Animating facesets in battle?

[- Aërendyll -]

I've been interested in trying my hands on making an RPG in RM2k3, but I tend to favour either turn-based sideview battles or first-view ATB battles (don't even ask). I like having my battles look dynamic, though, so I thought of using animated facesets during battle.

As for a more detailed description of what I want: I would like to be able to have a character look like they are being hurt when they are the target of an attack, have an appropriate status ailment portrait when hit with one, etc. I will likely just use one static picture for every different "animation" rather than an actual animation, but I'm not sure how doable this would be. (My main concern is the different face when being damaged by an enemy.)

Examples of faceset frames I want to make:

• Character is being hurt by an attack (changes back to idle/status face when no longer under attack)
• Status ailments - e.g. K.O., poison, stunned, sleeping, mute
• Casting a spell or using an attack

My question is: is this possible? And if not using facesets - is there a way to use battlecharsets for displaying animated portraits in battle?

 

[Marston]

With facesets I think it's not possible. You would have to change the face manually when a character does something with a battle event in each enemy troop. However, taking damage for example, since enemies choose characters at random, you can't predict (and also not ask without stuff like looking at variables if a characters HP changed from last turn) who gets attacked. So using facesets is not really a good (if even possible) solution.

However, using battle charsets is definitly possible. Instead of battle charsets you can also use battle animations for your characters (for larger characters for example). In the database, under the "Animation 2" tab you can then add several animations for each hero. For specific ailments you can then choose from these animations. For each spell you can choose which casting animation should be used. However, a few animations can't be changed depending on circumstances. There is only 1 "taking damage" animation for example. You can't change it to differiante between physical and magical damage, there is only one.

Edit:

A friend of mine made these a few years back for one of my projects. I use these for various buffs or ailments, as well as the default ones.

 

[- Aërendyll -]

However, using battle charsets is definitly possible. Instead of battle charsets you can also use battle animations for your characters (for larger characters for example). In the database, under the "Animation 2" tab you can then add several animations for each hero. For specific ailments you can then choose from these animations. For each spell you can choose which casting animation should be used. However, a few animations can't be changed depending on circumstances. There is only 1 "taking damage" animation for example. You can't change it to differiante between physical and magical damage, there is only one.

But could I use battlecharsets to make animated portraits rather than animated sideview battlers? I'm not entirely sure if this is even remotely possible, hence my question. (Sorry if I wasn't clear about this before.)

 

[Marston]

I don't think there is a good way to animate the portraits in the default battle system. What you could do, simulate a a sort of front view battle system. So instead of visible characters you would have only the faces (as battle animations instead of battle charsets). These would then of course react to damage, ailments, buffs etc. But I don't think there is an easy way (if there is a way) to have both battle charsets and facesets at the same time, both reacting to variious effects.

 

[- Aërendyll -]

I don't think there is a good way to animate the portraits in the default battle system. What you could do, simulate a a sort of front view battle system. So instead of visible characters you would have only the faces (as battle animations instead of battle charsets). These would then of course react to damage, ailments, buffs etc. But I don't think there is an easy way (if there is a way) to have both battle charsets and facesets at the same time, both reacting to variious effects.

Wel, I wanted the battle system to be frontview anyway, so that's not a problem for me, honestly. I'll have to try fiddling with this...

 

[Marston]

The "easiest" way would be to somewhat put the characters above the messagebox in the battle, as the message box hides them. Enemies would then have to be put into the background instead of the left side of the battlescreen. In the database under "Battlescreen" you can choose the style for the messagebox as well as which character should stand where. If you choose "auto", they will be put on the right side automatically, depending on the formation you have (char x = position 1, char y = position 2, etc). So you would have to put them all manually were you want them. This of course means you most likely won't be able to have more than 4 characters, unless you find a way that different characters won't hide each other.

There are 3 styles for the battle:

1.) Enemy names on the left side, Name, HP and time on the right side

2.) Name, HP/Max HP, MP/Max MP, time of the characters.

3.) The character's faces with a HP, MP and time bar under each face. You could maybe manipulate this a bit. An idea would be, to put each "character" behind his/her face. The face would hide the battlechar/animation, but maybe you could change the faceset into an invisible faceset before a battle starts. I have never tried that, so maybe it doesn't even work, but I would give it a try. Problem would be, before each battle you would have to change each character faceset into an invisible one and after each battle you need to change it back again.

 

[- Aërendyll -]

I figured that would be the best route to take, honestly. I'll probably either make the facesets invisible or make them display the character's name or something - I'm not sure at the moment, but I'll think of something! The only problem I've found with the method you suggested is that the portraits move around in-battle just after you select the "Fight" command. I'll just have to try and see if it bothers me enough to want something different. (And with "something different" I either mean a more conventional look for 2k3 battles or a custom battle system, though I doubt I'll go with the latter.)