The Definitive Guide to the Raycasting Game Maker
A downloadable Guide
The Raycasting Game Maker is a Wolfenstein inspired game engine developed by BitHandler, and can be downloaded over on ModDB. (Links are included in the guide)
Welcome!
My name is Jonathan, aka FilmmakerJ/FilmGamerJ, and this is the 100% Free, packed to the brim, Definitive Guide to the Raycasting Game Maker.
When I first discovered the RGM game engine through the E1M1 RGM Game Jam in 2021, I was struck by how simple and effective it was and wanted to give it a try. But, ironically, once I started playing around with it, I quickly realized how little the engine explains to you in its Help section and how complicated the engine actually is to use. While it is small and does a lot of the work for you with automatic code, the problems come when you want to start importing your artwork and don't know where it's all stored. Then you close the program to start things back up the next day, and your heart jumps because you realize the software doesn't have tabs and you don't know where your level map has gone.
How do you save your levels? How do you change which ceiling and floor textures are loaded? How do you add audio tracks to your levels? How do you add cutscenes? How do you change the game icon for your executable?
So that's when I decided to create my very own tutorial guide for the Raycasting Game Maker so that no one else ever has to wonder these things in vain again.
All of the collected knowledge from previous users, game devs, fans, and my own trial and error have been compiled into this 118 page retro-inspired game guide to give you every last scrap of knowledge you could possibly need.
Not only do I cover every panel, tab, and placeable sprite, but I also explain the quirks and oddities of the software you'll want to be aware of; that way, you're not caught off guard. The end of the guide also features several advanced tips and tricks for how to make the most out of the engine's many limitations.
What's In This Tutorial Package?
In addition to the 118 page tutorial guide, I've included 26 video footage examples, featuring the 12 indie games credited in the guide, and footage of 7 example games I created myself specifically for the final tips and tricks section.
I've also included 4 other files you may find of use:
- (NEW) A complete "Artwork Atlas" chart, containing empty spaces correctly sized for every bitmap and texture that can be imported into RGM. This includes 100 environment tiles; enemy, sprite, and weapon animation states, menu and cutscene screens, and the HUD. That's a total of 288 individual images you can design and use in your games.
- A"Weapon Power VS Endurance" chart which will help you navigate the relationship between weapon power, enemy endurance, and destructable sprite endurance. In this case, Endurance refers to how well it holds up before it dies or explodes.
- A "GameBitmaps Filenames Chart," which may prove helpful as you begin replacing the default artwork with your own designs, as these files must be overwritten or resaved with the exact same filenames in order to function.
- An image TEMPLATE file, in .bmp format, which shows color-coded blocks for where each number in a number reference image exists. Basically, the RGM engine uses an image file to display numbers on both the HUD and level-end score screens rather than generated text. This makes it possible to hand-craft the font or design of these numbers by replacing these image files. But the default images don't make it clear where the edges of each number actually are. So I thought this Template might come in handy.
Lastly, a standard TXT ReadMe file has been included which covers all credits, sources and acknowledgements, beyond what the guide itself covers.
All Comments and Suggestions Are Encouraged
If you experience any issues while accessing and reading this guide, or if you are confused by anything and think a section should be updated or added, please comment below and I'll be sure to provide occasional updates as I am able.
Download
Install instructions
This tutorial guide has been provided as a downloadable .ZIP file which must be extracted first before the guide can be used.
When reading this guide, using Adobe Acrobat should allow you to make use of the included hyperlinks to each of the included Video Examples (1 - 26).
However, I cannot guarantee that other PDF readers will allow this functionality. So if you are reading this guide through your browser or another reader, you will need to access the Video Examples sub-folder manually in order to view them.
None of the picture examples have been included as additional files, as the guide is large enough to zoom in on each picture and view them without much loss in their original quality. However, a few images will already be heavily zoomed in, so they'll look fuzzy to begin with.
Development log
- 100 Downloads Achieved!Feb 09, 2023
- Artwork Atlas - Now Included!Dec 24, 2022
- Artwork Atlas - Update #2Dec 19, 2022
- Guide Additions & My 1st RGM GameDec 16, 2022
Comments
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hi im having a problem importing a music midi for a level
when i test the game it only plays a few tracks from the midi, no drums and not all the tracks
Hi Butter Tray.
If you're referring to the tracks inside the Midi itself, my best guess is that the RGM program can only read the first 6, maybe first 8 tracks within a midi file. And if that IS the case, then you would have to simplify and reduce your midi to a set number of tracks with no extra or empty tracks.
I can't be sure if that's the case. I never asked any of the RGM experts if there was a special trick to the midi import. But I've seen different midi software, even my own Casio keyboard have trouble reading certain midis if they had too many tracks, or different tracks put in odd places. Sometimes putting the drums in the wrong track number can make them not show up or play incorrectly because certain tracks may have standard mapping defaults.
If that isn't the issue, however, then RGM may have certain bugs when it comes to Midi, which could also have issues with Windows 10, since the RGM software stopped development 10 years ago. So it would have been built using either Windows 7, or possibly Windows Vista. Without dedicated software, Windows 10 may reproduce midis in unexpected ways, using instrument sounds you aren't expecting it to use.
ok thanks for the advice!
and another thing even though i put ogg files instead of midi it still dosent work even though i followed everything the guide told me
Greetings!
I am using RGM v4 and I have a problem of importing custom game bitmaps.
RGM says they have wrong size or don't exist, all though, they're right size, right name and right extension (.bmp) - how to fix this?
