Rm2k3 Tutorials Galore

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Author: Crazy Rob
Posted on 08/02/2004
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m2k3 Tutorials Galore
By Crazy Rob

Right. I now restate the terms of this
document.

1.You will not take credit for the info I have given you.
2. Should you use the blue magic/ammo/summons/special equipment effects system,
give some small homage to me. (A squirrel that sells items will do nicely.)
3. You may distribute this to those you see fit, in this form and this form only.

BLUE MAGIC
The art of getting the crap knocked outta you and learning from it.
*Advanced users recommended.
*Higher knowledge of variables, switches, and common events.
* 45 minutes to create (basic system with 5 spells)

Right, then. Now to teach you the art of Blue Magic...

Blue Magic: Magic derived from (observing/getting the crap blown outta you by) an enemy technique. In this sequence of events, it will not be necessary for the technique to hit the blue mage directly, however.

You're going to need some basic components.
1. A common event that is always on. (After the blue mage is accepted into party. Have this event turn off if the blue mage ever leaves, and turn back on if he rejoins.)
2. X free switches, where X is the number of Blue Magics you want to have.
3. X free variables, where X is (see above)
4. A hero that will learn the blue magic.
5. An enemy that will cast/use the spell/technique to be observed.
6. A switch for the blue mage him/herself.

In my humble opinion, there is no logical way that even a blue mage could observe a skill once and learn it right away. Therefore, a character must "observe" that skill a set number of times.

We'll use "Bad Breath" as an example.

First, we need a enemy who'll use the Bad Breath spell/tech. (Lawyer, Marlbolo, Grandma, etc.)

Then, we make it so that the monster can cast that ability. (DUH!)

Right click that ability (while in "Monsters" section,), select edit.

Now, see the area called, "Turn Switch ON"? Click the box, so it's marked, and select the switch for that skill. We'll call the switch for Bad Breath "Saw Bad Breath". This will have the following effect:

IF the monster manages to cast the ability, regardless of if the ability does damage, inflicts/cures status, or heals the monster, then that switch turns on, signifying that the Blue Mage saw the skill.

Still awake? Good. Now make sure that the skill and skill switch match. People will severely question your game-making ability if your blue mage sees Bad Breath but learns Flare.

Next, we go into the common events.

We need one (1) common event that is Parallel Process, the switch being, "6. A switch for the blue mage him/herself." This switch should be turned on whenever the blue mage is in the party, and turned off if he/she isn't.

Now for the hardest part. (Don't worry, folks. This could be done by a fifth-grader if you bribed him/her with enough soda and cookies.)

Make a fork condition "asking" the game whether our Blue Mage has learned "Bad Breath". If he/she has, then nothing happens.

Now, the else condition is brought into play if the blue mage didn't learn Bad Breath.
If the blue mage or his friends killed our magic-using monster before it used the technique/spell, boo-hoo, no magic point for you.

However, let's say that during the battle, the Marlbolo/Lawyer/Ex-Cop got pissed/scared and used Bad Breath, thus turning on the switch "Saw Bad Breath" if you've done things right. Regardless whether the skill worked or not, the switch comes on, nonetheless, as long as there is an attempt.

Now, under the "else" condition, make a fork condition (no else case) checking to see if "Saw Bad Breath" is on. If it is, add a point to the variable we assigned to the spell...

What? We didn't assign one? (Scrolls up.) Well, geez, no wonder you look so confused. We'll do that now, then, since this is the only time we really start to worry about it.

We'll call the variable "Bad Breath Pts.", just as an example.

So, in summary of the above three paragraphs, if the blue mage hasn't learn Bad Breath yet, but has "observed" it ("Saw Bad Breath" switch is on, due to enemy skill use, IF you did it right.), then a point is added to "Bad Breath Pts." variable. (This, by the way, unless specified otherwise by an event, is by default zero (0) at the begining of a game. This applies to all variables not modified by common/map/battle events at the begining.)

Now, here's where you make the call- decide how many points the Blue Mage needs to earn by "observing" the technique.

