Script and Clock question

[The Smurf]

okay, i'm having trouble figuring something out.

i'll start with the clock. anyone who's read my story knows that the time of day is critical to the storyline, so when different flags are on, the time of day changes.

or so i thought

it changes when it first triggers (usually in the field) but whenever i leave the map it returns to daytime. i'm guessing i have to do something with the enter map script, but i don't know what. so any help would be appreciated.

Question 2:

the takai inn event is a little screwy. you walk into the inn, an auto event takes over and you have a "dream". after the dream, you resume control. this works perfectly. when you go outside after the dream, someone is supposed to walk up, talk to you, and then join your team. the person appears on the screen, but the event doesn't happen. at first i thought it was because i healed at the inn in between auto events, causing something to go awry (sp?) but that's not the case, cause even if i don't use the inn the event still doesn't trigger. i'm stumped. i'm guessing its the event and NOT the script, but i dunno. here's the script if you need it:

000: Event Move: Direction Move E 3 steps blah blah blah
001: Party: Direction Change (Leader) W 0F
002: Text: Message "no spoilers"
003: Party: Change Member [Person] Add
004: Text: Message "Person joined the team."
005: Data: Flag [Flag302] On

i put in the number in case the flag was the problem (i doubt it)

heres the event setup:

Page 1:

Type: Normal
Condition: [Flag301] (inn event flag) On
Display Type=Character
Direction=E
Model=Who Cares
Motion=None
Start=Auto, None
Apply=Above Script

Page 2:

Type: Normal
Condition: [Flag302] On
Display Type=Doesn't Matter
Direction=Doesn't Matter
Model=None
Motion=None
Start=Doesn't Matter, None
Apply=None

help, please...everything i've done so far worked very nicely up til now...


-the smurf

[thetruecoolness]

Yeah the best way to achive having the same time everywhere is to have a variable keep track of the time, then have a script which will change the time of day, and call that script in the enter map script. Of course for the enter script you want to have the time to change to the new time of day be 0F so it will happen as soon as they enter. It would be best to do this before you fade in as well.

I'll put up my time change script later tonight, I also do this for weather as I have a script that calculates and stores the weather according to my functions, and a seperate script that applies the current weather, which I call in my enter map script.

As for the other question, I'm curious as to when you set Flag301 on as you don't mention it though I'm assuming when you're in the inn. One suggestion would be to have the first page not have the condition and put the conditon in the apply script, not sure if would have to change the page order or not but try that, see if it changes anything.

[Rodak]

I like to simplify things as much as possible.

In these cases I just write the whole cut scene into the enter map script using the member/party movement commands, flags, and event control: change (for the NPC's).

I have several cut scenes written in to enter map scripts which turn themselves off after you see them once.

Multi-page events are not always needed (and this saves a tiny bit of memory too).

When there are multiple times I need to do this, I'll just use a variable or extra flags and conditions... I've not needed more than one per map... yet...

I hope that helps.

Peace.

[BlackBoxx]

I might be able to help you with your second problem. In the conditions for the first page, add a second condition that says flag 302 OFF. The reason is, unless you turn flag 301 off, the first page's conditions are still met, so the game will want to run that page again. After running the script on the first page, you turn flag 302 on. This will negate the conditions for the first page, so it won't run, allowing the next page to run.

[The Smurf]

thanks for your help, guys. i haven't tried fixing the clock thing yet, but using my own logic i got the event working.

i made the actual character a puppet run by an invisible 'equal' event box that is right at the inn door, so when you leave the inn you instantly step in it, changing control to the character and thus making the event run smoothly...

i'll attempt the clock thing a little later.


-the smurf

[Deleted]

From my experience you can only have one Auto Event per World Organization, and so I did this with mine where I want two auto events in one World Organization:

Script: Condition: variable Story = 1
(do first scene)
Condition End
Script: Condition: variable Story = 7
(do second scene)
Condition End

[The Smurf]

"Yeah the best way to achive having the same time everywhere is to have a variable keep track of the time, then have a script which will change the time of day, and call that script in the enter map script."

i am unfamiliar with variables, so could you explain this further? thanks...


