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Dynamic World

I usually don't talk about features I haven't already implemented for an upcoming release, but these are two very important features that actually add power to RPG 20XX. These are known as Geo-Mod and Archetypes.

Geo-Mod is the ability to permanently modify a map and for it to remain modified per save file. This idea has existed since the late 90s when FPS game developers wanted absolutely destructible terrain, and they called it Geo-Mod. This enables the development of constructive (or destructive) RPGs with RPG 20XX. This feature came to me when I thought of altering the idea I had for LandTraveller to use this engine instead- giving you an idea of why it is important to have.

Archetypes in RPG 20XX refer to events that can be replicated, like chests, with one or so aspects being changed, like item contained. That part you already knew, but the power comes from the ability to create new and permanent events during the game. In order to create an event, you would need to specify the archetype and the arguments (item contained, other parameters, etc.). Created events can then be persistent and remain on the map per save file.

For commands that target events, there will be "This Event", "Player Event", and "That Event" for any events just created using the above feature in case you wanted to quickly modify the event's other properties (like character set and such).

These features make games like LandTraveller possible, or you could use them for more simple things like terrain that is meant to be modified according to the story or a town the player can build (a staple of many JRPGs even ones from the 90s). The only drawback is that modifying a map increases the save data by the size of the original map. Creating events not so much, though a runaway event creator might overload a map requiring a reload of an earlier save to fix, so be careful when using event creation commands.

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Sounds amazing. I should start planning a game for 20xx now. You should talk more about these kinds of features, and as you make them explain further about how they work. I'm listening.
Yeah those are some pretty big and interesting features you're planning there.

So with archetypes could there be different "AI" for various on-map-style characters/enemies which are generalized by "type"? (knight enemies behave this way, spider enemies behave another way, etc) that would be pretty awesome. Could be extended to all sorts of in-game entities.

I'm having a slightly difficult time imagining many sensible applications of terrain deformation within a 2d top-down rpg-style game (Other than things that a duplicate maps and/or eventing could do anyway?) I know you used Landtraveller as an example but firstly the original game is 3d (terrain deformation type things tend to make more sense in 3d or at least pseudo-3d scenarios, at least to me) and secondly I don't believe there has been a public release of that (there's no rmn download anyway) so there's not much basis for extrapolating how that may work in 20xx. With all that said it still seems like something that has a lot of potential for interesting applications.

Eh actually, with all that said I guess keeping track of the various combinations of say, a constructable town map, would be a bit of a nightmare using multiple maps - so yeah, there's definitely some cool potential there. I'm sure the full extent of the usefulness will become clearer as you progress with development anyway.

Edit: scratch that - I can think of plenty of uses actually, but only if it's implemented in a way that can be generalized rather than a case-by-case thing. If that's the case then just ignore me.
So with archetypes could there be different "AI" for various on-map-style characters/enemies which are generalized by "type"?

You could do something like that, I think.

so there's not much basis for extrapolating how that may work in 20xx.

The commands would let you paint over the map to modify it.
Knowing how it will work in 20xx will help us to think of ways to make use of it xD and maybe make suggestions of ways we might use it to help develop it better.

So is it going to be like changing a terrain ID might be? or like tile substitution? Does it rely on sw/var? Do you paint an extra layer over the map and turn it on/off with a sw, or something?
It should be identical to if you painted the tile in the editor (includes autotile behavior).
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