Do you need to know JavaScript to make games with RPG Maker?

Question

Do I have to know how to code in JavaScript to make good games in RPG Maker MZ? I'm asking cause I know you don't really have to code in RPG Maker. I already tried some programming languages, so I have some experience.

Answer 1

This is fairly subjective, since it depends on your thresholds for deeming a game to be "good". But what we can say objectively is that all versions of RPG Maker contain their own scripting system you can use without writing any JavaScript, and which is sufficient for implementing conventional RPG mechanics.

I'll say the user experience of scripting with this system is not great — it's lots of repetitive clicking to create even simple scripts, but it is doable.

You can also incorporate existing plugins made for the engine, to customize it beyond the default template without writing new JavaScript yourself (instead leveraging JavaScript that others have written).

No matter what interface you're using to create your scripts though, you'll still be using all the same programming skills. The difference is just syntax, and how readily the language exposes the features you want for a specific game mechanic. So if you're going to have to learn a kind of programming to use the in-engine scripting anyway, you might as well learn JavaScript or whatever other language works with the engine of your choice.