(question) delete save upon gameover?

[NeoPGX]

This is currently much more of a question than a request as I am unsure if I even want to do this yet.

Basically I am wondering if it's even possible to make a script that deletes the loaded save file in the event the player gets a game over.

Or perhaps puts something on the save file slot to indicate that the character is dead, disabling loading said save (grey out the option maybe?), giving only an option to delete the save.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

You could do that...

 

[NeoPGX]

You could do that...

OK I will be sure to update this topic if I decide to go with it tho I will most likely go with an options thing that will let the user decide if they want hardcore mode enabled or not along with difficulty setting.

I believe in freedom of choice for players. Though I will admit, 100% freedom would be difficult to pull off.

 

[Bloodmorphed]

OK I will be sure to update this topic if I decide to go with it tho I will most likely go with an options thing that will let the user decide if they want hardcore mode enabled or not along with difficulty setting.

I believe in freedom of choice for players. Though I will admit, 100% freedom would be difficult to pull off.

100% freedom in video games is completely impossible. Think about it: There is always limits, there are always rules for which a game acts out. There are always something that will make the player do something they would not have done normally. However, that is what makes exciting, picking who dies and who lives. Destroying a empire because you can. Hm, yes, there is some freedom in games, but how much really? 

Just a little food for thought. I for one, love hardcore modes

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

100% freedom in anything is impossible...

 

[NeoPGX]

100% freedom in anything is impossible...

100% freedom in video games is completely impossible. Think about it: There is always limits, there are always rules for which a game acts out. There are always something that will make the player do something they would not have done normally. However, that is what makes exciting, picking who dies and who lives. Destroying a empire because you can. Hm, yes, there is some freedom in games, but how much really? 

Just a little food for thought. I for one, love hardcore modes

I'd say that completely depends on how you define freedom really. It's a linear game but I am also in a sense giving players as much freedom as possible, in a future game I hope to be able achieve a much more open world format.

 

[TheoAllen]

I wont argue about freedom or anything....

Back to topic

So here is the case

Player loaded the save file 1

After some playthroughs, player saved the game in slot 2

Played dies.

Which will be deleted? All of them? Of save slot 2? Or you only have single save file?

 

[_Shadow_]

On the original topic:

I thing Ruby can do file manipulation.

Thus there CAN be a script that deletes a file.

Since RPG Maker saves with certain naming, like Save1, Save2 it is possible to make a script that deletes a save.

I can understand by your thoughts that you are planning to create a rogue-like game.

There are ways to do this.

But just keep in mind that rogue like games are really VERY hard to be made, even for experienced programmers.

If that is just about the difficulty though, It will not be a problem, except if the game will be huge and by doing so, you make it very hard. 

Ever heard of Extra Credits? Someone here told me about them.

They are nice!!!

 

[NeoPGX]

It's really all about the difficulty options at this point.

I wont argue about freedom or anything....

Back to topic

So here is the case

Player loaded the save file 1

After some playthroughs, player saved the game in slot 2

Played dies.

Which will be deleted? All of them? Of save slot 2? Or you only have single save file?

That would be an issue in that case the script would have to prevent the player from saving to any other slot  while playing the game.

So here is what I believe should be done:

When player selects new game, instead of taking you straight into the game it takes you into the save menu allowing you to create your save and then choose your difficulty (as well as have the option to enable hardcore mode) before starting the game. Loading this save would start the player from the specified starting point of the game.

 

[Kes]

Could I just check my understanding of what you've posted?  You seem to be saying that even those who have not chosen hardcore will only have one save slot.

If that is what you mean, I think you might want to reconsider that.  With only one save slot it is quite easy for the player to save themselves into an unwinnable position.  If things go wrong, the player will not be able to go back to an earlier save, but must start the whole thing all over again - in effect you have designed it so that they are faced with the same consequences as a player who has specifically chosen to start all over again.

 

[TheoAllen]

I understand what he wants. Perhaps, something like this.

But I'm in position that unable to do his request (delete save file on gameover).

@ksjp: let's not to argue some people idea if they're not asking for it. Unless it was on the game design discussion. He only simply want be able to delete save file.

 

[NeoPGX]

Could I just check my understanding of what you've posted?  You seem to be saying that even those who have not chosen hardcore will only have one save slot.

If that is what you mean, I think you might want to reconsider that.  With only one save slot it is quite easy for the player to save themselves into an unwinnable position.  If things go wrong, the player will not be able to go back to an earlier save, but must start the whole thing all over again - in effect you have designed it so that they are faced with the same consequences as a player who has specifically chosen to start all over again.

Most modern day games don't allow saving to a different slot anyway, hardcore or not. It's the equivalent of games where you create a character such as Diablo 2.

Therefore no, I will not reconsider. The only difference is that in this case (assuming you don't have hardcore enabled) if you get game over, you don't lose your save.

