Few questions about RPG I am trying to make

[njmfffanj]

Hi guys, I have few questions about (SINGLE PLAYER!) RPG I am trying to make, so if anyone could help me it would be appreciated.

I started with this map about month ago and I've been doing things on it for about 2-3h per day (I don't have a lot of free time). I took the biggest size map intentionally, so I could learn more about map making while I'm doing it (yeah, it helped alot). To be short, so far I've made at least 80% of triggers to do exactly what I want, but still I am not satisfied. I know it can all be done lot better and more efficiently.

So here's an basic idea of the RPG:

1. I am trying to mix essence of wc3 and classic rpg games like (Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate) so in other words, it's going to have race, class and alligment.

2. You will play as "evil" side, your main hero would be Undead.

3. You will have NPC heroes that will join your party, they can either be other Undead or any other "Evil" character.

4. There will be interaction between the characters in your "party" and specific events. eg. if you have NPC hero X and NPC hero Y, they will either do great with each other, or they will act like spoiled brats. (Based on their race, class and alligment. eg. Fighters might not get along with mages, because they hate "magic" and so on, or some NPC will refuse to join\leave the party because NPC Y is there)

5. Items will be class based

6. Different approach to "sorcerer" and "mage" type of spells. I though that sorcerer type gains spells like regular heroes on level up, while mage can buy scrolls and books from shops.

7. I am trying to allow player to fully customize his heroes. So far I only made custom stats that you can chose on level up and it works well.

8. There are few other things, but not to bother you, this is too much anyway...

9. Thief "rpg skills" like find\disarm traps, pickpoket, backstab and so on...

10. the plot itself should have fair amount of serious and silly moments. For me, having only dark and *very serious* stories in wc3 just doesn't work, because of the cartoonish nature of model\engine (I mean, drunken Panda. Seriously?)

11. Hidden secrets, traps can be found on location. Hidden levels and bosses. Specific events that can happen only if player (hero) has this or that.

so, from all of this, I have few questions of how I can make:

1. Custom multiboard that would track down custom stats on each hero you have. I want to have separate multiboards for each hero.

2. Mage spell system. I though of making different spellbooks for each level of spells, then replacing spellbooks and adding spells mage has learned to new spellbook (or old). This would require lot of custom spellbook, and is there any way this could be done more efficiently? Also, there might be a problem when you want to "erase spell" from spellbook. I'll also need to set maximum number of spells that mage can "learn" per spellbook level, determinated by some attribute (let's say intelligence)

3. For a sorcerer I just added spellbook with few levels, so when hero levels up to a specific level, I just increased spellbook to another level which contains new spell. But I would like for player to chose which spells he can learn for sorcerer hero, and I am not sure how to do this. Maybe with dialogue buttons, but how do I add spell full description to dialogue?

4. I added "feats" (pretty much same as spells, but they are passive and give things like "+4 to armor", "allow this unit to use X items" . I've done this by making dummy spellbook that shows up on level up (learning), one spellbook that displays "feats" on hero (does nothing), then if you learn that feat, it adds that feat's ability to hero (which is hidden). I think this could be done better, but again, I am not sure how to do this.

5. Custom inventory... No matter how I do it, I can't get it to work. I need pretty much the standard inventory system that's found on any other RPG (rings, amulets, armors, two-handed weapons and so on) but only to be determinated who can use item based on class\race.

6. Should I change "evil" side play to "good". More I get into this, I feel that "evil" side is out of place for story, since I can't make satisfying Undead cities (what the heck is Lich doing in Elven city?. There's also a limit of Undead units\buildings, so cities would more or less look exactly the same), and some things would look silly like placing moral dilemma quest on Undead hero "should I let his one live or die?" I mean, what a heck, you are Undead? Also, having cheerful undead bard is kinda silly, y'a know?


Sorry about the huge post, but I don't want to make lot of threads. I'll post my questions\request here if it's possible.

+rep to anyone who is willing to help.

 

[Pharaoh_]

1) You need to detect the attributes of the hero. Most likely, a hero's attribute would change a) when gaining a level, b) when they learn a skill that passively boosts their attribute, c) when they acquire an item, d) when they are under the effect of a buff or their own ability. These will be the events to use for such case:

• Trigger
• Events
  • Unit - A unit gains a level
  • Unit - A unit starts the effect of an ability
  • Unit - A unit acquires an item
  • Unit - A unit learns a skill
• Conditions
• Actions
  • //Place the if/then/else statements to define what event fired.
  • Set Dexterity = (Dexterity + 2)
  • Multiboard - Set the text for Multiboard item in column 1, row 1 to (String(Dexterity))

This trigger contains an example as to what it would most likely look like. Since it's a single player, you don't need MUI stuff involved.

2) You can create two spell books, both having the same Base Order Id. The one that you will add to your unit afterwards, will collide with the first one, so, your spell book will look as if you are having two spell books simultaneously. This is the way to do the trick with the removal of a single ability.

3) This system does exactly what you want:
http://www.thehelper.net/forums/showthread.php?t=110468

4) Not sure if there is a better method, unless I misunderstood what you really want.

5) http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/spells.php?search=inventory&d=list&r=20
Just pick up your favorite.

