Need help with puzzles...

[Zanto1050]

I'm sorta new to the RPG Makers and am learning to use them. I have both 1 and 3 and need some help with both. I have in mind some adventure/puzzle rpgs, but the problem is I can't figure out how to do puzzles! The puzzles I have in mind are the Zelda and Pokemon type puzzles, like moving stones in place or away and lighting up panels.

Can anyone help me out? I can give some examples if need be.

Also, this is the first time I've ever posted... anywhere...

[Nova]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

I can help you with some of your RPG Maker 3 needs here.

First off, the moving stones puzzle is a simple one to do that requires some event display exploitation. Set the rocks (make sure they're ALL events) in whatever order you want them in.

Sometime before the player enters the floor with the puzzle, set the rocks that won't be seen as "invisible" via event display off. (Using paper and naming events makes things quicker!)

The idea here is that the invisible rocks will be turned on using the non-invisible rock display as a means of moving your rocks. Start off with an event like, Move Rock? and select Yes, then have it ask which direction if there's multiple ways you can move it.

When you select yes, have the rock's display turn off via event, and have the currently invisible rock turn on, so that it appears to have moved. You can keep doing this manipulation technique to make your puzzle.

Remember that you can only use 10 events per floor! (Either 10 or 20 , I can't remember.)

[Nova]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

If you want to throw in some unmovable rocks to put a kink in the players plans, use DECORATIONS to create rocks that the player cannot interact with.

Another fun puzzle is one I used in my current project, Terra Incognita. There is a 4x4 wall of statues blocking a narrow passage, the idea here is to use switchs I placed near the puzzle to turn some EVENT displays on and some off.

So everytime you use a switch, some statues would dissapear and some would reappear. I made a switch that reset all the displays as a safeguard, so the player couldn't make the puzzle unsolvable.

You can also implement the dungeons TRAP feature to create some fun things. I have a dungeon called the "Man-eating Ruins" in TI in which an entire floor is booby trapped with spike floors, except for one path. Every so often I placed signs with riddles on them, getting the right answer will reward the player with the right direction.

If the player was wrong, they would meet their death via spikey floors.

[Nova]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

Just PM me or post back here if need anymore puzzle ideas, or if you want specific help regarding scripting, just ask! I'll be more than happy to throw RPGM3 on and give you the exact coding to make something work.

Sorry for the multi-posts if any DP nazis are here, but my PS3 's browser only allows so much text input.

[Zanto1050]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

I've started recording some videos of Zelda: Link's Awakening with some of the puzzles I'm wanting to learn. They don't have audio, but they do show the basic puzzles. How could I upload some short videos here?

[Nova]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

Upload them to Youtube. Then when your posting, click on "Go Advanced." You'll notice a button with Youtube on it, click on that and itèll place Youtube tags in your post. Now, copy-paste the URL of the Youtube video BETWEEN these sets of tags, then delete the = from the URL, and everything to the LEFT of it. (With the exception of your tags of course.)

So this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvF3UZg3NoQ&

Becomes this:

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

rather then tell you how to make complex puzzles that you probably be unable to duplicate i will instead give you advice.

start out with something small. many of the best puzzles require that you make aspects of smaller ones and combine the elements together. learn switches and learn how pages function. figure out every nuance of the system, find out what order they work in and how they behave. be creative with what you want and dont get discouraged when your vision cant come true with your current knowledge. some puzzles have taken me 10 years to find a proper way to do them. when i picked up the software i couldnt of envisioned the stuff id need to build a good puzzle but after plenty of experience i will get flashes of brilliance. it usually results around a major mechanic i was having an issue trying to create.

dont give up and watch people youtube videos of the games they have made and also play people games. know what others have been successful at and mimic their work. this way you can figure out what they have done and be able to make your own versions. if your looking for youtube videos id strongly suggest any video made by Take, his work is quite pronominal.

the mag has a massive composite of useful stuff for rpg maker making. here is the link, you can get inspired for minigames and other stuff.

http://www.rpgmmag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6747

here is some specific rpg maker youtube links to give you ideas on what other designers have made. most of these videos will blow your socks off.

http://www.rpgmmag.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9124

[Zanto1050]

Re: Need help with puzzles...

I haven't played these games in a while, just found different interests I guess. I hadn't even recorded any more videos, much less get started on posting them. Karr, you have some good advice. It's not really what I was looking for, but it is good advice. I'll do some research and learn to do these puzzles. I've tried a few on my own but couldn't get them to work. Try, try again.