What's up, RMers?

[kyonides]

Well, in version 0.9.0 it could only end the battle AFTER defeating the current enemy troop.
It took me a couple of changes to release version 0.11.0 to include the "defeat ALL of them" feature there.
 I'm not sure if I'd work on another version that would let you define a specific number of battles to defeat it.

EDIT: Keep in mind that the script does change the current enemy team dynamically. It will only stop doing so if there's only 1 team left.

[Steel Beast 6Beets]

That script sounds fairly interesting. It reminds me of some boss fights from Final Fantasy VI where the targets would play tag team and change after a few turns. For example, Chadarnook would change between its goddess and demon form and the objective was to defeat the demon as the goddess was essentially inmortal.

Apropos of nothing, I found out that older versions of RMXP had a fatal error regarding Conditional Branches that caused the program to crash immediately.

[DerVVulfman]

Apropos of nothing, I found out that older versions of RMXP had a fatal error regarding Conditional Branches that caused the program to crash immediately.

I can safely say that the actual default scripts within RPGMaker XP had not changed since the official English release using the RGSS102E.DLL.  That, because I still have demos of that era.  For example, I did check the scripts within the 2006 release of Battle Domain Effects by Prexus, an early 2005 era RMXP SDK demo when the SDK was hosted at RMXP.net (not .org which became HBGames)

 Granted, RMXP's 1.02 Executables (with the 102E.dll) don't run on a Win10 platform...

[Steel Beast 6Beets]

Apropos of nothing, I found out that older versions of RMXP had a fatal error regarding Conditional Branches that caused the program to crash immediately.

I can safely say that the actual default scripts within RPGMaker XP had not changed since the official English release using the RGSS102E.DLL.  That, because I still have demos of that era.  For example, I did check the scripts within the 2006 release of Battle Domain Effects by Prexus, an early 2005 era RMXP SDK demo when the SDK was hosted at RMXP.net (not .org which became HBGames)

 Granted, RMXP's 1.02 Executables (with the 102E.dll) don't run on a Win10 platform...

Why, that certainly explains everything. 

To elaborate: I got myself a new computer with Windows 10 and I ran into the crashing error I described before that I simply couldn't fix no matter what I did. Finally, I decided to buy the program again (thankfully, there's a 90% discount at Steam for RMXP) and now everything is fine.

[kyonides]

I guess that's why I never got any errors while running RMXP on Windows 10; I was using the 1.04 version of its DLL. 

[DerVVulfman]

Finally, I decided to buy the program again (thankfully, there's a 90% discount at Steam for RMXP) and now everything is fine.

HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! Buy it again?

If you have a license for RPGMaker, you should not have needed to pay for it a second time! You have a legitimate license!

That is, that is how I was able to re-upgrade from my previous purchases. I went from the original Protexis edition to Digica by way of contacting them by eMail.

[kyonides]

Who knows? The Steam version can be installed on more than 1 PC or laptop without forcing you to do anything.
With the old Protexis data I doubt Steel could have had a working key to install it on Steam. He would have the dire need to contact Degica or Komodo or GGG then.
Anyway, I don't blame him. I've got both the Steam version and the stand-alone one.

[Steel Beast 6Beets]

Finally, I decided to buy the program again (thankfully, there's a 90% discount at Steam for RMXP) and now everything is fine.

HOLD ON A MINUTE!!! Buy it again?

If you have a license for RPGMaker, you should not have needed to pay for it a second time! You have a legitimate license!

That is, that is how I was able to re-upgrade from my previous purchases. I went from the original Protexis edition to Digica by way of contacting them by eMail.

Say WHAT?! I-I had no idea...

...Eh, not big deal. It was like 1300 Chilean pesos. That's like little more than a dollar. I spend roughly the same in snacks yesterday.

Who knows? The Steam version can be installed on more than 1 PC or laptop without forcing you to do anything.
With the old Protexis data I doubt Steel could have had a working key to install it on Steam. He would have the dire need to contact Degica or Komodo or GGG then.
Anyway, I don't blame him. I've got both the Steam version and the stand-alone one.

I did have a very old version of RMXP and honestly I did not remember where I got it.

[DerVVulfman]

Looking at the default scripts in relation to battler damage and healing, and I've come to the realization that RPGMaker XP's ITEM damage formula is singularly the odd-man-out.

When it comes to RPGMaker XP's melee damage and skill damage, the system calculates all the damage including variations and random values that can be attributed to power levels and the like.  And only after that, it then checks to see if the one being struck is 'guarding/defending'.  And if the target is defending itself, the calculated damage is cut in half.

HOWEVER... RPGMaker XP's item damage, and only RPGMaker XP's item damage, is wholly different.  It calculates the basic damage that is generated by the item and then looks to see if the target is guarding/defending.  But after it checks to see if the target is defending and subsequently halves the damage, it will then apply the additional random damage attributes.  The bonus values given to item damage or recovery is not halved like the rest of the content.

With RPGMaker's engines after XP, this is not the case.  All variants are calculated before checking to see if the victim is defending, this for all battler attack actions from RPGMaker VX on up.  And this, even for the python-driven versions such as RPGMaker MV as shown below:

Game_Action.prototype.makeDamageValue = function(target, critical) {
    var item = this.item();
    var baseValue = this.evalDamageFormula(target);
    var value = baseValue * this.calcElementRate(target);
    if (this.isPhysical()) {
        value *= target.pdr;
    }
    if (this.isMagical()) {
        value *= target.mdr;
    }
     if (baseValue < 0) {
        value *= target.rec;
    }
    if (critical) {
        value = this.applyCritical(value);
    }
    value = this.applyVariance(value, item.damage.variance);
    value = this.applyGuard(value, target);
    value = Math.round(value);
    return value;
};

Weird, eh?  And nope, I don't have MV.  I just have the scripts database for examination.  I'm dangerous that way. 

