CP’s Battle Engine v1.2b

What is it?
This is my own custom battle engine.  I wanted to change how battles looked and one thing led to another and the next thing I knew I had an entire battle system.  This battle system has 5 different view modes (which you can actually switch in game!) as well as several little tweaks and bugfixes (and by this I mean a few pretty major tweaks).  I’m also going to be creating add-ons for this which hopefully will make it fairly simple to use.

As mentioned, this script has 5 different view types that change how battle are displayed.  Here is a list of several of the other changes in no particular order:

• Bugfix where monster turns were not calculated correctly.  Turn order now works properly.
• Bugfix where monsters would not target each other properly.  They now target with a certain degree of AI.
• Bugfix where animations set to “screen” would be played several overlayed at once.  Now only one will display, but it will affect all monsters.
• Tweak adding an animation array all animations will display as soon as they are called and complete regardless of other animations playing.
• Tweak to substitution where party members (actors and enemies) will not cover for attacks from their own party, including heals.
• Tweak to counter attacks where the affected character will use their default attack skill to counter.  If the skill affects a party member, it will always target the user (ie, a heal or buff skill).  If the skill targets random enemies, every attack will strike the attacker.  If the skill hits the entire enemy party it will only affect the attacker.
• Some window sizes and locations were changed in certain modes.
• Added auto-battle, rush, and defend options to the party menu.  Auto battle allows each member to select their skills automatically, rush causes all members to use their normal attack on the first enemy (random target and all target skills work normally), and defend just causes all party members to defend.
• Added party command to the party menu which allows the player to switch an active party member for a reserve party member.
• Added a system to allow each party member or class to have unique commands.  See the next section to learn how to set these up.
• Added casting animations for items and skills.
• Changed the help window to allow it to be open during the entire selection sequence.  Subsequently added a hash that allows you to set the help text for submenus.
• Numerous other bugfixes and tweaks.

How can I use it?
Place this script above main and below materials.  This script has a whole slew of settings to change it’s appearance and it’s use and to modify quite a few different aspects of battle.  Here I will just go over the notebox tags that can be used and will leave the config options to the header.

Monster Tags:

• attack[x] – Sets the monster’s normal attack animation to animation “x” in the database.  If a skill is set to “normal attack” for it’s animation, this battle animation is used.
• attack skill[x] – Sets the monster’s default attack skill to skill “x”.  This is in case the monster gets confused or berserked, etc.
• defend skill[x] – Sets the monster’s default defend skill to skill “x”.  This is technically useless.

Actor/Class Tags – Note that actor tags take priority when both are present on an actor

• battler[name] – Sets the actor’s battler image to file “name” from the Graphics/Battlers folder.  This only takes effect in mode 3.
• attack skill[x] – Sets the actor’s attack skill to skill “x”.  Used when the player selects the attack command, when the character is berserk/confused, or when the player selects the “rush” command.
• defend skill[x] – Pretty much the same as attack, only with the defend skill.
• hide mp -and/or- hide tp – Allow the amount of MP or TP a character has to be hidden in battle.

Monster and Actor/Class Tags

• <flying> – Causes the tagged entity’s sprite to bob up and down similar to how checking the “flying” option on monsters in RPG Maker 2k3 works.
• <transparent> – Causes the tagged entity’s sprite to become partially transparent similar to how checking the “transparent” option on monster in RPG Maker 2k and 2k3 works.
• <mirror> – Flips the tagged entity’s sprite horizontally.

Skill Tags

• cast anim[x] – Sets the skills casting animation to animation “x”.  Takes priority over skill set casting animations.

Weapon Tags

• attack skill[x] – Sets the basic attack skill of the actor equipped with the weapon to the skill with ID “x”.  This takes priority over Class and Actor tags.

These can be set up in the notebox and allow you to modify what command an actor has.  You do NOT NEED to set these up in order for actors to have commands as there is a portion of the script where you can set the default commands.  This system allows you to set skills as commands that can be used instantly rather than needing to select them from a submenu.  To do so, set up the notebox with something like the following pattern:

• <commands>, </commands> – These tags specify the beginning and end points of the complete command list.  They are required for custom commands to work on a character or class.
• :attack – The default attack skill.  Will use whatever skill is set to the character’s main attack.
• :defend – The default defend skill.  Same as above.
• :skill – The character’s skill submenus.  They all get added here in their normal order.
• Name => 10 – A command skill.  You can set up as many of these as you like as long as they follow a similar format.  “Name” can be changed to the name you want the command to display.  “10” can be changed to the ID of any skill in the database.
• :item – The item submenu.
• :party – Adds a command that allows the actor to be switched with a reserve member in battle.

What does it look like?
Mode 1 is made to just look like the default battle system.

Mode 2 displays faces in a window at the bottom of the screen.  This uses many of the default windows.

Mode 3 is the reason I made this battle system.  It displays battlers for the characters.  This image also shows how the party command menu is moved.

Mode 4 is like mode 3 but uses the actor faces instead of battlers.

The actor command window displays over the currently selected actor in modes 3 and 4.  It also has a partially transparent menu back.  The opacity can be changed in the config.

The size of the enemy selection is also changed in this mode.  It displays up to 3 enemies across and will get taller if there are more enemies.

The actor selection dialogue, however, goes as high up as it can without covering other windows.  Also notice how the the battlers are highlighted in this and the last picture.

And as seen in this and the last picture, the size of the item and skill selection windows will change based on the number of items.  In modes 3 and 4 it will stop at 8, but in modes 1 and 2 it will fill the screen like normally if possible.

As of version 1.1, view mode 5 has been added.  This new view mode replicates the battle system of RPG Makers 2000 and VX.  This includes such things as using the bottom window to display battle info and opening skill and item windows in the bottom window.

A demonstration of quite a few different things.  This shows how the built in simple sideview mode works as well as showing transparent and mirrored sprites.  It also shows how hidden pools (mp/tp) are handled in respect to the default windows.

What does it work with?
Well obviously this will not work with other battle systems.  I can’t say for sure it will or won’t work with certain add-ons, though it’s most likely it won’t work with VISUAL add-ons.  Other add-ons should work fine.  I do plan to make add-ons for this to support different battle styles and I welcome any compatible add-ons.

House set compatible scripts:
Battle Pop-ups
Grade Victory Screen
Scan Enemy
Scrolling States

How can I get the script?
Version 1.2b (base script, 1.14.2013) is available from my pastebin account here.

I would like to use this script.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://cphouseset.wordpress.com/liscense-and-terms-of-use/.

Author’s Disclaimer:
I made this script originally because I had liked how battles were displayed in RPG Maker XP and wanted a similar system for Ace.  In the end I decided to add a few different visual styles to give the user some customization options.  I kept adding things to give more customization as well as upgrading things I felt like Ace could have done better.  I think the end result is pretty nicely put together and gives the user a lot more useful options to choose from.

As mentioned I will be creating add-ons for this script (I plan to add animated battlers, sideview, ATB, and charge turn add-ons at least).  If you have any battle add-ons that are compatible that you would like me to mention above, feel free to ask.  Credits go to Archeia and Penta for the battlers in the mode 3 screenshots.   As always, enjoy.