[Request] Skill/Overdrive System

Sorry, but where is the multi times skill use in a turn scriptlet?

"Overdrive_Title"
A title. Width is Graphics width, height as you wish. It enters from the right and desappears from the left. Easy as that. Generic title, like "Overdrive!!!" or something.

Is this good?

"Overdrive_Trigger_Bar"
It's a bar. Width is Graphics width. Height as you wish (will be centered). Something like Squall's Limit bar.

I based it on Shanghai's bar size with a few of my own additions.

"Overdrive_Trigger_Cursor"
The cursor that goes back and forth on the bar itself. Do it so that if you place it with the right border on the end of the screen, the pointer will be at the start of the bar itself, and same on the left end too (mirrored, of course).

No clue what you meant by mirrored. This cursor is meant to run over the bar with each arrow on the top and bottom. The bar is formated so that the edge of this image flush with the edge of the bar image has the cursor pointing at the edge of the bar within the frame.

"Overdrive_Trigger_Hit"
This is a target to be placed on the bar itself. Do it so that if I place it at the same height of the bar, the target will be on the bar itself. Can be as easy as a colored rectangle. In the same file, make two of these side by side, one darker (or else, you choose) for when you actually hit it.
Pathetic Mockup:
_____________  _____________
|                      ||                       |
|                      ||                       |
|                      ||                       |
|                      ||                       |
|____________||_____________|

Did not know what you really wanted here, so I mimicked Shanghai's bar and formatted it the same as the bar frame above.

"Overdrive_Press_Background"
A big image that will be centered, working as background, with a big blank space in the middle where you can place a button image (see below). On top of the button, something like "Press this button fast!"

Where are you getting the button image? is it an icon? I really think there should be more graphics involved in this so I want to know more about this one... Particularly after thinking of Shanghai's script format

"Overdrive_Sequence_Background"
Same as above, just with width equal to Graphics width and a different instruction ("Press these buttons!" or something)

Same complaint as above. I want to know where the buttons are supposed to come from...

"Slot_Machine_Chances"
Ten slot-machine-like images. Cherries, gold, "LUCKY!" and whatnot. The first must be positive, the second negative. The other as you wish. Must be in a vertical line, all equal to the others in size.
Pathetic Mockup 2:
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|____|
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|____|
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|____|
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|____|
|       |
|____|
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|____|
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|____|
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|____|

With this I wonder how it's going to work and be placed with the Base image...Will it be place behind? it's taller than the base would be so I wonder what would happen to it... will you bend it as if it's moving and curving in the script? I know I'm kind of finicky, but I really like knowing what and how I'm designing something when I do so.

"Slot_Machine_Base_3"
"Slot_Machine_Base_4to6"
"Slot_Machine_Base_7to9"

These images are a background, with space enough for, respectively, up to 3 6 and 9 of the above ("Slot_Machine_Chances"). For example, if the above have a width of 10, the first image should have, say, a width of 38 = 2(spacing) + 10(width) + 2(spacing) + 10(width) + 2(spacing) + 10(width) + 2(spacing)
The height should be enough to allow an image with height equal to 10/4 of the above images. 1 slot, plus twice 3/4 of a slot.
Pathetic Mockup 3:

_____________________________________
|         _____        ______      ______          |
|        |         |      |         |      |         |         |
|        |_____|      |_____|      |_____|         |         <= just with the above box and the below box
|        |         |      |         |      |         |         |               with 3/4 of the central box's height...
|        |_____|      |_____|      |_____|         |
|        |         |      |         |      |         |         |
|        |_____|      |_____|      |_____|         |
|___________________________________|

Clancky? Yeah, one of the parts of the script that probably won't work as I expect them to.

See above... Also I don't know what 4to6 and 7to9 means in the format... does that mean 4 columns, 6 rows, and 7 columns, 9 rows? This also determines how big I should make the icons that will be in the frame.

