[VXA] Monster Catalogue

What would you like me to do? Create a new account?
And I do see where you're going. I did forget a please, and I said I didn't find it trivial. I understand. I did however wait a while to reask, being more specific and reminding that scroll description was used on other things which then could be used as a base example. I also gave my reason for asking and examples of how it'd be used, then a while later checked to see if it was that they haven't been online, or if they're too busy/ don't find it important enough and wanted me to take a hint.

Hi, I understand that this script hasn't gotten that much attention over the last few months, and might very well be unsupported, but I am hoping someone might explain something so that I know I am not going crazy.

I have done a routine search of the entire script and there is nowhere that the method 'description' is used.

Code: [Select]

class RPG::Enemy
  #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  # * Description
  #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  def description(*args, &block)
    if !@mamc_description
      @mamc_description = super(*args, &block)
      if note[/\\(DESCRIPTION|DESC)\{(.+?)\}/im]
        @mamc_description = $2
        @mamc_description.gsub!(/[\r\n]/, "")
        @mamc_description.gsub!(/\\[Nn]/, "\n")
      end
      @mamc_description = "" unless @mamc_description.is_a?(String)
    end
    @mamc_description
  end
end



Obviously the regex is defined in the code above, and a similar method is also defined in your 'State Descriptions' script for RPG::State, where it is also used. However, it seems to me, that this method is completely unused in 'Monster Catalogue'.

The reason I am asking is that I was unable to get \desc to work and looked over the code. Then came here.

Now I am highly confused, after reading the last bit of exchange that occurred here.

Am I simply missing something obvious? Like that 'ruby' character was missing the fact that he could simply increase the description window size via (:desc_window_lines)? If so, I'd appreciate any directions provided.

Thanks for your time.

Sorry. I haven't been around.

@RogueWorld - this script uses an instance of Window_Help to draw the description. That class has a method, set_item, which takes an object and draws the result of that object's description method. Adding the description method to it allowed me to simply use that method by passing the RPG::Enemy object to it.

What is the problem you're having with description? Is there no help window?

@rubydragon - As RogueWorld said, you can increase the size of the description window by changing the value of :desc_window_lines around line 270:

Code: [Select]

  # :desc_window_lines - This allows you to choose how many lines will fit in
  #    the help window. If set to 0, there will be no help window to show
  #    description.
  :desc_window_lines => 2,


You can then add whatever you want to the description, and it should recognize any message codes as well to make it more colourful.

As for an automatic way to do it, there is none for this script. Although I can see how it would be useful to make it possible to have more than one page, I have not really been doing much scripting lately. I will not be updating the script to add those functions. Anyway, I am sure there are other bestiary scripts out there which do allow you to add more data. The main purpose of this script was to facilitate a simple collection mechanic.

Thanks for the explanation.

Essentially there is a blank window with no information in it.

The window is there, and the :desc_window_lines value raises and lowers the size as expected. But the

Code: [Select]

#  Notetags for Enemies:
#
#    \desc{description of the monster} - This allows you to give each monster
#       a description which will appear in the bottom window in the Monster
#       Catalogue scene. You can use \N to go to the next line, and you can
#       also use any normal message codes like \c[n], \v[n], etc... If you do
#       not want to give monsters descriptions, you can turn the window off by
#       changing the value of :desc_window_lines to 0 at line 270.


does not seem to do anything.


I have tested it in a clean project and it simply doesn't work.

This is how I have used it so far:

Code: [Select]

\desc{ text }
\desc{ "text" }
\desc{text}
\desc{"text"}
#and
\desc{
text
}
\desc{
"text"
}


But nothing I have tried worked. So I checked the code and saw no reference to \desc at all. Nor any use of the  method I posted about before.

I really appreciate your attention.

Hmm, well that should work. I just tested it in a new project and it worked fine. Could you upload that test project you just made so I could take a look?

Hmm, well that should work. I just tested it in a new project and it worked fine. Could you upload that test project you just made so I could take a look?

It seems I must have overlooked something in my Clean Project. As I just made another, and sure enough it seems to be working now.

I will poke at it some more, and try to find out why it got broken last time I tested it.

Thanks for your time!

I found it... I didn't realize you where passing the enemy object into the window to grab its description...

Another script was initializing all BaseItem object descriptions for re-assignment. Which was erasing the \desc set-up.

You helped me fix it, even though it wasn't your script that was broken.

edit: Also, sorry for thinking I had tested it in a clean project. I must have made a mistake somewhere.

That's quite alright. I'm glad that it's working for you now.

Ahoy, Modern!

Sorry if this is a dumb question, or if I missed the answer somewhere, but I was just wondering...is it possible to change an enemy's description by script call or comments? I intend to make the descriptions change in-game as the player learns new things about the enemies. (:

If anyone knows how this can be done, I will be eternally grateful.

(Or maybe a way to change the enemy's notetags through script/events might work...maybe?)

No, you never missed it. Currently, that's not possible, since descriptions are just read directly from the note box on an as-needed basis, and are not saved when you save the game. The solution would be to create an array or hash that has descriptions in them and change them there. It would not be difficult to write a patch, and I will see if I can find the time to do it next week. Really tired right now though, and I'll be pretty busy working this weekend.

Ohhh, I see! Thanks a ton, Modern!

I've actually been using this script in a new Detective game I've been working on. It's serving as my suspects/evidence information menu! B) Works great even with a game with no enemies in it haha

I don't know if this script still has support but anyway, let me try.

I'm currently using this piece of heaven script + Yanfly Enemy Level, what it does is change monsters parameters every battle.
Anyway, when I scroll around the bestiary it always changes enemy parameters (sometimes an orc has 400 hp, then 350, always change) because of Yanfly's script.

Is there a way somehow to make it always show the enemy base parameter (the one I put on database) instead of refreshing because of their random level?

Have you tried placing Yanfly's script below this one?

Have you tried placing Yanfly's script below this one?

Yup, above, under, every possible way.
Tried messing around with MA script but I obviously couldnt make it work.
I always try to solve my problems before asking for help but this time I had no success.

I updated the main post because I recently came across some useful add-ons for this script by DrDhoom:  http://drd-workshop.blogspot.com/2015/01/modern-algebra-monster-catalogue-add-on.html

All credit for the add-ons should go to DrDhoom.

Hi, just wanted to add here that this script was invaluable to me (as was the text-wrapping one). Without your script, my first VX Ace game would not be the game it now is, so thankyou.
You are credited on this game, and details can be found here: http://dungeonmastercom.weebly.com/credits.html

@modern algebra

Is there a way to get the battler that is shown to be a frame of the sprite sheet? I ask because when using this in my game, I get the whole sprite sheet showing up for the monster, probably because I'm using victor sant animated battlers. So I don't have static images of the battlers, I'm using walking sprites in the battle instead.

Is there any hope?

EDIT**

I got it fixed for me as I had my battlers setup with an extra file, which i named the same with a b to say battler.
So hornet would be hornetb.
Then on line 1177 and 1179 I added in +"b"