Suggestions about alternative skills, leveling and combat systems?

[DoomedLuke 1]

Hello, everyone!

 

I'm kinda new to RMAce and this is my first post here. I'd like to discuss a few things and maybe have some suggestions, and I'll be glad if anyone replies. I'm not totally sure if I put this on the right forum, so let me know if I did wrong, ok?

 

I'm starting to work on a project of mine which is about a post-apocalyptic story.  The first of my questions is about skills and leveling. I wanted my game to have a skill system where your actions improve those skills, and, by improving them, you also gain XP. Think about something like Fallout 3 and Skyrim. You use a skill, you gain XP for that skill. You level that skill, you gain XP for the character.

I found this topic http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=131929218 and it pretty much is what I'm looking for, except it doesn't have the part where the character gains XP, but I can live without this.

 

Second is if it is possible to have different skills other than the default ones for the player to chose when starting the game. I thought of occasionally having skill tests whenever the PC should make a difficult or important action, let's say for Speech, Charisma or Sneak. This would also give me the ability to set for the character a few traits for roleplaying, like if you have a particular trait and act according to them, you would gain extra XP. I thought of initially having the player to answer a few questions where he/she would choose a few options, which in turn would attribute to the PC a variable for each trait, and the tests would involve checking whether the PC has these traits or no, or their skill level to succeed. I believe the tests would be easy to set through eventing, my doubt is more about how to give the player these traits.

 

Third question is about combat system. I'm thinking of using XAS, but its own description says it's not recomended for beginners in RM. What I want is an action system where you would be able to walk the map with your companions and fight enemies in real time, and the companions to have an IA to act by themselves. Does XAS supply me with that? If this system is not indicated to me, I thought as an alternative, a combat system like Final Fantasy XII's or Dragon Age Origins', where you assign basic tactics for your team an control only the leader, but the only thing I found like this was a XP script which the demo did not opened at all for me.

 

I'm asking because, as I'll probably work alone in this game, would all these features worth the trouble?

 

Thanks and sorry for writing too much!

[+ Sughayyer 163]

Yeah, it's always a ton of trouble and it's never easy or recommended for beginners. But if you don't start, you'll never learn.

That said, I still suggest you to create a simpler, basic game if you're not used to the engine. Then, on a new project, go adding the scripts and experimenting with the configurations.

 

About resources: there are plenty you can downoad and lots of good stuff to buy as well.

[Kilravok 27]

I can't help you with the first two questions, but for the battle system, have a look at Sapphire Action System IV and Falcao Pearl ABS Liquid V3.  I know that one of them lets you set up standard behavior of party members and you can swap which party member you want to control directly.

[EarthKat2035 9]

In the most ghetto way, I'd say alot of dialogue and telling the sprites what to do in a detailed way.

 

Btw, I love this Theory and Development thread. I never saw it here until now. LOVE the idea.

Edited June 17, 2014 by EarthKat34