In-Game Character Creation NOT using sprites

[RedBirdXlll]

So a friend and I are casually working on a robust fantasy-adventure game and we want the first order of business after the player watches the intro to be a character creation screen - basically just like the one you can use to generate player images and sprites in RPG Maker, but using eyes, hair, faces, etc that I will be drawing by hand. At the end of the character creation process, the player will have a custom assembled actor image that will then correlate to a sprite that they will see for the first time upon completing the creation process.

We want the character creation to be integrated into gameplay as an autorun event in which the player character is looking into the mirror in their room right after they've woken up in bed. The mirror becomes the frame within which the different facial features and hair and stuff will be visible. Ideally we'd also want buttons and such on either side of the mirror that the player can navigate through to select hair color, eye color, eyebrows, etc. But as far as I know, you can't really create buttons like that super easily in the game. I'm also having a hard time figuring out how to make this work mechanically.

Basically I'm wanting to post this here in the hopes that some of you guys who know a lot more about custom scripts and such than I do can help me get a better idea of how to accomplish this type of character creation within this engine.

Thanks in advance for your time, advice, questions, and ideas!

 

[Kes]

'General Discussion' is for looking at broad themes about making games as they might apply to several games. "How do I...?" (implementation) questions belong in the Support forum for the engine you are using.

[move]RPGMaker VX Ace[/move]

 

[Poryg]

As far as I know, the only difficult thing is how to merge hair and other parts into one sprite. The whole menu can be evented using Show picture.

 

[InkPotion]

Hmm, you could use SumRndmDde's character creator, maybe?
Replace the default character assets with custom drawn ones?

 

[Poryg]

This is VXAce, so SRD's plugins will not work here.

 

[InkPotion]

This is VXAce, so SRD's plugins will not work here.

My bad, sorry! I should have paid more attention :/

 

[RedBirdXlll]

Hey thanks everyone for the responses so far! Also sorry for posting in the wrong spot, I wasn't 100% sure where this fit.

I am currently trying a mock-up event of this creation process using the "show Picture" feature, but am encountering issues with how to go about creating the correct combinations, so to speak.

To elaborate:

Initially what I tried to do was have a base image of the default character that will then have transparent PNG images of eyes, eyebrows, mouths, etc show up on top as the person builds their character. In game terms, I have the base image as "show picture" and then choices for things like specific eyes. When the specific eye shape is selected, I have it set to show that set of eyes as a result. But it seems like RPG Maker only shows one image at a time. So what I think I would have to do in this particular instance is create already combined images. So instead of having just an eye overlay I'd have to create an image with each face shape combined with each set of eyes etc etc. Which sounds terrible. I think there's probably a better way to do it.

Is there existing code somewhere that essentially allows you to place the RPG Maker character creator into your game? 'Cause that's ESSENTIALLY what I want, I'd just want to fiddle with the format and change all the assets.

 

[Poryg]

But it seems like RPG Maker only shows one image at a time.

Spoiler: Doesn't look like one image to me - in fact these are three images

Spoiler: Just to clarify, did you change this number upon using show picture?

 

[RedBirdXlll]

Hmmmm..... the numbering might be my issue. Lemme go fiddle again. Thanks for alerting me to that!

I haven't fiddled with this engine in many years so I'm a little rusty!

 

[Poryg]

It should work if you change the numbers. Because if you don't, it simply overwrites one pic with another. I'm just not sure what is the ruling of stacking the pictures, but that is not hard to figure out through trial and error.

 

[RedBirdXlll]

That definitely was my problem! Rookie mistake, for sure.

I also think I've figured out how to have the game recognize the player's choices and "export" their character, so to speak.

Each feature will turn on a switch and turn off all other switches associated with that set of feature options. At the end of creation, the player will have essentially turned on a specific switch combo, which will result in a particular sprite/face being selected for them.

 

[Poryg]

Yup, switches are definitely an option, but I was reluctant to suggest it, because it involves hard coding

 

[RedBirdXlll]

Well I actually think I can do it by just using the easy event creator options, but I'll have to look into it further. It will definitely be tedious though haha

 

[Poryg]

It is pretty easy eventing, involving switches just like you said and reaching a combo of switches (or maybe you could use one variable instead where units would go for eyes, tens for hairstyles, etc.). It will just be a huge chunk of code (although maybe learning some Ruby could possibly shorten it).

 

[RedBirdXlll]

I'm not familiar with Ruby?

Also, I've just discovered that it looks like you can't copy/paste any lines of code external to the game? I wanted to paste some lines of code into a Drive folder so my teammate can access it, but it won't paste. Is there not a way to export code?

 

[Poryg]

That is why I suggested that you learn it

No, there is no way to export code outside of the app, only through ctrl c and ctrl v directly from event to event. You can send him the map file however, it will have stored events data inside.

 

[RedBirdXlll]

Ahhh okay, thanks.

I'll take a look at Ruby too, or rather, suggest it to my teammate since he's the code-y one

 

[Ossra]

Hmm, give me a moment and I will whip up an example project that might help you create a character creation scene with an event.

 

[RedBirdXlll]

I'm having a separate issue with an event not playing the way I was expecting - can I post about that in this same forum - the support forum?

 

[Poryg]

That is how it goes, if a new problem appears, create a new forum thread.