Has Anyone Ever Tried to Create A Game+ System?

[Solitaire]

Anyone around these here forums ever attempt to implement their own game+ type system into their game?
(Discounting password systems, which are cool, but I more-so was thinking actual changes to the code upon completing the game.)

I had the idea to do one for a very simple, small project I was doing (Super basic, just having icons appear on the menu screen for each ending completed.) But after looking up some stuff I gained the impression that doing it would be fairly complicated, with use of global variables and/or external ini files, etc.

I still think it's an interesting topic though, and wondered if anyone here ever tried it for themselves, and had any anecdotes from their experiences.

[Moved this from general, thought this section might be more fitting. Still getting used to posting on a forum Xp]

[DerVVulfman]

Well, a friend of mine wanted something... entertaining.

She wanted to use an ABS for her combat system. Now an ABS (or Active Battle System) is basically ZELDA or DIABLO or whatnot... all the combat is on the map and you move your character all around dodging magic bolts lobbed at her. Yep, her. I could best describe the character lead as "Rukia Kuchiki" from Bleach, but with a spiritually conjured bow.

However, she wanted to give the player some ... grief. In every ABS system out there, the player could just up and cheat and hit ESC to bring up the menu and pause the game while in combat. Well, either that or work to ensure that the ESC button didn't work unless you were in a safe zone. But she was like "That gives too much away.". You knew you were safe if you could open the menu.

So Mister Bright-Idea here thought, why not make it so all the menu windows are actually brought up within the field map???

The basic principle of the default menu system is that when you enter a menu, you leave SCENE_MAP, the actual Scene/Engine that handles the field map. You actually EXIT the map, though game values of player position and such are memorized. Still, you leave it just the same and all actions are basically frozen. And when you decide to look at the Skiill Menu, you switch over to SCENE_SKILL and aren't even in SCENE_MENU.

Booooring. My idea was to just move all the mechanics into Scene_Map itself. When hitting ESC, you didn't leave the field map. You only turned on an in-map switch that brought up the "Window_Menu" and like screens. And while the menu was up, it would turn off the player's movement system and allowed cursor control. However, all map events would work just fine.

And if you were in combat.... you better be in that menu for a VERY short period of time. :D

SHE loved it.

Our friend Mark hated it. He was like "YOU TOOK OUT MY CHEAT!!!!!"

[Solitaire]

Well, a friend of mine wanted something... entertaining.

She wanted to use an ABS for her combat system.  Now an ABS (or Active Battle System) is basically ZELDA or DIABLO or whatnot... all the combat is on the map and you move your character all around dodging magic bolts lobbed at her.  Yep, her.  I could best describe the character lead as "Rukia Kuchiki" from Bleach, but with a spiritually conjured bow.

However, she wanted to give the player some ... grief.  In every ABS system out there, the player could just up and cheat and hit ESC to bring up the menu and pause the game while in combat.  Well, either that or work to ensure that the ESC button didn't work unless you were in a safe zone.  But she was like "That gives too much away.".  You knew you were safe if you could open the menu.

So Mister Bright-Idea here thought, why not make it so all the menu windows are actually brought up within the field map???

The basic principle of the default menu system is that when you enter a menu, you leave SCENE_MAP, the actual Scene/Engine that handles the field map.  You actually EXIT the map, though game values of player position and such are memorized.  Still, you leave it just the same and all actions are basically frozen.  And when you decide to look at the Skiill Menu, you switch over to SCENE_SKILL and aren't even in SCENE_MENU.

Booooring.  My idea was to just move all the mechanics into Scene_Map itself.  When hitting ESC, you didn't leave the field map.  You only turned on an in-map switch that brought up the "Window_Menu" and like screens.  And while the menu was up, it would turn off the player's movement system and allowed cursor control.  However, all map events would work just fine.

And if you were in combat.... you better be in that menu for a VERY short period of time. :D

SHE loved it.

Our friend Mark hated it.  He was like "YOU TOOK OUT MY CHEAT!!!!!"

Hahaha xD that's hilarious, it sounds like a really fun project too

[Zeriab]

Yup, did such a system for Dreamscape.
I stored the completion data in a separate file. You can consider it as a global save.
When Scene_Title is starting up I read this file to see which icons to display.

Don't really have much in terms of anecdotes as I found it easy and straightforward to do. Maybe I found it easy because I already had done a game=>game import system for the Laxius Force and Millennium series.
Pretty sure there already are scripts out there which can help, but I have no idea how difficult/easy it would be to implement what your want using them.

*hugs*

[Solitaire]

Yup, did such a system for Dreamscape.
I stored the completion data in a separate file. You can consider it as a global save.
When Scene_Title is starting up I read this file to see which icons to display.

Don't really have much in terms of anecdotes as I found it easy and straightforward to do. Maybe I found it easy because I already had done a game=>game import system for the Laxius Force and Millennium series.
Pretty sure there already are scripts out there which can help, but I have no idea how difficult/easy it would be to implement what your want using them.

*hugs*

Wow cool! :D That's great to know it can at least be done! Some of the posts I was reading were making it sound like some crazy, unheard-of concept lol XD
(Granted, didn't really matter either way for me as I'm so inept at scripting lol) But your success inspires me once again to try! Thank you for the reply.

*Hug back* ^^

[Remi-chan]

Ooh, rare Zeriab jumpscare? (or I guess.. hug??) Pog!

I have seen a lot of plugins for MV that do this, and Oneshot also did a lot of game+ meta features. Undertale's meta stuff DEFINITELY popularized this idea so it tended to really take off in the last ten years.

Also DerVVulfman's story is hilarious because in one of my games where i fully evented an ABS, i wanted to have a quick select weapons menu (think like ratchet and clank) but due to how i had to event it I could never make it entirely pause the game despite many attempts. So if I'd been her and wanted to force players to really have to think on the get go I'd have just suggested custom building a menu on the map and disabling the actual menu.

