer.
If you press it a dialog show appear asking you for an address. For a folder to be more explicit.
This is your output folder where the file will be placed after creation if you accept the dialog. (Click ok)
You have the option to create an encrypted archive.
This means that you can't get access to the game through the editor nor access to your resources when installing the game from the created file.

How do I send my game to my friends?

The above two answers should cover this.

The player can walk over solid stuff on my maps. How do I fix this?

You might not have set the 'passabilities' in the Database > Tab Tileset. If you still have problems try to use a dummy tile. Make one of the tiles, that are completely transparent, unpassable and use it to disable passability on the map on the 3rd layer.

If you want to check the passibilty in your map, just choose some "visible" dummy tile and fill with the bucket tool one area in the map. A little trick to actually "see" passability/unpassability on your map. After you finished editing just bucket it back with a passable/unpassable tile.

I have used 'Erase Event' to remove an event, but when I come back later it has appeared. How can I solve this?

First you must understand what Erase Event does. When you enter a map it is loaded into the memory. Erase Event removes the event from this temp map. The state of the map is NOT stored when loading another map. (The same as going to another place). When you now go back again the map will be loaded with the events in their original positions. This is why it doesn't work.

To solve it simply use switches. Turn on a switch where you have your Erase Event-command. Then make a new page and put the switch you just turned on as a precondition for the new page.

I'm getting an error: Failed to obtain a trial serial number from the nTitles server

Windows XP
Make sure your connected to the Internet.

Windows Vista/7
Make sure your connected to the Internet. Right click on program and click "Run As Administrator"

If it still is not working, right click the program and go to Properties -> Compatibility tab - > Run this program in Compatibility for: Windows XP service pack 2 or 3. -> Click Ok -> Right click on program and click "Run As Administrator".

If the problem persists, please post in the support topic we have for this issue.

Majority of credit for the FAQ goes to Zeriab. See his full RPG Maker XP FAQ.