Materia system... help, I am thinking of a materia system Options

[Renkai141]

Ok so I was playing Final Fantasy 7 the other day... and I really like the "Materia system" or such as have [Slots] in weapons and equiping...
I don't know how this could work for *RPG MAKER 2k3*
but I've seen it before...
This could also be related to RAGNAROK
I'm thinking of quick ideas-examples
[SUCH AS]
Weapon slots : put card on weapon.

*Hero > Has Revolver[1] ([x] means how many slots it has, no "[x]" means no slots.
Materia > (Ice) > Equip on Revolver[1]
>New Skill : (If revolver equiped hero gets a skill called "Ice")
>If Hero uses "Ice" for x times, will be.
>Will be able to learn it permanently.

How can I explain this in RPG maker 2k3 form? right now Im having problems, because the "ice" is not showing up on the
skill/magic tab, is showing up in the "ITEM" section.

How can I make skill that only activated while having a weapon on?
How can I count how many times a "person/hero" has used a skill [x] times?

This post has been edited by Renkai141: Sep 14 2011, 07:11 PM

[nohmaan]

I would recommend trying RPG XP or RPG VX- there are already materia systems for both, and side view battle systems for both as well. The big difference is that those 2 allow for custom RPG scripting by altering the actual program code, as opposed to trying to event every action.

Also, it sounds like you're wanting to combine FF7 and FF9, which would be the materia system, and then with FF9 you learn skills by equipping a weapon and then using the skill enough to use it permanently.

This post has been edited by nohmaan: Sep 14 2011, 08:32 PM

[Renkai141]

I would recommend trying RPG XP or RPG VX- there are already materia systems for both, and side view battle systems for both as well. The big difference is that those 2 allow for custom RPG scripting by altering the actual program code, as opposed to trying to event every action.

Also, it sounds like you're wanting to combine FF7 and FF9, which would be the materia system, and then with FF9 you learn skills by equipping a weapon and then using the skill enough to use it permanently.

well Im trying to do that
http://www.rpgrevolution.com/forums/index....mp;#entry524640
This person apparently did it with RPG maker 2k3(custom menu, I kno)
so I'm really really confused how it works... but I have theories on how it can work, making a custom menu seems to be the best case at the moment.
and I refuse to use XP or VX, xD sorry.

(see my game at) - not even a demo
http://www.rpgrevolution.com/forums/index....mp;#entry525705

*

[GalzaRPG]

Funny, I was just talking about this in a different thread. Granted, your idea is a bit more refined, but it's still going to fall under the same problems.

Here's the thing about this - Skill wise, it's totally possible to attach spells to items a hero is using at the time, the trouble is removing them when they are not present. There's just no easy way to do that without having to resort to a giant scrub list of all the possible magic a character could learn and remove all of it each time an item is equiped or removed.. and then on top of that, do that for each weapon, and each armor peice or whatever else you want to implement with this.

In your case, you said you wanted the spells to be learned over time, this is probably the only way this idea could work.. but its limited. Revolver can teach hero Ice, but he can't use it until he learns it. Like, it must not show up until he meets the requirements otherwise you fall into the the giant scrub list of doom scenario that I mentioned above.

Items will also be a programing nightmare for you. If you want materia in the traditional sense, you'd need to come up with about.. hundreds, maybe thousands of 'Revolver' with every magic combination possible in the game multiplied by the number of slots.. and that's not including upgraded revolvers, other party members or armor. Plus you have to factor in how to equip all these different variations of Revolver. We're still just talking about one character with his basic weapon here. Sure, you could do it.. but would you want to? Considering you still have 17 + different weapons, each with hundreds of variations that basically teach the same stuff in theory? You can, however, use Revolver to teach Hero Ice, and only Ice if you'd like.

