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First off, some of you may be asking “What is this IRC that you speak of?” Well, IRC, or Internet Relay Chatroom, a way of communicating in real time with people from all over the world. It is made up of different networks of servers, which allow people to connectto discuss just about anything by joining channels. Channels are basically chatrooms with a specific topic. The channel names either begin with a # or an &. Each person on IRC is known by their “Nick” or nickname which is essentially a screen name this name is the name that appears as the person talks. Channels are presided over by operators, which are more commonly known as “ops”. Ops essentially moderate the channel and enforce its rules. There are a large set of commands that IRC allows you to use, but I will not discuss them here because the list is too extensive. Plus, I don’t even know all of them. If you would like to learn more about IRC you should visit the IRChelp website.

In order to join an IRC server and a channel and talk on them, you will need an IRC client. One of the most popular ones for Windows is mIRC, but it is pretty old school looking, and it costs $20 to register after the 30 day trial period. It also reminds me of Windows 98 to be honest. My favorite IRC client is IceChat. It is more modern looking and is very easy to use. For Linux, I like X-Chat, which also has a windows version. And on Macs, I love using Colloquy, which has a couple of great looking skins and integrates with the Mac OS X look and feel very well.

I frequent the #rmxp channel on the irc.slacked.org server. For you other IRC users, what channels do you frequently visit?

I’ve always been interested in the Game Development area, but have never really had the patience to sit down and code and entire game from scratch. RPG Maker XP removes the need for coding completely. It allows you to create an RPG similar to the original Final Fantasy games.

Another advantage of using this program is its low system requirements, which are shown below.

Minimum System Requirements

RPG Maker XP, which will from now on be referred to as rmxp, also works on Windows Vista under XP SP2 compatibility mode.

Rmxp is a program aimed to be easy to use, and allows you to create a game with as little or as much customization as you desire. You use events, which are like little spots of code written in English to make things happen. You also use the database to change the attributes of characters, enemies, items, and more. Also, you can use the artwork and music that comes with the program to make a game, or you can create your own.

One of the greatest features, though, of rmxp, compared to other game makers is its scripting language, it uses RGSS, which is Ruby, but with premade objects. This scripting language allows you to easily customize certain aspects of the game while using a real programming language. Something that I have not seen in any other game maker.

Rmxp also has, by far, the best community surrounding any game maker. This community can be found at rmxp.org. This website is essentially a forum, but it also has a downloads section, a wiki, and even a brand new blogging feature. This site is a must visit for all rmxp users. Be warned, though, if you are using the illegal version of rmxp, called the Postality Knight’s version. They will not help you at all. I do not condone piracy, either. DO NOT download the illegal version, get a job and spend $60 for the program, so that Enterbrain, the creator, will keep putting out more quality programs like it. Also you can download a demo here from download.com.