Life Simulator Discussion

[Cheynise 0]

Hello, my name is Cheynise and well, I'm new to this whole thing (not the engine btw, I've been practicing here and there with it). I'd like to discuss on logics and directions on certain gameplay elements and if they can be integrated with or without a script. 

 

I'm working on a demo game that once I get down to the main mechanics, I can go straight to designing 2 game ideas I have: one being a survival simulator, which is a little like Lone Survivor (though not entirely with invisible gauges), and a dating sim but with stats. I've not gotten down the whole list of what mechanics I need to discuss but as I progress on my demo, I'll ask more in this forum. If this demo comes out good, I'll showcase to everyone so they can use it as reference. I won't be jumping onto my ideas so soon until I fully know I can do these steps on this demo.

 

1st major mechanic is time progression but not by seconds, minutes or hours. Basically both ideas I have do have a similar approach to some life sim games like Persona, Dandelion, etc - time being divided into periods and each period can only be progressed after completing a number of events or action points I guess. There is a calendar involved and a deadline (like Persona, you have only one year) but time does not progress like a clock. I've tried looking at how to do this but I'm not too sure if I'm on the right track and most tutorials revolve around time ticking by. 

 

If anyone can help me out, that would be great. Doesn't have to be just finding tutorials, can also be discussing logic if this sort of thing can be done with the events and such (though I'm wondering how events can be reset when a new day comes in game but still keep items/stats untouched). Thank you for taking your time.

 

Here's how my demo will be looking btw. It's simple right now, with collision included. Bleh. (click to enlarge)

 

Edited May 2, 2015 by Cheynise

[+ Lyla 41]

Well, I probably have more ideas about the dating sim than the survivor one, but the same principle should be able to be applied to both ... and yes, this can be done by events, quite easily I think.

 

First, you want to start by messing with variables. To try and simplify it, let's have just start with one variable and call it "day/night."  Then set up an event in the corner running a parallel process (it might be a little taxing since it's always running, but it's only one event, so hopefully not!) that basically has four tabs on it - one the tints the screen to morning, one for afternoon, one for evening, and one for night time tinting. Then click Variable on the left side (instead of switch) and select the "day/night" variable. Set morning to 0 (first tab), afternoon to 1, evening to 2, and night to 3.  Then as you date and complete say ... the "dating phase" for one girl / guy ... then hit a switch that only turns off when you advance to the next day or the next time the variable is set to '0.'

 

You could probably do this with common event calls too somehow. Advancing the day can be done with a bed or maybe a menu option or anything creative you can think of. I know I'm playing a game called HuniePop and it advances the day when you switch to a different girl, but this is done via a visual novel outlook than traditional map moving - so in this case, it'd be selecting the option, then the switch would advance the day and switch all the graphics and stuff as needed.

 

Hope that makes sense!

[Cheynise 0]

I originally was thinking this after I posted this but thanks to your explanation, I reworked on my events and it roughly worked! So thank you very much for the advice!

 

I do have one problem though. Once I reach to night and spend time to end to day, there would be a part where the game blacks out and fades back to morning. However, this is skipped so it becomes night to morning. I'm probably missing something but I'm not too sure what the thought process should go (I guess as you said, using switches to turn on and off but I'm probably coding that wrongly as I get morning struck) This is the rundown of the events so far. (image files)

 

Common Event: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HY-y9yEhUxczC6s0V0PxQLuVThhhVdSmiA/view?usp=sharing

Touch Event: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qC9jQQKcUqCeP6uZqbrT49UF_GN8w9dx8g/view?usp=sharing

 

There's probably a better way than what I did. :Y

 

In any case, thank you very much again.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Cheynise

[Cheynise 0]

I'll probably just give the rundown of my Survival game idea.

 

Rough Summary: Basically, you are a survivor in a post apocalypse. Your friend has been injured and bed ridden in the safehouse you have barricaded up. You have to survive yourself as well as find medicine for your friend. Your friend's health (basically the ending) is dependent on how well and how long you survive. This is not something without moral and emotion: your actions will affect your stability and even cause drastic choices that will affect your friend's life. You are not immortal or freed from consequences. 

 

How long can you live for your friend's sake and yours?

 

Gameplay:

• Number of days you survived
• Survival: eg, hunger, temperature, stability, fatigue 
• Day/Night Interval Cycle and actions (what you should do in your precious time)
• Choices: eg. giving medicine to those more needed, ending a person's life, etc.
• Night Terrors: the nights are the most dangerous that you must prepare your shelter for it

You could say it's kinda like a splice of Lone Survivor and This War of Mine. Or a pixel version of the Last of Us...meh. I will say the choice elements, they are gonna be dark.

I'll probably work on a much detailed post on this idea once I finish the demo.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Cheynise

[cuongeke1 37]

I won't play dating game unless there are s3xy girls included.

Not really sure about survival game, but it should be fun & have good graphic & interest story

[Cheynise 0]

Huh. I see. That's too bad then. Cuz my dating ideas pretty much will be otomes. Oh well. 

[Nyapurgisnacht 152]

I'll play your otomes :'D

 

Your survival game looks seriously cool, I love these kinds of things where your life isn't necessarily the one that's effected by your choices.

 

 

I was looking through your event pages, a condition in the touch event is saying that when the time variable is greater than or equal to 4, it will reset to 0. Since the game is reading 4 as Midnight it's skipping that transition and dropping back to 0. You can simply put Control Variable : Time = 0 under the tint for 'Midnight, goodnight,' and it should reset itself.

 

I also see that the common event is a parallel process, showing text in a common event running on a parallel process has never worked for me O.o Is the switch 'Spend Time' turned on?

 

Lydyn already pointed out that there's another way you can do this too without the common event, if you want to condense the whole thing into the one touch event. I'll elaborate:

.

At the top of the first event page above your text, put Control Variable: Time = 0

In your touch event, leave only Control Variable: Time +1 under the 'Yes' choice. Within the same choice branch above the variable, put the Tint Screen, then show the text for the time of day.

In the same event, copy the first event page and use it to make a second event page. Remove Control Variable: Time = 0 from the top.

Under Conditions check Variable: Time = 1 or above.

Repeat this for four more pages, or however many transitions it takes to get through one day.

Make one new event, under Conditions check Variable: Time = 5 or above. (Or one number higher than in the Midnight event page)

Set it to autorun, put Control Variable = 0 in the page, and it'll reset itself to the first page.

 

Hope I was able to help o:

Edited June 1, 2015 by Nyapurgisnacht