Help with indirect and direct effects

[whataface2]

For the first time I'm trying to make my own indirect and direct effects. But I'm totally lost. I have some success with changing some of the pre-existing indirect and direct effects. For example I wanted to make an indirect effect that would lower the enemy's agility. I copied the attack down indirect effect and switched I think every thing to agility but to no avail. In the direct effects I tried to switch one of the directs that causes death. When I play tested it, I got it to cause physical damage, and then it said Dwarf was performed instead of Sacred Palm. Has anyone put out a guide dealing with direct and indirect effects?

[raithwall]

in turn end (I believe) place your indirect turn script which will sort the indirect effect number and apply stuff.

Use make active character
battle substitute attribute for variable
agility - 10 (or whatever)
sub variable for attribute
change back active character

might only need the substitute ones, I forget.

also note the agility will continue to decrease every round.

for characters do not mess with stats, only mess with attack and armor, because the change either doesn't happen or is permanent otherwise.

[Dungeon Warden]

Actually if you use the Data : Target commands any stat changes will end after combat ends. It's actually difficult to make any permanent changes in combat.

[whataface2]

Thanks for the help. I'll have to try these when I get a chance.

[dk6025]

Oct 17, 2008 8:24:11 GMT -5 whataface2 said:

In the direct effects I tried to switch one of the directs that causes death. When I play tested it, I got it to cause physical damage, and then it said Dwarf was performed instead of Sacred Palm.

I had the same kind of problem with my attack message. I used the called scripts that display instigator and target names. It was supposed to read "Hero attacks Monster" but would sometimes be "Monster attacks Monster" or "Monster attacks Hero". After agonizing over the scripts, I finally fixed it by moving the message to the directing script(where the VFX are displayed). As for the Death not being applied, try setting the direct effect to "Other" as opposed to "Offense". I accidentally changed the preset revive DFX to "Defense"(the help said it didn't matter, it would just change the menu it was in) and running a test, it wouldn't revive the character. I pored over the scripts and loaded a new game on beginner to compare, and the only difference was the type.

[raithwall]

Oct 17, 2008 22:00:25 GMT -5 Dungeon Warden said:

Actually if you use the Data : Target commands any stat changes will end after combat ends. It's actually difficult to make any permanent changes in combat.

Thats odd because I had an effect that raised agility by 50 for each of 3 rounds then reduced it back to 150 at the end and I found that after using it the character had permanently increased agility, even out of battle.

I never considered a difference between the data substitutes and the battle ones. Maybe the data is general and the battle only apply to battle, but you're saying it works the other way around?

Then theres the stat check type flag.

I mostly used trial and error to get the I really needed to work, so I'm just saying these are the commands you would want to mess around with it.

Sometimes there are subtle differences with the commands.

Event control - temporary removal for instance

1: When used without targeting anything it removes only the event party is interacting with leaving other copies of it alive.
2: if event is targeted first removes each of the event on the map
3: When used in a script commands after event removal are applied
4: But when used in a called script when the called script is finished the treatment ends negating the original script. This is actually quite useful in saving memory as force script end only ends a single script.

For the longest time I thought temporary removal worked exactly like teleport, but you can in fact place commands after it.

[Dungeon Warden]

It may be reversed, because I remember a few years ago someone was having a problem getting an increase to be permanent after battle. Some play testing should prove it one way or the other.

Things aren't always clearly explained in RPG Maker 2, so you just have to test things and see what happens and not assume similar things are going to do the same things. It's kind of annoying but it's nice to have options.

[whataface2]

Dungeon Warden
Things aren't always clearly explained in RPG Maker 2, so you just have to test things and see what happens and not assume similar things are going to do the same things. It's kind of annoying but it's nice to have options.

That is so true. I was looking at the preset data in the game for some help on how to make a flee direct effect. So far I the only flee ability I have causes both the monster and the character to flee. It is pretty entraining though.

[raithwall]

That ones easy. You probably just need to set your target range to enemy only in direct effects. When the enemy is using it the party is the enemy. When the party is using it the enemy is the enemy.

heres one that I found funny. A whole group of monsters attack and it says your ambushed. Then all of them decide to run away on their first turn.

[whataface2]

I checked and I do have the direct effect set to enemy only.

I'm still having trouble getting my direct effect to work. Instead of my monster escaping one of my party members run away. Here is my script:

Script Content type is Content

Battle: Change back to active character
text clear message
Target data: Action status apply (Flee)
Script call: Target Name ( I have also tried Instigator name)
Text message : Runs away.
SFX

[Deleted]

Oh, okay. Now it's easy.

Just cut the Battle: Change to Active Character. If that doesn't work, replace the Battle: Change to Active Character to Battle: Make Active Character and try it.

The Battle: Make Active Character command switches back and forth between the Instigator (which it always starts on) and the Target. The Instigator's the member or enemy executing the attack/ability/etc. and the Target is the unit it is targeting. With Group and All abilities, it goes through the formula individually with each Target (you can tell this because if you put a little randomized damage on an ability, it often times does slightly different damage to each Target).

I've found that you never even need to use the Battle: Change Back to Active Character command because in any given action only the Instigator and Target matter. The Battle: Make Active Character is very useful. It's how I made my own damage formulas and even a succusss chance formula.

[whataface2]

Thanks Poopiness! I've been trying to get that script to work for about a week and a half now. ;D