battle system question

[Lord_Mofop]

i know alot about how rpg maker 1 works, but there are a few things i dont know.

as of right now, i dont have the game with me. im letting a friend of mine borrow it, and he lives quite some distance away from me. i will be getting it back somewhat soon, but until then im messing around with ideas and plots.



i do know that i want a battle system where you see your enemies outside of the battle. i've never actually tried it before, but from what i know of the game, it would seem simple.

there's just a few questions i have to ask about it.


im assuming youd make an enemy graphic.


page 1

activate ----> touch
movement --> follow/hide (depending on the situation)

some sort of screen effect to shift into battle
battle (make it a 3-way % switch, making the monsters more random)
event status flashing
sound effect
change event graphic to nothing
unable to execute < or > activate a switch



i guess my first question would be, would it be more effective to make it unable to execute, that way if the player left the area and revisited it, you can rechallenge the monster, or to make a switch activate to a new page with no graphic, and then when the player leaves the area, turn off the switch.

im not to familiar with how unable to execute works. from what i remember, back before i knew anything about switches, i used it only to be disappointed when the event would reoccur if i revisited the area.

logically i'd assume that leaving the event as unable to execute would save more memory, but i would like a second opinion.


another aspect i'm kind of concerned about is the type of movement. if i set it to follow, i realize the monster will follow the party, but when i messed around with this before, the monster wont touch me to engage the battle, i have to touch it. is there something im doing wrong or an alternative to this?

and if i remember right, there is no way to run from event battles. is there anyway around this?


lastly i debated on adding a blue magic system to my game. i figure it would be easy, but i just want a second opinion about this.


first id make the magic, lets say for example.. flamethrower. it does decent fire damage.

id make a monster, lets say salamander for this example, and teach it that magic. id make an event graphic such as a red dragon.

then i'll have a character that learns blue magic.


itd go something like this:

page 1

activate ----> touch
movement --> follow/hide (depending on the situation)

some sort of screen effect to shift into battle
battle (make it a 3-way % switch, making the monsters more random)
event status flashing
sound effect
change event graphic to nothing
unable to execute < or > activate a switch



page 2

page conditions:
(blue maic user) in party

activate ----> touch
movement --> follow/hide (depending on the situation)

some sort of screen effect to shift into battle
battle (3-way % switch with a salamander in each possible monster party)
event status flashing
sound effect
change event graphic to nothing
message: blue mage learned flamethrower
add magic: flamethrower
switch: 001 on
unable to execute < or > activate a switch



Page 3

page conditions:
switch 001 on

activate ----> touch
movement --> follow/hide (depending on the situation)

some sort of screen effect to shift into battle
battle (make it a 3-way % switch, making the monsters more random)
event status flashing
sound effect
change event graphic to nothing
unable to execute < or > activate a switch


i'd imagine that's how'd it work out, but i'm not exactly sure if it's solid. again, i'd just like a professional's opinion on this.


and lastly, i've read through a few subjects and i find a reoccuring term that i dont understand. it's CBS, something battle system? translation please..

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: battle system question

Unable to Execute makes the event unexecutable (as in will not do anything beyond wander) until you leave the map using Move Location, or if you save the game, quit, and load it back up. It actually saves memory to use the command for battle encounters, as using it only takes up 1 memory while having another page with a switch will take 9. To me, it doesn't matter if they reappear after leaving the room.

Unfortunately, there is no way to make an event activate when it touches you. Kinda a bummer, but there is still a chance the player will wind up accidentally touching the monster because the monster suddenly stepped in front of the player.

You can't run from event battles. Likewise, RPG Maker's "scan" spell (Enemy's HP) doesn't work in event battles, either.

I think your blue mage event is about right. But here's a memory-saving alternative. Since your first and third pages are essentially the same thing, get rid of the third page. On the second page (the blue mage page), along with the condition that the blue mage is in the party, also add the condition that the "learned magic" switch is off. This way, though the page will activate the first time when you have the mage, it will not activate once that switch is no longer off.

