What's up, RMers?

[DerVVulfman]

Something I've been lightly toying with:

Concept: A new Event system designated NPCs

Contents: Both event data, actor data, and map_id, X, Y coordinate data

Current Progress:  Converting an event to an NPC in early stages.  Maps do erase starting event when creating the NPC.  NPCs can be transferred from one map to another with no problem.  Triggering NPC commands has partial success.

I took a step backward and performed some reworks of my code.  Currently, it will not trigger NPC commands as a result. However, that will be easier to manage once I add passable checks so events CAN bump into each other.

The demo itself (removed) is small. But the premise is big.  Create NPCs that can actually move from place to place. Create NPCs that are unique and have a unique Reference ID so their own individual conditions may be tracked.  Possible uses, items carried unique to the NPC, reactions and encounters individualized.

... Essentially "Elders Scrolling" the suckers.

[DerVVulfman]

An effort to bring global NPC event continues here, and with another working demo.

The Mark II demo I had now adapts the existing passable system built into Game_Character so the player is able to run into and be blocked by the NPCs as long as they are not flagged as 'through' events at the start.

As a result of the passable system now functioning, I was able to introduce the touch and action triggered event system.  So you can touch an event to trigger the commands within the Event list, or use the action trigger as per normal.  It did take some effort. And oddly, adding the action trigger (or _there) method seemed to force a recursive loop of restarting the command list... even if triggered by other means. It now functions as it should, but t'was odd indeed.

Event commands that affect map events, and thus distinguished by their event ID, do not function with the NPCs. This should be understandable as they are no longer tethered to any individual Map. That should be something to work upon.

Currently, NPCs include actor data in their makeup, so it might be possible to have NPCs be updated or defined by the equipment worn.

It is an interesting endeavor, eh?

[Remi-chan]

As I predestined over in the maps and screenshots thread, a video would be coming sharing the recoded fight with Kara Marx.

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The Moonlit Katana

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But! That is not all. While Xiie and Pjcr have largely been absent for whatever reasons lately, Coyotecraft is also contributing still. So we have a sprite for Rex Flexin.

He swole.

Here's a couple screenshots of him in action!


Please look forward to future updates~!

[DerVVulfman]

Even more work has been very fruitful!

The Mark III NPC demo now establishes a workaround command that permits NPCs to be controlled by the standard Event Commands, be they Move Route, Set Event Location, and the like.  Surprisingly, there weren't many commands that actually worked with EVENTS, but I didn't even need to touch those, but a separate method that just establishes WHICH event is in play.

You basically run a script call that replaces the Upcoming event with the Ref ID of the NPC, and that's IT!

While 'actor data' is included within the NPCs, I haven't integrated anything but adding its @actor object within... said actors coming from the Actor Database.  But it would be here where content pertaining to the actual NPC actors (and not event movement) would be placed. Such would be character behavior, reactions, items held, and so on.

It is a plan that converting an event to an NPC would also convert the event's characterset to the actor's characterset.  That could allow for paperdolling... or a variation thereof.

[DerVVulfman]

Even more work has been very fruitful!

The Mark IV demo of my NPCs now has the NPCs inherit their characterset graphic and hue from the Actor it which it is attached.  That is to say, if you convert event #14 and set its actor to  #6, it will inherit the graphics from FELIX (assuming defaults).

On top of that, the use of the [Change Actor Graphics] event will allow you to set/reset the graphics of the NPC by said actor.  Within the demo, I created an NPC I dubbed "Dorothy", but set its actor to #7 which would be GLORIA's (by default).  By using the Change Actor Graphics  event command, I reset Gloria's Characterset graphic to that of a soldier, the effect taking place immediately in the map.

There IS a disconnect between the NPCs and party members.  If an NPC is in the party, the graphic change only applies to the on-map NPC.  Eventually, I want this fixed.  And adding/removal of party members with NPCs is frozen for some reason.  This also on my fix list.

But there's more with graphics.



I finished the work on the Half Kaiser Battler Katana, functional for both the male and female templates, left handed and right handed for each.

It wasn't the blade that was the issue that took such time, but the handle. Traditional katanas use a cloth/ribbon wrap around the handle in a criss-cross pattern, and this pattern may (such as in this case) reveal the actual wood or ivory of the handle itself underneath.  It was more intricate, so I needed to pay special attention so the pattern was correct in every animation cel.

[DerVVulfman]

Since I finished translating the older Half Kaiser weapons into the Gen2 format, I have begun working on the shields.  And rather than beginning with the basic kite shield, I started with the intricate bronze edition by our forum's Holder.

Two pics

I have the right-handed poses done. So next will be the lefties for Holder's.

Meanwhile, I am basically DONE with the NPC events project (and thus, I'm gonna remove the attached links I posted in favor of the Demo post you can find HERE

[DerVVulfman]

Since I finished translating the older Half Kaiser weapons into the Gen2 format, I have begun working on the shields.  And rath

er than beginning with the basic kite shield, I started with the intricate bronze edition by our forum's Holder.

Working on the revised shields is surprisingly not as easy at first thought.  I do have to fill gaps here n there and have to make sure hands line up where handles would normally be found.  Still, progress made:


Two different styles of Kite shields, one of which by Holder.   And two different round shields, one with brass fittings whilst the other steel or iron.

I have only two shields left, both being tower shields.