6) Undead cities are not necessarily a product of single models that represent structures, they can be made way better with doodads. Get some concept clues from the Terraining section. ;]

 

[Lich Prince]

Off-topic:

Ideas sound marvelous mate, especially the "evil" side thing and the extra npc companion thing. I've only played 2 RPGs with the extra hero thing: Melody of Dissonance and This Wreckage, and they both rocked hard.

On-topic:

6- A ruined Elven city and a ruined Human one would definitely not look the same, check the stuff around the WE. Change some stuffs' tint, size, etc. to your liking. For the quest stuff, you can make an idea thread in the Idea Factory section.

I didn't help with the others since Pharaoh kind of suggested the best answers.

Good luck with the project.

 

[njmfffanj]

Thanks! I got into idea because in most of the RPG you play as good guys. So, why not allow player to wreck havoc for once? I am also working on "talk" which would change events in the game. Not much, but let's say that you start trash talk on chaotic evil dwarf. Don't be surprised if he turns hostile and attacks you. But if you use right words, he might join you or help you in some way. I've currently did this for only one NPC, but it needs work.

as for the Elven cities, I though of it, but wasn't sure how it would fit in. So far I didn't go much into the details of the terrain, but here are some screenshots.

Hero selection:



When you click a hero, he will play out some animation, like attack, spell... This is pretty much inspired with Diablo 2 selection screen.

Character description:



I don't like midget buildings.



Class description and graveyard



Ze zecret lairz entrance:


Spell description:

 

[Apheraz Lucent]

Keep in mind to create various and brain-hacking quests to keep players ,,warm" for your game. Example would be a life spanned disease where you will have to find a cure before it takes effect, or a meteor falling to destroy the main village, destroy it before it destroys you.

 

[njmfffanj]

I'll keep that in mind. I want the plot to start bit slower until you get fairly strong, but as the story progress, it's gonna speed up. Bosses would require solving puzzles or making tactics, because they are 70% triggered (I hate those maps when you engage pumped up unit for 10 minutes of the game, that has 80% bash). They would require a specific way to kill them. There are also traps in some areas that can cause chaos if you are not careful.

also, several regular enemies in area might get triggered, so they could be though to beat if not careful (especially spellcasters). In one "earlier" area you'll have to face wolves, which can call for their packs. They are not hard to kill, but if you don't pay attention, you could easily get your butt kicked.

 

[Apheraz Lucent]

Well, good luck with your RPG, I am looking forward to it. Here is some rep to get you motivated (;

 

[njmfffanj]

oH Why thanks you good sir. xD
Been really busy last few days (yeah, real world things lol)

I'd need one more quick answer from you guys...

I intend to add dialog actions, and there will be lot of them (adding custom skills and stats, on every level. First I did with icons and dummy abilities, but it doesn't look pretty, so I decided to add buttons...) ... When I check those codes with Leak Check, it says that there is one leak for every dialog button...

Now my question is... Is there any way to prevent this, and does this really leak?

Could someone give me a quick references of custom scripts?

thanks!

 

[Pharaoh_]

Dialog Buttons don't leak. Leak Check is not really recommended. There is no Destroy action, so they definitely don't leak. It maybe refers to its strings (names and descriptions of the Dialog buttons), but there is nothing you can do about strings.

 

[chilla_killa]

Your project looks very good and it seems like you're a guy who works very hard on things and take quality and good triggering serious.
You always want to learn new things, which is very good.
+rep and good luck on your project.
If you need some help you can ask me, too.

 

[njmfffanj]

Thanks guys.

@Pharaoh_ : Thanks for the info! Much appreciated!

@Chilla_killa: Well, that's true. I always take things seriously if I am really interested. Now, my biggest problem is that I have very little free time, so I take on map making when I am at "lunch break" (so to say...)

My triggering isn't most efficient, but so far it works how I want it to work. I see that there's lot of good guys who are willing to help, so maybe they'll help me improve those triggering once map is nearly finished.

I have no problem with other people joining to help me out on this one, but right now, I want to do this on my own, because it makes me learn more things about triggering.

I learned lot of things either by trying this or that ("oh, it works, now let's try this...) or by opening maps from people who uploaded them for others to learn from them, then trying to recreate things I need, but not using autocreate variables. I recreate those things step by step. It's most efficient way to learn, right?

now as for the idea... I am trying to make this works more like real RPG, meaning, there will be races, classes, subclasses, attributes, skills, feats, lot of spells and abilities, saving throws and those stuff...

Heroes will be highly customizable. Right from the start, you'll get several things which can make your character different from the others (even if you chose same character in two different games), then as you gain levels, you can make it more customizable. This obviously improves game re-playability, because you can try out several things with same character over and over...

Spellcasters will be weak at the start of the game, but they should grow powerful as the game progress. Spell should also act out bit differently. Once you cast a spell, saving throw will check if you are saved or not. If your "saving throw" is higher then one of the spells, you're saved. If not, you will have a bad day. lol Also, casting spells will result into caster being check for his 'concentration" check, so spellcasters can be prevented from casting spells. There will be also spell school, so if you're spellcaster chose one school, he'll cast those spells at more advanced level, while spells from the opposite schools would be disabled for that spellcaster.

All of this obviously takes some heavy triggering, which would probably make map higher in size, and it will be hard to pull off, but not impossible. lol