[RM2K3] alternate battle systems, Two methods Options

[bulmabriefs144]

Everyone knows that you can make battlesets for your characters with a script (if you don't what rock have you been living under). But did you know you can likewise alter the battle system for 2k3? Aside from things like ABS, and having limit breaks in battle there are at least two modes you can use the battle system for.

Method 1 - Faceset

You've seen this as the default for XP, but it's kinda cool to actually reverse the process.

-Switch the battle type to Gauge (I call it Portrait)
-If no party members are in Gauge, unlike the others, it will actually create an error (probably due to the face that there are no facesets). So you definitely want to have party members.
- What you don't need however, are actual battlesets, so leave the slots connected as they are in Animation 2, but go in, and systematically turn all needed files into blank files. That, or link them all to a file called Blank.
-Before you do this, manually position all characters at the bottom of the screen near the gauge. Them blank them out. So far so good.
-Now, go to Test Battle and see how this works, repositioning if needed. You'll notice one glaring detail, there's an arrow over the characters. You can move the characters around so the arrow in in theory pointing to their facesets, but since manual positioning is not really based on who's first, second, etc in the party lineup, and facesets kinda is, you might instead simply erase the pointer entirely. This has its own problems, so might instead switch from portrait to alternate mode which will at least tell which party member is selected .
- Right here your path branches, basically you're adding finishing touches. If you went with the alternate, it might be nice to add a custom animation for each weapon and magic (that is, either add back in the left/right hand graphic so the character effectively just shows up to attack and otherwise is hidden, or better yet you can use the battle instead of the weapon animation, in addition to the attack animation, for instance to create a giant custom attack). If you went with the portrait, time to do facesets. This is like expressions, except here, you're doing status expressions. A cute snowman faceset if frozen, heavy sweat for heatstroke, looking really ill for poison, looking like well a zombie for zombie condition, etc.

Method 2 - Overhead battleset
A system where the monsters face the screen, and the characters actually face backs to the audience rather than sidescrolling.

-Create a taller charset than normal (XP charasets are pretty good, just remove the last frame), and remove all of those but the up and the down facing. Put these where the left, and the right were. Copy the middle graphic three times in the idle, to make the character standing still (or you can have walking in place if you want). If you can, try to tweak this a bit for status effects (if you didn't before, you can definitely use the still frame), defending, and dead.
-Disable back attacks for the most part. Switch to either traditional or alternate transparent. Manually position all characters below the monsters (but a bit higher than last time).
-All physical attacks are Move To Target, all ranged/magical attacks are None for battle animation. You'll probably need to tweak the weapon animation a bit since it will go from left to right.
-There's plenty of other things, but in the basic principle, the character walks up and attacks the enemy, and shows their faces while walking back.
- In theory, you could also do the reverse, a top-down battleset, where the hero walks toward the monsters on the screen's bottom.

This post has been edited by bulmabriefs144: Apr 3 2012, 03:59 PM

[Rast]

Now, go to Test Battle and see how this works, repositioning if needed. You'll notice one glaring detail, there's an arrow over the characters. You can move the characters around so the arrow in in theory pointing to their facesets, but since manual positioning is not really based on who's first, second, etc in the party lineup, and facesets kinda is, you might instead simply erase the pointer entirely. This has its own problems, so might instead switch from portrait to alternate mode which will at least tell which party member is selected .

Though, depending on how your game works there's a workable solution to this. Mine originally used this method, but the player creates four characters from a selection of races, classes and genders, and I only use four actual characters. This allows me to properly use the pointer to show which character is selected. Obviously, in a game with more than four characters(most standard RPGs, really), this won't quite work unless you know who will be in the party at any given time.


This is exactly why I prefer 2k3 over the other makers, though. The default battle system is already sideview, and it's amazingly simple to customize.