My attempt involved Trinkets, ya know, hero has Amulet, learns fire spell. Nothing fancy. Just all the processing even in that brought the game to a crawl and I was forced to improvise. It will literally make your game completely unplayable. I just settled for skill scrolls rather than spend my time tearing my hair out while still allowing players to customize characters a little bit. In my honest opinion, I strongly advise against trying to replicate FF7's magic system to the letter. 2k3 just doesn't have either the right power or tools to make it work the way it needs to.

As for that Demo, I'm not sure how that guy pulled it off, but he must be a genius. Though I didn't see anything mentioning Materia specifically in there. I'm more than positive he had to compensate in order to make it work. I will be honestly surprised if he didn't. I'd say if you're curious about it, ask him

This post has been edited by GalzaRPG: Nov 5 2011, 08:07 AM

[Vanit]

I thought I'd throw in my $0.02 here about materia systems in RM2K3, since I developed one as seen below!



Renkai141: Before I get into trying to answer all your questions, are you actually adding Ice as a skill? It seems like you're giving them an item by what you described?...

I should clarify that my system is COMPLETELY custom, I don't use any default systems including items or character stats. I handled the issue of detecting whats being equipped by clearing all the commands/magic/etc equiipped by everyone and then recalculating what they have infact equipped each time it needs to be done. Because I was doing it with variables I was able to make the system A LOT more managable by using pointers etc.

GalzaRPG: Actually I took no shortcuts! The system is entirely complete and follows all the algorithms and mechanics of the original FF7.

This post has been edited by Vanit: Nov 5 2011, 05:35 PM

[GalzaRPG]

Wow... well, like I said, I'd be surprised I tip my hat to you good sir.

[bulmabriefs144]

Mkay, here's how to do it. You'd have Materia as items, first, then have a screen with something similar to the picture above as a Panorama bg. Convert your main character sprite to an arrow icon. Make the slot areas Below Hero events that are Action Key type (you might wanna create some kind of cancel exit event too), then it would each time need to call up some sort of list of Materia items, based on If Item (Fire Materia) is possessed. Then it's just a matter of adding the skills when it's equipped and removing when it's not. (Also, making a placeholder for the position of the slot it's going into. A decent party change screen is pretty close to the formula, you just need the means to make a super-long list of Materia while excluding the other items.

The theory isn't actually so hard you'd need to be a genius on, I'd do it myself if (1) I wasn't already working on both a bounty hunt system and an item storage system (the latter of which has like 100+ variables to store into), and (2) if I actually cared to add this sort of system (it's the sort of thing that leaves little room for other magic systems, and is too labor intensive to do for more than one character, making it a real chore).

The main issue is that you need not one, not two but three custom menus to implement this (the first can be a connect to the main menu plus a few options one of which is Materia to call to the event, the second is the event itself with its screen, and the third is a screen with a list of any materia you have). And then you would probably want each character to have their own skill level with each item (every new skill level, reset skill exp to 0 and learn a new skill, like Ice 2), since it's on record, you can have it removed when you unequip, and relearn when it is equipped. And THEN you'd need to have it for each character, unless you want only the leader able to do it, and the others to use martial arts or something.

Ugh, what a chore. To do a non-solo version of this, you'd need a dedicated team.

This post has been edited by bulmabriefs144: Nov 5 2011, 11:56 PM

[Renkai141]

Mkay, here's how to do it. You'd have Materia as items, first, then have a screen with something similar to the picture above as a Panorama bg. Convert your main character sprite to an arrow icon. Make the slot areas Below Hero events that are Action Key type (you might wanna create some kind of cancel exit event too), then it would each time need to call up some sort of list of Materia items, based on If Item (Fire Materia) is possessed. Then it's just a matter of adding the skills when it's equipped and removing when it's not. (Also, making a placeholder for the position of the slot it's going into. A decent party change screen is pretty close to the formula, you just need the means to make a super-long list of Materia while excluding the other items.

The theory isn't actually so hard you'd need to be a genius on, I'd do it myself if (1) I wasn't already working on both a bounty hunt system and an item storage system (the latter of which has like 100+ variables to store into), and (2) if I actually cared to add this sort of system (it's the sort of thing that leaves little room for other magic systems, and is too labor intensive to do for more than one character, making it a real chore).