"Overdrive_Gauge"
A gauge, as per HP and MP ones, with a width equal to the Graphics width. 2 pixels of border, the rest will be colored with the fill_gradient_rect command (but need a background). Height of the bar is 24.

I want to know where this would be placed in the battle HUD because it seems a bit big, being 24 pixels high And I don't know how it would work being placed in the HUD and everything... Can you explain this a bit better? Even a really bad MSPaint direction with a Melody screen would assist.

@Sacred: The scriplet? Whoops! My bad, I forgot about it. Will work on it after I finished being busy in RL (tomorr- nay! Friday).

Is this good?

Perfect.

I based it on Shanghai's bar size with a few of my own additions.

This should be okay, at worse I will stretch it through the program itself.

No clue what you meant by mirrored. This cursor is meant to run over the bar with each arrow on the top and bottom. The bar is formated so that the edge of this image flush with the edge of the bar image has the cursor pointing at the edge of the bar within the frame.

I meant symmetric, so this is good.

Did not know what you really wanted here, so I mimicked Shanghai's bar and formatted it the same as the bar frame above.

Good enough, I will cut and paste it in the shape I want it with GIMP.

Where are you getting the button image? is it an icon? I really think there should be more graphics involved in this so I want to know more about this one... Particularly after thinking of Shanghai's script format

Well, I kind of think there should be more graphics too... Anyway, as you noticed, I forgot the buttons. The ones in the Shangai script are fine, but a bit little, so if you could enlarge them to about three times the size of a sprite... (I have a bit of a problem with resolution).

Same complaint as above. I want to know where the buttons are supposed to come from...

Same as above. I could, technically, implement the Shangai scripts directly, and probably I will read them to see if it's possible - that would save me LOTS of problems.

With this I wonder how it's going to work and be placed with the Base image...Will it be place behind? it's taller than the base would be so I wonder what would happen to it... will you bend it as if it's moving and curving in the script? I know I'm kind of finicky, but I really like knowing what and how I'm designing something when I do so.
See above... Also I don't know what 4to6 and 7to9 means in the format... does that mean 4 columns, 6 rows, and 7 columns, 9 rows? This also determines how big I should make the icons that will be in the frame.

I don't know how to bend it, if I did I would try to do that. As for now, I thought of just cutting the sprite, adjusting the viewport and letting it run around. I will cut it so that the images will cycle properly, and restart at the right point (that's the easy part). As for special effects... well, let's first see if it works, okay?

You know, I think I will see if Shangai scripts are useable before making you do unnecessary things... I don't want you to waste your time on something that I can do myself. If I cannot, I will post again.
Thank you for the help!

I want to know where this would be placed in the battle HUD because it seems a bit big, being 24 pixels high And I don't know how it would work being placed in the HUD and everything... Can you explain this a bit better? Even a really bad MSPaint direction with a Melody screen would assist.

Ah, yeah, this is one thing I need either way, so...
Basically, since I do not want to meddle with the basic HUD (it's far too small for another bar) I thought of implementing it above of it. During actor's command selection, then disappearing during proper battle. If you want it smaller, adjust it accordingly.

Also, if you have a different suggestion, please tell me. When I said I have some problems with the graphics, well, THIS is what I meant. I can understand the basic Sprite, Viewport, Bitmap, update cycle and such; but if I don't know what to do about them...

Well as far as the Slot Script, it really seems like your plan is going to be more versatile (and look better) than Shanghai's But Shanghai's added pop-ups like "Perfect!" "Almost!" and "Miss!" are definitely nice. Shanghai uses Icons for her slot script and then she resizes them BLEGH. Resized icons never look that great, they aren't bad, but they don't look the best that they can be.

And you still did not explain the 4to6 and 7to9 formats.

And for the Limit Gauge, you want it as a bar that will show up above the basic HUD only during the character's turn, so all the rest of the time it is gone and then character turn comes up and you see the limit gauge. Suddenly appearing would be bad, but if you could have it kind of.... rise from the basic HUD during Action select for each actor... that would be nice...

