help! I hate the default battle system

[Moo]

I've been playing RPGM2 for a long time and I've gotten pretty good at scripting and what not. But one thing I've never gotten over is the default dragon warrior-esque battle system. I dunno, I guess for some reason I just really want to be able to see my characters fight, not just little boxes and floating weapons.

I don't think I can quite script a super-complicated custom battle system, but I guess I just wanted to know: is there any easy-to-medium, turn-based alternative to the default battle system you guys have come up with or am I going to have to live with what I've got?

If not, will my game still be good and worth playing/is there any way to spice up the default battle system?

[Drew]

Re: help! I hate the default battle system

Do you want something like this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRRgm8n3u8g

If you would like this, I have a incomplete guide in my forum, you can take a gander at, but if you need more assistance you can send me a message.

[GoalieGuy6]

Re: help! I hate the default battle system

Unless you just completely copy someone else's TBS, you are going to need to do a LOT of work. Any Custom Battle System, no matter how simple, will take plenty of work on your part. For example, if you want to actually see your characters fight, you will need to create animations for every attack, special move, etc.

About changing the Default System, it's pretty hard, but there is battle scripts you can edit. You can't change the actual system, but you can change things such as the battle formulas, and what certain stats determine. (I think you can do this. I haven't really tried messing with the Battle Scripts yet.)

[Dungeon Warden]

Re: help! I hate the default battle system

The look of the battle system can't be changed without a lot of effort, but the way things work can be changed.

At the simplest level, you need to make sure that combat isn't broken. This means play testing the various character and enemy stats in order to make sure that a player will be able to battle enemies with a reasonable chance of success even when resources are running low. If you've played lots of RPGs then you know the level of difficulty you want to go for.

You must do this no matter what battle system you use if you want people to enjoy your game. I have no problem playing a game using the default battle system as long as the random battles aren't too hard and the story is interesting. Creating some puzzles and/or mini-games would be more welcome to me then a new battle system.

Game play is far more important to me then what the battles are like. I'd be happy with a game with no battle system as long as everything else was fun to play.

[Moo]

Re: help! I hate the default battle system

Thanks for your input, guys. I do like the look of RealityBites's battle system, but I have lots of other ideas for this game and I don't want to waste too much time/memory on a custom battle system. I'll look into it later on once you've completed and perfected the scripts, but for now I'll make due.

Thanks again, though I am still interested in anymore suggestions anyone has on adding a little flare to the standard battle system (cool enemy actions? cool vfx? New status effects and unique magic?)

[DK6025]

Re: help! I hate the default battle system

There is a lot you can do to make the DBS more interesting. First of all, I use VFX numbers to show enemy damage and flashes on the stat boxes for the party to draw the player's eye instead of the preset "X lost Y HP". Also I use a call script that waits 10 frames, the closes the message box for all battle messages. These make random encounters faster and less tedious. As for enemy actions, instead of "Monster approaches" I make intro animations. For example; zombies crawl out of the ground, ghosts appear out of thin air, and wyverns fly into frame. I also have actions for status effects like confusion and stone. I try to use messages for the party, who you can't see, and show everything that happens to enemies visually. Adding VFX to enemy actions also gives visual flavor to battles. Try placing fire on a skeleton's head or putting a VFX katana in the fighter's hand.

As for status effects, I have confusion and undead. They behave like a paralyze effect, but attack allies every turn and healing magic and items do damage to an undead character. Also, doom kills an afflicted character in three rounds. Venom paralyzes and and adds poison damage, and Virus depletes HP, Strength, Defense, and Agility every round. Also, by setting a battle variable, some enemies can absorb a set element, and bosses can be immune to some or all statuses.

For some VFX tricks, experiment with coloring an element set to add or subtract black. It will be invisible, but then put a different element behind it.
You will be able to see through the visible element wherever the invisible one overlaps it. I made a nice death spell by making a skull invisible and placing a purple flame-like pillar effect around it. One of my favorite Attacks involves a sword flying across all enemies, followed by two "shadow" swords. This was achieved by copying the initial sword twice and making the copies Add. Then I moved each point of the first copy about 3F behind, with the second about 6F behind the original. This made a cool tracer effect. Messing around with sunbeams, I made a psychedelic pinwheel-type effect.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck and remember, with a little work and imagination the default battle system can be almost tolerable.