-the smurf

[Dungeon Warden]

Timer correction script:

Sort Variable [Time]
Apply if # = 1 (i.e. 1 AM)
Screen Display : Time [Night] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 2 (i.e. 2 AM)
Screen Display : Time [Night] 0 F
To End
...
Apply if # = 7 (i.e. 7 AM)
Screen Display : Time [Dawn] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 8 (i.e. 8 AM)
Screen Display : Time [Dawn] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 9 (i.e. 9 AM)
Screen Display : Time [Noon] 0 F
To End
...
Apply if # = 12 (i.e. 12 noon)
Screen Display : Time [Noon] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 13 (i.e. 1 PM)
Screen Display : Time [Noon] 0 F
To End
...
Apply if # = 19 (i.e. 7 PM)
Screen Display : Time [Dusk] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 20 (i.e. 8 PM)
Screen Display : Time [Dusk] 0 F
To End
Apply if # = 21 (i.e. 9 PM)
Screen Display : Time [Night] 0 F
To End
...
End Sort

In your Time script, update the time variable each hour so that you can keep track of what time it is. You can use this same script as a time script by adding frames to the Time of day commands and putting wait commands in each apply area so that the script will wait before going to the next hour. Put in a Repeat Branch so the whole thing can loop when it gets to the end and you have a working clock.

If you want a clock like the one in my game, you can add a minute variable and display a text box every hour so the player can see the clock. Don't forget to close the text boxes since you can only have 10 open at a time.

I hope this is helpful for you.

[thetruecoolness]

Sure thing. Basically I have an action script which updates a variable I call HoursOfDay (my time system just works with hours and doesn't bother with minutes), I also have one which keeps track of what day of the week it is (0 for Monday ... 6 for Sunday), so in the action script which I have running on each map it updates the hour every 2 seconds I believe (60 Frames), and once it reaches 24 it increments the day by 1 (since 24 hours = 1 day). So right now I have a sort command to change the time of day, I believe it does Noon at 11, Dusk at around 18 (6 PM), night at 21 (9PM). So since I store the time in a variable every map has the same time when the use this action script. Since I use a sort it only changes the effect once, but I'm not sure what it does when you enter a map in between times, so it would be better to use a condition statement, and a flag.

Here is my time script

Script Control: Apply Together // needed for smooth transitions of times of day
Data: Flag: [Temp Flag 0] Off // used to see if it's night when they enter Off if it is
Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] >= 6
- Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] < 11
-- Screen Effect: Time (Dawn) 0F
-- Data: Flag: [Temp Flag 0] On
- Script: Condition End
Script: Condition End
Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] >= 11
- Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] < 17
-- Screen Effect: Time (Noon) 0F
-- Data: Flag: [Temp Flag 0] On
- Script: Condition End
Script: Condition End
Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] >= 17
- Script Branch: Condition: Variable [Hours of Day] < 22
-- Screen Effect: Time (Dusk) 0F
-- Data: Flag: [Temp Flag 0] On
- Script: Condition End
Script: Condition End
Script Branch: Condition: Flag [Temp Flag 0] Off
- Screen Effect: Time (Night) 0F
Script: Condition End
Script Branch: Repeat: Flag [Off (fixed)] Off // infinite loop since it's an action script
-Script Call: [Apply Weather] // does the weather effect based on weather stored in Input: Current Weather
-Script: Call [Day of Week] // displays the day of week in a text box based on the value of Variable Day of Week
-Script Branch: Repeat: Variable [Hours of Day] < 24
-- Script Branch: Sort: Variable [Hours of Day]
--- Script Branch: Apply If: Number is 5 // Morning starts
---- Screen Effect: Time (Dawn) 60F // Smooth out transition by making it take an hour in game time
-----Script Call: [Calculate Weather] // gets next weather conditon
-----Script Call: [Apply Weather]
--- Script Branch: To End
--- Script Branch: Apply If: Number is 10 // Noon starts
---- Screen Effect: Time (Noon) 60F
-----Script Call: [Calculate Weather]
-----Script Call: [Apply Weather]
--- Script Branch: To End
--- Script Branch: Apply If: Number is 16 // Dusk starts
---- Screen Effect: Time (Dusk) 60F
-----Script Call: [Calculate Weather]
-----Script Call: [Apply Weather]
--- Script Branch: To End
--- Script Branch: Apply If: Number is 21 // Night starts
---- Screen Effect: Time (Night) 60F
-----Script Call: [Calculate Weather]
-----Script Call: [Apply Weather]
--- Script Branch: To End
-- Script: Branch End
-Data: Variable: [Hours of Day] = [Hours of Day] + 1 // increment hour
-Other: Wait 60 F // 2 second wait
-Script: Branch End
-Data: Variable: [Day of Week] = [Day of Week] + 1
-Data: Variable: [Hours of Day] = 0 + 0 // reset hour - VERY IMPORTANT other wise the game will freeze
Script: Branch End

