Rivalry News #1 - You can try this too

[LunarFlareStudios]

I've been trying to figure out how to make a "test mode" for my game without messing up my current switches and scripts. The reason being I want to have some elaborate images of the gameplay for when my game is officially advertised on this forum. I also wanted to test areas before the game gets released, so it's easier to look for bugs. I don't know if this is the right place to put this, but it's RPG Maker related, I assure you.
So anyway, test mode. I went through a bunch of different ideas but I finally came up with a solution. So take it from a developer who's had RMMV for about a year now--if you want to test certain areas but don't want to ruin your work...
1. Create a special switch for testing.
2. Have the game check for the test mode switch at the start of events.
3. To turn on the test mode switch, create a temporary event close to the starting point of your character.
4. Run a test play.
5. Use the test mode event to turn on the test switch. The test mode I used allows me to go into areas in "Developer Mode". This means I can override the other switches and just enter any area without having to unlock it first.
6. Progress through the game in Developer Mode.
7. When you're satisfied with how everything works in the final version, and you're ready to test the whole game as the average player would, you can delete the event. The checks may still occur depending on how events are set up, but the average player shouldn't notice this as checks happen silently. You can even leave the test mode switch there, in case you ever need it again.
I don't have any screenshots yet, but I'll take a few when I can. There's really not much to see, actually. It's just a random actor placed on the starting map, and when you interact with it, it just asks, "Hello Minty! Do you want to turn on Developer Mode?" and the choices "Yes" or "No". BTW, in case anyone's wondering, Minty is my nickname. I simply love it, and it's good for the internet to know me by that and not my real name, for privacy reasons.
So there you have it! And if there are any questions, feel free to comment below. As soon as I perfect my Developer Mode, I'll use it to take some screenshots of the game in question!
PS. If this is the wrong thread, I'd appreciate if an admin or mod moved it to the correct one.

 

[Kes]

It occurs to me to wonder if everyone is going to know what you mean by Developer Mode and how to implement that. In a tutorial you often have to include side information.

 

[LunarFlareStudios]

It occurs to me to wonder if everyone is going to know what you mean by Developer Mode and how to implement that. In a tutorial you often have to include side information.

I tried to be as specific as possible, but pretty much, "Developer Mode" is an easy way to test all the areas in a game via a special switch that overrides anything that "locks" areas (I use switches to do this, as in when the switch turns on, the area unlocks).