Un-Official VFX Editor Guide / FAQ In The Works!

[Rodak]

OK, Since I found this site there have been repeated threats from various people to produce one of these.

When I took hundreds of screenshots for an RPGM3 character guide I commented that a VFX Editor guide should be next. Draygone stated he wanted to make one and I offered screenshots.

I want to see this happen and I want it to be as good as possible, so this is a call for ideas.

What do you want to see described?

What do you want to see pictured?

What do you want to drink?

Should it be just a guide or have step by step tutorials explaining how to use VFX Characters and Enemies as well?

There have been many complaints about the VFX Editor and it's difficulty to learn. In fact, one of my first posts was a question about the VFX Editor! At the time I thought the whole setup was counter-intuitive. Now it is second nature.

So...

Waddayathink??

[RPGD]

I say give it a shot. I wanted to make one for a while, as I was the first person to take advantage of the VFX editor the way you do now, but I've been far too pre-occupied with/distracted by other things to do so, and it does not look like that will change much in the near future.

Make sure it has step-by-step instructions and illustrations, and show a video or two if you can.

Maybe someday I'll actually get to making that one video VFX tutorial, but by then, who knows what we'll have..?

[Biggie]

I aplaud you Rodak! I always wanted to do this, but knowing myself, if I did an FAQ it would get less and less detailed with every paragraph.

[Rodak]

Thanks for the responses, but you two are both way too good at this!

I wanted to hear from those who are struggling, or have struggled, with the VFX Editor. It is them for whom this guide is being created. I doubt there's much I, or Draygone, could teach either of you!

I'd like to know what's giving people trouble.

While some problems cannot be overcome (object textures, etc) others can (more than 10 elements in the same Visual Effect, etc).

Speak Up!

Peace.

[RPGD]

Sounds logical to me.

[Manji]

although i wish i could say otherwise, i'm pretty uneducated for the most part when it comes to the complicated scripting and vfx for rpg maker 2.

..and i say, yes. please make one. a faq with pictures and even a video would be extremely helpful and probably inspire me to work with rpg maker 2 more.

so, please, by all means.. make one, but make it good. :)

[Red Dragon]

Do you even make rpg's anymore Rodak? It seems you're making/helping out on FAQ's/Guides lately.

But still i bet alot of people appreciate it.

[HolyPhoenix]

Me want guide. You make please. We all thank you. This be very handy for me.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Rodak, if your guide could help me do anything 1/10th as good as the stuff you made then I'm all for it.

[Draygone]

Basic pictures to start with, as I said in the other topic. Normal blending preferred, aside from the few that look better with added blending.

[WilliamKirk]

There's one thing that, so far, I've only seen me do with vfx, which combine numerous together for different moves. I can and will help with that, and write a portion with a good enemy action application technique of mine.

[Rodak]

Do you even make rpg's anymore Rodak? It seems you're making/helping out on FAQ's/Guides lately.
Oh Fear Not, I make games still. I am working actively on two games (One for 2 and one for 3) and both are rolling right along. I plan a Videogamedrome Demo The Last prior to releasing the final version and returning to The Clean Underwear Quest! (My favorite project, currently on hold while I hone my skills on Videogamedrome) (never make your favorite project first! You'll regret it once you get good... I'm thinking of trashing everything in The Quest and beginning anew). The Clown Killers for RPGM3 is being worked on sporadically and is mostly just an experiment to see how offensive I can be and how far I can push the system.

so, please, by all means.. make one, but make it good. :)

How do I make it Good? I am grateful for the encouragement, but if any of you have had difficulty with this, then surely you have Questions... FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. It's hard to know where to start or what to include without Questions!

There's one thing that, so far, I've only seen me do with vfx, which combine numerous together for different moves. I can and will help with that, and write a portion with a good enemy action application technique of mine.But when The Boobyprize (That's Your ship, Capn') fires, I am layering 4 different VFX with 20 elements on one ship (plus the weaponry). But Please, write up as much as you like! Your enemy actions were Great!