In my day of week script I make sure the variable for day of week doesn't go over 6 and if it does reset it to 0 (start of a new week). Of course if you wanted to you could keep track of weeks and years this way, but I'm not doing that in my game as it will not be used in it.

Ok I fixed the intro time of day effect so that works now too. Notice that it is outside of the repeat loop.

[The Smurf]

unfortunately, that's not what i'm looking for...

the time of day in my game is based on events, example:

the game starts at dawn. after you search your hometown for clues about an early mystery, it becomes day. after completing a dungeon later on, it becomes dusk. the inn event mentioned in above posts is a transition from dusk to dawn of a new day, and so on.

i use flags to change the time and every map uses the same time control event box. when the flag is turned on, say, after completing the dungeon, the overworld map turns from day to dusk when you enter it, as its supposed to. but then when i enter the town it becomes day again.

i'm sorry if i confused anyone, but this is the dilemma i'm having...

any help would be appreciated...


-the smurf

edit: sorry, true coolness, i guess we posted at the same time.

[The Smurf]

and i just discovered that in the above example, when it changes from dusk to dawn, it stays the same in the town but changes (like it should) in the overworld map...now i'm confused...


-the smurf

[thetruecoolness]

Ok I see what you mean. Then you should have a variable for time of day then, and just do this

Sort Var[Time of Day]
If 1
Dawn
If 2
Noon
If 3
Dusk
If 4
Night

Then put this in the enter map script, the default one set up in Game Settings. Then when you want to change it just increment that variable in the specific event, and call this script to change the time of day right then in the current map. Just make sure to reset it back to 1 after it goes over 4.

So in your inn script do Time of Day = Time of Day + 1 at the end of the event, and call the script above after it.

[The Smurf]

this is placed at the first change from dawn to day. Variable251 is the variable i used, and 0=dawn, 1=day, 2=dusk, 3=night...

does this look right?

this is at the end of the script...

Data: Variable: [Variable251] =(+- 0) + (+ 1)


-the smurf

[thetruecoolness]

smurf90 said:

Data: Variable: [Variable251] =(+- 0) + (+ 1)

Close but this will always make that variable 1. You need to do this

Data: Variable: [Variable251] = [Variable251] + (+ 1)

This will increment the variable by 1. Now somewhere you need to put a condition so that Var251 will go back to 0 so somewhere (the beginning of the script I showed you would be a good place, or right after every place you put the above line) put

Script Branch: Condition: Var [Var251] > 3
- Data: Variable: [Variable251] = (+-0) + (+- 0)
Script: Condition End

this way when the variable becomes 4 (which is not dawn, noon, etc) it goes back to dawn from night.

[The Smurf]

got it, it worked!

but...now i have a new problem.

i made a new party member for a new event. the event works perfectly, and the character joins the party. the only problem is, THAT character doesn't join the party, but the one i edited does.

detail:

i highlighted the preset member "Zul" and changed the information and the model to fit my member, "Person". in the script i have the character join the team, but when i walk around and fight, "Zul" is the character in the party, and not "Person". the script doesn't seem to recognize the new party member...how do i fix this? i'm trying right now, but haven't gotten anywhere yet.


