AP System Help

I have previously posted a thread on this that was very undetailed, and no one could help me so let me explain more in-depth.

I need help making an AP System for RPG.

This is how it works.

At the start of teh game, I want each player to have their OWN multiboard that only THEY can see. I want it to be labelled AP Statistics. Now, there are certain item types that upgrade via this AP System. They are:

Magic - Such as Blizzard upgrades to Blizzara which upgrades to Blizzaga

Summons - Such as Bahamut which upgrades to Neo Bahamut

Now, those are the two types of items that can upgrade using the AP System. I plan to have around 50 summons and 120 Magic Spells.

Ok, the first thing I want is for when a unit acquires a weapon.

Example - Short Sword

I want it to have its own inventory, like a spellbook, but instead of carrying spells, it can carry additional items. However, I want a low-level item like Short Sword to only be able to carry 1 additional item in its inventory, while a weapon such as Ultima Weapon can carry 6 additional items. Now, nothing can go inside these inventories EXCEPT for the two types of items that can be upgraded via AP. So, your weapons, armor, accessories can carry Magic and Summons inside their varying inventory slots.

Next, say you have weapon - Short Sword

Then, the hero carrying the short sword sees Summon Materia - Bahamut. When he acquires the item, I want it to immediately be transferred to the inventory slot of one of the weapons, armor, accessories; in this case - Short Sword. Now, as soon as this item goes into the inventory of the Short Sword, I want the name of the item to add to the AP Statistics Multiboard.

Example -

AP Statistics
Bahamut 0

Now, the 0 next to Bahamut should represent the amount of AP that that specific Materia has gained since acquired.

Now, how to add to the AP chart.

Every unit in the RPG will be worth a certain amount of AP points. Low level monsters may only be worth 1 or 2 points, while later on, monsters can be worth 50 + points. Now, say you kill a rat that is worth 3 AP points. When you kill it, I want it to add 3 AP to EVERY ITEM in the Multiboard.

Example -

Ap Statistics
Bahamut 3

Finally, when items upgrade.

Different items have different required AP amounts before they upgrade. Say, Bahamuts required AP amount is 5000. When the counter in the Multiboard for Bahamut reaches 5000 or more, I want it to remove Bahamut from the multiboard and inventory. Then, I want it to replace the Bahamut in the inventory with "Neo Bahamut" in the same slot that Bahamut was previously in. Next, if an item can be upgraded again, then I want the name of this item to be displayed in the Multiboard again with a counter starting at 0.

Example -

Before Upgrading!:

AP Statistics
Bahamut 4995

Then, counter hits 5000. The "Bahamut" Materia in the units weapons' inventory is removed and instantly replaced with "Neo Bahamut". In this case, the "Neo Bahamut" item can be upgraded again to "Bahamut Zero". So the Multiboard would now display....

After Upgrading:

Ap Statistics
Bahamut Zero 0

I know this is probably very confusing, but I really need help with this, as I don't really know how to do it. Please post with your help or comments.

Thanks ~~~~

~~~~NVA

*wonders why OperationFT thinks anyone is going to read that much...* Oh yea, Hi. ^_^

Shutup Dragon :D

I like this idea very much. I may fool around with it some tommorrow and post the results here.

Cool, thanks

For link's personal appeal, I will edit this post instead of double posting.

The biggest problems I've had in making this system are the fact that every item has an item inventory that corresponds to the normal unit inventory. So the trigger has to detect when a Magic or Summon is put into the inventory of the weapon. Plus, if a hero was to drop the weapon, I don't know how I could make the Magic and Summons contained within that weapon STAY within that weapon. (Ah, hell, I don't even know how to make a spellbook item that can carry items...) The other problem I've had is showing a multiboard to only one player. Also, just thought I'd throw this question in.

If I make my whole game with a color template, meaning that all the units and abilities and descriptions are written in color, would that take up a fraction of my game-size. Cause I'm trying to keep my game within 4MB, and its coming alot harder than I thought.

Help Appreciated.

Going to edit this post now...I figured out that items can't hae inventory...So...

I thought and thought and came up with the brilliant idea...(with some help..)

Instead of making the items have inventory for items...I make the items have spellbooks. Note, this saves alot of triggerwork, as it is much easier to limit the spots in the spellbook. Next, I'm having another problem....

When a unit acquires a Magic/Summon, it is removed from play, and instead, a spell is added to the weapon's Inventory-Spellbook.

So, now, I have the spell in the inventory of the weapon. Now, I found a way for that each Spell/Summon that is added to the inventory of an item, is worth a certain custom value. And when it is added, it adds the custom value of that ability to the custom value of the item. Now, its time for the two questions that you have been dreading.

Is there a way so that when it sells an item, for the gold the person gets to be equal to the integer number of the custom value of the weapon?

My second question might be a bit more complicated... So, instead of actually making the items have inventories, I turned the items into spells, and made the people think that they actually had the item in the inventory. Now, I want it to be possible to right click the spells in the spellbook, and drop the "spell" but when they drop it, it transfers the spell into the item, and drops that instead. Is this possible?

I just thought of a third question...how do you add abilities to an open spellbook item in the unit's inventory? For example, if the weapon had a max inventory of spells/summons, I want it to go to the next spellbook in the inventory, and if there is no more room left, then I want it dropped back on the map.

Jeez, I know this is confusing but please help.

Regards~~~~

~~~~NVA

Well you are right Link, and yes this idea does have merit.

Better make love to arrays.

Well, I've figured out some parts of it, but showing a Multiboard to only one player is still a mystery to me. Also, read my last post before this for a few other questions that I have.

Showing a multiboard to one player involves LocalPlayer, for more specifics do a search, there are quite a few threads about it.

Well, now I'm having a problem....Is there any way to...drop a spell from a spellbook and have it to turn back into an item? Or could I make an ability that is in every spellbook that empties out the spellbook and changes all of them into items?