How to write a custom battle system

[Kazuki]

I was wondering if any would know how to help me get started on my game's battle system. The main party will consist of 3 characters. The main objective of the battle system is to combine different elements together to create your attack. The main three elements being fire, water, and earth. Also there are secondary elements that can be made when combing the base element here a list of them: fire+water=steam  fire+earth=lava  earth+water=ice  fire+earth+water= Ultimate element in the game. You also have to combine items by using a bottle and various ingredient items to create the main item you are going to use. To make the controls more streamline you toggle through your elements and ingredient items by pressing the up and down arrows. The elements and the bottle have levels which determine its strength, you have to toggle through with the right and left keys.  There is also a timer so the player has to think on their feet however, you can access the combos you have learned through an item or reaching a certain level.

 The Z key is to confirm your decision, X is to cancel, R is to access the combos you have learned, D is to defend and V is to escape battle. There is also an AP system so the player doesn't use powerful attacks all the time without consequence. The Max total of AP you can gain is 18 and the player starts with 9 at the start of battle. The elements consume AP based on what level they are, each element starts at 1 and ends at 3. The different ingredient items consume different amounts of AP. There are also certain combos that are exclusive to that certain character and only they can use it. 

I have also attached a doodle of how I would like to set up the UI in battle. I am using the yanfly scripts to achieve the visual battlers and the visual enemies as well.

 

[Tsukihime]

You can start by refining your high-level description into step-by-step sequence of instructions.


Once that's done you can then convert it to code directly.

 

[Andar]

For your info:


You do not write a custom battle system, you program a custom battle system. That's what Tsukihime is talking about - the steps needed to convert your description of a battle system into a program of a battle system.


To do this, you need to know how to program in Ruby, and even then this is something that usually takes months of programming work (depending on what exactly the battlesystem should contain).


In fact, it's so much work that most scripters here on the forum won't even do this as a paid commission, much less as a free request.


However, there are a lot of people here who can help you to write that for yourself.


To do that we need to know what your experiences with programming in Ruby are.


If you're completely new then your first step would be to use the Ruby-Tutorials on the internet to learn that programming language - and ask us again for the next step in three or four months (that's the minimum time it takes to learn a programming language unless you have previous experience with programming).

 

[TheoAllen]

Explaining those things will be a huge of work

Split your idea into parts, and make them one by one.

Do not ask "how to make battle system", you will see people telling you to learn Ruby.

It same as "how to make game", you will see people telling you to watch video tutorials and study the engine.

We can help you if you can help yourself.

For the first step, assumed you already know how to Ruby script

Look at how default script work. Once you know the workflow, convert your idea, slowly put them into the default script.

 

[Kazuki]

You can start by refining your high-level description into step-by-step sequence of instructions.

Once that's done you can then convert it to code directly.

Should do something like this with my battle mechanics? If I didn't do this right let me know. Thanks in advanced.

Elemental Belt Battle System Instructions​

·         Hide Commands

·         Hide Command and Status Windows

·         Draw png “AP”

·         Draw png “Turn Order”

·         Draw png “Timer”

·         Activate AP, Start with 9, the max total is 18, If AP is at 0 turn is skipped

·         Activate Timer based on difficulty chosen at the start of the game

·         Easy=60 secs      Normal=45 secs                     Hard=30 secs

·         (Insert Consumption Chart)

·         Z is to confirm

·         X is to cancel

·         V is to escape from battle

·         R is to draw a window with Combos learned through certain key items or learned on a certain level

·         Up and Down is to toggle through Fire, Water, Earth (every character comes with these) and Item Components (if available)

·         Left and Right to toggle through Fire, Water, Earth and Bottle level. (if available) Max Level is 3

·         Combine Elements and Item Components in different combinations  to use different attacks and items

·         Display the images of the characters and enemies turn order.

 

[Shaz]

Just to be clear ... are you after someone to point you in the right direction so you can write it yourself? Do you have experience with RGSS? Or are you after someone to write it for you?


If you intend to do it yourself and you're only learning how to script, a custom battle system is a VERY bad choice - you would be better off using some other system to "learn" and then make your way into the battle system when you have much more experience, or get someone to write it for you (also a difficult task, as not many experienced scripters will take on battle system requests - which should, in itself, give you an idea of the magnitude of the task before you)

 

[bgillisp]

One of my hopes is to someday write a battle system, but right now I'm working on taking existing battle systems and adding features to them, my suggestion might be to start by doing the same. Sure, it will not be the system you want, but maybe can use it on a side project?

If you don't have Ruby experience but coding experience, DiamondandPlatium3 has some good videos on how to do RPGMaker Ruby coding here: http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/19863-rgss3-scripting-tutorial-videos/ .

As for your steps, those do look like a decent order, though that last one you may want to specify how turn order is figured out. If it is by AGL, I think there is a script that already does that part at least. If it is by speed, and actions take different speeds, we call those a CTB system (I think?), maybe look for one of those to get the last part of your system implemented. However, you may want to define what you mean by turn order and how that is figured, and how your AP factors into it (as I didn't see how AP regenerates? Are you just unable to take actions once it hits zero for the rest of the battle?)

 

[Andar]

Should do something like this with my battle mechanics?

No, what we're talking about is something else.
Please look at the following topic, it's a display of PART of the default combat system:


http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/4219-rpg-maker-vxace-damage-flow/


That graph displays only what should happen when a skill is executed and how the damage is calculated, nothing else. A full graph of the combat system would have to deal with the structure of when which battler has input options, how the turn order is defined and more.


But that is the detail level you need to turn an idea into real code. For example, you need an element for each part where the player can give an input - and for every possible input there needs to be a flow arrow to the element that should happen when that specific key or input was given.


And in addition to that you need to define how your data is stored and checked, for example how are those combos defined, how are they entered into the game and so on.

 

[nio kasgami]

I can't make the battle system for you but I can give how I do my own

step by step

1. sketch the feature on paper how I want it to look
2. I ASSURE all the feature are realisable with my level
3. I structure the script I WILL need for each part of my battle system (eg : Game_System , e.c.t)
4. I Always begin by creating my battle start I go each part by each part 
5. don't go in the customization stuff wait to have a stable version before
6. playtesting a lot by placing placeholder code (generally I do a msgbox_p or a put for replace the part I need to work on )

and man don't enter in a battler system conception without having a good knowledge not only in ruby but also in the rgss3 structure!