Lecode Tactical Battle System 0.77.2B

[WilsonFish06]

Well as I understand it, you would still need to create individual sprites for every combination, however using the help of a script like that could greatly speed up the process of making them. As far as specific conditions to refer to each unique sprite, I think there should be plenty of info as to how to do this in this thread and the help file. I unfortunately have not got that far, but I imagine it would be as simple as adding a new sequence or event in LeTBSConfig.js (probably a different section, but more or less the same process I would think). I believe you are looking for "poses", and adding one per visual equipment piece should do the trick. Once you have the correct "poses", you would need to add a line like this to event sequences in the aforementioned config file:

    "downed": [
    "play_pose: user, critical"
    ],

Then make a state that applies to the character based on equipment. In the state notebox put

<downed_pose> or whatever your equivalent tag is. Play_pose refers to the new pose you added, which step I have omited due to lack of know how. I haven't gotten to adding new poses yet as mentioned, but I am sure the answer is relatively simple and should be easy to find.

No worries on the AOE thing, I am kind of hoping the legend himself comes back to offer us newbs some assistance ^_^

Hey, thanks for the response! Seems like a unique solution, but i'm just wondering how to make the effects change for LeTBS and the overworld too (I'm sure I have to do each process differently, but I'm unsure how to manage all these poses so that they are only played when the upgrades to the mechs are done (This will be challenging due to the nature of how many mechs and how many combinations there are in this game!) Glad you could figure out that AoE stuff though!

 

[Gilgameshed]

Has anyone had any luck setting skills up without them leading back to the Skill Type menu upon being cancelled from the scope selection?

With the standard attack skill, when you start targeting an enemy and cancel out, it brings you directly back to the Move | Attack | Skill| Scan menu, however if you are to say add the skill "Quickdraw" or "Double Swing" directly to the character's abilities next to Move | Attack | Skill | Scan, and cancel out from the scope selection, it brings you back to the Skill Type menu, and in the case of a skill not having a Skill Type, brings you to a blank menu instead. This is also the case with the Fire skill that Angela has in the demo. For the sake of aesthetics, it would be much better to return you directly to the Move | Attack | Skill | Scan menu.

Any ideas?

 

[AnotherWill]

Hello
Is there a way to erase Actor Cells from map?
It's hard to manage battles in big maps because I can't force cells to be in different places deppending on the part of map actors are. Is there any way to change actors and enemies cells using the plot progression? Or I should always aim to small maps, assuming I will never be able to change actor and enemies cells place.

 

[Gilgameshed]

I haven't tried this yet, but couldn't you make the actor cells dependent on a switch, and only the cells in the desired target area be activated by this switch?

 

[AnotherWill]

I haven't tried this yet, but couldn't you make the actor cells dependent on a switch, and only the cells in the desired target area be activated by this switch?

The problem is the string "Actor_Cell" is used in the "Note" part of the event. I can't change the Note using a Switch. Or can I? I don't know about this

 

[Gilgameshed]

Ahh, I see what you mean. I am not sure how one would go about that either. I would think there has to be some way around it. A bit of searching shows it may be possible to generate an event and place it on the desired x/y coordinates, but I do not know if this would work with how LeTBS identifies an actor starting cell.

Galv's Event Spawner may be worth looking into: https://galvs-scripts.com/2016/05/14/mv-event-spawner/

 

[WilsonFish06]

On this subject, does anyone know how to make autorunning events at the start of a battle? I tried a couple of times with lots of different commands but got absolutely nothing working, the github page really wasn't much help

 

[AnotherWill]

Ahh, I see what you mean. I am not sure how one would go about that either. I would think there has to be some way around it. A bit of searching shows it may be possible to generate an event and place it on the desired x/y coordinates, but I do not know if this would work with how LeTBS identifies an actor starting cell.

Galv's Event Spawner may be worth looking into: https://galvs-scripts.com/2016/05/14/mv-event-spawner/

I think I can use this plugin and spawn temporary events. Then, I just need to teleport the actors out the map and then teleport them in again, spawning just the events cell I want.
Thank you!

 

[AnotherWill]

I think I can use this plugin and spawn temporary events. Then, I just need to teleport the actors out the map and then teleport them in again, spawning just the events cell I want.
Thank you!

Unfortunately, it seems Galv's plugin doesn't work correctly with Notes in events.
@Gilgameshed, thank you. I'll update if I get anything new.

 

[Gilgameshed]

Unfortunately, it seems Galv's plugin doesn't work correctly with Notes in events.
@Gilgameshed, thank you. I'll update if I get anything new.

