Wow. It has been an age, hasn't it? Well I'm finally back in the RPG Maker scene and I think the best way to get back into the flow is to record a new tutorial. I am just getting over a chest cold, but in a few days when it is gone, I'm going to do another video. I'd love to hear some ideas of what you guys would like to see done with events.
Today's lesson is brought to you by the Letter 3 and the Number Frog. You will find this lesson is a bit more....polished than my last video. I have Jonnie91 editing things for me as well as placing an intro screen and such. There is a bit of bluriness towards the end of this video, but it seems to be working rather well. As always leave questions on youtube or here, and kindly let me know what you think as well.
So. I'm not going to write a whole bunch on this one. I've recorded the entire tutorial on a video, probably going to be doing this from now on for you all. Feel free to ask if you it makes no sense, you can PM me, post here, or on youtube.
For our second lesson, I'm going to go just a bit more advance, but stay with the theme of region ID, this is an event I created using key items to solve puzzles. This is just a copy of the tutorial I posted on the main site, but I thought it would be a good lesson, because the possibilities are really endless. The key here is to think about what item you can make and where you can use it and what effect it might have. From candles that burn bushes in my example, to bombs that blow holes in walls to create secret openings, to using a shock rod to stun npcs or sheep or something. Use your imagination!
If you want to know how to use this event set up to make a specific type of event that you are having trouble with, just comment below!
I know, from the title you would think 'well that is simple, you can just use key items on events and have them be...well....keys'. Well, you are correct, but that is not actually what this tutorial is about. This tutorial is about using key items at any time with a simple press of the button and using it in the correct spot that you do not know is an event, for hidden passages and such. Think the candles in The Legend of Zelda for the NES.
Okay now on to the actual tutorial! First off you are going to need to make a common event! Within that common event you want it to be a parallel process, it must always be running. You will need a switch to activate it, I use something that you turn on at the beginning of the game.
Now within this common event you will be doing a couple of things, first off, you will be making two variables that check the X and Y coordinates of your character constantly, it is important! Next, you will make a Get Location Info check that will be based off those two variables. Make sure it is also setting it as the Region ID not Terrain ID.
Now, make a conditional branch for a button press (I set mine to X, also known as A on the American Keyboard), within that conditional branch you simply call select key item, this makes pushing that button call up the key item menu from anywhere. Simple so far, right?
Okay this next part is optional, if you want items that you can consume (Think the bombs in Zelda). You will make another conditional branch (As many as needed for each item that is consumable, sadly this can get messy fast). Within that common event you will check the variable for the key item you just called to see if it matches the ID of the item you want to consume one of, in my case it is 2. If that is true you will simply reduce said Item by 1.
I tried to find a smoother way to do this without so many conditional branches, but could come up with nothing, if you have a suggestion, please let me know. Finally you will then set the variable for the key items to 0. Seems unimportant, but what this does is forces the player to use the key item in the correct spot, when I post the next part below, it will be clearer.
Your common event (with optional consumable items)
Now this part will require you to make a new event for each puzzle that happens with the key item, for my example I used the candle and bush trick from Legend of Zelda.
Within the event I made you will be doing a few conditional branches again. This is because you will have this event running parallel process too, so as long as you are on the map it is running, I do this so that you can just call up the key item screen using the button press and use the key item in the correct spot instead of actually knowing the event is there. On the event next to, or actually the space where the event is, depending on the puzzle, you will want to set a terrain tag, to whatever number you like. I used 5.
Now within the event itself you will have it check to see if the terrain tag variable you are constantly checking matches the terrain tag next to or on the event, this is so that when you use the key item and are not in the correct spot, it will not trigger this event. Next you will do a second conditional branch that checks the players facing (If needed) to make sure he is facing the event. Finally, you will do one last conditional branch to see if the key item variable matches the correct item ID.
Be sure to place each progressive conditional branch within the 'true' category of the previous one, this makes them check it in order and can prevent bugs. Finally within the final conditional branch you will set up the puzzle trigger, in my case I used a fire animation on the event and played an ME to show a reveal of a staircase by turning on a self switch for the event.
The puzzle event!
I hope this made sense, I know it can be hard to imagine how this could be used, so I will be posting a video here as well to show you everything! Look below!
Okay! As requested, I'm writing up the first lesson on events, this is a simple event for jumping down ledges in a pokemon style.
You will need to make a common event, so as to not need to repeat this event again and again. Within that common event you will make a simple set of events. You will need a conditional branch to make sure the player is pressing down, so they don't jump off the ledge just by approaching.
Next you will do a move event: Within that you will do a series of options. Turn Down, Lock Direction, Turn off Movement Animation. (These steps are just for aesthetics, but are just as important.) Then Wait 5 frames, so the aesthetics go into play, (The most important part goes here) Add an appropriate SE so that it isn't boring! Then Jump Y +2, then turn off Direction Fix, Turn on Movement Animation, Wait 5 frames.
Pretty simple, you can also choose to follow that with 'gather followers' but it will cause a slight lag while they join you, otherwise just moving gathers them.
Keep in mind that the event I made was based off a cliff that was one wall height, so you jump from the spot you are standing on, passed the wall segment and onto ground you can move on, if your cliffs are larger and you want to jump down, just increase the number on the Y axis as needed.
Now the final part, sadly this will require as many events as you need spaces to jump down and every time you jump, so it can get event heavy. Within those events, simply put them on event touch and below player, then just have them call the common event. Will work wonders.
Now this should be pretty obvious, but you can use this for any direction, not just for down, to include all sorts of jump events in your games, simply change the X or Y axis appropriately (+Y is down -Y is up, +X is right, -X is left) and the conditional branch to be pushing the right direction button.
If you want to have all the options in your game, be sure to put them all in different common events and have the events on the ledges call the right one, this will prevent you from doing silly things like jumping to the right or left when walking along a down ledge, or getting stuck in places you shouldn't be. (Trust me, it isn't pretty)
Also, I do realize that you can do this with the 'player is facing' conditional branch too, the reason I do it this way is to have the player consciously jump when they jump, so they have to have an interaction and don't fall without meaning too, or needing to push the action button, they just have to push the direction they need to go.
Screen shot for your convenience!
So now I ask, what tutorial shall I create next? I have a few suggestions and I am looking into those, but I would love more suggestions!
Edit: Tigerbite has shown me another way to do this using a couple of variables and region IDs instead of so many events. Now to do this, you will need some sort of switch that you turn on early game, so that you can run the common event in parallel process, so it is always checking. Next you will simply need to make two variables, to constantly check the players X and player Y map position. Then place a get location info for region ID based on players X and Y variables,
Next you will need to make an additional conditional branch to check if the variable you set up for location info matches the terrain tag you placed there, in my case '4'. Then you only need the one constantly running common event, or if you make multiple direction jumps, the up to four constantly running common events. You then just need to place the terrain tag of the appropriate number at the ledge you want to be able to jump down.
Hello everyone, as you probably know. I LOVE to write eventing tutorials. I am also convinced that there is very little that cannot be done with events. So the purpose of this blog is to discuss what sort of tutorials and events people would like to see. I'm looking for ideas on eventing tutorials to write and I love a good challenge.
I will likely post new tutorials on this blog as well as the VXA.N tutorials sections. So let's discuss, what sort of events are people looking for? Do you want puzzles? Alternate Shops? Alternate Leveling? New ways to encounter enemies? Mini-games? Let's be honest, the options are really limitless.
I hope to hear from many of you soon, at the very least let's try to narrow down a type of event for the first entry! Do you want mini-games, mining, fishing, battles, gambling, puzzles? Let's think!
