DR NEEDS HELP FOR "REDEMPTORY BEASTS" (RPG MAKER XP)

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I will post every new issue I encounter in this very thread, so please come back ^.^

Question number 1:

I have transparency issues with my tileset. Googling didn't offer detailed help. To much confusion about alpha chanels etc. and at the end saying maker xp easily handles 000000 as transparent when chosen/clicked during import.

Since time is limited, I plan to work with the existing tilesets of the default rtp rp maker xp. But I wanna have all tiles in 1 set.

For the merging process I used irfanview. Opened 01-grassland, created panomara image and added 02-50 vertically without freespace. Saved as 51-All.png I imported it in the materialbase and selected the pitch black background of 51-All as both transparent and semi-transparent via maker. YET, everytime i reopen the project, the accepted transparency seems to alternate blue/pink, never black :(

Question number 2:

Is it possible to quickly merge the tilesets and keep all flags/priorities?
The way I did it, only the flags of 01-grassland remained, the added tilesets all went blank.

Question number 3:

I can't scroll down to the bottom of the tileset. "only half or so" is actually available. Is there a maximum filesize either in kb or pixels? If so, can I work around that and still have all 50 merged without cutting out tiles?

I appreciate every hint :o
I prefer solutions with the existing programs (rpg maker xp trial period, win 7 ms paint, irfanview), but if necessary OR extremely helpful, I don't mind other freeware :)
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Hey! This is me http://rpgmaker.net/forums/topics/14274/?post=498407#post498407.

my ideas for the "project" (won't be much, but I personally enjoy the "work" even if i can never finish :D) so far (they don't matter much, yet I'll tell you :p) are the following

- 6 characters
- 3 males 3 females
- transformations under special circumstance
- no gear in beastmode
- special circumstance is relationship with other chars, e.g. if a certain char is in the party and taking damage
(provoked the bodyguard), healing (priestess raises her morale) etc.
- transformation trigger is called "emotion" bar
- normal state is divided by classes
- stats, gear etc. typical to classes
- orson (bear/warrior/axe/tank and offense), conan (wolf/thief/daggers/steal and analyze),
drake (dragon/sorceror/wand/destructive spells), avis (bird/priestess/scepter/heal and buff),
leona (lion/lancer/lance/mixed skillset), rose (horse/hunter/bow/status inflictions)
- attributes and skills are also typical to classes
- hp order: orson(w)>leona(l)>avis(p)>rose(h)>conan(t)>drake(s)
- tp order: drake(s)>avis(p)>leona(l)>rose(h)>conan(t)>orson(w)
- str order: orson(w)>leona(l)>rose(h)>conan(t)>avis(p)>drake(s)
- dex order: rose(h)>conan(t)>leona(l)>orson(w)>avis(p)>drake(s)
- agi order: conan(t)>rose(h)>leona(l)>orson(w)>drake(s)>avis(p)
- int order: drake(s)>avis(p)>rose(h)>leona(l)>conan(t)>orson(w)
- some skills (jump; analyze) may consume tp, others don't (steal; bodyguard)
- spells always consume tp
- all features (character selection, party relationship, beastmode) combine in a complex battle system.
This leaves plenty of space for preferences, experiments, secrets, eastereggs and advanced strategy
(some character might be related to a boss monster and might raise emotion bar)

It's not worth it, but if you feel like "stealing" anything at anytime, just go ahead. Everything I make public is... well, public ;)
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
Question 1:
Best way to fix the transparencies in RPG Maker XP (and higher) tilesets is to go into the image editor, and use the magic wand / color selection tool. Turn off the "contiguous" option, turn off anti-aliasing, and set the color tolerance to 0, so that it will select every pixel in the entire image that exactly matches the color of the pixel you click on. Then click on the background color. Then press the Delete key on your keyboard. (Before doing this, you might need to change the image from Indexed color to RGB color, so that transparency will work correctly.) Now the background will be transparent even if you don't import the image at all.

The shadows still won't be semi-transparent though. Also, the RMXP shadows are fuckin' terrible because they're gray instead of black. Here's how to fix that: Using the same method as above, use the magic wand / color selection tool to select all the shadows in the entire image at once. Then use the bucket fill tool to color them all black at once (once again, make sure contiguous is turned off and anti-aliasing is turned off). This'll make all the shadows black. Then press Ctrl-X and then Ctrl-V to cut and paste all the shadows onto a new layer. Then make that layer 50% transparent. Then save the image.

If you don't care about the shadows being gray instead of black, then ignore the above paragraph, and just import the tileset and make sure to click the shadows to make them the semi-transparent color. But it looks really dumb, because the shadows are lighter than the ground sometimes. Which is why I suggest changing them to black.

Question 2:
No. Sorry.

Question 3:
If your tileset is more than 1024 tiles tall, clicking and dragging the scroll bar won't work any more. The arrows at the top and bottom of the scroll bar will still work though. So you can make the tileset as big as you want, if that doesn't bother you.