While searching through this thread, it seems like Pharonix found a way to do this. See this post here: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/lecode-tactical-battle-system-0-77-2b.71572/post-1083646 (fixed link)

I unfortunately had some compatibility issues with his plugin so I haven't worked with it myself, but there appear to be a great deal of changes that offers better customization, including variable and switch based actor and enemy cells.

* ===========
* Positioning
* ===========
* Added support for variable-based actor cells
* <Var Cell: x> / <Var Cell: 5>
* Loads the value stored in Variable x, and loads that actor. Useful for Battles where you "split"
* the party.
*
* Added support for switch-based actor cells
* <Switch Cell: x>
* Loads Switch x, and if it is on, pulls that actor in.
* Good for Permadeath and merc recruiting where you don't want mercenaries in the party, but want them
* in battle.
*
* Added support for leader-based actor cells (Party Leader auto-positioning
* <Leader Cell
* Loads the Party leader into the cell.
*
* Added support for neutral positioning cells that can be used by enemies or actors
* <Entity Cell>
* Denotes a "Neutral" cell, where an enemy or ally can begin. If left unoccupied by enemy positioning
* it allows the player to place a character there. Uses the Neutral Color Parameter

Something else for anyone getting knee-deep in this plugin like I am, you can fix the broken event and item commands by following the instructions in this post:

Lecode Tactical Battle System 0.77.2B

1) Yanfly's equip command. I am not sure if it is just not compatible, but no equip command is showing up in my list of commands. http://www.yanfly.moe/wiki/Change_Battle_Equip_(YEP) Do I need to do something to make it show up? 2) Is there any way to STACK states? Like I have augments that...

forums.rpgmakerweb.com

By linking a direct command to a common event, one can do all sorts of nifty things. I think I am going to try to replace/expand upon the scan ability as to show enemy parameters and equipment. Or perhaps make an item with a custom scope that performs the requested function. Had an issue with the item not being able to be selected, but this was due to custom requirements I had forgot I set. Seems to work perfectly now, but it does take you back to the item menu... drat.

 

[Gilgameshed]

On this subject, does anyone know how to make autorunning events at the start of a battle? I tried a couple of times with lots of different commands but got absolutely nothing working, the github page really wasn't much help

make a troop event with YEP_Base Troop Events plugin. Or just set the event with the troop condition for your individual battles.

Also, I found out how to change appearances based on states.

First, add this note tag, <downed_pose> to the state's note box.
Next, make sure all your allies and enemies have this pose in their note box:

pose(knockdown): _filename you gave it, #of frames

If you don't have knockdown poses for all characters just give them the idle pose filename.

Next, go to LeTBSConfig.js and put this sequence under Events Sequences section:

"downed": [
"play_pose: user, knockdown"
],

Next, go to LeTBS.js and go to line 8941 and find function "TBSEntity.prototype.onNewState".
Replace it with this one:

TBSEntity.prototype.onNewState = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = true;
this.appendSequence("downed");
}

this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.applyMovePointsAlteration(state);
};

Now look below that function and find, "TBSEntity.prototype.onStateErased".
Replace it with this one:

TBSEntity.prototype.onStateErased = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = false;
}
this.applyStateErasedAnimation(state);
this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.restoreMovePointsAlteration(state);
};

And finally, go to line 8773 and find function "TBSEntity.prototype.defaultPose".
Replace it with this one:

TBSEntity.prototype.defaultPose = function () {

if(this._downed){
return "knockdown";
}

return "idle";
};

That should do it.

Additionally, some were asking about this a few years back, you can get SmRndmDde's HUD plugin to work if you disable console in your plugins and place his HUD and CORE plugins under LTBS_Commands like so:



Using a HUD editor allows one to make Final Fantasy Tactics type menus appear showing more information about characters based on JS conditionals. You need to know JS (or bruteforce trial and error your way through it) to make what you want appear, however. This tutorial can provide a good starting place:

 

[WilsonFish06]

make a troop event with YEP_Base Troop Events plugin. Or just set the event with the troop condition for your individual battles.

Also, I found out how to change appearances based on states.



