Nicest Way to Call Camping Common Event?

[Piyan Glupak]

From the point of view of the player, what is the best way to let a player erect a tent so that the party can sleep?

For my new project, instead of having the party sleep at inns, I decided to give them a tent in the opening cutscene. When the player wants them to sleep (or do a few other things) the party is teleported to the tent's map. Exiting the tent returns them to where they were. (The party can only camp on some maps, currently the overworld.)

At the moment, the player uses the tent to call the common event. However, because I don't want the party to be able to sell the tent, I made it a key item. Would players normally realise that some key items can be used?

Another possibility is to put "Camp" or "Use Tent" as an option of the main menu, and hide or disable it when the party can't camp. I have already done that with "Estimate Time", "Rest", "Sleep" and "Dalliance", and will do that with credits.

Which method would be more intuitive for the player?

 

[AquaEcho]

I would put it in the main menu or put some kind of landmarks around the map like firepits where if you interact with them, it gives you the option to pitch a tent.

Personally I just assume there's some percentage of players that don't read any instructions or tutorials so they might not even know they have a tent, in which case you put it somewhere they can't miss (the main menu or map landmarks)

If it's some kind of non-disposable inventory item the player will see every time they open their inventory that would work too.

 

[AphoticAmaranth]

Can't you just set the price to 0 if you don't want it to be sellable?

Personally, I'd prefer the in-menu option. While I do realise key items can sometimes be used, selecting the camp option directly from the menu is much more convenient than menu>inventory>key items>camp, especially if players will have to do it frequently. Better still if you can assign it to a hotkey.

 

[Piyan Glupak]

@AquaEcho and @AphoticAmaranth - Thank you for your replies. Unless I get a lot of conflicting advice I will stick "Pitch Tent" onto the menu. (The party can camp anywhere on the overworld map except where the terrain is a problem.)

 

[SGHarlekin]

Yup, an option in the main menu seems the most convenient way. A key item is very "RM" and requires more menu navigation than necessary. Having the camping option be greyed out/disappear whenever they can not camp is also another detail I would add since it's more polished than getting a dialogue box "I can't camp here".

 

[Arthran]

Unless I get a lot of conflicting advice I will stick "Pitch Tent" onto the menu.

Probably don't put "Pitch Tent", because it makes people who's mentality never matured after 4th grade (a.k.a. me) giggle. It's probably best to simply go with "Camp".

 

[Piyan Glupak]

Thank you for your advice.

@SGHarlekin - Yes, that sounds reasonable. I might have to think carefully about when they are on the boat or ship because at the moment the common event just gets the party leader to say that they can't camp when they are in one of the vehicles. The plugin I use to monkey with the menu lets me automatically hide or disable the menu item if it isn't overworld.

@Arthran Whoops! Thank you. Well spotted.

Edit: If anyone wants to know for RPG Maker MV what plugin, and what code I used to check for overworld and check the party isn't on a vehicle, you can ask me on either the RPG Maker MV Support board or the Javascript/Plugin Support board. I believe that this board isn't supposed to be for specifc RPG Makers, otherwise I would put the details here.

 

[desertbriar]

I just add firepit events in "saferooms" so the player can't just camp anywhere. Then call the camping common event. It's the easiest way without having to worry about a hundred checks for where a player can camp or not when using a key item.

 

[xabileug]

check out the pocket items plugin. it makes you place events on the map. let's say you place the item "tent" on the map, then you begin the fade out fade in to Breath of Fire camping style. talk with the party for a in depth story. not just heal.

 

[Piyan Glupak]

check out the pocket items plugin. it makes you place events on the map. let's say you place the item "tent" on the map, then you begin the fade out fade in to Breath of Fire camping style. talk with the party for a in depth story. not just heal.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have downloaded the MV version of the plugin, and I will investigate it. For now, because I want the player to have a few options when camping, I will stick to the using the main menu.