If I do decide to release an XP-like replacement of default scripts (sorta like the RMXP SDK on steroids), this would be a clear correction.

[DerVVulfman]

I hate...  I HATE.... I HATE... writing instructions for code.  Prolly why I have delayed releasing what might be a really good damage application script.  Testing and coding is more fun than documentation.  ARRRGH, I'M TYPING AGAIN!

Well, I decided to do a little blast-from-the-past in revisiting Movie playback for RMXP, and did this:

Code:

#==============================================================================
# ** RMXP Movie player (title subject to change ^_^
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#  DerVV:   10/07/2024 (MM/DD/YYYY)
#==============================================================================
#
#  Movies gotta be in the Movies subfolder in your project's root folder.
# 
#  HOW TO USE:
#  * The one script call:   Movie.play(filename)
#  * Example with filename: Movie.play("FOS01.mp4")
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
#  I spent time testing what formats worked for my system, and what did not.
#  This list is not extensive, but should be a good guideline.
#
#  Tested and works with the following formats
#  * 3gp
#  * asf
#  * avi - no audio regardless of audio codex
#  * m4v
#  * mov
#  * mp4
#  * wmv - tends to be grainy
#
#  Does not play the following formats
#  * flv
#  * mkv
#  * ogv
#  * webm
#
#  The following video codexes work:        h263, x264, wmv2 (wmv2 grainy)
#  The following video codexes do not work: libtheora, xvid, flv, swf
#  The following video codexes have issues: xvid (grainy, and needs mp3 audio)
#  The following audio codexes do not work: vorbis
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# DOES NOT STRETCH TO FIT.  Movie will be top-left oriented regardless of size.
# DOES NOT LIKE FULLSCREEN MODE (Sorry... no xp code yet fixes that...)
# DOES NOT CACHE. They're like the default audio folder that way.
#==============================================================================


 
#==============================================================================
# ** Movie
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#  This module allows playback of video content by use of the Win32API.
#==============================================================================

module Movie   
  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # * Play movie
  #     movie : movie filename
  #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  def self.play(movie)
    #
    # Reset frame counter
    gucount = 0
    #
    # Get path for movie in project
    movie_name  = Dir.getwd()+"\\Movies\\"+movie
    #
    # Basic Win32API calls for window and MCI playback
    readini     = Win32API.new 'kernel32', 'GetPrivateProfileStringA', %w(p p p p l p), 'l'
    wnd         = Win32API.new('user32','FindWindowEx','%w(l,l,p,p)','L')
    message     = Win32API.new('user32','SendMessage','%w(l,l,l,l)','V')
    mplayer     = Win32API.new('winmm','mciSendString','%w(p,p,l,l)','V')
    #
    # DEPRECIATED:  win_metrics delivers x/y screen size values
    win_metrics = Win32API.new('user32','GetSystemMetrics','%w(l)','L')
    #
    # Re-establish game name in window
    game_name   = "\0" * 256
    readini.call('Game','Title','',game_name,255,".\\Game.ini")
    game_name.delete!("\0")
    hwnd        = wnd.call(0,0,nil,game_name).to_s
    #
    # Open movie for playback
    mplayer.call("open #{movie_name} alias FILE style child parent " + hwnd.to_s,0,0,0)
    #
    # Clear status and play movie
    status  = " " * 255
    mplayer.call("play FILE",0,0,0)
    #
    # Perform loop while playing movie
    loop do 
      # Suspend thread activity every 1/10th of a second
      sleep(0.1)
      #
      # Ready refresh before graphics update (Flicker prevention)
      message.call(hwnd.to_i,11,0,0)
      #
      # Frame update every 1/2 second based on frame rate
      gucount += 1
      if gucount > Graphics.frame_rate / 2
        Graphics.update
        gucount = 0
      end
      #
      # Refresh after graphics update (Flicker prevention)
      message.call(hwnd.to_i,11,1,0)
      #
      # Update Input
      Input.update
      #
      # Test playback status
      mplayer.call("status FILE mode",status,255,0)
      status_check = status.unpack("aaaa")
      #
      # Exit from loop if pressed ESC or playback is over
      break if Input.trigger?(Input::B) or status_check.to_s != "play"
      #
    end
    #
    # Close movie and clear input with minor delay
    mplayer.call("close FILE",0,0,0)
    sleep(0.1)   
    Input.update
    sleep(0.1)   
    #
  end
  #
end

You execute it from a simple  Movie.play(filename) script call.  Its a module, so it should be pretty dang compatible with most anything (that allows for the Win32API).  Heck, it should be fine for users beyond XP, just needing to remove lines 95-100 that calls the Graphics.Update method every 10 or so frames.

I instituted a couple of calls before and after the graphics update that should seriously reduce any chance of flicker, this despite being able to use the ESC key to exit.  AND... it can be used by a good number of video formats.  I listed the formats I've confirmed and wrote up what video and audio codexes to look out for.

EXAMPLES:   
Movie.play"FOS01.mp4")      good

Movie.play"FOS01.webm")    bad


Still, it does not stretch to fit, nor does it like Fullscreen mode.  And it cannot cache the video files.