Additionally, some were asking about this a few years back, you can get SmRndmDde's HUD plugin to work if you disable console in your plugins and place his HUD and CORE plugins under LTBS_Commands like so:

View attachment 224491

Using a HUD editor allows one to make Final Fantasy Tactics type menus appear showing more information about characters based on JS conditionals. You need to know JS (or bruteforce trial and error your way through it) to make what you want appear, however. This tutorial can provide a good starting place:

Hey! Thanks so much for the response, just asking a question:
When changing states, could i do something like
<Combo1_pose>
and change all the parameters of the code to fit that? I'm just wondering how customisable this is, and if I can do anything outside of keywords like 'downed' and 'attacked'

As for the HUD, I'll get onto that when I get home! Thanks for the help

 

[Gilgameshed]

I was able to make both a critical and blocking pose, more or less replacing knockdown with crit for the first, and blocking in place of both for the second. I think block is already used so that is why I went with blocking instead. I think you can add as many poses as you like this way, and you should be able to switch out for completely different sprite sets as well, although this is likely done through a different technique, one which I haven't gotten to yet, but should soon. I think the second technique is easier, but both seem kind of important for making a game that stands on its own.

I suggest following the instructions exactly to the letter for your first additional pose, so you can get a feel of how to add everything in properly. If you do it wrong, the battle scene will take you to the default one instead of LeTBS, so make sure to make backups and test your code out carefully. For adding additional poses, you will need to have the coded adjusted a bit. Here is mine for an example:

/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.defaultPose = function () {

if(this._downed){
return "critical";
}
else if(this._blocking){
return "block";
}

else if(this._knife){
return "knife";
}

return "idle";
};




/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****

/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.onNewState = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = true;
this.appendSequence("downed");
}

else if(state.meta.blocking_pose){
this._blocking = true;
this.appendSequence("blocking");
}

else if(state.meta.knife_pose){
this._knife = true;
this.appendSequence("knife");
}

this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.applyMovePointsAlteration(state);
};



/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.onStateErased = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = false;
}
else if(state.meta.blocking_pose){
this._blocking = false;
}

else if(state.meta.knife_pose){
this._knife = false;
}

this.applyStateErasedAnimation(state);
this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.restoreMovePointsAlteration(state);
};



TBSEntity.prototype.applyStateErasedAnimation = function (state) {
    var id = state.TagsLetbs.erasedAnimation;
    if (id) {
        this.newAnimation(id);
    }
};



/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****

And my character LeTBS notebox:


The HUD bit is pretty difficult to modify to your liking I find, at least in my case. But it does seem like something that can add a lot to a game. I think I am going to save this bit for last, once everything else is accounted for and I have more experience taming the beast that is Javascript. Maybe if enough people get interested in this thread again we can share some code snippets and techniques which can improve all of our experiences putting our games together. The legends may be out, but nothing stopping us from taking the reigns ourselves.

 

[WilsonFish06]

I was able to make both a critical and blocking pose, more or less replacing knockdown with crit for the first, and blocking in place of both for the second. I think block is already used so that is why I went with blocking instead. I think you can add as many poses as you like this way, and you should be able to switch out for completely different sprite sets as well, although this is likely done through a different technique, one which I haven't gotten to yet, but should soon. I think the second technique is easier, but both seem kind of important for making a game that stands on its own.

I suggest following the instructions exactly to the letter for your first additional pose, so you can get a feel of how to add everything in properly. If you do it wrong, the battle scene will take you to the default one instead of LeTBS, so make sure to make backups and test your code out carefully. For adding additional poses, you will need to have the coded adjusted a bit. Here is mine for an example:

/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.defaultPose = function () {

if(this._downed){
return "critical";
}
else if(this._blocking){
return "block";
}

else if(this._knife){
return "knife";
}

return "idle";
};




/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****

/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.onNewState = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = true;
this.appendSequence("downed");
}

else if(state.meta.blocking_pose){
this._blocking = true;
this.appendSequence("blocking");
}

else if(state.meta.knife_pose){
this._knife = true;
this.appendSequence("knife");
}

this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.applyMovePointsAlteration(state);
};



/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****


TBSEntity.prototype.onStateErased = function (state) {

if(state.meta.downed_pose){
this._downed = false;
}
else if(state.meta.blocking_pose){
this._blocking = false;
}

else if(state.meta.knife_pose){
this._knife = false;
}

this.applyStateErasedAnimation(state);
this.checkFilenameChange(state);
this.restoreMovePointsAlteration(state);
};



TBSEntity.prototype.applyStateErasedAnimation = function (state) {
    var id = state.TagsLetbs.erasedAnimation;
    if (id) {
        this.newAnimation(id);
    }
};



/////****
// Custom poses based on states
/////****

And my character LeTBS notebox:

View attachment 224618

The HUD bit is pretty difficult to modify to your liking I find, at least in my case. But it does seem like something that can add a lot to a game. I think I am going to save this bit for last, once everything else is accounted for and I have more experience taming the beast that is Javascript. Maybe if enough people get interested in this thread again we can share some code snippets and techniques which can improve all of our experiences putting our games together. The legends may be out, but nothing stopping us from taking the reigns ourselves.