Oh, right. CBS stands for Custom Battle System.

[Lord_Mofop]

Re: battle system question

i got the game back from my friends..

i have to ask, does anyone even use the sound effects for messages or leveling?

i have a hard time making dialogue because without some sort of sound it makes the dialogue seem more bland and uninteresting, but i cant seem to find a non-annoying simple sound for messages.

i know no one in their right mind would use collision sounds

[facts]

Re: battle system question

BONK! No, I don't use collision sounds.

I do use a level up sound often, but I usually change it to something besides people cheering. I agree there are very few good sounds that you can use for messages, which is why I tend not to worry about them.

Although I thought that there was a simple bloop sound that sounds like a message window opening, maybe not.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: battle system question

Generally I don't use sounds for messages. They just prove distracting. I do use a sound effect for level-ups, though. Can't remember which one specifically. It's the one right before or right after the ding sound effect that you hear when you win an item after battle. Whichever it is that sounds more like a level-up sound.

I did use a collision sound effect. I tried to use the least distracting one, but I was told even it was annoying, so I took it out. I think I originally intended to have a puzzle that used the collision sound, but that's not likely going to happen now.

Jester's Hunt is an exception, though. I used both the collision and message sound effects. But it was supposed to be a goofy game, so I could get away with it.

[Lord_Mofop]

Re: battle system question

this weird thing happens randomly when i turn on the game.

every now and then when i fire up rpgm 1, it'll show the first logo, then it will show a knight on a horse or something, and it sounds like it's saying, "ascheek" with a enthusiastic asian voice.

after that, it goes to a black screen, and it doesnt load the game.

is this just my game, or does this happen to others?

[facts]

Re: battle system question

It happens to everyone's game, it was used in the Japanese version, but they forgot to take it out and it causes the game to freeze. Just reboot the game and hope it doesn't happen again.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: battle system question

And for the record, it says Ascii. And it doesn't hurt your game or console. And if I remember right, you can continue without freezing if you press X before it fades out.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: battle system question

jup very true, ive defeated it a few times by clicking x.

as for custom battles i choose to use 10 revolving switches, one switch per encounter in a dungeon series. this way players can explore an area freely without having to worry about bumping into enemies. most people hate enemies with a passion so i kept the number to a minimum and did everything i could to make them less tedious and annoying while not being entirely irrelevant. since i have used custom battles ive also made it impossible to die to reduce the wasted time. instead it takes a penalty for dieing, tps you some place near the beginning of the dungeon and allows you to continue.

msg and collision sounds are the devil and should be exercised from all games. level up sounds should be relatively tame too, not like you get alot of choice.

[orius]

Re: battle system question

I've seen several games where there were visible enemy graphics (the only two I remember are Ebony Kismet and Hero's Quest), and I'm working on a demo that uses visible enemies as well.

activate ----> touch
movement --> follow/hide (depending on the situation)

some sort of screen effect to shift into battle
battle (make it a 3-way % switch, making the monsters more random)
event status flashing
sound effect
change event graphic to nothing
unable to execute < or > activate a switch

That's pretty much the way I have it set up, except no sound effects or screen effects (the game just starts the battle normally). I used 3-ways on some battles to to mix things up as well. Be careful if you make things complicated; I tried a system that stacked 3 way choices under a single 3 ways choice for 9 different possibilities. That's not easy to playtest, and easy to slip up with a scripting error. Like Karr said, you can also set up a two way choice as well with win/lose if you don't want TPKs.

The Unable to Execute is a good option if you want the enemies to respawn. If you don't want them to respawn and they're not bosses or anything, you could probably use a treasure event.

You can't run from event battles. Likewise, RPG Maker's "scan" spell (Enemy's HP) doesn't work in event battles, either.

