RPG Maker Forums

So I had this idea... but I'm not really sure how I would go about making it work. I THINK it might be able to be done without scripts, but I'm not sure how I would actually do it...

Basically, I want the player to be able to create a "search field" around them at the press of a button.

The way I envision it, when the player presses a specific button, it would show a transparent image of a grid in a 3 x 3 radius around the player's location. I think I could handle this part on my own, since the player is always at the center of the screen, the image just needs to be drawn in the center of the screen, right?

Okay, but here's where it gets complicated.

I need this grid that I produce around the player to have an affect on all of the tiles it touches.

The idea is that the player "searches" this location and "identifies" objects in the area. If it finds a Treasure Chest, it would turn on a switch, or add to a variable, or something like that. In some way, it would need to place a note somewhere in the system that "this chest has been found". However, I cannot have it run the switch upon OPENING the chest because in some cases, you may not be able to open the chest, but making a note of it is just as important as actually opening it.

The same thing applies to enemies. I'm thinking of using an action battle system, so the enemies would be visible on the map. Even if you cannot fight and defeat the enemy, making a note of it's location (well, just making a note that it exists) by "identifying" it is just as good.

So... is this possible? How would I go about doing it?