Clearing a Single Visual Effect Conundrum.

[Rodak]

OK, this is good news and bad news.

The good news is I was not having trouble with indirect effects as terribly as I let on that I was.

The bad news is the reason for that.

My indirect effect placed a visual effect upon the leader of the party and I have found that I can not remove the visual effect! This made me believe at first that the problem was in the indirect effect scripting/construction, but after scripting many variations I have found that it is impossible (I pray to Cthulhu that I am wrong) to single out an individual Visual Effect on the screen for removal once it is set to repeat at zero (perpetual).

Being a system event, the event which calls the effect cannot be targeted by "Event Control Change".

The only comand for clearing Visual Effects clears the entire map (Clear All Effects).

I tried putting a flag on a repeat loop and setting the visual effect to 1 (then tripping the flag in the "forced End/Natural End slots of the Indirect Effect), instead of the single line command setting it to zero. But then the script would not end. This is probably the right idea but wrong implementation.

I even went so far as to obscure the screen, remove the party's leader, and then replace the leader. This changed the party order, but did remove the effect. I can use variables to identify the member order, but had trouble writing a subroutine that would check the entire marching order, save it, and restore it (the script was getting huge... a sure sign you are doing something wrong).

This is the first time a video game has ever gotten me mad! I was impressed! I always laughed when I saw people get angry and make noises or hit something after a bad gaming experience. It finally happened to me! I only growled. But I growled loudly and involuntarily!! So I laughed at myself (a very valuable skill!).

As one who tried to be either a Writer or an Artist (and failed) I always took any reaction as a compliment. "A reaction's a reaction" I always said. So that's a compliment to the game, I guess. I obviously cared about getting this right.

So, any suggestions or solutions?

[Dungeon Warden]

Couldn't you place the visual effect in a condition and remove the condition to remove the effect? That sounds sort of like what you are trying to do but you don't mention the idea of removing the effect. Am I missing something, or why doesn't that work?

[Rodak]

I think that your suggestion is what I was trying when I said "I tried putting a flag on a repeat loop and setting the visual effect to 1 (then tripping the flag in the "forced End/Natural End slots of the Indirect Effect), instead of the single line command setting it to zero. But then the script would not end. This is probably the right idea but wrong implementation"

What that means in English is that I used Script Branch Condition to check a flag which and go to a repeat loop of the effect (set at 1) if the flag was on, end script if it was off. I used the phrase "put a flag on it" kind of ambiguously. Oops.

This set up a loop which would not end. The effect script just kept looping, game frozen. It never even let the player move.

I was trying to turn off the flag in either/both of the End slots in the indirect effects editor. With the game frozen this was not going to happen.

I was only able to unfreeze the game when the effect was set to zero (constant on), but as you probably know, this requires the use of "apply together" and "force script end" or else the game freezes again.. This led to the troubles of clearing effects "all or nothing."

I hope future versions of the game maker allow you to target individual effects for removal.

HEY!! It just occurred to me... did you mean make a two-page system event for the effect instead of putting the condition in the script?

I'll try that idea tonight and post what happened,. Unless, of course, you meant something else and post it here before I get to it. In which case I'll try both!

It seems silly to not be able to address individual visual effects in a game making system. But so much of this system is silly anyhow it just goes on the list.

Back to the world of dreams...

[Thrull]

STILL don't have the game, so this is just a guess... Couldn't you look into the sample game that comes with it and see what they did to resolve the problem? I'm going to assume the sample game used what you are trying to do. If so, then yu ought to be able to figure it out. If not... Well, back to square 0001 (bad tech joke, sorry).

[Rodak]

Good guess, but the only effect that I recall from "Fu-Ma" (the sample game) was a simple size change, and it was specific to a single character, not generalized to whomsoever was the leader at the time.

I overslept this morning and worked late last night so I did not have time to test my (Dungeon Warden's?) two-page system event idea. But the weekend is nigh and I can work on this inbetween battling the evil squirrells who seem to have breached the walls of my fortress! I hate squirrells... at least when they get into my walls.

Peace.

================
HEY!!
================

Man, I hate it when this happens. I think I'm on to something and I'm stuck at work for the next 9 1/2 hours!

I said that since this is a system event it can not be addressed by the normal commands, but the debug menu can address system events!

How does it do that?

Can it be adapted for my purposes?

This is gonna bother me all day!!

Stay tuned for further developments...

