Multiple Attack Gauge Idea

msw188 · Post by **msw188** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:46 am

Obviously if you'd like to be nicely divisible by several small numbers, while still being a relatively small number yourself, you probably want to be the number 12. This means having, from what I can tell, 13 enemies set aside (numbers 0-12) for the UI. This doesn't seem like a very big investment of time to make a system that you want to work. The chaining on all attacks might be a bit tedious, but hopefully when everything gets worked out, each single attack will only need two or three unique attacks of its own, and the rest of the chain can be generic.

Is AP cost decrementing really worth it? That will require some extra scripting, and what does it really accomplish that simply giving a new stronger attack doesn't? Either way, the weaker attack becomes obsolete over time, which is the case for most RPGs.

CPainter307 · Post by **CPainter307** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 3:26 pm

Nathan Karr wrote:Try the number 60 on for size. 120 is better because it's twice as big as 60, but we have sixty seconds to a minute and sixty minutes to an hour for a reason.

msw188 wrote:Obviously if you'd like to be nicely divisible by several small numbers, while still being a relatively small number yourself, you probably want to be the number 12.

Okay, that's significantly better than my idea. That's nice and divisible in all sorts of ways, I'm really glad you guys mentioned that.

msw188 wrote:This means having, from what I can tell, 13 enemies set aside (numbers 0-12) for the UI. This doesn't seem like a very big investment of time to make a system that you want to work. The chaining on all attacks might be a bit tedious, but hopefully when everything gets worked out, each single attack will only need two or three unique attacks of its own, and the rest of the chain can be generic.

This idea seems like it would work really well. The only question I have would be how many other enemies I could have on the field along with the 13 used for the UI.

msw188 wrote:Is AP cost decrementing really worth it? That will require some extra scripting, and what does it really accomplish that simply giving a new stronger attack doesn't? Either way, the weaker attack becomes obsolete over time, which is the case for most RPGs.

This is a good point. I think I might have been overthinking what I was trying to accomplish, especially with this gauge system. However, I do feel like it would be a good idea to make some weaker abilities that cost less AP, so that there could be a bit of strategy involved, like "do I spend this turn with one big heal, or do I heal a little and get some damage in?"

msw188 · Post by **msw188** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 4:55 pm

Oh I agree, definitely have different attacks use up different amounts of Ctr. It's a pretty cool system idea. I just wasn't sure if it was necessary to have levelups change Ctr costs.

For the number of enemies in the UI, I meant 13 globally defined enemies. They would never all be onscreen at any given time. As far as I can tell, you'll need one enemy slot in each formation for the Ctr graphic, and MAYBE one more enemy slot with an invisible enemy for targetting and spawning purposes. That still leaves, what, 6 empty enemy slots to play with? I'm sad to admit, I haven't opened custom in a very long time, and I can't even remember how many slots are in a battle formation.

CPainter307 · Post by **CPainter307** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 5:30 pm

msw188 wrote:For the number of enemies in the UI, I meant 13 globally defined enemies. They would never all be onscreen at any given time. As far as I can tell, you'll need one enemy slot in each formation for the Ctr graphic, and MAYBE one more enemy slot with an invisible enemy for targetting and spawning purposes. That still leaves, what, 6 empty enemy slots to play with? I'm sad to admit, I haven't opened custom in a very long time, and I can't even remember how many slots are in a battle formation.

Six, or even five would be enough to get the feel I'm going for. I wouldn't want one player to have to go against too many enemies, even with a system designed to allow them to battle multiple ones at once.

And, to clarify, what you're suggesting is taking one enemy slot and having an "enemy" that really serves as the graphic for the AP. Specific attacks can chain to end in one that causes a different variant of the AP Gauge "enemy" to spawn, indicating how many you have left.

That sounds like a fantastic system, the only difficult part I imagine coming across would be continuous decrease of the gauge. To clarify, It would be something like.

It's my turn, I use an attack that uses half the gauge, so at the end of my move the half-gauge full "enemy" spawns. Now I want to use something that will cost a fourth of the gauge. Ideally, when I do this, an "enemy" will spawn indicating I only have a quarter of my gauge left to use. But, how would I go about accomplishing something like that?

msw188 · Post by **msw188** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:57 pm

Have you read Foxley's thread in here about using attack chains to mimic if/then logic? I'd probably try to set it up like that.

Atk0:
If Ctr>0, use Atk1 instead
Else, refill Ctr, lower speed, and spawn 'full Ctr' enemy

Atk1:
If Ctr>1, use Atk2 instead
Else, spawn 'Ctr=1/12' enemy graphic, set speed very high, etc

Atk2:
If Ctr>2, use Atk3 instead
Else, spawn 'Ctr=2/12' enemy graphic, set spd very high, etc

Atk3:
...

So every hero attack in the game would have a couple unique aspects, and then would chain to what I've called Atk0 here. The graphic can look like a continuous gauge, but all of the actual data involved is discrete.

If you were hoping to make the UI a bit more fancy looking (like making the gauge appear to decrease continuously down from 2/12 -> 1/12), I'm not sure. Probably somewhat possible with the attack graphics that are doing the spawning, but also seems like more trouble than it's worth to me. But if you want to do it, I can help.

CPainter307 · Post by **CPainter307** » Thu Jan 28, 2016 5:49 pm

msw188 wrote:So every hero attack in the game would have a couple unique aspects, and then would chain to what I've called Atk0 here. The graphic can look like a continuous gauge, but all of the actual data involved is discrete.

If you were hoping to make the UI a bit more fancy looking (like making the gauge appear to decrease continuously down from 2/12 -> 1/12), I'm not sure. Probably somewhat possible with the attack graphics that are doing the spawning, but also seems like more trouble than it's worth to me. But if you want to do it, I can help.

I think I see exactly what's going on there. I'm going to take some time to organize my ideas beforehand, but this has been a lot of help. So, I'll post in here again when I keep going. Thanks for the help!