Ace Switches Demo/Tutorial

[GrandmaDeb]

RPG Maker VX Ace Lite and VX Ace Tutorial:
Understanding RPG Maker VX Ace Event Switches

Based on Aindra's Original Switches Demo/Game
and expanded, edited and updated for Ace users by GrandmaDeb​

* Do you want an event to end and never come back?
* Do you want one event to be able to control another?
* Do you want several events to be able to all start and stop together?
* Do you want to understand how to control characters in cut-scenes?
* Do you want something to happen depending on what else has happened in your game?

Then you want to learn about SWITCHES!​

 
This tutorial is designed as an RPG Maker VX Ace Lite game which not only demonstrates and instructs on the ins and outs of switches, but also allows you to explore their inner workings, by actually opening up the unencrypted game file and seeing how everything works on the inside.

You will learn about global and single event switches in the world of Aindra's schoolroom, which consists of the player and a few rowdy characters, along with a rather unusual Granny.

The advantage of a game-based tutorial is that you can save the game at any time and go look at the rvproj2 file for yourself and see the mechanics of everything that is happening in the demo. Or you prefer, you can just go along for the ride and enjoy soaking up what the teacher knows.

Enter Granny's House, where poor newbies are rescued from the terror of the event that will not go away!!!!!

Terms and Conditions:
Quick summary of personal use - please make good use of it! - no reposting - no material swiping.
Since this is an unencrypted game, obviously the intention of the game is for you to shamelessly abuse it in whatever way helps you learn and improve your game. This clearly does not include using the custom resources within it without fetching the original materials yourself and using them according to the artists' own terms. Resources in the game are not being shared.
As far as my terms go, it is unusual to have a game have a no commercial use restriction, but those are my terms. In other words, if you want to have a paid camp and use the tut as part of your materials, or if you want to use these materials in a school, the you need to contact me for permission to use the game.
Absolutely no redistributing. 
In addition this game may not be converted to video. 
Thank you.
 
Credits:
First of course to Aindra for the Original Game
In addition to Ace Lite materials, I am using enough VX RTP materials to mimic Aindra's original game, as well as Zephyrskye's Goblin portrait and Kazzador's goblin, Ayene's door, Yings table set for tea, Pineda's GrandmaDeb sprite, and Pentagon Buddy's GrandmaDeb Portrait. Also IceDragon's BGS.
 
 
DOWNLOAD for users with the FULL VERSION
 
http://www.mediafire.com/?0lgi8as4tmc3uyy

DOWNLOAD for users with the LITE VERSION ONLY

http://www.mediafire.com/?r7npcm4myt9b400


Release History and Game Development Progress

Spoiler

 
07 24 2013 version 1_2
fixed a move route that didn't have a skip if cannot move freeze up on the last map
68 downloads of the previous version


If it looks like Deju-vu all over again, it is! That is because this project is about as original as any fan game!

My friend Aindra has made several unencrypted tutorial games and demonstration games for VX, and I have decided to convert them to Lite. (If she were here she would not mind.)

So I have tried to follow along as closely as possible to her own unique dialog style and presentation. For example, the maps are identical down to the tile. But I have edited some grammar (love you Aindra girl!) and modified screenies for Ace, of course, and smoothed the dialog a tad.

Changes from the original:
* grammar and clarity
* long demonstrations are not interruptible. I have added a warning for length. Also the demos show quite a bit more than Aindra's 'splains give her credit for, and I have "filled out" her instructions without (I hope!)making the dialog too heavy.
* The Treasure Room was a complete rewrite, along with the addition of Granny's house. Change in tone and everything, but hey, you gotta make it work somehow.


Progress:
There are three rooms in the demo -
* the classroom - 100% complete a small room which introduces you to the Switches School 
* the Drama Room - 100% complete Possible future option to allow the user to control the switches manually. (IOW use a show choices command to turn each switch on or off and see the effect in-game) I also need to update the no-screenie drama option. (The main option got edits the no-screenie option did not get yet!)
* the Terrors & Treasure Room - 100% complete. Complete rewrite and new material to cover Self -switches. Since ACE does not use self switches for door events (VX did!) I had to rewrite this room. Wah. Added Granny's house and more screenies. I think Aindra was just tired at this point and left it to the user to check the unencrypted game for these examples since they were right there in Quick events.

Problems:
Have finished rewriting ALL freaking ALL dialog boxes, but somehow the font does not fit the boxes for my Lite game the way it did in the VX game. Bleh.
***Beta Version Released 07-03-13*** - ENCRYPTED FOR NOW
 
Bug list in version 1.1 FIXED

* Passage not set properly for fences - thanks Seacliff! - FIXED

 

See Granny’s Signature for a list of Ace Tutorials for the New Ace User​

 

[ShinGamix]

Where can I find the ace Demo?

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Sorry, I didn't upload the file for the game yet since it is still just a wee bairn, but when I get one of the (Treasure or Drama)rooms done I will! =]

 

[GrandmaDeb]

woo hoo for a bumpity bump bump 

BETA VERSION IS UP!

