"Mystery Dungeon" Style Party Selector

[purplekirby54 1]

Still new to VX Ace, but this is an idea that i've wanted to have for this game as soon as I started programming it. This being: There is a computer in your office that lets you invite and dismiss party members that you have already found through various means. There will likely be 10 or more total party members with this system, but you can only have 2 extra members in your party, as two members of your party are a constant.

 

I have no idea where to even start, but I know I need a singular event that tracks when certain party members are found and put into your party, either through switches or variables. I would like it to have multiple pages for the multiple party members you can choose from. I would also like it so when you dismiss, then re-add a party member, that they are the same level and equipment that they had when they were dismissed.

 

I know that this means shops will be weird and buggy to program, but the way I have them set up is that they will show different menus depending on which party members are currently active. Either that, or just show all the items that any character can use.

 

Anyone smart who can help me accomplish this?

Edited March 31, 2014 by purplekirby54

[dinhbat3 57]

Hey Kirby.

 

I have not played Mystery Dungeon, but I think I understand the idea you are trying to accomplish. There are a few ideas you are wanting to tackle here.

 

1. Fixed Characters in position 1 and 2

Fixing characters in place requires a script. Most party managers have this function, so you would need to look around. Off the top of my head I know Victor, Yanfly and Hime all have Party Managers, not sure which ones have actor fixing on them.

 

2. Party swapping

For this, you just need to remove the formation option from the main menu and call that scene in an event when the player interacts with the computer. In theory, you can have all the extras as reserve members.. they don't actually need to be removed and re-added.

 

3. Same Level and Equipment

As long as you do NOT check the "initialize" box for an actor, they will keep the same information. When that box is checked it will reset the player to their base stats in the database. As long as it is NOT checked, the game automatically keeps their information as they were when last in party.

 

4. Remove & Re-Add

If you must remove and re-add. It can be done on the event the computer calls up. Set a variable equal to Max Party = 4. Whenever you remove an actor -1, when you add +1. If this variable =4 then have it ask who to remove. followed by who to replace them with. Or you can use some party swap scripts. You will need to have each actor have their own switch. Eric Recruited, Natalie Recruited, Alice Recruited switches. If Recruited switch is on, give them that party member as an option to add.

 

5. Store Menus

I didn't understand what you were aiming to accomplish so can't help with that one =\

 

Those are the basic ideas. I hope they help, let me know if you might need more detail.

 

~ Dinhbat

[purplekirby54 1]

1: Do you have any links to these scripts?

 

2: If this sounds as easy as it is, I'm likely over-complicating things. Having all the party members as extras would probably not be a good idea, because you only start out with the 2 characters at the beginning and gain party members over time, via events and what not. So this plan does not accomplish the idea.

 

3: Alright.

 

4: That sounds the simplest, despite the butt-ton of switches that would take. Oh well, this already has a whole page of switches already programmed, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

 

5: Basically whenever a character is in the party, the shops would have weapons and armor pertaining to that party member. Again, if you have 2 members in your party, then that would require a lot of event pages for different character combinations.

 

So, no matter what, this is gonna be really hard to program...

[dinhbat3 57]

1. They can be easily googled or found on the Master script lists. But here are 2 of em: Yanfly & Hime

 

2. I actually think for your purposes the default addition of endless extra characters in reserve could work. They can be in reserve and not seen in the menu screen. You would basically just have the computer call up the Formation menu, and swap characters through there, then when you do events you would only check the first 4 actors in the party. This would remove the need to constantly add and remove characters. The only reason you would need to REMOVE a character form party is if you do not want access to them at all. and they cannot be selected back into the party for some time period. otherwise, having them in reserve should be fine.

 

3. =D

 

4. It is probably the easiest solution without scripts.

 

5. This would use the same logic as 4. Each character needs a switch. for every shop have it check if the switches are on and which characters are in party. (or if you use solution on number 2, just check the first 4 members of party.)

 

 

FORTUNATELY all the events should like fairly similar so once u have one written out the rest shouldnt be much work other than editting details.

 

~ Dinhbat

Edited March 31, 2014 by dinhbat3

[purplekirby54 1]

Ooh. Yanfly's party system may work really well.

Now, for the question of the day: How would you remove the Formation menu to make the event of the computer bring it up?

 

Edit: Oh for. it's not letting me download Yanfly's script.

Edited March 31, 2014 by purplekirby54

[dinhbat3 57]

Depends on if you are using default menus or a menu script. Either way you will just hashtag out the line that has it draw the command "Formation"

 

In the script it tells you the script call to get the party menu swap screen. I believe it is call_party_menu or something along those lines...

 

~ Dinhbat

[purplekirby54 1]

From the looks of things, the fact that the party script isn't downloading and with my very... limited knowledge of scripts. (I.E. none) I may need to go the switches route. It seems easier, and for the most part, wouldn't screw up the party system. Though it does look nicer, I must admit.

 

I suppose we start by making switches for each and every party member encounter, then the computer will have to read a lot of switches and have pages upon pages of events based on how many party members you've found and go from there.

 

ugh, why did i have to have 15 different party members.

 

EDIT: Oh wait, I think I found a mirror for all his things. Now let's hope this works, aye?

 

https://github.com/Archeia/YEARepo/blob/master/Menu/Party_System.rb

 

this is it, right

 

Good news! Got the script to work from Yanfly. Now I just need to edit this and make it so new party members show up and you can only have 4 members in at a time.

 

And then program that onto the computer event.

 

you may need to take me through the step-by-step process of this. sorry for being such a noob at this.

Edited March 31, 2014 by purplekirby54

[dinhbat3 57]

There is a portion of the script that allows you to set the Max number of active members in battle. Just set that number to 4.

 

It is all on his page that I originally linked you to. The instructions are also within the script itself. Try to read the instructions as Yanfly does a pretty good job of explaining how to use his stuff.

 

~ Dinhbat

 

Also.. though I'm not a mod... use the edit button on your past post instead of double posting. <3

[purplekirby54 1]

Alright. I've gotten the Formation menu disabled, and the formation option to appear on the computer, but then it keeps thinking it's still an option you can select in the menu. How do i make it so it goes away entirely?

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Hi purplekirby54, please don't forget to add tags to your topic! Thanks~  

[purplekirby54 1]

oops. sorry. did that just now.
 
EDIT: I... sort of have it, except... now there's this problem.

 

the formation menu cannot be selected, but the game thinks the word Formation can still be selected. Pardon the lack of sprites, we're still working on the custom characters. Any way this can be remedied?

Edited April 1, 2014 by purplekirby54

[purplekirby54 1]

I figured it out!

 

 

You can close this thread now, if you so desire.

[dinhbat3 57]

Congrats Kirby!

 

Glad to hear you worked it out =D

 

~ Dinhbat

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Okay, I'll close it.