Okay, so I am working on my new RPG Maker 2k3 game, and I am only doing basic things. I think that I don't really get the concept of variables. I also really don't know how to upload my game, because when I click "Create Gamedisk" I open "Setup" and all I get is question marks. I have no idea how to do this. Also any other help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Also, am I better off using 2k3 or XP/VX for a clasic, 7 Sages kind of game?

Have you taken algebra? Just curious.
That might help you understand variables.

Starting it next week actually... I am excited, finally I can learn something useful in my life:)

But, I still know a good amount about the stuff.

Think of a variable as a piggy bank.
You can add or take away coins from it, and that'll change how much money it has.
The value of the variable is equal to how much "money" is in the bank.

Let's say, in RPG Maker, you make a person you can talk to.
Every time you talk to them, it adds 1 to the variable (adds 1 penny to the piggy bank).



Now let's say that on the 5th time you talk to him, he'll say "Stop talking to me.
Using the "Fork Conditions" event command, you can check to see how much "money" is in the piggy bank. In other words, the value of the variable.



I hope this helps.

Alright, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks so much! I am still having collasol problems with uploading.

Okay, I am not sure if the program is even cappable of this... but I will give it a go.

I have a courtyard leading into a marketplace, okay? So in the marketplace there is a guy to talk to. This guy says stuff, then teleports you to his house. He finishes talking, says you can leave. When you are ready, you walk up the stairs into A DIFFERENT MAP. This different map is the same as the marketplace, except the guy is no longer there, and there is a clear path to the stairs (to get back to the guy's house). If you leave the marketplace then, you go back into the courtyard. How do I make sure that when you walk back into the marketplace, it will be the different map? I am stuck at this point, and I have NO idea what to do.

So you want to disappear the guy in the marketplace?
Well, the easiest way is putting a blank event page on the event of the guy which condition is that
a switch, that turns on when you finish talking to the guy, is on.
That would make the event disappear when you enter again the marketplace.

That makes sense... but I think I got it working using variables. So, thanks for your help.