Draygone wants to handle the descriptions of the individual ojects and effects, which I assume frees me to describe how to use them.

So... I guess I'll just go with something like this:

I) Making a simple effect
Examples:
World: A Campfire
Battle: A Sword Strike

II) Making a Layered Effect
Examples:
World: A Campfire w/smoke & sparks
Battle: A Sword Strike w/Blood Splash

III) Making a Complex Effect
Examples:
World: Above Campfire doused w/water
Battle: Ball and Chain weapon strike


IV) Scripting Simple Effects
Examples:
World: Lighting The Fire
Battle: Making the Sword Appear in Battle


V) Scripting Layered Effects
Examples:
World: Character putting out above fire
Battle: Sword Strike: hit/miss (with/without Blood)

VI) Scripting Complex Effects
Example: The Starship Boobyprize Firing on The Doomsday Machine, which reacts.

VII) Controlling Many Effects at Once Example: The Cow Setting two old ladies' hair on fire with his Horn Beams, then lighitng a fire in the fireplace which begins smoking from the chimney a moment later

Comments welcome.

Now...

Would anyone be willing to type up the text of the help files in the editor? There are many, many and even lots of them. Too many to do them all unless you are out of your mind, but I'm sure if someone is willing to transcribe a good chunk of them we can cram even more names into the credits for this effort! Just post here if you wish to do this. Not posting beforehand could result in someone else doing it first or something.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Peace.

===============
EDIT:
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Now...

Would anyone be willing to type up the text of the help files in the editor? There are many, many and even lots of them. Too many to do them all unless you are out of your mind, but I'm sure if someone is willing to transcribe a good chunk of them we can cram even more names into the credits for this effort! Just post here if you wish to do this. Not posting beforehand could result in someone else doing it first or something.

WOW! Doan (of Doan's Domain) (another RPGM2 Forum) offered to transcribe the help files that quickly!!

This is truly coming together.

Expect images as soon as I finish the RPGM3 images promised for that Character FAQ. Probably next weekend (unless I get snowed in this weekend).

Peace Again.

[WilliamKirk]

Wow! 20 elements is a lot. Do you have them set-up like this, to time them right?

Apply Together
VFX 1
Wait XF
VFX2
Apply In Order

Basically, doing this you can ignore markers and combine the same two VFX with an infinite number of different timing to them. I do this to make 5 or 6 moves out of 2 or 3 weapon VFX (like Normal Attack, 'Twin Slash', 'Omni-Slash', to give an idea).

That's basically all I have to say about using multiple VFX together. :)

[WilliamKirk]

I wrote the part for Enemy Actions. Do you have an email I could send the file to?

[Rodak]

Surprisingly, the Boobyprize is a single frame effect (all right... 2 single frame effects) (one for the ship and one for the lights). When you set an element rotating it does not care how many frames the effect has, it rotates (sort of like an action script). Being only one frame made it easier to work with in my IACBS (Imitation Active Custom Battle System) because I did not have to "clear all effects" (and restore them) in order to play it's attack animation like I did with the other forms whose motion took place over time.

And thanks for the quick work! This is still a weekend project for me and there are still two projects in front of it... I was hoping to use the time between then and now to organize my thoughts and outline the guide so it will go smoothly once work begins.

Check your private messages for the requested email address.

Peace.

[Draygone]

I'm about to (finally) have a lookthrough of the VFX items now. I dunno how far along you are with this, but among the descriptions I'm going to make, I'm going to include what each of the Elemental Setup options do (such as radius, life, burst, etc.). If you're already covering that much, then I'll just use them for personal references.

[Rodak]

As stated above, Doan has offered to type up the help files from these options. So any insights that go beyond the help notes (found by pressing start while the option is highlighted) would be your job if you want it.

Maybe come up with something interesting using these options and create a step by step tutorial. That would give people first hand experience and that is often the best way to learn (remember Blamo from the Prina startegy guide? Lots of us learned basic stuff from following that tutorial).

