HELP!!!!!

[magnaangemon01]

This game is really ticking me off. I tried doing variables with a character because everyone says "It's so easy". Bull crap. I needed a character to give the main character a quest in which he had to open three chests and when they were opened, he would give him the next quest. The only way to set up variables in a character is shared and that didn't do crap. It kept repeating the previous mode of the character over and over. I think variables is the biggest bull crap thing out there and I don't think I will ever understand how to set them up. I have had people give me codes, I have used this site, and all for naught. As far as I am concerned, variables are just a waste of time and frustration. I had to scrap the whole game because it wouldn't work. It kept on saying modify internal variable but it never said to set it up or how. AARRRGGHHH!!! Can someone please help me before I lose my freakin' mind!?! I have been trying to figure these out for 3-4 years and still cannot. Can someone tell me in layman's terms instead of using big words and assuming I know everything they're talking about. God I needed to vent. Seriously, please help!

[Dallas Alvis II]

Re: HELP!!!!!

Calm down. Help will come. I would help but I don't have very much experience with RPG Maker 3.

[ChaosKnightXD]

Re: HELP!!!!!

Variables are basically just something you store numbers in. Like 0 or 1 for example.

There should be a "Var Conditional Branch" option in RPGM3 I think.

When you make a Var Conditional Branch, anything that's inside the branch will happen if the Variable is "storing" a certain number like 0 or 1 etc. But if the variable has to be storing 1 and is storing 0 instead than the Conditional Branch won't be triggered until you increase the amount by 1.

0 + 1 = 1

It's basic math really.

[Dallas Alvis II]

Re: HELP!!!!!

So in a way, you could use them in the same manner as Switches in RPG Maker 1? Provided that you set a condition for, say:

>If 'Variable 1' is equal to '1' then <Event> happens.
>If 'Variable 1' is equal to '0' then nothing happens.

Um...Do I have that right? Again, I haven't spent much time on RPGM3 as I probably should have.

[ChaosKnightXD]

Re: HELP!!!!!

You have it right Dallas.

Use the "Value Conditional Branch" option in conjunction with the "Event Transitions" to start a different mode of the event when the variable is storing whatever number you want it to be.

This is at least how I believe it would work in RPGM3 from reading the manual as I haven't needed to use variables yet in my game but this is how variables work basically, they "store" numbers in them.

Actually they don't really store the number they refer to it but you don't need to make it any more complicated for yourself than this.

[Ωbright]

Re: HELP!!!!!

Hopefully this will help. I've said all of this before, but I don't mind saying it again if it might help you out.

In order to use variables, you need 2 things: an event which changes a variable, and another event which reacts to those changes. Variables have no meaning without those 2 things.

When you're editing an event, you will see a button to input lines of code into that event. The 2 codes you will need are the ones that add to or subtract from a variable, and a value-conditional branch.

A regular chest, although technically an event, cannot be used to change a variable unless you do a few mildly tricky things. What you need is a brand new event that uses the model of a treasure chest. Just saying.

Anyway, let's set up the events. First go to the layout map and create a new event. Choose one of the 3-4 chest models for it, and call it "quest chest 01" or something. Edit that event and place a "control > increase shared variable" event code in there, and select a variable to increase. You should always keep a list of your variables on a separate sheet of paper, to keep up with which ones do what. Trust me.

Now let's say you chose shared variable 1 to be the variable which controlled this quest. You would put "1" where it asked which variable, and a "1" for the amount to increase that variable. When a player opens that chest event, the code that runs will increase the value of variable 1 by 1. You will also need another line of code which will prevent players from increasing that variable 3 times with the same event. There are several that will make sure that each of the 3 events can only be activated once. For the sake of simplicity, let's choose the "display > display OFF" event code for this.

Now, when players open the chest, variable 1 is increased by 1, and the event disappears.

Okay, so now you need another event which reacts to the change you just made. Let's say that event is an NPC. In that NPC's event codes, place a "control > value-conditional branch" in there, and select "4-way". Then select the variable to be checked to "shared variable 01".

Now, the 4 branches of that event code are activated by 4 different values of shared variable one; 0, 1, 2, and 3. Add text boxes to display messages for each instance, so that if you have not opened any chests, players would get the message "You better get moving! You haven't even found one chest yet!"

However, after the first chest is found (the one which increased shared variable 1 by 1), you can now talk to that person and they will say something like "Good work! You have found one chest! Don't give up though, you still have 2 more to find!"