If it does bother you I recommend making three or four different tilesets. In the past I've one "outdoor" tileset, one "cave" tileset and one "indoor" tileset. However the outdoor and cave tilesets always end up with some repeat objects from the indoor one, because I tend to put people living in odd places. More recently I have switched to just adding tiles to the bottoms of tilesets as I decide that maps need them, which I think is one of the great strengths of RMXP. If I decide that a certain cave needs a piratet ship in it, I can just open my cave tileset and add a bunch of ship tiles to the bottom.
Before we go:
I fiddled around with irfanview a lot and got my tileset to work correctly with the transparency, but that was probably more luck than anything else ^^

author=LockeZ
Question 1:
Best way to fix the transparencies in RPG Maker XP (and higher) tilesets is to go into the image editor

Is image editor an actual application? If so, where do I get a virus free sample :)
If, as I assume, it is a general term just forget this part ;)

and use the magic wand / color selection tool. Turn off the "contiguous" option, turn off anti-aliasing, and set the color tolerance to 0, so that it will select every pixel in the entire image that exactly matches the color of the pixel you click on. Then click on the background color.

Ok, I tried and, as expected, failed horribly. As of now I only got Win 7 paint and irfanview in terms of "image editors".
MS paint does offer a color selection tool, and I can pick up black. But everything beyond that, contageous option, anti-aliasing, color tolerance and selecting all picture parts sharing this color is nowhere to be found.

Now the background will be transparent even if you don't import the image at all.

Since I could not yet do what was explained above, I'll come the situation "as is":
MS Paint shows exported (I exported all 50 tilesets opened 1 and just added the others for a complete tileset merge with irfanview, as mentioned before) pictures with a white background, irfanview suggests it's own "mainframe color", which appears to be black. Either one is fine with me when looking at the .png itself, the problem starts in the maker when it shows butignores that black shall be a transparent color.

The shadows still won't be semi-transparent though. Also, the RMXP shadows are fuckin' terrible because they're gray instead of black. Here's how to fix that: Using the same method as above, use the magic wand / color selection tool to select all the shadows in the entire image at once. Then use the bucket fill tool to color them all black at once (once again, make sure contiguous is turned off and anti-aliasing is turned off). This'll make all the shadows black. Then press Ctrl-X and then Ctrl-V to cut and paste all the shadows onto a new layer. Then make that layer 50% transparent. Then save the image.

If you don't care about the shadows being gray instead of black, then ignore the above paragraph, and just import the tileset and make sure to click the shadows to make them the semi-transparent color. But it looks really dumb, because the shadows are lighter than the ground sometimes. Which is why I suggest changing them to black.

While I have never had any quarrels with the shadows by now, I appreciate the fact you point out possible issues. Which software (freeware if possible) do you suggest if I want to take your hints as step-by-step guide? Did you base your explanation on photo shop or something?

Question 2:
No. Sorry.

Oh lord, I can already see the humongous amount of people screaming "here" when I ask for help setting priority and and direction passage for "my tileset" ... or rather the huge amount of time I'll waste myself doing so xD


Question number 4

Does anyone know a download for the complete rmxp tileset all-in-one with flags? I downloaded one or two, but it would appear the description isn't really true and lots of tiles are missing - both duplicates and "new" tiles.
edit: I feel stupid for asking this so I will rephrase it :>
Do priority settings and such get lost on export? any way to work around it? Can you give somebody a custom tileset without him having to flag?

Question 3:

Of course it does bother me some and could be more handy, but if it can't be avoided I'll live with that and drag down via arrows ;)

Yes, I've heared the last part a lot before. A huge tileset offers many disadvantages (nothing particular will ever really jump to your eye while mapping and scrolling for the one thing you know you wanna use will take ages) and using smaller ones, enhancing them with those specific parts you want is an alternative.
However, I wanna spent most of the time in the maker, not editing images.
If you do the later, might as well learn pixelart and create your own stuff - but most "alternatives" will be very timeconsuming :/

question number 5

how can i take a screenshot of my project/a whole map (not ingamescreen, maps surpass that size by far) xD
print > open ms paint > insert doesn't work due to the "insert" command being greyed out o.O
I looked at some other "how to take a screenshot" thread in this forum, and it suggested
alt+print. Paint still doesn't offer "insert", I guess the copy process/ screenshot failed >.<
Marrend
Guardian of the Description Thread
21806
Question 5

I think there might be a program for taking screenshots of maps, but I'm not entirely certain. For my own part, I take as many screenshots through Ctrl+Print Screen as needed, isolate the actual map portion of the images made this way, then merge the images in one file. It definitely helps to maximize the editor window to capture as much of the map as possible.
For image editing use iDraw and Gimp. They are free.
Ok, image editing aside. I got that down as far as any issues and additional programs are concerned. Not spriting or anything ^^

question 6
I've established a marketplace a la "secret of evermore". For those of you who do not know it, you basically start out with tons of money (or some freebies via secret), buy cheap trade items, and trade further to get your desired benefits. Nothing suprising really.