The main issue is that you need not one, not two but three custom menus to implement this (the first can be a connect to the main menu plus a few options one of which is Materia to call to the event, the second is the event itself with its screen, and the third is a screen with a list of any materia you have). And then you would probably want each character to have their own skill level with each item (every new skill level, reset skill exp to 0 and learn a new skill, like Ice 2), since it's on record, you can have it removed when you unequip, and relearn when it is equipped. And THEN you'd need to have it for each character, unless you want only the leader able to do it, and the others to use martial arts or something.

Ugh, what a chore. To do a non-solo version of this, you'd need a dedicated team.

I actually work by myself, I don't consider myself a genius, but I can learn just by looking-experimenting with other people's work. Just by seeing it, however I am nowere near, making a simple "Custom Menu" however I am interested in one, so I belive I lack the skill to do so... however I do belive I come up with the craziest ideas which can be posibly done, but most of them are theories, and I'm quite interested, right at the moment I'm creating a LICENCE system, which i assure u is a pain, but since I'm used to it, is nothing much, I'm not quite sure it works like such but I'm too busy spriting with my work...
TY guys/gals~ for ur help
"Bunraku" is basicallly were you learn the skill of the element...(item you obtain, and equip)
at first it was slot.
such as for RAGNAROK system due to some inspiration I tought off... But I'll keep that in mind
*Vanit : I hope this answers your question by reading the sentence(Bunraku).

This post has been edited by Renkai141: Nov 16 2011, 04:19 PM

[bulmabriefs144]

Pretty much a good place to start is by looking at Party Menus. Figure out the simplest way to do that, and you can make a custom menu pretty easily. That said, this is among the hardest... Hmmm, lemme figure this out... Okay, let's say do it this way.

Let's do it as a modified Party Change menu. And let's reduce it to one menu. Make the screen, with a sword, and a separated area below it (which looks like just general artistic-designed blank space), and make a faceset for each screen for a character near the top (teleport to a different screen for each character using this, and you can even make a different weapon than a sword). Make all the icons for the various skills on that screen below the image of the sword as little crystals or something.

Make up to eight extra heroes per hero using this (why? because heroes can hold names, and skills).
Call these (Char1)Slot1 to (Char1)Slot8. As in, if the character's name is Cloud, CloudSlot1.

Now make two (or more) variables. The SlotArrow, and Char1Slots. The first one, is used no matter which character's screen it is, so there doesn't need to be more than just that variable. The second is the number of slots on the sword (usually the level, or the weapon), and each of the slots says "Variabe Char1Slots greater than" 1-8 in ascending order on its checkboxes (you can make more than 8, I'm just making an example). You'll need to set this at some point, so the character won't have 0 slots. Now make two parts here, where if you select one of the icons up top it will set Slot Arrow to the variable number of what you selected. The icons down below should all have in their checkbox "If (Materia type) item is possessed" and show up. If selected, they determine which number the Slot Arrow is (for instance, if it's 1) and Change Hero Name (Char1)Slot1 to Fire, and learn the skill. Also, since Slot1 is now equipped, use a switch (Char1)Slot1Equip is ON. Go up top, and add a second page, this time with the slot filled with a gem if Slot1Equip is ON. Go down and add a conditional with Fire that says if its learned (well, you can't select it). Do the same for all the slot numbers, for all the potential skills, and then go back up at the top, and have "You have \n[whatever number (Char1)Slot1 is], would you like to switch? If so, turn off the slot number and have If (Char1)Slot1 name is Fire else, to determine what you've got learned as a skill, and remove it so you can learn it again. And do this for ALL slots and ALL Materia gems, for ALL players who use this. This should more or less remove the last screen called up, by merging the material type screen with the materia equip screen.

But like I say, it's not difficult (assuming I explained that properly), it's tedious.