Question regarding cut scenes, namely debugging events. Any suggestions?

I am Currently using rpg maker VX. (for simplicity, the hero will be referred to as "Kento," and the event character, "Sandgetsu.") My progress is such; I have made an event in which walking to the beginning of a bridge tile triggers a cut scene. the event works as follows: when the player touches the bridge, the event (which is triggered by player touch) sets a move route to about halfway up the "bridge," and then turns left to face the scenery. after that move route is completed, an event is supposed to spawn, triggering another move route for the spawned event, sending it to the tile next to the hero, again turning left. conversation then ensues. In other words, kento walks to the bridge, and the player loses control functions. kento moves half way up, and sangetsu spawns out of sight. sandgetsu walks across the bridge and stands next to the hero. the both look out in the distance, and have a conversation.
  after the conversation, the hero is supposed to be forced to follow sangetsu on a move route akin to some classic "follow" events in top-down rpgs.

  my problem is such; When the conversation occurs, there are pauses between speaking for effect. the character can move in these pauses, which messes with the "follow event" and can trigger some bugs that disallow further progress in the cutscene, and subsequently in the game. also, when move routes are set, sometimes they override later move routes for the same character/event.

  My question is: can any one help me develop a better event system for this cut scene? i am willing to start from scratch. i would attach copys of the events, but they are currently a jumbled mess and most certainly is amateur work. thus i deffer to the veterans for help. if you cant reach me through the forums i have an email adress you could send replies to: seventhdayavenged@yahoo.com. i would appreciate the help.

In any cutscene, it is better to have the character gone entirely. Lemme 'splain.

Instead of the event moving the PLAYER, have the event change party members to an invisible "dummy" actor, and throw a switch which starts another event that DOES move and looks like the actor you intend to have participate in the scene. When the scene is done, you can then instruct the controlling event to teleport the player to Xmap at Y and Z, and replace the dummy actor with the character in question. Just remember to NOT check the "initialize" box in the party member dialogue box; this will set the actor back to starting level with starting equips.

  my problem is such; When the conversation occurs, there are pauses between speaking for effect. the character can move in these pauses, which messes with the "follow event" and can trigger some bugs that disallow further progress in the cutscene, and subsequently in the game. also, when move routes are set, sometimes they override later move routes for the same character/event.

Use the wait command inside your move route.

In any cutscene, it is better to have the character gone entirely. Lemme 'splain.

Instead of the event moving the PLAYER, have the event change party members to an invisible "dummy" actor, and throw a switch which starts another event that DOES move and looks like the actor you intend to have participate in the scene. When the scene is done, you can then instruct the controlling event to teleport the player to Xmap at Y and Z, and replace the dummy actor with the character in question. Just remember to NOT check the "initialize" box in the party member dialogue box; this will set the actor back to starting level with starting equips.

SWo in other word's what your saying is to, within the data base, create a empty character slot, and then all you see is the event made to look like the main character moving like other events, thus eliminating the ability to "move" during the cut scene. then just move the player to where control is re-established with out initialization? Hmm... didn't think of it that way. ill give it a shot. thnx.

Well, it works for me. I mean, eventing cutscenes (and in many ways, eventing in general) is complex, but it is not difficult; there will be many steps but the preparation is not hard, and the end result adds so much to the storytelling.

Just remember to place the "dummy" in a location where the palyer can't move it, even if they're messing with the controller. Another important command to place in the cutscenes is removing menu access. Do all that, and it's as if controller input is frozen.

Make 1 event control the whole cutscene, the first event page would be your player touch condition, then the 2nd and any pages after are always on AUTORUN. The player can't do shit anytime. Just turn the event off just after the cutscene is over.

EvilM00s - you can always just use the Change Transparency Event command and make the player invisible, instead of a whole dummy actor thing.

I never even considered that!  Thanks, MA!

Thank Modern algebra, and thank you grafikal. it is because of you guys that we noob-onians can even function.

I'm glad I could help, though I'm not sure how I did.

lol

lol!