[TechDemo] Final Fantasy Battle System

[Bloodbane]

As NPC's or players? To be honest I'm not quite sure how to make them as players..  I have no idea how to make a random attack, or a player that's on autopilot.

Oh sorry, I forgot to tell. I want them as NPCs. Gau may have various Rage mode but Umaro only has 2 attacks IIRC (the other require Blizzard orb IIRC). Even so, I only order Gau to use few ones (namely Pteranodon, Stray Cat, Marshall and later Ninja and Behemoth).

 Random attack requires script for better result. It can be done just with ATTACK animations but we can't control the randomness. Here's an example with FOLLOW1 as the alternate attack:

anim attack1
@script
    void self = getlocalvar("self");

    if( frame == 0){
      int r = rand()%30;

      if( r > 0){
        changeentityproperty(self, "animation", openborconstant("ANI_FOLLOW1"));
      }
    }
@end_script
   delay   1
   offset   10 33
   frame   data/chars/alsnake/head1.png
   delay   30
... (the rest of attack animation)

anim follow1
   delay   1
   offset   10 33
   frame   data/chars/alsnake/head1.png
   delay   30
...(the rest of attack animation)

I tried to follow the logic, and I think it has to do with the number 10 and even numbers, but beyond that I have no idea.

 It's related to the random value I set and how the possibilities are divided actually.

With that, would you prefer random NPC's in the standard (enemies aren't random) mode? Or set ones?

 Actually, I prefer all modes to have random enemies. But if you like to have random and set ones, then any will do.

[NickyP]

In order for the random spawner to work, I need to load the things it'll spawn, right? I didn't try it yet because I'm still making more NPCs, but I forgot to ask that earlier.

[Bloodbane]

 Yes. That's the basic rule of engine. If you want to spawn something, it must be loaded 1st. Random spawner must load all possible spawned entities 1st even if some are never or hardly spawned.

[NickyP]

I couldn't think of a better place to post this, so I might as well post it here (since it'll use the same tricks as this mod).



I made a mockup for a potential Pokemon Gold/Silver mod, that would use a modified version of my FF Battle System mod. The proposed idea would probably go something like this:

• You choose a starter Pokemon. The choices would be like the above image, but knowing me, probably have a lot more options.
• After a predetermined number of levels/stages, your Pokemon "evolves..." which I would simulate by having levels use a setweap #, and that # would correlate to an evolved Pokemon.
• Evolved Pokemon would basically be weapon model swaps with greater health/mp and would deal greater damage.
• The gameplay/combat would essentially be the same as my FF Battle System, with slight modifications. Each attack would consume MP, which is rechargeable. Attacks would be assigned to a button like FF, but the difference would be how many attacks you have access to. Starter Pokemon would have two, 2nd stage evolutions would have three, and 3rd stage evolutions would have four.

Those are my thoughts for now. What do you think?

[Bloodbane]

 Wow! multi pokemon battle system! now, that's what I've been expecting from Pokemon.

 The proposal looks good. As for tech text, have you tried showing long texts? I'm kinda worried the text would be too long.

 Backgrounds would be nice, where do you get them?

After a predetermined number of levels/stages, your Pokemon "evolves..." which I would simulate by having levels use a setweap #, and that # would correlate to an evolved Pokemon.

 So does that mean, you'll only include Pokemons which can evolve 2 times?
 Makes me wonder if Pikachu would fit here (is there higher form than Raichu?)

[NickyP]

As for tech text, have you tried showing long texts? I'm kinda worried the text would be too long.

It shouldn't be too hard. The question is whether I put the text there with script, or make it a subentity that characters spawn when they attack. Script would be easier on memory, but if I made it a subentity, I could make the text an image, which would prevent it from overlapping. You know, like, "TOTODIPIKACHULE useusedd WATER GUTHUNDERN SHOCK!" Decisions, decisions...

Backgrounds would be nice, where do you get them?

I'm not sure. I was thinking maybe having a sprite of the overworld as the background? Something like this? It could work if I label the levels inbetween battles and stuff. For example, say the first level is "Route 31"... the background for the battles would be a sprite of Route 31 from Pokemon G/S/C.

So does that mean, you'll only include Pokemons which can evolve 2 times?
 Makes me wonder if Pikachu would fit here (is there higher form than Raichu?)

Pikachu is in a 3-stage evolution, so I guess the real starter Pokemon would be Pichu instead. For Pokemon who only evolve once, like Togepi, maybe I can create a stronger version of the second evolution. This way when the other Pokemon evolve a second time, the ones that don't will still get updated stats and an extra move.

Better yet, I can expand that idea to balance out characters! Perhaps I could make it so that Pokemon with only one evolution (like Togepi or Marill), will be stronger faster, but weaker in the long run? Whereas Pokemon with two evolutions (like Totodile and Chikorita), will be a bit mediocre until they are fully evolved. It could really work, actually. The question is really how I pace the evolutions. Do I want a huge number of battles in-between evolutions? Would I make them evolve after only a handful of rounds? Decisions, decisions...

[Bloodbane]

I'm not sure. I was thinking maybe having a sprite of the overworld as the background?...

 Oh I thought you'll be using backgrounds from RPG games such as Lufia 2 dan Lufia: Ruins of Lore. The background angle is correct with this mod unfortunately, the size is too small.

Do I want a huge number of battles in-between evolutions?

 That's what I thought before. For 1st time, huge number of battles is okay but not on replay.
 I was thinking of script based path select so after a battle is over, a menu will appear showing possible paths to choose. Player can choose left or right (maybe up too?). Each path would be different and one might be longer than the others.

[NickyP]

Prompted by Hodgypointspeaks' interest in this mod, I'm releasing whatever I made that I forgot to upload before. 

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?1a1ztaw8212215n

I'm not sure what else is new... I know that I buffed/nerfed a few characters, merged Fighter and Classic into one character, and I know I added a few more characters. Plus I changed around a few others. Oh! And I added the boss for stage 5 too.

I'll post this link in the first post, as well.