Making in-world battles

[Topaz_12]

I've been using VX Ace Lite for a little while now, and it seems to be pretty much perfect for the project I want to do. The only thing that's been bugging me is the battles, which look to me like they're pokemon-style. When I generally think of RPG's, I think of a sword swinging character beating up characters within the "real"  world, not waiting for a battle screen to show up.

All ranting aside, I was wondering if that is even possible in this engine. The only mention of it was in another post which said it "required a lot of scripting" and is "nearly impossible." Right now, I'm just barely past the beginner stage, and don't know too much complicated stuff about scripts, but I am willing to take the time to figure it out if I know that what I want to do is feasible.

Also, if I am able to do it, does scripting already exist for it?

Thanks

 

[djDarkX]

If you mean having online, multi-player capabilities, it's true that it requires a LOT of scripting, backend server that is programmed for the task of handling all the the RM instructions required and various other things.  It would take a whole team of dedicated people to make it happen in a relatively decent amount of time, or solo, it would take a long time due to testing, debugging, etc.

Plus, RPG Maker was not really made to do online games.  It "can", but not without issues and a lot of time and effort.  Now, if you mean like an action RPG, where you can fight against enemies on the screen like in the Zelda vein of games, that's different.  There are scripts to turn your standard turn-based RPG into an action RPG.  Khas has a script like that and there are a few others I believe.  If that's what you're looking for, then there are options.  Now, if you want a regular turn-based RPG, but like having the enemies on the screen, you can use character sprites as events using random movement and when the player runs into them, they can fight.  Then, the event can be erased when they win and when they leave the map and go back to it, the event monster will be back, so they can grind out EXP for levels.

Hope any of this information helps!

 

[Shaz]

djDarkX, there's nothing in the OP about online battles He just means battling on the map, not in a separate battle screen.


Topaz_12, sure - what you're after is called (I think) an action battle system or real-time battle system, which would require scripts, or even an evented battle system, which requires no scripts, but some quite complicated eventing sequences.

 

[djDarkX]

Well, based on what he recalls was posted in other threads, I assume online was being talked about, since I've been a couple of those discussions and those words were said. lol

Just throwing that out there anyway, just in case.  Covers all the bases.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

and those words are also used in ABS discussions... 

@OP - I suggest you familiarize yourself first with the editor before trying to implement an ABS... as for ABS scripts, try looking for Khas' sapphire action system or Moghunter's XAS

 

[Shaz]

ah - I didn't see other threads

 

[Andar]

And just one more additional info to make the confusion perfact

I've been using VX Ace Lite for a little while now, and it seems to be pretty much perfect for the project I want to do.

Ace Lite cannot use scripts, so the usual solution won't work for him.

@OP:

What you want is usually called on-map-battles in our terminology, and most people who want to do that use one of several existing scripts.

Using those scripts would mean that you get what you want without writing your own scripts - but that only works with the full version of Ace, because the lite version doesn't allow scripts to be added.

It is possible to event a battle system on the map - you basically have to write the code for damaging the enemy (and the player) into the event structure.

That usually means setting the enemy event to event touch, and then reducing player HP when that touch appears. At the same time a common event on parallel would check if the player pressed the attack button, if yes check which enemy event is next and reduce a variable that stores the enemy HP or remove the enemy.

Unfortunately there are also limits in Lite about the number of events on a map, and you would need events to simulate ranged combat (an event for the arrow etc).

That means that you'll be limited in the number of enemies and missiles you could event in a single map.

So your on-map-battles with Ace Lite would be much simpler than the battlescreen battles, but they are possible.

If you have the money to switch to the full version of ace, the scripted on-map-system available contain even grafic functions for visual spell casting on map and a lot more, just search for on-map-battles in the forum and follow the example links to see what's possible with those.