Help on using pictures for an intro

[nofruitcake]

Hi guys! So right after the player starts the game from the title screen, I want a few pictures to show along with the text box, sorta like a powerpoint. 


I heard that you need a separate map where the hero isn't showing. And then after the player goes through all the pictures, the hero is transported to the real starting map. How can I do this? Thank you.

 

[Topaz Light]

First of all, for making the player invisible, on the second page of event commands, in the right column, is a command "Show/Hide Player", which should do what you want, although there are two options I think would work a teensy bit better:

• Set the first lead Actor's starting overworld graphic as a blank dummy "sprite" so they don't show up even for a moment, or...
  
• Set the map the game loads them on to be covered entirely with "above hero" (the star marker in the tileset editor) tiles that take up the whole 16x16 square with no transparent elements.
  

As for the pictures, you can show them in two different ways, too:

• The Show Picture, Move Picture, and Erase Picture commands, also on the second page, right column, of event commands. Using these, you can even apply fancy wavering effects to the pictures if you want!
  
• Change Parallax Background, found on the third page, left column. I don't really know why you would do it this way, but I suppose it's also an option. Bear in mind, though, that this method is not compatible with the second method of making the hero start out invisible!
  

Also, if it's of interest to you, in RPG Maker 2003 you also have the option of having these display before the game's title screen, like a lot of RPGs do. Simply go the the "System", tab, and uncheck the "Use" box next to the "Title Graphic" field. This allows you to script your own custom startup sequence and title screen by hand; it's a little more work, but you can make your game's intro sequence and title screen way cooler this way.

 

[nofruitcake]

First of all, for making the player invisible, on the second page of event commands, in the right column, is a command "Show/Hide Player", which should do what you want, although there are two options I think would work a teensy bit better:

• Set the first lead Actor's starting overworld graphic as a blank dummy "sprite" so they don't show up even for a moment, or...
  
• Set the map the game loads them on to be covered entirely with "above hero" (the star marker in the tileset editor) tiles that take up the whole 16x16 square with no transparent elements.
  

As for the pictures, you can show them in two different ways, too:

• The Show Picture, Move Picture, and Erase Picture commands, also on the second page, right column, of event commands. Using these, you can even apply fancy wavering effects to the pictures if you want!
  
• Change Parallax Background, found on the third page, left column. I don't really know why you would do it this way, but I suppose it's also an option. Bear in mind, though, that this method is not compatible with the second method of making the hero start out invisible!
  

Also, if it's of interest to you, in RPG Maker 2003 you also have the option of having these display before the game's title screen, like a lot of RPGs do. Simply go the the "System", tab, and uncheck the "Use" box next to the "Title Graphic" field. This allows you to script your own custom startup sequence and title screen by hand; it's a little more work, but you can make your game's intro sequence and title screen way cooler this way.

Thank you so much for this information! This is what I wanted to hear, I'll try this soon. 


edit: btw, when this is all set up, would there be a way to skip all of it every time you playtest the game? like adding a variable/switch so you can access that one control panel that lets you choose which switches/variables are turned on and off during playtesting, I forgot what that was called