FFVII Style Game!

I'm looking for an example of final fantasy 7, I'm talking about the whole materia, limit bar, summon magic and everything, so I can start a game up with my own storyline. Whom ever is able to help me will be given a great deal of credit on the game even though it will be completely fan based and I plan on not making a cent off it.

If you think that can be done with RPG Maker, you've got the wrong idea. Nothing complicated here, you EQUIP WEAPON and USE POTION. You can CHANGE JOB too, but that requires a custom-coded menu for some reason. It's more of a FF5 type of thing, though most come out as "complicated" as FF4 since people seem to hate coding.

I'm not sure if you're just looking for a FF7-alike that you can plug your own story onto, but most people gave up on remaking FF7 a long time ago, since they'd have to recode basically every part of the game anyway.

Again, stick to FF4-FF6, those are mainly possible with RPG Maker (well, except the Esper system in FF6, but that could be coded by someone willing to destroy himself/herself for a game)

I understand there would be customizing, but the main thing I want in my game is the summon creatures and not random creatures. Something like set creatures that you can find in the game. But this is the tricky part, the actual summoning of the creature. It has to make it so that the regular characters disappear, but that they still get the experience after the defeat and also I want it so the summoned creature can gain experience as well and grow stronger. So basically I think I'm looking for more of a Final Fantasy 10 style then a FFVII style. All I need is an example to get me started.

Not a blinking clue whether this would work, but, we've got a master to tell me, and you, whether it would work for you to use it.

Read carefully, you too Blue.

First of all have the 'Summons', as actual characters. You'd have to either: a) create your own chara- and battleset for them, or use existing ones, or b) ask Aurvian what he can do. Throughout the game, you will need to get these 'Summons' and add them to the party. Which is pretty obvious. I don't know which program you're using, so I'm gonna try instructions with RPG2K3.

Go into the database, then battle layout. To the far top right of the screen you will see the battle options. To the far left, the characters. Select your Summoner, and turn your attention to the far-right of the screen. Click the SET button, go to Array, a the bottom of the new screen and make it so that the array is one more than it is already. Call this new array Summon. Under archetype to the right, choose LINK TO EVENT. Now go to the COMMON EVENT part of the database. Make the common event so that it gets rid of the current party members not needed, and has the summon. Then go to the M. GROUPS screen. The bottom middle of the screen should be a little event menu. Click the ... next to the trigger part. Right at the bottom should be two Hero sections. Chose the bottom one. Chose the summoner and the summon command. OK that. Then in the event menu, chose Call Common Event. You will need to do this with every monster group etc.

When I have the time I will post the pictures showing how to do this. Or if someone else is willing to, then please do.

In theory, in think this should work, But in practice it may not.

If it doesn't, then you'll have to try something else.

Have fun.

Yeah, that's basically how you do it - but you'll need more battle event commands to allow for the "other characters get EXP too" part, and to actually take away the party/put them back.

Basically, when summoning, you'd:

"Summon command used" event: <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Comment: Monster appears here, so there's no delay between <>Comment: executing the command and the effect <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Remove Summoner from the party <>Play Battle Animation (Nice entrance effect) <>Add selected monster to the party <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Comment: For the party's EXP gain if the monster gains any EXP <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Put the summoned monster's EXP into a variable <>Turn switch "xxxx:MonsterSummoned" ON <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Comment: Now call a general "get rid of party" event <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Turn switch "xxxx:GetRidOfParty" ON "Get Rid Of Party" event: <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Comment: Remove Heroes and store them for putting them back later <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Is hero "Steve" in the party? <>Turn "xxxx:SteveWasHere" ON <>Remove Steve <> :Else Handler <>Turn "xxxx:SteveWasHere" OFF <> :End <>Comment: ----- <>Is hero "JoeBob" in the party? <>Turn "xxxx:JoeBobWasHere" ON <>Remove JoeBob <> :Else Handler <>Turn "xxxx:JoeBobWasHere" OFF <> :End <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Comment: Make sure it doesn't infinite loop, that would be bad <>Comment: -------------------------------- <>Turn Switch "xxxx:GetRidOfParty" OFF

At the end of the battle, a common event (which I haven't posted here) would check that switch and see what the difference between the monster's current EXP and the variable - if it's different, add the difference to the party's EXP. Of course the "Monster Was Summoned" switch would also re-instate the entire party based on the
"GuyWasHere" switches. This common event should be rather easy to do, just make sure it auto-starts based on the "xxxx:MonsterSummoned" switch.