Hey, thanks for the help! But this still seems to be a little off, what i'm after is a graphical change to a range of animations. Lets say if a mech changes armour, then its attacking, blocking, shooting, charging, casting, all of those sprites change to have that mechs cosmetic changes and defense stats. I'm unsure how this can happen with poses, as each sprite would end up with about 200 tags in it for every unique animation combination and that would fill up the game ridiculously. Hope it's clearer now! Thanks for all the help by the way!

 

[Gilgameshed]

The only way I know of currently to do that would be through changing the sprite's name as it is recognized in LeTBS. You can do this by creating a state for example with the tags:

<letbs>
sprite_name: Dragon
</letbs>

and having your designated sprite sheets match the name. You might be able to perform similar functionality with Yanfly class change core.

Unfortunately, as far as layered sprites go, I do not see an easy solution and have not seen anyone in this thread mention that they have gotten this working either. Meaning the only solution is to have numerous different sprite sheets and poses for each outfit you wish to give your units.

Maybe there is a plugin out there that no one has tried yet with LeTBS that can do such a thing. It would be nice, but as it stands I do not believe there is one that anyone here is aware of or has found.

To be fair, this thread was most active +2 years ago, so it is entirely possible that there have been plugins or techniques found or created since that are compatible with the way LeTBS handles sprites and poses, but something tells me that you would need to go deep into the JS code itself and replace the entire way LeTBS handles sprites in order for this to work.

The only other solution I can think of, and it may or may not be an elegant one, would be to use MV's pictures to apply an overlay of the graphics you want on the sprite, and have it positioned to the x and y coordinates of the actor in question. Using a HUD type program could do such this, but it would require some JS knowledge to do so, and I question if the x,y positioning would be uniform with the way sprites move. As in, it would probably work, but it may look awkward when moving or during lag/heavy load times.

I would search the forum for keywords such as "picture overlay sprites", I am sure there is something out there that can do this at the very least.

Something like this for example: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/inde...ite-over-character-on-map.142553/post-1232672

Note, I have not tested this with LeTBS.

 

[WilsonFish06]

The only way I know of currently to do that would be through changing the sprite's name as it is recognized in LeTBS. You can do this by creating a state for example with the tags:

<letbs>
sprite_name: Dragon
</letbs>

and having your designated sprite sheets match the name. You might be able to perform similar functionality with Yanfly class change core.

Unfortunately, as far as layered sprites go, I do not see an easy solution and have not seen anyone in this thread mention that they have gotten this working either. Meaning the only solution is to have numerous different sprite sheets and poses for each outfit you wish to give your units.

Maybe there is a plugin out there that no one has tried yet with LeTBS that can do such a thing. It would be nice, but as it stands I do not believe there is one that anyone here is aware of or has found.

To be fair, this thread was most active +2 years ago, so it is entirely possible that there have been plugins or techniques found or created since that are compatible with the way LeTBS handles sprites and poses, but something tells me that you would need to go deep into the JS code itself and replace the entire way LeTBS handles sprites in order for this to work.

The only other solution I can think of, and it may or may not be an elegant one, would be to use MV's pictures to apply an overlay of the graphics you want on the sprite, and have it positioned to the x and y coordinates of the actor in question. Using a HUD type program could do such this, but it would require some JS knowledge to do so, and I question if the x,y positioning would be uniform with the way sprites move. As in, it would probably work, but it may look awkward when moving or during lag/heavy load times.

I would search the forum for keywords such as "picture overlay sprites", I am sure there is something out there that can do this at the very least.

Something like this for example: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/inde...ite-over-character-on-map.142553/post-1232672

Note, I have not tested this with LeTBS.

