What's up, RMers?

[DerVVulfman]

Spaghetti code that makes the nice-looking stuff extremely laggy!

BRRRRZZZZ!!!! Nope.  Not Moggy's scripts.  That is, they aren't laggy.  But they ARE spaghetti code and hell to read.

From what you mention, it seems that little to no caring went into making that script compatible with possible add-ons....

Or perhaps the author was only concerned into making the dang thing work first, everything else be damned.

Now THAT about sums it up.  And if it means writing a whole new class that handles something and just throw away the original, he would do it.  In fact.... he HAS.

One section of Moghunter's SKILL menu script is thus (pardon the spaghetti.  I ran out of garlic bread):

Code:

#################

# Window_Skill2 #
#################
class Window_Skill2 < Window_Selectable
def initialize(actor)
super(0, 95, 335, 290)
@actor = actor
@column_max = 1
refresh
self.index = 0
end
def skill
return @data[self.index]
end

Why on Earth did he make a new 'Window_Skill2' class when one would suffice?  Any script that adds new features to skill usage which needs to append to any module in the Window_Skill class would not work. 

And let's assume you're using his Item menu.  The normal Window_Item menu was replaced thusly...

Code:

##################

# Window_Item_Ex #
##################
class Window_Item_Ex < Window_Selectable
  def initialize
    super(250, 50, 295, 350)
    @column_max = 1
    refresh
    self.index = 0
    if $game_temp.in_battle
      self.y = 64
      self.height = 256
      self.back_opacity = 160
    end
  end

GAK!  No Parmesan Cheese?

But yeah, he decided to use a whole new Window_Item_Ex class rather than working with the default, even if he felt he needed to make two other classes to handle weapons and armor.  If you had a script that let you create items with multiple charges/uses (like a potion you can drink 3 times before it is used up).... you're toast.  Making a whole new class just wasn't needed.

You just don't need to re-invent the wheel.

*sigh*

Well, I am DONE with typing up content in the help file regarding the configuration page's many options.  And yes, there were a lot of options to discuss; features that adjusted text margins to make way for quest icons, how to adjust the color for different types of text, how to handle backgrounds whether you opt for plain windowskins or go creative with background images.

Now that is done, I guess I move on to the format for the quests themselves.

[DerVVulfman]

I BEAT IT. DANGIT, I BEAT IT AT LAST!!!!!

A problem I had with the quest system I have been toiling away upon was that the quests HAD to be in a static order. By this, I mean you could not just have the "Main Quest" "Warriors Quests" and "Starfleet Quests" in your quest menu and then decide to try and slip "Okami Quests" between any of the three. You were only able to have it be at the END of the quests. You were FORCED to add quests only in a rigid order, unable to skip over a type and add another in its place.

Problem solved!!!! A new condition was added for the quest types which lets you control the order of the quests as they appear in your log. An array value, it holds the IDs of the quest type/categories, and can be manipulated with plain old 'Map Event' script calls!!!

Now I gotta add a little MORE info into the Help file. But that is fine by me. This was one big hurdle I had with the system that I sorely wanted to get behind me.

[DerVVulfman]

If anyone is curious about the help file I have been working on (let alone the scope of the quest system itself), I just uploaded a zip file with the help file.  Well, part of the help file as it isn't nearly done yet.

If you are having problems reading the help file, follow these steps...

1. Right-Click the QueensQuest.chm
2. Select Properties
3. Click the Unblock button at the bottom of the Properties dialog (above the OK and Cancel buttons)
4. You should now be able to read the CHM file.

So if you have some interest and have questions, I do have a Q&A section that is looking for some content.   Er, ask via PMs... not flooding this topic.

And the logo is courtesy of JayRay   His graphics work email address is in the help file intro page.


  QueensQuest.zip (Size: 478.39 KB / Downloads: 6)

[DerVVulfman]

Wow, only one person took a look at the WIP help file... and no PMs with Questions? I guess the bright side is that I explained everything in the help file good enough not to get any questions. Still, I'd rather have questions to answer.

Meanwhile, I added ONE MORE FEATURE. I kinda forgot to make the window-sliding feature optional. What is window sliding? Well, it's that cosmetic feature where the windows for a menu appear on the side and just 'slide' into place. This is a feature seen in all the Final Fantasy game menus as well as a cosmetic feature in Moghunter Menus. So.. OOPS? I forgot to add it until now. My bad.

Other than that... workin...workin...workin...

[DerVVulfman]

I finally got a LOT of the material for quests covered in the "Crafting the Quests" chapter of my help file. But now for the bad news, the one page in the chapter covers mission objectives.

GAAAAAAA!!!!! That is a chapter in itself and has nearly as many options to cover!!!!!

Well, I am putting so many hyperlinks going from here-to-there and from there-to-here and extra 'Notes from DerVVulfman' that I would HOPE the reader can understand everything.

Still, I haven't received any PM inquiries about how the Quest system works or whatnot.

[DerVVulfman]

At last, the BULK of the help file is done, having trudged through describing Quest Objectives or Tasks. The only thing thereafter is a brief example on how to make your first quest and the Question/Answer section.

BUT I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY INQUIRIES IN MAH PM BOX YET.


http://save-point.org/attachment.php?aid=980

Yep, that's the same link to the help file, but I updated it today.

[DerVVulfman]

Yes, finally near completion with the Help File. I had to make a couple more changes to the Quest system however. More towards error-handling features and allowing you to set entries to 'nil' more often.

Unexpectedly, I am able to add and handle quest content in the default battlesystem too! Purely by accident, it can be entertaining to add quest and task toggling switches in some troop commands. I mean I really.... REALLY... didn't see it coming. But I also added in safeguards to ensure that other scenes (menus or the like) do not cause the quest system any problems.

It's not much, but I have a quick tutorial on making a 'basic' quest done too. Ya know, it's not hard to make blood-stained grass at all. Long story....

And WOOT!!! I have over a half dozen Q&A entries. The one that made me think "Wha?" was if you can have two separate quest logs running. Wow... that was fun. Well, keep 'em coming in!

[kyonides]

I'm kind of disappointed at you all, people, because when I had asked for your support, you said nothing useful :(
Let me explain it further, I needed to get ideas or sketches of how to visually improve my Gem Roulette and my main menu scripts, especially for Gosu. Well, it could also have helped me developed some ports to XP or ACE, too... So far nothing had happened so my main menu still looks quite black and empty. :P
Why do I ask for people's ideas then? It's easy to explain that, I'm bad at coming up with anything related to the GUI :P

[kyonides]

Become a loan shark's victim! :P

Code:

module Loans
  MAX = 99999999
end

class Game_Party
  attr_reader :loans
  alias loans_initialize initialize
  def initialize
    @loans = 0
    loans_initialize
  end

  def pay_loan(amount)
    old_loans = @loans
    @loans = [@loans - amount, 0].max
    lose_gold(old_loans - @loans)
  end

  def increase_loan(amount)
    old_loans = @loans
    @loans = [@loans + amount, Loans::MAX].min
    gain_gold(@loans - old_loans)
  end
end

[Mel]

I'm a bit back at working on my game.
Doing stuff, creating maps, and running into scripting issues.

So the usual stuff as always.^^