[TechDemo] Final Fantasy Battle System

[NickyP]

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?1a1ztaw8212215n
Last updated: 09/04/2012

So here's a new techdemo I've been working on. It's a semi-kinda-sorta-port of the battle system found in earlier Final Fantasy games. It's not exactly a beat em up, but it's not exactly an RPG either. Try it out!

This mod uses all offensive buttons; Attack1-4 and Special. On the character select screen, you'll see the complete movelist for every character. The button icons next to the move correspond to the button. So...

1 = Attack1
2 = Attack2
3 = Attack3
4 = Attack4
S = Special

When your character has "Ready!" next to them, press a button to do the corresponding move. For info on what the moves do, refer to general FF terminology. And try playing this mod in multiplayer! 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

[DJGameFreakTheIguana]

Merry Christmas Nicky-P (While we can still say that)

I download this tech demo and take it home with me, looks pretty good.

X)

[Bloodbane]

 Impressive Nick! It does feel Final Fantasy like!

 I wonder, why there's only one battle per area? I don't think it's a problem if another group comes after the 1st one is disposed.

And try playing this mod in multiplayer!

 You know, since character control is simple, I should try playing by myself but with all 4 players 

[NickyP]

Hey thanks BB! I won't lie I've been working on this non-stop for a while now. Adding characters, tweaking others, etc. I'll be uploading a new demo pretty soon!

I wonder, why there's only one battle per area? I don't think it's a problem if another group comes after the 1st one is disposed.

Think so? I think it gives it a more faithful FF-style this way, but I can change it if you really want.

You know, since character control is simple, I should try playing by myself but with all 4 players 

  I was doing the same thing myself, until I had an idea. Make NPCs, and split the game in two; a single player mode with NPCs, and a multiplayer mode without. The NPCs are simple for now, they only do normal attacks, but it makes things a little easier. Of course, if you don't like it easy, then you can do multiplayer mode by yourself and solo it!

[NickyP]

Alright, so I updated the demo. Added 7 more characters, and two more stages (5 levels+boss each). Also added single and multiplayer modes; single is for one person with 3 NPCs, while multi is for 1-4 players.

Here's the link, you can also get it in the first post: http://www.mediafire.com/?i12isuu3ibk734c

[Bloodbane]

 The NPCs are great addition to single player mode. Too bad they can only attack. I was expecting a healer NPC.

 BTW I forgot to ask this before, do you really need the score system? I find it out of place since there's no score displayed on screen during gameplay. Not to mention the lifeup bonus.

[NickyP]

The NPCs are great addition to single player mode. Too bad they can only attack. I was expecting a healer NPC.

You don't think that would make it kinda cheap? I was going to make more NPCs anyways and change them around in the levels, for more variety. I suppose I can make a healer one and a mage too. 

BTW I forgot to ask this before, do you really need the score system? I find it out of place since there's no score displayed on screen during gameplay. Not to mention the lifeup bonus.

This is the first time I ever thought about the scoring system. I... don't really know what to do. I guess I can take it away or something?

[Bloodbane]

 I don't think healer NPC would make game cheap. It depends on how often and how much they heal. If they heal too often, it would be cheap but if they hardly heal, we barely notice their use. So it's a tradeoff.

 As for score, I'd say don't use it. You can leave the old system be just disable life bonus and 'next'.

 I believe it would be better if this mod uses random enemy spawner so we don't face same set everytime we play.

[NickyP]

I believe it would be better if this mod uses random enemy spawner so we don't face same set everytime we play.

I don't even know how to make that. Do you have any examples? 

So far the way I'm making this mod is with gradual increases in enemy difficulty. This is why the enemies in Stage 1 are super easy, and by Stage 3 they put up a bit of a fight. But, a random enemy spawner would make things interesting for a new mode. "Random Mode," perhaps?

[erf_beto]

I don't think healer NPC would make game cheap. It depends on how often and how much they heal. If they heal too often, it would be cheap but if they hardly heal, we barely notice their use. So it's a tradeoff.

And a dedicated healer means one less damage dealer, so enemies will survive a bit longer, which might compensate the (apparent?) cheapness. 

[NickyP]

I only say it'll be cheap because... well, isn't the single player easy enough as is? I'll still make a healer NPC, but I'm just asking. Sometimes it's hard to determine what's difficult and what's not, when you're the one making it. 

[Bloodbane]

Sometimes it's hard to determine what's difficult and what's not, when you're the one making it

 
 Well, if you can 'judge' other ppl's ability, you can tell it's hard or not.

 Anyways, I have made random enemy spawners and used in Crime Buster v2.5. These spawners as the name implies, spawns random enemy from finite list. The last means the possibly spawned enemies are specified and limited so you don't have to worry a boss or unexpected enemy being spawned.

 Here's an example of random spawner function:

Code: [Select]

void Rspawn(float fX, float fY, float fZ)
{//Spawns random enemy from list next to caller
//
//fX: X location adjustment.
//fZ: Y location adjustment.
//fY: Z location adjustment.

void self = getlocalvar("self"); //Get calling entity.
void vSpawn; //Spawn object.
void vName; //Spawn object's name.
      int  iMHealth = getentityproperty(self,"maxhealth"); // Get caller's maximum health.
      int  iHealth = getentityproperty(self,"health"); // Get caller's health.
int  iDirection = getentityproperty(self, "direction"); // Get caller's direction.
int  iMap = getentityproperty(self, "map"); // Get caller's remap.
      int  iR = rand()%5 + 5;

if (iR >= 0 && iR < 2){
        vName = "Garcia";
      } else if (iR >= 2 && iR < 4){
        vName = "Carol";
      } else if (iR >= 4 && iR < 6){
        vName = "Lesus";
      } else if (iR >= 6 && iR < 8){
        vName = "Rini";
      } else {
        vName = "Ray";
      }

clearspawnentry(); //Clear current spawn entry.
      setspawnentry("name", vName); //Acquire spawn entity by name.

if (iDirection == 0){ //Is entity facing left?                 
          fX = -fX; //Reverse X direction to match facing.
}

      fX = fX + getentityproperty(self, "x"); //Get X location and add adjustment.
      fY = fY + getentityproperty(self, "a"); //Get Y location and add adjustment.
      fZ = fZ + getentityproperty(self, "z"); //Get Z location and add adjustment.

vSpawn = spawn(); //Spawn in entity.

changeentityproperty(vSpawn, "position", fX, fZ, fY); //Set spawn location.
changeentityproperty(vSpawn, "map", iMap); //Set map.
changeentityproperty(vSpawn, "maxhealth", iMHealth); //Set maximum health.
changeentityproperty(vSpawn, "health", iHealth); //Set health.
changeentityproperty(vSpawn, "direction", iDirection); //Set direction.

return vSpawn; //Return spawn.
}
 In this function, the possibly spawned enemy are Garcia, Carol, Lesus, Rini & Ray. 5 possible enemies.

 For this mod, this could be modified for more or less enemies.
 If you're interested, tell me in details about which enemies you want to randomize and I'll modify the function for you . You can have various groups if you want.

[NickyP]

Looks very easy to use. I believe I would make an invisible enemy that kills itself, and in that enemies spawn anim use this script?

[Bloodbane]

 Yep!
 This function also transfers health and direction settings to the spawned enemy so you can set health and facing direction to the spawner.

[NickyP]

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind and work on random stages soon. 

In the meantime, you know how I currently have two versions of the Fighter; GBA sprite and NES sprite? I sort of mixed them into one. Using the MSX sprite as a base, I edited the NES Fighter to basically SNES style shading and size. Here's the result: