The z-space problem of displaying sprites

[DerVVulfman]

I know not what 'follow-the-leader' script is going to be used, or IF one is used.  However...

Fun! Fun! Fun!

This is the use of the Squad-Based movement system by Near Fantastica.  It is not a caterpillar where everyone follows in a single-file, but basically just  uses a more rudimentary "Follow the player" event-like system.  Kinda more natural in appearance.  But as you can see above, I got wings on a few characters without needing to resize the default actor sprites!

At no point do you need to toggle switches to inform the system if you are using Fukuyama's of Near's player-follow system.  It auto-detects if either script/system is in use.

[kyonides]

Keep in mind that the wings seem to come out of their heads or necks.

[DerVVulfman]

What is this?  This seems weird... 

The pic on the left has a tree and some guy wearing armor and that shield.  But  the one on the right is the map editor... and.. an event under the tree? 

Does that mean...?

    YES.  Indeed it does.  I am working on allowing actual map events to don the same equipment as the heroes using the paperdoll system!

The below image is a rudimentary setup I have hardwired into the script.  But this is only temporary. Eventually, I will set it up so you can add them to an event by comments.

Oh, and hehehe...     you can see the wings sprouting BELOW the head for Aluxes.  The same setup, but the wings render 'last' and are plastered atop the heroes when facing up.

[JayRay]

This is GAME Changing for RMXP, especially with Events having pages with conditionals, I wish events had local variables in RMXP.

[DerVVulfman]

Gets better... Lookie lookie at this!!!

What you are seeing is a hero actor with wings and a shield because they are items that can visually appear when equipped.  But there are two cute little nekomimi Events.  Not characters from a party system, but basic and rudimentary map events.  And one of these events has WINGS!

And YES!  The facing direction does control the layering just as the hero or party following sprites!

Indeed, you can now define an individual event to have equipment worn upon them as the hero while other events... behave as normal.  For this, you would need to use comments within their List of Event commands.  And you can see  on the right side of the above image a shot of such a Command List for this event. This list contains but three simple comments... oh, and a Text block if you trigger her event.

The first comment reads "Paperdoll".  This lets the system recognize that there will indeed be paperdoll comments beneath. 

The second comment reads "4|13".  This suggests the Event uses an item which would normally go within slot 4 (ala Armor) and use the graphic for Amor #13.  This... would be the wings.

And the third comment reads "2|1".  This suggesting the Event use an item that would go in slot 2 (Shield) and use the graphics for Shield #1.

It still needs a bit more cleaning up... but it is on its way to be a premier paperdoll/visual equipment system.

[DerVVulfman]

Something at once overlooked, and at once... not.

The above window may not look like much at first glance, but do glance at a few things which I will point out.  First is that Aluxes is not wearing shoes and he seems to have a mythril blue sword in his right hand.  Then, glance at a buck-nekkid Basil. Hopefully that shield is covering enough.

When one creates a visual equipment / paperdoll system, it is the save file window that tends to be forgotten. Or perhaps coders decline to do so as it involved tampering with the list of game data objects (Game_System, Game_Switches, etc.) that are copied into the save-files themselves.  Tampering with those is a very... very... delicate procedure.

However, to render the heroes with the appropriate gear and appearance, I had need to access the list of actors within each save-file, and this included their currently equipped gear so the updated bitmaps with their weapons and armor could be rendered.

Again, this is a tricky thing.  But ... well... When have I paid attention when someone said things cannot be done?  They used to say you can't make a new database object that gets saved without messing with the Marshalled list of data objects.  BAH!  What do they know?  Not much as I proved them wrong...  Years ago, I worked out a technique that can save 'extra data' into Game_System.  And since Game_System IS one of the already listed files stored within the save-games, no change to the list was even done!  No harm... no foul.

Oh, and more advances???

What is that in Aluxes's hands?  TWO WEAPONS?  Indeed they are!

As of now, the work I have will also work with my MultiSlots system.   This means, that the script can allow you to use all five equipment slots, and whatever extra slots you wish to include... even HIDDEN slots.

