[RPG System] Arrow Combat System + Sphere Grid

[noworries]

Preface:

So, assuming someone is reading this, they're probably wondering what I'm talking about, but before I get to that, I'd like to take the time to indulge in myself. RPG are my favorite types of games, and as such, RPG Maps are one of my favorites. The sad thing is, all the "RPGs" I find on bnet are poorly done. While a few RPGs I have played have been done quite well, many of them weren't truly RPGs to me. The main thing that I believe is key in a RPG is a good Battle System and a way of developing your character. Out of such, I decided to see if I could do something unique and enjoyable and as such is why I am posting here.

So, what is it an Arrow Combat System and Sphere Grid? I'll explain each.

Arrow Combat System

The ACS(as all things must have proper names and proper adjectives!) is basically the name I have given to the battle system I've tried to make. It revolves around the four directional arrow keys. Every ability that your hero can learn can be assigned to the arrow keys. This provides a wide amount of flexibility, but also an amount of limitability as you can only take four abilities into combat. However, abilities can be changed on the fly.

Furthermore, the ACS operates on an Order based system. Basically, this means that every time you press one of the arrow keys to use an ability, it is added to an order queue(With a maximum of 5). The orders are processed in the order they are received. I believe this helps deter some of the monotony that many battle systems have, as you press a button, wait for action, repeat. Whereas here you can press five buttons, wait, and then repeat! Or..really you could press however many and it will update as you press them.

The combat operates on stats that are all internal, completely separate from any of the original w3 mechanics. Basically, every damage done is calculated through triggers, so it can be fully effected by the attributes of the hero. Which leads me to the Sphere Grid.

Sphere Grid

Sphere Grid? Hm, where have I heard that before? Oh wait, FF10. Yeah, its basically a mock-up of that. You start in the middle of a large board of spheres, and are given free reign of which way you choose to develop your hero. The spheres are created in a random position each game, but the abilities always stay in the same spot. Each of the four main paths allows for a specialization of abilities, such as melee, caster, healer, or poisons/armor ignoring abilities.





So You Skipped The Walls of Text and Are Reading Here And Want To Know Why I Am Posting This

Basically my reason for posting here is for feedback. I would like feedback to know whether this system is enjoyable or not, if someone would play it in a real map, if I were to make one. As it stands, this map is just a battle system, equipment system, and the Sphere grid. I am constantly working on it for if I ever do a RPG map.

So, if you're about to download, there's a few things to know.

1. The Equipment system is a little buggy. Everything works, except theres one instance I can't track down where power is not reduced when changing weapons, and you can gain a lot. However, its hard to reproduce.
2. With the equipment system, weapons work as you can carry a Main Hand and a Secondary. There are 3 types(shields not in yet), Main Hand, Off Hand, and Two Hand. Only One main hand can be equipped with an offhand, or two offhands, or one two hand.
3. Armor and MArmor do nothing right now. I haven't actually gotten around to making the damage of the enemies go through a formula, nor have I added magic to the enemies.
4. It isn't protected, so if by some odd chance you wanted to see how something worked to learn, then go ahead. Sadly though, most of it is undiscerning dribble.

And, before the download, some pictures.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Again, I've checked through this version multiple times, and nothing breaks as I know it, and I've included many instructions, but you never test your own map the way someone else does.

Edit: As well, if you'd like to just skip waiting for levels to get sphere points(lumber) just type -wood

Edit2: Fixed a crash.

 

[ReVolver]

Very nice! But I would of prefer using circle of power and 1 wisp for the Sphere Grid :thup:

 

[Psiblade94122]

have a whisp show where you are and circle of powers for all the other ones. For the path that you took <following ffx sphere system> every time you move over a gray <not used by you> circle of power <or step on it> then create a circle of power with the ghost ability <so other players cant see it>.

as for the arrow keys, i would suggest another method bc/ arrow keys are laggy. instead make them abilities <this will also inform the player that they actualy pushed something> <dummy abils of crouse> with a WASD or soemthign of that sort like system. i say that also b/c i see the move icons in the unit comand pannel so im guessing that your gona use the mouse to move your hero, arrow keys + mouse dosent flow <also arrow keys are for moveing the camera> they dont flow cuz physically irl they are practically right next to each other.

as for the map ill try it after i get home

 

[noworries]

@Revolver

I'm not quite sure what you mean. Replace all the wisps with circles of power, and have a wisp to show where you are on the sphere grid? Err, thats basically what Psiblade said in the quote underneath this.

have a whisp show where you are and circle of powers for all the other ones. For the path that you took <following ffx sphere system> every time you move over a gray <not used by you> circle of power <or step on it> then create a circle of power with the ghost ability <so other players cant see it>.

as for the arrow keys, i would suggest another method bc/ arrow keys are laggy. instead make them abilities <this will also inform the player that they actualy pushed something> <dummy abils of crouse> with a WASD or soemthign of that sort like system. i say that also b/c i see the move icons in the unit comand pannel so im guessing that your gona use the mouse to move your hero, arrow keys + mouse dosent flow <also arrow keys are for moveing the camera> they dont flow cuz physically irl they are practically right next to each other.

as for the map ill try it after i get home

If I were going to make the sphere grid multi player usable, it'd actually be really easy. Since the camera is locked to your hero at all times, barring you unlock it, i'd just disable vision between players when they were using the sphere grid, and layer wisps(or circles of power if I decide to go with that) and make them invisible to each other.