[Solitaire]

@Rami-chan

That's really clever, I always marvel at how people can do stuff like whole menus, etc. just by eventing alone. I've never attempted such a harrowing feat lol Maybe I should though, because if something seems scary, 9/10 it means you should definitely do it B) (kidding. I am not a daring person. But in this instance, it could be cool)

[Remi-chan]

It's never something I'd recommend against trying, as even if you fail by giving up, you will teach yourself so much!

I remember I challenged myself to make an evented action battle system as the primary gameplay loop for the first Indie game maker contest, and that was the end of making JRPGs at that point! (Outside of Junked and Terra new Moon.)

[Solitaire]

It's never something I'd recommend against trying, as even if you fail by giving up, you will teach yourself so much!

I remember I challenged myself to make an evented action battle system as the primary gameplay loop for the first Indie game maker contest, and that was the end of making JRPGs at that point! (Outside of Junked and Terra new Moon.)

It's definitely better to have tried and learned, than to never try at all.

Also, that sounds really neato, have you entered a lot into contests before?

[DerVVulfman]

Before there was scripting or plugin capability, the RPGMaker series exclusively used event-design for anything. And there have been plenty of interesting systems.  Amaranth (formerly Lambchop in 2007) created Ahriman's Prophecy with the RPGMaker 2003 engine, designing an evented main menu with custom graphics, and an evented ABS system with both spell and melee combat. It was the precursor to the Aveyond series.  Oh, I have her friended on FB.

As far as labeling JRPG, that just suggests Japanese Role Playing Games whilst CRPG suggests Computer Role Playing Games.  A better description of battle systems are as follows (including their initials for reference):

• ABS / Action Battle System:
      (Ex: The Legend of Zelda, Diablo, Contra, Doom, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Touhou: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil)
  
  Essentially, any system where the player attacks or is attacked by enemies in the gaming world or world map. However, there are occasions that the battle is in a separate area map or 'arena' than the rest of the gaming world. In general, the player controls only the lead hero actor, but may be able to issue commands to companions normally under the PC's AI control. A kinetic system, all decisions are real-time.
       .
  • Third Person: The most common form of ABS, you can see anyone or anything around you, though range, lighting or fog effects may apply. A basic fast-play combat system, it may also valid to consider side-scrolling games such as Rastan, Bionic Commando under this category. Simultaneously, this would cover most any Touhou bullet-hell system.
    
    
  • First Person:  More commonly described as a first person shooter, everything you see is first person. Do know that this not only covers shooters such as Doom, but MMORPGs and RPG games from Bethesda Softworks which allow the player to toggle between first and third person perspectives. 
    
  
  
• SBS / Strategic Battle System:
      (Ex. Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior, Wizardry)
  
  Basically, a battle system where the player chooses the basic attack options of a squad on the screen as they fight groups of enemies. And in general, it doesn't take place within the same screen as the rest of the gaming world as the rest of the events, but in a separate arena designed for combat.  The player's actions are handled solely upon menu based choices, so one could even suggest a Rock-Paper-Scissors combat system would qualify.  Whether the battle is sideview or frontview makes no difference as that is mere graphic options. However, the graphics used to display the heroes and attacking enemies tend to be of a different design than how they appear within the rest of the gaming world.
      .
  • CTB / Conditional Timer Battle:  Essentially a system that allows the player time to make decisions and the order in which the heroes and enemies is based upon calculations based mainly upon the combatant's speed. The player may make choices for all the party heroes at one time, or may give actions to one hero when it is his/her turn to attack. One of the more relaxed options, the player may usually take their time to decide what battle commands are best.
    
    
  • ATB / Active Timer Battle: A faster-paced battle system that does not pause the actions of combatants. The player is still making basic choices for the party heroes, though it is only when the hero had waited long enough after their last action. But simultaneously, enemies may attack the player's heroes while the decisions are being made rather than waiting for the player to decide.  It is more action orientated as there is no actual pause mechanics other than delays between combat actions themselves, or unless the game developer adds a game/combat pause feature.
    
  
  
• TBS / Tactical Battle System:
      (Ex. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Baldur's Gate 3, Warcraft 1 or 2, and Hartacon Tactics by our own Charlie Fleed)
  
  Generally, a map based combat system where the player controls a one (or more) NPC heroes within the gaming world while trying to outflank their enemies, or they are within a separate 'arena' map specifically designed per battle. Whether separate arena or current world, objects (walls, barricades, trees) play a part in battle as obstacles that may give cover.  Not unlike chess, NPCs may be able to take out enemies, though it is based upon their battle statistics and the enemies can strike back. And the player controls the NPC heroes by pre-defined choices, not unlike that of the Strategic Battle System.  The initials TBS describes both a Tactical Battle System and Turn Based Strategy, the more controllable and recognized subcategory of  the Tactical Battle System.
     . 
  • TBS / Turn Based Strategy: For the chess player connoisseur, the player is able to give orders to the party heroes based upon their turn order. that order itself based upon how fast or slow the heroes and enemies react in combat. Optionally, the player may give orders all the heroes if turns are based upon a simplified actor-enemy-actor-enemy progression. It is a relaxed option, affording the player time to decide what is best.
    
    
  • RTS / Real Time Strategy:  For those whom enjoy something more dynamic, this system does not wait for the player to relay actions to the heroes on the map. It is rarely used by Role Playing games, more often found in games that combine both world building and warfare. Such games as the original Warcraft, Age of Empires, Command and Conquer made the system relatively popular. And Star Trek: Infinite would be a more recent example.
    
  
  

Just came to mind to list these...