Over the past eight weeks, we have explored RPG Maker MV, a program that allows you to quickly and easily (in theory…) design your own computer role playing game. We created a game called Mists of Tongass and learned how to create realistic interiors, design characters and enemies, and craft missions. Now it’s time to put it all together.

In case this is your first visit, here are links to previous articles and a summery of what each article explained:

• Mists of Tongass I – Game title, hero, plot, and initial setting.
• Mists of Tongass II – Plot instigator, quest item, and basic dialogue.
• Mists of Tongass III – Town exterior, entrances and exits, and villagers (NPCs).
• Mists of Tongass IV – Interiors, overarching plot, and advanced dialogue.
• Mists of Tongass V – Enemies and enemy troops.
• Mists of Tongass VI – Created first quest using random encounters.
• Mists of Tongass VII – Weapons, armor, equipment, and shops.
• Mists of Tongass VIII – Created second quest using enemies on the map.

If you correctly followed all instructions, your game should be ready to export. Exporting a game creates an executable file that allows it to be played on other computers. This edition of RPG Maker also comes with Smart Phone capabilities. Pretty cool!

To export a game, click on File and then Deployment. You can see it supports five different platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android/iOS, and Web Browsers. I’m using Windows right now, so I’ll choose that option. When it finishes, it displays a message saying it created a “distribution package.” In other words, it creates a folder with your game files and an Application to launch the game. The graphics quality is a little poor on full screen mode (I’m using a large monitor).

RPG Maker is a great way to get creative and share your adventures with the world, but it can be time-consuming. Almost everything is customizable. It’s easy to get bogged down and frustrated in the details. The key is to find a balance and let RPG Maker do the work for you by using defaults. After you get more comfortable, you can start to change things to create your own masterpiece.