 

[Seacliff]

I'm pretty used to RPG maker, but maybe I might pick up a little trick through this.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Well, to be honest, the project benefits from feedback from people who know absolutely nothing about switches, absolutely EVERYTHING about switches (because they can catch any errors I may have made in my explanations, or point out something important I should have included) and just regular folks who can say - Geez, Deb, it doesn't work in the second scene! (which I hope doesn't happen! I have play-tested myself into oblivion!)

So feedback is welcome.

And once the unencrypted game is out it will be more useful to folks who have been game making for a little while already and know their way around a treasure chest or two...

 

[Seacliff]

Played through it, it was well-explained, could've used this years ago . But there was one bug, you can walk on fences... I'm assuming it's just a passibility error, nothing game-breaking though.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Thanks, Seacliff.

[/url]I wanted to honor Aindra, the writer of the original tutorial, by including her "bunneh" in the user bar. Of course Granny worked too, so she is off to the side. =]It looks like this:

[IMG]http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq168/grandmadeb_rmvx/userbarcrmarianhurricane_zps4c0b3629.png

If anyone who has downloaded and benefited would like to support this project and let others know about the tut by adding a user bar to their signature, they can go to "your profile," "your settings" and select "your signature" and add this text to have the bunneh hopping!

Userbar kindly provided by Marian Hurricane.

 

[Chaos Avian]

Any newbie on the site that asks about switches and whatnot should be redirected to this topic. Or have this topic pinned.

 

[Megablackdragon31]

I have seen a few advanced tutorials about managin switches and self switchess in Theolized blog... Thanks you very much,i will try yours now. Excuse me for my bad English and greetings from Argentina.

 

[Voxgizer]

After digging through the Events in the tut, it finally makes sense!

I've been using Self Switches and round about ways of doing things.

Thanks, Deb! You're awesome.     

 

[GrandmaDeb]

@Don, Mega and Vox, you're welcome! Thanks for the encouragement.


Bumping for a new version with a small move route fix. Upload link updated accordingly.


I am glad to see the number of downloads. With the campers using this, I am closing in on 100 users, so I begin to feel my time investment wasn't too nutty. =]


Feedback on the tut is very much appreciated!

 

[Ari]

Very helpful to me - as an RPG Maker Neophyte.  The "quest" that would not go away was exactly what I was looking for.  So thank you so much for providing this.  

(I was getting 'unexpected file format' error on trying to open the project file - but I noticed in the OP that the file is "encrypted" for now - so I'm guessing that's why it won't open for me?)

Ari

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Oh am I a dummy and uploaded the encrypted version? I am sorry!


Though I do not think you would get any file format errors -


I think I opened my Full-version of Ace and messed up the LITE games on my computer.


Sorry - I will fix that. Thanks for letting me know.


I am so very happy it helped!

 

[RubyRoth]

I played through it and it was a good tutorial! I definitely wished I found this a few week ago, instead of learning the switch system through trial and error.

As far as bugs go, you can easily sequence break the treasure room by walking around the logs instead of following the intended path. This also allows you to speak to Aindra from behind, essentially freezing the game (because how Set Move Route is set up in her event). However, I will admit that you have to be purposely trying to break the tutorial to get that to happen.

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Wow, I must have uploaded the fix in a trance of idiocy to have two errors in it!


Did you upload the latest version? (Mediafire doesn't show any downloads of it yet.)


The newest version was supposed to fix that problem, sorry! Will re-upload.


Thanks for giving it a shot - glad it helped!


*****************************


edit


*****************************


Okay, changed the Mediafire links so that now there is a version which will work on computers with LITE only and a version which will work on those with ACE_Full Version.


(Don't tell me I don't have to do it - I get people who have both versions and have problems! So I want them to get the LITE version only if they do Not have the full version on their computer.)


And both links have the bug fix.


Somehow the old version was getting downloaded - I think because the name of the containing folder did not change. Anyways, all better now. =D

 

[Momo_Mccloud]

At first it looks confusing, but learning it may really help you

 

[Snacktaveous]

Thank you, GrandmaDeb! This week I started learning Ace and your tutorial was quite helpful for getting me out of a pickle concerning two optional characters reacting to something that happens in my game.

Now I know why many RPGs only have the essential characters reacting to situations: they're all guaranteed to be there and that saves a lot of trouble

 

[GrandmaDeb]

Hi, Snack! And welcome.


You can have lots of NPCs all respond, just like the flowers all bloomed in the "Drama Room," right? They are just all dependent on the Condition of the same switch.


But you are right that streamlining things and knowing how the game operates does direct the development of many games. And it is smart to take full advantage of those features.


As you go on, you will find yourself more and more in control, though, and implementing your ideas in ways that stretch the program. I like to call this process "bending the computer to my will." Haha. Who knew Granny was a megalomaniac in the computer lab! (Me, I do this more in other programs that RPG Maker so far.)


Good luck!


****


P.S. As far as optional characters goes, you would want to understand Conditional Branches next, to handle things like that. =D

 

[vision_bond]

So... why is this not pinned?

I used the original tutorial years ago, and I found it specially useful.

I'm glad that there´s an updated version of this amazing tutorial. Thank you for that, GrandmaDeb.

A must for every newbie out there, or anyone trying to remember the basics.