Edit: This also assumes that there's only one summoner. If there are more, you'll have to remove the party before adding the monster. There's also the whole "Each monster is going to have its own trigger and command in your command list, and these events will all have to be in each monster encounter" thing, but that much should be obvious. With more than one monster able to be summoned, you'll have a command list like this:

Fight
Magic
Item
Run
Summon1
Summon2
Summon3
Summon4
Row

So it's going to get messy. This will also marvelously screw up the party's order because at the moment I can't think of a way to know the party member's position and store that for later.

Could you not have the common event put up a choice menu for which summon, instead of diff. summon options for ecah summon (Summon 1, 2 etc.):

Trigger: Hero Summoner uses Summon command.

Call common event: Summon

¦
¦
\/

Message: Which Summon would you like to summmon?
Show Choices: Fred/Bill/Sophie/Jen

etc. - no need to write it all out, you know how it works, though buule doesn't. nnh, we got print screens.

In each choice handler, could you then put the getting rid of members etc.

But then you'd also need a switch before that for each monster, to be turned on when you get them. Oh sod it, I'm using a print screen.

Oh sod it again, the screen won't fit in one.

Looks like I'll write it out then.

<>Branch if Switch [0001:FredSummon] is ON <>Show Message: Summoning Fred : Else Handler <>Branch if Switch [0001:Fred/BillSummon] is ON

and so on. With the Message Who you wanna summon, and the choices.

You'd need to have a Switch for each Summon:

0001:FredSummon --> When have only Fred in party.
0002:Fred/BillSummon --> Fred and Bill in party.

And so on. And if summons disappear in the game, say are captured, you'd need switches for whatever.

I can't remember who I'm talking to. Is it Blue, or buule??

Could you not have the common event put up a choice menu for which summon, instead of diff. summon options for ecah summon (Summon 1, 2 etc.): Trigger: Hero Summoner uses Summon command. Call common event: Summon ¦ ¦ \/ Message: Which Summon would you like to summmon? Show Choices: Fred/Bill/Sophie/Jen etc. - no need to write it all out, you know how it works, though buule doesn't. nnh, we got print screens.

Possibly, then you'd have to have another reference variable pointing to the monster's hero number so you could compare that hero number's EXP to the EXP before it changed. Not too bad in itself, but then you have the actual execution:

In each choice handler, could you then put the getting rid of members etc. But then you'd also need a switch before that for each monster, to be turned on when you get them. Oh sod it, I'm using a print screen. Oh sod it again, the screen won't fit in one. Looks like I'll write it out then. <>Branch if Switch [0001:FredSummon] is ON <>Show Message: Summoning Fred : Else Handler <>Branch if Switch [0001:Fred/BillSummon] is ON and so on. With the Message Who you wanna summon, and the choices. You'd need to have a Switch for each Summon: 0001:FredSummon --> When have only Fred in party. 0002:Fred/BillSummon --> Fred and Bill in party. And so on. And if summons disappear in the game, say are captured, you'd need switches for whatever. I can't remember who I'm talking to. Is it Blue, or buule??

Yeah, that would be the worst of it. Assuming you get summons the FFX way (along with optional ones) you'd need a huge amount of branches. For 4 summons, that's 15 branches (0000 through 1111 in binary, because each monster is either there or not there). For 5, that's 31, and if you want 6 unique summons, that's 63 branches to show the choices of "IFRIT/SHIVA/LIGHTNING GUY/NEXT PAGE" and "WATER GUY/DOOM/CAT IN THE HAT/CANCEL" if you have them all. If you're missing one, it's "IFRIT/SHIVA/LIGHTNING GUY/NEXT PAGE" and "WATER GUY/DOOM/CANCEL".

If the "extra" summons aren't there for a while, you can cut this number down, but it's still a large amount of branches to test/debug.

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And then, if you don't have all the summons yet, when you get a new summon, you get to figure out which summons you have, and figure out which switches you need to turn ON/OFF because adding Water Guy to [xxxx:Shiva/Ifrit/Doom] is different from [xxxx:Shiva/Ifrit/CatInTheHat]. Oh boy.

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It would be a whole lot less messy to use "summon items" which only a certain character can actually use, now that I think about it - When you get a new one, you add it to your inventory and nothing more, when you want to use it, just select the item in battle and its own Common Event attached to it will take care of the "Take away summoner / Play cool intro / Add monster / Call GetRidOfParty event" lineup. Sort of like the Battle Commands, but you'd have to use it as an item. Debugging would consist of using each item to see if the summon works correctly.

Of course, THIS is why people absolutely hate trying to copy any of the Final Fantasy systems using RPG Maker..

So in a nutshell, it would be more work than it is worth and you should just go find FFVII and play it?