-the smurf

[Rodak]

Umm...

Have you renamed Zul to Person yet?

I think you need to rename the Party Member database entry. Renaming a character model is fine, but it pulls the member name from the other database.

I think.

Good Luck.

Peace.

[Deleted]

RPGM1 had this too...

If you choose Test Play>Start does this happen or not? Try that and see if that's it.

[The Smurf]

my bad...

i edited the character in the Party Member database...and entered the name, info, etc...and it shows the member before all the editing. i tried copying and pasting the new member and it worked...except now the model is right but it has no name and dies as soon as it enters my party...help?


-the smurf

[Dungeon Warden]

Are you starting a new game or using a saved game? If you add/edit characters and then load a saved game it messes up the database because it's using the saved data with the database data.

Start a new game from the begining and everything should work correctly.

[Rodak]

I always thought that if you changed the change "edit game" data, your saved game data would not even load.

One possibility for the character dying immediately is that it has zero hit points. I did that once when creating a character from scratch. I know you said you copied and pasted, but it is worth asking.

How many HP does it have? Can you revive the character after it dies? Is there a script in the "custom status" slot that may be causing this? Did you try offering it Beer... oh wait... that's my game.

Good luck with it.

Peace.

[The Smurf]

whew...got it worked out now. i think it was what DW said, but i don't care, i'm just glad its cleared up!

now...i don't have any problems or anything, so this is more out of curiosity...

how does one go about stretching or squishing character models or object models? i've seen it before (like in fu-ma) but the size ratio thingy makes it proportional...i'm just wondering cause maybe i could use this to make gates and stuff large enough to walk through without them being ten stories tall...yell at me if i'm completely wrong, tho.


-the smurf

[Rodak]

The command Members: Effects: Size lets you do things to individual axes.

Used with action scripts for events or custom status indirect effects for members, you can keep things altered. I found that this can really slow the game down if not used with care. So use this with care!

For a silly use of the stretching and squishing effects, check out the warp events in my demo (Yet Another Shameless Plug cleverly worked in to an "on topic" response).

Good luck.

Peace.

[Dungeon Warden]

I always thought that if you changed the change "edit game" data, your saved game data would not even load.

You can't continue a saved game in normal game mode once you change the database, but you can load an old save game in test play. I assume this is so you can play the game, save, make adjustments, and then play again without having to start over from the beginning. Normally this works fine, but the save game contains character data so altering the character database can have nasty effects.

I'm glad you worked it out, Smurf (AKA Fluffy the Bunny)

[The Smurf]

okay, one more thing. i know your all waiting for me to shut up and figure stuff out on my own, but i'm trying, ok?

how do i make waterfalls in the map editor, if it's even possible? i tried using the waterfall objects, but i can't stack them on top of each other, so there's gotta be another way...i hope...

so my questions are:

-can i make a waterfall in the map editor or with objects on a map editor map (as in, not inside a dungeon)?
-and if so, how?

thank you...


-the helpless smurf

edit: and also, i noticed while looking through the fu-ma data that they somehow got dungeon blocks from the dungeon editor into maps from the map editor...my question is how? thanks...

edit again: duh!!! building editor!!! man, i'm stupid! but i'm still wondering about the waterfall thing...

[Rodak]

OK, I looked at the pictures of Fu-Ma in the Strategy Guide and think they did it this way:

The "Dungeon" is a world map with black skies and grounds.

The water really is "water" (map water).

The waterfall is just three objects placed on and around something from the building editor. Notice it is only three blocks high. This is for one top piece, one middle and one bottom (the three bits in the object editor). The top bit is set back from the middle by one block and placed just above the buildings "roof." The middle bit is placed just in front of the wall and rotated to look better (closer to the wall, not jutting out). The last bit is just placed in front of the wall of the building.

If you want a taller waterfall, make it an event and stretch or duplicate it, depending on which look you prefer.

I think.

The password for Fu-Ma is in the manual if you want to confirm this theory.

If you need it, or any other help, I'm sure you know to just ask!

Peace.