For example... the odd character with no face or hair under the tree has a set of wings assigned to 'Hidden' Equipment Slot #8.  Hidden slots can be fun if you wanna put some item that is irremovable from the actors in your party...

As of now, I can't think of other contributions to be made to this setup.  So some graphic work for demos will be made. And then code cleanup and instructions down the line.

[DerVVulfman]

Instructions take forever, as well as working out demos. Still, you can see below the beginning of the instruction page that will be included.

Code:

#==============================================================================
# ** Ah-sung's Paperdoll
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#    version 1.0
#    by DerVVulfman
#    03-##-2023 (MM-DD-YYYY)
#    RGSS / RPGMaker XP
#==============================================================================

#==============================================================================
# ** INSTRUCTIONS PAGE
#==============================================================================



#==============================================================================
#
#  DEFINITION:
#  -----------
#
#  paper doll (noun)
#   1. A paper or cardboard representation of a person usually in two dimen-
#      sions for children to play with.
#   2. Figures cut out of paper or thin card, with separate clothes, also made
#      of paper, that are usually held onto the dolls by paper folding tabs.
#
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
#  FEATURES:
#  ---------
#  * Show the player equipment on the map
#  * Show the party member equipment in menu windows
#    - Includes supprt for -Save File- windows
#  * Show equipment on map events when defined
#  * Support to show party member equipment with select follow-party scripts:
#      1) Train Actor ---- by Fukuyama
#      2) Squad Movement - by Near Fantastica
#      3) Caterpillar ---- by ccoa
#  * Support for different-sized resources
#  * Support for MultiSlots! by DerVVulfman
#  * Partial Support for Sprite Shadow by Rataime
#  * Partial Support for Sprite Sun by Rataime
#  * Partial Support for Sprite Mirror by Rataime
#
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
#  INSTALLATION:
#  -------------
#
#  Place below Scene_Debug and above Main for it to function.
#
#  May be placed above or below MultiSlots with no problem.
#  Must be below Train Actor by Fukuyama for it to function.
#  Must be below Squad Based Movement by Near Fantastica to work.
#  May be placed above or below Caterpillar by ccoa with no problem.
#  Must be above Sprite Shadow by Rataime to function.
#  - Shadows based only on the base character, no gear taken into question.
#  Must be above Sprite Sun by Rataime to function.
#  - Shadows based only on the base character, no gear taken into question.
#  Must be above Sprite Sun by Rataime to function.
#  - Reflections based only on the base character, no gear taken into question.
#
#  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#  For the Rataime scripts to render shadows or reflections based on the char-
#  acter's gear, the Rataime scripts must be changed to include that gear.
#  --------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
#
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some may note that I tend to name scripts after other people. In this case, I named the script after... a Korean actress from the 2006 movie "The Host", and the 2013 movie Snowpiercer (not the TV series). I know her from "The Host".

And yes, I have tested this feature to work with scripts within that list. No configuration needed, it automatically detects the listed systems and adapts itself quite easily. The only issues are the Rataime scripts that cannot see the 'extra' resource content, so no handling (shadows, reflections) of the worn items is as yet possible.

Did I mention that writing instructions is boring? I can code like no tomorrow. But writing instructions just bores the hell out of me.

[DerVVulfman]

DEMO DESIGN TIME!!!!

The instructions are about as complete as I can write them... before my brain goes to mush.

Yes, one can make maps that take extra-wide graphics into account, though the 'walls' of tilesets do need to be updated in regards to their 'Priority' flags, the same 1-5 flags that tree tile resources (as an example) typically have applied.  Otherwise, you will see clipping as the wings (above) would otherwise show through.. 

However, having a  1 Priority on the bottom wall tiles and2 priority for the upper wall tiles works beautifully as you can see.

I intend to have more than one demo, one of the bare system itself while others showing off its use with Multislots and at least one party-following system.  I haven't decided which... it works with three.

Decisions....  Decisions...

[DerVVulfman]

Dear members, I have uploaded two demos...

... Ah-sung's Paperdoll appears to now be done.

Click the above link if you're not familiar.