I'm very new to RPG Maker, but I'm playing around with it right now and trying to construct a pretty serious little RPG, but I'm wondering about setting up the story. Is it possible to do some sort of cut-scene style thing at the very beginning of a new game? Not with like, CGI or anything, just a bunch of characters going here and there with relevant conversations taking place to set the scene.

Is that possible? If so, how would I go about doing it?

Thanks in advance!

Its pretty simple. Just make a map for the scene, and use the autorun event's just as you would for any scene in the game. If you want a traditional text monolouging, then create a completely blank map, and use the event command "change hero graphic" to make the graphic blank.

Then its either picture display, or text commands.

Other than that, you'd have to be more specific in what you want for direct advice.

Thank you very much, I think that'll go a long way to helping me! I think I can figure the majority of that out.

Though, admittedly, I'm completely at a loss for what switches are/how to make them work...the help guide wasn't all that informative, either.

Switches.

These are a global tool for the game, to turn things on and off. To be exact, events.

Switches can be used in many ways, simple and complex. A quick example, is throwing switch[1] ON when you talk to an NPC, and then require the switch to be ON to activate a different event.

Not a great example, but still.

A local switch, or self switch (i forget which it is), is the same thing, except it is only local, to the event it is turned on in. Each event has 4 that can be used in MANY ways. Most commonly just to deactivate an event's further use, but its VERY diverse.

And a variable is much like a switch in its primary use, however, it can be used differently. It can be used to store numbers, and activate events (or other things) based on the value of the variable.
It can be used to count apples for a quest, store the amount of children you've rescued in the lost canyons, and more. Then later be reffered to by event's to detail it.

Again, not a great explanation, so if someone else wants to step in, go ahead.

Wait just a second....

You said that each event can use the 4 self-switches... You mean that I could turn self-switch A on in one event, and the other with self-switch A will remain unchanged???

Wow. I did not know that.

Anyway, a better example that I can think of for switches is a quest. Suppose you make the switch "Dog". You talk to the woman, and she wants you to find it for her. Next time you talk to the dog wandering on the outskirts of the villiage, you'll pick him up. You were able to do that because of switches.

I understood it as this:

If I turn on X, then event Y will do something different because X had meaning to Y.

Does that make any sense?

No, you misunderstood. Self switches are all independant to the event they are activated in. Turning on self switch A for event [Dog] Will not turn on self switch A for event [muskrat].

Self switches are called "local variables" in the event command box.

I've recently heard of a way to make a local switch work for multiple events by using a common event, however, i havn't figured that out yet, so i have no information to provide.

quote arion_orion

No, you misunderstood. Self switches are all independant to the event they are activated in. Turning on self switch A for event [Dog] Will not turn on self switch A for event [muskrat].

Errrmm errrmmmmmmmm.. yeah. >.<
Sorry, misunderstood you. <.>

I'm more curious as to how you set up an intro movie style thing, like before the title screen :/

You'd need a script to allow you to run it. I don't know what script however.
(i think it may be possible with events, i havn't looked into that in a very long time.)

This message was edited by arion_orion on May 26 2008.

Figures. It would be scripts.

hey i was just working out the same thing... i am also a noob when it comes to scripting... actually... i haven't done any... but i REALLY want to learn.... but im actually already pretty good at using this program.... i just want to know exactly what your looking for in the opening scene... 'cuz i might be able to help... and i also have a question that falls under this... how do you COMPLETELY force a battle... where you do nothing but sit and watch... thats what im working on for my opening scene.... i have quite a bit done already on my game.. but i decided to make a good opening scene

Like Tellah vs. Bard in FFIV style? That'd be events in the troop tab of the database I believe.

OHHHHH i would've been trying to figure this out for forever!!! DAMN!!! i wouldn't have gone to the database for something like that... jesus.... Thanks alot... you just saved me a day of pointless ... pointlessness

okay... now i need to know how to put letters over a random black screen... as in... a consciousness... so its jsut white letters over a black screen while they're waking up... any suggestions??