As for Arrow Keys, I understand they are laggy in some sense, yet I find its only when you're actually trying to go for movement.

As far as a player being informed they pushed something, as soon as something is pushed it is added to the order queue. I originally wanted to make it so you could assign every ability to a WASD hotkey assignment, but that'd require making 4 different abilities for every ability. As it stands now, I don't even have abilities. Abilities are represented by the items that you use to assign them.

And for the camera, as said earlier, its locked to your unit unless you unlock it, and anytime movement is going on it remains locked, especially during combat, so pushing the arrow keys won't effect camera, though it is a concern that they are so close.

Errr. However, now that I think about it, I could easily set it to a WASD format. I'll work on that to see which flows better.

Thank you for your criticism.

 

[Psiblade94122]

actualy, what you could do for the WASD make 4 dummy abilityies off of WASD and replace the events with you pushing WASD

like instead of right key is pressed, make it unit begins <so its on button press> casting. with the conditons for abil being cast = blah blah

 

[Waaaaagh]

Nah. You guys need some insight into aesthetics.

1) You need to use a black background, instead of... dirt.
2) Instead of those gray blocks you have wisps on, turn them into circles of power.
3) When you choose to go down a path, fill that circle of power with a wisp of appropriate color.
4) Condense! Condense! Condense! By this, I mean, your sphere grid takes up about a third of the map. If you use units, you can scale them way down, place things closer together, etc. Like this:

Spoiler

Start with the Circles of Power all belonging to Neutral Passive, then, when you fill them, switch ownership to Light Blue, to get that glow behind the wisps. The black background is simply abyss from outland.

5) If you were going to do WASD casting, why not do QWER casting? Or ASDF casting? Hell, even AERF or AERG casting.

 

[Psiblade94122]

it dosent really matter what type of casting cuz the system is easaly changeable <just change the hotkeys for the 4 dummys>

as for your map, my editor coudent find the fuction "remove rect" and decided to error and close on itself.... so even if i where to make a dummy system on your map for your map i coudent cuz i cant open it <and no im not getting a 3rd party editor aside from maby newgen when i learn jass>

 

[trb92]

> as for your map, my editor coudent find the fuction "remove rect" and decided to error and close on itself....

> <and no im not getting a 3rd party editor aside from maby newgen when i learn jass>
Get NewGen 1.5a and tick the menu item that says "Enable UMSWE", and you will be able to use that function.

 

[noworries]

Nah. You guys need some insight into aesthetics.

1) You need to use a black background, instead of... dirt.
2) Instead of those gray blocks you have wisps on, turn them into circles of power.
3) When you choose to go down a path, fill that circle of power with a wisp of appropriate color.
4) Condense! Condense! Condense! By this, I mean, your sphere grid takes up about a third of the map. If you use units, you can scale them way down, place things closer together, etc. Like this:

Spoiler

Start with the Circles of Power all belonging to Neutral Passive, then, when you fill them, switch ownership to Light Blue, to get that glow behind the wisps. The black background is simply abyss from outland.

5) If you were going to do WASD casting, why not do QWER casting? Or ASDF casting? Hell, even AERF or AERG casting.

1. The dirt really isn't the intended background. This is just a map for the system, with nothing in it. It could easily be changed.
2. The gray blocks are the tiles used for detection of where to create wisps, however, I can convert them once the unit is created.
3. Do you mean remove the wisp and change the circle of power to the color of the wisp removed? Or I'm not too sure what you mean.
4. I don't think it takes up too much room, the map is only 96x96, and I intend for this to be a large amount of attributes, with many abilities. I could easily change the size of the sphere grid, but that would change the entire purpose, as I have it right now, if I were to make this into a map, it would be near impossible to learn every ability in one playthrough.

Also, as for making the units smaller to place them closer together, that would require way more work than I'm putting in now. As stated, currently it creates the units at the tile, so its pretty much just one trigger to create the wisps, whereas if I wanted them in close specific places, I'd have to get a lot more involved, and waste more resources trying to store their spots.

Thank you for your criticism, i'm gonna try out the abyss.

And just now reading trb92, I'm sorry about that, I wasn't aware that if you used a function that was added in others couldn't use it, I replaced it with a custom script line and reattached the map.