[Dungeon Warden]

My idea was to make a condition status (like poison) and set the conditon on the leader. The conditon would set up the VFX on the leader. To remove the effect, remove the conditon from the character. I'm not sure this would work if the conditon is continuous (try this first), but it would work with your endless loop idea. You would need a seperate event (whatever event triggers the removeal of the visual effect) to remove the condition since, as you say the effect doesn't end. As long as there is an apply together before the VFX command, your party should still be able to move around.

Having a two page event should also work, and might be a better idea depending on what you are trying to do.

The debug menu is a system event. I don't think it accesses system events, it just uses the call script command to call the different menu scripts as needed.

[Rodak]

Thanks for posting that bit about the debug menu simply using "call script". It was bothering me.

I saw it a couple hours ago (on my way out to lunch) but waited until now to post a thanks. Might as well get paid for it! (I do, of course, have to sit near the computer and let a program run, so I'm only cheating a little)

I'll try your suggestions. The one about simply using condition status was my first try, but the VFX never left. When the loop was set to repeat at one, the apply together and force script end removed the effect after one cycle.

I did not try the 2 page event yet, but suspect it will behave identically to the other ways of trying to remove the VFX (it will remove the condition status, but the visual will remain) (or it will freeze) (or fry) (or do something totally unexpected).

We'll see what happens....

[Dungeon Warden]

Well, if all else fails, a warp to the same map will get rid of it. Not a very elegant solution but one that will work. The hard part is knowing where to warp back to, although if you have a particular event that removes the VFX it wouldn't be too hard.

[Rodak]

When you say "if you have a particular event that removes the VFX it wouldn't be too hard." what exactly do you mean. I can get an event to remove the condition (indirect effect), but the Visual Effect remains.

No luck with the two-page system event and flag combination. I either only got the effect for one cycle, or froze the game, depending on how I set it up.

The best success I've head so far is to remove and replace the party leader rapidly. Since this re-orders the party, I was wondering if there is a specific "subroutine" that will put them back the way they were. It ends up bumping the second character to the end, but scripting to return that character was becoming enormous. Permutations of party order (4 things taken 1 at a time), and varying number of party members at different times made scripting for all circumstances daunting.

I hate to ask for specifics, it is always best to figure things out for yourself based on general tips when needed, but this one is, as you say, tricky.

Short of that, I think this is the time to put this one on the back burner and let it simmer. I have many other things to make and, in the absence of a solution, I think getting away from it for a while may bring a new perspective when I return.

I am posting a new question about something else I've been avoiding... The Battle Formula and where else stats are used!

I'll probably see you there...

Peace.

[Dungeon Warden]

I guess there is no way to remove the effect even with the command that created the effect removed. Doan used the idea of warping the party away and back again using the set escape command for his custom menu system. This would be easier then trying to restore the party's order.

When making a custom menu system, you'd have to have a reorder script anyway, but you're not at that point yet.

I;ll look at your other topic and see if I can help.

[Rodak]

Well, it is good to know that it is, if not impossible, at least not easy to remove a single Visual Effect in this way.

I was thinking of sorting the map variable, and re-starting every bit of VFX based on what map they are upon. I only have a few maps where this would become a hassle (places with lots of candles or smoking fireplaces), but now that I checked all my maps/dungeons, there are only a few with more than 4 VFX per map/dungeon.

That may be what I try after I let the idea sit in "time out" as punishment for giving me such a hard time!

Peace.

[Dungeon Warden]

I wonder if you put things like candles in a loop instead of a continuious effect, if the effect would restart after the clear all effects command was given? Since action scripts reset after content scripts end, this might work. Worth a try anyway. It would limit the number of maps you need to worry about at least.

[Rodak]

Great Idea!

No Luck though! (that's a joke relating to another thread where we talked about Luck)

I think I've stumbled upon a major problem here for those of us who love VFX.

I wonder if I make the effect a normal event and "change control" to it from the system event (indirect effect), then maybe I can target it with the "temporary removal" command in the "forced end" event in the indirect effect editor.

It increases the number of events in total, but if it works it will be worth it. That'll be the next effort.

Back to the world of dreams...

[NASH7777]

Try instead of having the visual effect removed with the remove all visual effects script. Try setting up where you first apply the effect on the party, have it:

repeat (forced)
~repeat if flag [no party vfx] is off
~show visual effect 1x
~SB: if flag [no party vfx] is on
~~to end
~SB End
~Repeat end
Repeat End

[Rodak]

Well, I guess that makes two ideas for when this naughty project gets out of Time Out.

Thanks!