[Remi-chan]

With Kara's fight finished and the rewriting done up through until Rolly's, it's obviously high time I began work on Rolly's fight recode! I haven't finished or really even started yet with the recode itself, however- I have prepared the assets!

For each recode at least two new assets need to be prepared, the Fantasia Battle Introduction (short cinematic that plays and elevates the stakes), and the introduction splash for the recode's character in question, also known as simply a 'Fantasia Introduction'. These are formatted as FBI_xxxxx and FI_XX typically. Due to their being at least 22 icons, it's imperative the file size for these stays fairly small.

Now, this is before any potential tweaks I may want to make. For Rolly, that won't be necessary, as his fight and all of its assets have been up to date for a good time. But in some I like to put more emphasis on the phase transition or the DELTA DRIVE cinematics that play. Pep / Pexepe is a good example of when both of these were done.

So with all that technical talk, let me share with you some stills of the assets used, the full blown cinematics can be seen over in the apropos thread or you can just wait until I inevitably put a full blown video up that shows the recoded boss fight in its entirety, I see that being done before next Sunday.

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Fantasia Introduction: Rolly Dorito

Much easier to read than the old version.

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Fantasia Battle Introduction: Whaledog Rolly: The Farlander of Resolve

Just to explain the titles here a bit, Whaledog is in reference to Rolly's absurd ability to drain an entire lake (has to be a pretty small one) using his cheeks and then filter out the water so only fish and things that are desired remain. It's a cartoon gimmick, Pep nicknamed him Whaledog for it, and it just kinda stuck. From a surface level though, you could presume it's just because of his weight and yeah... that also works.

Farlander is in reference to Rolly's origins, he's from New Jersey- he fled his homeland after some bullshit surrounding a gang became his problem and he had the strength but not the heart to tackle the problems, so he resolved to start anew, which is how he ended up at Australia, marooned at Perth and travelled for a long ass time until he met Pep on the road. Resolve kinda speaks for itself, as its his defining trait, similar to Pep's Perseverance or Tristy's Trust.

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Now, at this point you probably thought that was all, but oh- sweet summer child, strap in because while i myself have done a lot, it's more my artists who came through this last week!

Pjcr: The First of Number
While he has only gotten me one file within this week, it's one sorely awaited and I'm very happy with how well it came out!

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Grace: The Holy Hand Guiness

The lavender-twin tailed snootaholic has a portrait perfectly on point for her statements. Everything Grace says is filtered through a grade A snootiness filter that can make it hard to discern the original or intended meaning. Her best friend is an arcane-aspected Nekomata who can somehow mostly keep up with her rampant riddles and ridiculousness.

The name almost seems like an ironic one given how she tends to behave and present herself. However, she might actually be one of the most noble angels of Galvana. While upon learning the Nekomata species was a lost cause... Grace- blended in as a Nekomata at the time, stayed loyal to the Nekomata. She had no intent to repopulate, but simply to keep them company until either another third party intervened to help, or they were no more. Her loyalty to her colorful chaotic charges and Nankaina's knowledge of this nobility is why Nankaina likes her so much, beyond just enjoying her vibe.

Yes, Grace is not actually a Nekomata- her singular tail kind of gives that away a bit. She's an angel playing the part to blend in. This is not an uncommon practice from both Demons and Angels given the roles they are meant to play.

But enough of my lore-dumping, here's a couple screenshots of this lovely in action!



The last two she is literally just max-sassing one of the Children of Calamity. The balls on this girl are bigger than the sleeves on her arms... Which you cant easily see now because Pjcr pulled a Loriesquares to avoid having to draw them. :0

Also I just noticed every single one of these screenshots incidentally she starts her line of dialogue with a different tense of 'Oh'. I'm not sure how to feel about that.

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Ha ha. You thought we were done...

Xiie: The Radiant Seraph
While the Amberina sprite is older news, Patricia was delivered just last night. The Shadowflame Sisters sprite set is therefore complete!

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The Shadowflame Sisters

You can find screenshots of these in action on the apropos thread. Already spammed enough screenshots here.

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Coyotecraft
Slow and steady, the ol' reliable comes through yet again! Using Xiie's sprite as the basis, he went and updated all of Anathema's animations.

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Anathema: The Bloodletter


Okay and I think that's finally everything I have to report here! Productive week this time around.

OH actually, I also went and prepared the majority of the Fantasia Introduction scenes I'lll need for all of Disk 0, 1 and 2. I do intend to go and get a bunch ready for Disk 3 as well. I won't be showing all of those as it's just a 3-5 second cinematic and there's too many to reasonably post in a sportsmanlike fashion. You'll find a couple in my cinematic thread though.

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[DerVVulfman]

Well, I'm at it again with a scripting binge:

Sadly, we have no feature to play 'attached' content, otherwise the below attached .mp4 file would be showing one of Remi-chan's characters speaking dialogue from her vocal artist. So if you wish to see it, the attached .mp4 file needs to be downloaded.

But I am working on a LIP SYNC system.

Currently, this test subject only has 6 cels (or frames) for the lips... and that's really REALLY not a lot. But the actual mouths were timed to show when desired.

The mouth movement (if you can call it movement) is currently hardwired, but phase II will be use of an external file that loads when the character graphic and vocal file is found. Phase III will be to have the external files be stored within an .rxdata file, and Phase IV will be an editor of some sort.

OH, and I am dealing with some preliminary work before I tackle any more Half Kaiser Battler resources.