Plus with the way I am designing this game, there's no reason for a player to get themselves into a unwinnable position, if for some reason they can not defeat a boss in my game, they can always reload the game and backtrack to fight normal enemies to gain experience. Though the final boss will be set up to where he is always hard as hell to defeat no matter how high your stats are, like somehow his stats are always higher no matter what.

Addon the difficulty options which I imagine makes enemies hit harder, have greater defense and such, and it could very well be made SO HARD (mostly by the player themselves since they choose the difficulty) it would make you want to throw your controller (or keyboard for that matter) out the window.

 

[NeoPGX]

I understand what he wants. Perhaps, something like this.

But I'm in position that unable to do his request (delete save file on gameover).

@ksjp: let's not to argue some people idea if they're not asking for it. Unless it was on the game design discussion. He only simply want be able to delete save file.

Sorry for the double post but I just checked the link and it seems to be exactly what I need. Could the separate hardcore mode script be made to work with it along with this script?

 

[Sixth]

Most modern day games don't allow saving to a different slot anyway, hardcore or not. It's the equivalent of games where you create a character such as Diablo 2.

Those games got an auto-save feature with check-points. Will you have that too?

 

[bgillisp]

One thing you might want to do is make it so that if hardcode mode is selected, there is no save button. Many games that have a hardcode option only let you save the game if you are quitting for the day. Otherwise, you only have the autosave and that is it.

Look up how Jagged Alliance 2 and Wizardry 8 did it for an idea of implementation. Both games are set so that if you check ironman (their version of hardcore) the only option is to save and quit at the same time. Otherwise, you only have the autosaves.

Are there flaws? Sure. You could end up in the position ksjp17 mentioned and the game is unwinnable. However, that is the risk of playing hardcode. A warning message to the extent that this mode is not recommended for first time players of the game would probably be enough to (hopefully) prevent that. You can do that with difficulty settings too (anyone remember Nightmare mode in Doom? It had the warning this mode is not even remotely fair, are you sure you want to do this before you committed to it).

As for how to do it by a script...not sure. I know Dr Todd has an autosave script that you can use to have the game autosave at fixed points. But, you would need a script written to lock it into one save point, autosave when called, and set it to only have a save and quit option. Probably doable though. Does that sound close to what you want?

 

[NeoPGX]

Those games got an auto-save feature with check-points. Will you have that too?

Not all of them really. But I'll look into that too.

One thing you might want to do is make it so that if hardcode mode is selected, there is no save button. Many games that have a hardcode option only let you save the game if you are quitting for the day. Otherwise, you only have the autosave and that is it.

Look up how Jagged Alliance 2 and Wizardry 8 did it for an idea of implementation. Both games are set so that if you check ironman (their version of hardcore) the only option is to save and quit at the same time. Otherwise, you only have the autosaves.

Are there flaws? Sure. You could end up in the position ksjp17 mentioned and the game is unwinnable. However, that is the risk of playing hardcode. A warning message to the extent that this mode is not recommended for first time players of the game would probably be enough to (hopefully) prevent that. You can do that with difficulty settings too (anyone remember Nightmare mode in Doom? It had the warning this mode is not even remotely fair, are you sure you want to do this before you committed to it).

As for how to do it by a script...not sure. I know Dr Todd has an autosave script that you can use to have the game autosave at fixed points. But, you would need a script written to lock it into one save point, autosave when called, and set it to only have a save and quit option. Probably doable though. Does that sound close to what you want?

Yeah except forget the autosave, just make it to where if in hardcore, the only way to save is to quit and save and grey out the save option itself.

 

[Goldstorm]

Might I suggest taking a look at the YEA - Ace Save Engine. It's fairly robust and you can limit how many saves the player gets to 1. If you are in hardcore mode you can always just disable saves all together.

https://github.com/Archeia/YEARepo/blob/master/Menu/Ace_Save_Engine.rb

 

[bgillisp]

Not all of them really. But I'll look into that too.

Yeah except forget the autosave, just make it to where if in hardcore, the only way to save is to quit and save and grey out the save option itself.

I wouldn't suggest that, just in case of a computer crash. If someone has gone 5 - 6 hours and never save and quitted then it crashes, that is a great way to make someone quit your game and never come back to it or any other game you make. I'd at least do an autosave at key plot points at minimum just to avoid that.

 

[NeoPGX]

Might I suggest taking a look at the YEA - Ace Save Engine. It's fairly robust and you can limit how many saves the player gets to 1. If you are in hardcore mode you can always just disable saves all together.

https://github.com/Archeia/YEARepo/blob/master/Menu/Ace_Save_Engine.rb

I don't want to go that route so no thanks. Only quit and save if in hardcore mode.

Outside of hardcore mode, save anytime you want.

 

[NeoPGX]

I wouldn't suggest that, just in case of a computer crash. If someone has gone 5 - 6 hours and never save and quitted then it crashes, that is a great way to make someone quit your game and never come back to it or any other game you make. I'd at least do an autosave at key plot points at minimum just to avoid that.

I would prefer player adjustable timeframe autosaves as well.