Tile Priority Request for RPG Maker VX Ace

[MikePjr]

I necored a post requesting a script that would allow for priorities for tiles on the upper layer.

So now i myself am making this request.

I was thinking maybe a script that used terrain tages to dictate priority of said tiles in the B C D and E tabs.

What this would do, is cause tiles that the character stands just below, to show up behind them, and then when the character is equal to or above the tile, it will appear in front of them.

With this script, you could make fences and bushes, much like in FF6, so that when you're just below them, they apear behind the character, and when you're standing equal with said tile, it sits in front of you.

This could also be useful when making counters that are only 32x32 and your character sprite is taller than 32x32.

Below is a screen shot giving an example.

Notice how if an event or NPC or character is the same with the tile, the tile apears in front of them, but if the player or NPC is below the tile, in this case some flowers, it appears behind them.

This was something that could be done easily in XP, but in Ace their is no option anywhere that can be found for such a thing.

To be honest i don't even need more than one priority, one in which the player apears such as they do in the abbove screen, more levels of priority would be useful, but at least with this, it could be easier to set up such an tile.

I humbly request this thread not be locked, locking a thread making a request is not how you garner or obtain more members in a forum, it's a good way to make people want to leave.. so please... just leave this open until someone comes along who can take up the request. Pretty please?

Thankyou.

 

[Enelvon]

This is a very simple implementation of your request. It's probably not the *most* efficient way to do it, but it should suffice for most normal situations.

http://pastebin.com/jyeHLhrx

Simply alter the value of XPPass to choose which Terrain Tag you want to use for the passage setting, and make sure you set the normal passage for the tile to star.

Edit: The one thing I should probably note is that this does not work properly if there are multiple tiles using this passage setting in a column and the player is standing on one of them. Including support for that would require that I do some more intrusive coding which, while possible, would be relatively time-consuming, and I'm fairly busy with other things right now. I may revisit this in the future, if no one else does so first.

 

[MikePjr]

Well, i kinda found a way with events, but it's not ideal... too many events and lag gets bad, i tried anti lag scripts, but it's not working too well..

Also, that script seems to only be for passability... not making a tile show up differently related to a players position relative to where the tile is.

I could be wrong though..

 

[Enelvon]

No, that script is for altering the visible z of the player and events, simulating the desired effect. It has no actual effect on passability - I named it the way I did because it was a passability setting in XP.

 

[MikePjr]

Ahh, so with this i can have a tile have that desired effect so if i'm below the tile, it's behind the character, and if i am equal to it, it's above them?

 

[Enelvon]

Yes, you can. As I said, though, this merely simulates the effect from XP - it does not replicate it exactly. There will be issues if there are multiple tiles using this setting contiguously in a column (and the player/event is standing on one of them), as what is altered is the z value of the player/event, not the tile. I don't have enough time right now to find a nice way to alter the z value of the tile itself for such a thing.

 

[MikePjr]

Yes, you can. As I said, though, this merely simulates the effect from XP - it does not replicate it exactly. There will be issues if there are multiple tiles using this setting contiguously in a column (and the player/event is standing on one of them), as what is altered is the z value of the player/event, not the tile. I don't have enough time right now to find a nice way to alter the z value of the tile itself for such a thing.

Yeah, i noticed it's not quiet working right, if i move left or right, the tile pops up in front of them as it normally would before i even get moved.... bummer man..

Thanks though... maybe i can adjust the script a bit... see if i can find a way to make it work better... *sighs* thankyou though..

 

[Enelvon]

Hm, does it? My tests don't have that happening at all. That's very strange. Let me look into that.

 

[MikePjr]

It's as if it's looking at the X positioning rather than only the Y..

 

[Enelvon]

I believe I have located why you were having issues and I was not, and have uploaded a fix (to the same Pastebin file). Test it out and let me know if it works.

Edit: So my formatting got murdered by Pastebin for some reason. Fixed.

 

[MikePjr]

Awesome sauce! It's working! All i have to do is tell the tile below not to let it pass while going down.. works like a charm! Woo hoo!

I'm still baffled why they did not at least leave tile priorities for something like that... *scratches his head* who know though..

Thanks though! Works way better than using events to replicate such a thing.

 

[Enelvon]

Not a problem. If I have more time at some point, I may revisit this and see if I can implement it more cleanly (and avoid the column issues), though anyone is, of course, welcome to do so before me. Regardless, if I do so I will make sure to let you know. Good luck with your game!

 

[MikePjr]

Yeah i just noticed that to, but as long as i keep them seperate by a square, it's fine.

Basically all it means, is i can't do like in the screen shot and group them like that, but that's fine, not hard to work around.

Thanks again!

I just noticed something.

Is their anyway to tell both the main player and who ever is fallowing them to all switch their Z setting?

I ask cause i noticed if someone it fallowing me, and i move down.. because they're in front of the tile, they end up being pushed above who ever they're fallowing as well.

Here i took a pic showing what it's doing now.

 

[Enelvon]

Ah, yes, that could be a problem, couldn't it. I never use followers myself, so I didn't notice. Let me take a look, one moment.

 

[MikePjr]

If push comes to shove, and their is no way around it, i can just.. not use fallowers.. i just thought it would be a nice change of pace.. and don't mind the fact that those are all graphics from an actual game... it's all temporary, i'm besically setting everything i plan to use up first.. then from there i plan to make my own graphics and then story.. and so forth.

 

[Enelvon]

I've implemented a fix - check the Pastebin. It works perfectly for me, so I'd imagine it will work for you - but let me know if it doesn't, and I'll try to figure out why.

Edit: Realized the fix won't work properly if there are multiple party members in the column. Give me a moment.

 

[MikePjr]

I just tried it, the fallower when you step down is still standing above his head.... it might partly be something i have set up..

in Game_CharacterBase i changed the

def shift_y

object_character? ? 0 : 14

end

where 14 is, it was only 4.. but i shifted them up.. i could be wrong and that has nothing to do with it... but i know their are a few changes in the main scripts i made here and there to suit my needs...

 

[Enelvon]

This is proving to be a surprisingly elusive problem. For the moment I would recommend not using followers - I will return to this when I have more free time. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[MikePjr]

No worries man.. i mean it's just a fan game... i should stay true to the roots of an FF game anyhow... they usually don't have fallowers..

Do let me know though if you manage to figure something out..