Requesting assistance/clarity regarding specific event planning

[HeroOfLimes]

I'm new and working on an incredibly slow computer, so I apologize if this isn't posted in the right place. I'm sure someone will complain or move it. Again, sorry.

I'm working with the basic VX Ace software with no scripts. Here's what I am trying to accomplish:
Player talks to NPC -> NPC gives Choices, one of which triggers NPC to "leave screen to send in a different NPC"

I have tried a number of options, but none of them are yielding the results I am after:
- "No waiting" so that Player is able to move around while waiting for the second NPC to arrive
- Second NPC says "[text]" at the moment they arrive in the specific spot (rather than as part of the next step in the event process)

I have tried Switches, Movement immediately followed by the text, Graphic Change within the movement, but everything so far has not been what I am looking for.

I expect I may have to remove the "No Waiting" part of the event, but I wanted to know what y'all think.

 

[Tarzanthecat]

Maybe you could move the player to a copy map when the npc leaves the room (making it look like the cutscene is simply transitioning), and have an event that waits an amount of time, then sends the new npc in.

 

[TheGentlemanLoser]

hey I think I can help. I'm gonna describe this textually but if you're having trouble getting it I'll come back with screenshots.

when the choice is picked, turn on a switch called "switcheroo" or whatever. now create a new separate event with the "parallel process" trigger. make it require that switch to be on. presumably you've already figured how to use a switch to show/hide the NPC in question. now, the parallel process event should look something like this:

Wait 300 Frames
Switch Dude On
Set Movement Route: Dude Walks To Desired Spot (wait until completion, skip if cannot move)
Show Text: 'sup dawg'
Switch "Arrived" On

Create a blank event page with the condition of the switch "arrived" being on.

you want the movement route to have the "skip if cannot move" box checked, so that if your player wanders in front of your NPC's route, your game doesn't hardlock (freeze), because obviously that's not desirable. now how this will work is the NPC will stop moving and show text once the wait is over. now,

if the NPC MUST be at specific map coordinates at the end of this little routine, that's a little more complicated but totally doable.

if the NPC absolutely MUST actually pathfind to an exact position...RM is REALLY not a good engine for you to be using. pathfinding in RM is ass. lemme know if this is the kind of thing you're looking for, and perhaps I can elaborate

 

[gstv87]

set up a common event with this structure:



in the first scene, turn on the start switch and send the NPC away.
in the common event, put the new scene content after the wait condition, and before the OFF switch.
play scene, trigger wait.
wait complete? no? keep waiting.
wait complete? yes? play new scene, stop waiting.
exit.

for the dialogue itself, for it to play in time, you have two options:
eyeball it considering the movement speed of the NPC and the wait time, OR, send everything to a choreography coordinator and do the processing separately.
the second option will be leagues more complicated if you're struggling with this already, so, try eyeballing it.

 

[HeroOfLimes]

hey I think I can help.

To curb my enthusiasm, I will express this in the simplest terms:
Oh wow; thanks! This advice worked perfectly to my specifications with very little tweaking from me. I was worried about what you meant regarding “very specific location,” but apparently what you implied was not a factor for me. Thank you again.

 

[TheGentlemanLoser]

just glad I could be of help! kind of quiet around here (or maybe it's just me) and it just took like five minutes lol

 

[HeroOfLimes]

@Tarzanthecat
Thank you for the advice! It didn’t quite match was I was wanting for this event, but perhaps another time

 

[HeroOfLimes]

@gstv87
Interesting, I’ll have to try this some other time. Thanks!