I think there might be some other limitations, but I'm not sure what. But event battles can't be escaped, nor does the Enemy HP magic work, since battle events were generally intended for boss or other important story battles.

Enemy movement can be done in different ways. Close Up is for enemies that actively hunt the party, and Away or something like that is for coawrdly enemies that run away. Then there's random for stuff that just shambles around aimlessly, and you can have enemies that walk back and forth or up and down in a line (and is there a circular path?). Unfortunately, the player will have to touch the monsters to fight, but if you want to be tricky you can just not use graphics at all for the events and let the player blunder into "invisible" enemies.

[orius]

Re: battle system question

And sounds: collisions are a dumb holdover from the early DQ games where you'd hear a thump when you'd walk into something. Totally annoying and unnecessary. I keep the default message sound I think, I don't notice it. I also keep the default level sound, which is supposed to be a bunch of people cheering, since that's one of the few sounds that works for leveling up.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: battle system question

The Unable to Execute is a good option if you want the enemies to respawn. If you don't want them to respawn and they're not bosses or anything, you could probably use a treasure event.

Of important note, there is a limit to how many Treasure Events you can use on a single scenario data. I forget the exact amount, but I think it's 120. They also reset when you move to a new scenario, which is only bad when they're actually used for treasures.

Unfortunately, the player will have to touch the monsters to fight, but if you want to be tricky you can just not use graphics at all for the events and let the player blunder into "invisible" enemies.

Yeah, but that's actually even worse, because then they're like random battles, except you can never run from them. Having to bump into enemies isn't all bad, though. Sometimes those random movers like to suddenly step in front of the player, leaving to accidental bumping.

Also, there is no circle movement.

[orius]

Re: battle system question

Of important note, there is a limit to how many Treasure Events you can use on a single scenario data. I forget the exact amount, but I think it's 120. They also reset when you move to a new scenario, which is only bad when they're actually used for treasures.

Didn't know there was a limitation.

I know about the resetting bit, because there was a game I played at one time that when back and forth between two scenarios, and it was possible to intentionally go between the two of them to farm chests. If multiple scenarios are set up in a way that there is no returning, it's not a big deal.

Yeah, but that's actually even worse, because then they're like random battles, except you can never run from them. Having to bump into enemies isn't all bad, though. Sometimes those random movers like to suddenly step in front of the player, leaving to accidental bumping.

Also, there is no circle movement.

That's why I said it's "tricky". Invisible enemies like that is a tool for the evil game designer. It really all depends on how difficult you want to make it for the player.

[Lord_Mofop]

Re: battle system question

I didn't want to start a new thread so I'm just necroing this one for my RPGM questions.

Of important note, there is a limit to how many Treasure Events you can use on a single scenario data. I forget the exact amount, but I think it's 120. They also reset when you move to a new scenario, which is only bad when they're actually used for treasures.

I've never experimented with the Scenario Change option before. I'm not sure if I understand how it works.

Does it carry your switches over? Also, would I have to go back and reprogram all of the entrances for my dungeons and towns? Or do those carry over as well?


I'm also having some problems with the Luck stat. I wanted two physical "Damage Dealers", one that would dual-wield and do sustained damage, and one that would attack once but have a high crit rating for more burst damage.

I tested out some battles with the character I wanted with high crit having +9999 Luck. Out of 18 attacks, he only had 2 crits. This was very underwhelming from what I wanted originally. And also due to his high Luck, his Evasion is too much. Nothing is hitting him except for enemy spells.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: battle system question

the scenario change will transfer all character stuff - items, levels, switches - anything that the character will have on their person or is inside their menu. the scenario data is blank when you swap it over so you have to fill it up. keep in mind that the spot you switched data is the spot you must keep the same when the new data loads up.

as for the luck stat, the increase in luck only marginally increases your chance to critical hit. you cant have your character critical hit very often, so its better to keep this stat higher then normal, but not at max. twice in 14 hits is pretty good. as the game progresses this value will go down as monster stats increase.