Hello.
So I'll offer a Disclaimer first by saying that I apologize if I cannot offer advise on all issues that come up. This program is not being updated or fixed since the creator left social media, and everything in my guide was either sourced from the existing community, or from my own trial and error.
That being said, is there any way you can share some screenshots of what your images look like, and what section you're trying to import them to?
Hello! I found a way how to fix, you just have to download official RGM.
You included wrong one in the guide.
I'm actually not aware of there being a more "Official" release of the software. Version 4 and 5 have been uploaded to a few places.
Can you tell me where you found the copy that works for you?
moddb, 4th edition versions
Isn't that what my Guide links to? The link I provide on Page 6 goes to ModDB, Version 4.62.
I'm using the latest version 5 of RGM and I am right off the bat having some issues that weren't covered in this tutorial. I dunno if it's because of my operating system or what. I'm using Windows 10 and left mouse button for shooting does nothing. It doesn't work at all. Not even right mouse button. Also I tested with the default spider enemy... he get's stuck in his attack animation and also when doing damage to you the screen doesn't even turn red despite the box being checked in the settings.
I was really excited to try and make something in this program but those issues really put a damper on things...
You not had these issues or heard of anyone else having them?
Hey BLINXERIZER, so sorry you had that experience.
Basically, although I say you can use Version 5 and likely get some of the same things to work, Version 5 was unfinished and is missing multiple features that Version 4 has. So for my guide to be the most reliable to you, Version 4 is what you should be using.
That said, I also can't guarantee that every operating system will allow the software to function correctly. So far, it runs fine on my WIndows 10 computer, but that may not be true for everyone. And unfortunately, I don't think anyone truly knows how RGM was built, so trouble-shooting its issues on a hardware and OS level may be impossible for the time being.
Results will vary.
Thank you as well. I'm always so glad to see responses like this. The game devs discovering this program will only get smaller over time, and the community that has used it already figured out the tricks before I learned them. But before I made this, it was always like some right-of-passage to discover the engine, find the Discord servers or forums and learn the ropes from the people that came before. Devs shouldn't have to jump through hoops like that. So I'm glad my guide can help so many people out.
When you release your next game with RGM, definitely share a link in the comments here as well. I'd love to play more games made with it.
how do i make the walls taller?
That's part of the limitations of this engine. It's a Wolfenstein 3D styled game creation program, so walls can't be made taller and can't have beveled edges.
Once I downloaded this I sat down and read/watched it cover to cover. RGM is exactly the tool I've been needing, and this unreasonably thorough guide really sealed the deal.
Near the beginning you say this tool can only be used for FPS games where you shoot things, and that seems like a challenge. I'd been planning on making a narrative adventure game in RGM even before I read this lol. You laid out the exact limits of the engine so well that by the time I'd finished reading I'd already figured out the basic design.
Thanks! Your work is much appreciated.
Well you are most welcome, seacreek.
You are exactly the type of person I made this guide for, because knowing the limits of a small engine like this is vital to getting the most out of it.
The limits that I think I dislike the most are that there's no key system, there's no secret system, and you can't have more than one type of door in a given level. Treasure chests and other activatable sprites aren't a thing either.
So, I suspect if you want to make an adventure story, you'd have to do more heavy lifting with story text in between levels to explain what the protagonist did once they found something or did something in the previous level.
Definitely. The lack of any real complexity to the level is rough. You find the key, you open a door, level done. It seems like you could make it so that you start out without a weapon or with a weapon with 0 attack, and then a weapon could become a key of sorts to open a door which would be a destructible sprite, but I haven't experimented with that yet.
Right now I have it where each level is a location in which the player must find a new insight (The key, rendered as an❗) to an overarching mystery, which allows them to leave the location. Then the end screen is a journal entry where they discuss the insight, and how it leads them to the next location.
Enemies are NPCs that demoralize the player in some way, which they can heal by seeing scenes of positivity (which are designed to funnel the player onto an invisible health pickup). They can also find scenes of negativity in the level, which gives them conviction, which is used as ammo to neutralize said NPCs.
It's a bit silly laid out without the context the audio and visuals would give to those actions, but that's the fun of limitations right?
That reminds me a bit of my concept that would've been another example in my guide, where I think I wanted to have the protagonist say insults to the enemies and they would be stopped in their tracks. Just like a, non-violent form of combat. Kinda like T-Shirt Man.
Very impressed with your approach so far. Will be excited to play it once it's complete.
If you need any advice that the guide somehow misses or isn't as clear about, feel free to drop a question below.
while i will not be touching RGM for the foreseeable future, this is just insane!
also, on page 6 where you mention other engines you could link to EFPSE which is similar to RGM but a major improvement in just about every way and can be a great way to make the transition from RGM to something like Unity easier
Oooooh! That's fantastic! I had heard some rumblings about EFPSE late last year, but I had no idea it got released. Looking at its features, I'm impressed by how it builds upon RGM and makes many things more intuitive. That being said, I'm still glad I made this guide, as it still felt like something that needed to exist for those who want to give it a try.
its definitely a great guide and well made
Great work! Will definitely be making more RGM games in the future.
Damn that's really THE Definitive Guide to RGM. I wish I had such tenacity and energy as the author with my own projects.
As Dedreek said, it's an AMAZING work ! Useful for small game jam and prototypes, just perfect <3 Congrats my friend !
TITANIC WORK. Great book for RGM users!