Difference in event image from tileset or character?

[Eraine]

This is not so much a problem, as more a optimalization question: Is there a difference when choosing an image for an event between selecting it from the tileset or from a charactersheet?


Example: I have quite a few maps where my player can collect mushrooms. If I use the mushroom image from a tileset, that means I have to put the image in the tileset for each map (thus leaving less room for map-specific images). But if I make a charactersheet with that mushroom image, I can use that across the maps. So that seems more efficient.


But maybe there's a difference in the way MV handles the images sources, that I don't know about? (I've been reading up here on things that create lag, like too many parallel processes, and that got me wondering about this...)


Thanks in advance to anyone who can explain this!

 

[dragoonwys]

There isn't any huge diffrence, the only difference is that you'll have the file size of one more character sheet added to your completed game if you decided to make a spritesheet for the mushrooms. Presuming they are tiny, it probably wouldn't be a problem. You can even use the $ symbol in front of the file to cut it into an even smaller segment, just make sure you're using direction fix for them.

 

[Kes]

What will happen is that the image you use in an event will automatically be placed a few pixels up from where it would be as a tile.  To prevent that happening, you need to put a ! as the first character of the file name of the sprite sheet containing your mushrooms.  Then you will get the image appearing exactly as you have placed it on the sprite sheet.


As an example, see the naming convention for doors.  A door must appear level with the ground so it has the ! at the beginning of the file name.

 

[Eraine]

Good to know it doesn't really matter, and thanks for the quick replies!


@dragoonwys I think I can actually reduced the size of my project this way, because I will need less tilesets if a move some images that I use on several maps to a character sheet. And @Kes I knew about the need for a ! to lock the position to the bottom, but thanks for the tip anyway!

 

[Andar]

@Eraine


Unfortunately @dragoonwys is wrong about this one, there are two important differences between using a tileset selection and using a sprite.


The most important one is that if the event uses a tileset image, it will also include that tile properties - making a bridge event on a watertile will force the bridge (that position) to be passable if that bridge is activated and below player. Using a bridgesprite here will NOT change the passability because the sprite is just a picture displayed.


The second difference is that sprites are animated - you can't animate the tile used by the event (unless you're using multiple tiles and pages with event code changes that are not worth the effect)


So if you want the event to be a decorative, sprites are the way to go. If you want it to make changes to map passability, the tile is the better option.

 

[dragoonwys]

@Andar


Ah yes, I am aware that those are some of the main differences between tiles and sprites.


I only took into account on the way of trying to implement it per the example up there when writing my answer (not placing static harvest items in map tilesets and using separate character sheets instead). My apologies if it was skipping over some details!

 

[Eraine]

Thanks everyone for the clarifications!