I got everything down (traded through it like 20 times to check at the various stages), except for the "quantity check" of cheap tradables that come in ridiculous amounts.

I did establish it for the unique ones (conditional branch: chocobo egg in inventory -> "get lost" else "Wanna trade to get my chocobo egg?"), the upgradable ones
(conditional branch: variable tinmail = 0 "want a tinmail for your stick?" else conditional branch: variable tinmail = 1 "want the ironmail for your tinmail?" else
"I'm sold out"), the money ones ("Wanna buy for 20000?" Choices yes/no; when yes;conditional branch: gold > 20000 +item - 20000 gold; else "you don't have enough money)

What I really need though, is a check on wether I have the required 40 rice to trade for 10 spices, the 80 pearls for 10 feathers etc. pp.
I don't see any feature really helping me out, without putting in days...

By now I have 18 merchants at the market, and most of them already have like 3 conditional branches / 6 possibilies on their event page. If I planed to do something like

"when buying 40/20/10/5 rice/spice/pearls/chickens -> variable ": +40/20/10/5"
it would double (or quadruple? who knows, I've lost track already) the already high amount of branches and literally take days.
Also, even if I did that: when buying additional 40 rice to the 70 already carried, doesn't this make the actual item count 99 and variable 110? So despite having only 99 items i could spent 5x20 trading since I connected my securitycheck on the variable? Where is the "conditional branch: if item >= number" >.<

your thoughts please :)
IF it has to come to scripts and you know a good solution, please don't hesitate to let me in on it. I can't do it myself, but I fiddled around with pre-existing scripts in the past and was able to slightly modify them for my needs. any input is appreciated really.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
in the future please don't make me click "show" 250 times, especially to see the only part of the thread that anyone would possibly want to read? :/

You said you were using irfanview for image editing, I thought? I've never used it, but any image editor in the world except MS Paint will have basic tools like a color selection tool. I use Photoshop and wrote instructions based on that program, but Gimp is extremely similar, and my suggestions should work step-by-step in either one. I suspect they'll work in any image editor except MS Paint, in fact.

iDraw isn't usable for any program except RPG Maker 2003, though, so ignore that suggestion. It can't create or edit the format of images that RPG Maker XP uses.

---

To check if the player has 40 first aid kits in their inventory:

(you'll need to use one variable, I'll name it Items Held)

Set Variable "Items Held" equal to items in inventory: First Aid Kit


In a conditional branch, check to see if that variable is at least 40


Aaaaand you're done!
Thanks again, I knew that had to be as easy as I imagined :)
But it will take a few minutes before I'm actually done, gotta do that for 7 trade items in 12 merchant conversations and can't really use common event (i think?) because the checked amount/price (40 rice/20 rice etc. pp.) varies ^^

anyway, exactly what I had in mind and looked at for hours but didn't thought it would be boolean... only checking yes/no 0/1 true/false xD

trust me I didn't put the 20 spoilers intentionally. I "only" wrapped the whole deal in once, because of the wall it was and not everybody likes those things. After submitting it, I couldn't even bring the "show" button to work. It's forever hidden *lol*
Hmm I mainly use irfanview for the menu commands such as resize/resimple and others. Frankly, I can't even see any tools like a pencil or something in it's toolbar :o
For painting I used... well, paint. Now added gimp, and will see about photoshop some day.

ps: any disadvantage choosing greater than 39 instead of greater/equal 40 comes to your mind?
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=DR1988
ps: any disadvantage choosing greater than 39 instead of greater/equal 40 comes to your mind?
Nope, same result.

author=DR1988
Do priority settings and such get lost on export? any way to work around it? Can you give somebody a custom tileset without him having to flag?
If they send you their game, you can open it up in RPG Maker, and copy the passability/priority stuff from the database. You would just need to open the database, go to the Tilesets tab, right-click on the name of the tileset and choose Copy. Then open your own game's database, go to the same place and right-click and choose Paste. You do have to have their game project though; that passability data is stored the game project, not in the image file.
http://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?/topic/10634-more-than-4-show-choice-options/

Is it possible to quickly/easily reproduce this result (6 choices on the same page instead of 4 by simply adding another choice after branch end) in rmxp?
when i try, I will still get 2 pages and have to confirm 1of4 on the first to see the others.

My way around it is quite simple, if you need a bunch of replies, I'll make the last one "more" > show choices. However, this takes 1 or 2 choices away everytime (depending on wether you make the 1st choice "back") and looks extremely untidy, the branches embracing each other instead of mere followups, and still 4 results a page instead of 6/8/...

Is that a difference in rgss and 2.0 or something? :o
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
There's a version of CCoa's Universal Message System for RPG Maker XP, and it lets you do this along with a lot of other neat message box features.

Grab it here.

If you have any more questions please start new threads for them, thanks!
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