Just repeat that for finding 2 chests and all 3 chests, only in that case add an event code which is the reward for finding all 3 chests. That might be a key to open a door, or to activate a warp to another map, or whatever you need to begin the new quest.

All 3 chests increase that variable by 1, so you can find them and open them in any order.

I know that variables can be frustrating, but don't let them psyche you out...they're really not as tough as they want you to believe.

[Dallas Alvis II]

Re: HELP!!!!!

So in his case, I am assuming he could...

1. Set each chest to add +1 to that same variable when they were opened and it would store that number as '3' after all chests would be opened.
2. Then set a condition branch that would trigger an event if "Variable is equal to 3".
3. And if it was, that event would give the main character a quest.

Could he do that or is there a better way to do this? I can't remember if you can open chests multiple times. I remember some tricky thing going on with chests resetting themselves. Maybe I'm making this harder than it really is.

Edit: Obright pretty much explained it (and in greater detail) while I was posting this. It sounds like that was what I was trying to get at.

Boy, I really need to get more familiar with RPGM3. It sounds pretty similar to RPGM1, with slight differences.

[Ωbright]

Re: HELP!!!!!

And I was posting all that before I had seen any responses except for your first one.

Oh, and to the original poster, shared variables and internal variables serve exactly the same purpose. They can be used completely interchangeably. The only difference is in organization, not function...just to be clear on that.

[magnaangemon01]

Re: HELP!!!!!

I did the Var branch and had that set up. I had mode 1 switch to mode 2 which was the var branch and each chest was a shared event that increased the shared variable on the branch by 1. But mode 1 would not switch to mode 2 although I had put in the event code. What did I do wrong?

[Ωbright]

Re: HELP!!!!!

I did the Var branch and had that set up. I had mode 1 switch to mode 2 which was the var branch and each chest was a shared event that increased the shared variable on the branch by 1. But mode 1 would not switch to mode 2 although I had put in the event code. What did I do wrong?

If I remember correctly, you have to put the mode change at the very end of that mode, after all other lines of code, or else it won't run. Also check to see if mode 2 is set to auto activation. If it isn't, then you'd need to interact with that event or NPC by pushing X again to trigger it. When you engage the event with the val-conditional branch in it, do you see a repeat of mode 1?

When you play in playtest mode, you can see a debug screen which has all of the current variable values, so you can at least see if the variable you chose to control the quest is equal to 3 when it's supposed to.

[magnaangemon01]

Re: HELP!!!!!

I did all that and everytime I pressed X, it just repeated Mode 1. I had it set up that if the variable was >= to 3 he would say "Have you found them all yet?" I tried talking to him before going to get the chests just to see if he changed modes but it didn't work. Should I have opened a chest first?

[Ωbright]

Re: HELP!!!!!

So you used a 2-way VC branch?

If so, it should have been set up like this:

If x is <=2, choice A.
If x is 3, choice B.

But if the mode that contains that isn't even triggering, then let's deal with that first. When you play test, you talk to the NPC and get the mode 1 scripts, correct?

Is that NPC the one that also switches itself to mode 2, or does another event do that?

[magnaangemon01]

Re: HELP!!!!!

So you used a 2-way VC branch?

If so, it should have been set up like this:

If x is <=2, choice A.
If x is 3, choice B.

But if the mode that contains that isn't even triggering, then let's deal with that first. When you play test, you talk to the NPC and get the mode 1 scripts, correct?

Is that NPC the one that also switches itself to mode 2, or does another event do that?

The character switches itself to Mode 2. It was just telling him to do the training. Mode 2 was to track the main character's progress.

[Ωbright]

Re: HELP!!!!!

Well, then I guess I would say to make sure that you are switching to mode 2 of the correct NPC/event...? You can switch modes of any event or NPC from any other event or NPC, so maybe make sure you're switching the right one?

In addition to making sure the mode change code is at the bottom of the page, and making sure mode 2 is set to auto, I'm really not sure why the mode isn't changing.

Don't give up though, we'll figure it out.

[magnaangemon01]

Re: HELP!!!!!

That could have been it. That is easy to do. But like I said, I scrapped the whole game. It was at 21%. I hadn't started the story yet and still had scores of characters, towns, and events to make. Anyways....working on new game. Check out my other thread and let's see what we can do with that.