RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

[djutmose]

It seems like with RPG Maker 3, it's just very hard to balance battles compared to RPG Maker VX on PC, where I could "fiddle" with the numbers for monsters and work out something that seemed challenging but not ridiculous.

Also, characters could level up a few times and the previously challenging monsters still wouldn't be a pushover. Whereas in RPGM3 the PC's level up and quite suddenly the once challenging foe is a complete wimp.

Really that's the biggest frustration I have with RPG Maker 3 and it is making me lose enthusiasm for the project I'm working on .. the balancing really seems to be a major pain as far as battles go. Like you have to "nail" the numbers and can't fudge it, like it's less random/has less variance than most RPG battle systems? Is it just me or is it really this way?

I was wondering if RPG Maker 1 and 2 are easier to work with as far as fine-tuning the battle encounters? If so might end up trying one of those instead.

Then again it may all be just due to my inexperience with the makers, I don't know. I guess what I'd really like is a system where stats of the PCs and monsters have a huge impact, sure, but battles aren't *solely* based on direct comparisons of simple stats like they seem to be in RPGM 3. If that makes sense ...

[Perversion]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

No, it's not just you and your inexperience. RPGM3 is exactly how you describe it re: battles. This is why after my first game (which I'm doing a developer's commentary for right now...info in my sig), I pretty much told myself I was not going to make another RPGM3 game that included random encounters, and probably not even battles at all.


As I've gone back through the commentaries I've recorded but not uploaded so far, I think the word "tedious" comes up at least 4-5 times in reference to RPGM3's battles. They really are just not fun, and are only barely able to be balanced to any sufficient level.


I think JPS was working on some spreadsheet application that let you plug in character stats, enemy stats, etc, and it was supposed to spit out values that were usable for RPGM3's battles. Never used it myself, so I can't vouch for it. He was also working on a similar one for gold received from random encounters. I'm not sure if either or both of these was ever finished, though.

[Vonwert]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

That is why I didn't put any battles in my games.

[Wavelength]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

Well, it does seem like people have gotten tired of the RM3 battles and the best games coming out either go far out of their way to change the way battles work, or just avoid them entirely.

As far as your problem goes, I'd recommend starting your characters at a high level, and making sure they get enough experience to advance a fair amount during the game. It throws off the balance far less when you advance from level 25 to 28 (maybe changing your Strength from 75 to 84) than it does when you advance from level 1 to 4 (quadrupling it from 3 to 12). Or, use events near the beginning to raise all character stats by a couple dozen points, and make sure the monsters are balanced accordingly.

There's no great way around the fact that the damage calculations DO seem to create great swings from small stat changes, unless you plan to do away with the normal "level ups" and use your own custom system (using scripting outside of battle). Some games have your characters level up at set points in the plot. Some offer entirely different ways to build up your stats and skills instead. I think a couple only offer power increases via changes in weapons.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

As far as how other RPGMs handle battle stats, RPGM1's is pretty basic: half of defense subtracted from half of attack. Thus it's actually rather direct. But as was said, one could simply boost the stats through an event to even things out and not make the early level-ups so drastic.

And RPGM2, I'm not sure what the stat calculations are, but it doesn't really matter, 'cause you can change them as you please... assuming you can figure out where they're hidden.

[djutmose]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

Yeah thanks all for confirming what I thought. I thought it was just me I was going nuts trying to balance things …



Wavelength thanks for the advice, I will try and start my characters at a higher level. I was starting at level 1 with puny stats but that makes it impossible to balance when the stats effectively double after the first level up.



It’s too bad it’s such a pain and the battles do seem tedious at times … The idea of having 3D battles with (relatively) customizable animations is so cool though, maybe I’ll fiddle around some more and see what I can get to work.

[RPG Learner]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

Well for me since i'm working on a game for RMXP. i've realized that during the time i have been trying to balance stats for the player characters, as well as enemies. That low stats parameters don't really work that well at all. due to the parameter graph.

Also i don't want to start out with having the characters with high stats since that just makes game battles cheap and boring.

I wish there was a script for XP that could actually control the leveling. not just by individual characters, but also by their assigned class. (Not counting the Actor and Class Stat Growth since that requires the SDK. (Standard Development Kit over at HBGames.org))

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: RPG Makers and balancing battles ... especially a pain in RPGM3?

Also i don't want to start out with having the characters with high stats since that just makes game battles cheap and boring.

Well, you could always give enemies higher stats, as well.