Singular weapon and how to set up events

[UnbornDecay25]

So I am trying to continue to create my first RPG maker game. One thing I would like to do is have one special weapon for each character, or only give them more through story. (A la later Final Fantasy's) The problem is, I wouldnt have the faintest idea on how to do so. Also, how would you make one event trigger another, or, in simpler terms, how can I make something like talking to one character, and a parade happens. Then if you talk to the same person later, they don't repeat the same event? I am running the lite version of VX Ace, sadly. I cannot afford the full version ATM

 

[Heirukichi]

Well, it is quite simple actually. First of all you can avoid activating the same event twice by creatin another event page and setting different conditions (triggered in the first page) about the parade is usually a good option to have one event to move other events so if you talk with a guy probably you want that guy to be the event that triggers everything and you can write everything you need in that particular event (it is possible to use move routes to move other events). And for the last tip you can store you can increase a variable every time a quest is completed to check if the player if far enough with the story to recive the weapon.


This is how you do it basically BUT honestly, from your question it seems you should start from the very basics to have a better understanding of the engine or you will continuously be stuck. Andar's starting point for new users is a very good tutorial, I'd say you can start from that one and then move forwrd once you have acquired enough experience with the engine.

 

[UnbornDecay25]

Well, it is quite simple actually. First of all you can avoid activating the same event twice by creatin another event page and setting different conditions (triggered in the first page) about the parade is usually a good option to have one event to move other events so if you talk with a guy probably you want that guy to be the event that triggers everything and you can write everything you need in that particular event (it is possible to use move routes to move other events). And for the last tip you can store you can increase a variable every time a quest is completed to check if the player if far enough with the story to recive the weapon.


This is how you do it basically BUT honestly, from your question it seems you should start from the very basics to have a better understanding of the engine or you will continuously be stuck. Andar's starting point for new users is a very good tutorial, I'd say you can start from that one and then move forwrd once you have acquired enough experience with the engine.

Thanks for the intro. As such, I was using the tutorials from someone else  but got too jittery and jumped straight in. As for the weapon, how ould I create a weapon per character that isnt overpowered or underpowered in any system. As if the weapon gains power as the player levels up or something. Take Cloud from FF7. I know he can get a different weapon, but for the first (I only made it to the part after they collapse a sector, have no idea how far I really am) quarter of the game, he only uses and only really needs his Buster Sword. How can I make a weapon like that? 


And I do have a basic understanding of some of RPG maker. Guess i need a basic understanding of all of rpg maker.

 

[Heirukichi]

Well, unless you're using a script to allow that, in VX Ace weapons don't have a damage stat, they increase characters stats and their damage (the characters') increases because of that. If you want a weapon to be available for a long part of your game then you should focus on characters stats more than you focus on weapon stats. This way a weapon will give stats improvements but since they are minor improvements you can use almost any weapon.


This allows you to play using either the starting weapon or the final weapon without having real issues (of course, with the final weapon fights are supposed to be easier). Be aware that this way weapons will be useful but they won't be absolutely necessary. And on the other side keep in mind that if you want your final weapon to be absolutely necessary it cannot be necessary because of its strength or the underpowering of your starting weapon will be inevitable.

 

[Andar]

that is balancing - which is a lot more work than most people think.


You start by giving all weapons values that seem to be reasonable, then you play personally through several hundred battles to see if the weapon performs as intended.


That is the alphatest to see if your assumption on the weapon power are correct or if you have to change the values.


After that, you'll search for half a dozen playtesters and have each of them play through several hundred battles, asking for their impressions after that.

 

[UnbornDecay25]

 

[UnbornDecay25]

Well, unless you're using a script to allow that, in VX Ace weapons don't have a damage stat, they increase characters stats and their damage (the characters') increases because of that. If you want a weapon to be available for a long part of your game then you should focus on characters stats more than you focus on weapon stats. This way a weapon will give stats improvements but since they are minor improvements you can use almost any weapon.


This allows you to play using either the starting weapon or the final weapon without having real issues (of course, with the final weapon fights are supposed to be easier). Be aware that this way weapons will be useful but they won't be absolutely necessary. And on the other side keep in mind that if you want your final weapon to be absolutely necessary it cannot be necessary because of its strength or the underpowering of your starting weapon will be inevitable.

So what I got from that is that the weapons are basically for show, and that character stats detirmine the power of them? Thats exactly what I wanted.

 

[Heirukichi]

Not exactly for show but they have a small influence on gameplay (less than strategy or character development at least). Of course you can increase the impact of your weapons on the gameplay increasing the stats enhancement they provide, but if you want your player to be able to finish the game even with the starting weapon you need that enhancement to be low.

 

[gstv87]

 how can I make something like talking to one character, and a parade happens.

that's a cutscene event.


you won't be able to understand them in a game maker program without understanding them outside it.


say, how would you perform the same action if you were a movie director?


figure it out, then learn the code, and translate it into VXA... it's the same procedure, you just speak out different orders, to events instead of actors.

how ould I create a weapon per character that isnt overpowered or underpowered in any system

depends on the general lore and art of the game.


my method? I set up an upper and lower limit for every other aspect.


how much is "too much"? 1000 damage? then cap at 1000.


balance everything out so that it rarely gets to 1000.


if I have multiple intermediate steps in an aspect (say, skill power), I take the average and divide by the amount of steps, then notch the values up or down a bit randomly to add some variation (usually 2-5%)


sometimes it can be as easy as saying "how many crazy flashy bits of energy is it logical to shoot out before this enemy would be supposed to go down"?


does it look cool if this character takes down an enemy with a quick 3-shot burst? then adjust the burst to 1/3 of the HP, give or take a point or two.


I strongly suggest you freeze the idea of making a game for a while, and get to learn how to program.


And I mean program, not code. Coding is writing a program.... programming is finding the solution to the problem.


Any language would do, as long as you learn how to dissect a problem and translate it to a set of short simple instructions.


you figure that out, you figure out the very world around you.

 

[Kes]

UnbornDecay25, please avoid double posting, as it is against the forum rules. You can review our forum rules here. Thank you.


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Thanks.

 

[UnbornDecay25]

@ksjp17 Sorry about that.


To everyone else, looks like I jumped the gun. I guess I need a lot more learning before I can get started. Thanks for letting me know that.