Pretty much. It's just not considered terribly creative to have "summons that sort of work like in FFX". I think I've mentioned it somewhere before, but when you put a lot of work into something that's just a blatent copy of another game, people don't say "Wow, that's really good" they say "Eh, they didn't do it as well as (insert game here)." Not that it isn't a good exercise in RPG Maker design, but it takes away from the game a bit, especially when it's not pulled off perfectly.

So summon items.

Kinda like the summon gems in Kingdom Hearts?

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If, however, it isn't a blatant copy, or they just use non-game ideas, just things like like battle systems, or in this case Summons etc, they might be able to pull it off. No?

Pretty much. It's just not considered terribly creative to have "summons that sort of work like in FFX". I think I've mentioned it somewhere before, but when you put a lot of work into something that's just a blatent copy of another game, people don't say "Wow, that's really good" they say "Eh, they didn't do it as well as (insert game here)." Not that it isn't a good exercise in RPG Maker design, but it takes away from the game a bit, especially when it's not pulled off perfectly.

HAHAHA...that's what you told me! It's wierd, but many people don't realize that until it is told to them. I gave up my "Dragon Warrior" shop system, but I have made a different one.

P.S.I'm still playing with the chess thing. It's trickier than I thought, but I am going to get it, even if it kills me.....okay not literally, but you get what I mean.

P.P.S. FF7 is a very complicated game, that took squaresoft many years (I think it took them 4 or 5) to make. You could do that, but why spend that much time to remake a game, when people will just laugh at you and say, "This dude tried to remake an awesome game and totally messed up..." and other mean and hurtful things. It may be hard, but if you spend maybe 3 hours a week brainstorming, I am 60% positive you can come up with your own ideas. We are the next generation of the world, after all. Who knows, you could have your new system put into an upcoming game. This goes to everyone making a game with an original piece of something. It has happened in the past and it can happen again. Don't lose faith! And if no game companies take your ideas, at least you made a game that will leave one hell of an impact on the next, this, and the previous generation. Then people would be copying you. There's an idea...

So how's the chess thing coming on???

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What exactly do you use pictures for???

I don't have a clue how they work, so assume it is something like:

You want to create your own menu, so you make a pic of it, and then when a certain button is pressed, this menu comes up, and you can 'interact' with it by pressing the different buttons. But how would that work if it did do that???

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I think maybe, a new sticky should be made, telling people it is pointless to remake or copy parts of a game. ANd then we can all reply to it with tips and such.

Or create the "Zelaron system". A universal system for any game in the making, with instructions on how to use it, and maybe customise it for your own needs.

Then a few months later, you could bring out the English version.

And every year or so:

Zelaron '95
Zelaron 2K
Zelaron 2K3
Zelaron XP
Zelaron 3D

and so on. No?

What exactly do you use pictures for??? I don't have a clue how they work, so assume it is something like: You want to create your own menu, so you make a pic of it, and then when a certain button is pressed, this menu comes up, and you can 'interact' with it by pressing the different buttons. But how would that work if it did do that???

Yeah, maps, menus, whatever you want onscreen that you don't want as an Event that's limited to tiles. And it's a bit difficult to describe how it would work beyond the standard "if you press up, you'd switch the picture to a different one". You also could have different introductions that pop up on screen (say, you visit Area Town. On the screen, it'd just pop up "Area Town" in some random font).

I think maybe, a new sticky should be made, telling people it is pointless to remake or copy parts of a game. ANd then we can all reply to it with tips and such.

I think that might go into the FAQ. "I want to remake (feature) from (game). How do I do it?" "You don't"

Or create the "Zelaron system". A universal system for any game in the making, with instructions on how to use it, and maybe customise it for your own needs. Then a few months later, you could bring out the English version. And every year or so: Zelaron '95 Zelaron 2K Zelaron 2K3 Zelaron XP Zelaron 3D and so on. No?

I would have no idea what would go into a "Zelaron System" in the first place besides random already-added-in-so-you-don't-have-to features in the XP Ruby scripting language. (Though that might not be a bad idea in itself)

I would have no idea what would go into a "Zelaron System" in the first place besides random already-added-in-so-you-don't-have-to features in the XP Ruby scripting language. (Though that might not be a bad idea in itself)

What would go in? Good question.

.zip file maybe with different menus and such, if the originals aren't wanted etc. Pictures basically, and a new menu system that updates itself to the characters.

Or maybe not, that would take a long time.

How about, a .zip file containing Zelaron members as characters, and profiles of each one for use in games. And you could add weapons, and potions, hell, maybe a mantra plushie???