Now there is also the idea of the gauge being filled by percents....  IIRC In FF7 they showed this by changing the color that the bar fills with each percent (so until 100% it fills green, 200% it fills Yellow, 300% it fills Orange, 400% it fills red) or something like that. It would also not work with the ability to increase Limit percent beyond 400%

However that works best with a short bar, and a short bar would be a little silly with your proposed setup. I think with your proposed setup, we should have a section that actually lists the current percent # at the beginning of the bar. Assigning color to the text by percent instead of the bar by percent would be easier to script (and adjust for users) too... but not a necessary feature.But yes... A HUD Bar, with a Number Display that rises from the basic HUD on actor's turn (the rising could be accomplished with a basic only display 1/4 of the image at a time, starting with the top quarter, then the top half, the top 3/4 and full. and boom. Then it disappears the same way.)

It would be kind of neat to change the fill color based on your limit charge style... You're filling it via script, right?

But Anyway, I could design a basic HUD bar like I mentioned. Would have to be after work though...

Well as far as the Slot Script, it really seems like your plan is going to be more versatile (and look better) than Shanghai's But Shanghai's added pop-ups like "Perfect!" "Almost!" and "Miss!" are definitely nice. Shanghai uses Icons for her slot script and then she resizes them BLEGH. Resized icons never look that great, they aren't bad, but they don't look the best that they can be.

That is, IF my plan works.

And you still did not explain the 4to6 and 7to9 formats.

Basically, since I think it wouldn't look that bad and I never thought of having more than one line on slot machines (instead of Shanghai's three), I thought of having 3 backgrounds: one for 3 slots, one for 4 5 or 6 slots, one for 7 to 9 slots. So, if you have 4 slots, the back will be a bit large, but hopefully not too much. I organized the script such as to center the slots in the background, but if I had just one background, big enough for 9 slots, then when you had just 3 slots you would have far too much clear space on the sides.

And for the Limit Gauge, you want it as a bar that will show up above the basic HUD only during the character's turn, so all the rest of the time it is gone and then character turn comes up and you see the limit gauge. Suddenly appearing would be bad, but if you could have it kind of.... rise from the basic HUD during Action select for each actor... that would be nice...

I can do that, with a bit of work. It's not that hard to setup, once I figure out the right module to alias.

Now there is also the idea of the gauge being filled by percents....  IIRC In FF7 they showed this by changing the color that the bar fills with each percent (so until 100% it fills green, 200% it fills Yellow, 300% it fills Orange, 400% it fills red) or something like that. It would also not work with the ability to increase Limit percent beyond 400%

Actually, I handled this a bit differently, but this idea seems better... Well, it has its cons but anyway.
I calculated the max Overdrive for each actor basing on the actor's skills. If you gain an Overdrive Skill, your Overdrive Bar increases accordingly. You can still use prior levels' Overdrives when your bar is (say) half full, but it wouldn't be signaled. Also, if the bar is full I think it would be cool for it to glow or something. Will work on this Friday.

However that works best with a short bar, and a short bar would be a little silly with your proposed setup. I think with your proposed setup, we should have a section that actually lists the current percent # at the beginning of the bar. Assigning color to the text by percent instead of the bar by percent would be easier to script (and adjust for users) too... but not a necessary feature.But yes... A HUD Bar, with a Number Display that rises from the basic HUD on actor's turn (the rising could be accomplished with a basic only display 1/4 of the image at a time, starting with the top quarter, then the top half, the top 3/4 and full. and boom. Then it disappears the same way.)

It would be kind of neat to change the fill color based on your limit charge style... You're filling it via script, right?

I can do this too... But I think that if I make it enter I will change its base update so that the sprite's oy starts as viewport.height then decreases to a minimum of 0. To make it desappear, I'll increase it to viewport.height.

But Anyway, I could design a basic HUD bar like I mentioned. Would have to be after work though...

Well, I'm going to get back on this after Kant and Lorentz are past me, so... no problem there.

BUMP