What's up, RMers?

[Kain Nobel]

@Melana : I don't know what exactly is different, but I know there are classes and modules in regular Ruby 1.8 that are missing from the RPG Maker XP version of Ruby (which is 1.8). You can look up tutorials on multi-threading, which is related to multi-core programming, but I believe the Ruby language isn't packaged with that much capability within that arena. Some programmers have been trying to alleviate this issue within Ruby on Rails, I'm not sure how much that will help with RM though.

-

It's been a while since I've so much as looked at any of my projects; heck I don't even use the computer that much these days. The idea of sitting down in a chair and working on this stuff, while it used to be my regular thing to do, feels so foreign to me by now. That's not to say I've completely gained amnesia about my past activities and capabilities, but... yeah, it'll take a little getting used to.

I've posted a couple of scripts.

• Battler : Dead When MP 0
  
• Troop : Self-Switches
  

The 1st one was written while ago, the 2nd one I wrote earlier tonight just to shake the rust off and get used to scripting again. There is an entire back log of XP scripts I've yet to post on this forum, one day I'll have to get around to that.

Tonight I did a play through of an old project, Belly of the Beast, and fixed a couple of bugs. Little did I realize, the last time I had worked on it, all the scripts have been removed from the so-called Script Editor and transferred to a master repository so they can be remotely loaded using require. Also, unlike the current BOTB project floating around on this forum somewhere, I've actually got a different battle and menu system implemented plus my own animated battlers. Yeah, maybe one day I'll finish and post the new version; as cheesy as it is, I think people would actually really enjoy it.

Between Belly of the Beast, Test Bed 4.0, Test Bed 4.5, Echoside, ReGaL, my Custom Menu System and my Custom ATB Battle System, I'm pretty glad I went ahead and moved all scripts to a common remote library. Could you imagine having things split up into so many different projects and having to ensure that certain scripts are up-to-date between each? Yeah, after a while, it's smarter to just load them using require. Also, I have a Ruby SFML version of the RPG Maker commons engine in the works, somewhere, but I forget exactly where I am with it; some other developer on the web somewhere has me beat so whatever.

I was play testing Belly of the Beast earlier tonight and ran into a problem. I have a script where, depending on the procedure, an enemy can be transformed from Enemy A into Enemy B if you use a certain item, skill, element, whatever. For instance, if you use a Fire elemental skill on an Oily Body, it turns into a Flame Soul.

=>

I'll have to track that down and figure out what the heck went wrong. I believe the error is Items related but I'm too tired to mess with it tonight.

Anyways... It's good to be back. I might not go into full swing until after the 2016 election, but at least I'm here, playing a game of catch up :)

[Mel]

Hmm, seems to be complicated. And since I'm not a programmer or anything like that, I will never be able to find it out.
But thank you for these informations. :)

It's nice to hear that you are returning to all these interesting projects.^^
That's alot of stuff in the making.

Isn't it possible to let the item add a "burn-state" to the enemy with a simple condition that lets the enemy transform as soon as the burn state is applied?.
I never tried it, but maybe it works.

[Kain Nobel]

It's possible but I don't really want to give every enemy a "Burn" state when I use Fire elements. These sort of "transformations" are very condition-specific.

Code:

#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # * Transformations = {enemy_id => Proc.new {|enemy, attacker|, ...}, ...}
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Transformations = {
################################################################################
# ~**                        Configuration : BEGIN                         **~ #
################################################################################
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # * Oily Body => Flame Soul
  #   Condition : Skill effect is Fire elemental
  #   Effect    : Transform into Fire Soul. Retain HP%, MP%, States.
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  6 => Proc.new {|a, b|
    # Get skill object
    skill = $data_skills[b.current_action.skill_id]
    # If skill is valid and contains Fire element
    if skill.is_a?(RPG::Skill) && skill.element_set.include?(1)
      # Save old HP%, SP% and states
      old_hp, old_sp, old_states = a.hp_percent, a.sp_percent, a.states.dup
      # Transform into Flame Soul
      a.transform(7)
      # Adjust HP and SP according to percentage of current VS max
      a.hp_percent, a.sp_percent = old_hp, old_sp
      # Re-apply status effects
      old_states.each {|state| a.add_state(state)}
    end
  },
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # * Armed Trooper => Naked Trooper
  #   Condition : The Steal/Mug effect is successful
  #   Effect    : Transform into Naked Trooper. Set to full health/immortal to
  #               ensure an embarrassing escape.
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  15 => Proc.new {|a, b|
    # If opponent performs a successful steal
    if b.steal_success?
      # Transform into Naked Trooper
      a.transform(16)
      # Fully replenish HP, SP and states
      a.recover_all
      # Set trooper to immortal
      a.immortal = true
    end
  },
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  # * Heli Trooper => Heli Trooper (Grounded)
  #   Condition : Trooper's HP is less than 30%, random 1/4 chance.
  #   Effect    : Transform into Heli Trooper (Grounded). Retain HP%, MP%, States.
  #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  21 => Proc.new {|a, b|
    # If HP is less than or equal to 30%
    if a.hp_percent <= 30 && rand(4) == rand(4)
      # Save old HP%, SP% and states
      old_hp, old_sp, old_states= a.hp_percent, a.sp_percent, a.states.dup
      # Transform into Heli Trooper (Grounded)
      a.transform(22)
      # Adjust HP and SP according to percentage of current VS max
      a.hp_percent, a.sp_percent = old_hp, old_sp
      # Re-apply status effects
      old_states.each {|state| a.add_state(state)}
    end
  }
################################################################################
# ~**                        Configuration : END                           **~ #
################################################################################
  }

Changing an Oily Body into a Flame Soul via "Fire" elemental attacks.
Changing an Armed Trooper into a Naked Trooper via "Steal" related commands.
Changing a Heli-Trooper into a Heli-Trooper (Grounded) when HP is below 30%.