Hey mate, thanks for the reply. I ended up discussing with my other team and we settled for another idea, much less customisation but basically around 20 different unique armour combos that cannot be swapped and interchanged. Here's the thing:
I did find a method to get it working. Under all the character tags, for all the poses, I'd just use the use_chara tag, and to change the apperance of the sprite, i'd change the actors name when they changed the mech skin to the name I had changed it to [eg, if James had his character under the name James, I could change his actors name to James2 and there would be sprites for James2 in the LeTBS folder)
Only one problem, the names show up when picking characters and talking to one another. The only thing I need is to find out a way for either
1. LeTBS to use nicknames for getting character battle sheets
OR
2. LeTBS displaying nicknames on the deployment phase instead of normal names (this one seems the easiest)

Spoiler: Image

If anyone could help with this, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for all the help so far

 

[Gilgameshed]

That is about where I am at with it as well, and think it is the best solution in terms of effort and options, providing a sort of middle ground between the two. Let me know if you find a solution, as I do want to and feel it would be ideal to show weapons and shields at the very least for my different units, without having to actually change their names to fit. I do believe Yanfly class change core can be utilized to change character sprite sheets, as well as the use_chara tag under <LeTBS>, however PHX was saying that the dead pose reads from the initial sprite sheet name or something of the like. I have not gotten this far yet, but I am sure it is doable without having to make any real sacrifices.

Nice layout btw, your map shows a very large area as well. I haven't even gotten started when it comes to things like resolution and zoom. I am curious how you did that and how easy it is to do. I feel like my combat system would benefit from a larger area of interaction, as it is quite zoomed in relatively speaking with the default settings.

::edit::

Hey, so I just tested adding the sprite_name notetag in a state for enemies as well as my own units, and noticed it did not change the name displayed in battle, but did accurately change the sprite, including all poses and the death pose as well. So it looks like this feature works exactly as we need, with no obvious issues that I can see either. This will open up a lot more options for me, and make the game more intuitive for the player, being able to see what their character and the opponent is using at a basic level. This is absolutely awesome. I also found that 1920 x 1080 resolution kicks total ass too. Starting to see a real game appear out of all of this. MV is an absolute beast of an engine it is looking like.

Now to see about getting some high def pseudo 3d style backgrounds and tiles... similar to what Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy have pulled off. Not even sure what that type of system would be called, or if MV is capable of it, but something tells me it is. Lighting and shaders are definitely needed for this, but how the heck do they give it that 3d rendering is what I want to know. Sprites even still in this day and age can be absolutely beautiful, if all the right design decisions are taken into account.

 

[Satsain]

I downloaded your tactic battle system and checked the demo, but i can't figure how start a battle from a cinema event (ex: in the finish part of my intro), and for extension, in general.
do you have any pdf tutorial describing how to learn to use your plugin?
because beginners in rpg maker like me, can't understand what does every commands in the event lists.
Surely you'll tell me something like "only build your project on the demo", but that doesn't resolve my problem, because i don't know how to initiate a battle using your system (and that will be the basic point to start using your system).

 

[WilsonFish06]

That is about where I am at with it as well, and think it is the best solution in terms of effort and options, providing a sort of middle ground between the two. Let me know if you find a solution, as I do want to and feel it would be ideal to show weapons and shields at the very least for my different units, without having to actually change their names to fit. I do believe Yanfly class change core can be utilized to change character sprite sheets, as well as the use_chara tag under <LeTBS>, however PHX was saying that the dead pose reads from the initial sprite sheet name or something of the like. I have not gotten this far yet, but I am sure it is doable without having to make any real sacrifices.

Nice layout btw, your map shows a very large area as well. I haven't even gotten started when it comes to things like resolution and zoom. I am curious how you did that and how easy it is to do. I feel like my combat system would benefit from a larger area of interaction, as it is quite zoomed in relatively speaking with the default settings.

::edit::

Hey, so I just tested adding the sprite_name notetag in a state for enemies as well as my own units, and noticed it did not change the name displayed in battle, but did accurately change the sprite, including all poses and the death pose as well. So it looks like this feature works exactly as we need, with no obvious issues that I can see either. This will open up a lot more options for me, and make the game more intuitive for the player, being able to see what their character and the opponent is using at a basic level. This is absolutely awesome. I also found that 1920 x 1080 resolution kicks total ass too. Starting to see a real game appear out of all of this. MV is an absolute beast of an engine it is looking like.

Now to see about getting some high def pseudo 3d style backgrounds and tiles... similar to what Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy have pulled off. Not even sure what that type of system would be called, or if MV is capable of it, but something tells me it is. Lighting and shaders are definitely needed for this, but how the heck do they give it that 3d rendering is what I want to know. Sprites even still in this day and age can be absolutely beautiful, if all the right design decisions are taken into account.

