I'm new to the RPG Maker series and got RPG Maker 2 for the PS2. I've been playing for about a week and still can't figure out anything, and my game came without a manual. Can anyone help me get started?

I'll leave this up to whomever knows RPGM2 pretty well but I'll give you this summary. Forgive me if I am rusty on certain menu names.

RPGM2 allows you to edit a lot of scripts or create your own from scratch and it has a lot of different databases it incorporates into its "World Organization". It has databases like character, enemy, enemy actions, visual effects, etc.

The way to think of it is that you are first creating and editing all your different components separately and them compiling them together in a given world and then connecting worlds.

It is hugely customizable, so much to the point as to be incredibly intimidating. It offers three difficulty levels which are called something like "beginner", "normal" and "advanced". I probably have these names wrong so keep that in mind when you are comparing it to the real thing. The way that it works is that in the begginer difficulty it presents you all kinds of preset scripts to be used in events that control the flow of the game as well as preset sample buildings, dungeons, and fields, etc. It also has samples of everything for which there is a separate database I believe like visual effects, items, abilities, etc.

The beginner mode is a good way to see how to actually tie everything together once they are already created in the script editors or databases. But the beginner mode doesn't allow you to customize hardly anything so eventually you'll want to work in a more difficult mode.

The most advanced mode is essentially designed so that you can make games from scratch using only the most basic and necessary presets. Otherwise you have to create everything yourself from scripts to buildings to enemy actions. That is basically for a true professional if you want to start from scratch.

What you can do though is first create the file at begginer difficulty to have access to all presets and samples and then change the difficulty to advanced so that you can edit (as opposed to create from scratch) whatever you want. You could also start in beginner mode and then switch to the normal middle mode (instead of the highest advanced difficulty) to have access to the presets and samples and then edit some basic stuff (but not as much as the advanced) to get a feel for editing presets and samples without getting overwhelmed with information overload.

My advice is to first start making a simple test game in beginner difficulty. Get a feel for how it all connects, then change difficulties, one at a time to see what kinds of things you have access to edit, and then eventually switch to advanced difficulty and change any specifics you want to change.

One quick example is a shop where your character can buy and sell items. The beginner mode will provide you with a preset script to be used with a "shop" event. You will not be able to change it but it works just fine as a shop. But eventually you may want to edit the preset text a little so you would need to get into the script and edit it. You need to switch to a higher diffiulty to do that. But you could (especially in advanced mode) create a shop entirely from scratch which works as a shop but very different from the one beginner difficulty provides you. This is only for the most advanced users but the option is there. My point is not to be discouraged by the limitations of beginner mode because trust me, compared to RPGM1 and RPGM3, you could eventually do almost anything with RPGM2 (even create "World" peace ) but it won't look like it in beginner mode. Yet in RGPM2 even moreso than RPGM1 and RPGM3 you need to learn to walk before you learn to run.

Oh, I forgot to mention that it is unfortunate that you don't have a manual which is kind of important. I benefitted most from the Prima Strategy guide, but I also used the manual, but there is also in-game help offered in some senses when you press either the start or select buttons in a given database on a given menu field so I hope that helps you.

Here are two sites that have a examples of scripts to help you get started. The best thing to do with rpgm2 is to play around with it. I learned the program through trial and error mostly. I hope these sites help.

http://doansdomain.proboards.com/index. ... thread=173

http://www.pavilionboards.com/forum/sho ... php?t=2386

And this site here has a bunch of FAQS that should be helpful.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/538013.html

If you need anymore help don't be afraid to ask.

Here's a copy of the manual:

http://www.rpgmmag.com/rpgm2/rm2_guides.php

I second finding Prima's offical RPGM2 guide. It goes into detail how to finangle with some of the options, but more importantly, it has a step-by-step guide how to create a little 10-minute game.

I've made some of the scripts in the links you provided me, but I don't know how to use them in events.
*edit* never mind, I figured it out. But how do you make variables?