How much could a custom battle system cost?

[whitesphere]

As other posters mentioned, be sure to add in the cost for any custom artwork.  I think an action battle system would need a lot of custom artwork, for each animation frame for attack and defense.  Multiply that by the cost for each party member and enemy who will be animated this way.    Say you have 8 party members and 40 monsters.  Each might require, say, 5 frames of animation for attack, 5 for defense.  So, you have 48 x 10 = 480 custom animation frames.  

Those numbers go up dramatically as you add more monsters, more animation frames or more attack and defense types.  

So, if it's the battle system for the entire game, I think the artwork alone would add a decent charge to the cost for the battle redesign.

Unless that cost is accounted for as the cost of any custom artwork being used in the game.  

 

[Zoltor]

I doubt there's a coder alive who actually enjoys coding battle systems, so I'm gonna have to agree with Engre, probally in the 3 digits.

However on the upside, the battle system you want is on the simple(er) side of battle systems, so I don't think it will cost you all that much, maybe around 150-200 if the coder you approach, doesn't absolutely hate battle coding with a burning passion.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

working on the battle system is actually fun, but it is also SO MUCH FRUSTRATING MOST OF THE TIME...

 

[SpacemanFive]

As other posters mentioned, be sure to add in the cost for any custom artwork.  I think an action battle system would need a lot of custom artwork, for each animation frame for attack and defense.  Multiply that by the cost for each party member and enemy who will be animated this way.    Say you have 8 party members and 40 monsters.  Each might require, say, 5 frames of animation for attack, 5 for defense.  So, you have 48 x 10 = 480 custom animation frames.  

Those numbers go up dramatically as you add more monsters, more animation frames or more attack and defense types.  

So, if it's the battle system for the entire game, I think the artwork alone would add a decent charge to the cost for the battle redesign.

Unless that cost is accounted for as the cost of any custom artwork being used in the game.  

Yep. That's one place where it can really get more expensive. However, I wouldn't be asking the scripter to do the the artwork too unless they had the skill, and especially if they had enough time. It'd also be factored into the art costs, not the script costs.

working on the battle system is actually fun, but it is also SO MUCH FRUSTRATING MOST OF THE TIME...

I can really understand that, considering what I know of scripting.

Thank you very much for all the information, everyone. It really helps.

On a separate note still related to the topic, how much might it cost for a script which would give characters an alternate equipable weapon set, which can be switched with a toggle? As an example, something similar to the way it's handled in KotOR 2, as pictured [here]. I tried requesting this script before, but I think it's too big for just a request.

 

[Archeia]

I do know some scripters who actually would want to do a Tales of Battle System script for RMVXA. The problem one faces would be:


a.) Resources


b.) Dedicated Testers (never underestimate)


c.) How many people will actually be able to finish their games and utilize this script to its fullest potential without making the scripter feel like they wasted their time.


since it's paid, I'm pretty sure you can find a scripter or two so long as you can test it constantly and provide them the resources they need.

I doubt there's a coder alive who actually enjoys coding battle systems.

You've got that wrong. A LOT do enjoy it including myself. It's just frustrating to work around with logic.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

if only I haven't and won't be using some of Yanfly's battle scripts, I would have already tried to work on my own battle script from scratch...


but then again, that won't be usable for the public... so it feels like a waste of time to do

 

[Tsukihime]

On a separate note still related to the topic, how much might it cost for a script which would give characters an alternate equipable weapon set, which can be switched with a toggle? As an example, something similar to the way it's handled in KotOR 2, as pictured %5Bhere%5D. I tried requesting this script before, but I think it's too big for just a request.

Presumably what you mean is some way to "bookmark" equip sets and then recall them back quickly without having to manually equip them one by one.


I'd give it a $20 for basic functionality (like, a button to "save" or "load" sets).

 

[SpacemanFive]

I do know some scripters who actually would want to do a Tales of Battle System script for RMVXA. The problem one faces would be:

a.) Resources

b.) Dedicated Testers (never underestimate)

c.) How many people will actually be able to finish their games and utilize this script to its fullest potential without making the scripter feel like they wasted their time.

since it's paid, I'm pretty sure you can find a scripter or two so long as you can test it constantly and provide them the resources they need.

I'm curious who those scripters might be, as they might just be who I'm looking for once I get to that step for my current projects.

Presumably what you mean is some way to "bookmark" equip sets and then recall them back quickly without having to manually equip them one by one.

I'd give it a $20 for basic functionality (like, a button to "save" or "load" sets).

Really? Okay then. Looks like that should be within what I can afford at the moment. The script would be a little bit more complex than that, however. (Mainly how it would operate in battle and how it interacts with two-handed weapons.) My request was for only two sets (including active), but another member here made a request for a similar script with up to ten.