Unique Battle Systems

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Master K
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Unique Battle Systems

Post by Master K »

So, i'm starting this thread because i'm actually making a slice-based battle system as a little demo project. I'm having a problem with some scripts, at the moment, and will share the details with anyone interested.

Have any of you ever made a game with a unique battle system? If so, how difficult did you find it?
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

Welcome to Ohr Anonymous. You should share your problems. At least the abstract.

I didn't find it too difficult, but I didn't go all out either. My main problems were (no tmc or james allowed beyond this point):

- no arrays
- slice documentation is crazy
- can't draw like i mean it, given how painful it is to import graphics
- love layers, but no alpha holds back range of effects
- i could go on. TRY ME i dare you
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

charbile wrote:- slice documentation is crazy
I want to make it better. Specifics on what kind of crazy it is would help :)
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charbile
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Post by charbile »

I used to like the plotscript dictionary when it was smaller. The categories made sense and there wasn't much clutter. This was when you first introduced the "Advanced Commands" for altering NPCs.

And now there are no less than 25 or so.

And within some of them (slices) you could easily make sub groupings.

For example: gamemaker's. It's not the best, but much easier to find what you need.

http://gamemaker.info/en/manual

(scroll to the bottom, section "The Game Maker Language" -- the equivalent to the plot dictionary)

Let's say I want to do slices, i click "game graphics":

http://gamemaker.info/en/manual/405_00_graphics

Therein, I can find info on how to reference sprites and images *and* how to draw them. In different groupings, which is key.

In the plot dictionary, it's all one big huge category. And all the "see also" only makes it bigger and more confusing.

So specifics:

(ohr anonymous is great, feeling better already)

- group all load functions together

- give slice positioning it's own sub-category

- sprite functions / working with slices should be in a single category

- don't "see also" please please please don't!

Simply show all the related commands together, one after the next in their own sub-grouping, and if you must, link to useful functions outside that group in the description for the group, not in the individual functions.

- etc etc
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Skullduggery Studios
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Post by Skullduggery Studios »

Would it be possible to actually write the plotscripting dictionary in a program of some kind that cascades the subject? IE...

GRAPHICS
SLICES

You click GRAPHICS and it turns to this:

GRAPHICS>
HERO SPRITES
WALKABOUT SPRITES
SLICES

And you could open and close the "tabs" as you please. Also, an existing search function that's smarter than the average web browser one.
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Post by JSH357 »

On the note of the "See alsos," those can probably be moved to the individual wiki pages for the commands and taken off the current dictionary. I agree that the dictionary was much easier to use back when it was smaller, but now it's kind of crazy.
My website, the home of Motrya:
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Master K
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Post by Master K »

Well, there are some things I want to understand about slices.

1. How would I show slice collections with plotscripting?
2. Would I be able to show multiple slices? Like the hero slice, enemy slice, HP slices, ect...
3. How can slices be attached to NPCs and the Hero, like in [game]Bell of Chaos[/game]?
4. If slices can be attached to NPCs, how would said slice react to walls?
Last edited by Master K on Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Ah, I thought the complaints were about the descriptions of the slice commands.

Yes, the organization is atrocious.

I have never fixed it myself because I only ever navigate the dictionary using searching.

I like the "see also" links because they look great in HamsterWhisper, and are useful in that context. But yes, when viewing the dictionary in a web browser, they are pretty cluttery.

Right now each command can only belong to one category. Organizing them with tags would probably be much better (I mean categorization tags in the "web" sense, not OHR tags)
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Master K wrote: 1. How would I show slice collections with plotscripting?
the "load slice collection" command.
2. Would I be able to show multiple slices? Like the hero slice, enemy slice, HP slices, ect...
There is no real limit on how many slices you can show. The only tricky part is how to you keep track of them.
3. How can slices be attached to NPCs and the Hero, like in [game]Bell of Chaos[/game]?
Actually, Bell of Chaos doesn't attach slices to NPCs. it uses NPCs to pick the starting locations of slices, and then does everything with the slices and never touches the NPCs again.

In the latest nightly builds it is possible (but not yet convenient) to actually attach slices directly to NPCs and Heroes.
4. If slices can be attached to NPCs, how would said slice react to walls?
If the slice is attached to the NPC, you no longer control the slice directly. You just move the NPC, and the slice magically follows it. It would follow all the normal NPC movement and obstruction rules.
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Master K
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Post by Master K »

Alright...so, how would I hide a slice collection?
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Post by Skullduggery Studios »

Well, if all slices are attached to a single parent, this'd work:

Code: Select all

set slice visible (parent_slice, off)
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Bob the Hamster
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Post by Bob the Hamster »

Exactly. When you load a collection, you automatically get the whole collection inside a container.

I keep meaning to record some youtube videos visually explaining slice concepts, but I just haven't had time yet :P
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