[VX] Switch Puzzles, Skill Level: Easy Options

[Shaddow]

Hi everyone! I'm here to make another eventing tutorial! This one was even requested! This is to make a simple switch puzzle using, once again, variables! This can be done in a lot of formats, I'm going to teach you how to unlock a chest using four different switches!

Ok, let's get started! This will require several events, one for each switch, one for the chest, and preferably, one for the instructions. The first thing we are going to do is make one of the switches, in my case I used a simple set of four different colored switches. Within this switch you will make it simple, make it based on button push, and then have that add a constant number to the new variable.

For example, Add +5 to Variable: Puzzle

You will repeat this with each of the switches, keep in mind what numbers you are using, the solution to the puzzle will require a bit of maths. Also, you will want to set up a change self switch A to on, after turning on the variable, so it's not repeated.

On the second page of this event, you will want to add the opposite, make a variable -5, and turn self switch A off. This allows trial and error by the player without messing with the total variable.

(Alternately - depending on the difficulty you want, you can choose not to allow them to turn off the switches, and have it reset when they leave the room, add a variable constant = 0 on leaving the room.)

Now for the chest. You will make a chest like normal, only this time you will put all the neatness of opening the chest inside a conditional branch. You will put the condition of this as Variable = Constant.

(Make this constant be a total of the different additions from the switches you want pressed, example: If you want 3 switches pressed and those three add 5, 5, and 3, you will make the requirement 13)

Finally you will, hopefully, make a hint of some kind on how to solve your puzzle in a part of the room, I'll leave that up to you!

I know this was a bit more difficult and I don't have screen shots, because of the number of events, so instead I made a demo! You can find it Here

Edit: Demo posted!

[X-M-O]

Sounds like it might work, hope you get that demo up soon for everyone. ^^


Oh, I had an idea though that might make this even more complex, but fun. =D

Suppose you gave the player an option to bypass the puzzle by using a chest key.
So, for example, at an earlier part of the dungeon there was a hidden special enemy (like a mini-boss) protecting a chest key, and once defeated and the player got the key then they could use that to open the chest instead of completing the puzzle.
Now, they could complete the puzzle if they wanted, but the key would vanish (regardless of it being used to open the chest or the puzzle opening the chest) when the chest was opened.

The point being that you are giving the player a sense of choice in whether to complete the puzzle as a means of opening the chest or to use the key to open the chest.

I'm certain that could be evented, but it sounds a little more complex; also sounds like something I wouldn't mind seeing in a game (adds a little bit of choice for the player versus simply forcing the player to complete every puzzle, for example). ^^

[Shaddow]

Good idea X-M-O! That wouldn't be hard at all, in theory, all you would need to do is make a second event page in between the first one with the puzzle requirements and the last one with everything complete.

In this page you just make it a normal chest, but require it to have an item in inventory, and of course make that item vanish afterwords. It would still turn on self switch A like a normal chest and so the puzzle would no longer be needed.

Of course if the player does the puzzle first anyways, it would unlock regardless.