A Tearable Thing To Waste

There are plenty of games out there with "clothing damage".  From a design point, that means a Leather Armor can degrade into Torn Leather Armor.  And so I set out for a script that transforms your currently equipment into a different one if you have a notetag.  Perhaps you also use this script for "shifting armor" or upgrading by chance.

So far, you can access this "Tear Armor" ability inside your damage formula (message included) and you can turn it on if you want it to tear it inside your equipment screen. I would need to rewrite the optimize-equip to exclude these equipment from being replaced immediately if they always break, plus a way to force an equipment change (if I want to put a symbiote suit over a breakable armor).  I would also need to set up a Repair tag so that these equipment can be "restored" (replaced) with the item in question.  Hm, not sure if having an unremovable/cursed tag is redundant or not.

The States of My Thoughts

Did I ever mention the time I wanted to have a state provide different colors depending on the attacker?  Just in case I haven't, how it goes would be that a red spider makes red webs and a blue spider makes blue webs.  It sounds simple...I would need to tag how an enemy with a certain color, then I would need to apply that color to the actor upon an attack, specifically one that applies the state.

And I did it.  It's currently mixed in with Himework's State Faces and other mods, but for that state, I simply need to return a modified character index instead of a certain one if the current state is a "Color State". 

It also makes me wonder of an alternate of this idea, but by assigning a the index based on the current "state" rather like if rope was tied around someone in a suit versus in a dress.  

---

Anyway, I think I know why my Event-To-Event didn't work before: The type of data entered into notetags are sensitive.  I entered the data as /d+ which is good for making numbers.  However, my previous notetags from other scripts uses /w+ to capture strings.  Considering I was trying to use strings to determine which events can interact with each other and which self-switches they turn on, I did not realize I was using the wrong notetags.  I will have to get the code again, though I don't know if I need it in my current project.

---

What is the trade-off of Power?  The Smash Bros Spirit Power is an interesting concept, and from a simple standpoint, having more Power than your opponent means more damage but less rewards.  This also makes the opposite true, where fighting with less power means more rewards and less damage.

And to take the concept further, what would you do for Power?  If there was a necklace that could make your party Powerful but takes out the one who wears it, would you equip it?   If there was a "weak" amulet to cut your MP cost, is it better than raw Power?   And if some Power can be added on the side, would you use them to improve your odds or would you inhibit yourself to gain more?

---

What is currency good for?  If it were for Grade or Casino, it would be easy to acquire certain prizes.  But if it is not the only currency being used during the game, how would you handle it?  And how would you spend it?  I mean, I already figured out how to turn Gold into separate currency and integrate the prices into the shops, but how would each currency be used?

My current guess is that Gold itself is used for basic items and an entry fee, halved if the player loses and returns to town and can be earned by "deeds" in town.  The other three currencies represents an "element" and is used to buy the good stuff or to convert into Gold.  That is the basic plan...I should also make a copy of the message-gold window for those variables later.

---

Also, it turns out that passive states work with state graphics.  Took me that long to find out.

Hot Steamy Action

Just a heads up:  This week until Monday (March 18th, 2019), Steam is having a sale on RPG Maker stuff.  But the bigger news is that you get to try out RPG Maker MV, Visual Novel Maker, and Pixel Game Maker MV during that time!

Also, Final Fantasy Dissidia NT's free version on Steam as well.

A Map to a Goal

It was easy to re-integrate that event-to-event code.  However, adding more variables to the notetags didn't work, but it could be that I accessed something wrong.  I will try it once more, probably make the keys separate this time.

Anyway, I had a thought about making a semi-random dungeon.  In other words, the rooms are already pre-designed and the path is set, but the layout is different when you start a new run.  I have a general idea of mapping as I was able to use randomized hallways to connect to different parts of a haunted house.

Wiggle Room For Improvement

When I first started the "bondage movement system", I had to run a parallel common event for a state and I had to line the map with regions.  Thankfully, the current version is much easier to apply.

Working on a new project helps me re-tune some of the scripts I worked on before.  For example, there was a script in Slime Time that allowed an event to trigger for each member rather than just the player, especially when it comes to launching them across a gap.  Part of that code involved jumping or teleporting a character based on their direction; they are now trimmed down and similar to each other in structure.  In addition, the code to determine who is on that event has become its own method, meaning that I can record who's on that spot and I can also inject that (or any other) character into those custom movement methods.

And it's not the scripts themselves that gain new life.  Jump pads may affect anyone but I can also have them only work with the followers or on the last one if I want a horror feel.  It may also be possible to have jump pads work on more specific members, like perhaps a magnet pulling metal armor or a gate teleporting away those without an ID card.

Focus on the Fight!

I just keep adding new features to my project.  In this case, I just added Pest control.

...Let me explain.  Say, for example, you are facing a Mad Bear with 3 Bee Swarms, which makes 4 enemies.  However, you are most likely going to target the Bear over the Bees; if I tag the Bees as Pests, then you can only target the Bear.  Thankfully, you can cast an AoE to hit the Bear and the Bees, so if you encounter this in a normal battle, you can decide if you want to tear down the Bear or clear the numerous Pests first.  And also, clearing the Bear will drive the Bees away.

However, I also added 2 other kinds of Pests.  The first, the Invisible Pests, cannot be hit by AoEs.  I can use this for an audience that throws things into an area or as an "extra attack" for a boss.  The second are Magnet Pests, which will intercept AoEs and random attacks like a lightning rod.

In addition, I also added two scopes for monsters to help their allies, so I can either had a Technician Enemy buff some Beacon Pests or I can have Beacons heal up a Technician.

Not So Predicatble...Yet.

I remember the first boss of The Fates We Weave.  It was a good demonstration of tanking, where the boss charges for one turn and you would Guard the next turn.  It was also when I wanted to have a "predictive" battle engine, one that can determine the next attack to Guard against.  Mind you that I was still learning the depths of VX Ace at the time, but looking back, I can say that it would have been difficult; enemy attacks occur sometime before they strike if the change in who they attack had anything to say.

But I think I will attempt it this time, at least a version that doesn't have to be as accurate.  

Line that Tank Up

Well, Tanking seems to working as I expect so far, though I will have to see why the results are different between the functional current project (fused with the Vore Battle System) and the standalone script; I might have forgotten to set up the scope there, but it wouldn't be a Tanking system if Guard didn't do anything (Or maybe my test Guard doesn't have Guard). 

Anyway, this is what the script does:  The skill is set to All Enemies and damages all of the party normally.  By putting in the guard-notetag, the skill only targets the party members who are guarding.  Keep in mind that enemies will choose their targets near their cast rather than the beginning of their turn, meaning that guarding that turn will alter the range of targets.

And there are a few more scopes to add some more strategy: (Please note I'm using a Face HUD so attacks are left to right)

-Left/Right/Pincer Cleave - Using Right as an example, a Right Cleave will hit everyone.  If you have someone on the right Guard that attack, the attack's last target will be he who Guards.

-State/Unstated Bomb - These attacks only target those with or without the state, like setting a Bear Trap then pelting them with Arrow Rain.  One design is that an untrapped party member would be free to Guard and intercept that attack!

-Positional Cannon - They only attack the specified position, like a cannon aimed at the middle characters.