The settings require a little bit of work, but it's functional! The script used to be functional too, but apparently Items no longer apply effects. I'll figure it out over the weekend.

[Bounty Hunter Lani]

What a trippy scripty!   

And an even incredibler battler...   

Okay, I'm trying too hard to rhyme, but glad to have you back at it, Kain!
Excited for what else you have in store for us 

[Kain Nobel]

Thanks Lani! :)

Added four more scripts! Maybe I'll add a few more tonight. Maybe not.

• Battle : Use Map BGM
  
• Battle : Disable Battle End ME
  
• States : Expiration States
  
• Weapons : Target All
  

Slightly updated Mack's face (my avatar), smoothed it out a bit. Most people probably would have a hard time telling, but it does look better.

There is a lot more I want to do tonight, but I'm just sitting around in limbo, posting old scripts and looking at old work.

Main Menu : Belly of the Beast



Belly of the Beast is my experimental beta project; I use it to seed development for my bigger project, Echoside, as a sort of proving grounds for concepts. I'm pleased with how it is turning out, somewhat changed from it's original release, but still simplified and enjoyable. Not as much pressure as I don't put as much original and custom work in it, so I'm just free to screw around and expand.

Main Menu : Echoside



Then I've got Echoside; way more pressure behind this project, especially as it gradually breaks away from standard RPG Maker XP and moves into ReGaL territory. Just viewing the main menu alone illustrates how much extra attention to detail it is compared to Belly of the Beast. The current ReGaL build for this project is 2015.06.27, so it's almost a year since it's been updated. What you're seeing above is powered by SMFL, so it's bordering not even being an RPG Maker project anymore.

[Kain Nobel]

Working and practicing with character art; the following sprite is Celes from FF6 and I'm also working on Sabin too. I only plan on re-making those two characters, male and female, to iron out whatever is wrong in my actual templates, but it is possible I will re-make the others too during the process. Aside from that, I get the additional bonus of having various clothes, hair styles and accessories to recolor and use for later, so win win win.

EDIT : (Celes image re-posted with the rest of the cast members below.)

No, I'm not doing a FF6 fan-game; it's more about study and practice. While making these characters, I'm starting to realize what appears good and bad about my templates, such as how the female sprite used to look kinda manly and rough. Based on the characteristics of the FF6 sprites, mixed with my own original style, I'll eventually have each action and pose. I'm hoping it turns out as good as I think it will in the end.

I meant to do this a year ago but I decided to go on hiatus due to burn out. I'm feeling refreshed now and am staying committed to this project!

If you haven't seen the progress on my house interior feel free to take a peek. The television newscasters are there to provide a little meta-story somewhat related to the actual events in the game - just a little extra inside baseball that the player may learn something extraordinary from.

[Kain Nobel]

Updated Celes and Terra sprites!



"You spin me right round, baby, right round! Like a record baby, right round, round, round!"

*Ahem*

Anybody dizzy yet? Sorry about that. One of my common practices is to spin my sprites to ensure there are no inconsistencies between which direction they're facing.

Speaking of inconsistency, I just noticed Celes back-facing frame is one pixel too short. Fixed! I'll leave the post as-is though.

[Kain Nobel]

My FF6 remake cast now features Locke.

(EDIT : Locke image with the rest of the cast members re-posted below.)

My main motivation for starting Locke is the fact that he's not a muscle-head. I had been lacking a normal male sprite for awhile, the previous ones I made all look like they're jacked up on steroids, protein shakes and whey mix. I tried making Locke with the muscle sprite but... no, he just looks like a stupid brute. By modifying my female body type, getting rid of boobs and making it taller, now I've finally made a normal and average male template... and thus Locke was created too!

I'm debating on starting Sabin next but maybe I'll switch gears and make a child sprite. I don't have any child templates made so it only makes sense.



Vote on whichever one you'd like me to remake. If nobody has replied once I decide to start, I'll just flip a coin.

[DerVVulfman]

VOTE: Left one

[Kain Nobel]

There are no delegates or corrupt party rules in this vote! Nevertheless, I went ahead and made both male and female children.

That's not cheating, is it? :)

(EDIT : Child sprites with the rest of the cast members re-posted below.)

Well I'm happy now that I've finally made a child template and recreated two more characters with it. I may not be making a Final Fantasy VI fan game but I do like seeing what the characters would look like remade Kainer's style. As I create more poses and animations for each template, I'll continue making each of the example characters as members of the FF6 cast, especially as I get into animated battler territory.

Once I've got every last frame of every animation done I will quit re-imaging the FF6 cast and begin making the actual Echoside characters; Logan, Biggs, Lindsey, X-Type 187, Mack (my current avatar), Candy, Paulo, Alexis, her twin brother Alex... whoever else may or may not make it into the final game.

I've got twenty-seven different face portraits; some of these characters will be made into main heroes or villains, the others will serve vital non-combat roles. Brief bios have been created for most of them, so I pretty much know by now who will be doing what, although a couple are still non-defined.

The ones that are neither main heroes nor villains each have specific non-combat jobs and it will be the player's duty to find some of these specialists. Most of these folks are optional and have little bearing on the actual plot, but finding them will definitely make things more interesting. The player will be able to craft different kinds of equipment, learn alternative abilities, interpret foreign languages or gain access to previously restricted areas by recruiting these people. Specialists will either need to be found, rescued or persuaded to join the cause but I'll be sure to make it worthwhile.