Making Combat "Eventful"

[BardAaron]

It's important to state at the start that I am using Vx Ace Lite, so I have lots of limitations on what I can do.

I am playing with trying to make a more action-based combat system using events (since I don't have access to scripting.)

I have an enemy event with a sprite, set to approach, and trigger being event touch.  If the player is pressing A, they can deal damage to the creature at this time; otherwise they take damage instead.  The 3 issues I am running into relate to regulating damage and attacks.  Apparently pressing z instantly kills it, instead of dealing damage like it is supposed to.  Each time you press A it should subtract your ATK parameter from a "HP" variable.  When that variable reaches 0 or less, the event disappears.  The other issue is that if the player simply holds down the A button, they deal lots of repeated damage (each with a knockback effect) that pushes the event farther and farther away, continuing to deal damage, even though they are no longer touching.  I do not want this to happen.

Lastly, it regularly freezes while attempting this.  What can I do?

 

[Andar]

First, please show us screenshots of your enemy events to check what you have done.


Second, the holding button problem is due to the way the keyboard is accessed, and you'll need to use a switch with waits on parallel process to stop that series.


However, the way to implement that pause depends partially on how your events work, that can be better described after we see the screenshot.

 

[Wavelength]

This kind of question belongs in VX Ace Help, not Game Mechanics.  (It's a common mistake.)

Like Andar said, we'd need to see your event, because I can think of dozens of different mistakes that might lead to the behavior you're describing.

More importantly, though, take it from someone who has built it both ways: you are going to need scripting to add any kind of reasonable scale to your Action Battle System.  If you're committed to doing it, definitely buy the full version.  A decent (in theory) battle system can be made using eventing alone but the problem is that it will end up taking five to ten times as long to build the same amount of content and it will likely lag like crazy on all but the highest-end computers.  By using other peoples' ABS script or even by scripting it yourself, you can not only do slightly cooler stuff, but you'll also dramatically cut down on development time and lag.  If you're averse to working with scripting altogether, and you need an ABS, go with something that handles action elements more "natively", like Game Maker Studio or IG Maker.

 

[Andar]

One additional info:

From what I read (I don't have it myself) it's easier to event an ABS in RM2K3 due to the variable pointers that are available there and had been removed from later RM's, and RM2K3 is cheaper than Ace - but it also has lower resolution and therefore even older graphics (and a much less capable database).

 

[BardAaron]

I will post screenshots to you as soon as I can.  I did not have access when I posted the above, and just don't have time at this moment.

I mostly just don't want to spend a lot of money on the full version.  I would much prefer to have access to scripts, being able to change maximums, etc.

 

[Andar]

I mostly just don't want to spend a lot of money on the full version.

Search Humble Bundle and Steam for Sales - they happen three or four times per year, and the price may drop as low as around 15$ if you catch the correct sale

 

[BardAaron]

When you say that RM2K3 has a less capable database, do you mean packaged with less, or that it cannot support as much?  It's under $20 on steam right now, so I am interested.

 

[Andar]

When you say that RM2K3 has a less capable database, do you mean packaged with less, or that it cannot support as much?  It's under $20 on steam right now, so I am interested.

neither, it's about what you can do with data structures

One (of many) examples:

If you worked with Lite, you'll know that Ace works with features and can group weapons and armors into types to give different actors different access.

The older makers did not have that option, everything had to be set directly - which is more work and less flexible.

Check the screenshot here: http://www.rpgmakerweb.com/products/programs/rpg-maker-2003

You'll quickly understand what I mean just from looking at the screenshots of the database pages if you compare them with Ace Lite - Ace can give more options with less clutter.

 

[BardAaron]

Here's the screenshot of my event.  The only thing not shown is a "change EXP" and a "change gold" command at the bottom.  Control Self-Switch A turns on page 2, which is blank, for when it is defeated.  I also have a sign that gives the option to fight another, triggering a switch "New Orc" which is the condition for Event page 3, which is identical to page 1. 

 

[Kes]

Have you tried putting the second conditional branch inside the first, before 'Jump to label', rather than after?  Also, do you really need that Jump to label?  Presumably the step backwards is to stop the action, so without that jump, everything ceases until the next time the player touches the event.  This jump may be the reason you are getting that continual dealing of damage.

 

[BardAaron]

Actually the jump to label was one of my attempts to STOP the damage.  It was happening before I added that in.

 

[Kes]

So what happens if you put the second conditional inside the first where I suggested?  It's at that point that I think you won't need the jump to label, but it would be worth trying it both with and without.

 

[BardAaron]

Ok, by following your suggestion of nesting the second conditional branch inside the first, it fixed the issue of z instakilling the encounter.  Once this was done, taking away the jump to label seemed to fix that holding down A would keep pushing it further and further away.  Now they at least have to approach again to deal damage, but they can just hold down A and forward to keep attacking.

 

[Andar]

that is because you have to create a pause after any keypress if you want to prevent that. And to do that, you need to split up the key check into two parts, something that I'm currently too sleepy to explain (beyond midnight here)