(For techniques/spells like Bad Breath, which either heal/damage a lot, or induce really bad status, make this number 20, or so, but nothing like 100, since the player only earns 1 point per observing using my method, but you can alter that part as you see fit. And no, you don't need a variable for the "20".)

We'll say that the Blue Mage needs to have 20 "Bad Breath Pts.", thus, by the one point increment I used, he/she will need to observe that technique/spell 20 times.
Make another fork option (no else case again), checking if "Bad Breath Pts." is equal to or greater than 20. If so, have the Blue Mage learn "Bad Breath", and maybe give a little congratulatory message to the player, as a way of saying that all the time blown on hunting Marlbolos/Lawyers/Gym Teachers was not in vain, and they now wield a (supposedly) fearsome power as proof of their valiant endeavors.

Now, at the very end of all this schiznit, turn OFF the "Saw Bad Breath" switch.
No point in getting 137 points for one observation.

Now, then, in standard RM2k script format, your system should look like this:
(Numbers off to right in ( ) indicate layman's notes.
=========================================================
If Blue Mage, Bad Breath has learned (1)

:Else Case
<>If switch(XXXX:SawBadBreath) is ON (2)
<>Change Variable: Var[XXXX:BadBreathPts.]+ 1 (2)
<>If Var(XXXX:BadBreathPts.) 20 (>) (3)
Message: Blue Mage memorizes Bad Breath! (3)
Change Skill: (Blue Mage, Bad Breath) Learn (3)

End Case

End Case
<>Change Switch: Var[XXXX:SawBadBreath] Switch OFF (4)

End Case (5)

1: Checks to see if Bad Breath is learned. If not, go to 2. If so, go to 5.
2: Checks to see if Bad Breath has been "observed", and, if it has, awards a "point" to the skill point variable. If the skill has not been observed, go to 4.
3. Checks to see if skill point variable is high enough. If so, displays a message declaring that the Blue Mage memorized the skill, and grants that skill to the Blue Mage. Thus, (1) now notices that the skill in question has been learned, and the event becomes null... unless the blue mage somehow forgets the spell. This prevents the player from having to endure repeated text displays of "Blue Mage memorized (Skill)!".
4. Turns off the switch activated by (monster in question)'s use of (skill). This prevents multiple "observation" points from being awarded for one "observation".

Repeat the process for each additional blue magic, adding 1 additional switch and variable for each new blue magic skill.

AMMO SYSTEM
Whipping out a crate of ammo only works in cartoons, buddy.

*Rm2k3 only
*Basic knowledge of variables, common events, and call events in battle.
*5-15 minutes to create raw system. More for cut/pasting the battle page to each Monster Group.
*A good way for newbies to prove their mettle.

Right. You wanna make guns. Or bows. Or something that, in real life would require a consumable ammo supply.

There's a really crude way of doing it. Have the weapon cost one MP to use (more, if it's really powerful), and say that the user is skilled in magically creating bullets. Ppttthh...
Yeah, right.

In Rm2k3, there is a better- and more sensible way to do an ammo system.

First, we're going to make this simple- Assign one character to use the
Projectile weapon of choice. We'll call this fellow "Gunner."

Now, we need a weapon. Guns should have a +3 raw attack bonus, as an ammoless character can at least butt with the gun, while bows without ammo should give no bonus.
I'll use a Handgun for example.

Next, we'll need an ammo bag/quiver/pouch, specifically labeled as to relate to the weapon used. We'll call this item "9mm Bag", since most handguns use that round.
Set this item to Switch, and have it turn on a switch to "load" the bullets. We'll call this Switch "9mmEquip". You might want to make it available in both map and battle, in case you have two genres of bullets and run out of one kind, therefore needing to switch. (Parasite Eve, anyone?)

With me so far? Good.

Go to Monster Groups.

Go to battle events, and create a new page.

Now, have the event critera (what makes the event come on) set to ("Gunner" uses the attack command.)

The page is short, but vital. We'll get back to this page. Remember it. Now we're going to common events.

Make a new common event. Call it GunnerAmmo Diminsh or something. Make it call only. This event is for one character only so far, so try and keep it that way.

Make a check to see if Gunner has the Handgun equipped, with no Else Case.