Thanks for the offer and whatever you decide will be fine. Time is not vital, but it is slightly important.

Given my Life and all the problems the arise whenever I make plans, I'd say sometime around VD is a good target completion date (VD = Valentines Day). There is a lot of work here and I want to get it right, but not treat it like a real paying job or anything. That should be plenty of time to organize a "Versiob One" guide anyhow...

Peace.

[DYRE]

Would you make sure that you describe how to animate the objects. I know how, but it never looks good when I try. And about the what do you want to drink question, I say Coca-Cola, but that has nothing to do with the guide so I'll be quiet now...

[Rodak]

Feel free to be specific!

What did you try to do? What happened?

Would the examples cited in the outline above be what you want to see?

While they include animating objects, I am unsure what you want included.

Do you mean something like making this guy:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/Rodak/buggerbugs.jpg

He is a VFX character who walks around and sprays that white stuff when you press the [] button.

I can refresh the video demo of him (currently located HERE (url=http://www.pavilionboards.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2835) if you like). That thread shows lots of VFX work.

And thanks for noticing the joke question... Somebody had to!

Peace.

[Draygone]

Okay, well I have come up with a few basic ideas for some of the effects (like making a star stairway), so I'll go ahead and include some of the ideas. Not sure which ideas I'll include, as I may want to use them for JH3D-specific events.

[Rodak]

Not sure which ideas I'll include, as I may want to use them for JH3D-specific events.
Include 'em all!!!

Ya can't hold back ideas when making a guide.

Give us your best work. This is meant to help others and holding back because you wish to "be first" or "have exclusive effects" in your game is not what a guide is all about.

Many more people will see this guide than will ever play all of our games combined, so give it all!

Peace.

[Draygone]

Well the thing is, I wouldn't want to spoil anything. But then again, it's not like I'd say in the FAQ "oh BTW, I'm going to use this in JH3D", so I guess it wouldn't be a big deal.

Creating this FAQ is proving helpful to myself, though. I think I finally understand how it all works. Just for fun I wound up throwing in a few effects that moved/rotated/shrunk/grew around the screen in a repeated pattern. Would make an interesting screen saver.

[Rodak]

Well the thing is, I wouldn't want to spoil anything.
Trust me, it wont spoil anything. Given the number of people who actually play these games vs the number of people who read these guides you are really only talking about a handful of individuals.

Look at the numbers of downloads on any uploaded RPGM2 game, then look at the number of downloads of guides like Dungeon Warden's FAQ or Final Rune's Map Editor guide. You'll see my point.

You will get far more exposure in the guide (plus it will be on several sites) than possible in a game. So you wont be spoiling anything for most people and in fact will be contributing your best work. As self-appointed Editor of what is turning into a group effort I am compelled to ask for your best work.

Of course anything is acceptable. The choice is yours, but I hope you ssee my point.

Peace.

[Rodak]

OK, I have 99% of the images I need to make this complete and the HTML is nearly done.

I had no timely submissions so I wound up wasting a lot of time on screenshots...

But here's something to show for my effort:


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/Rodak/text.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/Rodak/2dfire1.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/Rodak/fire2.gif

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b41/Rodak/swordb.gif



I have much much more. Stills and animated GIFs abound and I do not want to rush and put out a sloppy job.

Expect this to be in full readiness (tomorrow or by the weekend at the latest).

Peace.

[Draygone]

Bleh, lack of work on my part. I don't know about yourself, but in my case this stuff I'm supposed to come up with comes second to working on JH3D. Which I haven't done much of lately until just these past couple days (woo, figured out how to give my enemies AI!). I'll get the VFX stuff done as I come to them while working on my game.

[Rodak]

This is moving along smoothly, and if the descriptions are not ready whenever I reach that bit, I'll just whip up something myself.

I am sure I can handle it either way.

Peace.