View attachment 224749

Hey mate! Just a little update, talked to my main game team and we all came up with this idea:
The sprite conbinations can be done in photoshop through the overlaying and scripting [once I figure that out,] but the problem now is the management of the visual change. My idea was:
Im a custom menu, the game will display the parts you have, and upon swapping them, an invisible process would change the name of the character in question. This, however, is a problem, as we are unsure as to how we would manage the changing of more than one thing at once. For example: If a chestpiece and a shoulderpiece were swapped out, how would the game know how to swap to the combination of those things if the changes only happened piece by piece?

I hope this is easy to understand, I've been wracking my brain over it for the last month
The only way I can think of doing this is variables, but it would create a jumble of if statements that I'm just not too sure how to solve. I hope any advice exists out there! Thanks!

And as for those graphics, god it would be great, but Octopath is its own beast in terms of Unreal Engine and its 3D capabilities, but if any developments are made on graphics like that it would be awesome!

 

[Gilgameshed]

I downloaded your tactic battle system and checked the demo, but i can't figure how start a battle from a cinema event (ex: in the finish part of my intro), and for extension, in general.
do you have any pdf tutorial describing how to learn to use your plugin?
because beginners in rpg maker like me, can't understand what does every commands in the event lists.
Surely you'll tell me something like "only build your project on the demo", but that doesn't resolve my problem, because i don't know how to initiate a battle using your system (and that will be the basic point to start using your system).

LeCode isn't active anymore, but this guide is a good place to start: https://lecodemv.github.io/leTBS/old/graphics.html

You can set up the enemies using the first troop condition, and in order to create a fight just copy and paste the starting actor and enemy cells in the battle demo map to your own map, and have an event such as the NPC in the Headquarters map take you to your new battle map. The battle should start immediately. Make sure to use the console (f8 or f12) when testing to iron out any errors. You will need full poses for every new enemy and character you use. These can be found in the LeTBS_0772B\img\leTBS\Battlers folder. Start with the Duran and Angela sprites for reference, and you can make enemies use your desired sprites as well by naming them after sprites you have with all of the requires poses (such as Duran and Angela) and inserting the tag status_sprite: auto inside
the <letbs_sprite> </letbs_sprite> tags. Bandit is already pretty much set up already for you.



Re: Wilson, I have been dealing with the same sort of thinking myself. I think I am just going to go with one neutral set of poses, and a few others based on weapons and shields, or rather right arm and left arm. Armor could be used as well, but I feel the amount of combinations starts getting a little out of control for every additional piece of equipment added. For example, in my Battlers folder I have:

Tristan (which uses the default bow), Tristan_xbow, Tristan_xbow_shield, Tristan_dagger, and Tristan_dagger_shield. Each of these "outfits" contains around 10 poses, such as _move, _atk, _cast, etc. I then apply a custom state for each one of these outfits on the actor Tristan in his notebox, and then I have these passive conditions set to only be active when said equipment types are equipped.

I actually made a post about this last night and have the code I used up here: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/inde...passive-state-conditions.147240/#post-1271588

///** Xbow + Shield

<Custom Passive Condition>
  if (
user.equips()[0] && user.equips()[0].wtypeId === 21 && user.equips()[1] && user.equips()[1].atypeId === 7)
{
    condition = true;
  } else {
    condition = false;
  }
  </Custom Passive Condition>
<letbs>
sprite_name: Tristan_xbow_shield
</letbs>

//*Xbow no shield

<Custom Passive Condition>
  if (
user.equips()[0] && user.equips()[0].wtypeId === 21 && !user.equips()[1])
{
    condition = true;
  } else {
    condition = false;
  }
  </Custom Passive Condition>

<letbs>
sprite_name: Tristan_xbow
</letbs>

As for the pseudo 3D style, you are indeed correct about them using Unreal Engine, which explains how they did such a style, using HD sprites in a 3D environment. I found 2 possible plugins which can sort of emulate this in MV, one of them being MV3D and the other being Ultra Mode 7. Ultra Mode 7 actually works and could be used for this, however the way the tiles are displayed in the LeTBS battle system clashes hard and I wasn't able to get it to work in the battle scene unfortunately.

I haven't tried MV3D yet as it is paywalled, but something tells me it would face similar issues. Perhaps one or either of these could work if placed in the correct plugin order, but this is something I am going to put on the backburner for now. I bet it could be done by simply applying the code to the battle system directly, but I lack the programming and mathematical know how to do such a thing, so this may require a specialized dev to perform the task. It may be something I end up forsaking in favor of just using multiple parallaxes and pictures with shaders and lighting instead. Definitely something to do after all the battle system customization, but probably something to check out before going for the final stretch in regards to animations and such.