Now make a check to see if the player "used" the 9mm Bag earlier on in either the map or battle, which should have turned on the "9mmEquip" switch we discussed earlier.

Now we have some delightful variables to make. One for each bullet you want to use. We're going to just use one in this tutorial, though. Call this variable "9mmBullets". (Again, this is just an example. Feel free to use whatever term you like.)

Getting back to the "GunnerAmmo Diminish" event, we need a check to see if the "9mmBullets" variable is greater than or equal to 1. This checks to see if you have ammo left. Give this event an Else case.

If the 9mmBullets variable is greater than or equal to 1, subtract 1 from said variable and have it call a common event called "GunnerAmmoCheck". Just make a spare page for this, we'll fill it out later. If the variable is less than one, don't subtract anything, just call the "GunnerAmmoCheck" as above.

Now, remember the Battle Event we abandoned for later earlier on? Go back to the page with the start condition "Gunner Attacks". The only thing you need in that page for now is "Call Event: GunnerAmmo Diminish". You'll need to paste this page into each monster group you have for it to work. Sorry.

Now, go to the depressingly bare "GunnerAmmoCheck" page. Make it Parallel Process with a switch that will always be on. This way, it functions both on the map and battle.

Make a check to see if the 9mmEquip switch is on, with no else case.

Now make a branch that checks to see if the "9mmBullets" is greater than or equal to 1. Give this an else case.

In the ELSE case, make a fork condition to see if a switch called "9mmGone" is on, and give it an else case. In the event that the switch is on, don't have the event do anything else. In the Else case, however...

Have it give a message like "Out of 9mm bullets...", to let the player know there's no ammo of that kind left.

Now think of how much damage these bullets would do. I had mine give a +10 attack bonus to the character holding the gun, so we'll use that value.

I hoping you're all aware of the fact that a gun with no ammo won't do as much damage as one with ammo. After the "Out Of Ammo" message, subtract 10 from Gunner's attack score.

Switchies time! These two switches will make sure Gunner's attack score doesn't pullmet ot -140 or rise to 720. We'll call them "9mmGone" (remember this one?) and "9mmArmed".

NOW, turn ON "9mmGone" and turn OFF "9mmArmed." This ensure the attack will drop ONLY 10 points if the bullets run out.

Now back to the ammo variable check. Let's say you do have 1 or more bullets in your "bag". Make a branch to see if the switch "9mmArmed" is on. If it is, again, don't have the event do anything. In the else case...

Have it give a confirmation message, with a variable message to remind the player how much of that ammo is left. "9mm Loaded! V[XXXX] left!". XXXX, for those of you who haven't caught on, is the same as the "9mmBullets" variable. So, if the variable you used was number 0141 (as it is in my game), you'd type V[0141].

Now raise Gunner's attack score by 10, indicating he does, in fact, have something deadly in that shiny metal object.

Turn on the switch "9mmArmed", and turn off the "9mmGone" switch.

There, you're done. Now go shoot some rare, endangered rm2k3 beasts for fun and profit! >:)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT EFFECTS
*RM2K and RM2K3
*A trained monkey could do this.
* 10 minutes if you need to use the restroom.
*Please don't laugh, veteran rm2k3ers. Some people honestly don't know how to do this.

Okay, the last one's fairly easy to do. Remember in Final Fantasy Tactics how equipping certain armor would raise HP or MP? You can do that too!

Go make a common event to see if a particular character has a special robe/armor/chicken suit equipped. Have the common event be "Parallel Process", and the switch be something that'll stay on through the game.

Make a check to see if a character has a certain armor equipped. We'll call the character "Aeris" and the armor "Health Robe". Give it an else case, which we'll get to shortly.

Make a switch called "Health Robe". Go back to the else case, and have it turn "Health Robe" off.

Back at the check to see if Health Robe was equipped, make another check to see if Health Robe is OFF.

Now, increase Aeris' Max HP by 20 (or whatever).

Turn the "Health Robe" switch on.

Simple.

Well, that should cover everything. Good luck, and remember to give me some small credit. It makes my muses happy and supresses the fist of death.

Find something wrong? Email me at RobCrosby@houston.rr.com and I'll check it out.

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